Intruder

Starship Databank Entry

The VUX Intruder is both incredibly slow and unmaneuverable, but it compensates for this by utilizing limpet parasites to slow down enemy vessels.

Propulsion

The Intruder is a very slow ship with a low turning rate. But it is rather massive, and is greatly accelerated by a gravity whip maneuver.

The Intruder has the unique ability of being able to warp in close to an enemy ship when entering TrueSpace for combat. With luck, an Intruder can inflict serious damage on the other ship before it manages to get away.

Armament

Primary

Intruders are armed with a powerful gigawatt laser that can slice through any ship in a matter of seconds. Its modest range and rapid energy consumption demand a certain amount of skill in order for it to be used effectively, however.

Secondary

Another offensive weapon carried by the Intruder is the "limpet", which launches inside a protective cocoon which automatically targets enemy vessels. Upon nearing a target, the cocoon cracks, releasing the limpet to clamp down upon the enemy vessel's hull. While no crew are harmed when a limpet attaches, the combination of inflicted damage and added mass decreases a starship's maneuverability. Only after battle can a damaged ship remove the offending limpets.

Tactical Overview

A popular tactic with the Intruder is to assume a standoff position and coat the enemy ship with so many limpets that it is effectively immobile, then close in from behind and finish them off. A well-timed gravity whip can assist with this strategy greatly.

The Intruder's characteristic arrival close to its opponent can best be taken advantage of against stationary targets. An opposing craft that is already in motion as the Intruder appears will almost always escape before the Intruder can take advantage of the situation. This ability is most devastating during the first bout of a battle because both opposing ships enter the arena simultaneously and begin combat at a complete stop.

Ships with long-range weapons--particularly homing weapons--are the bane of the Intruder, being able to pound the Intruder to scrap metal from far outside the laser's range. An Intruder must either quickly eliminate such enemies at point blank range or ensnare them with limpets.

Minutiae

These are the exact effects an individual limpet has on a ship's mobility when it affixes:¹

• Turn delay increases by 1 up to a limit of 255.
• Acceleration delay increases by 1 up to a limit of 255.
• Acceleration increment decreases by 1 down to a limit of 4.
• Top speed = Old top speed * (New acceleration increment / Old acceleration increment).
• If a ship's acceleration increment is already at 4 or less, top speed will be set to 8.

Notes and references

¹From this forum thread. For an explanation of the affected properties, see this page.

3DO VUX Intruder Basic stats Crew: 20 Value: 12 pts Battery: 40 Batt. Regeneration: 0.111 units/frame Armament Primary: Gigawatt Laser Secondary: Limpets Refire delay: 0 frames Refire delay: 7 frames Energy use: 1 units Energy use: 2 units Propulsion Max speed: 21 world units/frame Turn rate: 0.142 facings/frame Acceleration: 1.4 units/frame Mass: 6