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5. SHIPS BRIEFING
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First of all, a brief description of ship classes and main capabilities.

+ Strike Crafts:
Fighters and Corvettes. Fast and Maneouverable, these ships are useful for fast-raiding parties and to harras larger ships until rienforcmentes arrives. Fighters lacks the turrets and firepower of Corvettes, though they are faster.

+ Capital Ships:
A group divided into Frigates and Super-Capital Ships. Frigates features a decent firepower and armor protection while mantaining a decent maneuverability; this class features a large number of vessels, each with differents armaments. Super-Capital Ships are Carriers, Cruisers, Destroyers and every other kind of ship capable of delivering massive firepower or build Strike Crafts and Frigates. To counteract one of these behemoths, use a similar vessel or a group of Frigates. Worst of all, these crafts are usually accompained by fighter escorts.

+ Non-Combatant Ships:
Ships dedicated to recon, repair and harvesting. Bigger ships usually mount only defensive turrets. They are not intended for combant, so use them for their main tasks.

+ MotherShips:
Massive ships capable of building any other vessel class, except other MotherShips. Your main task is to defend yours, though the armor and firepower can support attack vessels. However, defend it. Immobile in all single-player missions.
Note: under the coverage section I put the descripton of the weapon and type (projectile or mass drivers, missile, ion and plasma). I divided turrets into two categories: sponson turrets can track enemies in limited arcs but they aren't fixed nor can turn 360?. Normal Turrets are mounted on a fixed mount and can fire in 360? degrees. Enjoy.

16/10/2002 addition:
while searching infos on HomeWorld 2 (can't wait it!), I stubled on this beautiful website, HomeWorld Shipyard: http://www.well-of-souls.com/homeworld/hws/index.html It contains very detailed infos on every ship in both HomeWorld and HomeWorld: Cataclysm. I'm not going to copy them in this document as they are not my work and the site definitively is worth of a visit. Check it out.

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-- COMMON SHIPS --
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SCOUT
Mass: 40 tons
Armor: 110
Firepower: 10
Coverage: 48% (single forward-fixed projectile weapon)
Maneuverability: very high
Max Velocity: 1050 m/s
Special Action: speed burst
Required Tech: none
RU Cost: 35
Available from: mission 1

A reconaissance fighter. The fastest and most maneuverable ship in the game, the Scout is used for scounting missions, though in first missions it will be your main attack force or a good complement to the Interceptors. Note that its Special Action consumes fuel, and can be used until the fuel load is exhausted.

INTERCEPTOR
Mass: 60 tons
Armor: 160
Firepower: 18
Coverage: 10% (two forward-fixed mass drivers weapons)
Maneuverability: high
Max Velocity: 875 m/s
Required Tech: Fighter Drive, Fighter Chassis
RU Cost: 55
Available from: mission 1

Interceptors benifit from a particular reinforce structure, allowing them to carry more armor and weapons at expense of speed. Also, due to the particular position and construction of their guns, mixed with their minor agility, their firing arc is more limited than a Scout's one. Interceptors will become the backbone of your Strike Craft formations as they mix firepower, armor and speed.

DEFENDER
Mass: 60 tons
Armor: 280
Firepower: 30
Coverage: 90% (three mass drivers on sides and bottom, mounted in turrets)
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 385 m/s
Required Tech: Fighter Drive, Fighter Chassis, Defender Subsystem
RU Cost: 65
Available from: Mission 5

A slow fighter with very fast turning rates and awesome coverage and firepower; the Defender has three guns which can fire to three separate targets , making it ideal for escort operations. Large groups of Defenders are able to fend off any attack made by other fighters with minimum losses, and can be used to harras Frigates and other Super-Capital Ships without anti-fighter defenses, but are in trouble when facing Missile Destroyers, Carriers and most fighting Corvettes.

