GVF Tauret
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| The GVF Tauret |
Contents
Description:
FS2 Tech Room Description
The GVF Tauret is replacing the Seth as the Vasudans' heavy assault fighter. While integrating cutting-edge technology developed in collaboration with the Terrans, the Tauret boasts a distinctly Vasudan design. Its unusual configuration was inspired by the Apsu-Hek, a creature that once inhabited the deserts of Vasuda Prime. The Apsu-Hek has become an emblem of the Vasudan diaspora, and the Tauret continues the tradition of symbolic design. Armed with four gun mounts and two missile banks, the Tauret has the speed and firepower to challenge both fighters and warships.
Developer Notes
None
Performance:
Statistics
| Type | Heavy Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Sahr Corporation |
| Maneuverability | Poor |
| Yaw, Pitch, Roll | 65.0 - 75.0 s |
| Max Velocity | 135.0 ms-1 |
| Max Afterburner Velocity | Medium ms-1 |
| Armor | 300 |
| Hitpoints | 530 |
| Shields | 17.5 |
| Length | {{{10}}} m |
Armaments
| FreeSpace 2 | ||
| Bank | Guns | Standard Loadout |
| 1st | 2 | Mekhu HL-7 |
| 2nd | 4 | Mekhu HL-7 |
| Compatible Primaries | ||
| Mekhu HL-7, Akheton SDG, Prometheus R, Prometheus S, Morning Star, UD-8 Kayser, Lamprey, Circe | ||
| FreeSpace 2 | ||
| Bank | Capacity | Standard Loadout |
| 1st | 100 | MX-64 |
| 2nd | 100 | MX-64 |
| Compatible Secondaries | ||
| MX-64, EMP Adv., Tempest, Harpoon, Hornet, Tornado, Trebuchet, Stiletto II, TAG-B, Infyrno | ||
Veteran Comments
The Tauret is an exceptional Vasudan heavy assault fighter, in the same family as the Hercules Mark II but better in almost every way. It carries an additional pair of guns (6 mounts total), moves faster, and has larger missile bays. It's still not a really good dogfighter, but for its given role it's probably the best you could ask for.
The Tauret has the qualities that make a heavy assault fighter attractive (thick shields, tough hull, near-bottomless secondary bays), yet it also has speed and maneuverablity that are closer to those of a space superiority fighter than an assault. In the hands of a skilled pilot the Tauret can fight on even or nearly even terms with just about any other fighter in the game. Lastly, roll this thought around in your head for awhile: 160 Tornados. That's the ability to kill 20 enemy fighters or light bombers outright before touching the primaries button.
Small profile except from below or above.
Cannot carry the Maxim gun, thus reducing the effectiveness of this ship against capital ships. Otherwise, this is a decent Vasudan stand-in for the GTF Erinyes.
This is probably one of the best Vasudan fighters, if not the best. That "Poor" maneuverability rating is rubbish; this fighter can act as an interceptor, no problem at all! It even has more missile space than the GTF Ares. Compare this: both missile banks of the Tauret can hold 80 Tornados each, while that of the Ares can only hold 72 in the first bank, and 80 in the second. If Hornets were just as good as Tornados, this ship can literally obliterate anything below corvette class.
The Tauret is let down by its primary energy supply. Its recharge is respectable, the same as either Hercules' and greater than the Myrmidon's even if only a little more than half that of the exceptional Ares. However, its energy reserves are scarcely more than half that of the Hercs or Ares and two thirds that of the Myrm. This is a common weakness of Vasudan craft and limits their ability in extended engagements.
Don't fly this fighter like a Herc II. The Tauret has less shielding than the Herc, has slightly better acceleration, and is slightly less maneuverable as well, but is faster by about 10 m/s when cruising or afterburning. Also as was mentioned before, although it can recharge just as fast as the Herc II it has an additional two guns, and its weapon energy reserves are 2/3 the size, so don't put in quad Kaysers like you would in an Ares. It does, however, has exceptional firepower, with six primary and two 100 Hornet slots. Honestly I'd much prefer losing this fighter and its small speed and firepower advantage for the stamina and hardiness of the Herc II.
Maneuverability is better than stated, speed is still slightly slow (but faster than the Herc II), can't carry the Maxim cannon (but can still carry the Kayser and Prometheus S), cavernous missile banks (both are the same size as the Ares' largest bank!)... Load up with Harpoons, Trebs, or Hornets/Tornados and Kaysers/Mekhu HL-7s, fly like a space superiority, and watch your kill count skyrocket.
Small target profile aside, this is no dogfighter. Its turn rate is less than that of a GVB Bakha, and similar to that of a GTF Ares. Its primaries have a small capacitor, so load Kaysers at your own risk. It cannot carry the GTW Maxim either. That said, the Tauret has an obscene missile capacity and a good top speed. Between the Herc II, Tauret, and Ares, I would pick the Ares.
As said above, the Ares does have advantages over this ship in terms of primary weapon power and durability. However, this ship has a ridiculously thin target profile for a heavy assault fighter, making it almost as hard to hit as a slow-moving Horus or Pegasus. The second primary bank's guns are set in very tightly-grouped pairs, so close together that I had to move to an external view before I even realized that the ship had four guns in that bank. This does give it a much smaller field of fire than a ship where the quad guns are spread apart, such as an Erinyes or Ares, but makes it more likely that all four shots will hit if you are on target.
