Democratus
Mongoose
Ships of the Narn Regime
The Narn are the quintessential warrior race in Babylon 5. They don't have the fancy technology of the other major powers, but they make up for it with tenacity, a strong survival instinct, and a willingness to spill their own blood to accomplish their goals.
Their ships largely reflect this philosophy. Narn ships typically have tough hulls and large damage values, but without any other significant active defenses. A Narn warship is built to take brutal punishment and still accomplish its mission.
The design of Narn ships has an effect on how they are used effectively in battle.
Tough as Nails!
Narn ships tend to have more damage points than other ships of the same priority. What they lack in sophistication, they make up for sheer bulk. This means that enemy ships must concentrate more firepower on a single ship to insure its destruction, freeing your other ships to accomplish their mission.
Mine, all Mine!
A weapon system strongly associated with the Narn is the energy mine. When employed properly this system can make up for many of the technical shortcomings of the fleet. Fighter flights wither under e-mine attack and no other weapon system is as effective against the stealthy Minbari. The potency of the low-tech Narn fleet against the highly advanced Minbari is one of the galaxy's sweet ironies.
...and your enemies closer!
Narn secondary batteries are not known for their long range. Bringing ion cannons and pulse cannons to bear can be tricky against a fast or agile foe. When an enemy ship is not near, these weapons can bring down enemy fighters by sheer weight of dice. Always be looking for a way to use your secondaries. After all, you paid for them.
Fly Casual!
The Narn are not big on dedicated carriers but they recognize the value of fighters. Thus most of their ships serve as casual carriers, with one or two flights on board. In sizable fleets, these can add up to form a significant air wing. You will seldom field the massive waves of fighters Earthforce is famous for but you will nearly always have available fighters as escorts or supplemental firepower.
Infinite manpower and the will to use it!
Narn ships tend to carry more troops than is typical for their size. This makes boarding actions a viable option with even Skirmish ships. Always keep an eye open for an opportunity to execute the Launch Breaching Pods and Shuttles! Special Action.
Narn Ships:
The single-minded aggressive nature of the Narn is expressed in their ships. Narn laser weaponry is nearly always mounted in the Boresight arc, with other heavy weapons in the Forward arc. The flip side of this is that Narn ships tend to have weak weaponry to the sides and rear.
Auxiliary Ships:
Breaching Pod
This is the superior "tough" variety of pod. They have a good chance to survive a round of Anti-Fighter fire and deliver their deadly cargo to the enemy. Drop them in the path of lumbering ships for guaranteed success of a one-turn delivery.
Frazi
The quintessential Narn fighter, it has few dazzling features other than a large number of guns. A wing of 5 Frazi can bring 20 AD to bear on a target. This is not insignificant, especially if enhanced with a Scout. You must move into Anti-Fighter range to use them but sacrifice comes naturally to the Narn.
Gorith
A below average space-superiority fighter. They do well enough on the defense as escorts for a ship. Use them as interceptors against incoming fire and to dash out and stop enemy attack fighters.
Patrol Ships:
The Narn are average in this category, with two light but agile ship classes.
Sho'Kos Patrol Cutter
Two good features of this ship. It can be bought 2-for-1 and it can be difficult to kill when on CBD. It's weapons suite is poor, though. Good init sink.
Sho'Kov Torpedo Cutter
This is the patrol ship to get. It has the same features of the Sho'Kos, but it trades a range 8 beam for a range 20 torpedo. These ships are excellent init sinks that also have a good chance to score the occasional crit against the enemy. This makes them hard to ignore, drawing fire away from other assets.
Skirmish Ships:
There are some excellent hulls in the Skirmish class for the Narn. Many carry a significant amount of beam weaponry.
Ka'Tan Escort Destroyer
At first blush, a Skirmish ship with an energy mine would seem a good thing. But the mine used by the Ka'Tan is only 2 AD and is one shot, making it marginal even at killing fighters. The addition of Anti-Fighter is insufficient enticement to choose the Ka'Tan over its brother, the Ka'Toc.
Ka'Toc Battle Destroyer
This is a classic favorite of Narn players. Two dice of DD and one die of TD beam make the ship a credible threat. The low number of dice make luck a big factor in using this ship, but at times it can punch far above its weight. The fighter flight is a nice bonus. Bring along a Gorith as an escort or a Frazi for extra punch. With a turn rate of 1/45 and a Boresight weapon this ship isn't a primary init sink.
