In theory (since I haven't test it, yet), the Graser looks to be a very
powerful weapon. I'll know for sure when I tell
Steve "Mr. Mixed-Tech WW2 uber battlewagons" about
them and see if he changes his entire fleet over to use them.
But what got me to thinking about the graser's power is
using a class-1 graser in a strike boat.
"Uber Boaten" Mass: 7, NPV: 28 Hull 1, rows: 3 MD: 7, FTL FC: 1
Armament: 1x class-1 Graser (F)
(The non-FTL version: Mass 6, NPV 25, MD 8. I made
a soap-bubble "Carrier", mass 34, that carried 16 of these;
equivalent cost would get you 18 of the FTL versions).
The graser-1 has less range but more damage potential than
a pulse torpedo-armed strikeboat, which will mass at
10 and cost 37. The pulse torpedo is longer ranged, but the chance to hit is
slim at those ranges.
Maybe the mass of the class-1 graser is too small?
Can Grasers, particularly class-1s, be fired at fighters,
missiles, or plasma bolts? It doesn't say they can, but
they are a beam-type weapon and class-1 beams can.
Then there's the other side: the x3 mass for every class
above 3. I have a hard time justifying a class-4 beam
over 2x class-3 beams. With Grasers, I could have
3x class-3s vs. 1x class-4. The class-3 graser already
out ranges every weapon except the Nova Cannon, Sa'vasku, and very large beam
weapons.
Glen
P.S. I had to edit my post, I was spelling "Graser" as "Grazer" each time. I'm
so American.:)
After using a 10,000 point fleet armed with grasers I will agree that they
are powerful, but no more so than the equivilent mass of K-guns, and
don't
forget K-guns go through armour and screens. A ship with level 2 screens
does not have to much to worry about from graser fire, unless the dice all
come up 6's, in which case it would be in trouble anyway.
When comparing Grasers with pulse torps, torps have not only the range
advantage, they can penetrate screens, and they are much more accurrate at
ranges up to 12 mu. And they are cheaper.
I would assume that class 1 grasers cannot be used in a PD role. They might be
"class 1" weapons but even a class 1 graser is still a heavy
anti-shipping weapon, and takes up as much mass as a 6 arc B-2, and
those can't be used in PD roles. Thats my take anyway.
Regards,
> Glen Bailey wrote:
> In theory (since I haven't test it, yet), the Graser looks to be a very
> powerful weapon.
It is also a very *expensive* weapon... particularly the larger types of
course, but even the G1 is quite pricey.
> I'll know for sure when I tell Steve "Mr. Mixed-Tech WW2 uber
More importantly, see if he sticks to it after a few battles :-)
Frankly, if he didn't switch to Pulsers when FB2 was published I don't think
he'll use Grasers exclusively either.
> But what got me to thinking about the graser's power is
Compare it to this one:
TMF 7 NPV 30 Hull 1 (3 rows) MD 7 FTL 1x FCS
1x Pulser-C (F)
The G1-armed ship has 18mu range instead of 12mu, but OTOH it only
inflicts on average 2.8 pts per shot (against unscreened targets) compared to
the
Pulser-C's 4.8; I'd rate them as about equally nasty.
> The graser-1 has less range but more damage potential than
When you have a dozen or more ships firing, even those slim hit probabilities
add up to significant damage. In addition, while the G1
strikeboat has a larger damage *potential* than the PT-armed one (since
a graser can potentially roll an infinite number of hits through very lucky
re-rolls and a P-torp can't), the only ranges where its *average* damage
beats the P-torp are 6-18 mu against unscreened targets and 12-18 mu
against targets with screen-1. Against targets with level-2 screens the
P-torp is better at all ranges.
> Maybe the mass of the class-1 graser is too small?
It is less "too small" than the standard Class-2 Beam Battery is too
small :-/
> Can Grasers, particularly class-1s, be fired at fighters, missiles, or
Grasers have no point-defence mode, no.
> It doesn't say they can, but they are a beam-type weapon and class-1
Graser Batteries =|= Beam Batteries.
> Then there's the other side: the x3 mass for every class above 3.
Yep. Compare the larger Graser classes with Beam classes with similar max
ranges (within 6 mu) and you'll soon see why.
> I have a hard time justifying a class-4 beam over 2x class-3 beams.
Play on larger tables. The beam points values were set to keep larger beams
from dominating completely on large tables; this makes them overpriced on
smaller tables.
Regards,