Topic: Federation Mauler?

[FPF-DieHard]

I don't get it. 
 

Fly Alliance sometime, you will 

[Hexx]

Hey, what's the "Fast Mauler" in R9?
Did I miss them in OP4?

[Julin Eurthyr]

In, IIRC, Cap. Log 16, there was a bunch of Alliance Mauler SSDs printed.  These finished off a set of conjectural If Drone Boats are the starship equivalent of a scatter-pack, maulers are the starship example of the suicide shuttle.  One big boom and probably no starship left...

Why you people think this?  the damage of a mauler on average is barely better than Photons overloaded.

I have R9, the Federation Maulers simply aren't worth it in an SFB or and SFC universe. 

You sure about that?

Especially in SFB?

Granted, a 32 battery SFC mauler isn't that hot (32 batts X2 = 64 damage or 1 4xOL Photon strike), but there's a couple of extra mauler trade-offs that were made from SFB that you aren't accounting for.

1.  Range, shorter in SFB.  Still same 100% hit rate, adjusted for ECM, rolled on a 2d6, but IIRC you need range 1 to get the doubled damage.
2.  Engines - SFB maulers can add any and all power systems linked to the mauler cannon(s).  Typically, this is both / all warp engines, and often the impulse drive.  The rules state that if the mauler draws power from the engines, the engine needs to take 1 damage for each 2 power pumped through the mauler.  On a full scale strike, that means the mauler loses 1/2 the engines, right there.
3.  Shock - maulers are affected by shock, and it's preety much a guaranteed breakdown once the mauler unloads it's entire strike.

Still, when you look at these overall numbers (say 32 engine power, combined with the 32 batteries = 64 power doubled if close range means 128 damage.  With a near 100% hit rate, 100% if there is a 0-shift ECM situation.  Firie this into a CA-target, through a fresh shield, usually means 90+ single internals!  Since most CAs have 130 or so internals, this means close to 75% of the ship is gone in 1 shot.  To compare the damage being done by this 1 ship, you need to score 8 overloaded photon hits on the same shield in the same impulse.  This requires a very lucky BB, or 2 lucky ships, as both cases require a full 100% hit rate with the OLs.  Assuming a 67% average hit rate, you need 12 photon tubes in the area, which comes on 3 CAs probably 4 ships worth of Photons if you're using CLs or DWs in your fleet.

Wouldn't you want a CA that has the nearly-guaranteed (one time) strike power of 12 "average" overloaded photons?

[Rod ONeal]

Besides the maintenance problem (IE, shock effect), which some races, like the Feds, wouldn't want to deal with (I know, they made the BCJ), maulers are more effective for some races than others.

Roms, with their cloak and plasmas, are ideally suited for maulers. You can use the mauler's batteries to cloak and fly really fast to catch (or get away from) a target. You can win any tractor auction and "anchor" your opponent.

The Andromedans get the added benefit of being able to dump power from their panels into it and their huge battery reserves to power it with. Also, an Andro mauler that just took a beating to deliver it's strike can be picked up by the mothership for repairs and, possibly, a second strike later in the battle.

There are other tactical advantages of the maulers that other races can benefit from (anchoring an opponent as well as the fact that they make terrific damage sponges), but the benefits are outweighed by the costs, both in repairs and loss of life for the crews. Mauler crews are only slightly more survivable than PF crews. Usually, a mauler in a fleet engagement is a primary target. That and the scout, but the scout usually skirts the battlefield avoiding direct engagement. The mauler, on the other hand, works best by diving right into the battle.

[FPF-DieHard]

Have you actually SEEN the R9 Federation mauler ship?  They suck.  I'ts not like a CB with a mauler strapped on, they loose too much for a marginally gain.

Yeah I'm sure    When you can have a legal fleet with 42 photons, you've no need for a mauler.  I dont' I'd even think I'd pick on in PBR.

[Wraith 413]

 CFS+ is the Fed's mauler.   

                      Wraith 413

[Vorcha]

BB and I have very successfully flown a ROM Mauler and and Klink C7 combo against guys in GSA flying FED boats.  The Mauler if used correctly can be an exceptional weapon.  As Julian says...range and how much juice you put into it is the determining factor.  By itself...1v1 it's pretty easy prey, but teamed with anything capable of keeping other guys off it's back long enough for the mauler equipped ship to manuever and charge itself up for multiple volleys makes this ship pretty devastating.  The biggest draw back is the Mauler arc...pretty tight for standard manuevers...usually requires an HET to bring the weapon to bare on a live person.

A Fed Mauler would be kind of fun since they usually have a decent power curve.

V

[GDA-S'Cipio]

What would be the ideological reason behind not building a mauler?
'Tis silly

I'd guess it was likely tech advancement.

The mauler was a Romulan invention, and they shared it with their allies.  It served as a support boat; adding combat density to a fleet.  (where increasing combat density is defined as increasing the amount of damage a fleet can do to a target, while not increasing the number of ships beyond what the flagship can control.)  It was designed to help a fleet attack a fixed position or a key enemy unit that was very powerful.

Later in the war, by the time the Alliance could reverse engineer their own mauler to counter the coalition, they were already capable of increasing their own combat density with fighters and PFs, and could thus engage powerful units or bases without the need to get a cruiser hull as close to a target as a mauler needs.

In short, by the time the Alliance could think about building a mauler, they no longer needed to.

-S'Cipio the guesser

[FPF-DieHard]

Scippy has the Dynamic of F&E summed up perfectly. 

Coalition Maulers versus Alliance Carriers;.

[CaptJosh]

Like the difference between a present day carrier and the German Dreadnought battleship Bismarck. The carrier wins because it can stay out of range and pound the battleship with ordinance it can counter only with the greatest of difficulty.

[Age]

Like the difference between a present day carrier and the German Dreadnought battleship Bismarck. The carrier wins because it can stay out of range and pound the battleship with ordinance it can counter only with the greatest of difficulty.

The only thing is the Bismarck destroyed itself instead of the British sinking it (in otherwords it placed itself on self detruct) that is what happened to the Bismarck .enough of being OT for me.

[Capt_Bearslayer_XC]

They scuttled the Bismark in case the English tried to capture her.

The ship WAS going down.

[KBF-Crim]

Like an intern