The last of the five sample empires from the FC Omega Playtest Rulebook, the Trobrin Empire is seldom far from the top table, in terms of power and influence within the Octant.
The Trobrin themselves are a silicon-based life form, which in their most basic state resemble an unformed blob of freshly-poured blob concrete. However, they possess a great degree of control over their outer surfaces; allowing them to suitably handle the innumerable tasks required of any species running a star-faring civilization. As with the former Tholian Will back in M81, the Empire is tasked with a long-term "Silicate Plan"; in order to survive and prosper as a species, the Trobrin aim to eventually control the entire Milky Way Galaxy. Of course, powerful as they are, the gap between this vision and reality is all too apparent, even to them; still, even if things seem quiet on the Trobrin front from time to time, none of their "carbonite" rivals can afford to be complacent in their dealings with the Empire.
The Trobrin navy is a strong advocate of the min-max setup; not all that far away from how the Klingon Deep Space Fleet was run in the days prior to the General War. The Trobrin have frigates and patrollers, but no destroyers or light cruisers; they make the jump all the way up to the heavy cruiser class, before continuing on to their even larger command cruisers (which are practically battlecruisers in their own right) and dreadnoughts.
Their ships are big for their respective classes, with large amounts of hull boxes (in FC and SFB) and copious belts of armour. (Unlike the kind of armour that the Fed CL or Romulan War Eagle use, Trobrin armour comes as distinct belts, that can be removed or replenished with relative ease; indeed, since the Trobrin consume rocks as their staple diet, they even have the option of using the belts as a secondary food source, when out on long-range patrols across Imperial space!)
Their firepower all stems from their high natural resistance to radiation; which allows them to tolerate levels that would be practically fatal for most carbon-based life forms to handle. Their radiation phasers are the most accurate in known space; not even requiring a roll to hit (or rather, to assess damage) in SFB and FC. Implosion bolts have been described as almost akin to plasma launchers stuck in a highly accurate bolt mode; they do a lot of damage, and in the other games take three turns to arm (though can be fast-loaded). Implosion torpedoes are more or less plasma-like, but have a one-hex myopic zone and also detonate one hex away from their target; which prevents their use in a knife-fight, but does complicate the target ship's defences.
There are playtest Ship Cards online, to show what the Frigate and Bolt Frigate look like; as before, Rick Smith is the man to thank for the artwork present in each.
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With all of this in mind, here is my first shot at los cementeros.
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Implosion Bolts: Implosion bolts direct an accurate and powerful burst of energy that implodes against a target ship, causing impact and radiation damage.
Implosion Torpedoes: Similar in some ways to Alpha Octant plasma torpedoes, implosion torpedoes are not designed to detonate on contact; rather, they will implode at a short distance from the target, directing the implosion force towards it. In order to do so, it must clear the launcher in order to implode properly; requiring the Trobrin captain to plan their battle passes carefully. Unlike plasma torpedoes, implosion torpedoes cannot bolt or carronade.
Radiation Phasers: The most accurate phaser types in known space, only the silicate Trobrin’s resistance to the dangerous radiation levels produced as a side-effect of this weapon allows them to operate it. Radiation phasers do not need a roll to hit; they automatically manage to find their targets (both offensively and defensively). However, as a consequence of this, phaser-R1 and –R3s cannot bypass shields. Ships using Scout functions may only fire Phasers-R1 defensively; Phasers-R3 can be fired with no penalty.
Weapon Range Arc AD Special
Phaser-R1 16 Varies Varies Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R3 6 Varies Varies Kill Zone 4, Precise
Implosion Bolt 16 Varies Varies Accurate +2, Multihit 4, Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Reload
Implosion Torpedo-S 16 Varies 6 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
Implosion Torpedo-H 16 Varies 4 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
Implosion Torpedo-M 16 Varies 3 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
Implosion Torpedo-L 16 Varies 2 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
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The phasers are handy, in that they will always hit; but the lack of the natural 6 means they can only help with shield-scraping against a target with its defences yet to be fully compromised. The bolts are treated like plasmas with the energy bleed, but with an accuracy boost that reflects its abilities in other games. I wasn't sure if the torpedoes needed any particular rule to reflect the troubles their range-1 implosions cause; the myopic zone might not seem like much, but can cause trouble if a target ship tries to get up close and personal.
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Trobrin Initiative: +0
Trobrin Fleet List:
Sapphire Frigate (FF) 115 points
Diamond Heavy Cruiser (CA) 190 points
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SAPPHIRE FRIGATE - 115 POINTS (FF)
The Trobrin frigate, dating from Y40, was a good ship of its kind. Its defenses were helped by the armor belts on-board… when the crew didn’t eat them, that is. (Trobrin consume rock as their staple food diet, and on long-range missions were literally able to consume parts of the armor in order to sustain themselves.)
