Subscribe to download
Frigate, Arbalest Class

Arbalest frigates (3kt, 4.3+ kps dV) are long-range, relatively lightly armored ships that face forward in battle and bring PDCs for CQB and 100km-ranged dual-use railguns. Ideal for low dV allowance missions like Dusk over Triton.

Key design principles:
- High acceleration and dV for detached use in long-range or limited dV missions
- Sacrifices protection for range compared to cruiser classes.
- Weapons optimized for 10k engagement range with <20MW power requirements max
- High-low armor, with protection concentrated on sloped nose cone
- Composite armor based on 3-layer sandwich - high Young's modulus (sapphire), high temperature resistance/elasticity (amorphous carbon), high yield strength (reinforced carbon-carbon), with optimization based on cost and choices made for thicker armor as opposed to higher value thinner armor.
- Inner layer uses spidersilk or boron filament; other features include spacing with separation/aerogel, diamond layer for anti-laser conduction, aluminum or platinum whipple shields, and titanium nitride coating for color.
- Testing vs. workshop, I found that lasers are much less of a threat to weapon systems and ship armor than accurate kinetics, and that nukes are ineffective as antiship rounds except as a coup de grace. I armor my turrets against kinetics and don't bother with antinuke armor.
- Ships exist in defined classes: Frigate (3kt, high DV), Cruiser (6.5kt, medium DV), Battlecruiser (13kt, low DV) and Battleship (36kt, low DV).