ATTACK BOMBER
Mass: 90 tons
Armor: 300
Firepower: 45
Coverage: 5% (two forward fixed small plasma bombs launchers)
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 700 m/s
Required Tech: Fighter Drive, Fighter Chassis, Plasma Bombs
RU Cost: 85
Available from: mission 5

My favourite fighter, both technically and graphically. Though a bit slow for a Strike Craft, the raw firepower of a group of 20 Bombers can devastate Frigates in seconds. The Plasma Bombs are slow, so they are a bit ineffective against other Strike Crafts, but the idea of a fast moving, small and cheap craft is a good one. Do not pretend to destroy Super Capital Ships with a group of them, but big groups in wall formation can support larger units in all-out attacks.

LIGHT CORVETTE
Mass: 400 tons
Armor: 900
Firepower: 100
Coverage: 40 % (one medium projectile on sponson turret)
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 575 m/s
Required Tech: Corvette Drive, Corvette Chassis
RU Cost: 135
Available from: mission 2

Slighlty slower than an Attack Bomber, but more armored and with a turreted weapon, the Light Corvette is a medium-range patrol fighter capable of dealing with Fighters and Corvettes of the same class. It costs less than Heavy Corvettes, but its cost-to-performance ratio is relatively low.

HEAVY CORVETTE
Mass: 750 tons
Armor: 1700
Firepower: 200
Coverage: 50 % (two medium projectile on sponson turrets)
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 350 m/s
Special Action: Powered Attack
Required Tech: Corvette Drive, Corvette Chassis, Heavy Corvette Update
RU Cost: 250
Available from: Mission 2

Slow, but powerful. It carries almost twice the armor of a Light Corvette and carries two guns (each in one turret under its nose), effectively doubling the firepower. The Heavy Corvette is perfect to spearhead assaults set on Strike Crafts, thanks to its endurance; groups of these can defeat Ion Cannon Frigates easily, and if used cleverly and backed up by Attack Bombers, even Destroyers.

MULTI GUN CORVETTE
Mass: 750 tons
Armor: 1400
Firepower: 180
Coverage: 78% (6 mass dirvers on turrets -2x front, 2xsides-)
Maneuverabilty: medium
Max Velocity: 695 m/s
Required Tech: Corvette Drive, Corvette Chassis, Fast Tracking Turrets
RU Cost: 250
Available from: Mission 7

The best escort Corvette; groups of Multi-Gun Corvette can easily dispatch Fighters and other Corvettes easily. Used with evasive tactic and relatively loose formations this corvette can deal some damage on Frigates and Super-Capital Ships thanks to its excellent coverage.

MINELAYER CORVETTE
Mass: 750 tons
Armor: 800
Firepower: 300 (for each mine)
Coverage: none (theorically 100%; mines can engage any target)
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 425 m/s
Special Action: Mine Laying
Required Tech: Corvette Drive, Corvette Chassis, Minelayer Technology
RU Cost: 295
Available from: Mission 10

Based on the original Taiidan technology, the Minelayer Corvette is used to establish unmanned defense lines. The mines can track down all types of crafts, but they are pretty useless again fast Strike Crafts due to their poor agility. Capital Ships can be easily destroyed by cleverly placed mines. Also, the Minelayer Corvette is capable of sending mines toward targets, but only in a roughly straight line; mines are very slow, so most ships (aside the MotherShip in singleplayer games) will be able to easily outmanuever them.

REPAIR CORVETTE
Mass: 750 tons
Armor: 1200
Firepower: 65
Coverage: 10 % (one mass driver on stern turret)
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 350 m/s
Special Action: Repair
Required Tech: none
RU Cost: 150
Available from: Mission 1

Repair Corvettes are used as mobile repair units for single Strike Crafts. As with Support Frigates, Repair Corvettes can use "heal guns" to repair friendly units as Support Frigates do.

