Author Topic: Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship  (Read 4686 times)

Alan Grant

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Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship
« on: 02 June 2016, 19:54:37 »
I've never really made use of the Lung Wang-class dropship. But it's caught my eye, in part because it now seems to be in use by the Canopians and Taurians by the 3140s. So faction-wise it's diversified enough that I might use it soon. Whether the original or the P2 version.

Wondering what people think about it. From any perspective...ship-to-ship combat, as a lance size transport, etc.

Also...it's supposed to be a spheroid dropper, but it looks more like an aerodyne, so I can't decide which way the decks on it would be facing...

Maelwys

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Re: Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship
« Reply #1 on: 02 June 2016, 23:07:07 »
Well, its got that big problem of "Is it a Spheroid, or a aerodyne." Its built with Spheroid stats as far as I can tell, so despite the artwork, that's what we'll assume.

At first glance it looks like a pure upgrade on the Leopard. Heavier, faster, more armor, more weaponry, more cargo, able to carry everything a Leopard can, and more. Its weaponry is in the nose, giving it that heavy solid punch as its making its way to the landing zone. Sort of.

Because its a spheroid, its got the Spheroid firing arcs. Which means unlike the Leopard, it can only fire its Nose weapons into the very front arc. The leopard, as an aerodyne, can fire its Nose and wing weapons into the hexes directly infront of it, giving it similar firepower. Though obviously the Lung Wang has an advantage in other arcs, its something to keep in mind.

I think the biggest obvious flaw is the lack of weaponry in its aft left and right arcs, though to be fair, the gap is probably smaller than what the Leopard has simply for being an aerodyne.

If you always thought the Leopard's cargo was too small to be realistic, then the Lung Wang is a pretty good upgrade for it, you just have to realize its going to play differently due to being a Spheroid.

Alan Grant

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Re: Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship
« Reply #2 on: 19 January 2018, 19:57:18 »
Reviving an old thread because it didn't get a lot of feedback and I'm still curious. Specifically I'm curious about the Lung Wang P2 and where it fits into the assault dropship world.

I get that its a small brawler and I get the sense that its got a definite short range nose firepower edge against similar size dropships. What I'd really like to understand is how it would fare against assault dropships bigger than itself. Is this something you'd strictly want to employ against Avengers/Merlins/Auroras/Claymores in terms of ship-to-ship combat, or can it hold its own against an upgraded Achilles?

I find it to be a confusing ship. As a spheroid, it should be better in the air defense (anti fighter) role than in the anti-dropship role. What really mucks that up in my head is all the firepower in that nose bay.

I also find its marine complement confusing and I'm not sure how to use them. Besides dumping them onto the hull of a space station. Anything else seems pretty suicidal without small craft.
« Last Edit: 19 January 2018, 19:59:21 by Alan Grant »

Wrangler

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Re: Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship
« Reply #3 on: 12 February 2018, 07:13:37 »
I think who made the original ship wanted to make multi-purpose Dropship.  Since, given House Liao's history up to this ship's introduction, has always been hodge-podging different functions into singular design.  Like the Vindicator and the later Cataphract, which existing parts factories to slab together one design.  Given the Confederations limited resources, i'd would think that's mentality behind it being Swiss army knife of being able do multiple jobs, but not master at doing them fantastically. 

Aside from possible problem with communications between the artist and who came up with the stats, the ship is easier to land as a Sphereiod than a Aerodyne since you can't fully land it VTOL when your landing if i'm not mistaken.  This thing looks like it's suppose to fight into it's target, deliver the payload of Mechs while fighters provide screening force for the ship and it's mechs on the ground.

The Lung Wang P2 version is more interesting since its focus is on being a Pocket Warship.  Using 3 Heavy Sub-Cap Lasers and Extended LRMs helps, at the cost of it's front weapons not counting the addition of ER PPC.  The ship isn't too bad, given the limited anti-Warship assets the Confederation has.
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Jellico

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Re: Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship
« Reply #4 on: 12 February 2018, 18:35:37 »
Being a spheroid does not make it better at AA. Being a spheroid means that it has more free mass available. This can then be ploughed back into engines, guns and armour.

