Betafortress
BPV: 216 / 5 Crew
Well, it's a Beta what more needs to be said? Seriously, only its Blatguns
can reach a range greater than 10 hexes, so if you have a ship with a long
range powerful gun like a Turbo Laser, or Railrepeator, you could hang back
twenty hexes and fire away. The drive is only 7, so the Beta is not going
to chase you down. Its point-defense is excellent (1-7[6]), but a large
wave (10+) of torpedoes should break through and do a serious amount of
damage. If you can get the Beta within 10 hexes of any ship though Plazguns,
missiles, and particle weapons will ensure a crippled or destroyed ship.
Watch out for a lot of ships performing hit and run attacks. Concentrate
on one ship at a time until it is crippled then switch targets.
Betafortress Alpha
BPV: 218 / 6 Crew
The same tactics that apply to the Betafortress apply to the Alpha. The
additional crewmember and his rear firing Disruptorgun is generally useless
as few ships will be behind the Alpha at a range of 6. If given a choice,
the normal Betafortress is more cost effective than the Alpha.
Betafortress Beta
BPV: 220 / 6 Crew
As with the Alpha, the Beta uses the same tactics as the normal Betafortress.
The addition of the rear twin Splatterguns is more effective than the single
Disruptorgun of the Alpha and adds some significant defense to the Beta's
slightly weaker rear arc. Basically fly the Beta into the middle of a fight
and start knocking ships out of the sky (or space as the case may be).
Blizzard
BPV: 19 / 1 Crew
The Blizzard is a cheap attrition fighter. It has a high Drive(18), but
only an average Defensive Value(14). Its only cannon is a Disruptorgun,
meaning that the Blizzard needs to be in close in order to hit its target.
It does carry 4 Mk. 10 torps though, which do redeem the ship. It should
be held out of the fight until the enemy ships have been damaged some. Then
the Blizzard should streak in, hopefully in a firing arc where they can't
be hit, blast away with the Disruptorgun and unload all its torps. Next
turn, the Blizzard should fly outside the battle area and wait to nibble
at the remaining ships. Don't forget the Disruptorguns ability to ignore
DR. If a Blizzard can sneak up to a heavily armored ship like a Shyrak Shuttle
or Teal Hawk, it can strip away some of its armor with but a single hit.
Blizzard II
BPV: 18 / 1 Crew
Replacing the Disruptorgun with a Splattergun makes this fighter much more
attractive. It still retains its torpedo load and high speed, so you can
use it in much the same method as the normal Blizzard. The extra four hexes
of gun range mean that you should have 20% more chances to fire than in
a regular Blizzard.
Dart
BPV: 21 / 1 Crew
The Dart is the hot-rod of Silent Death. It has a 19 Drive, enabling it
to cross the entire board in around two turns. Its high Defensive Value
means that it will stick around a lot longer than most attrition fighters.
It also gives the pilot the choice between 2 Pulse Lasers and a single Minigun
when firing. The most difficult choice in flying a Dart is when to use which
weapon. The Pulse Lasers should be used when the +1 to-hit and damage is
helpful, or when a target is within 9 hexes. The double damage possibility
from the Minigun is nice, but never happens when you truly need it. Given
the Minigun's range of 12 hexes, it is easy for the Dart to stay in the
11 to 12 hex range of a target and pepper it with shots, but only attempt
this if your Pilot's Gunner skill is high, at least high enough to roll
a D8. Finally, the Dart has a long damage track for its size, allowing it
to remain in a fight longer than most attrition fighters.
Dart II
BPV: 20 / 1 Crew
The Dart II replaces the twin Pulse Laser with two more Miniguns. It also
reduces the point defense by one to 1-5[1], but the Dart can easily outrun
any torpedo fired at it, so this is not a great loss. The triple Miniguns
give a +2 to-hit and damage, providing a decent punch from such a small
fighter. Of course, it only has enough ammo for six bursts, so be sure to
have a high Gunnery skill otherwise the Dart II will be fleeing the area
quickly, chased by undamaged and lightly damaged ships. Use the Minigun's
longer range to your advantage.
Death Wind
BPV: 60 / 2 Crew
Besides having a cool-looking miniature, the Death Wind is armed with the
all-time favorite cannon of all SD players: the Ion Ram. The rear mounted
twin Splatterguns keep most ships off your tail, allowing you to concentrate
on your primary target. The Death Wind's Defensive Value is kind of low
(13) allowing Lasers to hit you fairly easily, but the Damage Reduction
of four shrugs off all but the most damaging attacks. The only problem with
the Death Wind is its Damage Track. There is a critical hit on the 6th box
and an opponent selected weapon hit in the 9th box which is always the Ion
Ram. Bring the Death Wind in immediately towards its target, drop the four
Mk. 20 torps, blast away with the Ion Ram and then turn away, possibly discouraging
retreat with the Splatterguns. If the Death Wind survives intact, then flit
around the perimeter of the battle, using the Ion Ram's 15 hex range to
damage medium and large fighters. The Minigun is generally only used when
the Ion Ram is knocked out, and then only for defense. It does have a lot
of ammo though, so fire it freely.
