Starfield Builds: Cerberus

 Cerberus

 Introduction

The Cerberus is part of my Orozco's Raiders group of Spacer/Junker builds. It was created on a Level 24 character with no points in Ship Design. It is an A-class vessel built from the Watchdog II platform. It is a beginner all-'rounder, with the ability to haul a small bit of cargo, run passenger missions, and competently engage in level appropriate space combat.

 

Passage

"You are looking for passage," a female voice stated. 

Angela couldn't figure out the accent, but it was not a question. She turned and looked over her shoulder at a woman wearing a flight suit, snugly tucked into a corner booth. The long, straight, raven black locks were striking. Most women that Angela had met since leaving New Atlantis had a much more disheveled appearance.

"Excuse me?"

"You are looking for passage. To where I could not say but you do not belong among the crowds of the Mile. I get the feeling of urgency from your steps. Perhaps, for a fee, I can help," the strange woman tried to smile but to Angela, it looked like a smirk.

"Do you have a ship?" Angela asked. "I won't tell you my destination until we agree to travel together and we are safely aboard your ship. If you have one."

"I do. I do. Yes, I have a ship. She's not a luxury liner, but she has a cabin you can rest your head. You seem a little dodgy though, as if an invitation to trouble. Maybe I should listen to that little voice in my head and let you find other passage."

"There are no other captains that will transport me," Angela admitted. "I think you know that and you are taunting me. That's not very considerate of you."

The other woman laughed, "Sorry. It is an old habit for those who travel the space lanes to poke a little fun at Groundlings expense. But you do seem to be looking to avoid attention and that means you are looking to avoid trouble. That puts me into a very precarious position. Is it the law that you hide from and don't tell me it is none of my concern. If you take passage on my ship, it becomes my concern."

"No," Angela said. "Not the law. Neither UC nor Freestar should care about me."

"Delightful," came the response. "Still, somebody is after you and that means danger. Plus you insist on secrecy, so I might have to travel far outside of my normal haunts. Ten thousand credits."

"Ten thousand!" Angela nearly choked. "It took most of my assets just to get here. I can part with six thousand. No more."

"Then you can serve tables here at the Red Mile until you earn the rest. Mei, I'm certain, will be happy for the extra help. Or, perhaps you can run the Red Mile. You might even succeed and it's a handsome reward for those that make it back alive. Ten thousand is my firm offer."

Angela considered for a moment and the other woman watched her. All trace of the smirk was gone and Angela got the feeling she was being weighed and measure like livestock going for sale at the market.

"Very well," she finally said. "Half up front and half on successfully delivering me to my destination and that's my firm answer."

"Done. As you so cleverly pointed out, my ship is the only one on the landing pad. Her name's the Cerberus. Tell the first mate I said to let you in or I'll eat his liver. I will meet you there. Go ahead and get your stuff. There's a good girl."

* * *

Tasha waited for her new passenger to head out the door and then waved her first mate over. He had been waiting at the bar.

"New passenger boss?"

It was a dumb question. He knew the score. He probably heard everything. He always did.

"Run her against the bounties, legit and less so. If she's clean, she gets to live a long life wherever we drop her. Not, then we transfer her to the 'special' suite along the way and get whatever payday the interested party has to offer."

"Same as always then," Nimbata intoned in his own accented voice. "We have another passenger that hired us as well. He has the smell of Ryujin or some other corporation. Probably an agent of some sort."

Tasha almost laughed, "And you sold him passage?"

"He paid well and up front."

"Nimbata, my friend, you like to play it close to the edge. Have the stores filled and get the Cerberus fueled. I think we might have a little adventure in front of us."

Tasha started to stand up when Nimbata loomed over her. "The girl is not what she seems. There is more to her than little lost lamb, I think. What if she is neither wanted or an innocent traveler? What if she is one of Them?"

Tasha swallowed hard and placed her hand on Nimbata's forearm. "If she is, then the Great Serpent will guide us, just as he led us to Orozco when we needed him. Get the stores filled and Cerberus fueled. I'll see you on board."

 

Lore/Head Canon

The Cerberus is a HopeTech Watchdog, modified to take on passengers and cargo. She was commissioned by and captained by one Natasha Konovolovenko. She joined with Orozco's Raiders and has been an enthusiastic and loyal member of the gang since then. When not raiding on behalf of Orozco, she takes on passengers that might just have a shady background and safely transports them to their chosen port of call. It is this latter activity that has earned her a reputation, among the movers and shakers of the criminal underworld, as a stalwart professional. 

And along the way, if she can earn a little extra by luring somebody with a bounty on board, well she has a nice little special suite, just for them.

 

Assembly

 

Each layer of the ship will be color coded. The Undercarriage is Yellow, the Main Deck is Blue, and the Top Deck is Orange. The pieces will all be numbered on the images in the same order as the numbered lists below. So, for example, a blue 5 on the image will correspond to HopeTech Armor 2x1 on the Main Deck Components list.