Rongoth Destroyer
If this ship can reach close range (within 8") it has the same firepower as a Nova broadside. It is reasonably tough and has good speed. It is, however, useless at longer ranges. If you can count on a close-quarters fight such as a defense scenario this might be a good choice, otherwise there are better Skirmish ships in the Narn inventory.
Rothan Plasma Destroyer
Much like the Rongoth, this ship can bring decent firepower at close range for its size. I prefer this ship to the Rongoth because of the AP/DD trait, which can be enhanced through Scouting or Concentrate Firepower!.
Sho'Kar Light Scout Cruiser
This is a good scout considering the state of Narn technology. It has the speed and agility to avoid close confrontation and even carries a fighter along for support. The Stealth rating is somewhat weak, so enhance it with terrain if at all possible. If things get desperate it does carry a laser. The Sho'Kars first mission is to make torpedoes more effective, then to assist fighter wings.
Thentus Frigate
This ship is an attempt at a balanced (for a Narn) frigate. It has 4 dice of Beam (half of them DD) and a moderate spread secondary guns in all directions. The ship is reasonably tough and maneuverable. It falls squarely in the middle of the road as a flexible, if uninspired, design.
T'Rakk Frigate
This is a substandard ship, largely inferior to other choices at this level. It's primary weapon has good traits but too few dice. The biggest saving grace of the ship is that it is the toughest Skirmish ship in the Narn fleet.
Raid Ships:
This is the 'sweet spot' for the Narn, with multiple superb ships from which to choose.
Dag'Kar Missile Frigate
This ship is why the Narn have such a reputation with their e-mines. It can throw a devastating amount of sustained firepower at long range. While its e-mines are slow loading, the torpedoes are not. The mere presence of a Dag'Kar (or two) will alter your enemy's deployment and movement as he struggles to avoid bunching up. The trade off is that this ship has a weak hull and will be targeted early by your enemy. Don't expect a Dag'Kar to survive many turns, so make it count while it lasts!
G'Karith Patrol Cutter
The bane of fighters and Minbari, the G'Karith carries the only e-mine in the fleet that can be fired every turn. It doesn't have all the traits of other e-mines, but it makes up for this with more dice. Good speed, maneuverability, Anti-Fighter, secondary batteries, and a flight of fighters rounds out decent ship that is right for nearly any occasion.
G'sten War Cruiser
In most cases this variant of the G'Karith is inferior to the original. It has a decent forward array, roughly equivalent to a Nova broadside, and an additional fighter. But it looses the excellent e-mine, which is the whole point of the G'Karith in the first place.
T'Loth Assault Cruiser
The T'Loth is famous for one thing, it's toughness. Few other Raid ships have as much hull as this monster. It also carries a huge compliment of troops, making it ideal for planetary assaults and boarding actions. Firepower is limited in range and strength, though it has an impressive volume of secondary batteries.
T'Rann Heavy Carrier
If there were a competition for worst carrier in space, this would be a front-runner. The T'Rann is only a carrier because of the number of fighters on board. It's low carrier rating means that it will be at least 2 turns before all fighters are deployed, assuming successful "Scramble! Scramble!" Special Actions. Unless you have a compelling reason to bring this ship you will be better off purchasing fighters and warships separately.
Var'Nic Long Range Destroyer
Another excellent Raid ship in the Narn inventory, the Var'Nic has an impressive suite of features. It has a powerful primary weapon in the laser cannon backed up with a long range crit-generator, the ion torpedo. Add to this a hull rating of 6, an excellent turn rate of 2/45, and a flight of fighters. What's not to like?
Battle Ships:
Despite the frequent appearance of these ships on the television show, the Narn Battle level ships have a reputation for being mediocre, if not sub-par. They are all incredibly tough but lack the offensive punch appropriate for such famous vessels.
G'Quan Heavy Cruiser
One of the most famous ships in Babylon 5. It has a fairly good main weapon in the laser cannon, though less AD than its primary competitors (the Primus and Omega). The e-mine is a nice addition, but it is one-shot, meaning you must choose your moment carefully to utilize it. Other than these two weapons, the G'Quan has the typical short range secondary batteries and a lot of damage points. The two fighters are a nice bonus, but again fall short of what is brought by similar ships in other fleets.