SALVAGE CORVETTE
Mass: 1200 tons
Armor: 1200
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 425 m/s
Special Action: Salvaging
Required Tech: Corvette Drive, Corvette Chassis
RU Cost: 220
Available from: Mission 1

Totally unarmed. The Salvage Corvette is capable to overrun all computer defenses of any enemy vessel to immobilize and bring it to the MotherShip (or Carrier if Frigates) to be analized and/or captured. Salvage Corvettes can capture only Capital and Super-Capital Ships, and only if they are badly damaged. Also, bigger is the ship, more Corvettes you'll need: Frigates can be captured with two ships, Destroyers require three, Carriers and Heavy Cruisers five.

ASSAULT FRIGATE
Mass: 400 tons
Armor: 16000
Firepower: 82
Coverage: 100% (2 forward-fixed medium plasma; 4 medium mass drivers on frontal turrets)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 325 m/s
Special Action: none
Required Tech: Capital Ship Drive, Capital Ship Chassis
RU Cost: 575
Available from: Mission 3

The first combat Frigate you will be able to build. Reasonably fast and maneuverable for a ship of its size, the Assault Frigates sports four turrets that grant a good coverage and twin Plasma Bombs launchers for extra punch when needed. Though Ion Frigates can be better for Capital/Super-Capital ships battles, Assault Frigates can still hope to defeat slow moving Fighters or Corvettes.

ION FRIGATE
Mass: 425 tons
Armor: 15000
Firepower: 138
Coverage: 3% (large ion, forward-fixed)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 300 m/s
Special Action: none
Required Tech: Capital Ship Drive, Capital Ship Chassis, Ion Cannons
RU Cost: 650
Available from: Mission 4

This Frigate is built around an Ion Cannon, which gives it extreme firepower but it must sacrifice speed and agility. Also, the Ion Cannon is so big that the Frigate has to turn itself to aim the Cannon, meaning that all Strike Crafts will be able to escape from its beam. However, against other Capital and Super-Capital ships, the Ion Cannon performs way better, being able to deal tremendous amounts of damage in a single blow.

SUPPORT FRIGATE
Mass: 400 tons
Armor: 12000
Firepower: 36
Coverage: 21% (2 medium mass drivers on frontal sponson turrets)
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 450 m/s
Special Action: none
Required Tech: Capital Ship Drive
RU Cost: 425
Available from: Mission 3

Supports Frigates are especially designed to help Strike Crafts in extra long-range operations. They have 14 hardpoints and are capable of repairing and refuelling them just like MotherShips and Carriers do. Those Frigates are also more agile than other combat Frigates and lightly armed to fend off small attacks. Support Frigates can also repair larger Ships thanks to their repair gun in the nose. Just select a Support Corvette and double click on the damaged unit.

DESTROYER
Mass: 1800 tons
Armor: 44000
Firepower: 347
Coverage: 88% (2 forward fixed large ion; four big mass drivers -upper side-)
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 315 m/s
Special Action: none
Required Tech: Super-Capital Ship Drive, Ion Cannons
RU Cost: 1350
Available from: Mission 6

Destroyers mounts two Ion Cannons and two hi-power mass drivers on four turrets, allowing them to aim Capital Ships and, partially, Strike Crafts without moving. Destroyers are superior to any Frigate, except for anti-Strike Craft duties, where they lack fast-tracking or homing weapons. They represent the balance between the huge, time- and resource- consuming, powerful and slow Heavy Cruiser and the relatively fast, cheap and weak Frigates.

MISSILE DESTROYER
Mass: 1000 tons
Armor: 42000
Firepower: 450
Coverage: 100%
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 295 m/s
Special Action: all-out attack
Required Tech: Super-Capital Ship Drive, Missile Technology
RU Cost: 1500
Available from: Mission 9

Missile Destroyers were designed after engineers were able to develop space-capable missiles, usually ignored for cheaper and more efficent Ion Cannons and mass drivers. Missiles are especially good against Strike Crafts and for long-range attacks. Each Destroyer carries 32 missiles divided into four separate canisters, each with a fully automated production line to manufacture extra missiles if the original payload runs out. Missile Destroyers are also capable to fire all missiles in storage bays in a single, powerful salvo, especially useful against other Super-Capital Ships. Deadly against Strike Crafts, they need support from normal Destroyes and Cruisers for Capital Ship battles, where those Destroyers are usually assigned to long-range fire support and/or fighter hunt.

