Topic: The Pirate's choice

[Herr Burt]

OK, let's say you decided to enter a tournament as a pirate.  After all, empires merely get glory.  Pirates get glory.... and get rich!

Which weapons loadout would you choose for your Bucket?  You have three option mounts in the center, and one more on each wing.

Here are your choices. 


3 centerline slots
Photon (FA arc)
Disruptor 3 (FA arc)
Hellbore (FA arc)
PPD (FA, takes two slots)
Plasma S (FH, takes two slots)
Plasma G (FH)
Plasma F (FH)
ESG (ALL, takes two slots)
Drone B (1 reload set)
Fusion (FA)
Phaser 1 (FA)
Phaser 2 (FA, but you won't get to fire it because I will kill you for stupidity)
Phaser 3
Phaser G (FA.  Only one slot, but you may have only ONE Phaser G)

Two Wing Slots (Do not have to be the same)
Fusion (FLL or FRR)
Phaser 1 (RS or LS)
Drone B (1 reload set)

-Herr Burt

[Julin Eurthyr]

This is a debate...

As a tried and true Froggy, I'm stuck between a 3xPl-G or PPD / Pl-G center with either Phasers or Drones on the wings.

For the evil pirate, I'd definitely consider dropping a Ph-G in the center, running either 2xPl-G / Ph-G, PPD / Ph-G, or ESG / Ph-G, most likely with drones on the wings.

[Rod ONeal]

Well, if you can only have one loadout (assuming you're playing SFC and not SFB here) then the all phaser gunboat would be my choice. IIRC all phasers can be 180 deg. arcs, unless they've decided to limit the G to 120 deg. because the gunboat wins such a high % of the time. The only drawback is that it takes damage poorly and is especially susceptible to the Mizia attack.

So: 2x P1-FH, 1x PG-FH, 1x P1-LS, 1xP1-RS

Another good choice, IMO is to replace the 2x P1-FH with PlaF-FP.

This maintains the same power curve @ WS3 (aka fully armed) with more single shot crunch power. Although, you usually need to employ an anchor to get the best effect. Knowing how to use the cloak also helps with plasma. This load-out takes damage a bit better than the all phaser one, Although, when flying the BR taking damage is never a good idea anyway.

3, Some like using PlaG instead of the PlaF. This gives you the option of using "fast loaded PlaFs". The power curve suffers a bit though.

Over the course of 3 turns (the time it takes to rearm the plasma) the phaser boat scores more avg. damage @ point blank range. Trying to get all of the damage on one shield though isn't going to be possible against any reasonable opponent. It also has better drone defense and doesn't rely on anchoring your opponent to get the best damage effect.

[Herr Burt]

Well, if you can only have one loadout (assuming you're playing SFC and not SFB here)

I should have mentioned, this is for the Tourney Ship Tourney I brought up a couple weeks back.  (Now officially titled the Triskelion Tourney.)

Anyone who chooses Pirate will get to choose two different loadouts, before the competition begins.  There will be at least 8 different loadouts to choose from.  You get to pick which of your two loadouts you will use after you learn the race of your opponent.

At first I was just going to use the 8 loadouts given to the pirates in the stock shiplist, but after looking at them I noticed that a few were duplicates, one had an error, and a few just plain sucked.  (IMO, of course.)  So I thought I'd ask people what they would take if given the choice.  I'll make sure any really popular or interesting choices get in.

-Herr Burt

[Father Ted]

I'll take a WYN Aux BC with Hellbore and Gatling for $600 Alex...

[Dfly]

Looking at the combos, you could have yourself a 5 Droner type B drone boat, with a very good power curve, for a pirate.
Or, looking for little more punch?, take a Pl G, 2 Pl F, and 2 wing drones, or a Pl S, Pl F(mildly unbalanced), and 2 wing drones.

I remember that ship in SFB. One of the combos used back then involved the 2 wing weaps being both Pl F with 180 degree firing over the shoulder style.  I notice you did not include the Pl F in the wing weapons.  This combo along with a Pl S in the front, and a Gatling for defence in the front gave a good front punch, drone defence, and wing plasmas for when you had to run a bit.  This combo was a bit harder on the power curve, but most times you could fake the Fs and keep them loaded for if you were chased.

