Target: Scorpius Class Light Carrier

Tactical Specifications

• RACE: Missing Colonies of Man
• HULL: Mass 315, Fuel 250, Cargo 90, Crew 958, Tech Level 6
• HULL COST: MC 287, Dur 92, Tri 231, Moly 82, Tech Level Upgrades 1500 MCs
• ARMAMENT: 4 Engines, 4 Beams, 2 Fighter Bays
• SHIP ABILITIES: None
• RACIAL ENHANCEMENTS: Fighter Mine Sweep

General Analysis

Every fighter race has an auxiliary vessel designed primarily to transport fighters between starbases: the Robots and Cyborg have the Iron Slave, the Empire has the H-Ross, cloaking races have the Red Wind, and so on. The Colonies have several that fit this bill, including two lightweight freighter hulls, but the Scorpius is designed specifically with a heavy hull that grants it increased survivability on the front lines.

First Deployment: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”

ENGINES: 4x Transwarp

BEAMS: None

PAYLOAD: 90 excess minerals

This is almost exclusively a pre-Limit build: It’s a low-fuel way to transport excess minerals and engines from a Ghipsoldal base in the rear of an empire to a Humanoid construction location further forward. It is one of the few rare hulls that recycles for nearly its own mass, and that once built masses less than the minerals it contains. Thus, while there is some loss in transit, it’s extremely low — and engines are mass that travels free, which makes this more fuel- and supplies-efficient than simply loading a freighter with minerals and cash. Don’t laugh too hard; I’ve done this in-game to manufacture chromed-out Virgos at a forward base, and it’s highly efficient. Plus, it saves wear and tear on a freighter.

Second Deployment: “Instant Defense, Just Add Water”

ENGINES: 4x Nova Drive 5s or better

BEAMS: 3x Plasma Bolts

PAYLOAD: 90x Fighter

As a logistics ship, it’s competent for fighter resupply. Frontline insta-starbases sometimes have hidden infiltrators, and while useless in line of battle, the Scorpius can outfight some low-end cloakers due to its high mass. If it’s to be used in this manner, it’s important to fit it out with only three beams; otherwise it runs afoul of the no-launch glitch against D7s and LCCs. Against Privateers, it can be realistically armed with zero beams and lose no combat ability whatsoever, making it both a useless steal for them and a dangerous vessel to tow.

Bear in mind, this is a Colonies-only vessel. Colonies have the Cobol, which means they’ve got tons of excess fuel to throw away. The Scorpius is useless to anyone else because of its high mass and lousy armament (though the Federation can get some use out of it), but in the Colonial fleet it makes a marginally competent auxiliary as long as you build them pre-limit in bases that couldn’t otherwise build a Virgo.

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Keep your notepad ready: The next Insights In Sight will target the Saurian Class Light Cruiser.

– TS and G

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