Aotrs Shipyards is a webstore on Shapeways.com, a 3D print house which had production and shipping facilities located in the USA and the the Netherlands.
This month, we have four more Xyriat vessels, in wave two of what will (now) be four waves.
CB01 Xyorrat Class Battlecruiser
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The Xyorrat Battlecruiser is essentially a smaller version of the Kaxvyit superdreadnought. A recent design entering the field only in the last four years, it uses and improves on many of the Kaxvyit's features. The Xyorrat was built to operate with smaller fleets as the flagship, where the Kaxvyit would be too large and investment, taking over from the older Yuvkix battlecruiser as those venerable vessels are finally retired. (The Yuvkix itself was finally decommissioned two years ago, the first and last of its class, and now resides as a display in the Kalaor War Museum.)
The Xyorrat lacks the Yuvkix's spinal-mount lazer cannons and the Kaxvyit's warhead module and instead mounts a variety of particle beam turrets for attacking both large and small targets. Like the Kaxvyit, it has both tractor beams arrays (though it only has four to the Kaxvyit's eight) and a variety of light torpedo tubes of both small and large calibre.
DP01A Vuxor Class Point-Defence Destroyer
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Rather than rely on longer-ranged interdiction weaponry, the Hegemonic Navy's design doctrine relies on larger numbers of small systems. While this can place them closer and more vulnerable to blast or area attacks, the Hegemony considers the increased rate of fire to be a sufficient trade-off. The Vuxor was designed to maximise that firepower.
The Vuxor was one of the earlier hulls of the current generation of the Hegemonic Navy. It pioneered the rotary particle beam turret mounting system seen on the Volovax Point-Defence Cruiser, which largely supplanted it. It was originally armed with heavier anti-capital starship particle beams and, like, most Xyriat starships, light torpedo tubes.
When the Volovax was out into production, it was considered a superior vessel in all regards aside from production cost. But a large number of Vuxors in remained in service. Regulating them all to small forces and civilian escort or mothballing them was impractical. So the remaining Vuxors underwent a major refit to the current DP01A version. The anti-capital beam particle beam turrets on the sides of the forward hull were replaced with missile racks, primarily used for point-defence missiles, and a full ECM suite was installed, all of which added 10% to the vessel's mass. The missile and ECM systems used less energy than the original particle beam weapons, so the vessel's speed manoeuvrability and shielding remained unchanged, despite the increased mass.
The Vuxor now serves in several capacities: as a light escort, a supplementary escort to the Volovax, both using point-defence missiles and occasionally even as a strike vessel, using point-defence or regular missiles to provide additional close-range precision attack power or long-range strike capability.
FF03C Haladros Class Heavy Frigate
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The Haladros Heavy Frigate is principally a missile platform, a cheap alternative to the slightly smaller, more valuable and expensive Calgast. While it carries less missiles than the Calgast, the Haladros is exceptionally well shielded, exceeding the shielding of many common heavy cruisers. However, it lacks armour and possesses only average speed and manoeuvrability for a vessel of its size class.
The Haladros carries a number of point-defence particle beam turrets and a small number of light torpedo tubes, both from self-protection or so assist other vessels attacking tractored targets in its formation.
FM01F Calgast Class Munitions Frigate
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The Calgast Munitions Frigate has undergone several major upgrades over the course of its lifespan. A venerable hull design, the Calgast dates back through the entire prior generation. The basic design was sufficiently well conceived and serviceable that these overhauls have kept the vessel fresh and in service.
The current FM01F Calgast refit removed the older missile racks and the twin torpedo tubes in favour of the combined quadruple forward/rear warhead launcher module found on the Kaxvyit Superdreadnought. While this means that the Calgast can no longer fire both munitions at once, it is able to fire a larger salvo of either as the situation requires. In addition, the removal of the missile racks allowed additional point-defence particle beams to be installed on the sides of the hull, where the missile racks had been. Further, as the Calgast was now an even higher value-asset, it allowed the shielding to be increased by 25%, giving the Calgast very good protection for a vessel of its size.
The Calgast does not carry quite the same larger warhead load as the Kaxvyit does, but nevertheless carries a wide variety of munitions as a standard load – long and medium-range missile, salvo rockets, point defence munitions and standard and blast torpedoes. Finally, it mounts a few light torpedo tubes for additional close defence. There was a fierce debate that those system could have been removed during the refit and the mass used for additional munitions storage, but after a long and somewhat bitter battle, they were retained. Whether this proves as asset to the Calgast or not in its current incarnation only time will tell.
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Next month, wave three!
For anyone around and interested, both Aotrs Shipyards and Maneuvre Groiup will be at the Worlds at Donington Racetrack at the weekend, putting in Maneuvre Grop (both scifi and Cold War 144).