Undercarriage Components

 

1. (3) Hope 5 Landing Gear
2. (2) Deimos Skeg B Fore
3. (2) Deimos Skeg A Fore
4. Hope 4 Landing Bay
   

 

Main Deck Components

1. (2) Amun-5 Engines
2. (2) M10 Ulysses He3 Fuel Tanks
3. R-3000 Grav Drive
4. 360T Stellerator Reactor
5. HopeTech Armory 2x1
6. (2) Deimos Braking Engine
7. HopeTech Infirmary 2x1
8. (2) Deimos Bracer A
   
9. (2) Hope 55 Landing Gear
10. Hope 11 Docker
11. HopeTech All-in-One Berth 2x1

Assembly Instruction for Main Deck and Undercarriage Components

Assemble the pieces as shown in the image. Attach the Deimos Bracers first, then flip merge the Hope 55 Landing Gear into place. Note that the Deimos Bracers are entirely optional, so if you do not feel comfortable with merging, you can leave them out. I just thought that they added a little touch of perceived stability to the build.

Attach the Hope 5 Landing Gear to the underside of the M10 Ulysses Fuel Tanks and the Reactor. Attach the skegs to the bottoms of the Starboard and Port 2x1 Habs. Attach the Hope 4 Landing Bay to the underside of the Infirmary.

 

Top Deck Components

1. (2) Amun-3 Engines
2. HopeTech Control Station 2x1
3. (2) Nova Engine Struts
4. (2) HopeTech Hab Crossbrace
5. Marduk 1010A Shield Generator
6. HopeTech Captain's Quarters 2x1
7. (2) Caravel V101 Cargo Hold
   
8. HopeTech Storeroom Fuselage 2x1
9. (2) Flare-P 15MW IR Pulse Laser
10. PB-30 Electron Beam
11. Armstrong 10 Cockpit
12. HopeTech All-in-One Berth 2x1

Assembly Instructions for Top Deck and Main Deck Attachment

Assemble the Top Deck as shown in image. Select the entire Top Deck and drag it over to the Main Deck so that the Amun-3 engines are resting on top of the Amun-5 engines. The Nova Engine Struts should connect to the Forward points on the two side Habs.

 

Structural

No image required.

1. Deimos Spine A - Aft
2. Deimos Spine C - Aft

Attach these on top of the Captain's Quarters, behind the Cockpit flare.

Starfield Build: Swordbreaker

 Swordbreaker

Introduction

The Swordbreaker is a somewhat complicated build using lots of part. To make it easier, or at least I hope that it is easier, I took each layer and created a numbered list as I catalogued the parts. From that list, I used an image editor (GIMP) to create some quick labels so that the lists and the images matched. Each deck has its own color coding, with the Undercarriage being Yellow, the Main Deck being Blue, and the Top Deck being Orange. Hopefully that helps potential builders in assembling the build.

When designing the vessel, I wanted to do an off-set bridge like the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars. As I built it, the bridge started to look a little bit like a ship. With a few edits, I fitted an engine underneath it and the shield on top. A turret that was originally attached to the main superstructure made its way to the bridge. Now, and this is purely head canon, the bridge is a combination of escape vehicle and Captain's gig. Obviously it cannot actually detach (sadly) but one can imagine.

I didn't skimp on high-end parts. The Swordbreaker is quite effective at combat. It can carry a fair amount of cargo and it has enough passenger space to do Mission Board missions. In short, it is a really competent multi-role ship. Obviously, if you wanted to upgrade, it could mount a C-class Reactor and Shield. Aneutronic Fusion can provide extra power for extra weapons. You can toss on Vanguard equipment. As is, I can tool around on Hard difficulty with issues only when I face a lot of opposition.

Head Canon/Lore

The Swordbreaker gets its name because it was directly designed, funded, and built with the dual purpose of engaging UC and Ecliptic forces directly. This is definitely one of the heaviest hitters in Orozco's little band.

Jiang Dai Lu, the captain of this vessel and former career member of the Freestar Militia, is approaching retirement. She has assembled quite the nest egg and means to depart Orozco's Raiders within a year or so. She has yet to select a successor and may well leave that in the hands of Orozco or even popular vote. She doesn't care who takes over, as she will be living large in Paradiso.

During the construction of the Swordbreaker, the original name was going to be "Widowmaker" but Dai Lu wanted something more poetic. Something that would express her dislike of the UC forces she had opposed as a militia member. If some Ecliptic "swords" were broken along the way, so much the better. Her petition for the name "Swordbreaker" was accepted.

Components

Undercarriage Components

 

1. (4) Dunn-71 Engines
2. (5) Accu-Lander 11 Landing Gear
3. (2) Deimos Skeg A - Aft, Fore
4. (3) 500T He3 Tanks
5. (2) Galleon S202 Cargo Holds
6. (2) Stroud Nose Cap C (Port,Stbd)
7. NG-20 Landing Gear
   
8. Aurora 13G Grav Drive
9. 104DS Mag Inertial Reactor
10. Nova Bracer
11. (2) Hope 6 Landing Gear - (Port,Stbd)
    
12. (2) PB-175 Helion Beams
13. (2) Pinpoint 3G Landing Gear - Aft (Port/Stbd)
    
14. NG-6 Landing Bay

Note #1: The Starboard Pinpoint 3G Landing Gear will need to be detached until the Main Deck is attached to the Undercarriage. Once that is done. The Pinpoint 3G Gear will need to be flip merged into its place. 

Note #2: Only one of the Hope 6 Landing Gear will snap in without merging. Once you place one, you will need to flip merge the other one into place.

