recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Ruby Battlecruiser

### Known ships of the class

Eternity of Carnage, Blackness Unending (Adamant-class)Perpetual, Bringer of Final Death, Ages Scarlet (Ruby-class)

The Ruby is a class of battlecruiser designed and constructed by the Shaltari Tribes. Featuring battleship-level firepower in a fast package that can keep up with cruisers, the Ruby is a superlative interdiction vessel. These battlecruisers are often found in the hands of starchiefs who value speed over toughness, and who have both the restraint and calculated aggression necessary to get the most from their warship. Frequently, Rubies are deployed to raid supply convoys behind enemy lines, but can also perform brutally fast flanking sweeps during major engagements to take enemies unawares.

Ruby battlecruisers feature a pair of disintegrator banks as their primary armament, in addition to a pair of potent particle lances for heavier prey. This gives them flexibility as to their choice of target, though Rubies tend to favor vessels of lighter or equivalent tonnage.

### Adamant-class

The Adamant battlecruiser is another type of battlecruiser employed by the Shaltari Tribe, and has identical characteristics to the Ruby besides its hull design. The Adamant is slightly less common than the Ruby, but given the Shaltari's enigmatic nature, that could be for any number of reasons. It could be that the Ruby is intended as a successor for the Adamant-class, or that the Ruby is simply favoured by certain Shaltari tribes; either way, the UCM have no guesses as to the nature of the divide.

### In-Game

The Ruby's weapon setup is quite unique - though it can attack targets in either side arc, it really wants to line up with a single high-value enemy so as to employ both disintegrator batteries and its particle lance pair against it. If Weapons Free isn't an option, the Ruby can still at least put out two particle lance shots per turn while maneuvering for another line-up against a key ship.
Seattle Fleet Carrier

The Seattle is a class of cruiser designed and constructed by the United Colonies of Mankind. A multi-role ship, the Seattle is nonetheless primarily known for its role as a fleet carrier. Its capacious hangars can accommodate a large quantity of void-capable fighters and bombers, which in conjunction with its potent anti-ship firepower makes the Seattle a flexible asset for any UCM commander.

Despite its various strengths, the Seattle does suffer in terms of effectiveness when used solely for its launch capacity, as it generally has fewer assets available than the dedicated carriers of other factions. This in part is what led the Admiralty to commission the Vancouver escort carrier, though the Seattle still maintains a heavy presence in UCM fleets thanks to its superior survivability and firepower.

### In-Game

The Seattle loses the wing-mounted mass drivers of other UCM cruisers in exchange for a launch capacity of three - a pretty large upgrade, given the relatively weak firepower of UF-4200s. As a result, the Seattle can drive up the battlefield aggressively, seeking out enemies to menace with its mass drivers and bombers, instead of hiding in the back like the carriers of other factions.
Basalt Fleet Carrier

### Known ships of the class

Limitless, Sanctity of Sekhmet, Verdant, Fatebringer (Basalt-class)Khan's Command, Temple Blade, Locust (Aaru Basalt-class)

The Basalt is a class of cruiser designed and constructed by the Shaltari Tribes, and is the dedicated fleet carrier for the race. Though armed with disruptors, Basalt carriers tend to remain towards the rear of engagements, relying on the superior range of their launch assets to stay out of range of enemies while inflicting damage.

More importantly however, the Basalt provides access to Shaltari fighters, such as the Starblade interceptor. Since Shaltari point defences become inoperable while their shields are raised, fighters become their only defence against enemy close action attacks and enemy bombers, especially if the foe can survive the approach. As a result, the Basalt is the pillar around which many Shaltari engagements have been planned - a potent strategy, given the speed and lethality of Shaltari voidcraft.

### Aaru Basalt

Fleet carriers are typically quite rare amongst Shaltari fleets, likely due to the preference for direct-fire weaponry by starchiefs and the high numbers of Shaltari pilots needed to field such vessels. This includes the Basalt, which - while more common than other classes - is still exceptionally rare. Recently however, a more ancient class of fleet carrier has been sighted over Aaru, matching the Platinum supercarrier in design while maintaining similar capabilities to the Basalt. As a result, the class has been dubbed the Aaru Basalt, and appears to have been pressed back into service as a result of losses suffered due to Shaltari meddling with the Reconquest.

### In-Game

The Basalt is one of the three options the Shaltari have for launch assets, and is the only one that isn't Heavy or Superheavy. Since the Shaltari are dependent on fighter coverage to make up for their lack of PD with shields up, the Basalt is a highly important asset in many lists. Don't bother lining up its disruptors if you can find it a safer position elsewhere.
Hydra Fleet Carrier

The Hydra is a class of cruiser designed and constructed by the Scourge. A dedicated strike craft platform, the Hydra is equipped with capacious hangars filled with Hellmaw bombers and Hellscream fighters, which are piloted by pure Scourge organisms. These voidcraft are held in a fugue state in row upon row of storage racks until they are ready to be set loose - a necessity, given the cocktail of narcotics injected into each while kept dormant. Once disgorged, these strike craft fall upon their targets with mindless aggression.