Another combo that was in SFB, I believe was similar to the Pegasus if I remember right, had a Phaser G in each wing.  This Phaser G is also not on your list for wing weapons. 

The idea of a total of 9 Phaser 1 on the ship was used a lot, and was fun due to quick reloading(1 turn) and a pretty good punch.  Even at range 8.99 it can hurt.

A standard ship combo used to have 2 front photons, 1 drone, and wing phasers.



These lists I have put here only represent some of what was seen by me in SFB

I am only putting these ideas as possible suggestions.

[Commander Maxillius]

I'll take a PPD and Fusion both on FA arcs for the Centerline, and two wing Fusions.

The idea is to slice and dice from a good distance with the PPD while saving the fusions for when the opponent gets stupid and lets me in close


My second choice is a PlaS and DroB on the centerline and wing ph1's in case I'm up for a running game.

[Rod ONeal]

The limitations on the wing mts. are SFB tourney rules. Thus, the no wing plasma, PG, etc. IIRC, another no-no is Hellbore/PPD combo. Also, no scatterpacks allowed and only Medium speed drones. This makes a single drone rack fairly useless.

If you're looking for more combos:
2x photon-FA, 1x PG-FH, 1xP1-LS, 1xP1-RS.
Replacing the photons with hellbores and the PG with a P1 works well too, (better IMO) and allows you to fight in the range 5-8 bracket better.
Some people think that the TBR makes a great Hydran: 1x PG-FH, 2xHellbore-FA, and fusions (LFL/RFR) in the wings. Without being able to instant arm, or overload the fusions with batts or on a turn break in SFC though the ship would loose it's best tactics.


The tourney BR also gets 2 additional rear P3s, for a total of 6 over the 4 that the standard BR gets. This really helps the drone defense and opens up the options for offensive weapons over the stocker.

[KAT Chuut-Ritt]

Think I'd be tempted to load it out with all Phaser 1's (or maybe have the gatling phaser in the mix).  Wait for the right opportunity and jump in and take advantage of the low power cost and quick recharge rate.  Any of the 2 slot weapons would be very susceptible to hit and runs as well.

[Dfly]

I could be wrong, but memory seems to think that the Hellbore took up 2 slots?

[FPF-Bach]

OK, let's say you decided to enter a tournament as a pirate.  After all, empires merely get glory.  Pirates get glory.... and get rich!

Which weapons loadout would you choose for your Bucket?  You have three option mounts in the center, and one more on each wing.

Here are your choices. 


3 centerline slots
Photon (FA arc)
Disruptor 3 (FA arc)
Hellbore (FA arc)
PPD (FA, takes two slots)
Plasma S (FH, takes two slots)
Plasma G (FH)
Plasma F (FH)
ESG (ALL, takes two slots)
Drone B (1 reload set)
Fusion (FA)
Phaser 1 (FA)
Phaser 2 (FA, but you won't get to fire it because I will kill you for stupidity)
Phaser 3
Phaser G (FA.  Only one slot, but you may have only ONE Phaser G)

Two Wing Slots (Do not have to be the same)
Fusion (FLL or FRR)
Phaser 1 (RS or LS)
Drone B (1 reload set)

-Herr Burt

What about the power curve will it remain the same regardless of weapon loadout?

[Herr Burt]

I could be wrong, but memory seems to think that the Hellbore took up 2 slots?

I could have sworn it did as well, but I searched and searched and can't find any reference to it doing so.

Neither the old Annex-8B nor the just-released one from the Master Rule Book show it taking two slots in a pirate option mount.  There is a size-class restriction listed, but the O-TBR is big enough.  Nor can I find an exception in the Tournament Rules booklet or the  online errata web pages.

If someone can find the reference, I'll make it a two-slot weapon.  But everything I can find says it is just one slot.  So yes, if you want three FA hellbores, knock yourself out.  You could even go for the "all fart-breather" package and put two fusion beams in the wings. 

-S'Cipio

[Herr Burt]

What about the power curve will it remain the same regardless of weapon loadout?