Main Deck Components

 

1. HopeTech Computer Core 2x1
2. HopeTech Control Station 2x1
3. (2) HopeTech Nose B - Fore
4. (2) Nova Radiator
5. Deimos All-in-One Berth 3x1
6. Deimos Armory 2x1
7. (2) Horizon Weapon Mount with CE-39 Missile Launcher attached.
8. (2) Galleon S202 Cargo Holds
9. (2) Stroud Nose Cap D - (Port,Stbd)
10. (2) PB-175 Helion Beams
11. HopeTech Engineering Bay 3x1
12. HopeTech Companionway 1x1
13. Deimos Living Quarters 3x1
14. HopeTech Storeroom 1x1
15. Deimos Infirmary 2x1
16. Deimos Workshop 2x1
17. Stroud Engine Bracer A
18. (2) M30 Ulysses He3 Tanks
19. HopeTech Hab Crossbrace (must be purchased at HopeTown)
20. Warden SG-400 Shield Generator
    
21. Nova Galactic All-in-One Berth 2x1
22. Nova Galactic Storeroom 1x1
    
23. (2) Nova Radiator - Top
24. PBO-100 Auto Neutron Turret
25. Magellan C1X Cockpit

Top Deck Components

Note that the picture shows an Equipment Plate on the Aft Taiyo Mid Cap. That was removed as it was not needed.

1. (3) Taiyo Mid Cap - Stbd Top
2. HopeTech Crossbrace Hab - Stbd
3. Hope 11 Docker - Stbd
4. HopeTech Nose B - Fore
5. Deimos Cowling - Aft
6. Stroud Cargo Hall 2x3
7. Stroud Mess Hall 2x3
8. (2) Stroud Nose Cap C - Port,Stbd Fore
9. Stroud Nose Cap E
10. (3) Nova Cowling 1L-PM
11. (4) HopeTech Marker A
12. (2) Stroud Nose Cap B - Fore (Port,Stbd)
    

 

Assembly

Assemble each level as shown in the diagrams above. Please see the notes on the Undercarriage level for specific instances where merging techniques will need to be used. Aside from those cases, each layer should connect smoothly to the one underneath it.

The Main Deck should connect to the Undercarriage so that the cockpit connects to the forward NG-6 Landing Bay. The Top Deck should connect so that the gap in Nova Cowling pieces exposes the HopeTech Hab Crossbrace that connects the cockpit/escape shuttle assembly to the main structure.

The Structural pieces on the top will connect so that the two Stroud Nose Caps will run down the center of the Top Deck. The four HopeTech Markers will be placed on the connect points on either side of each Nose.

 

Finished Build

Starfield Builds: Sleepy Shepherd

Sleepy Shepherd

 

Introduction

I've never been able to build a satisfying Taiyo ship. Something about the same, bland rounded look just never excited me. Still, I felt that it was important to have at least one Taiyo construct in my library so I started out with the idea that it would be just a few Taiyo structural pieces. Something to break up the lines of whatever manufacturer I was using. That'd normally be Deimos, HopeTech, or a smattering of the two.

Then the ship started coming together. Not only that, but it was coming together surprisingly well. Before I knew it, the Sleepy Shepherd was done. I didn't have a name for it and I was thinking something related to the Old West of the USA. Well that didn't fit a bunch of former soldiers turned pirates. Then I was thinking about using an online translator for a Japanese name. Again, Taiyo probably had a name for it, but the pirates wouldn't honor that. Finally, I settled on a name based on an anecdote and what better anecdote for pirates and con men is to pull one over on the Law. It's a timeless tale.

Thus I give to you, the Sleepy Shepherd.

 

Head Canon/Lore

The Sleepy Shepherd was captured during a daring raid against a Taiyo shipyard. Orozco's Raiders were looking for parts and ships that they could plunder and they found the second best thing to a new ship, the framework of a new ship that had already had the engines and power systems installed. The ship didn't have a bridge yet, a safety measure that Taiyo employed to deter theft, but the pirates were able to hack into the control systems and fly the ship out into the black.

The Sleepy Shepherd got its name from the Freestar Militia pilot who was fast asleep in his pilot's chair during the entire event. By the time he woke up, the ship that would be christened in his honor was long since departed.

Safely out of Freestar space, the Sleepy Shepherd, often shortened to "Sleepy" or " the Shepherd" was fitted with a few habs and some of the structural components that fill out its form. As money and time permits, new components and habitats will be added to the structure, replacing the framework pieces with useful living/working spaces.

One of the original Darrouzett crew, John Prestley "Cricket" Crick was awarded the Shepherd as his command. Since then, the Shepherd has operated as a supply vessel for Orozco's Raiders. Surprisingly, it is rarely involved in actually piracy operations, instead making occasional supply runs to stations like the Den. The Shepherd also serves as a training ship for new recruits, teaching them how to "not depressurize the habitats," as Cricket claims. In reality, Captain Crick runs a tight ship and his successful recruits move on to active positions within the Raiders. The unsuccessful ones are dropped off at some remote outpost under the guise of shore leave. The outright dangerously incompetent ones have a tendency towards depressurization accidents while cleaning the docker.

Captain Cricket, being more placid and easy going than his fellows could not be more happy with his command. He is no coward, however. On the occasion that the Shepherd actively engages in raids or pirate activities, Cricket has proven an able battle commander.

