Condor

Condor-class Light Carrier
Logistical data
Recovery rate (per day)	5%
Maintenance (sup/month)	10.0
Cargo capacity	120
Maximum crew	150
Skeleton crew	90
Fuel capacity	30
Maximum burn	9
Fuel per light year	2
Ordnance points	45
Flight decks	2
Combat Performance
Hull integrity	5,000
Armor rating	500
Defense	Omni Shield
Flux capacity	2,200
Flux dissipation	110
Top speed	40
System	Fast Missile Racks
Mounts	1x Medium Missile 2x Small Ballistic
Advanced Stats
CR per deployment	10%
Recovery cost (supplies)	10
Peak performance (sec)	360
Shield arc	120
Shield upkeep/sec	44
Shield flux/damage	1.2

	All condor-class light carriers started their service lives as Tarsus class freighters. The conversion process is an involved and complex affair and requires proper space dock facilities. Some in the sector argue even the Domain, with all their technological know-how, relied on conversions of this type to make more efficient use of a merchant fleet during times of escalated hostilities. Others point out that it is unclear how ubiquitous this approach was - there could have been fleets of Condors roaming Domain space, but there is scarce evidence one way or the other. Such details were all lost in the Collapse. Nowadays the Condor-class sees heavy service in the Sector as the conversion is, for many, the easiest way to procure carrier capability for their organization. Even with limited flight deck space, the Condor gets the job done, relying on its tough armor, excellent bulkhead strength, and a respectable (for a light carrier) weapons package.
–In-Game Description

Introduction

Condor stands as the cheapest way to acquire functional fighters for a fleet. It is usable both in the early game scrapping for resources as well as late game duels between armada-sized fleets. Albeit it has a very small ordnance point budget, as well as pitiful mobility, it has an extremely low deployment cost and two hangar bays. It also has access to a medium missile launcher, this fact however is partially negated by its cheap nature.

Builds

There are two common ways to build a Condor light carrier vessel. It can either serve as a support carrier armed with cheap interceptors or a support carrier armed with cheap bombers. Both are not exceptionally reliable, but they often do a lot for the fleet, especially if amassed.

Interceptor Carrier

Armed with a pair of Gladii fighters and 4 Talons (1 wing of Gladius and 1 wing of Talon), Condor can provide screening for other ships. These highly mobile entities will float around shooting down missiles, enemy fighters or just bullying lighter enemies such as Wolves, Tempests or Hounds. They are vulnerable to point defense, but they have a small collective respawn timer.

In order for this build to function, one should equip the carrier with Expanded Deck Crew, as this will allow the carrier to retain its stamina for way longer than usual. This is important, as even though a Condor can restock both its fighter wings in 40 seconds, compared to say 60 of two wings of Broadswords or Wasps, it is still a visible period of time considering the lack of interceptors' durability.

Interceptor carrier version of the Condor can be alternatively equipped with other nimble support fighters such as Claw, or tough nuisances such as Thunder, Warthog or Broadsword. Albeit their role will shift dramatically, as well as the increase in ordnance point cost will become more and more visible.

Claw paired with Gladii can be extremely menacing to lighter enemy ships, but they lose the interceptor value of a Wasp or Talon. Warthog can be far more damaging to interfering enemies such as Eradicators which might attempt rushing into your formations, but lack the range and mobility to help distant allies. They're also quite expensive. Thunders are fast enough to pin down frigates far away, but they lack the long-term nature of Gladius. And Broadswords are generally good as escort vessels for bombers, but tempt to fail in performing things on their own due to their extremely low damage nature.

Compared to Talon, Wasp wings are also quite effective at point defense role, however they do run out more quickly and are less durable. Nonetheless, they are far deadlier at taking down enemy fighters and way faster at removing enemy missiles. Talons perform well in those roles when amassed, but Wasps are simply surgical. Easy to exhaust but surgical, as it stands in their High Tech theme.

Bomber Carrier

The key to making a Condor an effective bomber carrier are standard Hegemony bombers. Those being Piranhas, the cheesy, "if I luck out, everyone dies" bomber wing, or the Khopesh, safer and more reliable option. Both wings deal damage via low damage charges that are way more effective against stripped armor, shields and hull than heavy armor. As their low damage per projectile leads to them struggling against something like a Dominator.

This is most likely a balance choice. The fact that cheaper bomber wings lack the ability to easily tear down heavy armor is a way for Condor to be non-universal in its nature. Those bombers are amazing at zoning enemies as well as supporting allied bombers with general chaos of a large amount of projectiles to shoot down, but on their own, they tend to often faulter and do nothing. The other options which have more reliability, such as Dagger, Trident, or simply cause a lot of terror by high damage projectiles, Cobra, are quite expensive and difficult to fit on a Condor without sacrifices. Dagger and Trident especially perform poorly without an escort, and Cobra itself kinda does nothing usually, as its damage is extremely contextual.

Missile

Pilum

The most viable missile launcher on a Condor is Pilum LRM Launcher, a cheap support missile. It can be spammed across long periods of time. The early parts of an engagement will have those missiles cover the battlefield. However, even though the description describes these missiles as infinitely regenerating, they are technically quite finite. Equipping a Condor with Expanded Missile Racks makes some sense, albeit it should be equipped with something else instead. Usually.

Harpoon

If having the right amount of ordnance points, a Condor can be equipped with the Harpoon MRM Pod. These have long enough range to be shot at enemies from an odd position a Condor might be in. And they will accelerate the death of many enemies if given the right circumstance. They can be granted Expanded Missile Racks or even ECCM Package if necessary, albeit with such a high expense, few Ordnance Points remain for other things. Forcing a Condor to perform an Interceptor role with a Talon and Gladius wing most likely.

Logistics

Condor stands as a cargo hauler of some sort. Compared to, say, Drover, it has 120 cargo capacity against 40. However, against Gemini it has 120 against 250. But it retains having access to sufficient durability and a pair of fighters. It also stands only 1 deployment point above Gemini.

If a Condor is armed with relatively cheap ordnance point-wise fighters, it can be given Blast Doors, this translates to it retaining a large part of its crew after being destroyed, which may allow a fleet commander who has sustained significant losses to scrap said Condor and redirect crew to other vessels in need of crew. Such as an Odyssey, Onslaught, Dominators, etc.

Considering Condor's reliance on extreme hull durability of 5 thousand, it may be a good candidate for a stealth fleet, as Insulated Engine Assembly will give it 500 additional health. Stacking it with Blast Doors, Reinforced Bulkhead may improve the ship's durability significantly. Heavy Armor also heavily benefits a Condor, setting its armor weight to 900, equal to the Enforcer's base armor weight.

Change History

0.95a

• Increased cargo capacity to 120 (was: 40)

0.9

• Maintenance supply cost increase from 8.0 to 10.0 per month

Only up to date for version 0.95. It is likely still broadly correct but not verified for the most up to date data yet. Please double check the Version History.