Democratus
Mongoose
Ships of the Abbai Matriarchy
The Abbai aren't exactly a warrior race, but they do have to face the realities of living in a hostile galaxy. Once diplomacy has failed for the fifth time they are willing to take up arms and defend what they believe is right. Just don't expect them to be very enthusiastic about it.
Why so Defensive?
Abbai ships favor defense over all other concerns. This makes their ships difficult to kill. Shields are critical to this concept, keep them up as long as possible. Anti-Fighter can be found on nearly all Abbai ships as well. Count on your defenses to see you through many conflicts because it's pretty much all you've got.
Sorry, no offense!
The other side of the Abbai coin is that their ships are lacking in decisive firepower. Instead they try to "sand paper" their enemies down and hope they survive longer than the enemy.
Group Hug!
The main weapon of the Abbai, the Quad Particle Array, is very short range. You must get inside 8" to use it so you must get very close to the enemy. Be prepared for the angry fusillade of secondary weapons from every ship you approach.
Can you Hear me Now?
One interesting unique system in the Abbai arsenal is the Comms Disruptor. It can be used to effectively turn off the Special Actions of another ship. Use it to block an important order (like CBD or TTT) on an enemy ship or right before making an opposed CQ roll and it could give you an edge.
You first...I insist!
The Abbai have abysmal initiative, clocking in at a stunning -2, and have only one ship with the Command trait at the War level. Don't count on winning the initiative roll very often.
Abbai Ships:
Famous for taking a beating and giving you a stern lecture about it, the Abbai don't have a lot of choices when building a fleet. With a single choice at any level above Skirmish, your enemy will always have a good idea of what you are bringing to the battlefield.
Auxiliary Craft:
Wait...we're in a fight?
Boarding Pods
None. Why in the world would you want to send your friends over to that other ship when this one is quite comfortable?
Kotha
This is the worst fighter in the league, second only to the notorious Delta V in ineffectiveness. Poor hull, poor dodge, poor speed, and poor Dogfight rating. Its weapon has the Weak trait so these can't even serve as Interceptors. The only task a Kotha can perform is to escort ships and run out to Dogfight, and loose, against attacking fighters. They are dirt cheap, so you can afford to throw them away like this. Don't forget that escorts can lend Anti-Fighter to fighter flights.
Patrol Ships:
My other ship is a Yugo.
Bisara Escort Frigate
Like it says on the label, this is an escort. It has a rather poor Anti-Fighter rating so use the "Concentrate Defensive Firepower!" action when you really want to do some escorting. The Comms Disruptor can come in useful if the ship survives to use it.
Shyarie Jammer Frigate
This ship has conflicting missions. One one hand it is a small scout ship and so it should stay far away from danger. On the other it is armed with a large array of Comms Disruptors which require closing to 15" range. Fortunately the scout channels are seldom needed because all Abbai weapons are either beams or twin-linked. Unless your enemy has lots of stealth just consider this a jammer ship and fly it accordingly.
Tiraca Attack Frigate
A vanilla Patrol level attack ship. Its single die of beam will be fickle, but some days you get lucky. Secondary guns are about average. The plus side is that the Tiraca's good damage points and a shield make it tougher than most Patrol level ships.
Skirmish Ships:
Below average, but putting on a brave face.
Fetula Warrant Cutter
It's like a tiny Nova Dreadnought. Squeeze it in between several enemy ships and let the particles fly. All guns in every arc are the same so facing isn't important, only range.
Marata Diplomatic Transport
A tough little Skirmish ship, the Marata is essentially a Fetula that traded 2 AD of forward guns for better hull, damage, and shields. Fly in much the same way as the Fetula only focus more on broadsides than forward fire.
Milani Carrier
Get this ship for the beam weapon, not for the fighters. It has the same broadsides as both other ships in this class but is less survivable. It still may be your best Skirmish ship against enemies with tough hulls or interceptors.
Raid Ship:
Just about average.
Bimith Defender
With good all-around firepower (for an Abbai) and good survivability, this is a decent choice. The Escort trait and masses of twin-linked weapons make the Bimith deadly against fighter flights. It isn't an outstanding ship, but it can compete against most other Raid ships on reasonable terms.
Battle Ship:
Almost great. Starting to look like a fighting navy.
Lakara Cruiser
When people talk about the toughness of Abbai ships, this is the one they are thinking of. A strong hull, good damage points, shields, and even an Interceptor combine to make this ship difficult to kill. It carries the same beam weapon as the Primus (at shorter range) and has reasonable secondary batteries. It's really the first good offensive tool in the Abbai fleet so buy them in bulk if you have the points.
War Ship:
The Abbai actually have a solid entry in this class.
Juyaca Dreadnought
The Juyaca is a true warship. It must be brought inside the enemy fleet to be of maximum utility, as its laser firepower is spread over three arcs rather than just forward. The excellent Quad Bolters bring serious firepower up close in all arcs and it even has comms disruptors firing over multiple arcs. Once in the middle of an enemy fleet it can wreak havoc. It is as tough as any other War level ship in space.