CARRIER
Mass: 10000 tons
Armor: 72000
Firepower: 109
Coverage: 100% (six mass drivers spread all along the hull)
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 315 m/s
Special Action: none
Required Tech: Super-Capital Ship Drive, Super Heavy Structure
RU Cost: 2000
Available from: Mission 9

Carriers are practical smaller MotherShips. Totally independent, they have two docking bays for Reosurce Collectors, can build and dock all ships up to Frigates and are decently armed and have enough armor to withstand attacks until reinforcments arrive of the Carrier finishes building ships. However, they are very expensive and due to their great tactical value, they are usually protected by large groups of ships, sometime including Heavy Cruisers, that often act as shield for Carriers.

HEAVY CRUISER
Mass: 10000 tons
Armor: 90000
Firepower: 921
Coverage: 100% (4 large ion on two frontal sponson turrets; 6 turrets -2xtop, 2xbottom, sides- with big mass drivers)
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 250 m/s
Special Action: none
Required Tech: Super-Capital Ship Drive, Ion Cannons, Heavy Guns
RU Cost: 3700
Available from: Mission 13

The largest and most powerful ship in your fleet, MotherShip aside, the Heavy Cruiser is especially designed for combat, rather than fleet support like Carriers. Its payload is impressive, with four Ion Cannons mounted on twin sponson turrets and six large mass drivers mounted all around the hull to provide excellent coverage. The Heavy Cruiser is slow, but heavily armored, and its often used as a phisical protection for Carriers, as they can withstand more punishment.

RESOURCE COLLECTOR
Mass: 40000 tons
Armor: 10800
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 300 m/s
Special Action: none
Required Tech: none
RU Cost: 650
Available from: Mission 1

The ships you need to collect resources. Totally unarmed and slow, but decently armed, Resource Controllers must be defended against anything.

RESOURCE CONTROLLER
Mass: 79000 tons
Armor: 13600
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 300 m/s
Special Action: can support Strike Crafts
Required Tech: Capital Ship Drive
RU Cost: 680
Available from: Mission 3

Controllers are used as mobile drop points for Collectors. Slow, unarmed and decently armored, Controllers need protection as Collectors do. Every Controller has eight hardpoints for Strike Crafts (three per side, for Fighters, and 2 uder the nose, for Corvettes) ; it also one of the first vessels not needing refuel and with complete hyperspace capabilities. Later, Controllers can be replaced with Carriers, has they are more armored, have self-defense guns and two hardpoints for Collectors, plus the ability to build vessels.

PROBE
Mass: 40 tons
Armor: 800
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 4000 m/s
Special Action: none
Required Tech: none
RU Cost: 30
Available from: Mission 1

A small device used for long-range reconaissance missions. Once the Probe as been launched, there is no way to change its trajectory, nor it is possible to move it once it has reached its intended position. It is also impossible to decommission built Probes, store them in docking bays or the collect them for hyperspace jumps.

GRAVITY WELL GENERATOR
Mass: 65000 tons
Armor: 8000
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 325 m/s
Special Action: traps Fighters and Corvettes
Required Tech: Capital Ship Drive, Gravity Generator
RU Cost: 800
Available from: Mission 9

Gravity Well Generators are capable of trapping Strike Crafts in strong gravity fields. The gravity doesn't affect other ships as their engines are too powerful for this relatively small ship.

CLOAK GENERATOR
Mass: 22000 tons
Armor: 6000
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 325 m/s
Special Action: Cloak
Required Tech: Capital Ship Drive, Cloaking Device
RU Cost: 500
Available from: Mission 13

Identical to the Gravity Well, but its cloack field will affect all ships within range. Cloacked ships can be detected by Sensor Systems, but they will automatically releav themselves when firing. If a ship decloacks and then decloacks, Ion Cannons and projectiles will still hit and allocate damage, but missiles will probably lose their lock-on.

