Zephyrus

OTAS Zephyrus Class TM Military Transport Buy: Argon @ Accepted Advisor 474,663 Cr Speed (Min-Max) 70 - 140 m/s Acceleration (Min-Max) 9 - 18 m/s2 Steering (Min-Max) 1.6 - 3.24 RPM Hull Strength 13,440 Max. Shield (Total) 3 x 200 MJ (600 MJ) Shield Reactor 1,200 MW Cargo Class (Min-Max) 900 - 1,275 @ XL Laser Capacitor 2,200 MJ Laser Recharge 51 MW                                                                                                          Main x 2                                                                                                          Front x 2                                                                                                          Rear x 2 Docking 4 M3+ - M5

Overview

If you can't get a Hyperion Vanguard, get one of these. Even if you have one, buy a Zephyrus anyway. They're fast, cheap and tough, though very plain in design.

Background

The Zephyrus military transport, with its ability to carry a limited number of fighters, provides important tactical flexibility to the OTAS fleet.

Physical Characteristics

The Zephyrus has a long, narrow cigar-shaped fuselage, with the command deck located at the bow. It carries chin-mounted main guns and front and rear turrets, and docks four fighters along the ventral fuselage. Its large stern-mounted engines can propel it to speeds that outpace some TPs and M3s.

Combat

TM Military Transport ships are support ships. They carry small numbers of fighters to distant locations very cost-effectively. However, they don't normally have the shields, maneuvering, or weapons to effectively engage in direct combat. Their open docking bays do however make them ideal fighter drone tenders allowing you to deploy heavier carriers elsewhere. Unfortunately TMs will not automatically deploy drones, which limits their usefulness as a patrol unit.

The Zephyrus has armaments above and beyond those of normal TMs and can take on an M3 or two with dual HEPTs and two turrets mounting antifighter weaponry, and its corvette-level shields are enough to protect it in the line of fire. In addition, it is unique among the TM class in that it can wield several types of heavy missiles like the Thunderbolt and Tempest for long-range combat.

Together with fighters, a well-equipped Zephyrus can take out opposing frigates with relative ease.

Equipment

Missiles

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

Availability

The Zephyrus is only available at the OTAS Shipyard in Legend's Home. For such an effective ship, however, it is quite cheap.

Suggested Roles

Thanks in large part to its speed and armament, a Zephyrus makes a good escort for standard freighters. Its respectable cargo capacity enables it to act as a transport ship quite effectively, though admittedly it has the smallest cargo bay of the TM class.

See Also

Ships by Class

TM Ships

Argon	Magnetar
ATF	none
Boron	Pleco
Goner	none
Kha'ak	none
OTAS	Zephyrus
Paranid	Helios
Pirate	Caravel
Split	Boa
Teladi	Pelican
Terran	Toukon
Xenon	none
Yaki	Chokaro