UEB Lapith

The following information has not been confirmed by Volition and is therefore not canon for the FreeSpace universe.

Description:

The UEB Lapith

Blue Planet: War in Heaven Tech Description

The UEB Lapith was introduced in the later stages of the civil war in Sol in response to increasing casualties among Durga and Vajradhara squadrons. The GTVA's response to a UEF bomber deployment was to send in Trebuchet-armed hunter-killers to saturate the battlespace with bomber-killing ordnance. This tactic was so effective that it would soon nullify any remaining anti-capital ship advantage the UEF possessed. The Lapith is a fast Jackhammer and Sledgehammer delivery platform designed to jump in, deliver her payload and exfiltrate to safety in the minimum amount of time. The improved profile and speed of what is essentially an oversized fighter has increased the survival rates of UEF bomber pilots fourfold since deployment.

Developer Notes

N/A

Name Origin

In Ancient Greek legend, the Lapiths (Ancient Greek: Λαπίθαι) were a tribe of horsemen in Thessaly, descendants of Lapithes, a son of Apollo and brother of Centaurus, who was the progenitor of the Centaurs. The Lapiths are famous for their battle against the Centaurs in the Centauromachy, which some philosophers have interpreted as symbolic of the inner struggle between civilized behavior and barbarism.

Performance:

Statistics

Name	UEB Lapith
Type	Strike Bomber
Manufacturer	Kaswell Systems
Maneuverability	Medium
Max Velocity	80 - 95 ms-1
Max Afterburner Velocity	150 ms-1
Max Afterburner Duration	5.67 s
Armor	Medium
Hitpoints	340 pts
Shields	400 pts
Length	36 m
Weaponry
Primary weapons
1st bank	2 guns
2nd bank	3 guns
Secondary weapons
1st bank capacity	20
2nd bank capacity	40
3rd bank capacity	40
4th bank capacity	40
Countermeasures
Countermeasure capacity	30 countermeasures

Armaments

• Gun Mounts

Default Statistics
Bank	Guns	Standard Loadout
1st	2	Scalpel
2nd	3	Redeemer
Compatible Primaries
1st	Maul, Vulcan, Rapier, Gattler, Scalpel, Sidhe, UX Accelerator
2nd	Maul, Vulcan, Rapier, Gattler, Scalpel, Sidhe, Redeemer, UX Accelerator

• Missile Banks

Default Statistics
Bank	Capacity	Standard Loadout
1st	20	Sledgehammer
2nd	40	Jackhammer
3rd	40	Warhammer
4th	40	Warhammer
Compatible Secondaries
1st	Sledgehammer, Shrike, Jackhammer, Warhammer, Slammer, Grimler, Paveway, Hellfire, Dirk, Javelin, Dart
2nd	Shrike, Jackhammer, Warhammer, Slammer, Grimler, Paveway, Hellfire, Dirk, Javelin, Dart
3rd	Hellfire, Dirk, Javelin, Dart, Warhammer
4th	Hellfire, Dirk, Javelin, Dart, Warhammer

Veteran Comments

Please read the Veteran Comments policy before editing this section.

Closer examination of the model in FRED shows multiple fine details, such as Emergency Oxygen Supply Tanks, an MFD with a glide prompt, status and navigation MFDs, a service panel in the cockpit for the oxygen system, and multiple bay doors.

The Lapith pretty much handles as advertised. It has faster burners than the Perseus, better turn rate than an Artemis, but falls short in term of survivability, with a huge target profile where its hull and shields are similar to the much smaller Rhea - much like the Zeus, don't expect this ship to handle its own for long in a knife fight against Tev crafts. But it's not supposed to, it just has to go in while fighters are busy, drop warheads, and bug out. Don't hesitate to abuse countermeasures, and the support ship to repair your thin hull in prolonged fights. Triple Redeemer gives it a hell of a punch (the Durga carries 4), it's secondary capacity is just smaller than that of the Artemis, and it can carry all the UEF bombs, although not in all of its banks. It is in my opinion superior to its Tev competitors Rhea and Artemis, and fills the much needed light bomber gap in the UEF tech tree. But if you're going in for a long fight with many hostile fighters involved and insufficient cover, take an Uriel or an Izra'il instead if available, as they can also carry some bombs and are definitely more survivable.