Well, it's been a week, so clearly it's time for another WarShip of the-wait, you say it's been
how long? What year is this?
IT WORKED!Riga II / York Destroyer/Carrier With the advent of Lithium-Fusion Batteries in the 2500s, we saw the advent of strategically fast cruisers that were literally light-years ahead of any other ship, able to respond to crises(or instigate ones of their own) far faster than anyone else, often faster than an enemy could respond to. These vessels quickly assumed the role of troubleshooters, quickly resolving situations that a line squadron wouldn't get to in time, and would probably be overkill for, anyway. (Yes, the SLDF did understand the concept of overkill. Theirs is just a few sigmas to the right of everyone else's.) As time went on, these cruisers were augmented by L-F battleships, at first sparingly by L-F Monsoons, and then in vast numbers by the Mckenna. With these vessels quickly becoming the SLN's tool of choice for problem-solving, and with many Admirals likely salivating at the thought of entire line squadrons of L-F ships, a need arose for an escort vessel that could keep pace with these zippy behemoths. After all, it doesn't matter how big you are, if your job consists of jumping into trouble ahead of everyone else, eventually you will find yourself biting off more than even you can chew.
Enter the Riga II Destroyer/Carrier.
Note: To head off any possible confusion, the name means it is a destroyer and a carrier in a single hull, not a vessel designed to carry destroyers. Here's an example of the latter:
Displacing an even 600 kilotons, the Riga II is somewhat smaller than its more traditional cousins Lola III and Essex, but still comfortably close. A 4/6-rated engine gives the Riga the same sublight performance as the aforementioned Lola, enough to keep up with the cruisers and battleships you're escorting, and maneuver around them on top of that. There's also the added benefit of durability, and a 4/6 curve allows you to absorb an engine crit while still maintaining a decent thrust rating, and another on top of that before you have to start hearing jokes about losing races to Star Lords and Monoliths.
60 points of SI brings a frame just as sturdy as the Essex's, and 20% tougher than the Lola's. Where the Riga II leaves both of those vessels behind is in the armor category. A full two extra coats of magic spraypaint results in a grand total of 640 capital-scale armor points, with the emphasis being on the vital fore and aft facings. That's well over twice the protection of the Lola. Heck, it's even more than you'll find on the Aegis or Avatar heavy cruisers(until recently the mainstay of the fast fleet the Riga is supposed to be escorting), and only a little less than a Cameron-class
Battlecruiser. Given that the Riga's job is to stick its nose into trouble(or follow those that are doing the same), I'd say that springing for the super wax was a Good Idea.
The ability to take punishment is only half of the equation for a WarShip, and while we can hardly call the Riga II a gunship, it is certainly no slouch in the offensive department. Large-caliber NACs provide solid punch in the for and broadside arcs, though their bracketing ability is subpar at best, and the bow guns are pretty short-ranged. Fortunately, those nostril cannons are backed up by a nice cluster of particle cannons, and respectable capital laser bays provide defensive fire from the quarter and aft arcs, but while those energy guns let you provide some fire with the range and accuracy usually preferred by the SLN, it's pretty clear that most of your shooting will be done closer in. No worries, this is an escort boat. If nobody closes with you and your charges, you've accomplished your mission.
Like many Star League WarShips, the Riga II is completely lacking in conventional-scale weaponry, and like many Star League WarShips, the Riga II doesn't need 'em. The existing laser batteries can do the job just fine, and as it's been pointed out many times before on this forum, conventional guns are at best an annoyance until you get to the kinds of batteries mounted by such monsters as the Conqueror or Leviathan II. Some capital missile tubes would have been nice, but as you'll see in a moment, the Riga has its own way of dealing with little pests.
Unfortunately, the Riga II's power grid isn't quite up to the challenge of running all of those weapons. The various side arcs don't really tax your heat sinks, though the aft guns will force you to make some sacrifices, and if you want to let loose with those bow guns, don't expect to use much else. You can throw in the broadside NACs, but few of the lasers. Getting surrounded in a Riga II isn't quite the nightmare it is for some other ships, bu it's still something to be avoided.
All this talk about armor and guns, some of you may have forgotten that the Riga II is also a carrier, one of only two known classes deployed by the Star League(barring the ill-fated
Enterprise). Thirty-six fighters makes for a very healthy fighter wing, twice that carried by any contemporary cruiser save the Avatar, and still 50% more than that ship's capacity. Between these fighters and the big air wings carried by the Mckenna-class, air superiority seems like a reasonable assumption in almost any engagement. Five shuttle bays and two DropShip collars are almost an afterthought after all of that. While most of those will probably be used for cargo transfers, a wise Riga captain will hopefully remember his ship's role in independent operations, and arrange to bring along at least a couple long-range pickets. Fortunately, the ship's designers also remembered that the Riga's intended mission will take it far away from a regular supply train, and included a seventy-thousand-ton cargo bay for food, office supplies, and all the other little bits needed to keep the ship and her myriad of fighters running.
