The Lancer Frigate is a 250-meter
long capital combat starship that the Empire designed specifically to combat
Rebel starfighters. The Lancer was designed by the Empire shortly after a
small number of Rebel X-wing and Y-wing fighters destroyed the "invincible"
Death Star. While the Empire didn't face as many Rebel starfighter attacks
as Imperial Navy strategists first feared, the Lancer proved its worth in
its first few encounters.
The biggest problem with the Lancer is that it is expensive in relation to its actual utility. A Lancer costs as much as any other heavy combat cruiser, yet it is suitable only for repelling fighter attacks. The Empire's supply of Lancers was limited, and it proved impossible to assign the cruisers to protect every convoy. The ships were best put to use attacking Rebel starfighter bases, although the Empire's opportunities for these missions were rare since the Rebels showed an unnerving ability to operate right under the noses of the Imperials without being noticed.
The Lancer has twenty Corellian AG-2G quad laser cannons specifically calibrated to use against high-speed, maneuverable starfighters. The weapons has superior tracking and targeting capabilities and are mounted on elevated towers to provide an increased field of fire; each bank of lasers is fed by a single power generator. Backup gunners must balance power demands to keep the Lancer's weapons operation at full capacity.
Unfortunately, the Lancer has virtually no capital-scale weapons for engaging other combat or capital starships. Another drawback is that lancers are low at sublight speeds, so Rebel fighters with small lead are often able to outrun the ships. Each Lancer frigate has a small internal hangar bay with room for only two shuttles. Carried troops and vehicles are always kept to a minimum.
Lancers supplemented most Imperial warships, which tended to feature multiple banks of capital-scale turbolasers but few smaller weapons for dealing with starfighters. Originally the Lancers were placed on the outer perimeter of Imperial fleets to ward off fighters attacks, but Rebel capital ships found the easy pickings. The Imperial Navy then began assigning Lancers to flank Star Destoryers and other large ships, where the Lancer's guns provided protection against mass starfighter attacks and the larger ship's weapons could protect the Lancers themselves from powerful Rebel cruisers.
Five years after the death of Emperor Palpatine, Grand Admiral Thrawn demonstrated his tactical genius by employing Lancer frigates as key components of Imperial raiding missions. The Lancers devastated the New Republic fighter squadrons while softening up enemy defenses so heavy Imperial cruisers could move into the opposing fleet and use their ion cannons to disable and capture lightly crewed new republic warships.
The biggest problem with the Lancer is that it is expensive in relation to its actual utility. A Lancer costs as much as any other heavy combat cruiser, yet it is suitable only for repelling fighter attacks. The Empire's supply of Lancers was limited, and it proved impossible to assign the cruisers to protect every convoy. The ships were best put to use attacking Rebel starfighter bases, although the Empire's opportunities for these missions were rare since the Rebels showed an unnerving ability to operate right under the noses of the Imperials without being noticed.
The Lancer has twenty Corellian AG-2G quad laser cannons specifically calibrated to use against high-speed, maneuverable starfighters. The weapons has superior tracking and targeting capabilities and are mounted on elevated towers to provide an increased field of fire; each bank of lasers is fed by a single power generator. Backup gunners must balance power demands to keep the Lancer's weapons operation at full capacity.
Unfortunately, the Lancer has virtually no capital-scale weapons for engaging other combat or capital starships. Another drawback is that lancers are low at sublight speeds, so Rebel fighters with small lead are often able to outrun the ships. Each Lancer frigate has a small internal hangar bay with room for only two shuttles. Carried troops and vehicles are always kept to a minimum.
Lancers supplemented most Imperial warships, which tended to feature multiple banks of capital-scale turbolasers but few smaller weapons for dealing with starfighters. Originally the Lancers were placed on the outer perimeter of Imperial fleets to ward off fighters attacks, but Rebel capital ships found the easy pickings. The Imperial Navy then began assigning Lancers to flank Star Destoryers and other large ships, where the Lancer's guns provided protection against mass starfighter attacks and the larger ship's weapons could protect the Lancers themselves from powerful Rebel cruisers.
Five years after the death of Emperor Palpatine, Grand Admiral Thrawn demonstrated his tactical genius by employing Lancer frigates as key components of Imperial raiding missions. The Lancers devastated the New Republic fighter squadrons while softening up enemy defenses so heavy Imperial cruisers could move into the opposing fleet and use their ion cannons to disable and capture lightly crewed new republic warships.
