THE JUMPGATE DEFINITIVE GUIDE - Tripod

Lodestar
Classification: Heavy Miner
Powerplant: Sport Plus (size 4)
Engines: Rush x 2 (size 4 x 2)
Radar: Nubbler (50000 meter range) (size 4)
Shield: Mortar (60000mm equivalent)
Armor: 21000mm
Capacitor: Jug (all you need, see below) (size 2)
Laser Config: Financier MK2/ER laser x 2
Ammo Config: Financier MK2/Straker x 2
Missiles (# x size): 2x2
MODx: 6
ECM: 3
Speed (nor/ab/ff): 399/455/788 MPS
Acceleration: 73.3 (laser), 71.7 (ammo) kN/kg
Yaw/Pitch/Roll: 27/25/31 DPS
Cargo: 265 m³
Notes:
The Lodestar is fairly odd – there are some things it does right, and there are others that just
make you stand up and say “What the hell were the engineers thinking?” It’s still a decent enough
mining vessel, but it doesn’t lack problems. It was, first and foremost, an attempt by T&P to copy
the Khamsin, resulting in the vessels even looking fairly similar. Contrary to what JOSSH says,
the Lodestar has less armor than its Quantar cousin – although it does mount the massive Mortar
shield system, giving it better defense overall. Two glaring problems, however, are the speed of
the vessel and the secondary gun loadout. The vessel is the slowest, in terms of sheer velocity, of
the heavy miners – even the Vulture can outpace it (although it accelerates reasonably well),
making it very vulnerable to attack from any fighter craft, especially bombers. Also, unlike the
Khamsin, its secondary guns are mere size ones – perhaps an attempt by T&P to sell its
Excavator mining lasers. The only problem is that since the Financier Mark 2 so vastly outclasses
the Excavator in both range and power (range to the point where circle-mining is dangerous), a
pilot is better off using those mounts for defensive weapons. The Lodestar isn’t a disaster like
some Solrain ships are – although it is decidedly the weakest of the heavy mining craft.
S-35
71