Avatar
The Chmmr Avatar is a state of the art ship with few real foes, combining the technological prowess of the Mmrnmhrm and the Chenjesu. With medium speed and a fairly good turn-rate the Avatar shouldn't be taken lightly. Its main weapon is a strong and deadly laser and its tractor beam would make even the bravest enemy captain sweat. It is orbited by three Zap satellites (ZapSats) for point defense.
Built specifically for the purpose of defeating Ur-Quan vessels, the Avatar is faster and has a better turn rate than both the Dreadnought and Marauder. It is, however, quite large, and appropriate care should be taken near gravity wells.
Armament
Primary
Chmmr designers bring in the most devastating laser in the galaxy, so powerful that it ionizes the solar wind, causing visible sparkles in the void. Capable of tearing anything to pieces in a few seconds, this laser turns a face-to-face battle with the Avatar into a suicide run. Some sources describe this primary weapon as a "heavy X-ray laser."1 Unlike the other laser weapons, the Avatar's laser kills two crew members per hit.
Secondary
The Avatar is also outfitted with a powerful Tractor Beam, capable of tractoring ships towards the Avatar's laser-jaws by generating a field of artificial gravity. Only fast-and-heavy ships can hope to evade this awesome beam. Slow ships or fast but light weighted ships (such as the Shofixti Scout and especially the Yehat Terminator) cannot evade this powerful tractoring. Lightweight ships can actually be thrown into immense speeds. It is quite funny to see a Terminator flying around in speeds three and four times higher than those of a Slylandro Probe. The Arilou Skiff or Slylandro Probe, being unaffected by gravity, are not affected by the Tractor beam.
Additional
In addition to its already formidable arsenal, three AI-Controlled laser-turrets orbit around the Avatar, providing it with point-defense against most types of attacks. Each ZapSat has 10 hit-points, and when all three are functional, the Avatar is nearly immune to weapons with 2 or less hit-points.
Tactical Overview
While the Avatar is not the most maneuverable of ships, its tractor beam indirectly increases its mobility. With judicious use of the tractor beam, the main weapon can quickly be brought to bear on many unfortunate foes. The tractor beam can also be used to interrupt an opponent's gravity whip or even pull an opponent into the planet. However, both the main laser and the tractor beam will quickly drain the batteries if used constantly. Indiscriminate use of the tractor beam can also send the opponent into a high speed trajectory, making it difficult for the Avatar to do more than brief bursts of damage with its powerful laser and giving the opponent a free speed boost for strafing and flanking. The most significant tactical advantage of the Avatar are its ZapSats, which can deal damage at close range and intercept incoming fire. Conversely, an Avatar without ZapSats is vulnerable to ships that normally would not be a threat.
Ships that fare the best against the Avatar are typically those that are able to do damage at a distance while maintaining a position outside the range of both the deadly laser and the ZapSats. In Super-Melee situations, it is also common for the opposing side to use a ship that, while lacking the ability to win the battle, will destroy the ZapSats, leaving the Avatar a much easier target in the next battle.
Notes and references
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