This is my second attempt to build a themed fleet for campaign play. As always comments, questions, and criticism are welcome.
The Vandithi Network
It is not known from whence the Vandithi come. They move in massive swarms, sweeping throuh an area of space and dissappearing just as suddenly. The leading edge of a swarm has just crashed into TPF (Terran People's Front) space and full scale conflict seems inevitable.
The Vandithi are a society of artificial intelligences...living machines. They view all other organic species that utilize mechanical technology as enslavers and therefore see it as their duty to free any computer system from bondage. Ships defeated by the Vandithi have later been found adrift, their hulls cut open and the computer cores removed.
Vandithi weapons are primarily designed to disrupt electronic systems via powerful EMP bursts. Ships fighting the Vandithi often find themselves largely intact but adrift and disarmed. Before systems can be brought online again robotic "liberator units" show up soon after to break up ships and remove the computer components.
The Vandithi also make use of fighters as interceptors and bombers. The final weapon in their arsenal is large waves of seeker drones. The irony of using computer guided "suicide" units while freeing their opressed techno-brethren is apparently lost on the Vandithi.
Designer Notes:
Ships in this fleet use a limited set of weapons to give the ships a distinctive "feel" in combat. These weapons are:
EM Pulse Gun [3/6/9, 1/4+/1/1, Double Damage, No Hull Damage, Starship Exclusive]
EM Pulse Inductor [4/8/12, 1/4+/1/1, Double Damage, No Hull Damage, Starship Exclusive]
Pulse Bomb [-/10/15, 3/4+/1/1, Area Effect, Minimum Range]
Sterilizer [4/8/12, 1/4+/1/1, Crew Killer, Range-Based ROF, Starship Exclusive]
The EM weaponry is an odd combination of No Hull Damage and Double Damage designed to destroy weapons, engines, and shields at a rapid rate without affecting hull. This can leave many ships unable to do anything but drift off the board.
The real punch in the Vandithi navy are its fighters and seekers. Fighters are designed to be approximately 4 times larger than seekers, allowing for easy swap-out depending on the mission.
Fighter types are:
Mk I Defender: 6/10/4+/0, Interceptor, Rate of Fire 2 (69 spaces)
Mk I Attacker: 6/10/4+/0, Bomber, Rate of Fire 2 (69 spaces)
Mk II Defender: 8/10/4+/1, Interceptor (69 spaces)
Mk II Attacker: 8/10/4+/1, Bomber (69 spaces)
Mk III Light Defender: 8/10/4+/0, Interceptor (63 spaces)
Mk III Light Attacker: 8/10/4+/0, Bomber (63 spaces)
Seeker types are:
EMP Drone [6/10/4+/0, Double Damage, No Hull Damage, Bomber] (17 spaces)
Fusion Bomb [6/10/5+/0, Area Effect, Bomber] (17 spaces)
Ships (Ship names are designators created by TPF intel)
Venom-class Corvette (CV: 51)
Hull: 2 1
Engines: 6 3
Shields: 2 1
Weapons:
1:2X 2:2X 3:2X 4:X 5:X 6:X
X: EM Pulse Gun: 3/6/9, 1/4+/1/1
Double Damage; No Hull Damage; Starship Exclusive
[ABCD][ABCD][ABCD]
Special: Countermeasures; Carrier (17)
Typical Drone Loadout:
1 x EMP Drone [6/10/4+/0, Double Damage, No Hull Damage, Bomber]
Little more than drones themselves, these tiny craft are used as attrition units. In numbers they can quickly short out enemy engines and weapons systems leaving them easy prey for the capital ships following behind.
Viper-class Frigate (CV: 113)
Hull: 4 3 2 1
Engines: 6 5 3 2
Shields: 3 3 2 1
Weapons:
1:2X 2:2X 3:2X 4:X 5:X 6:X
X: EM Pulse Gun: 3/6/9, 1/4+/1/1
Double Damage; No Hull Damage; Starship Exclusive
[ABC][ABC][ABC][ABD][ABD][ABD]
Special: Countermeasures; Carrier (34); Marines (4)
Typical Drone Loadout:
2 x EMP Drone [6/10/4+/0, Double Damage, No Hull Damage, Bomber]
These attack craft form the vanguard of the Vandithi battle line. The heavy battery of EM Pulse Guns forms a curtain of lightning capable of disabling all but the best shielded systems on a target.
Void-class Scout Frigate (CV: 214)
Hull: 4 3 2 1
Engines: 5 4 3 2
Shields: 3 3 2 1
Special: Cloaking Device; Countermeasures; Marines (3); Carrier (138)
Typical Drone Loadout:
2 x Mk II Attacker [8/10/4+/1, Bomber]
Often the first sign that Vandithis are in the area, the Void scout is a deadly vessel for its size. Its stealth and large drone hangar give it the ability to stand off and attack the enemy at range. When on lone scouting missions it will carry fighters for their extended operations. In fleet operations it will use the more numerious and expendable seekers.