Unlike the UCM's Seattle fleet carrier, the Hydra is significantly more focused on its role as a carrier, to the detriment of its own firepower. As a result, Hydras are found towards the rear of Scourge battlegroups and protected by escorts to keep them safe while they launch their assets. This weakness aside, the Hydra is still a potent threat that the UCM has learned to not discount.

### In-Game

Arguably the best dedicated carrier in the game. The Hydra's high Thrust, coupled with the high Thrust of Scourge bombers, gives it exceptional threat range, while the Scald keyword on Scourge bomber attacks makes it exceptionally lethal. Just be sure to keep the Hydra safe in the meantime, as it's not particularly durable and doesn't have much in the way of firepower.
Taipei Missile Frigate

The Taipei is a class of frigate designed and constructed by the United Colonies of Mankind. Developed as a dedicated close assault vessel, the Taipei excels at first-wave attacks, flanking operations, and supply interdiction missions. The Taipei packs significant amounts of firepower for its small size thanks to its numerous Piranha missile bays, but necessarily has to get in close to use them. As a result, Taipeis rely on their high speed and small signature to close the gap, as well as being deployed in numbers to overwhelm an enemy's point defence.

This offensive mission profile attracts the boldest captains the UCMF has to offer - those who are ready to take risks and who are happy to operate away from the main fleet. These attributes are also required for any who take on command of a Taipei, as the class has one of the worst survival rates of all UCM vessels. Niccolum's shipyards are littered with horrendously damaged Taipeis that managed to limp home in defiance of all odds, a sad reminder of the many who didn't make it back.

### In-Game

Taipeis have significantly more firepower per boat than their Toulon brethren thanks to their Piranha missile bays, but have to close to Scan range in order to make use of them. As a result, taking these in a maxed group of six boats is a good way to ensure that at least some will survive to reach their targets, and that more shots will get past enemy Point Defence.
Trident Grand Battleship

### Armament

2x 9K mass driver turrets, 2x N-12 artillery cannon batteries, NC-16 missiles, 4x torpedoes

### Known ships of the class

Trident, Mars, Jupiter (Independents)Kabal's Hand, Belladonna, Kahn (Kalium)

The Trident is a class of grand battleship produced by Titan Industrial for over 90 years before the arrival of the Scourge. Though the Trident is one of the largest pre-war vessels ever built by humanity, its exorbitantly high cost to produce and maintain ultimately made it a white elephant. Most were held back from frontline engagements, which is partially the reason why several were able to survive to the current day. These are typically fielded by Independent Resistance fleets, though some Tridents are still built new in the shipyards of Kalium.

As one would expect from such an ancient vessel, the Trident mounts broadsides of the largest chemically-fired guns ever built as its primary armament. Though early iterations had more of these mounted on turrets, they were generally replaced by the newer Titanmetall 9K mass drivers even before the Scourge arrived. However, given the Trident's long run of production, many more variants exist. The Elysium class is one of these variants, having a stern-heavy configuration that gives it a more modern appearance in comparison to the Trident.

### In-Game

The Trident packs an absolute ton of firepower - its two 9K mass drivers can take a chunk out of even the largest heavies, and it has four torpedoes to finish off anything tough enough to survive a Weapons Free volley. Better yet, the Trident's artillery cannon broadsides are Low Power, allowing it to keep the heat on enemy battleships or dreadnoughts even while it fends off groups of smaller vessels. Ablative Armour keeps it mostly safe from enemy firepower, though once the Trident gets crippled it will die in short order. Have a plan for extracting as much use out of it as you can before that happens.
Lamassu Barge

The Lamassu is a class of monitor constructed by the Scourge. Unlike its counterpart, the Shedu, the Lamassu's anti-ship firepower is relatively lacking, preventing it from engaging enemies in higher orbital layers. Instead, the Lamassu is equipped with bulk landers - the smallest Scourge ship to do so - and plasma bombs, making it uniquely suited for anti-invasion operations.

Thought of by the Scourge as orbiting barracks, Lamassus can deploy thousands of Scourge troops wherever they're needed, making them significantly more efficient than rerouting forces that are already on the ground. Though they do possess a degree of bombardment capability, Lamassus are generally weaker in first strike scenarios, as bulk landers don't have the survivability of dropships when confronted with enemy defence batteries. However, this does not mean Lamassus are never used aggressively - these barges have been deployed to disrupt UCM supply routes on Eden, suggesting that they aren't always used in a drop capacity.

### In-Game

For a Scourge vessel, the Lamassu is exceptionally slow - at 6" of Thrust, it's slower than every other ship on the roster besides the Shedu. It compensates for this weakness by having one of the best armour values of Scourge vessels, as well as one of their rare bombardment weapons. These two factors make the Lamassu a relatively efficient way of contesting enemy-controlled clusters - though it may take a while for it to reach the objectives, it at least can flood clusters with infantry while bombarding opposing forces that are already in place.
KNC-5 Line Cruiser

The KNC-5 line cruiser is a class of cruiser designed and constructed by Kalium. Though the Kabal favors replicating proven pre-war designs over innovation, their fleet's first major blooding in the opening stages of the battle for Earth made certain deficiencies apparent. Though the iron discipline of Kalium's sailors helped guarantee combat performance, their ships' lack of modern "dressings" in crew areas bordered on the embarrassing, especially in comparison to the quality of UCM vessels.

