Difference between revisions of "Hephaestus Class Attack Platform"
OBloodyHell (talk | contribs) |
OBloodyHell (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 18: | Line 18: | ||
==Description== | ==Description== | ||
| − | The Hephaestus Class is a roaming attack platform. A player may only have one of this ship. When first built in your [[shipyard]], it orbits the planet on which it was constructed, however it then may be sent to any other planet (as any other ship) or deployed to an open planet slot. In its undeployed state, it behaves as any other ship, including the capability of passing through a [[Warp Gate]]. | + | The Hephaestus Class is a roaming attack platform. Those familiar with the TV series ''Battlestar Galactica'' may consider this ship a riff on that notion. A player may only have one of this ship. When first built in your [[shipyard]], it orbits the planet on which it was constructed, however it then may be sent to any other planet (as any other ship) or deployed to an open planet slot. In its undeployed state, it behaves as any other ship, including the capability of passing through a [[Warp Gate]]. |
Once deployed to an empty planet slot, it acts much like a colony planet. The owner may deploy other ships to it. The Hephaestus itself may be moved (as long as it has no fleets going to or from it) and all ships deployed to it will move along with it for free. | Once deployed to an empty planet slot, it acts much like a colony planet. The owner may deploy other ships to it. The Hephaestus itself may be moved (as long as it has no fleets going to or from it) and all ships deployed to it will move along with it for free. | ||
| Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
The Hephaestus functions like any other ship in battle. If it is destroyed, all ships deployed to it or on tasks originating from it are lost in space. By and of itself, it can only be harmed by a Zeus or a Prom (see Ineffectiveness Rule, below). Any other attacking ships may harm the associated fleet, but only Proms and Zeus will do damage to the Heph itself. | The Hephaestus functions like any other ship in battle. If it is destroyed, all ships deployed to it or on tasks originating from it are lost in space. By and of itself, it can only be harmed by a Zeus or a Prom (see Ineffectiveness Rule, below). Any other attacking ships may harm the associated fleet, but only Proms and Zeus will do damage to the Heph itself. | ||
| − | Any ships docked on the Hephaestus when it is attacked contribute to the battle for the defense of the ship. For this reason it is | + | Any ships docked on the Hephaestus when it is attacked contribute to the battle for the defense of the ship. For this reason it is common to have a number of [[Zeus Class]] on it as mobile defenses. The typical Zeus count runs from zero to seven, with 4 or 5 being a common choice. |
| − | Once you deploy a Hephaestus, it can never return to a planet. Consequently, the owner must either have adequate hydrogen infrastructure to resupply the Hephaestus or raid frequently to keep it stockpiled. It also can no longer take advantage of a warp gate. | + | Once you deploy a Hephaestus, it can never return to a planet. Consequently, the owner must either have adequate hydrogen infrastructure to resupply the Hephaestus or raid frequently to keep it stockpiled. It also can no longer take advantage of a warp gate at this point. |
You typically have 9 "planet/colony" slots at the top of your screen, two rows of four and a fifth "larger" one (typically your homeworld). When deployed, the heph will add one more to that, making it two rows of five and shrinking the homeworld "slot" to the same size as the rest. | You typically have 9 "planet/colony" slots at the top of your screen, two rows of four and a fifth "larger" one (typically your homeworld). When deployed, the heph will add one more to that, making it two rows of five and shrinking the homeworld "slot" to the same size as the rest. | ||
| − | A heph cannot/does not do "harvest" missions. It changes its "orbit", which is effectively how it is FRSed, as it is untouchable when in the transition state (its prior colony slot will state that the colony slot is "Unavailable"). It cannot be espied or scanned by an Oracle, though its "tail end" will be visible (via the "Unavailable" marker) in its former location until it lands at the new location. This prevents another heph or gaia from being deployed there, and, if the heph failed to be able to land at its target, allows for it to return to its previous location much as a gaia returns to its starting planet if the colonization fails. | + | A heph cannot/does not do "harvest" missions. It changes its "orbit", which is effectively how it is FRSed, as it is untouchable when in the transition state (its prior colony slot will state that the colony slot is "Unavailable"). It cannot be espied or scanned by an Oracle, though its "tail end" will be visible (via the "Unavailable" marker) in its former location until it lands at the new location. This prevents another heph or gaia from being deployed there, and, if the heph failed to be able to land at its target, allows for it to return to its previous location much as a gaia returns to its starting planet if the colonization fails. There may be some tactical tricks which might be played if one gained any idea of where the heph was aimed, though this would be difficult for the most part given its behavior in transit with regards to Oracle scans. |
==Evaluation== | ==Evaluation== | ||
Revision as of 02:09, 1 May 2011
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [Source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Hephaestus Class Attack Platform is the latest in planetary assault technology. It can be deployed into orbit in a solar system and act as a mobile base for your fleet. This ship is currently available for both versions of the game.
Description
The Hephaestus Class is a roaming attack platform. Those familiar with the TV series Battlestar Galactica may consider this ship a riff on that notion. A player may only have one of this ship. When first built in your shipyard, it orbits the planet on which it was constructed, however it then may be sent to any other planet (as any other ship) or deployed to an open planet slot. In its undeployed state, it behaves as any other ship, including the capability of passing through a Warp Gate.
Once deployed to an empty planet slot, it acts much like a colony planet. The owner may deploy other ships to it. The Hephaestus itself may be moved (as long as it has no fleets going to or from it) and all ships deployed to it will move along with it for free.