Death Wind II
BPV: 64 / 2 Crew
The Minigun is replaced with a twenty-five shot Missile Launcher, providing
a very powerful first-strike capability with the Death Wind. It still retains
its early critical and weapon hit, but the damage a full 10 missile strike
can deliver is impressive. Use the Death Wind II as you would a Death Wind,
but after its initial strike, keep diving in until the Missile Launcher
is empty.
Drakar
BPV: 121 / 5 Crew
The Drakar is best used as a Warhound or Gunboat attacker. It has very poor
defense, and a low Drive so your best bet is to move to within 15 hexes
of your target and fire the Railrepeator and Heavy Plazgun at the slow moving
targets. This ship needs some fighter protection or it will quickly be lost.
Drakar Alpha
BPV: 125 / 5 Crew
An increased missile load and the addition of a Protobolt Projector give
the Drakar Alpha a more flexible use. The loss of the Railrepeator is not
terrible as the Protobolt Projector fills its role better anyway. While
the Alpha is better able to defend itself, you still want to keep it on
the fringe of the battle and snipe at any ship within its firing arc. Use
full missile strikes against any ship foolish enough to come within 10 hexes.
Epping
BPV:119 / 4 Crew
A light gunboat with a heavy weapon load, I consider the Epping to be the
ultimate Silent Death flyswatter. With three 30-shot missile launchers each
with 360° arcs, the Epping can cripple a wing of light fighters. With a
Drive of 11, the Epping should be able to maneuver around the forward arc
its targets and slap some missiles on them. Its is vulnerable to larger
fighters and other gunboats, so watch out. Also it runs out of missiles
after three turns, so try to destroy as much as you can during that time
(duh).
Epping Prime
BPV: 78 / 4 Crew
Its like the Epping, only weaker. Single Pulse Laser mounts, ten less missiles
per launcher, a pitifully low DV, and lower DR all seriously compromise
the Epping Prime's lasting power. It is 41 points cheaper, but I feel in
this case you definitely get what you pay for. It would be far better to
grab a Death Wind or a pair of Night Hawks.
Glaive
BPV: 106 / 2 Crew
The Glaive is an excellent heavy fighter. It is easy to hit, but it has
strong armor and a good Drive(12). Its weapon choices are great with the
power of a Plazgun and the range of a Protobolt Projector combined with
two 20 shot missile launchers and 3 Mk. 40 torps. While both missile launchers
cannot target the same ship, their 360° firing arcs provide ample targets.
On the trip to the battle, use the Protobolt Projector to score some early
damage, and then wade into the middle of the fight, using the rest of the
Glaive's weapons to damage anything it their path. Once the missile launcher's
are empty, move along the edges of the fight and Plazgun anything still
moving.
Glaive II
BPV: 107 / 2 Crew
With an Ion Ram in place of the Glaive's Plazgun, the Glaive II has a greater
long range attack ability. Use the missile launchers to prevent attacking
ships from getting too close and let fly with Protobolts and the Ion Ram.
Hell Bender
BPV: 32 / 1 Crew
The Hell Bender is an excellent medium fighter to choose when you are not
sure what you are going up against. It has weapons for all types of ships,
including the long-ranged Autocannon and two Mk 30 torpedoes. The Pulse
Lasers are usually the most often used weapon, although fire the Meld Laser
as often as you can. If going against slower fighters, be certain to hang
around the 18 hex range and blast away with the Meld Laser, or if the target
is easy to hit and slow enough, the Autocannon. While the Damage Reduction
of the Hell Bender is high(4), its Defensive Value is low(12). Always be
aware of the critical on the fourth hit. It can quickly take the Bender
out of the fight.
Hell Bender II
BPV: 35 / 1 Crew
The Hell Bender is a flexible ship, but more tuned towards attacking slower,
larger craft. The Hell Bender II is equipped to tackle any ship, from the
small attrition fighter, up to the smaller gunboats. It replaces the Pulse
Lasers with an Impulsegun for the primary weapon and removes the Autocannon
in exchange for a 20 shot Missile Launcher. Fly the Hell Bender II to within
10 hexes and let the missiles and Impulsegun do their job. The critical
hit on the fourth box of the Damage Track still provides a serious vulnerability.
