Update: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Imperial Rapier Class Frigate [v1.4]: 50pts
Type/Hits: Escort/1 Speed: 25cm Turns: 90 Shields: 1 Armour: 5+ Turrets: 3 Arnament: RFAOS* Range/Speed: 20cm Firepower: Special/1 Fire Arc: Front only
* The Rapier utilises the Rapid Fire Anti-Ordnance System to help protect vulnerable capital ships from enemy ordnance. Each RFAOS gives the Rapier 4 attack to use against any enemy ordnance with 20cm. On a roll of 4+ the ordnance wave or counter is destroyed. Alternatively the RFAOS can be used against larger targets (escorts/cruisers/battleships/ defences/etc), although it is not very well suited for the task and gives the Rapier an equivalent of a weapons battery with a firepower 1 and range of 20cm. It may not perform in more than one role per turn. The RFAOS will not function if the ship uses any special orders as it needs the full attention of ship's machine spirit to function correctly. The only exception to this is that it will benefit from locking on used in either mode. If four 1s are rolled for any RFAOS attack it has spectacularly malfunctioned and the Rapier is destroyed. Remove the model and replace it with D3 blast markers.
As the Rapier is always to be found in mixed squadron (see later) the following targetting rules should be followed. When firing against ordnance the RFAOS may shoot at a different target to the rest of the squadron and ignore all non-ordnance targets when determining which is closer (no leadership required). If the RFAOS wants to target ordnance that is not the closest to the ship, it has to take a leadership as normal. All other standard squadron rules apply. ========================================================
The RFAOS is akin to the flak batteries of ancient Terra, utilising a series of linked hyper-velocity cannons firing fragmentation shells to create a deadly kill zone that can far outreach that of a standard turret configuration. It features two key technological breakthroughs that make its success feasible. Its banks of cannons are directly controlled by the Rapier's sophisticated and little understood machine spirit, ensuring maximum efficiency and optimum dispersal on target. It also takes advantage of an unique system of self discarding casings that allow the frag rounds to reach their intended target area undamaged and reap heavy damage amongst the Emperor's foes.
It's not without flaws however. The RFAOS targetting matrix has major problems distinguishing targets that are in close proximity to it. This led to the infamous incident where a protype system targetted its own ship, leading to the tragic loss of all hands aboard. Failsafes have been added to the design in an effort to stop such a reoccurrence, but with so little understood about the RFAOS, it is anyone's guess to how effective they will prove to be or what other design flaws remain undetected. Its range is also?severly curtailed by an inability to synthesise the carbon bonded polymers of the original design's shell casings, an art sadly lost to the Imperium in the intervening time.
The Rapier is a new addition to the ranks of the Imperial Navy and is based upon a modification of the ubiquitous Sword Class Frigate. It is designed for anti-ordnance role in a larger battlegroup, protecting capital ships from marauding bombers, assault boats and torpedoe strikes as well as performing essential convoy based duties where it is ideally suited for fending off the ranks of the Wolf Packs. The creation of the Rapier class was made possible by a discovery of a partial STC recovered from an abandoned Forgeworld that had been lost to the Emperor's light for over three centuries [location classified] at a great cost to the survey team involved. The Adeptus Mechnicus have been able to extract enough data to produce a very potent new ship design, but they mourn for the knowledge has been lost to them and the chance for the RFAOS to have unleashed its full potential. With the coming of the 13th Crusade the Rapier class was rushed into full active service after a number of Imperial battle groups fell victim to the numerous carrier ships still active in the ranks of the Arch Traitor. This was much to the dismay of more conservative elements within the Adeptus Mechnicus who still harbour doubts over a possible heretical taint in the Rapier design.
Famous Squadrons of the 13th Crusade
With the Rapier class still very much in its infancy, few squadron have yet had the chance to make their mark on the unfolding war. One exception to this was the Cia Orion Squadron, who helped annihilate the Swiftdeath fighters and Doomfire bombers of the Despoiler Class Battleship Red Maul?s Revenge, leaving it and its entourage open to a devastating Imperial counter attack. As yet Abaddon?s many fleets have yet to adapt to the Rapier?s appearence and there are many opportunities for fame waiting to be seized amongst the stars.
Fleet limitations:
You may add a single Rapier to any pre-existing squadron of escorts. Therefore a Rapier will feature in a squadron of between three and six ships. The other ships may any mixture of Cobras, Swords, Falcions or other Imperial escort. This reflects its scarcity; need for support in the face of anything bigger than a bomber or corvette and the ingrained conservatism of some elements within the Imperium's Navy when it comes to adopting new ship designs.
*** Slight edit up to v1.4. The RFAOS is now slightly longer ranged, but less powerful ***
|