This ship is believed to have actually been inspired by the appearance of a starship operated by Frankenstein's Horde, a group of marauders who wander the Three Galaxies. The Horde ships are often very strange in appearance. Sometimes their ships appear to be several starships stuck together. Several have been seen which use the aft portion of a Scimitar class patrol ship merged with the nose section of a Berserker class attack vessels. This is actually one of their less odd appearing vessels.
The Free Worlds Council operate fairly large number of Berserker class vessels although they operate few Scimitar class patrol ships. In battle, the Free World's Council fleets have managed to salvage a large number of wrecked Berserker class attack ships. Some are stripped for parts and others are rebuilt using parts from other Berserkers. A team of engineers came up with a design using the bow portion from Berserkers and merging it to the aft section of a Scimitar class patrol ship. Several scrap Scimitar class vessels were acquired at scrap yards. In most cases, they are without weapons so new weapons have to be fitted. The resulting design was designated the Lightfoot class destroyer leader. So far only about half a dozen of these ships have been rebuilt. It is not likely that these ships will ever be produced in huge numbers, likely no matter than a few dozen total. One restriction on construction has been the lack of suitable Scimitar class patrol ships which have been sold for scrap. The Consortium rebuilds most of theirs which are badly damaged with most being adapted into their new Longbow configuration which trades its rail guns for long range missile launchers.
In size, the Lightfoot class Destroyer Leader straddles the classes of destroyer and cruiser although most consider the ship to be closer to being a destroyer than a cruiser. Theses ships mass around 16,000 tons compared to around 12,000 tons for the Scimitar and around 7,000 tons for the Berserker. Actually, the mass of the various Lightfoot class Destroyer Leader varies slightly due to the way that they were constructed. As well, length varies as well. The six existing vessels are sometimes operated independently but just as often they are operated in a squadron of Berserker class ships and act as the command ship for the group. In this way, the attack fleet can be extremely dangerous. The only real weakness these ships have is that they as slightly slower as far as acceleration when compared to the Berserker class attack ships. The Free Worlds Council engineers are experts at adapting Kreeghor and other groups technology. Engineers working for the Free Worlds Council are experimenting with adapting the fire control network for fighters and adapting it to fit a fleet of Berserkers networked to one of these ships. So far, there are still problems with the system. If the system becomes operational, these ships will become far more dangerous than the already are.
While these ships do not have the defenses of most cruiser designs, they are still far better protected than a standard Berserker and as a result are quite popular with their crews as a result. Of course unlike the similar ships operated by the Horde, these ships carry balanced weaponry. Main weaponry is one might expect, the heavy cruise missile launchers from the Berserker class attack ships. These are supplemented by the horn cannons which are also carried on the Berserker. Like the Berserker, the ship has incredible firepower. Like most smaller ships, its payload is comparatively light but it can throw huge volleys of missiles while it still has missiles for its cruise missile launchers. Where the Lightfoot shines is that it mounts four medium range missile launchers along the Scimitar potion of the ship's hull. These are adapted from the missile launchers developed for standard merchant ships. This backed up by eight mini-missiles and the same number of direct fire point defense mounts. Six point defense lasers and two point defense rail guns are mounted on the ship. One of the biggest complaints about the Berserker has been that it lacks good long or medium range defensive batteries. This has been addresses quite well by the Lightfoot class Destroyer Leader with the introdcution of the medium range missile launchers. .
These ships retain the hanger bays carried on the Scimitar class. Most of the fighters operated within the Free Worlds Council Navy are modified Flying Fang fighters. Unfortunately these fighters are too large to fit in the fighter bays. The Consortium operates Scorpion class light fighters virtually exclusively. While the Free Worlds Council has some Scorpions, they have them in only relatively small numbers. As a result, a number of other light fighters may be substituted including the Consortium Bobcat, Wolfen Falx Supina, and Human Alliance Vixen class light starfighters. The troop compliment of the Lightfoot is cut in half when compared to the Scimitar class patrol ships.
This starship design uses modified starship speed and ranges. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World for more details
Model Type: DDLM-08
Vehicle Type: Heavy Destroyer
Crew: 128
Troops: 80 (12 fighter pilots & crew, 10 silverhawk (knock
offs) pilots, 10 Warlord Mark 2 Combat Suit pilots, and 30 standard marines)
Vehicle, Robots, and Power Armors:
Power Armors:
| 10 | Kreeghor Warlord Mark 2 Combat Suits | |
| 10 | Silver Hawk Power Armors (Knock Off Designs) |
| 6 | Light Starfighters (SF-9 Vixen, SF-69 Scorpion, SF-128 Bobcat, and PBI-25 Falx Supina) |
M.D.C. By Location:
| Horn Heavy Laser Cannons (2, Underside): | 700 each | |
| Triple Barrel Defense Laser Turrets (6): | 200 each | |
| GR-1000 Rail Gun Turrets (2) | 250 each | |
| Cruise Missile Batteries (2, front): | 1,000 each | |
| Medium Range Missile Batteries (4): | 300 each | |
| Mini Missile Launchers (8): | 100 each | |
| Fighter Hanger Bay Door | 500 | |
| [1] Main Engines (2) | 1,200 each | |
| [1] Bridge: | 2,000 | |
| [2] Main Body: | 6,500 | |
| [3] Variable Force Field: | 1,000 a side (6,000 Total) |
Notes:
[1] Destroying the main engines means that ship FTL propulsion systems
are destroyed and maximum sublight speed is reduced by half.
[2] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon
to hit the bridge. This ship does not have an auxiliary bridge. The ship
can still be piloted from engineering but ship is -3 to dodge. All weapon
systems will be at local control. Weapon hits near the bridge can injure
crew members near the bridge.
[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the Destroyer Leader
out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life
support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable
floating wreck.
[4] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one
shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (300 M.D.C.) Per melee round.
Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.
Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship
to travel up to 60 percent of the speed of light. Star Ship can accelerate/decelerate
at the rate of 0.8 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 500 mph (804.7 km),
can enter an atmosphere and can leave but is not designed for atmospheric
flight
Stardrive: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship
to reach a maximum of 5 lightyears per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either Drive system.
Carries about one year worth of supplies on board and has a small hydroponic
section.
Statistical Data:
Length: 620 to 680 feet (189.0 to 207.3 meters).
Height: 104 feet (32.7 meters) from the horn cannons to the
top of the ship or 80 feet (24.4 m) main body only.
Width: 140 feet (42.6 meters).
Weight: 15,500 to 16,500 tons (14,061 to 14,970.8 metric tons)
Power System: Anti-Matter with a 50 year life span. The ship
normally only goes 10 years between refueling and refitting.
Cargo: Small cargo hold that can carry up to 600 ton (544 metric
tons) of cargo not including standard compliment of supplies and ammunition.
Hold is 20 x 20 x 60 feet in dimensions (6.1 x 6.1 x 18.3 meter). Each
enlisted crew member has a small locker for personal items and uniforms.
Ships officers have more space for personal items. Most of the ships spaces
are taken up by extra ammunition, armor, troops, weapons, engine, and other
equipment.
Market Cost: Not for sale. Likely to cost around 500 million
to construct. The Black Market or the Kreeghor would offer several times
it's value for an undamaged completely working ship.
WEAPON SYSTEMS:
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By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).
Copyright © 2006, Kitsune. All rights reserved.