SF Dragon

FreeSpace 1 Ships Terran ships Fighters Bombers Transports and freighters Cruisers Capital ships Installations Misc Ships Sentry Guns Cargo Containers Vasudan ships Fighters Bombers Transports and freighters Cruisers Capital ships Misc Ships Sentry Guns Cargo Containers Shivan ships Fighters Bombers Transports and freighters Cruisers Capital ships Sentry Guns Cargo Containers Notable ships of FreeSpace 1

FreeSpace 2 Ships Terran ships Fighters Bombers Transports and freighters Cruisers and corvettes Capital ships Installations Misc ships Sentry Guns Cargo Containers Vasudan ships Fighters Bombers Transports and freighters Cruisers and corvettes Capital ships Misc ships Sentry Guns Cargo Containers Shivan ships Fighters Bombers Transports and freighters Cruisers and corvettes Capital ships Misc ships Sentry Guns Cargo Containers Notable ships of FreeSpace 2

The SF Dragon is one of the most rarely seen of Shivan fighters. The Dragon is armed with five primary cannons, as well as a low-capacity secondary bank. Despite the small number of missiles it can carry it is very fast and maneuverable, as well as small, making it a very powerful adversary of any GTVA fighter. However the Shivans make limited use of the Dragon, deploying them in small numbers in most cases. But even one wing can cause serious trouble for any GTVA force.

The first Shivan fighter to have ever been captured by the Terrans and the Vasudans was a Dragon class designated Arjuna 1. Through the capture of this Shivan fighter, the joint Terran-Vasudan forces learned much about Shivan technology, especially fighter systems. Arjuna 1 was later used in a high-risk reconnaissance mission, shortly before the Destruction of Vasuda Prime.

The SF Dragon

Description:

FS1 Tech Room Description

The Shivan Dragon is easily the most impressive fightercraft we have yet seen. Its maneuverability is unmatched, and it has quite a few other advantages, including a good top speed, powerful afterburners, and strong shields. It is the only Shivan fighter we have been able to study up close, and we have learned a great deal about Shivan engineering from it. It seems that the Shivan shield systems are extremely strong, but their hulls are far weaker than our own. They also rely on primary weapons far more then secondaries, as evidenced by the Dragon's small capacity.

The GTA considers the Dragon as a Class A threat.

FS2 Tech Room Description

The Shivan fighter class SF Dragon is a fast, extremely agile craft. Its twin lasers pack a deadly punch. The Dragon's weakness seems to be a thin hull. The trouble is that their speed and maneuverability make them extremely difficult to hit.

Developer Notes

None

Name origin

The Dragon's name derives from the mythical reptilian creature depicted in tales throughout the world.

Performance:

Statistics

Type	Space Superiority (?)
Manufacturer	Unknown
Maneuverability	Excellent
Max Velocity	75.0 - 90.0 mps
Max Afterburner Velocity	150.0 mps
Armor	Medium
Hitpoints	100
Shields	700
Length	12.6 m

Armaments

• Gun Mounts

FreeSpace 1			FreeSpace 2
Bank	Guns	Standard Loadout	Standard Loadout
1st	2	Shivan Heavy Laser	Shivan Heavy Laser
2nd	3	Shivan Heavy Laser	Shivan Heavy Laser

• Missile Banks

FreeSpace 1			FreeSpace 2
Bank	Capacity	Standard Loadout	Standard Loadout
1st	20	Interceptor	Harpoon

Veteran Comments

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The Dragon is widely considered the best Shivan fighter ever (though my personal opinion leans towards the Mara in that regard). It is small, well-armed with lasers though deficient in secondary weaponry, quick, and insanely maneuverable. On higher difficulty levels the Dragon borders on unkillable, and even on lower ones it can be a surprisingly nasty opponent. If at all possible, destroy Dragons at range with missiles rather than getting into a dogfight. At easier levels, a one-on-one dogfight with a Dragon isn't really that hard, but is rather annoying, since it can take you about an entire 2 minutes just to beat one.

It is to be noted that the version of the Dragon you fly in FS1's Playing Judas is much, much weaker than the genuine article.

A nasty piece of work, to be sure, that'll rip you to ribbons if you're not careful. Best policy? Harpoon'em at range and try and keep your distance(!) as much as possible. Once in close contact, do not succumb to target fixation; the Dragon can keep you distracted from other dangers. The only real way to take one down at close range is to make exactly the right counter-turn at exactly the right time, then open fire. Try and get all your wingmates on one at a time; isolate and obliterate.

Extremely maneuverable. Target profile is extremely small and speed is rather high as well. Gunpoints for the second primary bank are oddly placed, but still manages to hit the target with little adjustment. The only real flaws are that Shivan primaries suck and that the sole secondary bank is minuscule.

The Dragon is, to be completely honest, that hard-to-reach itch. In a Herc II on Very Easy difficulty, even a single Dragon can be insanely difficult to hit. The Dragon would be pretty much like what the tech description of the Loki says; very little firepower, but with immense speed and maneuverability to dissuade pursuers. You could get all your wingmen to try and destroy it, but that would be impossible unless they're flying ships with very good maneuverability and speed like the Horus or Serapis.

This fighter is hell in space. My advice: don't bother dealing with them, your wingmen can do it better. Even in the best fighter you can fly, the Dragon is still faster and more maneuverable. They're kinda like little gnats flying around your head biting you all the time.

I've noticed in the campaign that the AI in the Dragon will actually shift energy between systems depending on what they're doing. For example, in Mystery of the Trinity, if you hang around to shoot some down (on Very Easy), the fighter you start shooting at and/or chasing will put extra power on shields and engines. The other fighters will put energy on guns and engines. If, in the middle of a chase, you quickly double back toward the main group, you can catch a couple of them with hardly any shields at all.

The best, but a dangerous way to hit a Dragon with a slow, well-shielded fighter is to work like a 360-degree cannon. Slow down almost to a halt, use banking in the same direction to increase maneuverability. In this way, you can get a few of them in most heavier fighters and lighter bombers. Trying that against two wings of them when alone is suicide though...