Waler Class MKII Frigate, 'The Burning Tiger'

[The Hydromancer]

Waler Class MKII frigate, the 'Burning Tiger'

by , on Flickr

The Waler class is purpose built around a medium cargo hauler core design from the stern up as a ship of war. Its easy to use and easy to maintain design philosophy, coupled with the simplisitic build, isn't going to win any beauty contests, and the class is oft referred to as flying bricks. The class is known for its reliability however, and for accepting punishing demands from its crew with little complaint. The endurance of its frame and engines is spoken with reverent tones by the engineers and maintainers who work them.

by , on Flickr

Walers are the answer to the Second Great Expansion fringe worlds need for a relatively fast and cheap workhorse built in or closer to the frontier, and thereof exceptionally cheaper. Any planetary or system spacy with a modern shipyard capability can produce a Waler on their own, and as the UMFL demand grows for a no fuss no muss frigate so too do the number of Walers in service. A number of systems that saddle the edge between the First Great Expansion and the Second have actually added dedicated Waler slips to their production yards to meet the steady demand for the tough little ships.

by , on Flickr

The standard Waler class configuration includes two lancer cannon mounts and two missile magazines for chase armaments. While this weaponry is light it does allow the Waler to engage at multiple ranges, embracing a jack of all trades master of none mentality with regards to firepower. In fact, the Waler takes this concept a step further than most frigates, and the bow of the ship mounts a reinforced battering ram. A surprisingly high number of Waler captains in the past discovered that the class's natural emphasis on a durable build meant the ship could handle bow to hull contact far better than most ships of its class, and so the ram was actually introduced in all subsequent models.

by , on Flickr

Finally, the Waler includes four hardpoint arms that can swing out from the sides to mount additional systems. While its far from universal, its become a common sight to see four ECM pods on braced arms extending from the sides of the Waler class. In addition to protecting the ship by attempting to confuse and counter enemy targeting systems, the pods can also launch as one off decoys as well. This addition became popular due the exploits of the now famous Waler class 'Burning Tiger', particularly after the success of 'Burn Bright Burning Tiger!', a serial drama series aimed at general audiences loosely based on the actual ship and its time serving in the Garnet System campaign. The movie 'Flames of the Burning Tiger' was a more serious war drama that focused on the actual account of the ship and the tactics it used to survive, giving the audience a relatively true to life look at the way the ECM pods were employed, especially as decoys, to great effect. The movie in particular is credited with encouraging a significant number of Waler ships to graft similar ECM pods to their vessels.

by , on Flickr

[Vitoria]

I need to experiment with that Technic structure!

[The Hydromancer]

Indeed, this started off as a project just to use that Technic piece. I originally wanted something a touch slimmer, which might become the MKIII.

[Artasid]

Dude, you keep making such badass vessels that i'm starting to feel inadequate. At least these are providing some inspiration lol
Please keep them coming!

[The Hydromancer]

I appreciate it! I feel like I haven't done anything too outside the box yet, but I'm slowly pushing my way out.