Federation Commander

[ncrcalamine]

just kind of curious

what is the historic story range of gattling phasers? Do the most warlike races who use them get in close so they can see them chew up there victims on scanners.

Nicole

[djdood]

The basic phaser-3 is a highly under-rated weapon, often derided as a "pop gun". While it is next to useless beyond close-range, at close range it is capable and extremely energy-efficient. At point blank range it is dramatically powerful for the tiny energy-expenditure it requires.

The gatling phaser was an evolution of the phaser-3, invented by the Hydrans. They are not an overtly-warlike race, usually on the receiving end of invasions. Hydrans do tend to be "rush" fighters, when forced to fight, taking the enemy's best-shot while closing to close range and relying on the great crunch power of their weapons to give better than they got (they hope).

The gatling phaser is basically a phaser-3, but the guts behind it, the charging, cooling, and other supporting equipment, are much more powerful, allowing it to fire beams much more rapidly. Given the energy efficiency of the phaser-3 and its escalating close-in firepower, 4 beams of phaser-3 fire in one turn can be nasty. In multiples, at point-blank range, they can be devastating - especially as they sip power and leave more available for other weapons.

For the Hydrans, gatlings paired well with their somewhat short-ranged but high-damage fusion beams. When the Hydrans developed the much longer-ranged Hellbore, they then had options for "1-2 punch" deliveries. The Hydrans also used gatling phasers on their much-feared Stinger fighters. A squadron of Stingers can quickly tear apart a starship, if allowed to get close.

Other empires bought gatlings from the Hydrans (the Lyran Democratic Republic, a nominal ally), stole them (some Orion Pirates), or developed their own, with Hydran help (the Federation, who were only able to produce small numbers).
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[Magnum357]

This is all correct. In my experience (depending on race) the Gatling phaser can dictate tactics a vessel might employ. For example, General War Hydrans use Gatlings differently then say the LDR. Pirates armed with Gatlings (yes, some cartels can do this if I recall) use them differently aswell, since most Pirate vessels lack power compared to regular warships. Federation ships (those armed with Gatlings) use there Gatling Phasers differently because of the Photon Launcher.

In all cases, the Gatling Phaser can be devestating up close, but it is not the ultimate weapon. The vessels configuation dictates how you use the Gatling because it is STILL just a defensive system mostly.

[storeylf]

A defensive weapon? It may have been intended that way? but if it was then something was lost in translation to the game.

The Gatling is pretty much the ultimate offensive weapon in FC. If you have gatlings you can travel at high speed with out any problem; pretty much ensuring that you will quickly get close to the enemy. Then for a single point of power you can output more or less the equal of an overload photon, every turn.

Hydran tactics - Fusion ships (cheap) that need no pre allocation of power. Charge, when close fire gatlings, phasers and Fusions last. If you have stingers they are lethal as well, because they have gatlings.

LDR - ultimate munchkin empire. Charge, fire gatlings and ESGs. Game over. 79 points for a frigate that hits with a more or less guaranteed 80 points of damage without even using it's 'Offensive' weapons. I can get 2 of those for the price of some empires cruisers. The DW is 114 points for a ~100 damage, plus 'offensive' weapons on top of that.

Orion - OK, only 1 gatling per ship. But they can choose other weapons to fit (photons probably). Being power hungry the Gatling is doubly great because it is so power efficient.

Fed - not seen any gatling armed Feds in FC, but I thought those that had it in SFB didn't have photons as they were escort ships. So still great for charge and let rip at point blank range. Who needs to spend power arming photons if you have multiple gatlings.


The only downside to weapon is its short range for the real heavy hitting power. But that is not a big downside unless you go out of your way to play on a map or under conditions that make it an issue. It's actually very hard to stop someone getting close to you if they want to and are not power limited (and gatling ships are not), unless you are on a fully floating map. Even then only a couple of empires can really fight back well in such a situation.

[Nerroth]

There's a low-toner Ship Card for the gatling-armed Federation CLE in Communique #80. (There is an escort variant of the DD in SFB Module J which is also armed with gatlings, but I don't believe that ship has been brought over to FC just yet.)

Perhaps the original intent of the phaser-G was more readily apparent during the Middle Years, in which Hydran ships had no hellbores (and fewer warp boxes) and Stinger-1s had no phaser-Gs of their own. But then, their enemies at the time had limitations of their own - no ESG capacitors for the Lyrans, and slower (and fewer) drones for the Klingons.
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FC Omega Discussion (v3)
FC LMC Discussion

[storeylf]

[mjwest]

For Federation escorts, FEderation Commander has the aforementioned CLE in Comm80, plus the DWE in Comm79, and the NEC in Booster 34. The latter is a laminated card. All are armed with drones in place of photons and Gatling phasers on the sides.
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Federation Commander Answer Guy

[storeylf]

I even have the laminated one, forgotten about that. The communique ships I have lost track of. But yes they are all escorts, with nothing to escort in the same way they had in SFB so just get stuck in with the gatlings.

The ship I most remember though was the Hydran 5 gatling escort based on the buffalo hunter. The Buffalo hunter is one of my favorite hydran ships. The escort version is just death on steroids.

[Klingon of Gor]

The words defensive and offensive can be used in misleading ways, sometimes deliberately so. A surface to air missile is often referred to as a defensive weapon, since it is used for air defense. But suppose it is being used for air defense of an airfield or missile complex from which offensive strikes are being mounted? An antitank missile is sometimes called a defensive weapon, but suppose it is deployed to defend newly conquered and occupied territory, to prevent it's recapture? or used to screen the flank of an advancing armored spearhead?

A Phaser G is a defensive weapon, in that it can be used for point defense. But how many of us, if playing Orions, will make sure to include a phaser G in the nose as an option mount? If the enemy fires a blizzard of drones at us to back us off, we can then blow right through them, close, and hit him with our offensive weapons. (And possibly rip him apart with that very same phaser G if we get close enough)
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"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away" - Philip K Dick