Yes, all power plants and hulls are the same.  The only thing that changes is the weapons in the option mounts.

<Background Fluff for the uninitiated>
In the early days of the Federation, every member race kept building and maintaining it's own fleet.  This lasted through the first Romulan war, when the Humans started building a new fleet and using their tactical warp monopoly to convince the other races it would be a good idea to put all their eggs into that basket.  As the various races jockeyed for positions of power within the early Federation many resisted this urging, fearing what it would mean to concentrate on a fleet that humans would have more control over than they would.

When the Federation as a whole finally agreed to abandon "national fleets" and concentrate on the human-produced joint fleet, a sizeable portion of the Orion fleet mutinied and took off with their ships.  (At least that's what the Orion government claims.  Others are suspicious.)  These ships formed the core of what was to grow into the various pirate cartels that span all of known space.  The Orion cruiser was among the best, if not the best, of all the "national" ships in the early Federation.  This fact can be seen in that, a century later, the pirate ships based upon its design are still very successful.

Unlike the Imperial Navies of the many empires, the Orion Pirate "navy" does not have a centralized command structure or a even a common home port.  Ships operating in different parts of the galaxy will be dependant upon the local "clientele" for parts and maintenance, and thus ships built with the same hull will be forced to carry different weapons depending upon where it lives.

Thus was born the "Option Mounts" in SFB diagrams.  They let you plug in the weapons your ship will carry, depending upon where it is operating, and saves ADB the troublesome need to print dozens of ship systems displays for every pirate ship.

-Herr Burt   

[Dfly]

I could be wrong, but memory seems to think that the Hellbore took up 2 slots?

I could have sworn it did as well, but I searched and searched and can't find any reference to it doing so.

Neither the old Annex-8B nor the just-released one from the Master Rule Book show it taking two slots in a pirate option mount.  There is a size-class restriction listed, but the O-TBR is big enough.  Nor can I find an exception in the Tournament Rules booklet or the  online errata web pages.

If someone can find the reference, I'll make it a two-slot weapon.  But everything I can find says it is just one slot.  So yes, if you want three FA hellbores, knock yourself out.  You could even go for the "all fart-breather" package and put two fusion beams in the wings. 

-S'Cipio

I am gonna dig up my old books and stuff on this issue, and I will quote from it in any way that may clear up this 2 or 1 box Hellbore.  That is, if I can find any refferences to it eheh.

[Dfly]

OK, As per SFB Book 1.

under ANNEX #8B

Orion Pirate Optional Weapons Mount Chart

...
...
ESG                     =   1*
...
Hellbore                =    2
PPD                      =  2*
...
Stasis F G              =  2*
Plasma-G               =  2*
Plasma-S               =  4*
Web Caster           =  3*
...
...


NOTE, * Requires two adjacent centerline optional mounts  The numbers represent the surcharge cost of the weapon mount

Also note, the Hellbore is a 120 degree arc, non-expandable



Book 2 adds only one thing

* requires two adjacent centerline optional mounts or two adjacent WYN hull side mounts


Book 3 also adds only one thing

Note that Phaser-2 and Phaser-3 reduce the BPV of ship



Therefore, the Hellbore, according to the first 3 books are single box weapons.  My only objection to all this is that I want my next Orion ship to have a SFG on it.   

[GDA-S'Cipio]

Think I'd be tempted to load it out with all Phaser 1's

Oh, somehow I just *knew* you would!!!!!


LOL!

(Memories of a childhood game of SFB with Chuut.....)

-S'Cipio

[Rod ONeal]

I'm glad that you pointed out that the PlaG takes 2 option mts. I had thought that it did, but a while back was convinced that I was wrong. The "stasis" ability is not an option now in SFB. As far as I know all PlaFs hold for free and take 1 opt. mt. box. Possibly when your references were written is was an option. Or is it my reference that's out of date?

Armed with the "new" knowledge that PlaGs take 2 adj. centerline mts... Forget what I said about using them.  Just remember to warm up the tractors if you're using PlaFs.

[Ronin]

Front Mounts

2 x Hellbore
Ph. G


Wing Mounts

2 x Ph. 1

My two cents worth...