GTB Boanerges

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The GTB Boanerges is an Allied Terran-designed heavy bomber that was brought into active service during the GTVA's first skirmish with the SD Ravana. The Boanerges was designed to endure a longer term of usage than any other bomber in the Allied Terran fleet. Compared to its Great War counterpart, the GTB Medusa, the Boanerges's maximum afterburner velocity is significantly lower, it is less agile, it has slightly less armor, and it has no automated turret, but makes up for this with a slightly stronger shield system and by sporting the largest missile banks among all Terran bombers.

The GTB Boanerges

Description:

FS2 Tech Room Description

The new GTB Boanerges has been assigned to elite bomber squadrons in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Terran battle groups. The challenge of maintaining an aging fleet has motivated the GTVA to develop a new generation of ships able to withstand long-term abuse in the field. By maximizing shielding and payload (while offering enough maneuverability to make it a viable tactical unit), the Boanerges promises to remain in service for decades to come. One test pilot observed that the Boanerges handles better than any other bomber and has enough firepower to make it a formidable anti-capship weapon.

Developer Notes

None

Name Origin

Meaning: Sons of Thunder

Language: Ancient Greek

Alternate spellings: Unknown

In the Christian religion, Boanerges is the Greek rendition of the names James and John, two borthers that are surnamed by Jesus Christ for their impetuosity, hence the literal meaning of the surname Jesus gave them.

Performance:

Statistics

Type	Heavy Bomber
Manufacturer	RNI Systems
Maneuverability	Very Poor
Yaw, Pitch, Roll	55.0 - 65.0 s
Max Velocity	85.0 ms-1
Max Afterburner Velocity	Very Heavy ms-1
Armor	325
Hitpoints	850
Shields	34
Length	{{{10}}} m

Armaments

• Gun Mounts

FreeSpace 2
Bank	Guns	Standard Loadout
1st	2	Prometheus R
Compatible Primaries
Subach HL-7, Prometheus R, UD-8 Kayser, Prometheus S, Lamprey, Circe, Maxim

• Missile Banks

Freespace 2
Bank	Capacity	Standard Loadout
1st	40	Hornet
2nd	100	Cyclops
3rd	100	Cyclops
Compatible Secondaries
MX-64, EMP Adv., Stiletto II, Piranha, Hornet, Tornado, Trebuchet, Infyrno, Cyclops, Helios

Veteran Comments

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Most people seem to have been disappointed with the Boanerges. I'm one of them. Despite the tech description, the Boanerges really does not seem to handle better than an Ursa. It also lacks the Ursa's second primary bank, having only a single two-gun set of primaries. In most anti-capital missions you'll want a Maxim primary, and dogfighting with a Maxim is an exercise in futility most of the time. This leaves you to fall back on your secondaries for anti-fighter protection, an uncomfortable situation, as secondaries run out. (And if you're not going after caps, why are you in a heavy bomber anyways?) It also does not seem to have a significantly stronger set of shields or a much stronger hull than an Ursa. Its only saving grace is that it has larger secondary bays and so can put a greater amount of weight on target before it runs dry... but sometimes this really does not seem enough to justify its use.

Basically the same thing as an Ursa, but with one primary and a greater secondary payload in two banks. Slightly faster too.

From the tech room description, the Boanerges is really not meant to be better than the Ursa, but rather to be at least as good, the main driver for its adoption being reducing the maintenance burden. IMO the Boanerges is the better pure bomber, assuming that all heavy bomber wings are escorted by fighters, as they should be (but sometimes aren't), if you want to dogfight as well as bomb then you should really be using a light bomber like the Artemis or a Zeus, not a heavy bomber at all.

A crucial line is crossed in the Boanerges. Previous heavy bombers were incapable of dogfighting. The Boanerges is incapable of defending itself.

I've never, ever used the Boanerges in any mission that I seriously undertake in the main FreeSpace 2 campaign, partly because there's always the Ursa, and partly because of the way the Boanerges is designed. The primary guns of the Boanerges are almost as bad as the triple-gun mount on the Ursa and I can hardly ever hit anything with them because shots fired from them fly slightly upwards. The other issue I have with the Boanerges is that it has no turret. Unlike Vasudan bombers, which are agile enough to double up as fighters, most Terran bombers are far too slow to not warrant the inclusion of a turret. The Boanerges may have larger secondary banks than the Ursa, but what good is that if you're going to get shot down before you can launch your first salvo? The Boanerges is not a bomber; it's a deathtrap.

The Boanerges actually has less armour than the Ursa (325 vs 550), and its secondary capacity is equal, but redistributed (40-100-100 as opposed to 80-80-80). This means that overall, it still does less damage, due to the lack of the turret and triple gun rack. Also note that the larger the bank capacity, the longer it takes to fill, and each bank is filled at the simultaneously (i.e. the Ursa will spend less time as a sitting duck while rearming).

The Boanerges is faster than the GTB Ursa by 10 meters per second, and it also has a smaller profile. However, the Ursa has a higher afterburner velocity and hull integrity, while the other stats are nearly identical. I only used the Boanerges the first time I played FreeSpace 2 in the mission to destroy the SD Ravana, and I think I died and tried again with the Ursa. The only other time you are allowed to use the Boanerges, you also have the GTB Artemis at your disposal, which, for the missions involved, is a better choice.

The speed advantage of the Boanerges can come in handy in at least one case—the missions in which you must destroy the beams on a Sathanas. The GTB Ursa is massive and easy to hit with the flak, and its slow speed makes it a pain to escape the flak. The Boanerges is slightly faster, and you may be able to escape a bit earlier, especially if you can't sacrifice the shield power. In any other case, particularly if there are enemy fighters, you'll want the GTB Ursa.