As a result, Kalium's latest ships have a more modern, distinct appearance, as well as countless internal improvements. The KNC-5 is the most common line ship of this next wave, featuring potent close-action weaponry and a pair of Kalium's trademark vent cannons.

### In-Game

The KNC-5 is identical to a Resistance light cruiser armed with a NC-16 missile bank and two vent cannon turrets, and as such has no special rules that differentiate it from its generic counterpart (but does have a sweet model to compensate). Resistance close action is a little on the weak side, making the NC-16s a bit of an odd inclusion, but the double vent cannons at least give it a punch at range, and can be fired without a Weapons Free order thanks to its Subsystem Network.
Lysander Stealth Lighter

### Known ships of the class

Hope’s Spark, Blue Shade, Eternal Darkness,Azure Night, Leprechaun, Silent Blade

The Lysander is a class of lighter designed and constructed by the United Colonies of Mankind, and is the first fully-cloaked warship fielded by the UCMF. Multiple 1st generation stealth systems were pushed to their limits of scale to facilitate the Lysander's design, allowing it to excel at extended infiltration operations. These include limited surface landings to scout potential invasion sites, or to support local Resistance operations.

Despite being the lynchpin of UCMF stealth operations since it entered service in 2669, the Lysander's existence was classified and the vessel was reserved for exclusive use by the ONI's Marine Force Black. However, pressure from the Admiralty in the run-up to the battle for Earth eventually forced the ONI to acknowledge the Lysander's existence and step up production. Though still a rarity, the Lysander is now common enough to support regular frontline operations.

### In-Game

The Lysander is a doozy of a strike carrier that trades the drop capacity of the New Orleans for superior stealth capabilities. A Full Cloak and Signature of 0" makes it exceptionally hard to target, allowing the Lysander to safely reach clusters that the New Orleans may be hard-pressed to get to. That said, the Lysander's 2 Hull will crumple against almost anything that *can* target it, forcing the ship to rely on that stealth to make its drops safely.
Opal Frigate

The Opal is a class of frigate designed and constructed by the Shaltari Tribes. Highly specialised - and rarely encountered by the UCM - the Opal's primary purpose is to protect its fellow warships from harm. Most of its internal structures are interlaced with a complex eldritch projection system that can boost the effectiveness of a nearby ship's shields, so long as that ship has its shields raised already. Though these systems prevent the Opal from having more than minimal firepower, they make the Opal a highly effective escort for larger vessels.

As almost all Shaltari elders are obsessed with their own continuation, it comes as no surprise that the Opal is a valued inclusion in any Shaltari fleet. However, its lack of numbers indicates that it is difficult to produce in numbers, even with the Shaltari's advanced technology, and therefore it makes for a particularly appealing target in combat.

### In-Game

The Opal has only token firepower, but is the only ship in the game to have the Shield Booster keyword, making a key inclusion for any Shaltari lists running battleships or dreadnoughts. Taking these in pairs will let them protect each other, which may be useful as they're Rare and will certainly be a priority target for your opponent.
Pungari Thresher Hive Ship

The Thresher Hive Ship is a class of warship designed and constructed by the Pungari. Despite being a relatively primitive vessel (as most Pungari ships are), the Thresher's robust design nonetheless lets it compete with the more advanced warships. In contrast to the low-crew, high-firepower approach that other races employ, the Thresher is designed to simply fling wave after wave of Pungari bodies at the foe by firing banks of boarding pods. These weapons - perhaps similar in design to the boarding torpedoes employed by the Scourge - lack the ship-killing power of true torpedoes, and are instead a way for the Pungari to flood enemy ships with boarding parties. Threshers have launch bays as well, which allow the Pungari to perform bomber strikes against warships or deploy bulk landers on surface targets.

These ships and their Pungari masters were first encountered by the United Colonies of Mankind during the second phase of the Reconquest. Though employed by the Shaltari Tribes as auxiliaries due to their high numbers, the Pungari nonetheless have a somewhat-dubious reputation as mercenaries and are willing to negotiate simple alliances with other factions. This means that Thresher Hive Ships have been sighted in the employ of nearly all of the major factions, whom they serve with the same wide-eyed awe they give the Shaltari.

### In-Game

The Thresher is an option available to all factions, though its Rare keyword means it'll never take up the majority of your slots. 12 shots with its Corruptor weapons, in addition to a launch capacity of 4 bombers, gives the Thresher a surprising amount of firepower; however, its inability to deploy all of those shots against a single target means it's probably best used as an assault troopship instead. It's also one of the few ships in the game that gets the Reinforced Armour rule, making it surprisingly durable.
Heracles Battleship

The Heracles is a class of battleship designed and constructed by the Post-Human Republic. Durable, yet surprisingly maneuverable, the Heracles is one of the most resilient ships ever encountered by the UCM during the Reconquest. These vessels are built around a broadside array of heavy calibre mass drivers, themselves somewhat larger than those equipped on smaller vessels, to allow the Heracles to plow through enemy lines while inflicting massive damage. However, the Heracles sports an even more terrifying weapon on its prow - the dark matter cannon.

