TRN-3T Trident - 20t, TRO2750
Originally posted 1 Feb. 2006. All proposed fan-variants should be posted in the corresponding “FotW Workshop†thread. Keeping its history straight and consistent has always been one of the BattleTech universe’s primary headaches. For instance, the SLDF’s
Trident interceptor entered service in 2717... yet we are expected to believe that the type was rendered obsolete by the ‘introduction’ of the
Cheetah, which made its debut in
2630! >:( In any case, with its design role of carrier-based interception usurped by the F-10 after a short period, the
Trident was fobbed off on Army commanders, who were apparently delighted by the craft’s avionics and turn of speed, which let it dance around enemy ’Mech forces and harry them at will.
Being built on the smallest possible ASF spaceframe - and one whose rugged design is considered a benchmark of the industry, to the point where it is imitated in many types which have flown since - the TRN-3T derives great benefit from even a relatively small powerplant like the Rawlings 200SFE: a 12/18 thrust curve makes the
Trident one of the swiftest fighters in the sky, capable of leaving all but a handful of its competitors choking on its exhaust or reversing a disadvantageous position in the blink of an eye. On the other hand, the type’s mere three tons of fuel makes extended engagements or heavy manoeuvring a dubious proposition; not a massive problem for an out-hit-return carrier-launched interceptor, perhaps, but the lack of allowance for Murphy is disconcerting.
On the gripping hand, though, the
Trident enjoys quite a decent load of armour for its size: two tons of ferro-aluminium, 10/10/6, allow the spaceframe to withstand re-entry heat far better than conventional armour and make it survivable against even a blow from the mighty particle projection cannon. More would be better, of course, even if the TRN-3T is meant to avoid punishment rather than absorb it, but the down-side of building a fighter so small is that you have a dearth of room to tinker with them. Besides, the rest of the ‘free’ tonnage was needed for the armament: single medium lasers in the nose and each wing (prompting the type’s name, I rather think), and a single small laser aft to use a niggling half-ton and provide psychological protection against anyone who might actually manage to get on a TRN-3T’s back. ::) There is no room for heat sinks above the base ten (singles), nor is there need: a
Trident can alpha-strike all of its weaponry, fore and aft, without worrying about overheating at all. ;)
Special combat considerations are pretty sparse on a twenty-ton interceptor, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist or aren’t useful. For instance, the four-ton external warload (at 11/17, no less!) allows one to carry enough drop-tanks to match the onboard fuel-endurance of heavier types while retaining enough speed to cover ground at two hexes per turn on the strategic scale - vital for an interceptor meant to meet the enemy and begin ruining his day as soon as possible. }:) And while a squadron of
Tridents boast only three bays of a mere 3 Capital damage apiece, these is enough to worry many DropShips and JumpShips - and with luck, it’s enough to punch through the armour of some light WarShips to damage something vital. TRN-3T units are not ’Ship-killers in their own right, but they certainly make useful skirmishers and harrassers.
As with any interceptor starfighter, the
Trident is meant for Muhammed Ali tactics: “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee†- though ‘wasp’ might be a better metaphor. ::) Never let ’em get a good bead on you: stick and weave, pick pieces off of ’em every chance you get, and keep a close eye on your fuel-gauge, because out in the black, empty fuel tanks will kill you just as dead as a Barracuda missile. Between this and
the usual guidelines, there isn’t much more to say. :P
Tridents are pretty tough customers
for their size - which is
not the same thing as being tough outright. Most fighters are unlikely to outmanoeuvre them, so the best prescription is probably concentrated firepower: an LRM-20 rack or heavier system is all but certain to strip a hostile TRN-3T of its armour and punch deep into the spaceframe’s guts (yes, that’s assuming everything lands in the same location under TW Cluster rules, but still). My much-beloved
Shilone is one of the best choices available for such measures: a tough dogfighter with reach and great heat dissipation, they can concentrate a heavy barrage on
Tridents at Long and Medium ranges, potentially killing them outright before they can engage with their own weapons. Anything mounting a Gauss Rifle or two will also do well, as those nickel-iron basketballs will go internal with a single shot (waves to
Eisensturm fans!). }:)
[VARIANT PROPOSAL(S) REDACTED] All proposed fan-variants - including my own - belong in the corresponding “FotW Workshop†thread: http://www.classicbattletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,4243.0.html Like the
Trident? Think it’s a piece-o’-junk? Like the new refit? Hate it? Think you can do better?
[R. Lee Ermey]
“I can’t
hear you! Sound off like you
got a pair!†>:(
[/R. Lee Ermey]
;D
Be advised: the attached .txt transcript(s) of previous run(s) of this thread may contain numerous reader-proposals for variants. I’ll try to change those out for ‘sanitised’ versions of those threads when I can, but I can’t promise it’ll be soon - that’s a lot of ground to cover. ;)
