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Paravian Tournament Command Cruiser

Tournament SSD

Much of the way the ship flies is like the Kestrel (good phaser coverage, plasma-like weapons, wants to ballet), but it lacks the heavy-weapon crunch power of the plasma ships (if you think of the QWTs as very long range Plasma-Ds, you won't be too far wrong).

Generally speaking, You want to launch the QWTs at medium-long range (14-15 hexes), perhaps with a couple overloads to keep the opponent from charging you, and then slip out so they don't get overload range on you. Saber-dance them by staying out on the margins of their weapon's range while keeping up a steady stream of torps. You should always launch your torps sometime during the turn, or else you will not keep them dancing away (and not hitting you) in order to save their shields. When their shields are in tatters, go in for the kill with your phasers.

Expect to be cornered eventually, but take it with overloaded torps and full phasers. If it happens after you've really banged on their facing shields, then you are likely to win the exchange.

Recipe:The basic recipe for how to allocate and fly this ship is as follows.

Energy Allocation: 40 power generated, 4 for housekeeping. You should always arm at least 4 of your 5 QWTs (for 8-10 power). That leaves 26-28 power for speed, overloads, and shuttles. I like to load all of the torps with one of them overloaded, keep two shuttles hot (suicides or weasels, depending on if I think I'll need the weasels), and plot for 22 movement.

Turn 1 Impulse Activity: Aim for the map center, but launch all the torps at range 14-15. You can overload one or two more of them to suit taste. Then turn out and force them to plow through them if they want a shot on you.

If they turn out rather than take the torps, then hook around and line them up for next turn's shot. If they plow through the torps, then corner-dive and plan on starcastling on the following turn.

If it turns out they corner-dove rather than meet you at the center, then follow them and launch very late in the turn and follow it up with the next-turn's launching. Expect them to try to weasel the 10(!!) torps, so be ready with your own tricks to ensure the second wave tags them (e.g. launch the second wave a few imulses late (so there is 9-12 impulses between waves landing on him) and phaser down the weasel as soon as it pops.)

Future Turns Impulse Activity:

If they are willing to run from your torps, then keep them coming. You want to reduce their shields, which you are likely to do at a faster rate than he can if you manage to keep them outside of overload range.

You do not want to park on or near a starcastling opponent; your weapons don't have alot of crunch but have excellent range. So peel off and ready yourself to give a slow opponent another wave while at range.

How to die in this ship:

As stated earlier, a competent opponent will eventually corner you. The trick is to have worn down their shields so that you will come away less hurt from the exchange. Weasels can help with this (QWTs are self-guiding.) Your phasers can too, if you can centerline him.