Ships expected at Invictus Launch Week...sorry, DefenseCon

[Thalstan]

All,

I am going to try and get pictures and names of the new ships that are expected to show up at DefenseCon this year. To do this, I will list it in three sections. The Brand new ships, the newly flyable, and the speculation.

NEW
Drake Pitbull
Looks like 6 guns and maybe 6 missiles. Unsure of size, but I would suspect S2 guns at least. I doubt this will have a quantum drive

Origin M80
Heavy fighter, looks like 3xS4 guns? At least 224 SCM. Possible missiles, but unknown quantity or type

MISC StarLite
Refueling type ship, maybe 2 tanks and a small crewed turret with 2xS1 weapons on top.

Aegis Tiburon
Looks like a heavily modified Hammerhead frame with a giant spinal laser that looks to be bespoke to the ship. Also at least 2 other bigger forward facing weapons as well. Not sure how many other defensive weapons there will be on it.

ANVIL ODIN
No picture yet available...maybe tomorrow....but it will be a follow-up post


NEWLY FLYABLE
Drake Ironclad
Stats available

Drake Ironclad Assault
The IC Assault will have ship services as well, allowing it to repair, refeul, and rearm ships that land in its "hangar". Other ships like the Carrack, Starlancer TAC, Polaris, and Idris will also have ship services. I do not believe that ship services will be available in the base Ironclad.

SPECULATION
Drake Command Module.

Drake Command Module - While I have not seen this directly, I am expecting this to be sold at some point

 

[Thalstan]

As promised, the Odin pictures

 

[Montoya]

delicious!

 

[Mudhawk]

Man, looking at the silhouette of the M80! It does look like an M50 that got the SUV treatment.
Plug in a helium gas cylinder and crank up the valve until the sleek little bird turns into a fat big turkey.
On the plus side that should lead to some interior being available.
But as with all SUVs probably far less than the frame suggests.

That Drake Ironclad Assault though.
Come on folks, paint, utility and everything.
This was made especially for our Squardon , right?

By the way, that lasershark, thats basically an Ares ION in really BIIIG, right?
So while you do not need much of a crew you'll probably need a fighter wing or two for support.
I does come without the usual turrets of its brother after all.

 

[Thalstan]

The Tiburon is an offensive punch, but will probably need escorts to make it work effectively (aka, prevent it from being killed easily by a gladius). With initial reports putting the crew size at 2 (not sure I believe that, 4-6 looks to be the minimum to me), This is probably designed to be the counter to the "solo idris", or at least be the "poor man's solo idris"...costing 800 bucks... it allows players to "solo" or duo a ship that would probably be more than a match for the idris in offensive and maneuverability capabilities, yet much more vulnerable to fighters and bombers. I suspect it will be faster, and be able to turn at a higher pitch and yaw rate than the idris, allowing it to get behind the idris, and stay there. That said, a fully crewed Idris would eat this ship for lunch.

I would expect the spinal weapon to be a S10 laser, with a K(inetic) kit that turns it into a mass driver with some PDS weapons that can be added...for an additional 299.

 

[Shadow Reaper]

Agreed with all except I doubt the Tiburon gun will be swappable. It’s the kind of ship you add to an otherwise capable flotilla or battle group, very similar to the Ares. Useless against things that aren’t much larger.

I like the idea of getting it behind an Idris, but the beam weapon means you are taking down the shield so expect a very long fight. The longer the fight, the more the superior damage control systems of an Idris show their might. I still think take down PDWs and turrets and kill with torps is the way to go. Polaris with 12 snubs and 2 Tallies. . .25 players total.

 

[Thalstan]

Agreed with all except I doubt the Tiburon gun will be swappable. It’s the kind of ship you add to an otherwise capable flotilla or battle group, very similar to the Ares. Useless against things that aren’t much larger.

I like the idea of getting it behind an Idris, but the beam weapon means you are taking down the shield so expect a very long fight. The longer the fight, the more the superior damage control systems of an Idris show their might. I still think take down PDWs and turrets and kill with torps is the way to go. Polaris with 12 snubs and 2 Tallies. . .25 players total.

As noted, a fully crewed Idris would probably eat it for lunch...but solo vs solo? This would probably win.

as for swapping the gun, I actually expect that. It could be balanced with ammunition limitations, but them selling K kits to swap weapons is completely in-line with what CIG has done in the past. You will have to go to a ship conversion place to get it done, but I fully expect it to be swappable in some manner or another...may not be this yeah, but maybe in 1-2 more, yes..

 

[Shadow Reaper]

Well, it’s a shark. Look at the dorsal fin. All I asked for was sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads. Instead I got ill tempered sea bass.

View: https://youtu.be/INFavIUmhcE?si=wvpA78NGtSo43KWp

 

[Thalstan]

Honestly, I see a lot of the Arcadia in the Odin. Especially the gun placements.

 

[Shadow Reaper]

I was guessing when I said three triple turrets but that guess was based upon the last battleships of WWII. Just as Montoya suggested, modeled to honor the last of the great ladies, the Iowa class, the Yamato class, and the Bismarck class were all three triples, IIRC.

As always, CIG is steering us to accommodate WWII design strategies, so yeah; deploying these as part of a fleet with Idris flanking and absorbing hits, probably the way to go, but with some Star Wars fighter screens thrown in.

These ships are so big that bombing with small ships seems doubtful to be effective.Especially since CIG won’t let us precision target with missiles and torps, these guns are going to be massively effective by comparison. If there really are going to be S12 guns, I think that’s what we see here. The whole point is mount the biggest guns with the greatest range. Much will be determined by the range of these big guns, as compared to each opponent. If they follow the WWII model, these guns will be S12, with greater range than any other save perhaps the guns on a Vanduul Kingship.

I would note, CIG has been pretty consistent that damage control is important. None of these big cap ships should be fought without whole teams of engineers who really know what they are doing. The ability to take a beating was the design strategy of the Iowa class, and CIG told us this is baked into ships like the Idris and Javelin, but not the Vanduul Marauder, etc.

 

[Mudhawk]

Honestly, I see a lot of the Arcadia in the Odin. Especially the gun placements.

If that means we can get a giantic skull for a bow I'm sold on that idea.

 

[Sky Captain]

There's a pic of the new ships from https://robertsspaceindustries.com/en/DefenseCon2956#/schedule/About

Check out that sexy M80 rear end!

 

[Shadow Reaper]

Check out that sexy M80 rear end!

CIG is continuing stealing design language from BMW for Origin. Looks like an i8 tail. Sexy is right!

 

[Mudhawk]

Now all the M80 needs is a yellow paint for the body.
And maybe the same sale options as the 300 series?
Considering the new insurances in games THAT would be a banger!