I could not find any rules in HG that would prohibit stuffing a 1000 dTon spinal mount in a 2000 dTon hull – assuming the PP will fit. (although I am confident that someone will point it out if I did miss some rule
). As a privateer who jumps in at the 100 diameter limit to grab a merchant, how many systems would have even 1 ship able to attack it without it becoming a suicide run? Sub 10,000 dTon SDBs would suffer multiple critical hits per combat round. Imagine the Privateer just waiting with impunity for a merchant ship to arrive in system (jump fuel empty) with the option to surrender of be utterly destroyed. Imagine the communications to the Imperial Navy when it finally leaves with however many undamaged merchant ships it can crew. If there is anyone big enough to attack it, the Privateer is already at the jump limit ready to escape.
How many BIG ships would the navy need to send to a sector to hunt this ship down? It sounds like a reasonable investment to disrupt trade, force insurance premiums through the roof, and divert resources from the battlefront. If one small craft will fund a typical pirate for a year, how much revenue would multiple Fat Traders and Liners bring in?
If OT is a “big navy” universe, then the privateers will need to adapt. My proposed Privateer is still too small to attack a real 100,000+ dTon warship, but imagine a pack of ships funded by captured Prizes. This would require a reputation for allowing the crews to escape to encourage surrender instead of destruction. But even destruction will achieve the strategic goal if not the immediate tactical and financial goal.
![](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsmile.gif&hash=1cfd60796e07197b75d7b7de95fa9177)
How many BIG ships would the navy need to send to a sector to hunt this ship down? It sounds like a reasonable investment to disrupt trade, force insurance premiums through the roof, and divert resources from the battlefront. If one small craft will fund a typical pirate for a year, how much revenue would multiple Fat Traders and Liners bring in?
If OT is a “big navy” universe, then the privateers will need to adapt. My proposed Privateer is still too small to attack a real 100,000+ dTon warship, but imagine a pack of ships funded by captured Prizes. This would require a reputation for allowing the crews to escape to encourage surrender instead of destruction. But even destruction will achieve the strategic goal if not the immediate tactical and financial goal.