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Boskov01 — Cygnus Class Heavy Cruiser

Published: 2020-05-02 19:23:46 +0000 UTC; Views: 5585; Favourites: 66; Downloads: 0
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Description The image above was acquired via the Battlestar Galactica: War of the Colonies mod for Star Wars: Empire at War - Forces of Corruption
Disclaimer: The information below is not to be considered canon in Battlestar Galactica Lore and represents part of a "what-if" head canon scenario in my mind for an alternate universe, similar to the one created as the backstory for the "Battlestar Galactica: War of the Colonies" mod.

The 2CW Universe (Second Cylon War) is a what-if scenario where the initial surprise attack on the Colonies is mostly thwarted but not enough to prevent certain events from happening, like Laura Roslin becoming President via succession for example. The universe uses information from the series, Blood & Chrome, and Deadlock as well as several other fan works for inspiration.

Disclaimer: I am also aware that this design of ship was made by another user. I do not own this ship design. If you are the creator of this design, please message me below along with a link to the original and I will happily update with appropriate credit given. The original name of this class of ship is indeed Cygnus though. I remember seeing it around in BSG fanart long ago but I've since lost track of who designed it. If you are the designer, please let me know and I'll gladly update to give you credit for the design.

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Class: Cygnus Class Heavy Cruiser
Colloquially: Big Bullets, Marine Cruisers, Tender Cruisers
Designer: Quade Design Collective
Function: Heavy Fire Support, Light Carrier, Troop Transport
Armaments: 26x Heavy Gun Batteries (24 Rotational Mounts, 2 Fixed Mounts), 422x Point Defense CIWS, Flak Batteries, 16x Missile Tubes
Compliments: 20~30 Raptors, 10 Cargo Shuttles, 20 Landrams (Optional)
Crew: 600, 50 Pilots, 500 Colonial Marines or Infantry

"These are the battle wagons, the war bringers. If the Cylons have their metal hooks sunk into a planet, the Cygnus will be there to cut them loose!" - Admiral Nagala

History:
The first new Colonial warship designed and deployed following the beginning of the Armistice that ended the First Cylon War, the Cygnus Class Heavy Cruiser was introduced to replace the older Infantry Transports used to deploy Colonial infantry and combat vehicles such as the Landram for surface engagements. The Cygnus Class was also introduced to serve as a replacement to the First Cylon War's Minotaur Heavy Gunship and Janus Heavy Cruiser in Colonial Fleet Operations.

During peace-time, the Cygnus Class primarily operated as military troop and cargo transports and as mobile training facilities for Raptor pilots. The Cygnus's ample passenger space made it useful for moving large numbers of Colonial Personnel, acting as long range naval tenders for Colonial Space Stations and larger warships.

When the Second Cylon War began with the attack on the Twelve Colonies, the Cygnus Class finally had a chance to prove its mettle. The Cygnus class proved effective in withstanding Cylon missile barrages and in inflicting heavy damage on the Cylon fleet. One of the best examples was the Cruiser Heracles during the Cylon's attack on Picon. The Heracles had managed to intercept two Cylon Basestars and intercepted the nuclear missiles meant for Picon's surface cities with its point defense cannons and flak batteries. It then engaged the Basestars directly, employing a unique zig-zagging maneuver to continually rotate its armor facings and keep the Cylons from being able to concentrate their fire on a single point of the Heracles's armor while also continuously broadsiding the Cylon vessels. This tactic allowed the Heracles to inflict heavy damage on the Basestars, disabling their FTL drives and other critical systems before the crew of the Heracles were ultimately forced to abandon ship on the ship's compliment of Raptors. By that time, Colonial reinforcements had arrived and finished off the Basestars, rescuing the Heracles's crew. The Heracles was salvaged and fully restored to working order but the unusual combat maneuver became known to the Colonial Fleet as the "Cygnus Swerve," a tactic that is most effectively utilized by the Cygnus Class.

Technical Information:
The Cygnus Class is a well armored and well armed Heavy Cruiser designed for dishing out heavy amounts of firepower with is main batteries while also absorbing a lot of damage. The Cygnus's unique rounded shape allows it incredible maneuverability, a factor that made the "Cygnus Swerve" more effective than on other Colonial warships. The Cygnus Class is armed with twenty-six twin-barreled heavy gun batteries, four mounted on its dorsal side and eight mounted along its lateral frame on its port and starboard sides. Four additional batteries are mounted beneath the Cygnus's prow, with two of them being fixed in the forward position and capable of firing heavier ordinances than permitted on rotational mounts. The Cygnus is also equipped with sixteen dorsal mounted vertical missile tubes with its standard ordinance being ship-to-ship DRADIS Guided Missiles. The Cygnus Class can also carry additional ordinances such as torpedoes, mines, and even nuclear warheads.

Although the Cygnus has two hangar bays on its lateral sides, Cygnus Cruisers seldom carry viper squadrons and instead carry a large compliment of Raptors and Cargo Shuttles. The hangar bays can be sealed and pressurized by large armored panels that helps to form part of the Cygnus's runways when retracted. Cygnus Heavy Cruisers also carry larger than normal compliments of Colonial Marines trained in ship-boarding operations. In combat, Cygnus Cruisers often soften up enemy cruisers by disabling their FTL and weapons, and then deploying squadrons of Raptors filled with Colonial Marines to board the vessel in an attempt to seize it. During peace-time operations this was typically used to deal with pirates and the rare mutiny. In the Second Cylon War, this tactic has evolved slightly in a more defensive role. When allied Colonial Vessels become victims of Cylon boarding attempts, the Cygnus will deploy some of its Raptors, filled with Marines, to assist the targeted allied vessel and repel enemy boarding parties. The Cygnus's Raptors can also assist allied vessels by boosting their ECM capabilities and firewalls to prevent or counter Cylon hacking attempts.

The Cygnus's secondary role is as a troop transport and landing craft for planetary ground assaults. After a careful atmospheric landing, the Cygnus can touch down on a planet's surface and extend two large boarding ramps on its port and starboard sides, allowing up to 500 Colonial Army Soldiers accompanied by up to 20 Landram Assault Vehicles for engaging enemy surface emplacements. While on the surface, the Cygnus operates as the command center for surface operations and can utilize its main guns to provide artillery fire and anti-aircraft defense with its flak batteries and point defense CIWS. Its port and starboard landing bays can also extend into a slightly longer runway, allowing Vipers and Raptors to use the Cygnus as a surface landing and staging area for surface oriented sorties. The Cygnus's vertical missile tubes allow it to target enemy fortifications almost anywhere on a planet's surface. The Cygnus's War Room is built adjacent to the CIC, allowing for faster coordination between aerial, orbital, and surface forces.

However the Cygnus's descent towards a planet's surface is when it is at it's most vulnerable as weapons have to be taken offline with power diverted to its maneuvering thrusters. If a Cygnus comes under fire, great care has to be taken to keep the Cygnus's descent controlled to avoid sending into a fatal trajectory. To help to mitigate the possibility of such a loss, a Cygnus will typically launch all of its Raptors and cargo shuttles, each loaded with as many Marines and Landrams as possible before beginning its descent, the Raptors and shuttles following and escorting the Cygnus towards the surface.
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