Cruisers

Cruisers of today are an effect of neverending progress in terms of construction and military technologies, leading to ability to build and power up bigger and bigger ships. As most big units there was a time when they considered battleships, degraded to cruisers only after new class of capital ships was created. Cruisers - like destroyers and capital ships - are divided into three basic variants. They also serve as basis mean of power projection for majority of 'serious' fleets, at least as far as more 'typical' work are concerned, since they are much faster and cheaper to use than battleships, while being to operate independently and easily destroy everything smaller than them. Being assigned as an officer to cruiser tends to be a reward. Especially in terms of heavy and battle cruisers, since they tend to operate independently and thus they require their crew to be at least capable of finding their own asses without written instruction. Not to mention unlike capital ships they actually spend a lot of time on patrols and finding, which means they are a perfect place to gather experience before being reassigned higher. Cruisers tend to be used in majority of roles since they are the most versatile class of ships. They can serve as convoy escorts (or raiders), as a capital ship escorts that supports their AV defense, a forces to attack secondary systems and so on.

Cruiser Variants

Light Cruiser - Smallest of the cruiser variants, serving mostly as an AV defense support of capital ships, rarely operating independently. Which differs amongst pirates, third world fleets, paramilitary forces and so on. They tend to be biggest ships met in the hands of pirates, and also the biggest ships that one can actually find on black market. Around 300 000 tonnes, with crew of around 500 mariners. Heavy Cruiser - Actually, despite its naming they are a middle size variant of cruiser. Much better armoured and armed, great in not only AV operations but also as convoy escorts and going on offensive (raids, corsairs), with some secondary countries actually using them as a replacement for capital ships. Tonnage - ~500 000 tonnes, about 900 mariners. Battlecruiser - Rarely known also as supercruiser. Heaviest size variant of cruisers, used mostly as raiders and to attack hostile convoys, but can also be used as AV defense and capital ships replacement if needed, since they are very versatile. Around 1 000 000 tonnes, and from two to two and half thousands crew (including a notable marines detachment, hence the jump from heavy cruiser's ~900). Escort Carrier - Escort Carriers are a light version of 'real' carriers, constructed in most cases in size of heavy cruisers, capable of transporting a decent number of voidcrafts and corvettes. Especially corvettes, since their missions tends to be convoy escort in hyperspace, to prevent cargo vessels from being force to surrender to a single enemy corvette after the convoy was diffused. Assault Carrier - Assault Carriers are a light version of 'real' carriers, normally constructed in the size of battlecruisers, thus capable to carry a notable ammount of voidcrafts and corvettes, not to mention at least a batallion (up to a regiment) of marines. They are an offensive version of escort carrier, participating in convoy raiding, supporting assaults on hostile planet's orbits and so on.

Configurations

Missile Cruiser - Configuration created with launch strongest missile salvoes possible, in most cases composed of SK missiles. Capable of launching really terrifying ammounts of rockets, but in shorted range it will be obliterated by a sufficiently determined destroyer. The most often type of them are missile battle cruisers, capable of launching truly devastating salvoes from maximum range to for example capital ships, with them barely able to return fire. AV Cruiser - Configuration created with emphasis on strongest possible AV defenses, capable of decimating voidcrafts, corvettes and missiles, however normally incapable of even damaging ships bigger than frigates. There exists only light and heavy AV cruisers, with next to no battlecruisers refitted to this configuration. Ground Assault Cruiser - Configuration of cruisers dedicated to transport marines on hostile planet's orbit, and drop them on the ground while defending both itself and them from atmospheric and orbital fighters. Ten to be heavy or battlecruisers, with light cruiser simply too small to be used efficiently. Escort Cruiser - Configuration with emphasis on gravity sensors and strongest artillery weaponry, being one of the most popular cruisers configuration together with AV cruisers. Their job is to escort convoys flying through the hyperspace. They are capable to easily obliterate attacking destroyers and most normal cruisers with exception of battlecruisers. While they tend to be heavy cruisers, they also nearly always have at least one high calibre MAW capable of damaging battlecruisers.

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