Hi there!
jaymz wrote:Actually the protector is about the size of the SDF-1 with more MDC than the New Edition Zentraedi Flagship.
Versus a New Edition Zentraedi Destroyer (Standard Battleship/Ship of the line) a protector has 3 times the MDC and the main guns do triple the damage but are still way over matched for range by a factor of 300+ not to mention their fighter comlement woudl be outnumbered about 20-1.
Just playing a bit of devil's advocate in regards to the Protector in as much as it isn't AS bad as some may think but it IS still outclassed overall.
This issue needs a bit attention.
1,: Speeds are way bugged both in the 2nd ed. Robotech and especially in 3G stuff.
1a, Robotech 2nd, Macross SB lists Gnerl fighter pods for 18M space speed, and SDF-1 as having an orbital cruising speed of 23+ Mach. Not to mention, that the description lacks veritech space speeds. So, Zentraedi fighter cannot catch the SDF-1...
2a, 3G stuff list - for example - Protector for 9Machs. Frankly, Low Earth Orbit is 22+ Mach, thought measuring in Machs is "funny" is vacuum... Now, this would mean that the mighty
battleships cannot escape from a planet's gravity?
2, Ranges:
2a, 2nd ed. Zentraedi guns cannot possibly bombard Macross Island from Lunar orbit, since their range is about 5% of this requirement.
2b, The Protector cannot enter atmospheres, yet is "fluffed" to be able to devastate planets. What is more, their main gun is listed for
atmospheric bombardment (with ridicoulus blast radius), with an atmospheric range of 48 km. Frankly, the mesosphere extends to 80 km from
surface, but even the stratosphere extends to about 50 kms...
2c, Still, if we keep listed RPG speeds as they are, from the FTL combat section of DMB13, and the description of the Aranea class interdiction
radius of 48 km, 3Galactic ships can "jump" on targets with this precision (i.e. within a few dozen kilometers) , making range advantage a
moot point (except in a gravity well of a planet).
3, Combat values (from range of 80-160 km, see 2c,)
3a, The T-Salan desroyer is listed for
mass: 39,5 Mt
MDC: 25+25+30 thousand MDC for the 3 section
Damage from guns is (on average) 3300 from the main P-beams, and twice per melee 13.200 MDC from converging beams (29.700 per melee)
Fighter and PA complement is 1600 units (thought about 600 of them are true fighters)
3b, The Protector is listed for
mass: 15,5 million tons
MDC: 90.000 MDC in shields, 250.000 MDC in main body
Damage from guns is 21.000 on average, twice per melee. (which is 42.000 on average).
It carries a mechanised brigade of 2500 with tanks, IFVs and robots/PA and 96 dedicated space assault units.
So, unless the Protector is sitting in a gravity well, odds are, that it can face 2 Zentraedi destroyers, jump in, cripple at least one of them (with a bit of luck
taking out both ship's engine section) and leave without shields depleted. This also presumes, that both Zentraedi ships can fire all their anti-ship guns.
From ranges below 80 kms, the "close in" weapons and missiles make calculations a bit more difficult and make missile volleys prime contributors, but the
full missile damage for the Protector is over 240.000 MD and it has several tertiary anti-ship guns with 10-16 mile range, which can do a further 7.400 damage
per melee on average, a bit more, if both targets are within their range.
Then there is the "bonuses to hit" table, which gives +4 to the Protector (as it is "better" from Macross II and Robotech 1st similar tables) targeting sections
of the Zentraedi ships.
Finally, the fighter complement - Zentraedi carry "universal" mecha (the Regult), making their capacity in space impressive.
Planetside however they the numbers are more even (3200 vs. 2600), and in each category the 3Galactic stuff has more MDC, generally
do more damage and have longer range. The only exception is that the Zentraedi have autododge for flying units, but only the "female" PA
has "inertia compensation system".
Also, Zentraedi lack FTL fighters.
This is strange, because 3Galactic fighters (and flying PA/robots) are - as a rule - use CG engines (maybe with a booster), which eliminates
G-force stress on pilots (as per DMB13, page 20) - which might be a reason to assign some bonuses.
Also, 3G fighter craft are able to jam enemy radar/ladar, plus PA is small by Zentraedi standards (about the size of the Zentraedi female PA's
faceplate, which requires a called shot with a -4).
The Silverhawk, which is the premier space PA of the CAF is 450 kg (plus maybe pilot?) and has 420 MDC. Its main gun is a triple barreled
canon, with
- laser (2d4*10 MD 3050m range, doubled in space)
- P-beam (3d6*10 MD, 610m range, double in space)
- grenade launcher
plus carries 16 mini missiles (can be smart missiles, damage d6*10) and forearm rail guns (5d6 MD) and PS50
The Zentraedi female PA is 45+ tons with pilot, has 290 MDC, with impressive load of mini-missiles (126 missiles, volleys of max 12, damage d4*10),
grenade launcher (4d8*10 MD for 10 bursts), an dual forearm P-beam (d6*10 combined), the latter two has a range of 1219 meters. PS 48.
With all this, Zentraedi
technical superiority is questionable.
Adios
KLM