G'Lan Mag Cruiser
The G'Lan attempts to compensate for the inferior laser of the G'Quan by adding a Mag Gun. In exchange, it shortens its range to 18" and looses the one-shot energy mine. The result is a huge ship that will not be engaging for the first turn or two of a battle.
G'Tal Command Cruiser
Trading the fighters and the one-shot e-mine of the G'Quan for a Command +2 rating may actually be an improvement. With the better initiative this ship has a decent chance to get a meaningful target in its boresight. Otherwise it has the same shortcomings in speed and secondary weaponry as the other Narn ships in this class.
War Ships:
Another strong area for the Narn fleet. All three ships in this class are decent choices, though some are better than others.
Bin'Tak Dreadnought
The original 800-pound gorilla. The Bin'Tak is one of the toughest ships in space, this side of Armageddon class. The weapons philosophy for the Bin'Tak is "I'll take one of everything!". It has lasers, mag guns, e-mines (sadly one-shot), torpedoes, troops, fighters, shuttles, command, and a pile of secondary guns. This is a solid ship, able to hold its own against the War ships of other fleets.
G'Quanth Attack Cruiser
This is the ship that the G'Quan wanted to be. It has the same, slightly below-par heavy laser. But in addition it has an impressive e-mine that is slow loading (rather than one-shot) and a large torpedo suite. All of these weapons have the same long range and can engage enemies from the first turn.
G'Vrahn Fast Cruiser
Possibly the best War class ship in the game, the G'Vrahn has a fearsome list of features. It has more and better beam weaponry than a Bin'Tak, extreme range e-mines (slow loading), superb maneuverability, an advanced jump engine for ambush tactics, and a strong fighter compliment. In every way, this is a superb ship of war. The only down side is that it means the other two War level ships in the Narn inventory will seldom make an appearance unless there is a service date restriction.
Armageddon Ship:
The Narn entry in the "biggest ship in the galaxy" contest.
K'Bin'Tak Super Dreadnought
This is the biggest ship in space, bar none, if only hull and damage points were counted. As would be expected for a ship of this class, it carries nothing but the best in heavy weaponry available in the regime. The e-mine alone is enough to crush most Skirmish ships in a single volley. While a simple design, the brute force and toughness of this ship makes it a match for others in its class.
Special Actions:
Narn ships benefit more from some Special Actions than others.
All Hands on Deck!
The greatest enemy to Narn ships is critical damage. Many times a G'Quan will be largely intact but toothless due to multiple criticals. This order can bring systems back online in a hurry, returning a ship to active duty in time to win the battle.
All Power to Engines!
Some Narn ships have tough hulls and rather short-range weaponry. These could benefit from a dash across the board, relying on their inherent toughness (rather than CBD) to survive until they reach engagement range.
All Stop! / All Stop and Pivot!
Many Narn ships have very long range weapons. The Dag'Kar in particular would much rather stay in the backfield, lobbing death at enemies from a safe distance. Occasionally a ship with a long range laser can arrange an All Stop and Pivot! to keep a boresight weapon on target. Remember that this order is essentially "free" in the gravity well of a planet.
Come About!
Since most Narn vessels are somewhat less than nimble, this can help bring those Boresight lasers to bear.
Concentrate All Firepower!
This order is useful to guarantee torpedo hits when a scout is not available.
Close Blast Doors!
A Narn ship on CBD is monstrously tough! Not only do they generally have good hull and lots of damage, the Narn are able to ignore 1 in 6 critical effects (including damage!) when under CBD. Several ships have a pile of short-range secondary guns and a single primary weapon so little is lost in firepower when doing this.
Give Me Ramming Speed!
When your ship is bigger and tougher than the enemy, you just might survive a ramming attack.
Launch Breaching Pods and Shuttles!
The surplus of troops on Narn ships make this a popular action whenever the chance arises.
Maneuver To Shield Them!
I have used this to protect my precious Dag'Kar with a tiny Sho'Kov or a resilient Var'Nic. Sometimes a ship has to take one for the team in order to bring in the big win.
Stand Down and Prepare to be Boarded!
This action requires that you have more Damage points than the enemy ship. With the Narn this is often easily accomplished. Keep an eye open for an opportunity to shut down a key enemy ship.
Track That Target!
The preponderance of Boresight lasers means that this will be a frequently used Special Action.
