Medusa

Paranid Medusa Class M3+ Heavy Fighter Buy: @ 6,419,669 Cr Speed (Min-Max) 65 - 143 m/s Acceleration (Min-Max) 9 - 20 m/s2 Steering (Min-Max) 16.9 - 27.2 RPM Hull Strength 12,500 / 25,000 (AP) Max. Shield (Total) 4 x 25 MJ (100 MJ) Shield Reactor 1,300 MW Cargo Class (Min-Max) 180 - 320 @ M Laser Capacitor 8,333 MJ Laser Recharge 208 MW                                                                                                          Main x 8                                                                                                          Front x 1                                                                                                          Back x 1

Paranid Medusa Prototype Class M3+ Heavy Fighter Buy: @ 5,984,203 Cr Speed (Min-Max) 68 - 156 m/s Acceleration (Min-Max) 9 - 21 m/s2 Steering (Min-Max) 17.7 - 38.9 RPM Hull Strength 13,125 / 26,250 (AP) Max. Shield (Total) 4 x 25 MJ (100 MJ) Shield Reactor 1,160 MW Cargo Class (Min-Max) 180 - 320 @ M Laser Capacitor 8,750 MJ Laser Recharge 219 MW                                                                                                          Main x 8                                                                                                          Back x 1                                                                                                          Front x 1

Overview

The Medusa has decidedly middle-of-the-road capabilities for an M3+. Its Prototype variant is significant for its compatibility with powerful missiles normally reserved for heavier ships.

Background

Encyclopedia Entry

The Paranid government, learning that Bala Gi Research Inc. was to develop enhanced heavy fighters for other races, asked the company to investigate new design options for a heavy fighter to provide load-carrying capacity enhancements over the Perseus. The Medusa was the result. This new design fills a number of capability gaps that exist within the Paranid fleet.

Physical Characteristics

The Medusa has a slim, wedge-shaped hull with a rear-mounted cockpit with a glass bubble canopy.

Variants

Medusa

Not featuring any fancy title, the basic version of the ship is the standard by which other variants are measured.

Medusa Prototype

Prototypes are pre-production test vehicles. They often feature higher speed and shields to help protect the valuable investment.

The Medusa Prototype improves the standard ship's speed and overall capabilities, but significantly, it can utilize the heavy missiles usually reserved for Corvettes: the nuclear-tipped Firestorm Torpedo, the Hornet Missile, and the versatile Typhoon Missile. The only downside is its marginally weakened shield reactor.

Combat

Like most M3+ class ships, the Medusa best performs in the role of local space superiority fighter launched from a carrier ship. It does not have the speed to act as an interceptor.

The Prototype can be utilized as a fighter-bomber.

Equipment

Missiles (All variants)

Mosquito Missile Wasp Missile Dragonfly Missile Silkworm Missile

Disruptor Missile Firefly Missile Thunderbolt Missile Tempest Missile

Hurricane Missile Cyclone Missile Tornado Missile Aurora Missile

Remote Guided Warhead Beluga Missile Hammerhead Missile Rapier Missile

Firelance Missile Wildfire Missile Windstalker Missile Banshee Missile

The Prototype adds the following missiles:

• Hornet Missile
• Typhoon Missile
• Firestorm Torpedo

Availability

The Medusa is available at four of the six Paranid Shipyards.

Availability

Variant	Cardinal's Domain	Duke's Citadel	Heaven's Assertion	Paranid Prime	Third Redemption	Trinity Sanctum
Medusa	x	x		x		x

The Medusa Prototype is not available for sale. It is the starting ship of the Unholy Traitor starting scenario, and it is also granted by Duke's Buccaneers upon reaching rank 10, and is available for capture, though it is very rare.

Suggested Roles

The Medusa performs well in all standard M3+ roles: carrier-based fighter-bomber, space superiority, and hit-and-run strikes.

See Also

• M3 class
  • Paranid Perseus

Ships by Class

M3+ Ships

Argon	Eclipse (Prototype)
ATF	Fenrir
Boron	Skate (Prototype)
Goner	none
Kha'ak	none
OTAS	Notus Hauler
Paranid	Medusa (Prototype)
Pirate	Eclipse (Advanced) • Kea
Split	Chimera (Enhanced)
Teladi	Kea (Enhanced)
Terran	Cutlass
Xenon	LX
Yaki	Tenjin