PROXIMITY SENSOR
Mass: 40 tons
Armor: 800
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: very high
Max Velocity: 1000 m/s
Special Action: none
Required Tech: Proximity Sensor
RU Cost: 50
Available from: Mission 10

An upgrade of the Probe, the Proximity Generator featurs a small reactor and thruster to change course during flights and even to moe after it has been deployed. Think to it as a Scout without weapons, and built only for reconaissance.

SENSOR SYSTEM
Mass: 2900 tons
Armor: 6000
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 280 m/s
Special Action: none
Required Tech: Proximity Sensor, Sensor System
RU Cost: 800
Available from: mission 14

The Sensor System is pratically a large, semi-mobile antennae capable of detecting cloacked ships and Capital and Super-Capital ships within the map. This won't give you the chance to see them with the camera system, but you'll know that there are such ships on the Sensor Manager. It cannot detect Strike Crafts at long ranges; it will also be a favourite target for your enemies, so take care of it.

RESEARCH SHIP
Mass: 11000 tons
Armor: 4500
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 280 m/s
Special Action: none
Required Tech: none
RU Cost: 700
Available from: Mission 1

You can build a maximum of six Research Ships. Once linked, these ships will effectively become a semi-mobile research station. Purpose of these ships is clear, so I won't bother you in useless descriptions; however, it is remarkable that a single technology can be researched in more than one laboratory (just click once more on the technology to be researched) and that a group of ships can handle different researches.

MOTHERSHIP
Mass: 5000000 tons
Armor: 160000
Firepower: 7500
Coverage: 60% (six mass drivers spread all along the hull)
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 50 m/s (only in multiplayer or skirmish v cpu)
Special Action: none
Required Tech: none
Available from: Mission 1

A huge Ship capable of building any other class of ship present int he game, MotherShip class vessels excluded. If you lose it in single player, you'll lose. Lose it in multiplayer without any Carrier under your control and you'll lose.
It is well armored, but unable to move if not by hyperspace (in single player; during a multiplayer match the MotherShip can move at a very sluggish pace). It is protected by six small mass drivers located along the hull (two on front, one on each side and two on rear); they are powerful enough to repel attacks made by Strike Crafts, but even a large number of Heavy/Multi-Gun Corvettes will be hard to fight off; the MotherShip can build one type of unit at once, meaning at you can build an Interceptor, a Defender, a Carrier, a Destroyer and an Assault Frigate togheter, if your resources allows it.
It has two docking hardpoints for Resource Collectors and can accept up to 40 Fighters and 20 Corvettes in its docking bays. Frigates cannot dock with the MotherShip for repairs.

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-- KUSHAN SHIPS --
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CLOAKED FIGHTER
Mass: 40 tons
Armor: 150
Firepower: 10
Coverage: 10% (two forward-fixed mass drivers)
Maneuverability: high
Max Velocity: 775 m/s
Special Action: cloaking
Required Tech: Fighter Drive, Fighter Structure, Cloaked Fighter
RU Cost: 35
Available from: Mission 12

A strange looking Fighter with the capability to cloak. This ability grants it to pass unseen from any standard sensor; only Sensor Systems can detect Cloaked Fighters, but it decloaks when fires.

DRONE FRIGATE
Mass: 60,000 tons
Armor: 16,000
Firepower: 4,900
Coverage: 100% (24 drones with one mass driver each)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 325 m/s
Special Action: drones
Required Tech: Frigate Drive, Frigate Structure, Drone Tedchnology
RU Cost: 800
Available from: Mission 6

Uhm...This Frigate should be useful against Strike Crafts, only if you get used to the drones; when activated, 24 drones will create a sphere around the Frigate herself and will attack any craft daring to pass near the Frigate. Useless, however.

