[FT] What makes a good destroyer?

Seems like destroyers are hardest for me to design for Full Thrust because
they're so limited in displacement. It's seemed lately that if they don't have
something with at least a 30" range, they hardly get to fire at all before
they're destroyed. So, what kinds of destroyers do you use, what do they have,
and how have you liked it in service?

Thanks!

It depends upon the DDs mission profile. Sometimes you take them simply for
the reason that they DO soak up long range fire, thus delaying that first
threshold on your more important ships. The scale you're using (inch or cm)
influences my decision as well. For
inch, class-2 & Ptorps are in range a lot of the time on smaller tables,
but
class-3 are definately the way to go in cm scale games, especially when
the
velocities get up around 20-30.  High thrust is useful to increase your
threat envelope.
It sounds like for your purposes, you need a DD with 1-2 class-3
batteries with lots of hull and armour. If your opponents target DDs first,
the extra armour gives you a chance to take out his more important ships while
your own expendable DDs get plastered, thus saving your own battleline.

Neath Southern Skies -http://home.pacific.net.au/~southernskies/
[mkw] Admiral Peter Rollins; Task Force Zulu
[Firestorm] GM Battletech Webgame#2

> -----Original Message-----

***
Seems like destroyers are hardest for me to design for Full Thrust because
they're so limited in displacement. It's seemed lately that if they don't have
something with at least a 30" range, they hardly get to fire at all before
they're destroyed.
***

Well, you'll probably get a long discussion on how they're to be used, not on
how they're designed. It's already been discussed that an equal pointed DD
fleet and HC fleet meeting will usually involve the death of DD's first,
though the HC's will not be pretty.

On the other hand, if you have even smaller SMR strikeboats on their way in,
moderate DD's may be less attractive targets. Also, I've been occasionally
successful with heavies on point, and the DD's coming up the rear, since their
greater acc allows them to close to battle from the rear.

Now, how you use them will be important for specific designs. Can you give
some examples of how you stick them in? Fleet size and numbers per class?
Is this against your behemouth-Sa'vasku-playing friend? ;->=

The_Beast

-Douglas J. Evans, curmudgeon

One World, one Web, one Program - Microsoft promotional ad

David,

It largely depends on what your tactical requirements are and how they fit
within your fleet. I tend to build my destroyers in a mission specific method
i.e. Escort DEs
with good anti-aircraft/missile capabilities
that explode real good when hit lol. I also field fast attack missile armed
destroyers for harassing attacks, these are not intended to defeat anything
just at primarily as a diversion.
Standard gun-armed destroyers support my
battle line. I also, on occasion, field heavy destroyers to supplement my
cruisers. The first and foremost thing that you need to determine is again
what is your fleet's tactical doctrine. The most important factor in my
determination as to what my destroyers are used for is simply two things: one,
what do I need them for? and two, how much do I have to spend? The thing that
allot of players tend to overlook is that every ship in their fleet does not
have to be overly powerful, as cold and hard as this may sound, escorts
i.e.destroyers, frigates, and other auxiliaries mission is to support the main
fleet. And if this means that they at times are required to die gloriously for
their respective empires, oh well. Tis far better points loss then you capital
ships!

Try using them like destroyers.

If thier in front of or with your battle line units (BB's, BDN's, SDN's)
they'll draw fire away from the battle line units, but they won't last long.
If they are one range band behind the battle line units, they can then swoop
in and harrass (draw fire) the enemy. This works best if the DD's have a
couple Submunition packs, or other one shot wonders. The FSE Ibiza class FF is
an example of a useful design, assuming it doesn't blow up before it gets to
fire.

ias

[quoted original message omitted]

How many systems can have that said about them? Especially DIY construction.
It's always interesting when nearly *any* design philosophy can win if things
go as planned.

Neath Southern Skies -http://home.pacific.net.au/~southernskies/
[mkw] Admiral Peter Rollins; Task Force Zulu
[Firestorm] GM Battletech Webgame#2

> -----Original Message-----

> --- devans@uneb.edu wrote:
...Can you give
> some examples of how you stick them in? Fleet size

Oh no. I have no great loss to recover from. I have destroyers I play. Some do
well and some don't but it's due more to luck than to great designs. Some are
wierd (full of submunitions) but most are sort of NAC like. I'm just
interested in what people think. Maybe I can make them better.

[quoted original message omitted]