Though the physics of this brutal weapon are still largely unknown to the UCM's scientists, the dark matter cannon is capable of tearing cruisers in half with a single hit, eldritch fire coruscating from the hapless target. This massive detonation has the side effect of overloading a ship's core systems, inflicting crippling damage on the foe even if it was somehow durable enough to survive the hit. This makes the Heracles a potent weapon when facing enemy flagships, as it needn't outright destroy them if it can still shut down their core systems.

### In-Game

The Heracles is a bit at odds with itself - it wants to sit back and snipe with the dark matter cannon, but that means it's ignoring its broadside armament; if it tries to use the broadsides, it can't really bring the cannon to bear. Regardless of which weapon it chooses to use, the Heracles is a potent weapon against enemy heavies thanks to Calibre (H&S) on the cannonades and Crippling on the DMC. So long as the rest of your fleet can handle the small stuff, the Heracles can face down and destroy your opponent's biggest threats.
Scoria Heavy Carrier

The Scoria is a class of heavy cruiser designed and constructed by the Shaltari Tribes. Nothing else is currently known of its capabilities or sightings.

### In-Game

As one of the new experimental heavy cruisers, the Scoria is intriguing on paper. A particle lance pair gives it comparable firepower to an Obsidian while on standard orders, and it's one of the few sources of launch in the Shaltari roster, making it initially attractive. However, that's before you notice that it's missing Fusillade on its particle lances, and that it's significantly more expensive than all other Shaltari heavy cruisers. As a result, the Scoria is less attractive than a Basalt for dedicated launch and can't punch as hard as an Obisidian, making it difficult for it to get its points back.
Tactics: Tactics: Shaltari Tribes

Popular styles: Long range snipers, Toolbox, Stealth, Close Action brawlers

General Characteristics:

 Great

The Shaltari are the faction that breaks most of the rules. Most of their ships and weapons have special rules that the other factions rarely have access to. They are fast with small *signatures* and good *point defense*, but lower than average *hull* and *armour* values, that is until they raise their shields.Their great *scan* ranges translate into better threat ranges for their close action weapons as well.

When they raise their shields however they lose their *point defense* and their signatures increase dramatically. The shields do improve their armour value and can save against *critical hits,* which most players consider a fair trade. The increased signature however means that you must be careful when you decide to raise your shields and allow the enemy to lock onto you from further back.

Other things to remember are that while the ship’s point defense might drop to 0, you can still improve your point defense with fighters. Weapons with *scald* do reduce the armour value provided by the shields as usual.

Shields work very well against small numbers of regular attacks or that easily cause critical hits. Against massed volleys of close action attacks with bad lock values, the additional point defence is more useful.

The other big difference to other fleets are the Shaltari motherships and gate networks. Motherships tend to avoid the frontlines and act as the origin of Shaltari ground forces and can deploy or even redeploy them through any gates in range of it or another gate.

Due to this flexibility opponents will target  your gates and we advise that you get them into *atmosphere* as quickly  as possible to increase their survivability. Once in atmosphere their shields or good point defense will help defend them against attacks.

A good rule of thumb is to take 2 to 3 groups per 500 points composed of Mothership or Homeships, supported by an equal number of void gates and then add an extra gate or two per 500 points. If you have points left over, buy more gates.

*Particle* and *mauler* weapons are the bane of ships with good armour values. The first ignoring their armour values by causing critical hits and Mauler using their armour values against them to lock on. Lining up the shots to capitalise on the extra particle shots from *fusillade* with a *weapons free* order can be hard, but is extremely satisfying when you pull it off.

*Bombardment* weapons with their alternate firing mode allow bombardment weapons to not merely be locked into that role, but do damage in close range as well. While *impel* weapons allow you to mess with your opponents movement and turn dangerous weapons out of their firing arcs. This can force your opponents to manoeuvre where they do not want to go.

Shaltari launch assets do not always get the attention they deserve, they are fast with good values and as mentioned can give some point defense to ships with their shields raised. The bombers can also be a threat to an enemy ship with *cloak* or *silent running*.
Coloniser Interstellar Dreadnought

### Armament

Variable; may include NC-31 hybrid gun batteries, NC-16 missile batteries, 10K mass driver turrets, heavy vent cannons, and torpedoes

### Known ships of the class

Esperance, Trinidad, (Independents)Conquistador, Kabal’s Heart (Kalium)

The Coloniser is a type of exploration vessel created by humanity during their colonisation of the galaxy. It's unclear if Colonisers are truly a separate class of ship, or if they are simply the largest versions of the Explorer ever constructed; either way, they outstrip modern dreadnoughts in tonnage, making them the largest vessels that humanity has ever produced.

Resistance admirals who manage to get their hands on Colonisers tend to outfit them with overwhelming firepower, relying on other friendly vessels to provide these massive ships with targeting solutions. Nowhere was this demonstrated better than by the final actions of the *Supernova*, perhaps better known as the *HMS S\*\*\*storm* by Resistance fighters. At the battle of Vega IV, the ship was lashed with as many heavy vent cannons as she could take, given a skeleton crew, and sailed directly into the heart of an enemy fleet, firing superheated plasma until nothing remained.

