Latest/most up-to-date DropShip stats?

[Frabby]

I'm working on the logistics for a by-the-book planetary assault to compare them to an objective raid or a raid in force, and fuel consumption is one of the aspects I wanted to check. I am looking for fuel tankage, consumption rate per burn day, and storage capacity for consumables for the crew and personnel.

The latest, as in most recently published, stats I have for the standard DropShip classes are from TRO:3057 Revised. Or is there a newer source I should check?

[Maelwys]

As far as I know, that's the most recent. There may be a few ships with more recent record sheets from various sources (some of the turning points have WarShip record sheets, IIRC).

[Weirdo]

For the core classic ships, 3057r is indeed your best resource. The exception is the Union, which got three record sheets in the HexPack Cities and Roads download(which is in this site's downloads section).

[Frabby]

Ah, yes! The new Union record sheets. I did remember there was some relatively recent data published somewhere but a Hex Pack add-on download wasn't exactly the first place I came up with to look for them. Ironically I could have found the reference on Sarna had I looked - I put it there myself. Slightly embarrassed. I blame sleep deprivation b/c baby.

Many thanks!

[Colt Ward]

Two things . . .

What size force are you taking on a planetary assault- single or in a wave?  also time frame?

Part of the reason I ask is that when you dust off the plans to invade a world, IMO you are going to go after strategic stockpiles using your air (or maybe aero) mobile assets to ease the burden- its what I think was part of the reason for the Clan's success.

For instance, I am invading planet X with two AFFC Regimental Combat Teams and a merc mech regiment against a Capellen garrison of a understrength mech regiment, a militia armor regiment and split of militia/regular infantry regiments along with any noble forces.  Which means 4-6 attacking armor regiments and 6-9 infantry regiments that will have their own transport besides all the technical support vehicles- most of which will not be fusion powered, no matter the era.  Then you have to feed and hydrate the infantry, support, armor and mechwarriors (in descending order of rough numbers per group)- yes you can pack a lot of MREs & Water on Mules, Mammoths & Jumbos but how much is enough?

Additionally, those DS are going to come in waves IMO . . . so all 3 mech regiments in combat transports, a regiment or so of armor in combat transports, another armor regiment in freighters (Jumbo!), and two or three regiments of infantry in dropships.  Most of us have read enough BT novels to figure out what happens to the mech regiments in the first wave . . . but the ready armor & infantry?  Setting down to go capture refineries (fuel), tank farms (fuel), water purification plants- think large RO Desal, and food stockpiles located at processing or transport centers which changes those strategic assets from supporting the defender to supporting the attacker.  Likely they have their own garrison defenders or corporate/noble guards which the armor & infantry will have to overcome.  Capturing those types of assets in the first wave becomes more important if its a wave of invasions like the 4SW than single planet capturing offensives.  Why?  Simply because in waves like 4SW, what the dropships and jumpships are hauling to each invaded world is going to be limited.  What nearby worlds can contribute to the offensives will be limited.

Second, I cannot say I feel your pain . . . our baby let us sleep in.  He is now two and the boss always gets upset looking when I mention sleeping in till 1100 or 1200 on the weekends.  I am told the next kid will be pure revenge.

[Daryk]

On the desalination piece, I'm not sure it would be RO with fusion power available.  Electrolysis is just easier (no replacement membranes required).

As for the first child letting you sleep in... those assuring you #2 will be pure revenge are correct.  Our first did absolutely NOTHING to prepare us for the second.  She was a holy terror, and remains so even into her 20s...

[Colt Ward]

I am just assuming they are not using fusion engines for powering a grid to a plant like that- additionally some of the early fluff detailed stealing membranes as part of 'water' raids IIRC.  Now, military water purification units using a fusion engine?  Sure I can see that happening since it will cut down on fuel and can have other applications.

[idea weenie]

I am just assuming they are not using fusion engines for powering a grid to a plant like that- additionally some of the early fluff detailed stealing membranes as part of 'water' raids IIRC.  Now, military water purification units using a fusion engine?  Sure I can see that happening since it will cut down on fuel and can have other applications.

Cut down?  A fusion plant will almost eliminate fuel needs.

With a BT fusion plant you have almost free heat and electricity available for:
- water distillation (air conditioner units to chill metal poles for water to condense on)
- water purification (via boiling or electrolysis)
- fuel production (use atmospheric nitrogen and carbon dioxide to produce ammonia fuel)
- recharging fuel cell vehicles
- all sorts of electrical needs at the base (radar, comms, environmental, waste incineration, entertainment)

For real-life data from here
p15 - each division needed 345,000 gallons of diesel fuel per day in defense (.832 kilos liter -> 3.15 kg per gallon = ~1000 tons), and ~200,000 gallons of water (~3.7 kilos per gallon = ~740 tons).  So if you have access to a fusion plant and the necessary equipment, this frees up about 1700 tons of cargo needed every day.