The Hephaestus functions like any other ship in battle. If it is destroyed, all ships deployed to it or on tasks originating from it are lost in space. By and of itself, it can only be harmed by a Zeus or a Prom (see Ineffectiveness Rule, below). Any other attacking ships may harm the associated fleet, but only Proms and Zeus will do damage to the Heph itself.
Any ships docked on the Hephaestus when it is attacked contribute to the battle for the defense of the ship. For this reason it is common to have a number of Zeus Class on it as mobile defenses. The typical Zeus count runs from zero to seven, with 4 or 5 being a common choice.
Once you deploy a Hephaestus, it can never return to a planet. Consequently, the owner must either have adequate hydrogen infrastructure to resupply the Hephaestus or raid frequently to keep it stockpiled. It also can no longer take advantage of a warp gate at this point.
You typically have 9 "planet/colony" slots at the top of your screen, two rows of four and a fifth "larger" one (typically your homeworld). When deployed, the heph will add one more to that, making it two rows of five and shrinking the homeworld "slot" to the same size as the rest.
A heph cannot/does not do "harvest" missions. It changes its "orbit", which is effectively how it is FRSed, as it is untouchable when in the transition state (its prior colony slot will state that the colony slot is "Unavailable"). It cannot be espied or scanned by an Oracle, though its "tail end" will be visible (via the "Unavailable" marker) in its former location until it lands at the new location. This prevents another heph or gaia from being deployed there, and, if the heph failed to be able to land at its target, allows for it to return to its previous location much as a gaia returns to its starting planet if the colonization fails. There may be some tactical tricks which might be played if one gained any idea of where the heph was aimed, though this would be difficult for the most part given its behavior in transit with regards to Oracle scans.
Evaluation
ADVANTAGES
The Hephaestus Class allows you to move a fleet from one place/slot to another while only paying the fuel cost for the Heph, in much the same way an air-craft carrier can move air craft from one place to another without the aircraft using any fuel. It also acts much like a planet, in that fleets may be launched to or from it. It allows a player to roam around the Universe without the need to colonise a planet and "use up" a planet slot, so in theory a player could have an unlimited number of them (except, as already stated, a player may only have one).
DISADVANTAGES
The Hephaestus is by far the most expensive unit in the game. It's slow and consumes a lot of hydrogen, which would make it a bad choice for players who do not have extremely large fleets. It may also be scanned by Probes, and if it is destroyed whilst fleets are incoming or outgoing from it, all ships in the fleets (incoming/outgoing) are lost. The Hephaestus can not manufacture new ships, so the only way to replenish losses are to deploy replacements to it from a planet.
SPOTTING
Apart from the obvious, probing a target and seeing that it is a Hephaestus, they are easy to spot.
If a Hephaestus is within range of your IPBMs they do not show the "initiate missile strike" 
icon on the galaxy page.
Statistics
Specifications
Hull Rating: 4,000,000
Shield Rating: 150,000
Weapons Rating: 0
Cargo Capacity: 1,000,000,000
Base Speed: 90
Hydrogen Consumption: 450,000
Engine Type: Warp Drive
Cost
Requirements
Shipyard 13
Foundry 3
Armor Tech 12
Weapons Tech 12
Shield Tech 12
Particle Tech 10
Warp Drive 9
Expedition Tech 8
Time and Fuel Costs
(based on Warp 9, one way)
Planet-to-moon 00:24:47, 257 hydrogen
Next Planet 5:20:38, 51,686 hydrogen
Maximum in-system (slot 15 to/from slot 1) 5:30:50, 55,029 hydrogen
Next System 8:54:36, 143,741 hydrogen
Next Galaxy 23:49:46, 1,028,560 hydrogen
Size Issue
There have been many arguments whether or not the Hephaestus is larger than the Zeus, though, considering that one may deploy multiple Zeus' to a Heph, this seems ludicrously obvious.
The Hephaestus has two large spherical shields on the side, and the Athena looks even more minuscule in proportion to the Hephaestus than it does to the Zeus, leading to the assumption that the two spheres on the side of the Hephaestus may be storage hangars for two Zeus ships.
Ineffectiveness Rule
Note that the Shield Rating is 150,000. This means that nothing short of the Prom can hit it at all, due to the ineffectiveness rule (see combat). Only a Prom or a Zeus deals more than 1500 in a single shot at the base rating level (WAS values do not factor in for the purpose of this).
See Also
Ship List
Ships in Starfleet Commander |
||
| Other Utility Ships |
Dionysus Class Recycler - Gaia Class Colony Ship - Genesis Class Solar Satellite Helios Class Solar Satellite - Hermes Class Probe - Shadow Probe - Triton Class Recycler - Zagreus Class Recycler |
|
| Transports | Atlas Class Cargo - Carmanor Class Cargo - Charon Class Transport - Hercules Class Cargo | |
| Starfighters | Artemis Class Fighter - Apollo Class Fighter - Empusa Class Fighter - Erebus Class Fighter - Magnon Class Fighter - Mantus Class Fighter - Vortex Class Fighter | |
| Light Capital Warships | Cirrus Class Cruiser - Curetes Class Cruiser - Poseidon Class Cruiser - Typhon Class Cruiser | |
| Medium Capital Warships | Athena Class Battleship - Hades Class Battleship - Moros Class Battleship | |
| Heavy Capital Warships | Prometheus Class Destroyer - Thanatos Class Destroyer | |
| Other Warships | Ares Class Bomber - Hephaestus Class Attack Platform - Pallas Class Bomber - Zeus Class | |
| [SOURCE] - [EDIT] | ||
