Spire-Class Cruiser

==Development==
Coming late into service with the Karsian Navy in 89AF, the Spire was the result for a need of a heavy cannon-based cruiser. While their mainstay warship, the Citadel provided the Karsian Navy with excellent speed, range and firepower, the need for a longer-ranged cruiser  did not go unnoticed by Karsian High Command. Orbital support also became necessary as in many operations, the Karsian fleet simply provided a blockade over the world with very few ways of influencing a battle once it had begun.
The vessel, though having less weapons, would make up for it in range, shielding, and its set of cannons which were made to have high-muzzle velocity to ensure it would punch right through enemy warships once their shields went down to the inital barrage from the rest of the Karsian fleet.
==Role==
Spire cruisers can be considered long-range artillery, firing projectiles from afar to destroy other warships and are often tasked with destroying the heavier vessels, such as battleships, dreadnaughts, and other cruisers, once their shields have been stripped by destroyers and/or strike units. Armour means little to the Spire's massive guns. Its speed also allowed it to keep up with the rest of the fleet and reposition as needed.
With its cannons and specialized ammunition, the vessel can also fire on planetary targets allowing it to cause devastating damage to a target or even the world itself should more powerful plasma-charged rounds be used that are equivalent to nuclear warheads.
The small carrying capacity also allows the vessel to deploy small groups of strikecraft into the battle, though these are incapable of launching HMVs as the Karsians leave such specialization to more dedicated carriers.
==Weapons==
The main weapons are the Valliant cannnons, long-barreled cannons that aid in achieveing a high velocity and range. The bore of the cannons are quite small compared to the main cannons of other warships, but is made up by the Spire having six of these cannons which are just as capable at punching through warship hulls, if lacking the amount of explosive power. There is also a cannon mounted beneath the bow that fires shorter ranged, but larger, more powerful rounds.
Missile tubes and torpedo launchers provide the vessel with mid-short range firepower against other warships, though the missile tubes are often used against strikecraft or HMVs for the Spire lacks sufficent interception weaponry, having only two flak cannons to ward of incoming craft that are in front or above the vessel.
==Speed and Defense==
The hull of the Spire is light for a cruiser, being just over a meters and follows the same principles with the rest of the Karsian Navy by focusing on speed and firepower, keeping the enemy at range and backing away when needed. Like the Citadel, Spire cruisers have very weak broadside capabilites, though the shields of this vessel are more powerful, with the same disruption system active that messes with enemy targetting systems until the shields go down. 
The ship also carries many decoy and disruption launchers to aid in the protection of the vessel; either by scrambling missile guidance, targetting systems or using disruption smoke to weaken energy weapons allows Spire cruisers to have impressive survivability by avoiding damage that could prove fatal if a critical area such as ammo magazines or the reactor were to be hit.
A small onboard complement of sixteen craft, eight Foehammer bombers and eight Lancer interceptors, gives the vessel some protection against incoming warships and strikecraft and can be launched quickly once the craft are prepared.
Category:Ships