The Narn are the quintessential warrior race in Babylon 5. They don't have the fancy technology of the other major powers, but they make up for it with tenacity, a strong survival instinct, and a willingness to spill their own blood to accomplish their goals.
Their ships largely reflect this philosophy. Narn ships typically have tough hulls and large damage values, but without any other significant active defenses. A Narn warship is built to take brutal punishment and still accomplish its mission.
The design of Narn ships has an effect on how they are used effectively in battle.
Tough as Nails!
Narn ships tend to have more damage points than other ships of the same priority. What they lack in sophistication, they make up for sheer bulk. This means that enemy ships must concentrate more firepower on a single ship to insure its destruction, freeing your other ships to accomplish their mission.
Mine, all Mine!
A weapon system strongly associated with the Narn is the energy mine. When employed properly this system can make up for many of the technical shortcomings of the fleet. Fighter flights wither under e-mine attack and no other weapon system is as effective against the stealthy Minbari. The potency of the low-tech Narn fleet against the highly advanced Minbari is one of the galaxy's sweet ironies.
...and your enemies closer!
Narn secondary batteries are not known for their long range. Bringing ion cannons and pulse cannons to bear can be tricky against a fast or agile foe. When an enemy ship is not near, these weapons can bring down enemy fighters by sheer weight of dice. Always be looking for a way to use your secondaries. After all, you paid for them.
Fly Casual!
The Narn are not big on dedicated carriers but they recognize the value of fighters. Thus most of their ships serve as casual carriers, with one or two flights on board. In sizable fleets, these can add up to form a significant air wing. You will seldom field the massive waves of fighters Earthforce is famous for but you will nearly always have available fighters as escorts or supplemental firepower.
Infinite manpower and the will to use it!
Narn ships tend to carry more troops than is typical for their size. This makes boarding actions a viable option with even Skirmish ships. Always keep an eye open for an opportunity to execute the Launch Breaching Pods and Shuttles! Special Action.
Narn Ships:
The single-minded aggressive nature of the Narn is expressed in their ships. Narn laser weaponry is nearly always mounted in the Boresight arc, with other heavy weapons in the Forward arc. The flip side of this is that Narn ships tend to have weak weaponry to the sides and rear.
Auxiliary Ships:
Breaching Pod
This is the superior "tough" variety of pod. They have a good chance to survive a round of Anti-Fighter fire and deliver their deadly cargo to the enemy. Drop them in the path of lumbering ships for guaranteed success of a one-turn delivery.
Frazi
The quintessential Narn fighter, it has few dazzling features other than a large number of guns. A wing of 5 Frazi can bring 20 AD to bear on a target. This is not insignificant, especially if enhanced with a Scout. You must move into Anti-Fighter range to use them but sacrifice comes naturally to the Narn.
Gorith
A below average space-superiority fighter. They do well enough on the defense as escorts for a ship. Use them as interceptors against incoming fire and to dash out and stop enemy attack fighters.
Patrol Ships:
The Narn are average in this category, with two light but agile ship classes.
Sho'Kos Patrol Cutter
Two good features of this ship. It can be bought 2-for-1 and it can be difficult to kill when on CBD. It's weapons suite is poor, though. Good init sink.
Sho'Kov Torpedo Cutter
This is the patrol ship to get. It has the same features of the Sho'Kos, but it trades a range 8 beam for a range 20 torpedo. These ships are excellent init sinks that also have a good chance to score the occasional crit against the enemy. This makes them hard to ignore, drawing fire away from other assets.
Skirmish Ships:
There are some excellent hulls in the Skirmish class for the Narn. Many carry a significant amount of beam weaponry.
Ka'Tan Escort Destroyer
At first blush, a Skirmish ship with an energy mine would seem a good thing. But the mine used by the Ka'Tan is only 2 AD and is one shot, making it marginal even at killing fighters. The addition of Anti-Fighter is insufficient enticement to choose the Ka'Tan over its brother, the Ka'Toc.
Ka'Toc Battle Destroyer
This is a classic favorite of Narn players. Two dice of DD and one die of TD beam make the ship a credible threat. The low number of dice make luck a big factor in using this ship, but at times it can punch far above its weight. The fighter flight is a nice bonus. Bring along a Gorith as an escort or a Frazi for extra punch. With a turn rate of 1/45 and a Boresight weapon this ship isn't a primary init sink.
