HAFN Greyhound Class Fast Escort Cruiser:
With the acquisition of the Dragonfly light fleet carrier by the Human Alliance Forces Navy the need also arose for a fast escort cruiser that could keep up with the carriers in faster than light flight. None of the cruisers in use by the HAFN at that time could keep up with the new and very fast Dragonfly. The fastest cruiser was the Natasha Kurganov and it is only two thirds as far as the new light fleet carrier. The problem was somewhat addressed when the Soyakaze class of corvettes was chosen for duty with the HAFN. These powerful little ships had more than enough speed to keep up with the new carriers, and especially the Escort versions were a great addition to carrier groups. But the Soyakazes are not cruisers, and although they are more than capable of fighting fighters, other corvettes and even frigates, they simply are no match for the threat of a cruiser. Which still left the Human Alliance Navy with a hole in its fleet structure. The Greyhound class fast escort cruiser is the design that the HAFN design bureau came up with to fill this hole.
The first thing that is noticeable about the Greyhound is how large its engine section is for such a sleek and slender ship. Almost the entire last half of the ship widens into a bulbous engine section, which hints at a great turn of speed. If it was not for the large engine section, the Greyhound could be easily mistaken for a light cruiser, or a very heavy frigate. Almost all of the heavy weapons are located on the forward two thirds of the ship, with the two heavy lasers in the nose, the four particle beam cannons in the forward part of the engine section, and the missile launchers and the hangar in-between. The point defense weaponry has been evenly distributed over the whole ship.
The large engines give the Greyhound a turn of speed in both faster than light and sublight which only a century ago would have been unimaginable for a cruiser. The Greyhound is faster than the CAF`s latest cruiser design, the Champion class. Even more impressively, it has a higher sublight acceleration and faster than light speed than the Kreeghor's fast attack craft, the Berserker!
Although the ships power plant gives it energy to spare, most of that power is needed for the large engines. As a result of this, and of the experiences with the Kurganov class missile cruiser, it was decided to center the ships armament around missiles. These would provide the ship with a good punch, yet would require little energy. That is not to say that the ship would not carry any beam weapons: Its beam weaponry complement is about equal to that of a Warshield cruiser, yet because it is of modern manufacture the weapons require less power and are somewhat smaller than the weapons of a Warshield.
The main beam weaponry consists of two 20 cm heavy laser cannons in the ships nose, and four 10 cm heavy particle beam cannons in the sides of the ship. The particle beam cannons are exact copies of the weapons found in the Soyakaze class of corvettes. These weapons were chosen because they use less power than a laser cannon of the same strength, although the lasers have the advantage of better range. Another plus is the fact that there is some good parts commonality with other ships: The 10 cm particle beam of a Soyakaze can be swapped with that of a Greyhound by any tender or base, and vice versa. The ship has eight GR-1000 heavy point defense railguns, eight light particle beams and six tachyon scatter beams for point defense, a pattern first adopted by New Coventry for its ships, and now standard for all new and updated HAFN capital ships. The missile complement it carries is nothing to laugh about, with four capital missile launchers for anti-ship use, and four long range missile launchers for added anti-fighter and anti-missile use. Lastly the ship carries six medium range missile batteries for added point defense.
The Greyhound carries rather few fighters, powered armors and marines. The huge engines and the missile batteries take up far too much space to include anything like the number of fighters and marines that a Warshield carries. All in all the ship carries only eight medium fighters, 10 Silverhawk attack exoskeletons and 40 marines.
Although the ship is quite capable in its intended role of carrier escort, it does have some drawbacks: It lacks the heavy rail guns which would be able to do large damage to ships with the spell “Impervious to Energy”, as these weapons would consume inordinate amounts of power for their usefulness, and because there simply was no room left for them. Also the ships crew has very little room to themselves. While this is not as bad as on most corvette designs, it is certainly true that less room is available than on most other cruisers of this size. The bridges of the fast cruiser are extremely cramped. When being designed, the engineers wanted to eliminate the auxiliary bridge but the Navy leadership insisted. Another drawback is that the ship does not carry as much armor as one would expect. A advantage that it does have is the fact that the ship is equipped with a battlelink subsystem, which allows it to coordinate its fire control with other ships. This is essentially a system that was stolen from the CAF, so its presence on the Greyhound is not widely known.
This starship design uses modified starship speed and weapon range rules. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World / Three Galaxies for more details.
