DREADNOUGHT!
The word deserves capitalisation since it rolls off the tongue in the same manner as a half ton lead projectile.
The word conjures imagery of ancient ironclads, squatting on the oceans of old Earth in the same offensive and domineering fashion that a rib roast at a vegan banquet would, looking for all the world like the result of unholy copulation between a hedgehog and an armadillo in a steel foundry at midnight on the solstice.
Our own dreadnoughts follow in the same ilk, sitting on the field of battle with all the grace and style of an anvil applied to somebodies head.
It is perhaps there that the similarity ends, for while the Dreadnought did indeed dominate the Mecha Galaxy for a short while, it quickly became supplanted by the crowd favourite (and even less stylish) Torrent. And that in turn has slipped down the power rankings, surpassed by the advent of the dino mech hordes, the Boreas and the massive 100 ton battle fortresses.
So what exactly do you get for your money if you are looking at a Dreadnought?
140 Niodes, 15500 Ferrites and 12500 Bioptics gets you... well, not a lot on paper to be honest. Wait a little while and for the same sort of budget you will have access to the Torrent, which seasoned pilots will tell you is a far better option, especially when fielded in ranks or squadrons.Oh, the Dreadnought is certainly the faster of the pair, with ample space for power plants which give it a speed that belies its namesake, but the cockpit and targeting systems of the Torrent more than seem to make up for that edge. And rigged for projectiles, the Dreadnought has certainly been described as a one trick pony...
So if all this is true, what exactly does the Dreadnought say on the modern battlefield?
Actually, it says a lot. You see, the Dreadnought may not be the dominant force it once was on the fields of glory, but it has become synonymous with being the sought after prize awarded to those pilots who have survived the crucible and forge that is a Faction War and have come out at the top of the pack.
A single Dreadnought could be raid booty. A pair could be lucky looting.
But a squadron? That is the mark of a pilot who wears his or her big green blocky badge of honour, the mark of a pilot who has come through days of intense battle and can certainly get the best out of a fast gunslinger that may not be the best, but is certainly a still worthy and hazardous foe.Its no longer the mark of the metal but the measure of the meat.
Face these nimble beasts in a fight and you need to wonder... is it you or the pilot you are facing who truly dreads nought?
Submitted By David McCallum#701548