Dragau Assault DropShip, TRO3085Sup
The Dragau is a design that goes right back to the beginning of the Caspar II system. The Word of Blake had a nifty remote control system but needed a platform to make use of it. So in one of those “let’s abuse the rules” moments they decided to build a ship that could ignore little things like a thrust rating that can kill a man. So when Wolf’s Dragoons showed up over Mars in 3067 Word of Blake was ready for them. While not particularly formidable on their own it is easy to imagine the havoc packs of these Merlin sized DropShips would have wrought.
Now it should be noted that the Dragau we see in JHS Terra is not the first Dragau. A number of new technologies like Heavy PPCs and VSPs were developed between 3067 and 3079. Naturally these make the Dragau even deadlier. In one final twist, the Republic of the Sphere now controls the production of Dragau and is building a manned variant, the II.
So what does one get with a Dragau? For starters it has very high thrust, and thanks to being a Caspar II it can use that thrust for travelling long distances which would kill a human crew. This is hard on the fuel but it is not intended to travel far. More problematic is the range is limited by the maximum control range of the Caspar II system. It is still quite possible for a Dragau to operate totally by itself, but it won’t be as smart.
The next feature is the armour. About 25% heavier than a Noruff’s this offers solid protection against lighter targets. Combined with Evasion and the Caspar ECM bonus it certainly is enough to get the Dragau into close range. Once there a blistering array of large calibre weapons come into play at medium range. The wing mounts are almost an afterthought compared to the Heavy PPCs and Heavy Gauss Rifles in the bow.
As noted the Republic of the Sphere builds a manned Dragau II. It is still fast enough to kill a man. It has gained some weapons over the Caspar II variant. The Dragau II makes use of steerage crew compartments to get all the crew in. This can’t be good for long term operations. In 3097 the Republic began producing a Naval C3 variant. This is pretty much doomed to be a point unit for the C3 network and has to the thrust rating to keep in close to enemy targets.
So how do you use a Dragau? Evade, get in close and kill. A lone Dragau has the firepower to kill Leopard in a single salvo with a little bit of luck which summarises just how dangerous this DropShip is. Use the high thrust to close the range quickly then brake at the appropriate range. Then do your best to get into vulnerable hex lines or side arcs. Pack tactics are essential. Not only does it increase your own firepower, the enemy will need to concentrate on a single Dragau and the pack will force them to make choices. This DropShip is fast enough to dance with ASF. Use continual Evasion and high speed lunge-and-rotates to force the less manoeuvrable ASF to chase you and get torn up by the bow guns. Anything that can outmanoeuvre can’t get through your armour.
How do you defeat a Dragau? Shoot the damn thing. Lots. One on one this thing will outmanoeuvre you. Your ASF won’t be able to chase it down. Your only chance is formation tactics. Form a defensive battleline with the ASF along the threat axis and wait for the Dragau to come to you. The Dragau’s aerodyne form means that it will concentrate its attention on a single target so you have exploit its vulnerable sides at this time and hope the bait will survive. With multiple Dragaus this becomes more complex.
In summary I find the Dragau one of the more interesting DropShips developed. It represents a return to the traditional small assault DropShip and in many ways is superior to monsters like the Tiamat. It has two greatly concerning features. The first is the ease with which it can destroy conventional transports. Given the difficulty in stopping a Dragau getting close to a target this raises big questions over the survivability of the older transports. The second point is this ship is easily copied. It can’t be long until we see similarly armed Achilles, Avengers, Claymores and even Noruffs (shudder). While they probably won’t push the thrust envelope in the same way, they won’t have to as they are all quite well endowed already. The proliferation of these powerful attack platforms is going to make defence increasingly difficult and force an invader to invest in genuine air superiority for the first time since the First Succession War.