As it has been noted, the proliferation of the Lithium-Fusion Battery is the entire reason for the Riga II's being, so it goes without saying that the design incorporates one. That being said, it would be silly of me to forget to mention the presence of the equipment that figures so strongly in the Riga's purpose, so here it goes: The Riga II mounts an L-F Battery. There. Done. For thoughts on the usage and implications of L-F technology, I'd look to other WSotW articles, such as the Aegis or Zechetinu.
The Riga II served with excellence with the Star League, and even after that nation's demise it proved to be a very popular part of the Exodus Fleet, and later the various Clan fleets. Makes sense, as the role of a vessel built to fight independently or as part of small task groups instead of big battle fleets hardly saw a change in mission profile when pressed into service by the comparatively miniscule Clan navies, most of whice could barely boast the equivalent of a line division or two best, all of which are 'fast' vessels. A ship that could bring a sizeable aerospace force without bringing the kind of escalation a battleship represented also meant that it meshed well with Crazy Nikky's Trial-based model of warfare. It should thus surprise noone that the Clans kept their Riga IIs in service, and in the early 2900s put them through a massive upgrade, calling the result the York.
For being named an entirely new class, the York is almost identical to the Riga II. I guess truly extensive modifications didn't come into vogue until the time came to crank out the Liberator or Conqueror-classes. Either that, or even the Clans knew enough not to mess with success. Much of the ship is unchanged, with the only real differences being found in the addition of an array of conventional weapons, and the expansion of the fighter decks. Honestly, the only word I can really use to describe the added guns is 'unimpressive'. Most of the bays are only good at the shortest of ranges, and while almost all of them are at least powerful enough to generate crits on attacking squadrons, you're hardly ever going to generate the fatal thresholds needed to quickly knock out fighters. In the face of increasingly lethal OmniFighters, your main defense is still going to be your air wing. That's where the good news lies. You remember how I mentioned the expanded hangars? I meant it. That thiry-six-bird capacity has been bumped up to a full
fifty aircraft, equal to the much vaunted Mckenna. What impresses me even more is that unlike the Titan-class DropShip, the use of lighter Clan components means that this expansion not only doesn't eat into your cargo capacity, the bulk storage goes
up by almost two kilotons. The added fighters means this is still probably a net loss in operational endurance, but said loss is negligible.
Unlike the Vincent-class, the Riga/York's recommended usage doesn't really change by era. It was built from the outset for the kind of solo operations and small-fleet actions that are the best any post-League navy can deploy. Serendipity! In either case, your ship should not be the center of attention. Your hull is a lot tougher than average, but it's still not indestructible by a long shot, and you're probably a long way from help. If you're on your own, hang back and let your fighters do the heavy lifting. Snipe a bit with your PPC bay or lasers, but do not charge into the thick of things. If you're escorting cruisers or battleships, hang close to your charges. Again, let them do the real fighting, while you use your fighters to either supplement their firepower, or to keep enemy fighters away. Use your guns to discourage DropShips and light WarShips from approaching, or to try and finish off larger vessels opened up by your compatriots. Might actually be a good idea to interpose yourself between your big buddies and the other side for a critical turn or two, as you've got the armor to 'tank' a few salvos, and every turn that a heavy cruiser or battleship on your side doesn't have to worry about incoming fire is a turn that your opponent is seriously regretting life.
Taking down a Rigork is an ugly proposition. As it was described in the Conqueror's writeup, step one is to somehow deal with the fighter wing, as well as any other large craft in the vicinity. The relatively low onboard firepower means that the vessel will likely be pretty low in your targeting priority, and the heavy armor means that when you do turn your attention to it, it'll take a while to kill. There are no real weaknesses in the armor facings, and the healthy thrust curve means it will have MP to spare for rotating fresh armor your way. The limited heat sinks make surrounding a Riga/York seem attractive, but this compounds the heavy armor problem by spreading your damage across more facings. The closest thing it really has to a weakness is the limited range of those heavy bow guns, and the complete lack of capital missiles. Engaging it at ranges of long or beyond will greatly limit its anti-ship capability, and if you just keep pouring fire into it, eventually it should go down.