### In-Game

The only true dreadnought in the Resistance arsenal, the Coloniser comes with a kingly eight hardpoints that can be customised as desired, with options for heavy vent cannons, 10K mass drivers, torpedoes, launch assets, or broadsides. Its biggest downside is that it's slow - at 4" of Thrust, the Coloniser will need to Max Thrust to get into range to use those guns you bought it, or will need allies to spot for it. Alternatively, sacrificing a hardpoint slot for a Scanner Array ups the Coloniser's already-impressive Scan range to 14", mitigating its weak speed.
Explorer Interstellar Ark

### Armament

Variable; may include NC-31 hybrid gun batteries, NC-16 missile batteries, 10K mass driver turrets, heavy vent cannons, and torpedoes

### Known ships of the class

Sao Gabriel, Santa Maria, Gauss (Independents) Seedling, Nostrum, Sulla (Kalium

The Explorer is a battleship-sized vessel created by humanity during the early days of their colonisation efforts. Like the Pathfinder Interstellar Raft, the Explorer-class was intended to be used as a flagship of sorts for explorator fleets. However, Explorers are on average larger than Pathfinders and have more standard construction, with each vessel possessing sets of the same modules. That said, Explorers would often morph over their long and storied lifespans as modules were added or replaced, eventually leading to the ship in question becoming near-unrecognizable from its initial configuration.

Of course, much has changed for Explorers since the war against the Scourge began. Though ancient when compared to modern dreadnoughts, the Explorers are nonetheless valued ships amongst Resistance fleets due to the ease with which they can be repaired. In the first day of fighting during the battle for Earth, the Vega Scrapfleet jumped the crippled *Santa Maria* back to their staging area and returned her to the frontlines a mere 48 hours later by hot-swapping damaged modules for fresh ones. Though significantly different in terms of appearance, the *Santa Maria*'s operational status was none the worse for wear.

### In-Game

Explorers are battleship-equivalents for the Resistance fleets, and come with six hardpoints to customise as you see fit. Popular builds include maxing out on 10K mass drivers, but the Explorer can also take torpedoes, broadsides of missiles or hybrid guns, or heavy vent cannons.
Moscow Heavy Cruiser

### Armament

2x UF-4200 mass driver turrets, 2x UF-6400 mass driver turrets, Shark missile bays

### Known ships of the class

General Grant, General Lee, Triumph, Dauntless, Rubicon

The Moscow is a class of heavy cruiser designed and constructed by the United Colonies of Mankind. This class builds off of the proven Rio-class cruiser, adding a second UF-6400 mass driver turret and additional hull at the expense of speed. This combination of traits has made the Moscow exceptionally useful, as it packs heavy and flexible firepower in a cruiser-sized package. Unfortunately however, heavy cruisers require disproportionately more resources to create than their medium brethren, and the Moscow is no exception, preventing it from fully replacing the Rio.

Over its forty years of service, the Moscow-class has accumulated an illustrious service record, making it a desirable posting for up-and-coming captains. Indeed, the Moscow's UF-6400 armament actually exceeds that of a Beijing-class battleship, making it an excellent stepping stone for those who wish to one day command such a vessel.

### In-Game

An unglamorous workhorse that nonetheless gets the job done. The Moscow sits in the sweet spot of durability, speed, and firepower, letting it brawl with fellow midrange threats while outmaneuvering backline snipers.
Silicon Monitor

A trio of Silicon monitors

The Silicon is a class of monitor designed and constructed by the Shaltari Tribes. Monitors are an unusual fit for the hyper-aggressive tactics of the Shaltari due to their low speed and lack of finesse, but there are records of the Shaltari fielding vessels similar to conventional naval monitors. These are typically employed as rearguards for their main battlefleets, as the Shaltari do not often fight defensive actions.

The Silicon is the most common class of these monitors. Its primary armament consists of four ion cannons - upscaled version of those found on Kukri grav-tanks - on tilt-able mounts, allowing it to take aim at ships in higher orbital layers. Though these weapons are effective at inflicting damage to enemy vessels, their true value is in disrupting the electronics of their targets, leaving them helplessly adrift for other Shaltari vessels to take advantage of. Starchiefs with a preference for boarding actions, or who simply enjoy taking prizes, will employ Silicons to knock out the power systems of their targets before closing in for the kill.

### In-Game

An interesting pick, the Silicon is comparable to the UCM's Nuuk thanks to the Ion rule on its primary weapon. Forcing an enemy ship onto standard orders is pretty powerful, but the Silicon one-ups the Nuuk by forcing a repair roll to be made before the effect goes away. A maxed group of these is all but guaranteed to inflict an energy surge, making them good answers for enemy heavies that want to go Weapons Free.
Gargoyle Strike Carrier

The Gargoyle is a class of frigate designed and constructed by the Scourge, and acts as the Scourge's primary first strike assault vessel. Gargoyles can deploy clouds of Scourge dropships, ranging from the Intruder light dropship all the up to the terrifying Despoiler heavy dropship, directly into the atmosphere, enabling rapid strikes against entrenched enemies or to help establish a beachhead.

Unlike the UCM's New Orleans-class, the Gargoyle does not usually remain on station to support the invasion. Instead, these vessels will withdraw into orbit to be resupplied with fresh troops and dropships, much as a regular ship would do with ammunition.

