The Retaliator shares many of the Penetrator´s and Kenderson´s design features.
This article, including the pictures, is fan-created content.
The Retaliator is a joint Renegade / Commonwealth medium one-seat starfighter. It is based on the aging Penetrator medium fighter and was originally intended to replace it, but due to time and budget constraints and the constant pressure from TOG´s advance, the decision was made to keep the existing Penetrators flying and complement them instead with the Kenderson model. The Retaliator is produced in limited numbers.
Production History[]
The aging Penetrator medium fighters, designed for border patrols and skirmishes with pirate factions, came up short against the invading TOG craft. While they stood their own against older fighters like the Verutum or Pilum, the appearance of superior modern craft like the Spiculum (designed after the experiences of the KessRith war) put pressure on the JCRFOB to modernize its fighter fleet.
Operating on a limited budget and under severe time constraints, the Retaliator was conceived, tested, produced and deployed within a very short time period. In 6802, the first models came off the assembly lines and were immediately rushed to the front. JCRFOB planned to have all Penetrators on the front replaced by Retaliators by 6830.
Soon, though, it became apparent that the Naval planners had underestimated TOG´s determination to conquer the Commonwealth territories. Withdrawing fighters, no matter how obsolete, from the battle theatres was simply not feasible: every available craft was needed to stem the TOG advance. The decision was made to keep the existing Penetrators fighting and complement them with a new, mainly laser-armed fighter - the Kenderson.
By 6830, most of the facilities manufacturing Retaliators have been retooled to produce Kendersons. Retaliators, falling somewhere between the two models in terms of armament, have not exactly been discontinued, but the number of Retaliators still produced is low. Most of those currently in service are veteran craft. Since most of the fighter´s components are interchangeable with the two other models, many Retaliators have been cannibalized for parts, and it isn´t unusual to see hybrid models patched together by ground crews from salvage, sporting parts from any or all of the three.
Design Philosophy and Operational Role[]
Little time was wasted in the development of the Retaliator. The basic airframe and main components of the Penetrator were kept, including the twin 1,000er engines. Not only did this cut down on development and testing time, it ensured that parts for the new model would be plentiful from the start, and the fragile supply system (which at that time was very much feeling the strain of war with the TOG) wouldn´t be overtaxed by the introduction of the new model.
The Penetrator´s sole reliance on particle weaponry was cited as the design´s main weakness; particle weapons lacked the penetration capability necessary to defeat the armour of modern fighters. Consequently, the Retaliator replaced the Penetrator´s two Electron particle cannon with powerful medium-ranged lasers while keeping the twin NPCs. A second missile hardpoint was added, increasing its ability to tangle with more modern TOG fighters.
The resulting fighter was slightly slower than the Penetrator, but carried a much better-aligned loadout of weapons. It was able to wound an enemy craft with medium laser fire, then undercut large sections of armour with its Neutron particle cannon. The low thrust has turned out to be an issue in situations where enemy fighters attempt to shorten the range in order to avoid the NPC´s bite; standard doctrine calls for Retaliators to be deployed in dispersed pairs and switch targets between the fighters as soon as the enemy begins to close on one of them.
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Legionnaire RPG Values: Retaliator Standard Variant[]
| Hit Location | Sub-Location | Damage Boxes / Damage |
|---|---|---|
| [1] Structure | - | [][][][][] [][][][][] [][][][][] |
| [2] FTL Drive | - | None |
| [3] Shields | - | [][][][][] [] |
| [4] Engines / Thrust | - | [][][][][] [] ::: Thrust 6 g |
| [5] Armour | - | [][][][][] [][] |
| [6] Crew | Pilot | [][][][][] |
| [7] Weapon Computers | - | [][][][] |
| [8] Sensors | - | [][][] |
| [9] Life Support | - | [][][] |
| [10] Weapons | [1] 5/4 Laser | Damage 4 |
| - | [2] 5/4 Laser | Damage 4 |
| - | [3] NPC 16 | Damage 5 |
| - | [4] NPC 16 | Damage 5 |
| - | [5] Hardpoint | * |
| - | [6] Hardpoint | * |
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Leviathan Values: Retaliator Standard Variant[]
The Retaliator, despite its standard patrol designation, is a fighter well suited for deployment from capital ships. While its thin side armour limits its dogfighting endurance in the chaotic furball of a clash of large fighter formations, its versatile armament stands it in good stead.