Armageddon:
In the name of interstellar cooperation and peace the Abbai joined hands with their neighbors, the Brakiri, to make one of the deadliest vessels in space. Hooray for diplomacy!
Brivoki Advanced Warship
Outside of the ancients this is the toughest ship in its class, sporting a massive frame enhanced further via Abbai shielding. The two primary weapons can easily slice any ship of raid class or lower in a single sweep. Head straight into the thick of the enemy using the powerful beams on the approach and the withering secondary batteries once you arrive.
Special Actions
Even the Abbai have a few tricks up their sleeves when the chips are down. Use Special Actions to enhance the strengths of your fleet while compensating for any weaknesses.
All Hands on Deck!
Use this when the criticals start to stack up, especially if you loose your Shields.
All Power to Engines!
Having the shortest range guns around and very tough ships means that you should close range rapidly. This can help reduce the number of turns you take unanswered damage.
Close Blast Doors!
Make a tough ship tougher. For when even shields are low or there is simply too much damage incoming.
Come About!
This is sometimes needed to bring the forward laser back into arc.
Concentrate All Fire-power!
Almost never needed due to beams and twin-linked weapons. This can be used to ensure a hit with a comms disruptor.
Deploy Mines!
An Abbai ship needs all the firepower it can muster. This is great for use after a battle pass. If you can drop one of these right on top of the enemy they will be bard pressed not to set it off. Particularly funny to drop this on a carrier.
Divert Auxiliary Power to Shields!
You shields are the key to survival. Keeping them up can sometimes save you more pain than a CBD order. Shields don't just stop damage, they prevent criticals.
Give Me Ramming Speed!
If the ultimate sacrifice is called for, an Abbai ship will do nicely. Remember to hit the target with a comms disruptor so it is at a CQ penalty.
Intensify Defensive Fire!
This is needed to make the Bisara an effective escort. The Bimith can also make use of it when it is more important to sweep the skies of fighters than to fire upon the enemy.
Launch Breaching Pods and Shuttles!
You're kidding, right?
Maneuver to Shield Them!
While Dodge and Stealth don't work for a ship running interference, Shields work just fine. Abbai ships are superb at taking one for the team.
Scramble! Scramble!
If your carrier has absolutely nothing better to do, then you may as well get those Kotha out there.
Stand Down and Prepare to be Boarded!
Though you would think an enemy would burst out laughing when hearing this from an Abbai, this is a viable option. Use a Comms Disruptor to give the enemy a -2 to its CQ check and you have a good chance of ending the fight before anyone else gets hurt.
The Abbai aren't exactly a warrior race, but they do have to face the realities of living in a hostile galaxy. Once diplomacy has failed for the fifth time they are willing to take up arms and defend what they believe is right. Just don't expect them to be very enthusiastic about it.
Why so Defensive?
Abbai ships favor defense over all other concerns. This makes their ships difficult to kill. Shields are critical to this concept, keep them up as long as possible. Anti-Fighter can be found on nearly all Abbai ships as well. Count on your defenses to see you through many conflicts because it's pretty much all you've got.
Sorry, no offense!
The other side of the Abbai coin is that their ships are lacking in decisive firepower. Instead they try to "sand paper" their enemies down and hope they survive longer than the enemy.
Group Hug!
The main weapon of the Abbai, the Quad Particle Array, is very short range. You must get inside 8" to use it so you must get very close to the enemy. Be prepared for the angry fusillade of secondary weapons from every ship you approach.
Can you Hear me Now?
One interesting unique system in the Abbai arsenal is the Comms Disruptor. It can be used to effectively turn off the Special Actions of another ship. Use it to block an important order (like CBD or TTT) on an enemy ship or right before making an opposed CQ roll and it could give you an edge.
You first...I insist!
The Abbai have abysmal initiative, clocking in at a stunning -2, and have only one ship with the Command trait at the War level. Don't count on winning the initiative roll very often.
Abbai Ships:
Famous for taking a beating and giving you a stern lecture about it, the Abbai don't have a lot of choices when building a fleet. With a single choice at any level above Skirmish, your enemy will always have a good idea of what you are bringing to the battlefield.
Auxiliary Craft:
Wait...we're in a fight?
Boarding Pods
None. Why in the world would you want to send your friends over to that other ship when this one is quite comfortable?
Kotha
This is the worst fighter in the league, second only to the notorious Delta V in ineffectiveness. Poor hull, poor dodge, poor speed, and poor Dogfight rating. Its weapon has the Weak trait so these can't even serve as Interceptors. The only task a Kotha can perform is to escort ships and run out to Dogfight, and loose, against attacking fighters. They are dirt cheap, so you can afford to throw them away like this. Don't forget that escorts can lend Anti-Fighter to fighter flights.
Patrol Ships:
My other ship is a Yugo.
Bisara Escort Frigate
Like it says on the label, this is an escort. It has a rather poor Anti-Fighter rating so use the "Concentrate Defensive Firepower!" action when you really want to do some escorting. The Comms Disruptor can come in useful if the ship survives to use it.