Assembly

 

Lower Deck

 

• (2) Deimos Belly - Aft, attached to Aft point of aft landing gear
• (2) Accu-Lander 11 Landing Gear, attached to Aft points of 500T Fuel Tanks
• (2) Accu-Lander 11 Landing Gear, attached to the outside points of 500T Fuel Tanks
• (2) 500T Fuel Tanks, attached to Aft points of Nova Bracers
• (2) Galleon S202 Cargo Hold, attached to the outside points of Nova Bracers
  
• (2) Nova Bracers, attached to Aft points of Reactor and Grav Drive
• (2) Accu-Lander 11 Landing Gear, attached to outside points of Reactor and Grav Drive
• 104DS Mag Inertial Reactor
• Aurora 13G Grav Drive
  
• (2) Galleon S202 Cargo Hold, attached to Forward points of Accu-Lander gears.
• (2) Accu-Lander 11 Landing Gear, attached to Forward points of Galleon cargo holds
• Nova NG-6 Landing Bay, attached to Forward point of Reactor
• Nova Galactic All-in-One Berth - B 2x1, attached to Forward point of Grav Drive

 

Deck One

 

• (2) Dunn-71 Engine, attached to Aft point of Stroud Engine Mount
• (2) Stroud Engine Mount, upside-down, square configuration, attached to Nova Bracers.
• (13) Nova Bracer, looking at the ship as having four columns, columns #1 and #4 have five (5) Bracers a piece running from Aft to Fore. Column #2 has one Bracer between the Stroud Engine Mount and the Engineering Bay. Column #3 has two between the Stroud Engine Mount and the Infirmary
• (8) Taiyo Side Cap, randomly distributed to the outside points of the Nova Bracers. There will always be (2) short of filling every Bracer and it is intended to give an "unfinished" appearance
• (2) Nova Cowling 2L attached to the Aft points of Nova Bracer columns #1 and #4
• Nova Galactic Engineering Bay 3x1, attached to Forward point of column #2 Nova Bracer
• Nova Galactic Infirmary 2x1, attached to Forward point of column #3 Nova Bracer
• (2) Taiyo Braking Engines (Port/Starboard), attached to Forward point of columns #1 and #4
• (2) Stroud Nose Cap E, attached to Forward points of Engineering Bay and Infirmary
• (2) PB-175 Helion Beams, attached to Underside of Stroud Nose Cap E's
  

 

Connecting Lower Deck to Deck One

 

Select everything on the Lower Deck layer. Drag it over so that the Forward Landing Gear on the Lower Deck, connect directly behind the Taiyo Braking Engine. The Deimos Belly Aft pieces should appear to be supporting the front half of the Dunn-71 Engines.

Deck Two

 

• (2) Dunn-71 Engine, attached to Aft point of Stroud Engine Mount
• (2) Stroud Engine Mount, square configuration, attached to Nova Bracers.
• (2) Nova Bracers connected to the outside pints of the Stroud Engine Mounts
• (2) Equipment Plates attached to the top of Nova Bracers
• (2) PBO-100 Auto Neutron Turrets, attached to Equipment Plates
• (2) Taiyo Mid Cap Port/Starboard, attached to outside points of Nova Bracers
• (2) Nova Bracers, connect to Aft points of Nova Galactic 1x1 and 2x1 Habs
• Taiyo Mid Cap Starboard, connect to Starboard point of 1x1 Hab
• Nova Galactic Storeroom 1x1, attached to Aft point of Taiyo Captain's Quarters
  
• Nova Galactive Living Quarters 2x1, attached to Aft point of of the Forward Nova Galactic Storeroom 1x1
• Nova Bracer, attached to the Aft, Port point of the Living Quarters
• Nova Bracer, attached to Aft, Starboard point of Captain Quarters
  
• Taiyo Captain's Quarters 2x1
• Taiyo Mid Cap Port, connected to Forward, Port point of Living Quarters
• (4) Nova Radiator - Top, connected to the tops of Taiyo Mid-Caps
• Taiyo Mid Cap - Starboard, connected to Forward, Starboard point of Captain's Quarters
  
• Nova Galactic Storeroom 1x1
• Taiyo Mid Cap - Port, connected to Port point of 1x1 Hab
• (2) Equipment Plates, attached to Top of Forward Taiyo (Port/Starboard) Mid Caps
• (2) PB-175 Helion Beams, attached to Equipment Plates
• (2) Nova Engine Struts, attached to Forward points of Captain's Quarters and Storeroom habs

 

Connecting Deck Two to Deck One 

Select everything on Deck Two. Drag over to where the Dunn-71 Engines rest on top of Deck One's Dunn engines. The Nova Engine Struts will appear to be supporting the Stroud Nose Caps.

Top Deck

 

• Warden SG-400 Shield
• Nova Bracer, attached to Aft point of Nova Cowling
• Nova Galactic Control Station 2x1, attached to Aft point of Cockpit
• Nova Cowling 2L-TM,attached to Aft point of Docker
• Magellan C1X Cockpit

 

Connecting Top Deck to Deck Two

Select everything on Top Deck. The Shield Generator is not attached to anything, but we will get to that in a moment. Drag the selected items over so that the front of the Magellan Cockpit lines up with the front of the Captain's Quarters on Deck Two. Now drag the shield over to the Nova Bracer on Deck Two, that is aft of the Control Station

Upgrade Path and Final Thoughts

There is not much to upgrade on the Sleepy Shepherd. Improvements, if you would like to call them that, would come in the form of additional habs that provide Mess Halls, Brigs, and so forth.

