SLDF "Regimental Escort Fleet"

[Hellraiser]

So I was tinkering with attached fleet for an old project from years ago, updating a few things based on some of the new ships we have in canon now.

One of my concerns for this project was trying to give a decent fleet presence while also keeping things small for a quick response force.

Do you think the following is "Too Much" to attach to a single SLDF Royal Independent Regiment.


1 Warship + 6 Dropships

Avatar class Heavy Cruiser
Colossus
Drost-IIA
Elephant-96
Lee
Overlord
Titan


The above allowed me to sport the full mech regiment with some extra command lances while also packing in the companies/battalions of attached support troops that independent regiments come with.

Additionally there were enough empty tank/infantry/cargo bays that I felt quite good about just having enough space for techs & support staff & such in the case of moving the entire unit & not just the combat troops.

Finally, I just really liked the single ship aspect v/s having multiple standard jumpers with a pair of Destroyers for escort.


Based on the 8 Warships (4 Cruisers/4 Destroyers) & 20 Transports (What are these?) assigned to Admiral Brasso (spelling?) in the SLSB who was moving an entire division, I thought 1 cruiser w/o any jumpships wasn't too much to give to a Royal Regiment.

Short of a Dart class, that seemed too old for 2750, this was the smallest # of ships I could come up with to move the entire force w/o just dumping them all in a Behemoth, lol.


Thoughts?

[Daryk]

Maybe a Mule in place of the Drost?  ???

[Hellraiser]

That is what I originally had all these years, but the intro year makes it a newer ship at that point in time, so as I was looking at this project again, I went with something older since we now have some older cargo vessels in the Drost & Jumbo.

I just wanted to avoid something that was only a bakers dozen year old in 2750 & get away from what is arguably the most common ship in the IS by 3025.

I also liked that the Drost started out as a vehicle transport but it moves them all as cargo so its not really a "Tank Carrier".
Its more like a cargo ship that soldiers just happen to use.

[Daryk]

Hmmm... a Buccaneer perhaps?

[Hellraiser]

I had considered it too, with the Mule, its a bit older but still fairly new.
Previously those were really the only 2 to consider.

This was just a new (old) option to look at.

[Daryk]

Drost it is then!  :thumbsup:

[Giovanni Blasini]

Lees and Overlords are even newer than the Buccaneer and Mule, being introduced in 2756 and 2762, respectively.  So, if you want something a bit older, I might swap out a Dictator in place of an Overlord, and maybe another Colossus in place of the Lee?  Alternatively, the Fortress, Triumph or Lion would also be options.

[Hellraiser]

Thanks, yeah, I know, and when this started, so very long ago, Dictators were in the mix.
2 at first, then a 3rd once the "Command" version got introduced years later.

I actually just added the Lee & Drost to the equation since this is the first time I've looked at this project in years.

The Lee just replaced a 2nd Overlord.

And the Overlords & Elephant replaced the 3 Dictators when I decided on using the Avatar.

That transition brought the "FAW" to over 2 "Groups/Battalions" so I thought about making it a perfect 54 to match "GAW" size but w/o the conventional fighter assets.

I suppose I could drop it back down to under 54 but it was just something that I eventually got to & then liked.
  (Its also why I shifted from Union to Elephant)

The whole use of the Drost was to try & have something older along w/ the Avatar since the upgrade to Overlords & Lee are definitely newer ships.  I also like that it started out as a Military ship where as the Jumbo appeared to be Civilian grade all along.

I originally had more docking collars when I was using jumpships with a single escort.
I want to say I had originally done this with a Congress, 2 Invaders, & a Scout or something like that.
Then I dropped the Scout, then, I thought about trying to pull off the whole unit on just 6 dropships for logistics.
At which point things started having to shift more & more.

I think the Colossus is the only ship I've had the entire time since it was fluffed as supporting RCTs (IE. Independent Regiments, w/ those extra combat support units), I knew it would be perfect to add on those extra companies & have some space left over.


So neither of you said a warship was too much, so you not seeing an issue there?

I started out with a single destroyer escort, then had 2, but then wanted collars & got the Congress, so its been all over the place over the years.

[Giovanni Blasini]

So neither of you said a warship was too much, so you not seeing an issue there?

I started out with a single destroyer escort, then had 2, but then wanted collars & got the Congress, so its been all over the place over the years.

During the Star League era?  Not at all.  In fact, Iron Wind Metals sells an escort squadron pack with 3 Congress, 3 Lola I/IIs, 3 Pentagons, 3 Pentagons, 3 Achilles, 1 Intruder and a bunch of micro fighters.  I'm not sure why there are 7 DropShips in there, since that's only 6 collars across the ships, but there you go.

There's also a transport squadron pack, which is just nuts, 'cause it's 2 Potemkin, 1 Volga, 1 Lola I/II, 1 Naga, 2 Essex, 1 Octopus (not an Elephant?), 2 Colossus, 1 Dictator, 1 Gazelle, 1 Triumph, 1 Fortress and some micro fighters.

So....one WarShip?  No, that's not excessive at all.  :thumbsup:

[Hellraiser]

  I'm not sure why there are 7 DropShips in there, since that's only 6 collars across the ships, but there you go.

................


So....one WarShip?  No, that's not excessive at all.  :thumbsup:

PROOF CONFIRMED!!!!   You can transport a DS inside a WS cargo bay   :D

[Giovanni Blasini]

PROOF CONFIRMED!!!!   You can transport a DS inside a WS cargo bay   :D

I'm glad I've got my mute turned right now in this conference call I've been on with two different vendors (one hardware, one software) for the past 11 hours...

[Daryk]

One WS is certainly not too much for a Royal Independent Regiment.  Thinking about that aspect, I don't understand the hesitation to give them newer ships.  Royal units are SUPPOSED to have the shiniest toys...

[DOC_Agren]

a Royal Unit with a single warship and full transport not bad.

But I will 2nd the comment they got all the good Shiny Toys so I Mule would not be out of place for Supplies