Difference between revisions of "Avenger"

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[[Image:Star_control_i_ilwrath_avenger_databank.png|thumb|225px|Starship Databank Entry]]  
 
[[Image:Star_control_i_ilwrath_avenger_databank.png|thumb|225px|Starship Databank Entry]]  
The [[Ilwrath]] '''Avenger''' is a sinister looking ship.  The only thing less comforting than seeing one is ''not'' seeing one.  The Ilwrath delight in torturing their enemies and this shows in their ship design. The ship itself is the result of the advanced technology that the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za]] bestowed on the newly conquered, technologically simple Ilwrath. Additionally, Ilwrath captains mention that the Ur-Quan also upgraded the Avenger and its weapons circa 2126.
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The [[Ilwrath]] '''Avenger''' is the result of technology that the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za]] bestowed upon the once newly conquered, technologically simple Ilwrath. Above all, the Ilwrath delight in tormenting their victims and this has carried over to how they wage war to some extent. Stealth technology is employed so widely by the Ilwrath armed forces that it has become synonymous with their species. Due to the ship's stealth capabilities, combat involving an Avenger will more often than not play out like a game of cat and mouse.
  
 
==Navigation==
 
==Navigation==
The Avenger is about average in terms of speed and manuverability.  They tend to skulk around and wait for an opportunity to strike. The best defense, the Ilwrath have found, is not to go through the effort of dodging, but to instead allow your enemy's weapons to miss entirely through the inferiority of their targeting systems and the incompetence of their Captains.
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The Avenger turns and accelerates swiftly, but its top speed is fairly low. This limitation is considered the ship's Achilles' heel.
  
 
==Armament==
 
==Armament==
  
 
===Primary===
 
===Primary===
The primary weapon for an Avenger is a short-range flamethrower known as the Hellfire Spout. The Avenger's quick recharge rate allows it to maintain a nearly constant stream of flame. Many a crew have been cooked alive (or suffered an excruciating death immediately afterward when their ship explodes into space dust) by the sudden application of this deadly weapon.
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The primary weapon of the Avenger is a short-range flamethrower which has been dubbed the "Hellfire Spout". The Avenger's rapid rate of energy recovery allows it to maintain a nearly constant stream of flame over a length of time. Each individual puff of flame inflicts a single point of damage.
  
 
===Secondary===
 
===Secondary===
While not a weapon per se the Ilwrath Cloaking Field is the signature device associated to their race (immediately following, of course, the various implements of pain they use on their captives). Auto-tracking weapon systems (the [[Earthling]] [[Cruiser]] missile, the [[Spathi]] [[Eluder]] B.U.T.T., the [[Arilou Lalee'lay]] [[Skiff]] laser) are useless against a cloaked Avenger, as are any subsidiary craft ([[Orz]] [[Nemesis]] Space Marines, Ur-Quan Kzer-Za [[Dreadnought]] Fighters), both of which will head back to their mothership immediately.
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All Avenger craft come equipped with a cloaking device. Homing weapon systems and subsidiary craft of all shapes and sizes are unable to follow a cloaked Avenger. However, the Ilwrath cloak is not perfect -- some of the Avenger's own scanning instruments do not function properly while the cloaking device is active {{ref|1}}. In addition to that, hostile craft will retain some awareness of the Avenger's approximate position. In Super Melee, the game's camera remains centered between the Avenger and its opponent regardless of whether the cloak is active. The Hellfire Spout and cloaking device cannot function at the same time. When the weapon is activated, the Avenger's cloak will shut off automatically. If stealth is broken in this way, the Avenger will also orient itself towards the enemy ship's position regardless of where the Avenger was facing before.
However, whether this means that the system is imperfect or not, in Super Melee the Avenger is always on the other side of the screen than the other ship.{{ref|1}}
 
Also, when the Hellfire Spout is employed the ship returns to being visible; the starship [[melee]] equivalent of "boo!". One can hardly argue the impact on a crew's morale when an Avenger uncloaks on the ship's stern with Hellfire blazing. One major downside is that when used in Super Melee, the AI seems to know exactly where the Ilwrath ship is at all times, cloaked or not.
 
  
 
==Tactical Overview==
 
==Tactical Overview==
One of the more remarkable aspects of this ship is that if the player fires while cloaked, the Avenger will un-cloak pointed directly at their opponent.  However, the short range of its weaponry makes this of marginal usefulness. Also, a regular de-cloak, for whatever reason, will not point the Avenger at the other ship.
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When up against an opponent that is too fast for the Avenger to catch, the best solution is to find a planet. The Avenger's top speed is no longer restricted while the ship is within a gravity well's area of effect. This can be capitalized upon by lurking around a planet's immediate vicinity until your opponent moves in to engage or by performing a [[Leyland Gravity Whip]] towards the enemy, hopefully overtaking them.
  