[truetanker]

And the cool part is I can get all this from a K1 Dropshuttle! Which weighs in at 200 tons total!!!

TT

[Andrew_Cluetain]

Sorta Related,  I was looking at 3057r to get stats and found something odd about the Titan Dropship.  It is in the clan Dropship section, listed as IS tech (The stats are IS so ok) but none of the weapons make sense as a "Usable" Clan dropship, all the listed weapons are Intro IS stuff so no ER, Pulse, Ultra, and ect.  Does anyone have the Clan Weapon Loadout for this Dropship?

[Weirdo]

There isn't one. By all indications, the Clans never upgraded the guns of their Titans, until the Titan Monitor in TRO Prototypes.

[Andrew_Cluetain]

OK, I find that odd, but I'll take that as a answer.  Epically odd when the clans took the time to seriously upgrade the fighter capacity of the Titan *shrug*.

[Colt Ward]

Part of the advantage of Clan weapons does not apply to AT- range.  A few will have different damage values but for most its the range.

Other question, IMO is did they ever build new ones or just use SLDF left overs?

[Weirdo]

OK, I find that odd, but I'll take that as a answer.  Epically odd when the clans took the time to seriously upgrade the fighter capacity of the Titan *shrug*.

Not sure if I'd call it an upgrade, but it definitely suits the Clans. They roughly doubled the fighter slots, but took all that mass out of cargo tonnage, so their Titans can launch a hell of an alpha strike, but no sustained operations. You get one or two sorties out of each fighter on a Clan Titan, but then nothing because you've used up all the fuel and ammo and spare parts for your birds. You can fight a short Trial, but that's it. You cannot ever do patrol duty and you're pretty crappy at pirate hunting. If you want to escort a convoy or a WarShip, your charges have to carry your supplies, reducing their own value. Your pilots are less skilled because either they can never go on training flights, or they're stationed groundside all the time except Trial time, and can never build familiarity with their mothership. I suspect pilots operating from Clan Titans have a noticeably higher rate of mishaps during launches or landings.

[truetanker]

Well supposable they make SLDF era weapons lighter. But I haven't been able to find that information. I do know that refitting a broken AC/20, w/o rebuild, would come from some SLDF Brain Castle somewhere.

But that's me...

TT

[Weirdo]

Until the Monitor, the Clans did not upgrade the guns on their Titans. It's that simple. There's no need to elaborate or speculate further on it.

[Alexander Knight]

Clan Titans were basically ferries to take fighters to the next Trial.

[Weirdo]

Yup. Honestly, I would not have been surprised if the Clans had tried pulling all the guns off a Titan or three at least once.

[Colt Ward]

Well supposable they make SLDF era weapons lighter. But I haven't been able to find that information. I do know that refitting a broken AC/20, w/o rebuild, would come from some SLDF Brain Castle somewhere.

But that's me...

TT

Supposed to be in TRO3050 from what I remember . . . crit less & ton less from what I remember seeing others say- so a Clan built Large Laser is 4t and 1 crit just like its ER cousin by that formula.

[truetanker]

Supposed to be in TRO3050 from what I remember . . . crit less & ton less from what I remember seeing others say- so a Clan built Large Laser is 4t and 1 crit just like its ER cousin by that formula.

Then explain why the missiles are half the weight?

TT

[Hellraiser]

Then explain why the missiles are half the weight?

TT

Your talking about Clan tech missiles TT.

He's referring to an "inbetween" grade of Clan Tech "Standard" LL.

Per 3050 the clan versions of IS lasers all weighed/sized in at 1 Ton & 1 Crit less than the original IS grades, with a minimum of 1 & 1, which means the only one that was effected was the Large Laser which would be 4 & 1.

The problem is we've never seen those weapons on any record sheet & the only place they were fluffed to exist would be on the Clan versions of the Titan & Confederate which had clan variants that still used IS tech.

Its basically useless when you compare it to the Clan ERML which is 3 tons less for nearly the same damage.

[Daryk]

Did Clan ERMLs gain a point of damage when I wasn't looking?  ???

[truetanker]

Unless they were retcon'd into the Wolf's Dragoons where the LL was clan tech'd but replaced by IS standard after it was destroyed, then replaced them with IS builds after finding out about the differences...

TT

[Hellraiser]

Did Clan ERMLs gain a point of damage when I wasn't looking?  ???

No, I just forgot a word, fixed that.