Tulwar Attack Craft

The Tulwar attack craft is a marvel of engineering borne of a unique set of circumstances. Commissioned by the Trianii Confederation as a replacement for their aging RX4 Patrol Craft the Tulwar's design concepts were drawn from two different starships. With the Trianii-Corporate Sector war heating up once more the Trianii decided that the old RX4s were simply incapable of providing the firepower needed to match the huge capital cruisers the CSA could field and that a newer, more modern, and more effective battlecraft was needed.

Turning to Santhe/Seinar Systems the Trianii placed an order for a new kind of ship that would retain the small, commando team oriented nature of the RX4s while being able to deal punishing blows to enemy craft, both starfighter and capital, in space combat. With these criteria in mind Santhe/Seinar needed look no further than two of their own designs for inspiration.

The durability, damage capacity, and relatively small size of the Skipray Blastboat and the amazingly accurate fire control and superior speed and maneuverability of the Scimitar assault bomber were the exact qualities needed.

The body of a Tulwar resembles a greatly elongated and enlarged Scimitar with the notable difference that there are no out-board wing structures on the Tulwars. Instead, there is armored hull enclosing the entire ship with solar-panels plating the majority of the craft. The only breaks in the solar-panelling are where the ships various weapons systems dot the hull.

The enclosed nature of the craft means that there is actually more useful room to work with than with the traditional wing pylon structure of Santhe/Sienar craft. This extra room allows the ship's massive quad-firing rocket pods to be installed as well as inclusion of the retractable missile battery slung under the ship. The weapons and support systems work well together despite their being literally squeezed into the allotted space.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the crew if they are forced to use the ship for extended periods. With the massive amounts of firepower that the vessel carries there was little room left for the crew so conditions are terribly cramped. While short combat forays are easily endured, long-term missions lasting two or more days can lead to frayed tempers and irritable crewmen.

Nevertheless, this vessel is popular among many governments throughout the galaxy. The New Republic, the Keltarrin Protectorate, the Pentastar Alignment, and many planetary governments have all made purchases of these superlative battlecraft. The Corporate Sector Authority refuses to utilize the ships since Santhe/Seinar Systems has withdrawn from the CSA and publicly condemned the practices and policies of the CSA.

The Tulwars only significant deficiency is that it is a devilishly difficult craft to control and pilot alone. The ship's controls are designed for two people and while one person can fly it, that person will wish they could do it better. With a pilot and co-pilot the craft functions well with excellent handling characteristics and easy control. When a single person attempts to control the vessel, however, the ship is unresponsive, difficult to maneuver, and a nightmare to pilot with any degree of control. In addition to the above skeleton crew penalty any failure on a piloting roll with a Tulwar when operating the craft single-handedly is considered to be a failure with a 1 on the Wild Die even if a 1 was not rolled.

Era: The first Tulwars went into production 31 years after the Battle of Endor

Craft: Santhe/Seinar Systems Tulwar-Class Attack Craft
Class: Starfighter
Size: Small (22 m long)
Hyperdrive: x2 (backup x12)
Passangers: None
Cargo Capacity: 50 tons (bomb bays)
Consumables: 1 week
Cost: 235,000 credits (new)
Maximum Speed In Space: Ramming (10 squares/action)
Atmospheric Speed: 1,250 km/h (21 squares/action)
Crew: 2 (Normal +2)
Initiative: +3 (+1 size, +2 crew)
Maneuver: +3 (+1 size, +2 crew)
Defense: 21 (+1 size, +10 armor)
Shield Points: 80 (DR 5)
Hull Points: 100 (DR 5)
Weapons:
  4 Heavy Laser Cannons (fire-linked in pairs)
    Fire Arc: 2 front, 2 back
    Attack Bonus: +4 (+1 size, +3 fire control)
    Damage: 7d10x2
    Range Modifiers: PB/S +0, M -2, L n/a
  Twin Ion Cannon
    Fire Arc: Back
    Attack Bonus: +4 (+1 size, +3 fire control)
    Damage: 5d10x2
    Range Modifiers: PB/S +0, M -2, L -4
  2 Quad Concussion Rocket Pods (fire-linked)
    Fire Arc: Forward
    Attack Bonus: +5 (+1 size, +4 fire control)
    Damage: 16d10x2
    Missil Quality: Good (+15)
  Heavy Concussion Missile Battery
    Fire Arc: Forward
    Attack Bonus: +6 (+1 size, +5 fire control)
    Damage: 15d10x2
    Missil Quality: Good (+15)