Ideal Pirate Ship Configeration And Size? ...

Related to another thread. If a non civil person with lots of money and connections wanted to take advantage of future unsettled conditions in known human space, what exact type of surplus military ship would he use? Or would he decide instead of a modified merchant hull? What would be the near ideal pirate ship? HB

HB of CJ wrote:Related to another thread. If a non civil person with lots of money and connections wanted to take advantage of future unsettled conditions in known human space, what exact type of surplus military ship would he use? Or would he decide instead of a modified merchant hull? What would be the near ideal pirate ship? HB

I am going to assume here that advanced Haven sector hardware is off the table because the conditions for such non civil person to acquire it don't exist.

The place where corruption might make it possible--think of those BCs Technodyne managed to drop off the inventory list that ended up in Monica--to acquire light warships is the Solarian League.

Of the equipment potentially available to me, probably Indifatigable or Nevada class BCs...

or...

There might still be some Warlords or Mars class out there in the possession of Peep holdovers, although those might not be available either...

Don

n7axw wrote:"HB of CJ"]Related to another thread. If a non civil person with lots of money and connections wanted to take advantage of future unsettled conditions in known human space, what exact type of surplus military ship would he use? Or would he decide instead of a modified merchant hull? What would be the near ideal pirate ship? HB

I am going to assume here that advanced Haven sector hardware is off the table because the conditions for such non civil person to acquire it don't exist.

The place where corruption might make it possible--think of those BCs Technodyne managed to drop off the inventory list that ended up in Monica--to acquire light warships is the Solarian League.

Of the equipment potentially available to me, probably Indifatigable or Nevada class BCs...

or...

There might still be some Warlords or Mars class out there in the possession of Peep holdovers, although those might not be available either...

Don[/quote]

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I would look at this from 2 angles --
1) If the intent is to be a raider role of a pirate -- the Indifatigables would likely be the most potent, "available" platform outside the RMN / RHN / IAN patrolled areas. Modern Warlords and IAN BC's will eat the x-SLN ships for lunch. A well handled MARS-D Class will likely also mission kill a SLN BC.

2) If the intent is to lull a potential prize into ease prior to capture, I might look at re-fit fleet auxiliaries like Bachfisch's Pirate's Bane -- an x-IAN Missile Collier. Looks like a freighter but properly re-fit / re-armed acts like a heavy cruiser.

A pirate / privateer must still operate within "some" financial constraints.

-- Stewart

HB of CJ wrote:Related to another thread. If a non civil person with lots of money and connections wanted to take advantage of future unsettled conditions in known human space, what exact type of surplus military ship would he use? Or would he decide instead of a modified merchant hull? What would be the near ideal pirate ship? HB

Seems to me it depends on where you're going to be fishing for prizes, and what your willingness is to take damage.

If you're fishing out in the verge, against low traffic but virtually undefended systems, then you want something cheap to operate that still has good enough sensors and accel to run down merchants, and carries enough crew to furnish several prize crews. So something like an old DD or even smaller would likely be fine. You don't need much firepower because you're planning to run from any defenders.


If you're looking for more valuable fair, and willing to risk occasionally getting tangled up with an escort or system defense unit, you'd want something more powerful. Probably a CA or maybe even a BC (though you'd need to be pulling in valuable scores pretty regularly to make a BC profitable; especially if you have to pay for missiles and damage repair from the odd tangle with a LAC, DD, or CL)


I don't know that an armed merchant would be a good choice, you wouldn't have much overtake against your targets, and would be very slow to attempt to flee and very vulnerable if forced to fight (unless you could rebuild it as a full on armored Q-ship). Though an innovative pirate might look into a merchant conversion CLAC. Keep the prize crew and supplies on a cheap to operate merchant hull, then deploy LACs to wait for and run down prizes. OTOH without some Haven sector know-how (improved nodes) the LACs are going to be more sluggish than a SD (about 409g), which makes this a less attractive option.