Rongoth Destroyer
If this ship can reach close range (within 8") it has the same firepower as a Nova broadside. It is reasonably tough and has good speed. It is, however, useless at longer ranges. If you can count on a close-quarters fight such as a defense scenario this might be a good choice, otherwise there are better Skirmish ships in the Narn inventory.
Rothan Plasma Destroyer
Much like the Rongoth, this ship can bring decent firepower at close range for its size. I prefer this ship to the Rongoth because of the AP/DD trait, which can be enhanced through Scouting or Concentrate Firepower!.
Sho'Kar Light Scout Cruiser
This is a good scout considering the state of Narn technology. It has the speed and agility to avoid close confrontation and even carries a fighter along for support. The Stealth rating is somewhat weak, so enhance it with terrain if at all possible. If things get desperate it does carry a laser. The Sho'Kars first mission is to make torpedoes more effective, then to assist fighter wings.
Thentus Frigate
This ship is an attempt at a balanced (for a Narn) frigate. It has 4 dice of Beam (half of them DD) and a moderate spread secondary guns in all directions. The ship is reasonably tough and maneuverable. It falls squarely in the middle of the road as a flexible, if uninspired, design.
T'Rakk Frigate
This is a substandard ship, largely inferior to other choices at this level. It's primary weapon has good traits but too few dice. The biggest saving grace of the ship is that it is the toughest Skirmish ship in the Narn fleet.
Raid Ships:
This is the 'sweet spot' for the Narn, with multiple superb ships from which to choose.
Dag'Kar Missile Frigate
This ship is why the Narn have such a reputation with their e-mines. It can throw a devastating amount of sustained firepower at long range. While its e-mines are slow loading, the torpedoes are not. The mere presence of a Dag'Kar (or two) will alter your enemy's deployment and movement as he struggles to avoid bunching up. The trade off is that this ship has a weak hull and will be targeted early by your enemy. Don't expect a Dag'Kar to survive many turns, so make it count while it lasts!
G'Karith Patrol Cutter
The bane of fighters and Minbari, the G'Karith carries the only e-mine in the fleet that can be fired every turn. It doesn't have all the traits of other e-mines, but it makes up for this with more dice. Good speed, maneuverability, Anti-Fighter, secondary batteries, and a flight of fighters rounds out decent ship that is right for nearly any occasion.
G'sten War Cruiser
In most cases this variant of the G'Karith is inferior to the original. It has a decent forward array, roughly equivalent to a Nova broadside, and an additional fighter. But it looses the excellent e-mine, which is the whole point of the G'Karith in the first place.
T'Loth Assault Cruiser
The T'Loth is famous for one thing, it's toughness. Few other Raid ships have as much hull as this monster. It also carries a huge compliment of troops, making it ideal for planetary assaults and boarding actions. Firepower is limited in range and strength, though it has an impressive volume of secondary batteries.
T'Rann Heavy Carrier
If there were a competition for worst carrier in space, this would be a front-runner. The T'Rann is only a carrier because of the number of fighters on board. It's low carrier rating means that it will be at least 2 turns before all fighters are deployed, assuming successful "Scramble! Scramble!" Special Actions. Unless you have a compelling reason to bring this ship you will be better off purchasing fighters and warships separately.
Var'Nic Long Range Destroyer
Another excellent Raid ship in the Narn inventory, the Var'Nic has an impressive suite of features. It has a powerful primary weapon in the laser cannon backed up with a long range crit-generator, the ion torpedo. Add to this a hull rating of 6, an excellent turn rate of 2/45, and a flight of fighters. What's not to like?
Battle Ships:
Despite the frequent appearance of these ships on the television show, the Narn Battle level ships have a reputation for being mediocre, if not sub-par. They are all incredibly tough but lack the offensive punch appropriate for such famous vessels.
G'Quan Heavy Cruiser
One of the most famous ships in Babylon 5. It has a fairly good main weapon in the laser cannon, though less AD than its primary competitors (the Primus and Omega). The e-mine is a nice addition, but it is one-shot, meaning you must choose your moment carefully to utilize it. Other than these two weapons, the G'Quan has the typical short range secondary batteries and a lot of damage points. The two fighters are a nice bonus, but again fall short of what is brought by similar ships in other fleets.