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-- TAIIDAN SHIPS --
------------------------

DEFENSE FIGHTER
Mass: 75 tons
Armor: 300
Firepower: none
Coverage: 80%
Maneuverability: high
Max Velocity: 875 m/s
Required Tech: Fighter Drive, Fighter Structure, Defense Fighter
RU Cost: 85
Available from: mission 12

A Strike Craft developed to destroy incoming enemy shots with its small energy gun. This gun cannot arm other vessel's armors and the fighter itself is useless. Better to use resources for Interceptors.

DEFENSE FIELD FRIGATE
Mass: 400 tons
Armor: 17,600
Firepower: none
Coverage: none (though field covers 100% of the ship)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 325 m/s
Special Action: defense field
Required Tech: Frigate Drive, Frigate Chassis, Defense Field
RU Cost: 800
Available from: Mission 6

The bigger version of the Defense Fighter...and useless as its smaller cousin. Useless. Build Ion or Assault Frigates instead.

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-- TAIIDAN/KUSHAN AND INSTALLATIONS (enemies in single player) --
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RESEARCH OUTPOST (from Mission 10)
Mass: 2,000,000 tons (extimated)
Armor: 100.000 (extimated)
Firepower: none (extimated)
Coverage: none (extimated)
Maneuverability: none (extimated)
Max Velocity: none (extimated)

A deep-space research outpost with enough rear armor to withstand radiations from an active SuperNova. It has docking points for Strike Crafts and Frigates, but it hasn't the ability to produce them.

HYPERSPACE INHIBITOR FIELD EMITTER (single section; from mission 14)
Mass: 60,000 tons (extimated)
Armor: 20,000 (extimated)
Firepower: none (extimated)
Coverage: none (extimated)
Maneuverability: very low (extimated)
Max Velocity: 150 m/s (extimated - note that this is the revolution speed)

A Hyperspace Inhibitor Emitter is composed of eight of these sections; they slowly rotate to create a gravity effect which is amplificated by particular emitters in each section to deform the hyperwave. It is significantly bulkier than the Renegade's own device, but more armored and with larger range.

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-- RENEGADE SHIPS --
---------------------------

The renegades, or Kadesh Nebula inhabitants. Their forces are based on strike crafts but their capital ships can be a nasty surprise.

SWARMER
Mass: 8 tons
Armor: 400
Firepower: 43
Coverage: 4%
Maneuverability: very high
Max Velocity: 1500 m/s
Cost: 25 RUs
Thanks to Barrengate (neobios@comcast.net) for the Swarmer stats. He caputred one in mission 7 and sent me a screenshot when the Swarmer was docked in the Mothership. Highly manueverable fighter. Though its more or less a normal Interceptor, the great number of them will make them deadly. Really small fuel tanks; destroy the Fuel Pods to stop them at once.

ADVANCED SWARMER
Mass: 80 tons (estimated)
Armor: 150 (estimated)
Firepower: 50 (estimated)
Coverage: 20% (estimated; two forward-fixed mass drivers and two plasma bomb launchers)
Maneuverability: very high (estimated)
Max Velocity: 875 m/s (estimated)

A Swarmer with two guns and two additional plasma bomb launchers, used only against Capital or bigger ships. Can be recognized by its yellowish exhaust and orange parts.

FUEL POD
Mass: 30,000 tons (estimated)
Armor: 10,000 (estimated)
Firepower: 65
Coverage: 10 % (one mass driver on stern turret)
Maneuverability: medium (estimated)
Max Velocity: 450 m/s (estimated)

Nothing much to say. Unarmed refuelling station for Swarmers and Advanced Swarmers. Ver 3.X addition: the Fuel Pod is a mistery. As the Multi-Beam Frigate of the same race (read below), this ship is much smaller than all ships in its class; it should be a Frigate, as it has six hardpoints to refuel fighters, it is not fuel limited and it has hyperspace capabilities and can be captured (two Salvage Corvettes); however, it leaves the same trail has Fighters and Corvettes, it is big as a Taiidan Salvage Corvette and has the same firepower of a Repair Corvette.