Model Type: CL-122
Vehicle Type: Fast Escort Cruiser
Crew: 265
Troops: 40 marines, 10 Silverhawk Pilots,
Vehicles:
Power Armors:
| 10 | SH-CCW100 Silverhawk Attack ExoSkeleton |
| 8 | BIF-67 Katana Starfighters, SF-6 Osprey Starfighters, or SF-101 Black Eagle Starfighters |
M.D.C. By Location:
| 20 cm Main Laser Cannons (2, Front): | 1,200 each | |
| Heavy Particle Beam Cannons (4): | 800 each | |
| GR-1000 Point Defense Gravity Rail Gun Turrets (8): | 200 each | |
| Point Defense Particle Beam Cannons (8): | 150 each | |
| Tachyon Scatter Beams (6): | 200 each | |
| Cruise Missile Batteries (4): | 1,000 each | |
| Long Range Missile Batteries (4): | 600 each | |
| Medium Range Missile Launchers (6): | 500 each | |
| Outer Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area): | 200 | |
| Inner Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area): | 120 | |
| [1] Bridge: | 9,000 | |
| [1] Auxiliary Bridge: | 9,000 | |
| Hanger Bay: | 8,000 | |
| [2] Main Engines (2): | 10,000 each | |
| [3] Main Body: | 40,000 | |
| [4] Variable Force Field: | 6,000 a side (36,000 Total) |
Notes:
[1] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon
to hit the bridge through the ship’s armor. This ship also has an auxiliary
bridge. Even if both bridges are taken out, the ship can still be piloted
from engineering but ship is -3 to dodge and all weapon systems will be
at local control. Weapon hits near the bridge that do not penetrate the
ships integrity can injure crew members on or near the bridge.
[2] Destroying the main engines means that the ship’s faster than light systems are
destroyed and maximum sublight speed is reduced by half.
[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the cruiser 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% (1,800 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 1.1 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 450 mph (724 kph),
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 8 light years per hour!
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either drive system.
Carries about four years worth of supplies on board.
Statistical Data:
Length: 783 feet (235 meters)
Height: 130 feet (39 meters)
Width: 163 feet (49 meters)
Weight: 120,000 tons (108,950 metric tons)
Power System: Anti-Matter with a 50 year life span. The ship
normally only goes 10 years between refueling and refitting.
Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows
for carrying up to 8,000 tons (7,257.5 metric tons) of cargo in addition
to standard compliment of supplies and ammunition. Each enlisted crew member
has a small locker for personal items and uniforms. Ship’s officers have
more space for personal items. Most of the ship’s spaces are taken up by
extra ammunition, armor, troops, weapons, engine, and other equipment.
Market Cost: 3.2 billion to construct. Cost does not include
embarked craft.
WEAPON SYSTEMS:
- Two (2) 20 cm Heavy Laser Cannons: These Cannons are located
on the front of the starship and are used as anti-capital ship weapons
and can take out frigates in one shot and can do large amounts of damage
to bases or larger starships. The Laser cannons can be combined together
or each one used separately. The weapon system cannot be used to engage
targets while traveling at faster than light velocities. Weapon has standard penalties
to hit fighters and small targets for large starship weaponry. The weapon
mounts are mounted in the forward area of the ship and can be angled up
to 120 degrees aft (can only fire one cannon at a target at that angle
but can spin to be able to bring both batteries to bear) and can fire at
a 30 degree angle up or down.
Maximum Effective Range: 100,000 miles (161,000 km) in space. and 100 miles (161 km) in an atmosphere.
Mega Damage: 1D4x1000 M.D.C. each and can be combined for a total of 2D4x1000.
Rate of Fire: Maximum of two (2) times per melee per cannon.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited. - Four (4) 10 cm Heavy Particle Beam Cannons: These particle
beam cannons are the same cannons that are found in the new Soyakaze class
of corvettes, including the power system and capacitors. Two are located
on each side of the ship, and they can rotate 180 degrees in all directions
save directly backwards, where they only can rotate to 120 degrees before
being blocked by the engine section. The ship will rotate to fill this
gap in its firing field. Weapon has standard penalties to hit fighters
and small targets for large starship weaponry. The weapon system cannot
be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.
Maximum Effective Range: 12,000 miles (19,250 Km) in space and 24 miles (38.5 km) in an atmosphere.
Mega-Damage: 2D6x100 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Can be fired up to two times in one melee.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited - Eight (8) GR-1000 Large Point Defense Rail Guns: Used as
an anti-starfighter and missile weapon and against targets that are impervious
to energy. Each rail gun is in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180
arc of fire. Rail gun projectiles are fired from mounts at a significant
fraction of the speed of light. Gravity rail gun uses a 30 mm projectile. The weapon
system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.
Maximum Effective Range: 16 miles (26 km) through atmosphere and 1,600 miles (2,575 km) in space.
Mega-Damage: Rail gun inflicts 4D6x10 M.D.C. for a 40 round burst.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: 10,000 Rounds (250 Bursts) each cannon. - Eight (8) 25 mm Point Defense Particle Beams: These weapons are
used for anti-missile, anti-power armor, and anti-star fighter defense.
