Sometimes what you actually need as an older ship. Join us as we break down the bulwark of the Colonial Fleet, the fast-moving Viper.

The Cylon Wars proved that know-how has its limits. And that generally, the weapon you wanted most, was one you had already constructed. And all through the Colonial Fleet, the one-man fighters identified greatest as Vipers helped shepherd humanity right into a daring new period.

But the place did they start? How did older mannequin Vipers show, towards the percentages, to be greater than a match for contemporary Cylons? Especially when their extra state-of-the-art counterparts have been destroyed in a single stroke?

The reply lies within the Caprican Air Force.

Viper Marks I – VII

A Viper Mk. II

The origins of the Viper start on Caprica. Sometime earlier than the first Cylon War, the Caprican Air Force developed the Viper fighter jet. This mannequin served as an inspiration for the spaceborne iteration that may comply with.

By the time of the first Cylon War, Caprican engineers unveiled their specifically designed counter-Cylon craft, the Viper Mk I. The Mark I has the excellence of being the primary space-superiority fighters wielded towards Cylon forces. And the Mark I succeeded past preliminary expectations.

The Viper Mk. I had its greatest power in its simplicity. It was a modern, simple craft designed with low-tech options in thoughts. Networked laptop programs have been unnoticed. All it had have been 3 fundamental engines and an array of RCS maneuvering thrusters. As effectively as two wing-mounted kinetic vitality weapons.

The extra trendy, Mk. VII design

The Viper Mark II was the second era, and the one mostly used through the Cylon War. These workhorse fighters have been wonders. Approximately 8.4 meters in size, every Viper Mk. II was powered by its personal nuclear reactor. And a modular design to each its wing-mounted KEWs and Wing Hardpoints, meant {that a} Mk. II was able to firing the identical sort of ammunition because the later Mk. VII, 30 years down the road.

The Mk. III Viper was a technological enchancment, with improved stabilizer fins for atmospheric dealing with, and totally different sublight engines in addition to internally mounted missiles.

The Mark VII Viper was essentially the most notorious of the bunch. These have been outfitted with the networked Command Navigation Program developed by Dr. Gaius Baltar, and in consequence, although these have been superior by way of arms and armament, they have been all hacked and destroyed earlier than they may hearth even a single shot on the Cylons.

Only a handful of Mk. VIIs aboard the Battlestars Galactica and Pegasus have been left intact and have been in a position to be recovered after efficiently being denetworked.

Defense of the Colonial Fleet

When the Cylons struck their deadly blow towards the twelve colonies of Kobol, their community assaults have been virtually as devastating because the nuclear weapons they deployed. Whole fleets have been worn out with out firing a single shot.

Save for the Galactica, which carried a complement of Viper Mk. IIs that have been nonetheless, miraculously, fight succesful. These Vipers helped Galactica escape the preliminary blockades, preventing intensely via the waves of Cylon attackers. Eventually, Galactica and Pegasus cobbled collectively sources sufficient to retrofit the Viper Mk VII’s, eradicating their networked computerized elements.

Now with each fighter outfitted with older, less complicated laptop programs, unattainable to hack, the fleets of humanity had a preventing likelihood to succeed in a brand new world, the fabled thirteenth colony: Earth.

So say all of us.

Bell of Lost Souls Staff Writer and DM, J.R. covers RPGs of all stripes and every so often eats sandwiches. You can ask him about both at [email protected]

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