Re'deridex

[Captain Seafort]

Besides which the Sov is a good forty metres longer than the GCS. It's less massive because it's a slimmer design and has fewer decks.

[Mikey]

I have to agree with Dusk's point, though. We haven't seen a D'deridex facing the same opponent as a Norexan/Valdore, and we have no canon on the design intention or true capabilities. Sure, a pair of Valdores got smoked by a wank-ship, so we can say that they are considerably weaker than a Sov; but we haven't seen the D'deridex in a comparable situation. As to size - the D'deridex has a lot of open space, and is theorized to include space for troops a/o to look intimidating.

[Sionnach Glic]

Aye, despite its dimensions, I think the D'Deridex is only slightly more massive than the GCS. And keep in mind, we know nothing about the internals of such ships. They could very well be the jack-of-all-trades design that the GCS is, or a pure warship like the Sov.

[SteveK]

Theoretically a stealthy ship like the D'D could get by with less armor and shields than an uncloaked vessel. They could use the cloaking device to pick and choose their engagements so that they always have a concentration of force against a weaker opponent. Simply de-cloak and let rip. A force of 1/2 dozen Warbirds could probably destroy most smallish fleets before they even had time to respond.

Of course, there's no reason for them to actually purposefully design a ship like that, the Defiant had both a cloak and good shields and armor. So who knows what the Romulans were thinking?

[Mark]

Well, I'm betting psychological warfare for the most part. I mean, a HUGE ship is damned intimidating.

[Deepcrush]

Theoretically a stealthy ship like the D'D could get by with less armor and shields than an uncloaked vessel. They could use the cloaking device to pick and choose their engagements so that they always have a concentration of force against a weaker opponent. Simply de-cloak and let rip. A force of 1/2 dozen Warbirds could probably destroy most smallish fleets before they even had time to respond.

Of course, there's no reason for them to actually purposefully design a ship like that, the Defiant had both a cloak and good shields and armor. So who knows what the Romulans were thinking?

The problem is that you can't always pick your battles. Ships on high alert will have sheilds up and weapons at the ready. When the Warbirds decloak they'll have several seconds where they are without shields to protect them. That is a very bad thing since the avg Romulan hull is about as tough as wood and their sheilds aren't much better.

[Captain Seafort]

The problem is that you can't always pick your battles. Ships on high alert will have sheilds up and weapons at the ready. When the Warbirds decloak they'll have several seconds where they are without shields to protect them. That is a very bad thing since the avg Romulan hull is about as tough as wood and their sheilds aren't much better.

I've no idea where this "Romulans have weak shields" brainbug has come from - "Message in a Bottle" shows that they're as strong, if not stronger, than those of a Nebula-class starship, which is no weakling.

[Deepcrush]

A ship twice the size having only equal shields to a weaker ship. Thats a bad label for shields. That would be like a cruiser with better armor then a Battleship.

EDIT!

Wait, it is a cruiser that matches a battleship!

[Sionnach Glic]

Twice the length, perhaps. But is it twice the mass?
Remember, mass is a better way to determine this stuff than length.

[Deepcrush]

Don't know about the mass, thats for someone who's better with math to figure out. Fact is that their top of the line ship was only equal to the second rate ship of the line of the UFP.

[Praeothmin]

Now, looking at what memory alpha has on the Nebula:

It is unknown, precisely, which class spawned the other, or if they were designed simultaneously. The only chronological evidence that exists can be determined by a comparison of dedication plaques, which reveals that the Nebula-class Phoenix was commissioned (on stardate 40250.5) just a short time before the launch (stardate 40759.5) of the Galaxy-class USS Enterprise-D.
While considered more than a match for a Cardassian supply ship, the Nebula-class was also capable of successfully withstanding a direct hit from a Cardassian warship as a result of an unshielded attack. (TNG: "The Wounded") They were, however, unable to single-handedly withstand an assault from wing of Cardassian destroyers.

Info found here:

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Nebula_class

It made me wonder, considering that the Nebula seems closely matched to the Galaxy in terms of mass (only the Galaxy's neck isn't present on the Nebula, although some have pods to compensate for), and since they were develloped pretty much at the same time, I see no reason to consider the Nebula much weaker then a Galaxy, if at all.

Is there any reason we should consider them significantly weaker then a Galaxy?
(Deepcrush, I'll understand if you don't want to participate in this discussion )

[Tsukiyumi]

(Deepcrush, I'll understand if you don't want to participate in this discussion )

Dude, don't poke the bear...

I see the Neb as about equal to the Galaxy, and the weapon pod version being quite a bit more powerful (torpedo spam!).

[Deepcrush]

Is there any reason we should consider them significantly weaker then a Galaxy?
(Deepcrush, I'll understand if you don't want to participate in this discussion )

You are as tricky as you are annoying! But yes! I will participate in this discussion, so long as you remember to read before you respond...

Off hand there really isn't much difference. We know that SF sees the GCS as thier best at the time. Also the Neb lacks the same number of phasers and without the weapons pod they lack any PTLs at all.

[Praeothmin]

You are as tricky as you are annoying! But yes! I will participate in this discussion, so long as you remember to read before you respond

Promised...

Also the Neb lacks the same number of phasers and without the weapons pod they lack any PTLs at all.

I agree that they'll probably lack one or 2 lesser Phaser strips, but I was under the impression that the Nebula did have PTLs even without the pod.

[Deepcrush]

None that are canon as far as I know. The PTLs on the GCS are on the neck. The Neb has no neck and no signs of PTLs elsewhere.