All in all, I really like how this ship came out. I am guilty of using "top shelf" items on it, so a few of the next builds will be using gear that is a little more reasonably middle-ground stuff. That will surely open up an Upgrade Path discussion for those projects.

Also, I removed the stats and difficulty portions of the write-up. You can click one of the images to see the stats and, frankly, what might be challenging to one person might be a breeze to somebody else. It's not for me to say. I'm going to go back and retroactively remove those sections from the other entries.

If you've read to this point, thank you. Hope you've enjoyed the content I've been putting here.

Starfield Build: Orozco's Prize

 Orozco's Prize

Introduction 

 Orozco's Prize is the next ship in my Junker (Spacer) build series. It is a Class-C ship that serves as the unofficial flagship of Orozco's Raiders.

When designing this ship, I wanted it to feel a little claustrophobic on the inside. As such, I avoided the large x3 and x2 habs in favor of the single width ones. I also wanted to bring a variety of Hab manufacturers into the mix, so I have included habs from every manufacturer but Stroud-Eklund. There are some Stroud structural pieces, but those just add to the idea that Orozco's Prize is constantly needed patchwork repairs and upgrades. I also added patchwork coloring to further enhance the idea that Orozco's Prize is not something that you could go down to the store and buy

Alone

"How's it going out there, Captain."

Benito looked up from the computer terminal. His expression would have been enough for Raime, his first mate, but Benito answered anyway.

"That last barrage hurt us. We managed the jump but the landing finished her off. Conklin reports that The Darrouzett isn't going anywhere now."

"What are we going to do?"

"News gets worse my eager young friend," Benito's voice cracked. His answer came out as a rasp, almost a whisper. 

"I've been monitoring the comm traffic. War's over. Both sides have abandoned the field. Even more disturbing is that I'm hearing snatches of broadcasts from the locals about finding crews stranded in derelicts. Both sides. Seems like the brass are already starting to tie everything off and get back to normal."

Raime was visibly shocked, "What does that mean Captain? Where does that leave us?"

"Alone."

Head Canon/Lore

Orozco's Prize is built from the remnants of a Panhandle-class vessel, originally christened the Darrouzett. It was severely damaged in a battle with UC ships. It was able to jump away but the subsequent crash landing finished her off.

Having learned of how both sides treated their veterans of the Colony War, Captain Benito Orozco decided to stay away from the politics, intrigue, and possible legal ramifications of returning to duty. To this day, the Darrouzett is listed as a Missing in Action and presumed lost.

But a crew has to eat and Orozco had a brilliant engineer named Andrew Conklin to help him patch together a working vessel from other derelicts and "barn" ships. Before long, they had a ship capable of earning them a living. At first Benito tried to create a private trade empire, but the post-war legal bloodbath seemed to be looking for any sort of sacrificial lamb. A close call with the Freestar Rangers convinced Benito and his crew that they would be hounded like an Ashta's prey. Deciding that, if they were going to be persecuted anyway, they might as well use all of those useful skills to take what they needed to survive. Thus began the organized crime syndicate known as Orozco's Raiders.

Eventually, Orozco's Prize became the flagship of a small group of smugglers, scavengers, and pirates. They operate out of a few systems Coreward from Cheyenne. They maintain decent relations with the other Spacer groups and even the Crimson Fleet, via tributes paid. Over time, the original crew has retired, been caught and tossed in jail, or died. Orozco has recruited far outside of the quality that he once commanded and is a relic of a bygone era. Perhaps it won't be too long for Orozco's Prize becomes somebody else's.

 

Color Swatches

Red

Blue

Components

Undercarriage

1. (5) Accu-Lander 11 Landing Gear
2. (2) Galleon S202 Cargo Hold
3. (2) HopeTech Thruster
4. (2) Caravel V102 Shielded Cargo Hold
   
5. Deimos Belly Aft
6. Hope 4 LandingBay
7. HopeTech Pipes A - Mid, attached to Lower Aft of fuel tank on the Lower Deck level.

Lower Deck

1. (4) Hope 55 Landing Gear
2. (2) 220 CB Landing Gear Port Side Color #1 and #2 are the two standard olive greens that are slightly desaturated. Color #3 is a dark gray. All standard swatches.
3. Dunn 71 Engine
4. 500 HT He3 Fuel Tank
5. HopeTech Workshop 2x1
6. (2) Nova Engine Strut
7. (2) Stroud Engine Bracer
   
8. Deimos Bracer A
9. HopeTech Engineering Bay 3x1
10. Nova Galactic Infirmary 2x1, Colors #1 and #3 are Red Swatch (above)
11. HopeTech Hab Spine
12. Hope 11 Docker - Fore
13. Supernova 2200 Engine
14. Apollo GV300 Grav Drive
15. SF40 Sheared Flow Reactor
16. HopeTech Pipes A - Mid
17. 700T He3 Tan

