Torpedo Frigate (HW3)

Torpedo Frigate (HW3)
Ship Information
Classification	Capital Ship
Purpose	Anti-Capital Ship Anti-Strike Craft
Ship Type	Missile Frigate
RU Cost	950 RUs
Technical Information
Speed	210 m/s
Armaments	SHEL MK12 High Yield Torpedo
Usage
Eras	Homeworld 3 Era
Affiliation	Hiigaran

Full Attributes

• Cost: 950 RUs
• Build Time: 35s
• Unit Cap: 15 Campaign
• Hitpoints: 15000
• Main Engine Max Speed: 210
• Rotation Max Speed: 28
• Relative Mass: 10000 (41000 tons)
• Primary Sensor Range: 5000
• Visual Range: 1000
• Retaliation Range: 2150
• Abilities:
  • Missile Thrust Boost: Drastically increase max targeting range at severe cost to engine output. Cooldown 3.

In-Game Description

High-damage, fragile, long-range, backline sniper.

Strong vs. large, slow-moving opponents.

Weak vs. Strikecraft, fast and single-target, damage-based opponents.

The "Patel-Sho" Torpedo Frigate is built around dual, high-yield torpedo systems and is very much the bigger sibling to the H'rex-class Railgun Corvette. Both ships can often be found operating behind a cloud of escort Strikecraft.

Technical Manual Description

Exhibiting all of the characteristics of a ship designed to fulfill the Sword role in Hiigaran Fleet deployments, the Patel-Sho Torpedo frigate is built around dual, high-yield torpedo systems and is very much the bigger sibling to the H'rex class railgun corvette. Both ships can often be found operating in close conjunction with a Shield formation, most often a cloud of escort Strikecraft. A mixed Patel/H'rex strike group was credited with ambushing and destroying a pair of Raider carriers during the Battle of Leuran's Gap. The carriers were captained by Del'Ky and Rond'Ky, known colloquially as the "Twin Terrors" and guilty of 3 decades of Crimes against Commerce.

War Games Artifacts

• Torpedo Frigate Bombardment Pattern: Increases Torpedo Frigate weapon range and Torpedo speed by 33%. Increases damage taken by Torpedo Frigates by 25%. Enables Bombardment Upgrades.
  • Bombardment Upgrade, Artillery: Increases Torpedo Frigate damage by 33% and vision range by 50%. Reduces Torpedo Frigate hit points by 25%.
  • Bombardment Upgrade, Pressure: Increases Torpedo Frigate rate of fire by 20%. Reduces Torpedo Frigate damage by 10%.
  • Bombardment Upgrade, Stalwart: Increases Torpedo Frigate vision range by 25%. Enables passive self-repair. Reduces Torpedo Frigate speed by 15%.

• Torpedo Frigate Pacification Pattern: Increases Torpedo Frigate speed by 50% and damage by 50%. Enables passive self-repair. Weapon range reduced by 15%. Enables Pacification Upgrades.
  • Pacification Upgrade, Convergence: Increases Torpedo Frigate damage by 20%. Reduces splash damage radius by 10%.
  • Pacification Upgrade, Preparation: Torpedo Frigate receive 5% less damage. Increases Frigate pop cap by 1.
  • Pacification Upgrade, Swiftness: Increases Torpedo Frigate speed by 10% and rate of fire by 10%. Reduces weapon range by 10%.

Analysis

In terms of its ability to apply damage to a variety of targets, the Torpedo Frigate is the deadliest frigate the Hiigarans can field. Despite its main description saying it is weak vs Strikecraft, this is only if they can get in range; instead of single missiles they fire small clusters which also have an area of effect, so a small group of Torpedo Frigates aided by forward scouts can devastate tightly grouped squads of Strikecraft or Corvettes before they get in range to counterattack. If those strikecraft or corvettes can however get into close range, the rather fragile Torpedo Frigates can be decimated. Against anything larger if they are assisted by forward scouts, in their long-range Missile Thrust mode they are actually critically dangerous to nearly everything given how much damage they can inflict and the fact that they outdistance pretty much everything. In the Campaign having the max capacity of 15 of them will not be a waste. Compared to their Incarnate counterpart the Smart Missile Frigate, they are more effective against Strike Craft as their clusters of smaller missiles are more capable of hitting them.

Note, they have a rather evasive flight pattern. They will constantly try to keep at their maximum effective weapon range, so if their current target is flying towards them they will fly backwards to try and keep distance, potentially moving them away from the protection of the rest of your fleet.

In the War Games, its usefulness is rather limited given the low population caps of Frigates and your need to have a good supply of Support Frigates, plus their naturally evasive nature will constantly push them away from the protection (and repair) of the rest of your Fleet. However, it can still give some punch against capital ships like Destroyers.

Appearances

• Homeworld 3