The Light Corvette was the basic combat corvette used by the Kushan and Taiidan Empire in Homeworld.
Overview[]
Being the first type of combat corvette created by the Kushan, the Light Corvette is the weakest of them. Although the weapons aboard these ship are light, they're much more accurate than those employed by fighters, but they suffer from comparatively weak hulls, making them less useful against ships much stronger than themselves. Once the player can build Heavy Corvettes, there is generally little reason to bother with building light corvettes, as their heavier counterpart can survive longer and has stronger armaments.
Lore[]
Kushan[]
The Cavalier had a common problem just like other light corvettes. It did not have the speed of smaller strike craft nor the hitting power of a Capital Ship, and have been in many times proved very ineffective. Cavaliers, despite the firing speed of their projectile cannon, could not truly hold off a strike craft assault on their own. As such, they are often relegated to dangerous decoying and fodder duty or charged with protecting resource collectors.
The Cavalier in the end remained an economical weapon that could be used when resources were low or in numbers against a scout fleet to take down small fighters or resource operations. Even so, the vast majority of Cavaliers were set aside for the tougher, more effective Heavy Corvettes and Multi-Gun Corvettes.
Taiidan[]
Light infantry used these leaded darts in hurtles, throwing them in vast quantities as they closed on their opponents. They did not cause much damage but allowed for the light infantry to close in and attack while the enemy had raised their shields. The Raachok is hence named after these weapons because of two reasons. First, remarkably enough the corvette looks much like the ancient weapon and its wings fold back when docking as the feathers of an ancient Raachok would when thrown.
Secondly, and most importantly, its purpose tactically is similar. While a Raachok rarely is able to take down strike craft (too fast) or capital ships (too powerful) initially, it is a good distraction measure and can serve as fodder while the real attack moves in, either in the form of an interceptor wing with speed or a frigate patrol with firepower. As such, piloting a Raachok, much like being one of those light infantry in the ancient times, is dangerous work and rarely receives much glory. But the Raachok pilots are proud to serve their country, no matter the risk and are ready to give their lives for the preservation of the Taiidan Empire.
Legacy[]
By the end of the Homeworld War, these ships had become obsolete, as most kiith preferred to construct the Heavy Corvette as a more reliable source of fleet defence.
Trivia[]
- In the Homeworld: Cataclysm manual, the Kushan ship is codenamed Cavalier and the Taiidan ship is codenamed Raachok.[1]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ Homeworld: Cataclysm manual