Ships of the Class: Reduction, Thorata, Tratt.
Turn: 4
Shields: 16
Damage: 18/6
Marines: 2
Craft: 2 Shuttles
Traits: Armoured, Labs 2, Tractor Beam 2, Transporter 4
Weapon Range Arc AD Special
Phaser-R1 16 PH 1 Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R1 16 SH 1 Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R1 16 T 1 Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R3 6 T 2 Kill Zone 4, Precise
Implosion Torpedo-M 16 PH 3 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
Implosion Torpedo-M 16 SH 3 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
BOLT FRIGATE VARIANT (FB, Carronade) +10 POINTS
Fielded from Y91 onwards, this variant often accompanied frigate squadrons as a direct-fire support element. Remove the PH and SH Implosion Torpedo-M launchers and replace them with the following:
Weapon Range Arc AD Special
Implosion Bolt 16 PH 1 Accurate +2, Multihit 4, Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Reload
Implosion Bolt 16 SH 1 Accurate +2, Multihit 4, Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Reload
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DIAMOND HEAVY CRUISER - 190 POINTS (CA)
The mainstay of the Trobrin armada since Y45, this class fought well for the Empire during the First Great War and for long afterwards. The Diamond’s combination of direct-fire and seeking weapons made it a dangerous opponent.
Ships of the Class: Diadem.
Turn: 6
Shields: 24
Damage: 36/12
Marines: 5
Craft: 3 Shuttles
Traits: Armoured, Labs 3, Tractor Beam 4, Transporter 6
Weapon Range Arc AD Special
Phaser-R1 16 PH 2 Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R1 16 SH 2 Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R1 16 T 2 Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R3 6 A, P, S 2 Kill Zone 4, Precise
Implosion Bolt 16 PH 1 Accurate +2, Multihit 4, Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Reload
Implosion Bolt 16 SH 1 Accurate +2, Multihit 4, Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Reload
Implosion Torpedo-H 16 FH 4 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
Implosion Torpedo-M 16 PH 3 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
Implosion Torpedo-M 16 SH 3 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
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EDIT: I had originally left the Armoured Trait off of these ships; but the more I compared them to their counterparts in the other four feets, the more notable their absence became. (They really do have a lot of armour boxes per class in SFB/FC.) However, tough as they are, neither ship has a great Turn score; plus the mostly-hemispheric arcs make the concentration of fire a challenge.
Still, you can't have everything, now can you?
The Trobrin themselves are a silicon-based life form, which in their most basic state resemble an unformed blob of freshly-poured blob concrete. However, they possess a great degree of control over their outer surfaces; allowing them to suitably handle the innumerable tasks required of any species running a star-faring civilization. As with the former Tholian Will back in M81, the Empire is tasked with a long-term "Silicate Plan"; in order to survive and prosper as a species, the Trobrin aim to eventually control the entire Milky Way Galaxy. Of course, powerful as they are, the gap between this vision and reality is all too apparent, even to them; still, even if things seem quiet on the Trobrin front from time to time, none of their "carbonite" rivals can afford to be complacent in their dealings with the Empire.
The Trobrin navy is a strong advocate of the min-max setup; not all that far away from how the Klingon Deep Space Fleet was run in the days prior to the General War. The Trobrin have frigates and patrollers, but no destroyers or light cruisers; they make the jump all the way up to the heavy cruiser class, before continuing on to their even larger command cruisers (which are practically battlecruisers in their own right) and dreadnoughts.
Their ships are big for their respective classes, with large amounts of hull boxes (in FC and SFB) and copious belts of armour. (Unlike the kind of armour that the Fed CL or Romulan War Eagle use, Trobrin armour comes as distinct belts, that can be removed or replenished with relative ease; indeed, since the Trobrin consume rocks as their staple diet, they even have the option of using the belts as a secondary food source, when out on long-range patrols across Imperial space!)
Their firepower all stems from their high natural resistance to radiation; which allows them to tolerate levels that would be practically fatal for most carbon-based life forms to handle. Their radiation phasers are the most accurate in known space; not even requiring a roll to hit (or rather, to assess damage) in SFB and FC. Implosion bolts have been described as almost akin to plasma launchers stuck in a highly accurate bolt mode; they do a lot of damage, and in the other games take three turns to arm (though can be fast-loaded). Implosion torpedoes are more or less plasma-like, but have a one-hex myopic zone and also detonate one hex away from their target; which prevents their use in a knife-fight, but does complicate the target ship's defences.
There are playtest Ship Cards online, to show what the Frigate and Bolt Frigate look like; as before, Rick Smith is the man to thank for the artwork present in each.
-----
With all of this in mind, here is my first shot at los cementeros.
-----
Implosion Bolts: Implosion bolts direct an accurate and powerful burst of energy that implodes against a target ship, causing impact and radiation damage.
