VAY Battlecruiser
Capital Ship Killer
| Armor: | 76000 HP |
| Build cost: | 3300 RU |
| Build time: | 280 sec |
| Maximum speed: | 140 m/s |
| Turning rate: | 7.0 deg/s |
| Squadron firepower: | 1615.25 HP/s |
| weapon type | count | RPM | damage | individual firepower | total firepower |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vay_caionarraymain | 4 | 15.0 | 688 | 172 | 687.5 |
| vay_caionarray | 4 | 7.5 | 688 | 86 | 343.8 |
| vay_flak_BC_left | 8 | 15.0 | 50 | 13 | 100.0 |
| vay_flak_BC_right | 8 | 15.0 | 50 | 13 | 100.0 |
| vay_kashtan_BC_left | 8 | 240.0 | 6 | 24 | 192.0 |
| vay_kashtan_BC_right | 8 | 240.0 | 6 | 24 | 192.0 |
Classified by Allied Threat Evaluation
Attention: UNH Fleet Intelligence
Allied intelligence efforts have acquired confirmation that the Vaygr cruiser-chassis combat craft is operational. Efforts to delay development and deployment were partially successful, but it is expected to enter production within a month.
Captured Vaygr R&D elements have led us to dub the project "Morning Star". Morning Star is a unique take on the combat cruiser: eight fixed heavy ion beams based on Turanic, Taiidani, and homegrown Vaygr technology. While it possesses good armor, the overall ship is armored only to a spare level: all focus is on engines and a devastating first strike. Representing Battleship-class firepower on a cruiser chassis, the Morning Star is aptly dubbed a "battlecruiser".
Most worrisome are the large number of departures from canonical Vaygr engineering. It would appear Makaan's forces have managed to capture or salvage at least one Inner Council vessel; marked influence is present in the power supply and chassis layout. Instead of the standard closely integrated weapons systems, Morning Star uses highly modular and distributed weaponry. Defensive turrets are based on existing Warhammer turrets but have been upgraded to be coilguns; highly similar to Confederate corvette and frigate-class weaponry.
Morning Star is highly efficient when operating in a formation with frigates or destroyers. The ship is highly vulnerable when isolated; capital ships are directed to close to point blank range and flank to avoid its spinal weaponry. While vulnerable to the same high-pressure tactics as the Glaive, Morning Star is more maneuverable and will destroy frigates with ease before they can get close.
It is expected that Morning Star, when perfected, will represent a significant threat to any Carrier. When deployed via hyperspace to immediately fire on the target, paired Morning Stars can and will disable or destroy any high value target smaller than Battleships.
The strategic implications of this tactic are immense. All allied commands should maintain a higher-than-average strike and fleet bomber complement on active patrol around vulnerable targets to ward against this eventuality. Suppressing strikes to force Morning Stars to commit to battle away from vulnerable friendly units are also imperative. Early simulations indicate that Morning Star is quite efficient against Blaze-class ion frigate squadrons, therefore we advise using them with care and only if the Morning Star is occupied with a larger, more durable target.
