Torch

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File:Notext VR torch.png
Fan-made image by VileRancour.

The Thraddash Torch is the pride and joy of Thraddash Culture Nineteen. It is very small, but its maneuverability and its powerful afterburners make it a serious contender even against AI-controlled large ships.

Propulsion

The Torch has decent maneuverability and acceleration, but low conventional top speed. Its alternate propulsion system allows the Torch to travel at blinding speed.

Armament

Primary

The Torch's main weapon is the medium-range Mark-VI blaster. Its four-megawatt energy discharge is pretty weak, killing only one crew per shot, but it does have some surprising characteristics, such as resistance to the Earthling Cruiser's point-defense lasers, and the Umgah Drone's anti-matter cone. In the right hands, it can be a quite effective weapon.

Secondary

The secondary 'weapon' of the Torch isn't truly a weapon, but a secondary propulsion system known as the Reeunk Afterburner. The Reeunk afterburner accelerates the Torch to incredible speeds and leaves in its wake a fiery trail of ionized plasma that, while still hot, can cripple enemy ships in seconds should one be following too closely. Each of these fiery balls of plasma kills two crew members when struck, though the Torch is unaffected and will pass through the trail unharmed. It is so useful in an offensive capacity that most Thraddash pilots consider it to be the primary weapon on the Torch. However, human-controlled opponents will generally avoid the trail, thus transforming it into a simple evasion ability.

The Reeunk Afterburner is a relatively recent addition to the Torch. Earlier revisions of this ship were armed only with the Mark-VI Blaster and therefore deemed too ineffective for combat by the Ur-Quan. Once they became Battle Thralls, the Thraddash were ordered to "guard the rear" by staying in their home territory. Now that their ships have been improved, the Thraddash would love nothing more than to try them out against another race and thus prove their worth to the Ur-Quan.

Tactical Overview

The most popular tactic employed with this ship against the AI is to "cast a net" with the afterburners such that the enemy ship flies into it and takes damage. Against large capital ships, this is no problem, but against more maneuverable ships, luring them near a gravity well might be required first.

Known Ships

3DO Thraddash Torch
Basic stats
Crew: 8 Value: 10 pts
Battery: 24 Batt. Regeneration: 0.142 units/frame
Armament
Primary: Mark VI Blaster Secondary: Reeunk Afterburner
Refire delay: 12 frames Refire delay: 0 frames
Energy use: 2 units Energy use: 1 units
Propulsion
Max speed: 28 world units/frame Turn rate: 0.5 facings/frame
Acceleration: 7 units/frame Mass: 7