Kosmos
BPV: 27 / 1 Crew
Like most people, I view the Kosmos as a two-strike fighter. After launching
two missile salvos, its time to send it home. The Minigun has only six shots
and is fairly inaccurate to make up for its potential to double damage and
increased range. If you need a cheap missile platform, choose the Kosmos
otherwise look somewhere else.
Kosmos II
BPV: 29 / 1 Crew
By removing the Minigun and replacing it with a Disruptorgun you are trading
range for lack of ammo concerns. You still have a high Drive and the missile
launcher, so its as effective as the standard Kosmos, only it needs to get
closer. It really depends on what you plan on doing with the ship as to
which Kosmos to select.
Lance Electra
BPV: 60 / 2 Crew
Another really cool looking ship, the Lance Electra is designed to stay
12 hexes away from its target and let loose with the twin Protobolt Projectors.
Remember you can fire two shots from each Projector, allowing a potential
of 24 points of damage to be done at medium range. Unfortunately, one the
Protobolts are gone, the Lance Electra is not very useful. If you consider
this a strike fighter, it will operate fine. For the same point cost though,
you could buy a Death Wind which is more effective. However, if you need
a few turns of long range attack, the Lance Electra fills that role nicely.
The Pulse Laser and Missile Launcher are used for defense as the ship has
a low Defensive Value and Drive.
Lance Electra II
BPV: 60 / 2 Crew
An Impulse gun replaces one Protobolt Projector, allowing the Lance Electra
II to stay in the battle longer. Use the one Protobolt Projector for three
turns at medium range, then push the Lance Electra II into the battle, using
the Missile Launcher, Pulse Laser, and Impulsegun to target one fighter
at a time.
Night Hawk
BPV: 47 / 1 Crew
6 Splatterguns make an impressive ship. The Night Hawk is purely an interceptor.
It has a high Drive and Damage Reduction, plus the powerful Splatterguns.
A guarantee of at least 12 points of damage on even a low to-hit roll makes
the Night Hawk an excellent choice to down a particularly troublesome fighter.
Since the 6 Splatterguns have a +5 to-hit, you may wish to lower your Gunner
skill to the middle range as the average roll on 3D6 is a 10 (yielding at
least a 15). The Meld Laser is useful if you need to get a few long range
attacks in before diving towards your target. Beware of the critical hit
on the 5th box.
Night Hawk II
BPV: 55 / 1 Crew
The Night Hawk II removes the Meld Laser and increases the Point Defense
from 1-3[1] to 1-5[3]. This version is only really useful against light
fighters with heavy torp loads like Thunderbirds and Blizzards, although
a full torpedo strike by these fighters is likely to overload the Night
Hawk II's Point Defense. Otherwise, this ship is identical to its brother.
Pharsii II
BPV: 120 / 3 Crew
The Pharsii II is an average heavy fighter. Its powerful Turbo Laser is
designed to hang 25 hexes back and slam into a gunboat or other equally
slow target. The quad Splatterguns and Missile Launcher are sufficient to
destroy any fighters that break off to attack the Pharsii II. The Pharsii
II has no weapons covering its RQR and RQL quadrant, which is unusual for
a heavy fighter. Plus it carries three crew members which is one more skill
you must purchase. Depending on the mission's goal, a Glaive may be a cheaper
and more effective alternative. The torpedo load of the Pharsii II is laughable,
being used for harassment more than attack.
Pharsii
BPV: 110 / 4 Crew
The Pharsii is one point faster and one point harder to hit than the Pharsii
II. These are the only good features of it though. It carries an extra crew
man and seriously down-graded firepower resulting in a ship whose only real
use is sniping at slow ships with the Turbo Laser.
Pit Viper
BPV: 12 / 1 Crew
One of the cheapest fighter in the game, the Pit Viper is best used in large
groups. It carries 3 Pulse Lasers giving it a needed bonus to both to-hit
and damage, it also is very fast and hard to hit. It's Damage Reduction
of 2 is actually high for such a small fighter giving it the ability to
usually survive one hit. After that though, it's dust. Use it like a piranha:
move in, take a nibble, move away, and repeat.
Pit Viper T
BPV: 8 / 1 Crew
A Pit Viper T has only one Pulse Laser and no Damage Reduction. Its only
use is to hopefully be blown up in front of an oncoming ship and pray that
its debris will cause some damage. At only 8 points, you could by a ton
of them with Pilot and Gunner skills of 1 each.