G'Lan Mag Cruiser
The G'Lan attempts to compensate for the inferior laser of the G'Quan by adding a Mag Gun. In exchange, it shortens its range to 18" and looses the one-shot energy mine. The result is a huge ship that will not be engaging for the first turn or two of a battle.
G'Tal Command Cruiser
Trading the fighters and the one-shot e-mine of the G'Quan for a Command +2 rating may actually be an improvement. With the better initiative this ship has a decent chance to get a meaningful target in its boresight. Otherwise it has the same shortcomings in speed and secondary weaponry as the other Narn ships in this class.
War Ships:
Another strong area for the Narn fleet. All three ships in this class are decent choices, though some are better than others.
Bin'Tak Dreadnought
The original 800-pound gorilla. The Bin'Tak is one of the toughest ships in space, this side of Armageddon class. The weapons philosophy for the Bin'Tak is "I'll take one of everything!". It has lasers, mag guns, e-mines (sadly one-shot), torpedoes, troops, fighters, shuttles, command, and a pile of secondary guns. This is a solid ship, able to hold its own against the War ships of other fleets.
G'Quanth Attack Cruiser
This is the ship that the G'Quan wanted to be. It has the same, slightly below-par heavy laser. But in addition it has an impressive e-mine that is slow loading (rather than one-shot) and a large torpedo suite. All of these weapons have the same long range and can engage enemies from the first turn.
G'Vrahn Fast Cruiser
Possibly the best War class ship in the game, the G'Vrahn has a fearsome list of features. It has more and better beam weaponry than a Bin'Tak, extreme range e-mines (slow loading), superb maneuverability, an advanced jump engine for ambush tactics, and a strong fighter compliment. In every way, this is a superb ship of war. The only down side is that it means the other two War level ships in the Narn inventory will seldom make an appearance unless there is a service date restriction.
Armageddon Ship:
The Narn entry in the "biggest ship in the galaxy" contest.
K'Bin'Tak Super Dreadnought
This is the biggest ship in space, bar none, if only hull and damage points were counted. As would be expected for a ship of this class, it carries nothing but the best in heavy weaponry available in the regime. The e-mine alone is enough to crush most Skirmish ships in a single volley. While a simple design, the brute force and toughness of this ship makes it a match for others in its class.
Special Actions:
Narn ships benefit more from some Special Actions than others.
All Hands on Deck!
The greatest enemy to Narn ships is critical damage. Many times a G'Quan will be largely intact but toothless due to multiple criticals. This order can bring systems back online in a hurry, returning a ship to active duty in time to win the battle.
All Power to Engines!
Some Narn ships have tough hulls and rather short-range weaponry. These could benefit from a dash across the board, relying on their inherent toughness (rather than CBD) to survive until they reach engagement range.
All Stop! / All Stop and Pivot!
Many Narn ships have very long range weapons. The Dag'Kar in particular would much rather stay in the backfield, lobbing death at enemies from a safe distance. Occasionally a ship with a long range laser can arrange an All Stop and Pivot! to keep a boresight weapon on target. Remember that this order is essentially "free" in the gravity well of a planet.
Come About!
Since most Narn vessels are somewhat less than nimble, this can help bring those Boresight lasers to bear.
Concentrate All Firepower!
This order is useful to guarantee torpedo hits when a scout is not available.
Close Blast Doors!
A Narn ship on CBD is monstrously tough! Not only do they generally have good hull and lots of damage, the Narn are able to ignore 1 in 6 critical effects (including damage!) when under CBD. Several ships have a pile of short-range secondary guns and a single primary weapon so little is lost in firepower when doing this.
Give Me Ramming Speed!
When your ship is bigger and tougher than the enemy, you just might survive a ramming attack.
Launch Breaching Pods and Shuttles!
The surplus of troops on Narn ships make this a popular action whenever the chance arises.
Maneuver To Shield Them!
I have used this to protect my precious Dag'Kar with a tiny Sho'Kov or a resilient Var'Nic. Sometimes a ship has to take one for the team in order to bring in the big win.
Stand Down and Prepare to be Boarded!
This action requires that you have more Damage points than the enemy ship. With the Narn this is often easily accomplished. Keep an eye open for an opportunity to shut down a key enemy ship.
Track That Target!
The preponderance of Boresight lasers means that this will be a frequently used Special Action.