The classic Lung Wang strikes me as a designer discovering this quirk of the rules and setting out to build a better Leopard, applying everything fashionable at the time of TRO3057.


The L2 does this sensibly. Concentrating fire foward like a good light assault ship. The side arcs don't matter because the ship can always coast and rotate.

As a combat platform the sub caps are a questionable choice in raw fire power. What they do offer is excellent accuracy and the ability to crit a peer every turn. I find L2s tend to disable peers rather then destroy them.

Wrangler

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Re: Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship
« Reply #5 on: 13 February 2018, 11:57:06 »
Would the use of the Sub-Cap lasers be a nod to the tendency that most Capellan Warships have always had heavy laser bases capital weapon preference?
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Alan Grant

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Re: Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship
« Reply #6 on: 17 February 2018, 13:33:23 »


As a combat platform the sub caps are a questionable choice in raw fire power. What they do offer is excellent accuracy and the ability to crit a peer every turn. I find L2s tend to disable peers rather then destroy them.

What rule are you referencing? On the "Crit a peer every turn" remark? I'm assuming this is some kind of rule on sub capitals that I'm unfamiliar with.

Jellico

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Re: Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship
« Reply #7 on: 17 February 2018, 17:18:15 »
A HSCL does 30 damage.

3 do 90.

Maximum Bracketing brings that down to 36.

36 points of damage will naturally get a crit chance on 350 points of armour.

Most DropShips the size of a Lung Wang (the Lung Wang's peers) don't have 350 points of armour on a flank So every time the HSCLs hit there is a 40% chance of a crit.

Alan Grant

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Re: Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship
« Reply #8 on: 18 February 2018, 10:36:15 »
Oh ok. Thanks for that explanation.    :)

Alan Grant

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Re: Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship
« Reply #9 on: 24 February 2018, 05:59:59 »
I'm scratching my head when it comes to the P2's two infantry platoons. How are they supposed to be used?


Jellico

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Re: Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship
« Reply #10 on: 24 February 2018, 06:28:56 »
Let's assume for a minute that the primary role of the P2 is patrolling rather than awesome capital scale gunfights.

The P2 stops a merchantman. Then what?  How do you inspect the manifest? The merchantman's crew probably outnumbers the P2s crew. The only method of enforcement is blowing the merchantman out of the sky. Not particularly helpful.

So you need a boarding crew. This is a light warship' s bread and butter. Other than refits and waiting it is what they spend moat their time doing.

TOR3057 was really bad at this and forgot to fit its ships with the small craft and crews needed for this work. The P2 fails here too because no one who lived through the Jihad would put a DropShip alongside a questionably identified target to search it. That's what small craft are for.

I hope that helps.

Alan Grant

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Re: Tell me about...the Lung Wang-class dropship
« Reply #11 on: 24 February 2018, 10:19:33 »
It does, and I appreciate the explanation. I guess I was checking to see if I was missing something and you've confirmed that I am not. Aside from docking or freefalling marines onto a hull, there aren't many other good options there.

So in some ways this dropship is trying to be a small Achilles (with its marine and small craft complement). For me, I think that's the biggest design flaw on the P2. Upgrading even one of the fighter bays to a small craft bay would have given some flexibility. The option to carry 2 fighters when you know the ship is going into combat. Or the option to carry a fighter and a small craft, for customs duty.

The only other thing that makes that slightly better is what you said earlier about the P2's odds of disabling a target rather than outright destroying it. If it's really that good at disabling a target then I guess there's a greater chance of combat resulting in a docking/boarding situation if a disabled vessel surrenders.

Alternately, I wonder how beneficial it would be to load the ship up with two CMT-6T Troikas and use that 4 ton BA bay to carry some infantry around.

 

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