Revenge
BPV: 120 / 2 Crew
The Revenge is perhaps the easiest ship to use correctly. Point it towards
its target, drop all its torps and go home. Generally two strikes of 5 torps
each should cause enough damage to cripple or destroy the toughest of gunboats
and fighters. Don't bother trying to use the missile launchers. If something
is in your way use them, otherwise concentrate on your primary target. Be
prepared to lose two or three torpedoes as you approach your target. By
the way, if you can load its torpedoes with missile warheads, the Revenge
becomes a powerful standoff fighter.
Revenge II
BPV: 120 / 2 Crew
The Revenge II is exactly like its brother with one less Missile Launcher,
but a whole lot more missiles. This allows the Revenge II to either defend
itself better or stick around after its torpedoes have been fired. Armed
with missile torpedoes, the Revenge II becomes a brutal Hatchling killer.
Salamander
BPV: 66 / 2 Crew
Probably the most well rounded fighter in the galaxy. It combines a flexible
weapon layout with a decent torpedo layout, good speed, and decent armor.
Its shielding is minimal though, so the Salamander is easy to hit. Use the
Salamander to fly through enemy formations, firing its forward and rear
weapons to damage all ships around it. Hopefully, the Salamander will disrupt
the formation enough to pick off the individual fighters in quick dogfights.
Its high Point Defense (1-7[2]) allows it to destroy incoming volleys of
one or two torpedoes without having to worry about dodging.
Salamander II
BPV: 66 / 2 Crew
The Salamander II is almost identical with the Salamander. The only difference
is the single 360° Pulse Laser is replaced with a triple Pulse Laser mount
firing F, FQL, and FQR. This ship eliminates the redundancy of the Pulse
Laser firing rear when the Gunner would be better off firing the Splatterguns.
The only downside is when the Splatterguns are destroyed, the Salamander
II loses any rear defense. Choose your Salamander based on how much damage
you expect to receive.
Sentry
BPV: 80 / 3 Crew
The Sentry is an excellent defender of a fixed area, but is a dismal fighter
otherwise. It is slow and pitifully easy to hit. It does have high Damage
Reduction, so it can survive those needling Miniguns and Pulse Lasers. Its
rear arc is vulnerable and it has no torpedo or missile capacity. It's front
firing arc is devastating though, especially if a slower moving target is
there. If you have an outpost that needs defending, use a Sentry, otherwise
leave it at home.
Sentry II
BPV: 80 / 3 Crew
The Sentry II's only difference is the removal of the Blatguns and replacing
them with a Disintegrator. This does nothing to increase its combat uses,
and changes the tactics of the Sentry II little. If you can hit with the
Disintegrator, do so, but of course, you might as well fire every weapon
you can every turn.
Seraph
BPV: 121 / 2 Crew
Another well-rounded heavy fighter, the Seraph is a little under-gunned
for its size. It carries the powerful Turbo Laser, allowing it to attack
slow ships from obscene ranges. The rest of the weapons are Pulse Lasers
scattered around the ship, including a vestigial one firing to the rear,
an area covered by a quad Pulse Laser mount. A 20 shot Missile Launcher
and four Mk 10 torps are available to smack a medium attacking force. Finally,
the Seraph carries an ace-in-the-hole: one Mk 50 torpedo. This is an excellent
last minute surprise for the Seraph pilot to unleash. It has a very high
Drive for its size(15) and a high DR (4). Depending on the available targets,
the Seraph should hang around the fringe, or dive into the middle of the
fray.
Seraph II
BPV: 121 / 2 Crew
The Seraph II replaces the vestigial Pulse Laser with a Disruptorgun and
replaces the Turbo Laser with 2 Meld Lasers allowing it to dogfight much
better. It can take an impressive amount of damage and still keep flying,
so use it to smack any thing that is unlucky enough to get in its way.
Shyrak Shuttle
BPV: 34 / 2 Crew
It's slow and easily hit, but that Damage Reduction of 5 is incredible.
The Missile Launcher is nice, but is gone after one volley. The quad Pulse
Lasers provide a decent ability to deal damage, and the ship itself is impervious
to most Low damaging weapons. It is difficult to move it into a particular
position, but if you need to make it from point A to point B, the Shyrak
should get you there relatively unharmed.
Shyrak Shuttle II
BPV: 34 / 2 Crew
This is a great ship. Its Drive is a respectable 12, it keeps the 5 Damage
Reduction and replaces the quad Pulse Lasers with a 360° Impulsegun. Plus,
the Point Defense is an unbelievable 1-6[6]. While the original Shyrak Shuttle
was resilient, the Shyrak Shuttle II is almost invulnerable.