Personally I'd go for a BC, but without specific, detailed information about classes in regards to bunkerage we can't really extrapolate and make any WAG's on profit margins.


We know that battlecruisers, or at least Manticoran ones, have large bunkerage, and frequently operate solo and/or extended operations.

But we also know, that at least in Silesia, most pirates operate in frigate to light cruiser size ranges. Although Silesian pirates also tended to have deals with local governors, presumably for getting refueled, and consumables topped off so that could explain their ship sizes.

HB of CJ wrote:Related to another thread. If a non civil person with lots of money and connections wanted to take advantage of future unsettled conditions in known human space, what exact type of surplus military ship would he use? Or would he decide instead of a modified merchant hull? What would be the near ideal pirate ship? HB

A DD. It is better than the rowboat with a gun that is the typical pirate ship, but doesn't require an absurd crew or operating expenses. If you could find a modern frigate that would work too, but you want reasonable sensors etc.

Somtaaw wrote:Personally I'd go for a BC, but without specific, detailed information about classes in regards to bunkerage we can't really extrapolate and make any WAG's on profit margins.


We know that battlecruisers, or at least Manticoran ones, have large bunkerage, and frequently operate solo and/or extended operations.

But we also know, that at least in Silesia, most pirates operate in frigate to light cruiser size ranges. Although Silesian pirates also tended to have deals with local governors, presumably for getting refueled, and consumables topped off so that could explain their ship sizes.

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For shame, for shame, Somtaaw --

You know those "alleged" pirates are actually privateers and locally commissioned vessels engaged in system patrol and security. Anything else is obviously just a misunderstanding.

-- Stewart

stewart wrote:------------------

I would look at this from 2 angles --
1) If the intent is to be a raider role of a pirate -- the Indifatigables would likely be the most potent, "available" platform outside the RMN / RHN / IAN patrolled areas. Modern Warlords and IAN BC's will eat the x-SLN ships for lunch. A well handled MARS-D Class will likely also mission kill a SLN BC.

2) If the intent is to lull a potential prize into ease prior to capture, I might look at re-fit fleet auxiliaries like Bachfisch's Pirate's Bane -- an x-IAN Missile Collier. Looks like a freighter but properly re-fit / re-armed acts like a heavy cruiser.

A pirate / privateer must still operate within "some" financial constraints.

-- Stewart

I agreee with stewarts approach, though I would tend more toward the qship approach than the Pirate's Bane. More tonnage, more space for prize cargos etc.

Pirates... BC's???

Are you kidding me? This is a BUSINESS.

Pirates are pirates and doing piraty things because they are greedy and lazy. Therefore, bare minimum platform that has sensors, overtake acceleration, and can fire a missile or two. Frigates/DD.

Warlords, with an ever increasing pride and ego, who think THEY are the masters and you plebes should kow-tow and kiss their feet, will buy CL/CA's/BC's to conquer. Warnecekes of this universe. Warlords are more than willing to partake in thievery, but not at the possible expense of their empire building.

One is not the other.

ksandgren wrote:

stewart wrote:------------------

I would look at this from 2 angles --
1) If the intent is to be a raider role of a pirate -- the Indifatigables would likely be the most potent, "available" platform outside the RMN / RHN / IAN patrolled areas. Modern Warlords and IAN BC's will eat the x-SLN ships for lunch. A well handled MARS-D Class will likely also mission kill a SLN BC.

2) If the intent is to lull a potential prize into ease prior to capture, I might look at re-fit fleet auxiliaries like Bachfisch's Pirate's Bane -- an x-IAN Missile Collier. Looks like a freighter but properly re-fit / re-armed acts like a heavy cruiser.

A pirate / privateer must still operate within "some" financial constraints.

-- Stewart

I agree with stewarts approach, though I would tend more toward the q-ship approach than the Pirate's Bane. More tonnage, more space for prize cargoes etc.

Pirates Bane was a general collier not a missile collier. probable the honorverse version of an AFS.