Starfleet Wars: Avarian Ships, Part 3

This post deals with the non hyperspace capable elements of the Avarian Fleet produced by Superios Starfleet Wars (now sold as Galactic Knights); see Part 1 for the smaller ships (Stellar Destroyers, Stellar Destroyer Leaders, and Stellar Cruisers), and Part 2 for the bigger ships (Galactic Battle Cruisers, Galactic Dreadnoughts, Galactic Attack Carriers, and Super Galactic Dreadnoughts).



First up are the Star Armored Pursuit Ships (SAPS).

Introduced with Book 2 of the Starfleet Wars rules in 1980, SAPS are heavily armed with light lasers, and thus are ideal for knocking out enemy fighters and protecting Capital ships from them; their lasers also somewhat out range those of the fighters (12" vs 8"), but are greatly out ranged by the beams of actual star ships (48").

Conversely, the SAPS are very vulnerable, being too large to evade the weapons of capital ships, and too small to carry enough armor to render them immune to fighter and CIDS lasers. A single hit from a starship beam or any particle weapon will destroy them, or four fighter/SAPS/SB/CIDS laser hits will also destroy them.

These "Sparrow" class Avarian SAPS  can move at a maximun speed of "5" (15") like other ships.

 They have 10 Light laser factors that can be independently targeted. They have no effect upon Capital ships (Stellar Destroyers and larger), but can hit Starfighters, other SAPS, Starbombers, and transports.

These two flights of Sparrow SAPS are blasting off, ready to defend against enemy fighters!



Next we have the Star Bombers (SB)

Also introduced with Book 2, Starbombers (SB) are basically like SAPS... but with one important difference!

They pack additional armament with Particle Weapons... and lots of them!

 This means that the Starbombers can be very dangerous to Capital ships indeed, unlike the SAPS!

 These Buzzard class SB's have 5 Light laser factors, plus 5 Particle Weapon  Factors, with a total of 9 reloads (i.e., they can fore no more than 9 Particle weapon shots in the course of the game).

Underside of an Avarian Buzzard class SB; it is not entirely clear from the rules if SB and SAPS are hyperspace capable, but I have always assumed that they are not.



Here are two squadrons of Heavy Starfighters (SF1)

In Starfleet Wars terms, these are termed "Attack Craft", and are armed for assault of capital ships. They carrry a single Particle weapon, and also have a single shot with their lasers, which can only target other fighters, as well as SAPS and SB's.

To reload, they must return to a ship capable of carrying Starfighters, and spend an entire turn aboard re-arming. These models are Avarian Bluejay attack craft. Any resemblance to Star Wars TIE fighters is, of course, purely coincidental!





And these are six flights of Regular Starfighters (SF2)

 These Raven class fighters are equipped as interceptors. Although they may only fire 1 laser factor per turn, they may fire three separate times before they require reloading. The type of model dos not actually dictate their role, which can be changed each time they land and reload. In a campaign setting presumably fighters can be equipped with powerful long range sensors in place of PW for scouting duty, and still have a single light laser shot for self defense as well.

All Fighters are launched and recovered in groups of no more than 12 at a time. They have a speed of "2" the turn they are launched, thereafter "5". Fighters are limited to 12 attacking any one enemy ship in a given turn; they are targeted by nearby CIDS (18" range), with any fighters destroyed by defensive fire NOT having a chance to launch Particle Weapons (if any) before they are destroyed. Thus fighters are best employed in relatively large numbers, and/or against damaged targets.



The 2nd volume of the Starfleet Wars rules added these CAPTACS

CAPTACS (Captive Towed Tactical Missiles) are "immense weapons systems designed to inflict crippling damage on any target with one hit". They are towed by a startship (or held in place by a Space Station) using their Tractor Beams. They cannot be towed faster than speed "2", and only one Tractor beam per ship can be so used, each one being capable of towing 2 CAPTACS. CAPTACS have a range of 18", and must be triggered by a friendly ship within 30".

A hit by a CAPTAC inflicts forty damage points, and an automatic roll on the Special damage table is made as well. They may be towed into the battle area and left adrift until fired.

CAPTACS are vulnerable to CIDS, fighter (and SAPS/SB) lasers; one hit by any is sufficient to destroy it. There is no limit to how many of these Missiles my be fired at any one target, unlike starfighters.




Finally, we have a Space Station (SS). 

 In the Starfleet Wars catalog, this is the Terran Mace Space station, but I've appropriated it for the Aavians here. We'll call it the Avarian  Egg Space station for our purposes...

The Starfleet Wars rules contain guidelines for the construction of Modular Star-fortresses, however this is a different unit. It has a maximun speed of "1", 85 Power units, Maximum Beam Factor of 4, Maximum Shield Factor of 5, CIDS Factor of 28%, and a Particle Weapon Factor of 2 with six total reloads. it does not carry  any starfighters. 

Any resemblance to an Imperial Death Star from Star Wars, is of course, once again, purely coincidental... of course!


That concludes our survey of the space forces of the Avarian United Worlds; next up will be the Terrans, in honor of their involvement in The Chancellor Campaign, where said Super Galactic Dreadnought just gave my birdies a seriously bloody beak in the Battle of the Approach to Vertex.

Peter