Mid Deck

1. HopeTech Captain's Quarters 2x1
2. HopeTech Hab Spine
3. HopeTech Control Station 2x1
4. HopeTech Nose B - Fore
5. Deimos Bracer A
6. HopeTech Hab Crossbrace
7. Equipment Plate, attached to Top point of Crossbrace
8. Scan Jammer - Multi-Frequency, attached to Equipment Plate
9. Deimos All-in-One Berth 3x1
10. Taiyo Computer Core 2x1 Mid Color #1 is standard green
11. Nova Engine Strut
12. Taiyo Living Quarters 2x1
13. Nova Galactic Armory 2x1
14. Stroud Nose Cap E, Color #1 and #2 are standard dark grey, Color #3 is Red Swatch (above) 
15. PBO-100 Auto Neutron Turret
    

Top Deck

1. (3) Deimos Radiator
   
2. Dunn 71 Engine
3. 500t He3 Fuel Tank
4. Overseer 400 Bridge, attaches to Fore, Top of Control Station
   
5. Stroud Engine Bracer
   
6. Deimos Living Quarters 3x1
7. (2) HopeTech Radiator
   
8. HopeTech Nose B
9. (4) Equipment Plate
10. Assurance SG-1800 Shield Generator
11. Supernova 2200 Engine
12. Galleon S202 Cargo Hold, Color #3 is Red Swatch
13. Galleon S202 Cargo Hold, Color #1 is slightly desaturated standard Orange
    
14. (2) Taiyo Mid Cap - Port Top, Color #1 is Blue Swatch. The Forward Mid Cap's color has been slightly desaturated
    
15. (4) PBO-300 Alpha Auto Turret
16. (2) PBO-100 Auto Neutron Turret
    

 

 

Assembly

Assembly of the Orozco's Prize will start at the Top Deck and move downwards. Start by assembling each deck as shown above, but don't add the Supernova engines just yet. Leave the aft, port Hope-55 Landing Gear detached, but in a convenient area.

On the Top Deck, attach each weapon to the Equipment Plate closest to it. The two near the bridge will snap to the top of the bridge. Attach all three of the Deimos Radiator pieces to the top of the Fuel Tank and Dunn-71 engine. Now group select everything but the Supernova engine and place it onto the Mid Deck. The Overseer bridge should rest on top, forward of the Control Station.

Now that the Top Deck and Mid deck are stacked, there are a couple of steps needed to finish that part off. Connect the Equipment Plate to the top of the HopeTech Hab Crossbrace.  Attach the Scan Jammer to the Equipment Plate. Attach the PBO-100 Turret to the top of the Stroud Nose Cap.

Group Select the combined Top and Mid deck and stack it onto the Lower Deck. The Control Station should rest on top of the Workshop. Now it is time to attach the Supernova engines. See the Attaching the Supernova Engines section below on placing and merging the engines.

We're in the home stretch. Chances are that you don't have those HopeTech Pipes and port Thrusters position exactly where they will snap in nicely, so let's put those on first. The HopeTech Pipes connect underneath the other HopeTech Pipes between the Reactor and He3 Tank. Attach the HopeTech Thruster to the front of the He3 Tank underneath the Nova Engine Strut.

Group Select the rest of the Undercarriage and drag it over to the rest of the vessel. The undercarriage should snap in so that the other HopeTech Thruster is under the starboard Nova Engine Strut.

Attaching the Supernova Engines

Start by attaching the top engine as shown.

Duplicate the engine. It will create another engine below it and overlapping the original.

Duplicate the new engine. It will create a third engine that overlaps the second engine.

Delete the middle engine. The one that overlaps both the top and bottom engines. The two remaining engines will be vertically stacked, without any visible overlap. Reattach the landing gear.

Notes

The colors are suggestions. This is supposed to be a patchwork assembly so the colors are not intrinsic to the build, unlike my Vanguard Toliman-class. If they aren't perfect, that's fine. If they aren't even in the same ballpark, that's fine.

I may have gone into too much detail about the merging techniques, but since it is probably the most difficult part of the build to accomplish, I felt that it was a good idea.

Even though the Mobility is only 65, with Thrusters, she should be maneuverable enough to dogfight so the two turrets on top of the bridge might be replaced with cannon. I use the turrets for this because it is supposed to be more of a command ship. It has other, smaller and more maneuverable escorts to handle the dogfighting.

I chose the best reactor and shield because, again, it is supposed to be the flagship of a tiny little fleet.

And that's that. Thanks for getting to the end of a long, long build. I'll try to make the next one or two a little shorter.

Starfield Build: The Ugly Mutt

The Ugly Mutt

Introduction

I have been contending that Spacers should not have a unified color scheme and factory ships. I have backed off of that a bit, as I think the First from the Rangers questline might be related to Spacers and Spacers ultimately originated from the legions of disenfranchised former soldiers.  That said, there are almost certainly less reputable individuals out there with custom jobbers like this. Each ship would be an extension of the captain that flies it, much like the player ships.

My intention is to build examples from A-class Starter vessels all the way up to a C-class behemoth. The first one is the Ugly Mutt. Both the Mutt and her captain's story is presented here. I hope that you enjoy it.

The "Ugly Mutt." It is a Class-A vessel built from a Pik-Up by a Level 11 character with one point in Ship Design. It is completely designed to be an early level ship and will need to be seriously upgraded in order to compete as the character progresses into the middle tier.

Head Canon/Lore

Ezekial Roberts found himself stranded in orbit above Niira. His ship had become heavily damaged in the final minutes of the war and though it had enough power for life support, all other systems were damaged beyond repair.  When no rescue came, as he had no way to signal for help and both factions withdrew, Ezekial was stuck.

