Scimitar vs WC 2 / 3 Kilrathi ships

[Bandit LOAF]

If I had to upgrade the Scimitar I would also try to give it better shield generators (either faster recharging or higher strength) so it could come close to the Hellcat and of course I would try to upgrade the engines so it can fly 340/1200 instead of 320/1120

I also like the idea that the Scimitar we see in Wing Commander I *is* the version that has been pushed well beyond its design limits. Just look at those odd speeds, they feel like someone really fought to get that extra 20 kps out of the engines. It's a design that's over a century old and so it makes some sense that this is close to the end of the line for the Scimitar...

Now from the books in the WC universe have stated that the Scimitar can carry torpedos... how many do you think that they can carry and how would the Scims be used in a strike package? Would we see a strike flight of four Scims with another four flying top cover for instance or would you use the later ships from WC - 2 / 3 to provide top cover?

I can't remember Scimitars carrying torpedoes in the novels. IIRC, they're only mentioned in two books:

- In Fleet Action there's a bit during the Battle of the Hell Hole where four Landreich Scimitars attack a Kilrathi carrier. They have to wait for the ship's shields to be knocked down and then fly into it to fire missiles.

- In the Wing Commander IV novel, Hawk mentions that the Intrepid has obselete Scimitars stored below decks. One takes off ahead of Blair's Thunderbolt during the battle with the Lexington... and then during the battle with the Vesuvius it's mentioned that Scimitars are being brought up from storage.

 

[Aginor]

First of all: If the Scim carries those torpedoes are probably not the big "1 hit kills a destroyer" type of weapon but a bit smaller. Like the Prophecy light torpedo vs. the heavy one. So they are a bit smaller and the Scimitar could mount them on one or two racks instead of a Javelin.

If I was the one to balance them I would give them a quarter of a WC3 torpedo's explosive force.
In WC3 torpedoes were quite strong, IIRC you need one for a destroyer, two for a cruiser and three for a carrier or something. In the books the balance is a bit different.
In my example You would need about four to kill a destroyer, eight for a cruiser and twelve for a carrier.

So a wing of Scimitars would still have a hard time against modern war ships, which is intended I guess. Otherwise you would ask yourself why confed doesn't use those light torpedoes all the time.

I would also include another disadvantage in the story to make up for it:
A small fighter (and the Scim is not big) can't carry them inside. It needs to mount a special rack for the torpedo instead of its normal rack, and the torpedo is mounted on the belly. That makes landings more dangerous and it is more dangerous if you are hit. With that explanation it would be justified to only carry torpedoes if you are in the "bomber" role, which would help to show the player (or in your case reader) that you didn't upgrade the Scim to a jack-of-all-trades without also including disadvantages.

So normally the Scims would not fly around on patrols or something carrying torpedoes, which gives you the possibility to have such surprising "Oh F*** a capship and no bombers around!!" moments.
But if there is need for a strike mission against a capship the militia would send one wing (4 Scims) equipped with torpedoes and one wing in fighter configuration. Maybe even two wings of each, depending on the target, but you could also use a wing of Hornets or something. Variety is always a nice thing.

EDIT @LOAF:
Maybe, but then I can't even imagine how they could have the slightest chance against more modern fighters, so I go with Quarto's approach and say it wasn't the last upgrade, it was just the last which was cost efficient for the confeds.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

Maybe, but then I can't even imagine how they could have the slightest chance against more modern fighters, so I go with Quarto's approach and say it wasn't the last upgrade, it was just the last which was cost efficient for the confeds.​

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Well, that's kind of the point, isn't it? In all of the instances I listed above where we see Scimitars later in the timeline it's always in the context of 'it's absolutely crazy that they're still flying this against modern fighters.' So some kind of reasonable upgrade negates that.​

 

[Aginor]

@LOAF:

I know.
But look at it this way:
Military scraps things that are still of use in favor for new ones, there are just better ones available. There are better rifles now than an AK-47 but you can still kill people with it. And we know that other WC1 era ships can kill newer ships in the 2670s.

Also it is way cooler for the story if they have at least a chance attacking 4 against 1 and not lose. A desperate fight and such things are not cool when it is clear that they can't regardless of what they do. It becomes cool when they have a slight chance to win.