Each particle beam is in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc
of fire. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling
at faster than light velocities.
Maximum Effective Range: 600 miles (960 km) in space and range is 6 miles (9.6 km) in atmosphere. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.
Mega Damage: 3D6x10 M.D.C. each.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: Effectively Unlimited. - Six (6) Point Defense Tachyon Scatter Beams: The main purpose of this system
is as an anti-missile point defense. They do this by firing a wide blast
that affects all targets in a cone that can destroy whole volleys of missiles before the strike
the ship (Roll once against a volley and unless the missiles roll to dodge
greater than strike roll, they are all destroyed.) The stream lasts for
significant fraction of a second and missiles tend to run into the stream
(Gives +4 bonus vs fast moving targets such as missiles.) This system has
an interesting property that the system can actually be used at faster than light velocities
because Tachyons travel faster than the speed of light. Each Tachyon Scatter
Gun is in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire.
Maximum Effective Range: 99.4 miles (160 km) with a width of 12.4 miles (20 km), range and width is one sixteenth in an atmosphere.
Mega Damage: 2D4x10 M.D.C. each.
Rate of Fire: Maximum of four (4) times per melee each.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited. - Four (4) Cruise Missile Batteries: Missile has a top speed
of Mach 25 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 10% of
light per turn (far faster than any starship.) Whether weapons can be shot
down is calculated from the speed of target, launching starship, and missile.
When drive goes dead, missile will continue to travel in a straight line unless preset to self destruct
or receives a destruct code but has very low odds of hitting star ships
(Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile
when dead is at -25% to be detected.) See modified starship rules for more details -
Cruise missiles have penalties to hit small targets but are all considered
smart missiles. These are modern Consortium missile batteries similar to those carried on a number of warships. Batteries can
launch on multiple targets each at the same time.
Maximum Effective Range: Cruise Missile range is 8,000 miles (12,875 km) in an atmosphere and 4,000,000 miles (6,437,376 km/ 21.5 light seconds) in space.
Mega-Damage & Properties: See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details (Anti-Matter multi-warheads inflict 5D6x100 M.D.C. each.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), eight (8), sixteen (16), or thirty-two (32) missiles per launcher, per melee round, for a maximum of 128 missiles per melee. Launchers are reloaded on the same melee and can be fired again on the next.
Payload: 128 total, 32 cruise missiles per launcher. Ship has 9 reload of missiles (1,280 cruise missile reloads total.) - Four (4) Long Range Missile Batteries: Missile has a top
speed of Mach 20 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 8%
of light per turn (faster than any starship.) Whether weapons can be shot
down is calculated from the speed of target, launcher, and missile. When
drive goes dead, missile will continue to travel in a straight line unless set to self destruct
but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and
planets because target does not move and missile, when unpowered, is at -25% to be detected.)
Long range missiles do not have penalties to hit small targets unlike cruise
missiles and are all considered smart missiles. Batteries can launch on
multiple targets each at the same time.
Maximum Effective Range: Long Range Missile range is 3,400 miles (5,470 km) in an atmosphere and 1,800,000 miles (2,897,000 km/9.7 light seconds) in space (See Phase World Missiles).
Mega-Damage & Properties: See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details (Fusion warheads inflict 2D4x100 M.D.C. each.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), eight (8), sixteen (16), or thirty-two (32) missiles per launcher, per melee attack.
Payload: 1,280 total, 320 long range missiles per launcher. - Six (6) Medium Range Missile Batteries: Weapon system is
used for hitting enemy robots, fighters, and against incoming cruise missiles.
Like other Phase world systems, weapon system range and speed has been
greatly increased compared to Rifts Earth systems. Missile has a top speed
of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 6% of light
per turn. Each Battery can launch on multiple targets.
Maximum Effective Range: Medium Range Missile range is 160 miles (257.5 km) in an atmosphere and 80,000 miles (128,750 km/0.43 light seconds) in space.
Mega-Damage: Varies with medium range missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), eight (8), or sixteen (16) missiles per launcher.
Payload: 320 per launcher for a total of 1,920 medium range missiles.
Other Systems:
- Battlelink Control Slave System: The Battlelink computer provides the Greyhound with the ability to share targeting data with other capital ships, as long as one ship (Normally a battleship) carries a master unit, in the area, which provides all ships participating in the link with improved targeting solutions and hit chances, both for their point defense, as well as their capital weapon systems. For more information regarding the Battlelink, go to Phase World Battle Link.
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Image drawn and copyrighted by Masahisa Suzuki, taken from the artbook Paradise Play.
Writeup by Mischa (E-Mail Mischa)
Revision by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).
Copyright © 1999, 2008, & 2011, Mischa & Kitsune. All rights reserved.