| Group (72 Fighters) | Armour | Missile Attack Value | CRA | LRA | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armour Row 6 | [][][][][][] [][][][][][] [][][][][]- - | 100 | 58 | 101 | 6 |
| Armour Row 5 | [][][][][][] [][][][][][] [][]-- | - | 48 | 84 | - |
| Armour Row 4 | [][][][][][] [][][][][]- - | - | 38 | 67 | - |
| Armour Row 3 | [][][][][][] [][][]- | - | 29 | 50 | - |
| Armour Row 2 | [][][][][][] []- | - | 19 | 34 | - |
| Armour Row 1 | [][][][][]- | - | 10 | 17 | - |
| Flight (24 Fighters) | Armour | Missile Attack Value | CRA | LRA | Thrust |
| Armour Row 3 | [][][][][][] [][][]- | 25 | 19 | 34 | 8 |
| Armour Row 2 | [][][][][][] []- | - | 13 | 22 | - |
| Armour Row 1 | [][][][][]- | - | 6 | 11 | - |
| Squadron (6 Fighters) | Armour | Missile Attack Value | CRA | LRA | Thrust |
| Armour Row 1 | [][][][][]- | 10 | 5 | 8 | 10 |
| Single Fighter Values | Armour | Missile Hardpoints | CRA | LRA | Thrust |
| Retaliator | 88 | 2 | 16 | 28 | 6 |
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High Thrust Modification[]
This is a field refit, easily done between missions by the fighter wing´s ground crew. Unlike most other fighters´ "high-thrust" variants, which replace the fighter´s laser armament with missile hardpoints, the stripped-down Retaliator loses its Neutron particle cannon instead. (The rationale was that the high-thrust Retaliator is still supposed to complement the particle-armed Penetrator with its lasers.) To protect the pilot against the increased gee-force, an upgraded acceleration compensator is installed.
In its high-thrust configuration, the Retaliator loses a good deal of its direct firepower. The lightened weapons loadout translates into much higher thrust and agility, however; and the missile payload is doubled. A high-thrust Retaliator excels in a strike role, darting in to deliver its missiles against a fixed target and retreating to base to reload.
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Legionnaire RPG Values: Retaliator High Thrust Modification[]
| Hit Location | Sub-Location | Damage Boxes / Damage |
|---|---|---|
| [1] Structure | - | [][][][][] [][][][][] [] |
| [2] FTL Drive | - | None |
| [3] Shields | - | [][][][][] [] |
| [4] Engines / Thrust | - | [][][][][] [][][] ::: Thrust 8 g |
| [5] Armour | - | [][][][][] [][] |
| [6] Crew | Pilot | [][][][][] |
| [7] Weapon Computers | - | [][][][] |
| [8] Sensors | - | [][][] |
| [9] Life Support | - | [][][] |
| [10] Weapons | [1] 5/4 Laser | Damage 4 |
| - | [2] 5/4 Laser | Damage 4 |
| - | [3] Hardpoint | * |
| - | [4] Hardpoint | * |
| - | [5] Hardpoint | * |
| - | [6] Hardpoint | * |
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Leviathan Values: Retaliator High Thrust Modification[]
The high-thrust modified Retaliator is seldom encountered outside of strike squadrons. Raiding carriers may have a few of them in their fighter complement, but they are virtually never encountered as part of a normal battleship squadron.
| Group (72 Fighters) | Armour | Missile Attack Value | CRA | LRA | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armour Row 6 | [][][][][][] [][][][][][] [][][][][]- - | 100 | 50 | 36 | 8 |
| Armour Row 5 | [][][][][][] [][][][][][] [][]-- | - | 42 | 30 | - |
| Armour Row 4 | [][][][][][] [][][][][]- - | - | 34 | 24 | - |
| Armour Row 3 | [][][][][][] [][][]- | - | 25 | 18 | - |
| Armour Row 2 | [][][][][][] []- | - | 17 | 12 | - |
| Armour Row 1 | [][][][][]- | - | 8 | 6 | - |
| Flight (24 Fighters) | Armour | Missile Attack Value | CRA | LRA | Thrust |
| Armour Row 3 | [][][][][][] [][][]- | 75 | 17 | 12 | 10 |
| Armour Row 2 | [][][][][][] []- | - | 11 | 8 | - |
| Armour Row 1 | [][][][][]- | - | 6 | 4 | - |
| Squadron (6 Fighters) | Armour | Missile Attack Value | CRA | LRA | Thrust |
| Armour Row 1 | [][][][][]- | 10 | 4 | 3 | 12 |
| Single Fighter Values | Armour | Missile Hardpoints | CRA | LRA | Thrust |
| Retaliator High Thrust | 88 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
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