[Spaceships] Combat Examples?

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by apoc527

The Honorverse has a number of conceits set up such that one missile is far from lethal. First, all missiles are x-ray laser warheads, not kinetic energy weapons. Second, the impeller drives used by all ships produce invulnerable bands of stressed space wedges above and below the ship, so many missiles just bounce off harmlessly, leaving a relatively small window for effective attack.

And, critically, kinetic energy weapons (or impeller-damage weapons, as the missiles' drive wedges could destroy ships pretty well) wouldn't work in most cases, thanks to the 'sidewall' energy shields which would do quite catastrophic things to a projectile coming in contact with them. (So-called contact nukes are canonically semi-standoff shaped nuclear blasts, not actually placing the warhead in contact with the hull.)

Even so, it seems like somebody was probably missing a bet in never using no-warhead shots on the open bow and stern. A fading possibility, since the current ships can also generate a bow-wall.

Originally Posted by apoc527

I would suggest that any kind of GURPS Spaceships battle with missiles that must directly strike their target to be effective, you'd see very different tactics emerge. I would prefer most missiles to be proximity weapons or laserheads...assume that directly guiding the weapon into contact with your target is too hard over long ranges and/or is too easy to spoof with jammers or something. Unless of course you want one-hit kills on your space battleships!

For worthwhile standoff, laser heads only work if your missiles have a very good idea of where the target is. And warheads with enough 'blam' to make a really useful proximity blast are in the continent-demolishing range.

I'd suggest attributing the need for standoff warheads to close-in defense technologies that are so good they really do make the swarm of KK warheads option simply hopeless.