Implosion Torpedoes: Similar in some ways to Alpha Octant plasma torpedoes, implosion torpedoes are not designed to detonate on contact; rather, they will implode at a short distance from the target, directing the implosion force towards it. In order to do so, it must clear the launcher in order to implode properly; requiring the Trobrin captain to plan their battle passes carefully. Unlike plasma torpedoes, implosion torpedoes cannot bolt or carronade.
Radiation Phasers: The most accurate phaser types in known space, only the silicate Trobrin’s resistance to the dangerous radiation levels produced as a side-effect of this weapon allows them to operate it. Radiation phasers do not need a roll to hit; they automatically manage to find their targets (both offensively and defensively). However, as a consequence of this, phaser-R1 and –R3s cannot bypass shields. Ships using Scout functions may only fire Phasers-R1 defensively; Phasers-R3 can be fired with no penalty.
Weapon Range Arc AD Special
Phaser-R1 16 Varies Varies Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R3 6 Varies Varies Kill Zone 4, Precise
Implosion Bolt 16 Varies Varies Accurate +2, Multihit 4, Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Reload
Implosion Torpedo-S 16 Varies 6 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
Implosion Torpedo-H 16 Varies 4 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
Implosion Torpedo-M 16 Varies 3 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
Implosion Torpedo-L 16 Varies 2 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
-----
The phasers are handy, in that they will always hit; but the lack of the natural 6 means they can only help with shield-scraping against a target with its defences yet to be fully compromised. The bolts are treated like plasmas with the energy bleed, but with an accuracy boost that reflects its abilities in other games. I wasn't sure if the torpedoes needed any particular rule to reflect the troubles their range-1 implosions cause; the myopic zone might not seem like much, but can cause trouble if a target ship tries to get up close and personal.
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Trobrin Initiative: +0
Trobrin Fleet List:
Sapphire Frigate (FF) 115 points
Diamond Heavy Cruiser (CA) 190 points
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SAPPHIRE FRIGATE - 115 POINTS (FF)
The Trobrin frigate, dating from Y40, was a good ship of its kind. Its defenses were helped by the armor belts on-board… when the crew didn’t eat them, that is. (Trobrin consume rock as their staple food diet, and on long-range missions were literally able to consume parts of the armor in order to sustain themselves.)
Ships of the Class: Reduction, Thorata, Tratt.
Turn: 4
Shields: 16
Damage: 18/6
Marines: 2
Craft: 2 Shuttles
Traits: Armoured, Labs 2, Tractor Beam 2, Transporter 4
Weapon Range Arc AD Special
Phaser-R1 16 PH 1 Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R1 16 SH 1 Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R1 16 T 1 Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R3 6 T 2 Kill Zone 4, Precise
Implosion Torpedo-M 16 PH 3 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
Implosion Torpedo-M 16 SH 3 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
BOLT FRIGATE VARIANT (FB, Carronade) +10 POINTS
Fielded from Y91 onwards, this variant often accompanied frigate squadrons as a direct-fire support element. Remove the PH and SH Implosion Torpedo-M launchers and replace them with the following:
Weapon Range Arc AD Special
Implosion Bolt 16 PH 1 Accurate +2, Multihit 4, Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Reload
Implosion Bolt 16 SH 1 Accurate +2, Multihit 4, Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Reload
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DIAMOND HEAVY CRUISER - 190 POINTS (CA)
The mainstay of the Trobrin armada since Y45, this class fought well for the Empire during the First Great War and for long afterwards. The Diamond’s combination of direct-fire and seeking weapons made it a dangerous opponent.
Ships of the Class: Diadem.
Turn: 6
Shields: 24
Damage: 36/12
Marines: 5
Craft: 3 Shuttles
Traits: Armoured, Labs 3, Tractor Beam 4, Transporter 6
Weapon Range Arc AD Special
Phaser-R1 16 PH 2 Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R1 16 SH 2 Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R1 16 T 2 Kill Zone 8, Precise
Phaser-R3 6 A, P, S 2 Kill Zone 4, Precise
Implosion Bolt 16 PH 1 Accurate +2, Multihit 4, Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Reload
Implosion Bolt 16 SH 1 Accurate +2, Multihit 4, Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Reload
Implosion Torpedo-H 16 FH 4 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
Implosion Torpedo-M 16 PH 3 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
Implosion Torpedo-M 16 SH 3 Devastating +1, Energy Bleed, Multihit D6, Reload, Seeking
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EDIT: I had originally left the Armoured Trait off of these ships; but the more I compared them to their counterparts in the other four feets, the more notable their absence became. (They really do have a lot of armour boxes per class in SFB/FC.) However, tough as they are, neither ship has a great Turn score; plus the mostly-hemispheric arcs make the concentration of fire a challenge.
Still, you can't have everything, now can you?