Shyarie Jammer Frigate
This ship has conflicting missions. One one hand it is a small scout ship and so it should stay far away from danger. On the other it is armed with a large array of Comms Disruptors which require closing to 15" range. Fortunately the scout channels are seldom needed because all Abbai weapons are either beams or twin-linked. Unless your enemy has lots of stealth just consider this a jammer ship and fly it accordingly.
Tiraca Attack Frigate
A vanilla Patrol level attack ship. Its single die of beam will be fickle, but some days you get lucky. Secondary guns are about average. The plus side is that the Tiraca's good damage points and a shield make it tougher than most Patrol level ships.
Skirmish Ships:
Below average, but putting on a brave face.
Fetula Warrant Cutter
It's like a tiny Nova Dreadnought. Squeeze it in between several enemy ships and let the particles fly. All guns in every arc are the same so facing isn't important, only range.
Marata Diplomatic Transport
A tough little Skirmish ship, the Marata is essentially a Fetula that traded 2 AD of forward guns for better hull, damage, and shields. Fly in much the same way as the Fetula only focus more on broadsides than forward fire.
Milani Carrier
Get this ship for the beam weapon, not for the fighters. It has the same broadsides as both other ships in this class but is less survivable. It still may be your best Skirmish ship against enemies with tough hulls or interceptors.
Raid Ship:
Just about average.
Bimith Defender
With good all-around firepower (for an Abbai) and good survivability, this is a decent choice. The Escort trait and masses of twin-linked weapons make the Bimith deadly against fighter flights. It isn't an outstanding ship, but it can compete against most other Raid ships on reasonable terms.
Battle Ship:
Almost great. Starting to look like a fighting navy.
Lakara Cruiser
When people talk about the toughness of Abbai ships, this is the one they are thinking of. A strong hull, good damage points, shields, and even an Interceptor combine to make this ship difficult to kill. It carries the same beam weapon as the Primus (at shorter range) and has reasonable secondary batteries. It's really the first good offensive tool in the Abbai fleet so buy them in bulk if you have the points.
War Ship:
The Abbai actually have a solid entry in this class.
Juyaca Dreadnought
The Juyaca is a true warship. It must be brought inside the enemy fleet to be of maximum utility, as its laser firepower is spread over three arcs rather than just forward. The excellent Quad Bolters bring serious firepower up close in all arcs and it even has comms disruptors firing over multiple arcs. Once in the middle of an enemy fleet it can wreak havoc. It is as tough as any other War level ship in space.
Armageddon:
In the name of interstellar cooperation and peace the Abbai joined hands with their neighbors, the Brakiri, to make one of the deadliest vessels in space. Hooray for diplomacy!
Brivoki Advanced Warship
Outside of the ancients this is the toughest ship in its class, sporting a massive frame enhanced further via Abbai shielding. The two primary weapons can easily slice any ship of raid class or lower in a single sweep. Head straight into the thick of the enemy using the powerful beams on the approach and the withering secondary batteries once you arrive.
Special Actions
Even the Abbai have a few tricks up their sleeves when the chips are down. Use Special Actions to enhance the strengths of your fleet while compensating for any weaknesses.
All Hands on Deck!
Use this when the criticals start to stack up, especially if you loose your Shields.
All Power to Engines!
Having the shortest range guns around and very tough ships means that you should close range rapidly. This can help reduce the number of turns you take unanswered damage.
Close Blast Doors!
Make a tough ship tougher. For when even shields are low or there is simply too much damage incoming.
Come About!
This is sometimes needed to bring the forward laser back into arc.
Concentrate All Fire-power!
Almost never needed due to beams and twin-linked weapons. This can be used to ensure a hit with a comms disruptor.
Deploy Mines!
An Abbai ship needs all the firepower it can muster. This is great for use after a battle pass. If you can drop one of these right on top of the enemy they will be bard pressed not to set it off. Particularly funny to drop this on a carrier.
Divert Auxiliary Power to Shields!
You shields are the key to survival. Keeping them up can sometimes save you more pain than a CBD order. Shields don't just stop damage, they prevent criticals.
Give Me Ramming Speed!
If the ultimate sacrifice is called for, an Abbai ship will do nicely. Remember to hit the target with a comms disruptor so it is at a CQ penalty.
Intensify Defensive Fire!
This is needed to make the Bisara an effective escort. The Bimith can also make use of it when it is more important to sweep the skies of fighters than to fire upon the enemy.
Launch Breaching Pods and Shuttles!
You're kidding, right?
Maneuver to Shield Them!
While Dodge and Stealth don't work for a ship running interference, Shields work just fine. Abbai ships are superb at taking one for the team.
Scramble! Scramble!
If your carrier has absolutely nothing better to do, then you may as well get those Kotha out there.
Stand Down and Prepare to be Boarded!
Though you would think an enemy would burst out laughing when hearing this from an Abbai, this is a viable option. Use a Comms Disruptor to give the enemy a -2 to its CQ check and you have a good chance of ending the fight before anyone else gets hurt.
Thanks for all the articles so far, and keep them coming!