MULTI-BEAM FRIGATE
Mass: 40,000 tons (estimated)
Armor: 10,000 (estimated)
Firepower: 600(estimated)
Coverage: 20% (estimated; six fixed-forwad Ion Cannons)
Maneuverability: medium (estimated)
Max Velocity: 350 m/s (estimated)

You'll see only few of these ships. And if I think it's better for you. Six (6) Ion Cannons, all mounted forward, in 2 groups of three, in each "wing". Seek and destroy.
Rather than "firepower+armor", these crafts seems to be "firepower+agility". Also, they tend to be more effective than other Ion Frigates against Fighters and Corvettes.

"MUSHROOM" CAPITAL SHIP
Mass: 700,000 tons (estimated)
Armor: 70,000 (estimated)
Firepower: 200 (estimated)
Coverage: 50% (estimated; one forward-fixed Ion Cannon and four mass drivers on frontal turrets)
Maneuverability: low (estimated)
Max Velocity: 400 m/s (estimated)
Special Action: disable hyperspace generators

I do not know the designation of this ship, nor if it is a real MotherShip or something like a Carrier; the fact is that this ship looks like a mushroom, so I'll call it in that way.
It is not heavily armed, though it has an Ion Cannon on its "top" and can produces Swarmers and Fuel Pods; never seen Multi-Beam Frigate coming out from one of these ships, but they should come from somewhere. It is fast and manueverable as most Super Capital Ships and has the ability to block hyperspace jumps.
Ver. 3.X addition: I'm not still sure if the Ion Cannon I saw during my very first campaign was an error or what. However, I'm sure that there are four mass drivers at each cardinal point of the frontal "capella".

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-- TURANIC SHIPS --
-------------------------
BANDIT Class Interceptor
Mass: 70 tons
Armor: 75
Firepower: 65
Coverage: 5% (single massi driver on the nose, fixed forward)
Maneuverability: very high
Max Velocity: 780 m/s

It can matches standard Kushan/Turanic Interceptors in large groups; it is the fastest and most widely used pirate craft.

THIEF Class Corvette
Mass: 660 tons
Armor: 1.200
Firepower: 200
Coverage: 10% (single mass driver on nose sponson turret)
Maneuverability: high
Max Velocity: 550 m/s

Standard Turanic Corvette; not a real problem, its armor is a bit thicker than an Interceptor's one but less versatile.

BRIGAND Class Missile Corvette
Mass: 775 tons
Armor: 1.300
Firepower: 320
Coverage: 60% (two missile launchers)
Maneuvrability: high
Max Velocity: 500 m/s

If the Thief was a mediocre Corvette, the Brigand is an excellent one. Its missiles can wreak havoc in fighter formations and allows the Corvette to fire from long range. It is no match for Capital Ships with anti-Strike Craft weapons, however.

ASSASIN Class Ion Array Frigate
Mass: 13.550 tons
Armor: 3.500
Firepower: 4.800
Coverage: 6% (single fixed-forward Ion Cannon)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 245 m/s
Special Action: cloack

Swarm them with strike crafts (especially Attack Bombers). The Ion Array Frigate is like any other Ion Cannon Frigate, though its cannon is a bit more powerful and slightly less agile and fast.

LORD Class Attack Carrier
Mass: 109.000 tons
Armor: 58.000
Firepower: 7.500
Coverage: 40% (2 forward fixed Ion Cannons, 4 mass drivers, front, on turrets)
Maneuverability:low
Max Velocity: 235 m/s

This particular Carrier-class vessel is catalogated as "attack carrier", as its weapon systems are more efficent than the other Carriers currently in service: it features a forward-fixed Ion Cannon and it is well protected by projectile turrets mainly mounted on sides and bottom. The maneuvarbility can pose a problem, as the Lord can efficently aim its cannon against Capital Ships, and the turret complements can pose more than a threat for Strike Crafts. Like all Carriers it can produces units, but I've never seen one building Frigates: the AI keeps building Corvettes. The best way to attack it is to target rear quarters and top. Do not understimate its Ion Cannon.
Ver. 3.X Addition: while replaying the game as a Taiidan, the Lord from mission 4 got too near the MotherShip and started firing. To my surprise, it fired two Ion Cannons. Also, there are four turrets on the nose of the craft, capable of full motion. It appears that the Lord class was scaled down for HomeWorld Cataclysm, the main source for its statistics.