While cloaked, The [[Avatar]] tractor beam, [[Cruiser]] missiles, [[Dreadnought]] fighters, [[Marauder]] blades, and [[Nemesis]] space marines are unable to lock on or follow the Avenger. However, the [[Penetrator#Secondary|Syreen Song]] will still affect a cloaked Avenger.
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The cloaking device may not be very helpful for sneaking up on your opponent, but the ability to negate the homing function of most weapons is no small thing. This can buy you the time you need to find a planet or force a short-ranged enemy ship to travel straight towards you (and hopefully your Hellfire Spout) to attack. It is difficult to figure out what direction the Avenger is facing while cloaked. When in doubt, turn the cloak off to reorient the ship, especially near planetary bodies.
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When fighting against an Avenger, the best approach is to keep your distance and gradually pick the ship apart from outside of its range. Do not engage in a direct shoot-out with an Avenger unless your own ship's firepower exceeds theirs.
  
 
==Notes and references==
 
==Notes and references==

Revision as of 01:43, 21 February 2009

Starship Databank Entry

The Ilwrath Avenger is the result of technology that the Ur-Quan Kzer-Za bestowed upon the once newly conquered, technologically simple Ilwrath. Above all, the Ilwrath delight in tormenting their victims and this has carried over to how they wage war to some extent. Stealth technology is employed so widely by the Ilwrath armed forces that it has become synonymous with their species. Due to the ship's stealth capabilities, combat involving an Avenger will more often than not play out like a game of cat and mouse.

Navigation

The Avenger turns and accelerates swiftly, but its top speed is fairly low. This limitation is considered the ship's Achilles' heel.

Armament

Primary

The primary weapon of the Avenger is a short-range flamethrower which has been dubbed the "Hellfire Spout". The Avenger's rapid rate of energy recovery allows it to maintain a nearly constant stream of flame over a length of time. Each individual puff of flame inflicts a single point of damage.

Secondary

All Avenger craft come equipped with a cloaking device. Homing weapon systems and subsidiary craft of all shapes and sizes are unable to follow a cloaked Avenger. However, the Ilwrath cloak is not perfect -- some of the Avenger's own scanning instruments do not function properly while the cloaking device is active 1. In addition to that, hostile craft will retain some awareness of the Avenger's approximate position. In Super Melee, the game's camera remains centered between the Avenger and its opponent regardless of whether the cloak is active. The Hellfire Spout and cloaking device cannot function at the same time. When the weapon is activated, the Avenger's cloak will shut off automatically. If stealth is broken in this way, the Avenger will also orient itself towards the enemy ship's position regardless of where the Avenger was facing before.

Tactical Overview

When up against an opponent that is too fast for the Avenger to catch, the best solution is to find a planet. The Avenger's top speed is no longer restricted while the ship is within a gravity well's area of effect. This can be capitalized upon by lurking around a planet's immediate vicinity until your opponent moves in to engage or by performing a Leyland Gravity Whip towards the enemy, hopefully overtaking them.

The cloaking device may not be very helpful for sneaking up on your opponent, but the ability to negate the homing function of most weapons is no small thing. This can buy you the time you need to find a planet or force a short-ranged enemy ship to travel straight towards you (and hopefully your Hellfire Spout) to attack. It is difficult to figure out what direction the Avenger is facing while cloaked. When in doubt, turn the cloak off to reorient the ship, especially near planetary bodies.

When fighting against an Avenger, the best approach is to keep your distance and gradually pick the ship apart from outside of its range. Do not engage in a direct shoot-out with an Avenger unless your own ship's firepower exceeds theirs.

Notes and references

1From the 2007 IRC chat with Toys for Bob (robot is Fred Ford, PR3 is Paul Reiche III):
23:21 <@Meep-Eep> < Shiver-> I've been kicking this around a while: Was the Ilwrath Avenger ever meant to be visible to the player controlling it while cloaked? With online play this feature could enhance the ship a good deal.
23:42 <@fOSSiL> So, not to press the question, but was the Ilwrath Avenger ever meant to be visible while cloaked to the player controlling it?
23:43 <@fOSSiL> re Avenger; Now with netplay it could be done pretty well.
23:43 <+PR3> We meant for the Ilwrath's cloak to somewhat affect that ship's captain as well, though it was not a huge issue.
Avenger icon.png
3DO Ilwrath Avenger
Basic stats
Crew: 22 Value: 10 pts
Battery: 16 Batt. Regeneration: 0.8 units/frame
Armament
Primary: Hellfire Spout Secondary: Cloaking
Refire delay: 0 frames Refire delay: 13 frames
Energy use: 1 units Energy use: 3 units
Propulsion
Max speed: 25 world units/frame Turn rate: 0.33 facings/frame
Acceleration: 5 units/frame Mass: 7