Sorenson III
BPV: 68 / 2 Crew
The Sorenson III is a good attack vessel against slower targets, but due
to its exclusive Blatgun armament, a small force of fast ships could easily
destroy it. It has decent Drive, Damage Reduction, and Defensive Value.
It also has a respectable torpedo load, allowing it to perform as a strike
fighter.
Sorenson II
BPV: 47 / 2 Crew
Although the Sorenson II has a weapon that can track any speed target, it
is only a single Pulse Laser and it only fires in the R, RQL, and RQR arcs.
The Sorenson II should be used as a strike fighter and leave the dogfighting
and intercepting to ships better designed for it.
Spirit Rider
BPV: 18 / 1 Crew
The Spirit Rider is one of the best small fighters available. It has a good
Drive and Defensive Value and even more impressive for a ship of its size,
it has a Damage Reduction of 3. The twin Mk 10 torps provide excellent torpedo
defense, especially if the torpedoes are targeting another ship. The twin
Splatterguns provide a devastating punch to any similar cost fighters it
encounters. Use the Spirit Rider as an escort to larger and slower fighters,
swatting any incoming attrition fighters like flies.
Spirit Rider II
BPV: 17 / 1 Crew
Replacing the two Mk 10 torps with one Mk 20 limits the usefulness of this
fighter somewhat, but it does allow the Drive to be increased by one. Still
the regular Spirit Rider only costs one point more; it is an effective point.
Otherwise, use the Spirit Rider II exactly as the Spirit Rider.
Star Raven
BPV: 125 / 4 Crew
The Star Raven is an interesting gunboat as it is not effective against
other gunboats, but can chew small and medium fighters up. While it is not
as effective as the Epping in clearing out formations of light fighters,
it can punch a hole inside one. Forget using the Disintegrator unless you
are going up against a Shyrak Shuttle, which the Star Raven eats up like
candy. The Meld Lasers can make tougher fighters keep their distance and
the five torpedoes can force smaller gunboats or heavy fighters to retreat.
But don't let those armaments fool you, the Star Raven cannot take on a
Drakar or a Betafortress.
Star Raven Alpha
BPV: 128 / 4 Crew
The Star Raven Alpha is designed to strip away armor from any heavily armed,
relatively slow target. Once the three Disintegrators have stripped the
armor away, let the attack fighters fly in and destroy the target, again,
the Star Raven Alpha cannot engage a gunboat in a head-to-head fight and
expect to win.
Talon
BPV: 33 / 1 Crew
The Talon is another really cool looking ship. Its one Mk 10 torpedo is
useless, but the twin Pulse Lasers and twin Disruptorguns provide good armament.
Good Drive, Defensive Value, and Damage Reduction allow the Talon to wade
into any dogfight and punch strongly.
Talon II
BPV: 38 / 1 Crew
As good as a dogfighter the Talon is the Talon II is even better. It has
the same armament, but better Drive and Defensive Value as well as a useful
torpedo load. The Damage Reduction drops down to 2, but with the increased
Defensive Value fear not, the Talon II will not be hit as much. Use this
to attack any light or medium fighter in your way.
Teal Hawk
BPV: 43 / 2 Crew
The Teal Hawk is a great hit and run fighter. Its very high Drive and Damage
Reduction allow it to streak into a fight and finish off a limping ship.
The twin Blatguns require a slower target, so the Teal Hawk rarely leads
the attack, but any ship trying to sneak home will quickly find the Teal
Hawk saddling up beside it. The one torpedo does not do much, but try to
time its impact at the same time as another torpedo strike. Since there
is only one weapon mount, keep the Pilot's Gunner skill low and let the
Gunner do the shooting.
Teal Hawk II
BPV: 47 / 2 Crew
All of the advantages of the Teal Hawk with an even higher Defensive Value
and four Mk 10 torps. If you have the extra four points, buy a Teal Hawk
II instead of a Teal Hawk. Use it identically to the Teal Hawk, with the
added flexibility of the torpedo load.
Thunderbird
BPV: 25 / 1 Crew
The Thunderbird has two great features for a light fighter. It carries five
torpedoes and four Pulse Lasers. The +3 on the to-hit allows the Pilot's
Gunner skill to be lower and still allow the a decent chance to connect.
The high Drive and Defensive Value are typical of the smaller fighters in
the galaxy. Fly the T-bird near the conflict, drop all your torps and then
shoot down any small ship that comes near you.
Thunderbird II
BPV: 25 / 1 Crew
Replacing the Pulse Lasers with Miniguns limits the usefulness of the Thunderbird
II, although the added missile launcher provides a helpful punch. If you
find yourself flying the Thunderbird II, fire your missiles and torpedoes
as soon as possible and then fly around until a point-blank Minigun shot
avails itself.