Blockade Runner design

[Thunderbolt]

I thought I'd have a bit of fun and turn a 3D model I created a while ago into a Traveller design with plans and 'official' looking branding.

The result can be seen here:

http://www.cambrianmoons.com/poser-blockade-runner.htm

I'm sure the gear heads among you will find many flaws, but it started with the 3D model first, so the design had to follow.

 

[RandyT0001]

Nice 3D gallery pics at your website.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

I'd give it 6g.

 

[selunatic2397]

Great Website! I really like the design, but I agree with Andrew...6G would make it better.

 

[Thunderbolt]

I had a dilemma with the design because if I gave it top performance, top computer, armour and so forth, then it essentially became a warship. I had originally given it manoeuvre-4 but wanted to have a little more edge.

High Guard seems to be telling me that any small fast ship will not stand up against a larger overtly military ship anyway, so my rationale is that a blockade runner will perform its duties by picking its moment where it does not have to fight.

Unfortunately, this is an area of Traveller I am no longer qualified to discuss, the years have rolled by!!

 

[jfwking]

Is its job to sneak in or fight in.
Agree with max speed so 6G.
Max the stealth and sensors if sneaking in, weapons and armour not so important for this.
Fighting in requires good armour and weapons but you then become a blockade smasher.

 

[Thunderbolt]

Is its job to sneak in or fight in.

It's main job is to look cool

I did come up once with a stealthy looking ship, based on the X-47 drone, but it lacked good photogenic angles.

This design is definitely a case of style over function.

 

[Zembar]

I tend to agree. In most traveller universes, a blockade runner would need 6g to outrun SDBs or battle riders, which would probably constitute the significant part of any blockade.

Looks really nice though!

 

[mbrinkhues]

One fine looking ship.

But blockade running is a tough job in Traveller. Works best if you accept a pencil moustache and New Orleans Accent, prissy Southern Belle girl friend/wife optional.

Meaning that you best use the approach of the Southern Blockade Runner during the Civil war, running out of/into a well defended and friendly port using stealth, cover (and may be a few rounds from the planetary batteries) and into/from another friendly/neutral port. Otherwise you have the fuel problem on one of the legs in the blockaded system.

Otherwise get the best stealth/ECM/ECCM you can get, add a nuclear damper (SDB/blockaders are NAVAL units and will have nukes) and if the system (i.e MT) supports it a booster plant to power up the drives just for the final leg. The weapons combo (AM-laser + AL sand) looks good otherwise

 

[flykiller]

I had a dilemma with the design because if I gave it top performance, top computer, armour and so forth, then it essentially became a warship.

try a binary design. the jump tender precipitates in and, if the situation looks good, drops its 6g rider.

 

[pendragonman]

try a binary design. the jump tender precipitates in and, if the situation looks good, drops its 6g rider.

Ohhhh, and the Tender could/should be big enough to launch several of these so that some get thru the screen. Optimally released from waaaay away from the planet.

 

[Whipsnade]

High Guard seems to be telling me that any small fast ship will not stand up against a larger overtly military ship anyway, so my rationale is that a blockade runner will perform its duties by picking its moment where it does not have to fight.

Thunderbolt,

Both an excellent illo and a wonderful site you have there.

Echoing the others here, the runner should have 6gee and agility 6.

As for the Small Ship vs. Large Ship problem, at lower TLs you can easily build a small, fast, agile ships most other ships will have trouble hitting. At TL 15 however, that becomes nearly impossible.

Fly's suggestion about binary vessels is a good one. How about scheduling both drops and pick-ups? Drops could be made when the situation is right and pick-ups performed after a running escapes the blockaders into the deep system. (They can only chase so far or the blockade will break down.)


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Thunderbolt]

Assuming that the planet itself is not resisting the blockade runner, there is a chance that the enemy force will have to enforce the blockade at a safe distance from the planet. Keeping a sufficiently dense coverage of ships might not be practical over such a large spherical area?

Coming in fast with all manner of atmospheric braking would suit the inbound stretch, but I'd not want to place bets on your chances of coming back out when your starting velocity is so low.

The secret surely is not to be seen in the first place, rules on stealth and detection anyone?

 

[boomslang]

Assuming that the planet itself is not resisting the blockade runner, there is a chance that the enemy force will have to enforce the blockade at a safe distance from the planet. Keeping a sufficiently dense coverage of ships might not be practical over such a large spherical area?

Use a gigantic network of cheap (and therefore easily hacked/spoofed/jammed?) sensor drones to increase your coverage.

Coming in fast with all manner of atmospheric braking would suit the inbound stretch, but I'd not want to place bets on your chances of coming back out when your starting velocity is so low.

Do a few parabolic slingshot orbits of the planet to build up a good velocity, then make a couple of feints to try and pull the blockade fleet out of position (at last, another use for Fleet Tactics skill!), and, when you see an opening -- punch it. Run flat out to Jump altitude, spewing sand and ECM all the way. A salvo or two of covering fire from your allies groundside wouldn't hurt, either.

The secret surely is not to be seen in the first place, rules on stealth and detection anyone?

Cf. the "Dishkili Maneuver", which IIRC, was a DGP/MT bit of chrome... just have lots of sand ready for when they do spot you, and it might be a good idea to have some charge stored on the Jump capacitors which you could then tap to run m-drive and computer (and screens, depending on TU starship ruleset in play) in lieu of waiting for the powerplant to warm back up to normal operating output...