Dagger-class Ion Array Frigate

From Encyclopedia Hiigara

Dagger-class Ion Array Frigate Classification and cost Category Capital Ship Class Frigate Cost 500 RUs Technical specification Mass 13,550 tons Length 134,7 meters Max. acceleration 50 m/s2 Max. speed 245 m/s Hyperdrive rating Short Jump Armament 1 x Large Ion Cannon Usage Role Anti-Capital Ship Era(s) Cataclysm Era Affiliation Turanic Raiders

The Dagger-class Ion Array Frigates were the first heavy weapon-wielding ships used against the Kushan Mothership. Like other races Ion Cannon Frigates these ships had a single, spinal-mounted heavy ion cannon. The Dagger distinguished itself by sporting four large retractable ion arrays that used magnetic fields to capture free ions from space and further focus and accelerate the ion beam as it exited the front of the ship, giving extra range and firepower to the weapon. This came at the cost of maneuverability and acceleration though, due to the increased mass and drag created by the ion arrays. This is the only frigate class ship that is known to be exclusively Turanic in origin and was the main ship-of-the-line used against ships larger than frigates.

The Dagger-class Frigates were a menace to Kushan vessels at the start of the Homeworld War, especially when they attacked the Mothership in large numbers. However, they lacked proper self-defenses such as projectile cannons, making them vulnerable to strike craft and corvettes.

[edit] Sources

• Homeworld: Cataclysm manual
• Homeworld