### In-Game

The Gargoyle trades armour for speed, letting it outpace enemy strike carriers and get to objectives sooner. In exchange, it's significantly squishier than most of the competition, meaning it will absolutely have to reach atmo before being fired at. The Gargoyle is also the only source of dropships available to the Scourge, meaning at least a couple of these will find a home in almost any list.
Ifrit Cruiser

The Ifrit is a class of cruiser designed and constructed by the Scourge, and is the most common wielder of Scourge furnace cannon technology. Two of these weapons are mounted on the prow in fixed positions, giving the ship excellent firepower against enemy capital ships. While the Ifrit can fire multiple beams to inflict maximum damage, it can also focus its firepower on a single area, achieving higher penetration at the expense of more widespread damage.

As with almost all directed-energy weapons, the furnace cannons have the useful side effect of heating the target's hull, making their signature almost impossible to conceal. As a result, the Scourge have used Ifrits to "mark" enemy flagships for destruction, bringing them down before they have a chance to fire back.

### In-Game

The Ifrit is best known for its furnace cannons, which it can use to go for a big Burnthrough attack or to Flash an enemy ship. Outside of the furnace cannons though, the Ifrit offers little besides a single oculus beam attack, which means it'll need to get value from its primary armament.
Vienna Escort Frigate

The Vienna is an unconventional class of frigate designed and constructed by the United Colonies of Mankind. Its superstructure is shared with the Istanbul monitor as opposed to that of more common frigates like the Toulon or Taipei. This means the Vienna shares many of the same strengths and weaknesses of its sister class, including low speed but high armour and firepower. Unlike the Istanbul however, the Vienna suffers the usual lack of performance when firing between orbital layers, forcing it to be used in a more conventional manner.

The Vienna's low power requirements allow it to mount an anti-ship laser, making it the smallest vessel in the UCM's arsenal to do so. This also gives it a unique niche as a battleship escort - the laser can heat a target, allowing the larger vessel to more easily find a targeting solution. The Vienna also has a limited aegis capability, further cementing it in its escort role.

### In-Game

A handy little escort for the UCM's bigger boats. The Mamba laser isn't likely to do much damage to the target, but can at least Flash them to let your beatsticks smash them. Comes with Aegis too for a bit of added value.
Hiruko Boarding Cutter

The Hiruko is a class of lighter designed and constructed by the Scourge which acts as a suicide ramming vessel. Diving through point-blank defence fire, Hirukos look to latch onto their target with a cadre of lashing tentacles before melting holes in its armor with its plasma torch. While these hull rents are dangerous enough, the true threat of the Hiruko lies within - before being destroyed, it disgorges boarding parties of the most brutal Scourge hosts into the bowels of the prey-ship, causing panic and further damage to the enemy. This trait alone has made the Hiruko one of the most feared and hated ships in the Scourge arsenal.

### In-Game

The Hiruko is designed for one thing and one thing only - to ram enemy vessels. Though these are technically armed with a weapon, they're almost always better off trying to crash into their targets instead (4 Lock 3+ hits with Corruptor instead of D3 Lock 4+ shots with the plasma torch). A small group of Hirukos can make for an excellent cruiser-crippling force, or a distraction from your more valuable assets. They also are exceptionally cheap, letting you fill out your points if you're near the cap and can't afford anything else.
Istanbul Monitor

The Istanbul is a fairly typical naval monitor fielded by the United Colonies of Mankind, featuring battleship-class armor, a heavy-calibre primary weapon, and fairly low speed on a frigate-sized superstructure. All of this is possible only by dispensing with foldspace capability on the class - the Istanbul is instead brought in-system by a tug, after which its undersized sublight engines can maneuver it into position.

The UF-B-9000 mass driver the Istanbul is equipped with is a variant on the heavy-calibre version that the Kyiv and UCM dreadnoughts are mounted with. Though the armour penetration of this weapon is slightly worse than its counterparts, it compensates by being on a unique rotating mount that lets it be used as a bombardment weapon, or to engage targets in higher orbital layers.

### In-Game

The Istanbul can put out a good amount of anti-ship firepower or Active Scan for its allies while safely protected by its 2+ armour. Its bombardment utility can be difficult to access - there's no real need for bombardment protection of your own backfield objectives - but Venice support can get these to the midfield objectives where they're needed. Due to their slow speed, Istanbuls should probably be kept out of battlegroups with other frontline ships, potentially occupying a Pathfinder group of their own if possible.
Triumvir Repair Cruiser

### Known ships of the class

Brunel, Eiffel, Stephenson (Independents)People’s Beneficence, Kabal’s Wisdom, As One (Kalium)

The Triumvir is a class of cruiser typically fielded by Resistance navies, and it's not hard to see why. In the wake of the Scourge invasion, most shipyards were lost to Resistance fleets, forcing repairs to be done in the depths of the void. This specific scenario is where the Triumvir shines - though it possesses a battlecruiser hull, the length of the ship is dominated by service arms that allow it to run complex repairs without the need for a shipyard.

That said, the Triumvir is more than a noncombatant. When deployed as part of a fleet action, its service arms can inject nearby ship hulls with a rapid-cure polymer foam to seal off hull breaches, keeping allied ships in the fight longer. Additionally, its hangars - typically occupied with repair barges - can instead be filled with fighters and bombers, making it a multipurpose support ship.

