Modern space warfare, along with ground vehicle and air combat is primarily defined by two separate systems: the warden and scrambler systems. A scrambler system is equipped on almost every vehicle. It preys on the natural weakening of a signal over distance. It does not hide one’s radar, or infrared signature. However, it does spread out the signal around the host vehicle. It makes it so at range the target appears much wider than it actually is, vastly limiting the possibility of precise shots at long range. The closer one gets the more precise the return until the signal returns as normal. The invention of this system has pushed space combat to visual ranges, instead of faint specs shooting at each other.
As with any part of a ship’s toolkit, more power can be pushed into the scrambler systems, allowing a ship to get even closer. But for large vessels there is a limit when gunners can simply aim manually. More powerful scrambler systems are essential for more brawling oriented vessels, so they can get within range. To counter this, many fleets will have dedicated sensor vessels, whose main purpose is to provide precise data to the rest of the fleet. Such ships are priority targets.
The other main advancement is the warden system. Unlike the semi-permeable energy shields, warden systems project an umbrella of hardlight that is as physical as metal. This umbrella provides immense protection. Even on destroyer-level warden systems a battleship’s mag-cannons cannot break through it. But this protection greedily drains a ship’s energy reserves. A ship can only keep one active for about ten seconds before the energy cost starts to cut into other modules. While the energy shields and armor of a vessel provide good protection against smaller vessels compared to it, against equivalent ships, they are a mere buffer against annihilation. Only a warden system provides true protection. This has led to the comparison that ship warfare is equivalent to a fight between two naked men armed with a sword and shield. They are both simultaneously well-protected and vulnerable at the same time. The warden system has changed the nature of space warfare from simply both sides throwing their most powerful weapons at each other all at once, hoping that the other dies first. To illustrate this, let us consider the scenario of two cruisers within mag-cannon range of each other, one Ashuan, the other Ostrus.
Both sides will immediately start to poke each other with mag-cannons, though nothing devastating. The captains are reading the energy signatures of each other, waiting to see if one will unleash a devastating strike, and prepare the warden system in response. The Ashuan cruiser launches a volley of grav-torpedoes. The Ostrus captain now has a choice. He could hedge on his bets on his point defense systems shooting down the torpedoes, or activate his warden system and be sure none slip through, leaving him vulnerable to a painful mag-cannon attack. The Ostrus captain unleashes a full salvo before activating his warden system. The grav-torpedoes connect harmlessly against the hardlight, and the salvo connects, popping the Ashuan cruiser’s energy shields.
The Ashuan cruiser keeps up the pressure, firing half salvos as it closes the distance. The Ostrus captain keeps up the warden system, sacrificing power to the engines to keep the protection up, while charging up another full broadside. The Ostrus cruiser launches its own grav-torpedoes. The Ashuan cruiser still does not put up its warden system. Most of the torpedoes are shot down, but two get through, doing damage.
The Ostrus cruiser drops its hardlight protection, launching a fully charged volley. Now the Ashuan captain puts up his own warden system, the full salvo shattering on impact. Now in corona-cannon range, the Ashuan cruiser fires all its weapons. Mag-shells and bolts of plasma connect with the Ostrus cruiser, easily punching through the energy shields and doing heavy hull damage. Armor is boiled and ripped apart. The captains prepare their next move…
Combat ranges
Weapons in space, and on the ground follow a general principle, the closer the range the more powerful options you have available to you. Only the fusion cannon breaks this principle. Below is a breakdown of the weapons in their range tiers.
Extreme range
Fusion cannon: The most powerful weapon available, only mounted on dreadnoughts and battleships. They are capable of taking out cruisers in a single strike. While technically fusion cannons are subject to the inaccuracies placed upon them by scramblers, the extreme speed of their projectiles enables captains to fairly accurately point the weapon at the target and the starcracker projectile still hitting.
Long range
Mag-cannons: The most common weaponry available on a warship. While the “weakest” of the options available, they have theoretically unlimited range and can still tear a ship in half.
Torpedoes: Torpedoes use shield busting devices to enable subversion of the energy shields on a ship, delivering a devastating impact directly to the hull. While they can operate at long ranges, they are more suited to being launched at a closer distance. This gives the enemy far less time to destroy them with point defense weaponry, or for strike craft to engage the torpedoes themselves. But such weapons allow for even small vessels to punch well above their weight class.
Medium range
Corona-cannons: The decaying magnetic field around the plasma bolts fired by these guns only lasts less than half of the normal combat ranges of mag-cannons before dissipating. But the price is well worth it, for a similar energy cost, a corona-cannon can strike with over double the power of a mag-cannon, melting through even the toughest armor.
Short range
Pulse cannons: Often called the “Haymaker gun” these weapons shoot out a concentrated “punch” of gravitic energy. This energy treats armor and shields like it was cardboard. A single attack can leave a vessel looking like it was punched by the fist of a god. But with such great power comes tremendous downsides. A ship has to be in fist-fighting range for the pulse cannon to reach its target. And these weapons are highly unstable. If destroyed, they can inflict just as much damage on the host as they can their enemy.