T.G.E. Sledgehammer class Minelayers (Modified Smasher class):

The Smasher makes up the largest portion of the cruiser fleet of the Trans-Galactic Empire. These ships are not quite as well armed and armored as the Consortium Warshield class cruiser. They still are formidable vessels. In many ways they combine the abilities of a light cruiser with a light carrier. As well, the class is the basis for the Kreeghor Minelayers. This is the Sledgehammer class and in many ways it might be considered a Minelayer Cruiser.

Not many navies operate ships for the direct purpose of mine laying instead having platform type mines carried as cargo by warships and cargo ships. They can also be carried in limited numbers externally. As well, simple mines might be deployed from the missile launchers of most warships. A carrier might operate as a minelayer with fighters replaced by mines. The Kreeghor though do operate dedicated mine laying vessels.

Deploying mines as cargo is time consuming and laying a good minefield using larger platform type mines is a cumbersome process. Simple mines are much less time consuming being able to be launched from missile tubes although in many cases not considered as effective as the larger platform mines. The Sledgehammer class, and most dedicated minelayer designs, are designed for far more rapid deployment of mines.

In many ways the Sledgehammer is identical to the Smasher class. It uses the same basic hull, shields, drives, and even mounts the same basic weapon array. It retains the heavy energy battery, point defense weaponry, and even missile launchers. Some Smasher class mount rail guns and mini-missile launchers separately although they are a minority. The Sledgehammer mounts the standard point defense battery of eight gravity rail guns and eight laser mounts combined with mini-missile launchers. As such, it can operate quite well with battle fleets. Where the ship mainly differs is that most of the fighter bays are gutted and replaced by a mine deployment system. The vessel does retain half a squadron of fighters. Presently Flying Fang fighters are carried although may be replaced by Sharktooth class fighters. A second, less important change, is that the ships does not have any embarked troops.

The minelayer has the ability to carry up to thirty mines on special fast deploy rails. These mines can be deployed at the rate of six mines every thirty seconds. Normally the Sledgehammer carries all capital missile type mines. The Kreeghor generally prefer almost completely offensive type weapon system. Each missile platform carries four capital / cruise missiles and are usually stealth type missiles. These platforms are in many ways similar to the New Coventry “Pepper Box” launchers although no attempt has been made for these to be used as a weapon system for the ship itself.

The ship retains the full capital missile battery of a standard Smasher although the launcher is modified so the missiles can be fired individually or in small patterns. When laying mines, in many cases a small number might need to be deployed. More often though these carry additional simple mines or defensive mines. An array of decoy and jamming type mines are often carried to help protect the larger platforms. Each decoy mine splits into four decoys and jamming mines each can jam a 1,600 kilometer area. Most captains do not like carrying strictly mines and in some cases these minesweepers will carry a volley or two of capital missiles.

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: TIV-SH-MLC
Vehicle Type: Minelayer Cruiser
Crew: 220
Troops: 10 Fighter Pilots

Vehicle, Robots, and Power Armors:
Fighter Compliment:

FF-100 Standard Flying Fangs

M.D.C. By Location:

	Heavy Laser Cannon Lances (1, top):	1,200
	Secondary Heavy Laser Cannons (4):	700 each
	Cruise Missile Batteries (2, Front):	1,000 each
	Point Defense Lasers / Missile Batteries (8):	350 each
	GR Rail Cannons / Missile Batteries (8):	400 each
	Mine Bay:	5,000
	Outer Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):	150
	Inner Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):	100
	[1] Bridge:	7,000
	[2] Main Body:	18,000
	[3] Variable Force Field:	3,000 a side (18,000 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 does not have an auxiliary bridge. Even if the bridge is destroyed, 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] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the minelayer out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.
[3] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (900 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. The ship can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.9 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 300 mph (480 kph), can enter an atmosphere and can leave but is not designed for extended atmospheric use.
Stardrive: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 4 light years per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either drive system. Carries about one year worth of supplies on board (Can be stretched to a year and a half)

Statistical Data:
Length: 600 feet (182.88 meters)
Height: 208 feet (63.40 meters) from the laser cannons lances to the bottom of the ship or 160 feet (48.77 meters) main body only.
Width: 120 feet (36.58 meters)
Weight: 75,000 tons (68,040 metric tons) fully loaded
Power System: Anti-Matter with a 50 year life span. The ship normally only goes 10 years between refueling and refitting.
Cargo: Small Cargo holds can carry an additional 5000 tons (4,540 metric tons.) If ammo was taken out, amount of cargo ship is able to carry would increase greatly. 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 take up by extra ammunition, armor, troops, weapons, engine, and other equipment.
Market Cost: 2.2 billion to construct. No ships of this design have ever been put on sale on the market by the Kreeghor Military. Various intelligence groups of other governments would offer huge sums of money to purchase one of these ships