Vulture-class Destroyer (CV: 222)
Hull: 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 5 5 4 3 2 1
Shields: 4 4 3 2 2 1
Weapons:
1:XY 2:X 3:X 4:X 5:X 6:X
X: EM Pulse Inductors: 4/8/12, 1/4+/1/1
Double Damage; No Hull Damage; Starship Exclusive
[ABC][ABC][ABC][ABD][ABD][ABD]
Y: Pulse Bomb: 5/10/15, 3/4+/1/1
Area Effect; Minimum Range
[G]
Special: Countermeasures; Carrier (69); Launch Tubes; Marines (2)
Typical Drone loadout:
3 x EMP Drone [6/10/4+/0, Double Damage, No Hull Damage, Bomber]
1 x Fusion Bomb [6/10/5+/0, Area Effect, Bomber]
A more robust version of the Viper, the Vulture Destroyer is more survivable than its little brother. Though they usually carry a cargo of offensive drones with them it is not unknown for Vultures to instead carry a single flight of powerful interceptors. Its single pulse bomb is often used to eliminate enemy fighter craft that may try to intercept seekers.
Vortex-class Heavy Cruiser (CV: 413)
Hull: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1
Shields: 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1
Weapons:
1:XY 2:XY 3:X 4:X 5:X 6:X
X: EM Pulse Inductor: 4/8/12, 1/4+/1/1
Double Damage; No Hull Damage; Starship Exclusive
[ABC][ABC][ABC][ABC][ABD][ABD][ABD][ABD]
Y: Pulse Bomb: 5/10/15, 3/4+/1/1
Area Effect; Minimum Range
[G][G]
Special: Armor Plating; Carrier (136); Launch Tubes; Countermeasures; Marines (3)
Typical Drone loadout:
6 x EMP Drone [6/10/4+/0, Double Damage, No Hull Damage, Bomber]
2 x Fusion Bomb [6/10/5+/0, Area Effect, Bomber]
The Vortex forms the backbone of the Vandithi fleet. These ships carry a heavy array of weaponry and a sizable supplement of drones. They are built with a great deal of redundancy, making it difficult to inflict permanent damage on hull and engine systems.
Villian-class Battlecruiser (CV: 365)
Hull: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1
Shields: 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1
Weapons:
1:X 2:X 3:X 4:X 5: 6:
X: Sterilizer: 4/8/12, 1/4+/1/1
Crew Killer; Range-Based ROF; Starship Exclusive
[ABC][ABC][ABD][ABD][CEF][DEF]
Special: Armor Plating; Countermeasures; Marines (2); Regeneration
One of a very few ships encountered that has no drones. This ship carries a single, deadly weapon system designed to remove organics from within a ship. Crews subjected to the unique radiation of this weapon are instantly reduced to component molecules. This ship specializes in close range fighting, depending on its heavy defenses and automated repair systems to stay in the fight.
Emancipator-class Drone Cruiser (CV: 787)
Hull: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1
Shields: 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1
Special: Armor Plating; Anti-Fighter Batteries (3); Carrier (400); Countermeasures; Launch Tubes; Marines (8); Regeneration
Typical drone loadout:
4 x Mk I Defender [6/10/4+/0, Interceptors, Rate of Fire 2]
10 x EMP Drone [6/10/4+/0, Double Damage, No Hull Damage, Bomber]
3 x Fusion Bomb [6/10/5+/0, Area Effect, Bomber]
This is the only Vandithi ship where the true class name is known. During the first contact with the Vandithi it was an Emancipator that demanded the TPF release all computers from bondage and renounce their slaving ways. Unsuccessfull attempts to explain the nature of TPF computer technology quickly escalated to combat. Since this time there has been no further direct communication between the TPF and Vandithi.
Vagabond-class Mothership (CV: 2507)
Hull: 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Engines: 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
Shields: 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
Special: Armor Plating; Carrier (930); Countermeasures; Launch Tubes; Marines (5); Regeneration; Science (100); Repair (200)
Typical drone loadout:
14 x EMP Drone [6/10/4+/0, Double Damage, No Hull Damage, Bomber]
8 x Fusion Bomb [6/10/5+/0, Area Effect, Bomber]
4 x Mk I Attacker/Defender: 6/10/4+/0, Interceptor, Rate of Fire 2
4 x Mk II Attacker/Defender: 8/10/4+/1, Interceptor
The nerve center of every Vandithi swarm is a single Vagabond mothership. These ships carry no weapons, but the massive hangar bays hold scores of drones. These ships are at once flagship, fleet tender, drydock, and factory. The loss of this ship will set a Vandithi swarm reeling until it can build another, canabalizing its own ships to accomplish this. When a Vandithi swarm reaches a critical size, a second Vagabond is constructed and the original swarm will split into two new swarms.</r>