### In-Game

Though the Triumvir's damage potential is lacking, its main value is in keeping nearby ships afloat throughout a game. Ships near the Triumvir get a +2 to their damage control rolls, and it can give allies Box O' Scraps tokens to keep them alive with D3 Hull the next time they would be destroyed - a potent way to deny enemy alpha strikes. On top of its respectable 6 launch, the Triumvir is well-placed to support a Resistance fleet - just don't expect it to contribute much in the way of shooting.
Wolfrum

Wolfrum is a colony world, and a member of the United Colonies of Mankind.

## Geography

Wolfum is harsh volcanic world known by its inhabitants as "Hell's Oven." Its extreme geological activity has left the planet's surface black and red from near constant magma flows. Rivers of molten metal, surface deposits of rare minerals, and chemical lakes have made prospecting on Wolfrum lucrative, but highly dangerous.

As a result of its harshness and potential for rewarding returns, Wolfrum has become the preeminent penal world for the UCM. Convicts that volunteer for dangerous work can have their sentences shortened, or can join the military instead of serving out their term. As a result, Wolfrum has produced more soldiers for the elite Praetorian Corps than any other world in the UCM.

Despite its resources, Wolfrum is regarded as an inconsequential backwater by the UCM's government, which resulted in several uprisings in the past. Wolfrum's defence forces are also fairly small, in proportion to the respect the UCM gives the planet.

## Reconquest

Wolfrum came under attack on January 25th, 2672, as a part of the Scourge's counteroffensive against the UCM. The small garrison fleet assigned to the planet was completely lost early into the invasion, allowing the Scourge to begin landing troops unhindered; however, they were not prepared for the stubborn resistance from the inhabitants of Wolfrum. Early battles for access to the sealed penal colonies were savage - a result of the hardy people that Wolfrum's harsh conditions had bred.

A UCMF relief taskforce was sent to Wolfrum early in 2672, with permission to fire at will and to treat damage to the planet from falling debris as collateral and not of primary concern. As of 2673, is it unknown how this taskforce fared; however, it may have been recalled to participate in the battle for Earth, leaving Wolfrum to face the Scourge alone.
Medea Strike Carrier

The Medea is a class of frigate designed and constructed by the Post-Human Republic. Designed to be a first-wave assault vessel, the Medea is the primary method of deployment for PHR dropships. After reaching the upper atmosphere, the Medea can deploy dozens of these small craft, delivering PHR armoured units directly to the frontlines.

Unlike other strike carriers, the Medea is armed with an underslung bombardment turret, allowing it to support ongoing ground operations even after its payload has been deployed. This is godsend for the perpetually-outnumbered Republic ground troops, who can call upon Medeas to drop precision ordnance on enemy positions when larger orbital weapons are unavailable.

### In-Game

Arguably the best strike carrier in the game. The Medea is not only more durable than its equivalents in other fleets, but can double down on the objective game thanks to its bombardment turret. It's also the only way for the PHR to deploy dropships, meaning that nearly every list will want at least one group of these.
Romulus Dreadnought

The Romulus is a class of dreadnought constructed by the Post-Human Republic. As with all dreadnoughts, the Romulus is a staggeringly large warship that dispenses with any semblance of subtlety - it is a sledgehammer deployed when the Republic needs to make a statement, or to counteract the dreadnoughts of other races. The full intellectual might of the PHR has been poured into its creation, resulting in a vessel armed and armored with their latest technological advancements.

Primarily, this is represented by the next-gen energy glaive broadsides mounted on the Romulus. As directed-energy weapons, these are significantly more lethal than mass drivers, and come with the added benefit of a single broadside being overcharge-capable, thus overcoming some of the targeting limitations of a broadside configuration. The prow-mounted Hypernova laser may also be overcharged, giving it true ship-melting damage potential. To facilitate these overcharge states, the Romulus is equipped with a fully intermeshed power management system that encompasses virtually all of its weapons, core functions, and drives - a solution that largely prevents the dangers that vent cannon technology poses to its crew.

### In-Game

A true monster of a ship, equipped with terrifying Overcharge-able broadsides and frontal Burnthrough laser. The Romulus is perhaps optimally used as a suicide weapon, charging into the center of a battleline and unleashing all of its weapons until either it or the enemies are dead. With the experimental dreadnought rules, the Romulus no longer has to go Weapons Free to access all of its weapons and can Overcharge more freely, making it even more terrifying.
Banshee Battlecruiser

### Known ships of the class

Shadow of Mercury, Flowing Oil (Manticore-class)Wrathchild, Dark Scion, Nosferatu (Banshee-class)

The Banshee is a class of battlecruiser designed and constructed by the Scourge. As with its sister class, the Akuma, the Banshee appears to have been designed to phase out an older Scourge battlecruiser - in this case, the Manticore. Despite this, the Banshee has identical capabilities to its predecessor, leading naval experts to assume that the Banshee is more cost-effective than the Manticore.

Similarly to the Akuma, the Banshee is equipped with a cloaking crest to mask its signature, allowing it to rapidly close with enemy vessels to unleash its potent plasma tempest weaponry and Scourge torpedo. Better yet, this spread of weapons allows the Banshee to unleash its full firepower while performing complex maneuvers, or without revealing itself to its foes.