Ever resourceful, "Ol' Zeke" as he would become known as, began to take EV excursion out to gather pieces and parts from the other wrecks. It took him over a year to get everything in working order. During that time he lived off of salvaged ration packets and a small garden he set up in his one working habitat.

The ordeal did not endear Ol' Zeke to the rest of humanity. He felt like he was abandoned and thus took up arms in the pursuit of finding a "good" life. He has since preyed upon travelers around the Narion, Volo, and close-by systems. He has been in and out of jail, but none of the potential capital crimes ever stuck.

Ol' Zeke isn't dumb enough to attack Freestar or UC. He stays away from the organized criminals. No, Ol' Zeke targets the tourists or those who have become lost. The only ones Ol' Zeke will not target and will indeed help, are those who are stranded. Something he knows all too well about.

In addition to outright piracy, Ol' Zeke dabbles in smuggling and other property crimes. He hasn't upgraded his rig to a dedication smuggling ship, but he knows the backwater stations like the Den and other gray markets, like the Red Mile, are always good spots to liquidate questionable goods.

Assembly

 

Swatches

Main Deck

• (2) Ares DT40 Engines, attached to the Aft 700T Fuel Tank
• (2) Hope 55 Landing Gear, attached to the Fore 700T Fuel Tank
• (2) 700T He3 Fuel Tanks, attached sequentially
• R-2000 Alpha Grav Drive, attached to the Forward, Bottom point of the Fore 700T Tank
• 20S Protector Shield Generator, attached to Port side of the Grav Drive
• HopeTech Nose B - Aft, attached to Aft point on Landing Bay
• Deimos Engineering Bay 3x1, attached to Forward point of Grav Drive
• Stability Pro Landing Bay, attached to Aft, Starboard point of Engineering Bay
• (2) StorMax 30 Cargo Bay, attached to Mid and Fore, Starboard points of Engineering Bay
• Hope 11 Docker - Port, attached to Aft, Port point on Engineering Bay
• HopeTech All-in-One Berth 2x1, attached to the Mid and Fore, Port points of Engineering Bay
• Nova Galactic Bracer, attached to Forward Point of Engineering Bay
• (2) Hope 6 Landing Gear - Fore, attached to Port and Starboard sides of Nova Galactic Bracer
• (2) PB-30 Electron Beam, attached to weapon point on Hope 6 Landing Gear
  
• HopeTech Bumper A, attached to Forward point of Nova Galactic Bracer

 

 

Upper Deck

• 134mm Toroidal Reactor, attached to top point of Grav Drive
• (2) Nova Radiator, attached to Port and Starboard points of Reactor
• Stroud Storeroom 1x1 Port A, attached to Forward point of Reactor
• Stroud Control Station 2x1, attached to Starboard side of Stroud Storeroom
• Armstrong 10 Cockpit, attached to Forward point of Control Station
• (4) HopeTech Cap A, arranged with Port and Starboard, Fore and Aft so they form a square and attach to top points of the AIO and the Mid and Fore top points of the Engineering Bay
  
• CE-09 Missile Launcher attached to one of the HopeTech Cap A pieces. This is a preference choice.

 

 

Attaching Upper Deck

Select all of the components and drag them over to the Main Deck so that the Cockpit is on top of the Forward Cargo Bay. The four Cap A pieces attach as described above.

 

Structural

• White Dwarf 3000 Engine
• HopeTech Pipes A - Mid, attached to Forward point of White Dwarf Engine
• HopeTech Pipes - Fore, attached to Forward point of HopeTech Pipes A - Mid
• HopeTech Marker A, attached to Top of Stroud Storeroom on Upper Deck
• Deimos Spine A - Aft, attached to Aft, Top of the Control Station
• Deimos Spine C - Aft, attached to Fore, Top of the Control Station

 

Attaching Structural Pieces

Aside from the description above,  the White Dwarf engine attaches to the Top of the Aft Fuel Tank, with the two pipe pieces falling into place on top of the Fore Fuel Tank and Reactor.

Final Product

Options

If you cannot find a Pik-Up, you have options. The massive amount of fuel is probably overkill anyway, so as an alternative, capture a Crimson Fleet Ghost for those Hope 55 Landing Gear. Replace the Fore 700T Fuel Tank with a single Nova Bracer connected at the top point of the Hope 55 Gear. On the bottom, pick two fuel tanks that can connect to a side mount and attach them to the lower point.

Replace the Aft 700T with two Nova Bracers stacked vertically. You could even repeat what you did with the Fore tank, thus giving yourself 4 fuel tanks to add up the fuel reserve. It really depends on you.

Upgrade Path

In this form, the Ugly Mutt is suited for lower tiers of play. Somewhere around Level 40, you are going to start feeling the pinch. By that point in time, you can probably upgrade the Reactor (if you are putting points into Ship Design) and with that can add better shields or weapons. If you go through the Vanguard questline, you can mount some of the Obliterator cannons, though that might fall outside of the intended theme of a pirate/smuggler role that this ship is intended as.

Ultimately, this could be brought up to B-class without compromising the appearance. A solid B-class reactor that provides lots of Hull and Power would definitely allow you to mount a solid shield and enough weapons to make it through the day. Engines could be upgraded to the highest level or those DT40s and the White Dwarf engine can all be replaced with White Dwarf 3015's for that sweet 180 base speed. Recommended if you want to make one of those "fastest hunks of junk in the Galaxy type builds."