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

One (1) 30 cm Heavy Laser Cannon Lance: Weapon is retained from the standard Smasher class carrier in the Sledgehammer class minelayer. The cannon mount is located on the top 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 a large weapon system. The barrels can be fired either forward and can be rotated 60 degrees horizontally or vertically.
Maximum Effective Range: 100,000 miles (161,000 km) in space. and 100 miles (161 km) in an atmosphere.
Mega Damage: 1D6x1000 M.D.C.
Rate of Fire: Maximum of once per melee round.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
Four (4) 12 cm Heavy Laser Cannons: These weapons are scattered around the ship and are the ship’s secondary energy weaponry. The weapon systems, like the primary laser cannons, are designed for anti-capital ship and anti-installation. They have the standard penalties for capital scale weaponry to strike small targets such as fighters and other such small targets. Each laser in mounted in a turret that has a 360 degree rotation and a 90 degree arc of fire. Up to two cannons may be combined as one volley or all weapons may be targeted individually. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.
Maximum Effective Range: 16,000 miles (25,750 km) in space and 16 miles (25 km) in an atmosphere.
Mega-Damage: 1D6x100 + 100 M.D. each (2D6x100 + 200 for two cannons)
Rate of Fire: Two per cannon per melee or two double blasts
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Two (2) Cruise Missile Launchers: The standard Smasher carries a pair of cruise missile launchers. These have been retained although modified. They are designed so that instead of firing full volleys, single missiles and small volleys of missiles can be fired. 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) in space. 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 other starships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile when dead is at -25% to detect.) Cruise missiles have penalties to hit small targets but are all considered smart missiles. Each battery can be used to launch against multiple targets but is rarely used that way.
“Simple” Mines are often carried instead of cruise missiles. They are available with the same warheads as standard cruise missiles although decoy and jamming missiles are most common. Usually decoy missiles
Maximum Effective Range: Cruise Missiles: 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. Mines: Simple Mines: 8,000 miles (12,875 km) in space. Jamming and Decoy Mines: Decoy Mines usually deploy four decoys each and jamming mines jam a 1,000 miles (1,600 km) diameter area.
Mega-Damage & Properties: Cruise Missiles: See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details (Anti-Matter multi-warheads inflict 5D6x100 M.D.C. each.) Mines: See Phase World / Three Galaxies Mines for details.
Rate of Fire: Can Fire one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), or ten (10) per launcher, per melee round. Launchers can be combined together fire a maximum volley of twenty (20) per melee round.
Payload: 100 total, 50 cruise missiles / extra heavy mines per launcher (Common load might be 40 missiles and 60 mines)
One (1) Mine Launcher Bay: The ship replaces the hanger bay with a "mine" launching bay. While a variety of different platforms can be carried, cruise missile type platform are most commonly carried due to having longest range and being in many ways the most dangerous. Weighing about 22 tons, each of these has four cruise missiles combined with fire control systems, small fusion reactor, and a low power station keeping drive. These platforms are considered to have 500 M.D.C. each. Most mines used by the Trans-Galactic Empire are stealth type mines. Up to six of these platforms can be dropped at a time.
Maximum Effective Range: See Phase World / Three Galaxies Mines for details (Cruise Missiles fired from cruise missile platforms have a range of 8,000 miles (12,875 km) in an atmosphere and 4,000,000 miles / 6,437,376 km/ 21.5 light seconds)
Mega-Damage & Properties: See Phase World / Three Galaxies Mines for details (Cruise Missile Platforms carry four cruise missiles each)
Rate of Fire:Maximum of six mines every thirty seconds (2 melee rounds)
Payload: Thirty (30) mines.
Eight (8) Point Defense Lasers/Mini Missile Batteries: Each turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. Weapons are mounted around the ship for point defense. Missile has a top speed of Mach 10 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 2% of light per turn (slightly faster than any starship except if it is exceeding it maximum safe acceleration) in space. Missile launchers can launch on multiple targets each at the same time.
Maximum Effective Range: Mini-Missile range is 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space. Lasers have a range of 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space.
Mega-Damage: Laser cannon inflicts 3D4x10 M.D. per blast. Mini-Missiles vary by mini-missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details.)
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5). Mini-Missiles are fired one at a time or in volleys of two (2) or four (4) mini-missiles.
Payload: Laser has effectively unlimited payload. Has 32 mini-missiles at each launcher (256 total, can carry potentially several times more in storage holds).
Eight (8) 22 mm GR Rail Gun/Mini Missile Batteries: Each turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. Weapons are mounted around the ship for point defense. The rail gun fires projectiles at incredible velocities compared to rail guns on Rifts Earth and projectiles are fired from the rail guns at a significant fraction of the speed of light. Missile has a top speed of Mach 10 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 2% of light per turn (slightly faster than any starship except if it is exceeding it maximum safe acceleration) in space. Missile launchers can launch on multiple targets each at the same time.
Maximum Effective Range: Mini-Missile range is 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space. Gravity Rail guns have a range of 4 miles (6.4 km) in an atmosphere and 200 miles (362 km) in space.
Mega-Damage: GR-Cannon inflicts 3D6x10 M.D. for a 40 round burst. Mini-Missiles vary by mini-missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details.)
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5). Mini-Missiles are fired one at a time or in volleys of two (2) or four (4) mini-missiles.
Payload: GR Cannon has 8000 rounds/ 200 Bursts each, has 32 mini-missiles at each launcher (256 total, can carry potentially several times more in storage holds.)

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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