GTB Medusa

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File:Medusa320X240.jpg
The GTB Medusa

The GTB Medusa is a class of heavy bomber which was developed during the Great War. It was the only Terran bomber at the time of its development which was capable of mounting the Tsunami anti-cruiser bomb. It is a good average bomber, with enough maneuverability to have a chance against enemy interceptors, and enough durability to have a prayer of delivering its payload.

The Medusa lacks primary weapons, having only two laser guns and a single turret, but it has a large secondary capacity, capable of carrying up to 13 Cyclops torpedoes.

Description:

FS1 Tech Room Description

The Medusa is the standard attack bomber in the GTA. Its strong shielding and large secondary capacity make it the favored attack craft against cruiser class targets. As the first bomber to carry the Tsunami bomb, the Medusa is considered the staple of any bomber pilots career.

FS2 Tech Room Description

The GTB Medusa is the workhorse of the GTVA's bomber fleet. Its large bomb capacity enables it to take out cruiser-class warships, while its strong shielding ensures it can get close enough to deliver the punch. The first bomber to carry the potent Cyclops bomb, the Medusa is sure to be one of the highlights of a bomber pilot's career.

Developer Notes

Suitable for any size target. Carries most missile types, but few cannons. Armed with defensive turret, but still requires escort.

Name origin

The gorgon Medusa (name meaning guardian or protectress) was a mythic monstrous female individual, who could turn anyone who looked at her to stone. She was killed by the human hero Perseus, who used her head as a sort of weapon before he gave it to Athena.

Performance:

Statistics

Type	Heavy Bomber
Manufacturer	Han-Roland Corp.
Maneuverability	Poor
Yaw, Pitch, Roll	50.0 - 65.0 s
Max Velocity	100.0 ms-1
Max Afterburner Velocity	Heavy ms-1
Armor	350
Hitpoints	700
Shields	36
Length	{{{10}}} m

Armaments

• Gun Mounts

Freespace 1			Freespace 2
Bank	Guns	Standard Loadout	Standard Loadout
1st	2	Avenger	Prometheus R
Compatible Primaries			Compatible Primaries
ML-16 Laser, Avenger, Prometheus, Leech Cannon, S-Breaker			Subach HL-7, Prometheus R, Prometheus S, Circe, Lamprey, Maxim

• Missile Banks

FreeSpace 1			FreeSpace 2
Bank	Capacity	Standard Loadout	Standard Loadout
1st	40	Hornet	Hornet
2nd	80	MX-50	Cyclops
3rd	80	Tsunami	Cyclops
Compatible Secondaries			Compatible Secondaries
MX-50, Hornet, Phoenix V, Synaptic, Stiletto, Tsunami, EM Pulse, Cluster Bomb			MX-64, Emp. Adv, Hornet, Tornado, Trebuchet, Piranha, Stiletto II, Infyrno, Cyclops, Rebel Bomb

• Turrets

FreeSpace 1		FreeSpace 2
Turret Type	Amount	Turret Type	Amount
Avenger	1	Prometheus R	1

Veteran Comments

Please read the Veteran Comments policy before editing this section.

This bomber can be pretty useful, even in FreeSpace 2. Not only can it be mounted with a large number of FS2-era weapons, but its shield and hull strength did not become obsolete during the long years of the Reconstruction period. The main setback of this bomber is its lack of useful anti-fighter missile compatibility, not even the Tempest or the Harpoon can be mounted on the Medusa. To balance out this weakness, more anti-cruiser bombs can be mounted on it. The turret on the top of the bomber cannot be used for much (as it is typical in FreeSpace), but having only two monodirectional laser guns has the advantage of a basically low energy demand.

Pilots who prefer a balance between strength, firepower and maneuverability will prefer this kind of bomber or the slightly better maneuverable and less powerful GTB Artemis.

The Medusa is a solid medium bomber. As a bomber, it dogfights poorly and functions best with escort. Despite this, the Medusa in player hands is surprisingly survivable; it lacks the power to fight off enemy fighters, but retains enough maneuverablity, speed, and most importantly shield strength to survive far longer than might be expected. Beyond that, it fits exactly with what might be expected from its type.

On higher difficulty levels, any kind of bomber is lethal when armed with a full load of Piranhas because of better friendly and enemy AI. I can load my wingmen as Medusas with full Piranha banks, and they're actually much more effective at dogfighting than they are in a fighter.

When playing on Insane difficulty, these seem to be the only bombers (besides the Bakha) that try to evade your primary fire. Luckily, they're not especially maneuverable.