### Manticore-Class

The Manticore-class battlecruiser is the predecessor to the Banshee. These vessels, alongside the Basilisk-class, were deployed during the original invasion of Earth and the Cradle Worlds, swiftly garnering a fearsome reputation for how easily they could hunt down and destroy fleeing ships. As an older design, the Manticore is currently being phased out in favor of the Banshee - however, enough Manticores are still in service with the Scourge as to be a continuing threat to mankind.

### In-Game

The Banshee's unique spread of weapons means it will never need a Weapons Free order, allowing it to fully exploit its Full Cloak and Stealth keywords. Its two torpedoes can be used to soften up a target before it goes in to finish the kill with its potent CAW, but the Banshee will have to close the gap to do so, at which points its large Signature may give it away.
The Date

**The Date** is a comic that was originally distributed at screenings of the *Doukyuusei* anime film. It was eventually included in the *Rings* booklet (along with *Gold Ring, Silver Ring,* and *Happy Ending*) that came with special editions of *Blanc* volume 1, and in the English release of *Blanc.*

## Characters

* Hikaru Kusakabe
* Rihito Sajou
Senator Battlecruiser

### Known ships of the class

Project 26-02, Dark Side of the Moon, Regretful Necessity (Independents)Kabal’s Judgement, Ultimate Certainty, Streetsweeper (Kalium)

The Senator is a class of battlecruiser fielded by Resistance navies. The development of the class is shrouded in mystery - though it was concepted before the Scourge attacks, its existence remained classified until recently. Many suspect that the Senator was developed by Earth Fleet Command's Section Green, a shadowy agency that may have been preparing for citywide insurrections; with the loss of many military records during the fall of Earth however, the truth behind the Senator's development may never be known.

In either case, while the Senator was comparatively rare prior to the Scourge invasion, the vast majority of those that were constructed survived the fighting. Rumors have also surfaced that Kalium is building more Senators on its own, which would be disquieting, if unsurprising, were they found to be true.

The reason for the Senator's terrifying reputation rests with its three VX nerve agent torpedoes. These weapons of mass destruction, when detonated over a city, cause mass asphyxiation and paralysis among the helpless population, killing thousands while leaving infrastructure intact. That said, the Senator is comparatively defenceless when it comes to naval combat - it's NC-16 missile salvoes are potent, but nothing when compared to the raw antiship power of other battlecruisers.

### In-Game

Among a faction with fairly limited bombardment options, the Senator stands out as a potent cluster control option. Though its VX bombs are limited, a single point of damage dealt by the weapon will result in the removal of ALL Ground Assets in the cluster, both allied and enemy. As a result, the Senator is a potent threat that safely lurk in the backfield, using its Detector rule to scan enemy ships before rushing to enemy-controlled clusters in the lategame and denying them to the opponent.
Nosferatu Dreadnought

The Nosferatu is a class of dreadnought fielded by the Scourge. Considered by the UCMF to be one-ship fleets by themselves, Nosferatus are among the largest of vessels to prowl the void. Unlike its sister class, the Cthulu, the Nosferatu is armed with vast banks of oculus weaponry and one of the most potent close action weapons known to mankind: the plasma flood. On top of this bevvy of firepower, the Nosferatu also has enough capacity to rival a fleet carrier, giving it a surprising amount of flexibility and making it comparable in nature to the UCM's Washington-class dreadnought.

Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of the Nosferatu is that the dreadnought is stealth-capable, allowing it to remain undetected until it's too late for enemy capital ships to plot a firing solution. Its large signature offsets this somewhat, but the capacity for stealth certainly makes it a slippery opponent despite its size.

### In-Game

A more standard dreadnought than the Cthulu, with its entire Front arc covered in oculus weaponry and the most potent CAW in the Scourge fleet. 5 launch on top of the guns gives the Nosferatu a little flexibility as well.
Castor Monitor

The Castor is a class of monitor designed and constructed by the Post-Human Republic. Similarly to its UCM counterpart, the Istanbul, the Castor features heavy-calibre mass drivers on a rotating mount that lets it fire between orbital layers. Interestingly, the Castor also uses a vertically-oriented superstructure that is atypical for the majority of PHR vessels. Given the similar appearances of the Pompeius and Agrippa battlecruisers, this could indicate a shift in hull design by PHR shipwrights, or that the Castor was a test bed for the technology that would eventually go into the Pompeius.

Very few Castors have been seen in action, as the Republic has primarily been on the offense and therefore has had little to no territory that would require a naval monitor to defend. Those that the UCMF have encountered were either sighted over the PHR's permanent base on the Tlalocan Moons, or over PHR landing sights on Earth. The latter is particularly concerning, as it indicates that the PHR are confident in their prediction that the battle for humanity's homeworld will be a longer haul than UCM naval planners were hoping for.

### In-Game

The Castor can pump out an absolute ton of shot on Weapons Free, letting it wreck medium ships when taken in a group. However, its slow speed (partially mitigated by a 10" Scan range) means the Castor can be outmaneuvered by canny opponents, preventing it from actually using its full damage potential.