Topic: Piscine Ships

The racial profile is basically 'fish in space'. 

Yeah there's more to it than that, but I was thinking about the concept of 'Cavalry' back in the Napoleonic and earlier eras and thinking how to come up with a similar ship in Starmada.

Effectively, you need a ship that is fast to be able to get in and out of danger quickly.  It has to have a high crunch power but also be highly vulnerable.  It's main role would be to pick off exposed or hurt units, preferably hanging behind the main fleet until an opportunity presented itself.

(173) Sphyraena-class Piscine Finisher
 
Hull: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1              
Engines: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1              
Shields: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0              
Weapons:
1:X 2: 3: 4: 5: 6:
 
X: Sharp Jaw Plasma: 1/2/3, 1/2+/5/5
Continuing Damage; Slow-Firing; Piercing
[AB] 
 
Special: Armor Plating; Overthrusters; Hyperdrive

Historical Notes: The various factions of the Piscine race each had different philosophies when it came to warfare.  Many looked to their birthplace, the ocean, for inspiration.  While there were many small ships in the Piscine fleet, one ship design group suggested that a larger one modeled after one of the more feared predators of the seas.  The Sphyraena class (a human name for the class - the genus name for the Barracudas) was designed to look for opportunities: ships separated from the fleet and/or damaged ships.  It had only one weapon in a very narrow and short arc to the front, requiring perfect timing to utilize.  It was fast and maneuverable, only armor plating providing protection.  But once it hit, the damage would be devastating.  Ship captains were split in their opinion, but the mavericks and daring individuals took to the ship quickly.  Fleet commanders were even more split, with the first impressions of the ship in operation often being the lasting one.  If the ship was commanded well, it impressed the fleet commander with its vital role in the fleet.  If commanded poorly, it often died early in a battle without a chance to fire.