GDH:D305 Delta Series Dreadnought

General Hull Designs (Herosine Empire) (Cybertanks)

Scale: Fleet (very nominally 1:10000th)

Delta Dreadnought / Amplitude Dreadnought

Size (Bounding Box): 100.0mm x 52.0mm x 18.2mm

The Delta Dreadnought is a retro-engineered clone of the Cybertank Amplitude Dreadnought. In combination with the Assimilator Heavy Cruiser, it was the benchmark for creation of the Delta series. The Amplitude historically has been an uncommon vessel in the Cybertank fleet, so it was pure luck that the wreckage of two were recovered early enough for General Designs Hulls to accelerate the re-engineering process. Both wrecks came from a single battle at Divitiae in the Vespasius system, the second system to be colonised by the nascent Herosine Empire. The success of GDH and the Herosine Empire at large can be attributed to this one battle without a great deal of hyperbole, as it allowed GDH a head start on the Cybertank retro-engineering that no other human power equalled.

The Delta Dreadnought shares the Amplitude’s excellent engine performance, granting 8.8mc acceleration and 92 MEUs, though it’s maximum safe speed is lower. Shielding and armour was likewise cloned: 4200TXq shields and an AIC of 1400TXq, making it a considerably tough vessel.

The stock version’s weapon systems are inspired by the Amplitude Warship configuration of that time, one of the two original wrecks. (The Amplitude Warships versions spotted in recent years have upgraded weapons.) The Amplitude’s main spinal weapons were mounted in three housing in the middle-tier superstructure. These are designed to easily accommodate large fore-mounted weapons like torpedo or missile tubes or heavy beam weapons; in the stock version, these weapons mount three lazer cannons each of 350TXq output. The Amplitude’s lower superstructure houses a straight substitution of four Kandrani Arms 200TXq-yield missile racks instead of the Cybertank equivalents. An equivalent number of 290TXq output lazer batteries replaced the Amplitude’s particle lasers.

Without the ability to replicate the Cybertank’s Displacer screen, here the vessels diverge. The Delta Dreadnought uses the remaining mass to mount an additional firecontrol suite and significantly bolster the Amplitude’s typically-Cybertank poor point-defences. The modern version has 2700TXq output of point-defence lasers, more than twice what the Amplitude carried at the time of that critical battle.

The Delta dreadnought is an uncommon sight in modern times due to the price tag, as those with pockets that deep often buy the Delta Superdreadnought instead. This is true of the Herosine Imperial Fleet itself, which does not have a current standard Delta Dreadnought class. There are a few in service, either hold-overs from before the Superdreadnought could be built that have not been retired or replaced. A few more are the personal vessels of wealthy senators. Likewise, a handful of Delta Dreadnoughts remain in the hands of smaller powers where combat attrition has not claimed them.