Battlestar Galactica Deadlock - Some Naval History Fun...

Battlestar Galactica Deadlock's warships provide a fictional test case for lessons from naval history and current warship design.

The inexpensive Manticore corvette works as a missile-firing base of fire, but its fore-and-aft guns leave dangerous blind areas.

The Adamant's side-mounted guns prompt a comparison with destroyers designed to keep useful firing arcs across much more of the horizon.

The Ranger carries a useful missile load, but it is too vulnerable to serve comfortably as a close-action cruiser.

Giving the Artemis and the larger Jupiter battlestar the same air group wastes an obvious advantage of the bigger ship.

Long-range missile combat may suit space, but the game's confined engagements and important fighter threat still demand close-in defences.

A battle group of Artemis battlestars is powerful because they have all-round fire, but that strength points to a weakness in the rest of the fleet.

The game makes flak a valuable fighter defence, while raising a practical question about routing friendly missiles through a ship's own barrage.

Expected Cylon boarding attacks remain manageable when battlestars keep fighter squadrons close for combat air patrol.

Vipers are inconsistent in the game, but their flanking and rear attacks underline the cost of leaving gaps in a warship's defensive arcs.

The Adamant depends heavily on its fighter squadron, while a battlestar offers the all-round fighting value that makes a separate carrier hard to justify.

Moving the Manticore's lower gun aft could open its firing arc without obstructing the missile bays, showing how a modest layout change can reshape combat value.

A balanced fleet should not need to field only battlestars to achieve dependable all-round firepower.