I wouldn't upgrade the normal cargo, but I might add some Shielded Cargo and one of those Scan Jammers from the Red Mile or the Key.

Final Thoughts

When designing this ship, I had in mind that it should resemble a drag racer with the big back tires and the small front ones. It should be narrow and short. I compromised a bit because the original design was perhaps too flat. Still, the overall profile does resemble what I wanted it to.

Now time for an admission. Ol' Zeke doesn't exist in Starfield. He was an NPC in a tabletop roleplaying game I was running once upon a time. His backstory has been retooled, but only to fit him into the closing hours of the Colony War (and the time after). His basic archetype (scavenger, smuggler, pirate) has never changed.

I'm going to leave the Ugly Mutt on the character that I was playing when I designed it, but she has her own ship that is a variation on the Stingwing, detailed elsewhere on this blog. I had a lot of fun coming up with the concept for this ship and, despite it being hideously ugly, I have a real soft spot for it.

Thanks for getting this far. I hope you enjoyed reading about the Ugly Mutt as much I did creating her.

Starfield Build: Komodo-class Troop Transport

Komodo-class UC Dropshop 

Introduction

This is my entry into the February 2024, Crimson Flyboy Community Challenge. This one was a bit of a bear, as my original concept was way too large. The alternate idea I came up with was 1m to wide. One flippity, flopping meter. So I had to alter strategy and come back at it again. This time, it came together nicely.

Head Canon/Lore

The Komodo-class Troop Transport is a Deimos designed and built quick response troop transport ship. It is built with an infirmary for triage and emergency medical care during troop extraction. During flight, the soldiers occupy the upper deck. Upon breaching atmosphere, the retrieve their stowed weapons from the armory and gear from the two storage compartments on either side of the infirmary. They then line up in the Landing Bay, awaiting touch down and deployment.

The Komodo is bristling with weapons, to include particle cannons, particle turrets, and twin missile launchers. It is similarly well armored, shielded, and fast, making it a capable blockade runner in addition to its transport abilities.

Cost & Construction

Originally, this was supposed to be built from the frame of an Ecliptic Claymore II, but that disappeared on me. To minimize further glitching, I purchased the Pioneer from Titan/New Homestead for 47k. All of the parts used to build up the new ship cost about 350k. I have no perks to reduce costs.

This ship was constructed entirely at the Outpost Landing Pad with Ship Builder. The character building it is level 110 with maxed out Piloting and Ship Design.

Assembly

Lower Deck

• Deimos Control Station 2x1
  
• R-4000 Alpha Grav Drive, attached to aft point of 2x1 hab
  
• 104DS Mag Inertial Reactor, attached to the other aft point of 2x1 hab
  
• (4) Deimos Skeg B, attaches to engines and 2x1 habs on Main Deck
  
• (2) Deimos Skeg A Fore, attaches to bottom of Deimos cowlings
  
•  500T He3 Tank, attaches to front of 2x1 hab
  
• (2) Caravel V102 Cargo Hold, attached to the sides of the 500T tank.
  
• 120LD Landing Bay, attaches to front of 500T tank

 

Main Deck

•  Deimos Armor 2x1
• (2) Dunn-71 Engine, attached to rear points of Armory
• (4) 220 CB Landing Gear attached to outer points of Dunn-71 Engines and 1x1 Habs
• Deimos Infirmary 2x1
• Deimos Companionway 1x1, attached to rear point of Infirmary
• Deimos Storeroom 1x1, attached to rear point of Infirmary
• (2) Deimos Cowling, attached to front of 1x1 habs.
• Phobos DS 10.1 Cockpit, attached to front of Infirmary, this must be drop-merged into place
  
• (4) Equipment Plates, attached to top of Dunn-71 Engines and 1x1 Habs
• (2) PBO-100 Auto Neutron Turrets, attached to the top of Dunn 71 Engines
• (2) PB-175 Helion Beams, attached to top of 1x1 Habs.

The Main Deck should be positioned so that the Infirmary is resting on the aft point of the Landing Bay. The Cockpit should only halfway be hanging past the Landing Bay's edge.

Top Deck

•  Deimos Companionway 1x1, placed at aft position for ladder control purposes
  
• (2) Deimos Storeroom 1x1
• (2) Deimos Bracer A, attached to either side of aft Storeroom 1x1
• (2) Horizon Weapon Mounts, attached to Deimos Bracer As
• (2) CE-39 Missile Launcher, attached to Deimos Bracers/Horizon mounts
• (2) Horizon Weapon Mounts, attached to either side of forward Storeroom 1x1
• (2) PB-175 Helion Beams, one attached to each Horizon mount on the forward Storeroom.
  
• Warden SG-400 Shield Generator, attached to forward top of Infirmary
• Deimos Cowling, attached to front of forward Storeroom 1x1, must be flip merged into place

 The Top Deck should be placed so that all four of the center pieces should rest on top of the two 2x1 Habs. The shield will be hidden underneath the Cowling.

 

Structural

• Deimos Spine D - Fore, attached to top of 1x1 Companionway
• Deimos Spine A - Fore, attached to top of aft 1x1 Storeroom
• 100 DP Slim Docker, attached to top of forward 1x1 Storeroom

 

Finished Product