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-- BENTUSI SHIPS --
------------------------
BENTUSI TRADE SHIP
Mass: 600.000 tons (estimated)
Armor: 120.000 (estimated)
Firepower: at least 15.000
Coverage: at least 40% (3 ion cannons)
Maneuverability: medium/low
Max Velocity: 250 m/s (estimated)

Intergalactic traders. They are very mysterious and have the most exotic technologies you can pay for. Though the Taiidans are rulers of the whole galaxy, the Bentusi could be more powerful than them...as their Trade Ships show.
Three Ion Cannons, high maneuverability for a ship of this tonnage, largo cargo decks, powerful hyperdrive...probably this ship is comparable to a Carrier-class ship.

BENTUSI CARGO BARGE
Mass: 4.000 tons (estimated)
Armor: 5.000 (estimated)
Firepower: none (estimated)
Coverage: none (estimated)
Maneuverability: medium (estimated)
Max Velocity: 400 m/s (estimated)

This small Frigate-class ship is intended for short hypersapce travels and in-system travels. Probably it has no armament, devoting all possible space to cargo bays.

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-- ALIEN SHIPS and OTHER FOREIGN OBJECTS --
---------------------------------------------------------
ALIEN VESSEL (from mission 9)
Mass: unknown
Armor: 20.000 (estimated)
Firepower: none (estimated)
Coverage: none (estimated)
Maneuverability: very low (estimated)
Max Velocity: immobile (estimated)

This alien vessel of unknow origins is totally immobile, but has the particular ability to capture Capital and Super-Capital Ships. Bentusi are particularly affected by this effect. Other purposes are unknown.

DAWG (from mission 13)
Mass: unknown
Armor: 500.000, or even undestructible (estimated)
Firepower: none (estimated)
Coverage: none (estimated)
Maneuverability: medium (estimated)
Max Velocity: 350 m/s (estimated)

This particular vessel can be inserted into the Frigate class. It is basically a tug with the ability to override any Capital and Super-Capital ship eletronic defense, disable its engines and weapons and then steal it to place the newly acquired ship in the Karos Graveyard. It doesn't appear to have hyperspace abilities but it is probably indestructible.

Doug McLaren (dougmc@frenzy.com) sent this:
About the Dawg (where did this name come from?) in Mission 13 ...
It's not invincible. It's really tough, but my force of 5 destroyers,
3 missile destroyers and 3 heavy crusiers took it out before it could
steal my carrier. But it's certainly fast, and if it gets away with a
ship, your super capital ships aren't likely to catch it.
Not sure yet if another will appear )

AUTOMATED GUN (from mission 13)
Mass: unknown
Armor: 10.000 (estimated)
Firepower: 2.000 (estimated)
Coverage: 2% (estimated; one mass driver fixed forward)
Maneuverability: low (estimated)
Max Velocity: immobile (estimated)

Fixed defense stations with the only ability to turn in all direction to target any unknown object. The gun mounted by these "turrets" is quite devastating, mostly due to its high firing rate.

JUNKYARD OFFICE (from mission 13)
Mass: unknown
Armor: unknown
Firepower: none (estimated)
Coverage: none (estimated)
Maneuverability: none(estimated)
Max Velocity: immobile (estimated)

A piece of an unknown starship where lies a Comm Repeater. It is unknown if the Daw recieve its orders from this place or if it thinks on its own.

LARGE ASTEROID (from mission 15)
Mass: 500.000 (estimated)
Armor: 200.000 (estimated)
Firepower: none (estimated)
Coverage: none (estimated)
Maneuverability: very low (estimated)
Max Velocity: 250 m/s (estimated)

A very large asteroid with an engine powerful enough to partially move it, implanted by the Taiidans.