User:McGig/Sandbox/Dominion

"Negotiations with the Dominion can be a very dangerous thing. The Dominion decides that you have something that they want, and then they come and take it - by negotiation or by force."

—Eris, Vorta spy

Dominion starships, as encountered by Starfleet to date, have all been built with a singular primary purpose - the application of force in support of the political agenda of the Dominion's leadership. Dominion starship design doctrine is varied, with designs fitting into clear roles and marked by a distinct lack of any real multi-mission or multi-role starships. While this might result in ships not being ideal in small encounters, when Dominion fleets do mass for large-scale combat operations, each ship has a clear purpose and role. With rigorous training of the starship operators and the tacticians responsible for their actions, Dominion starships make for highly capable and dangerous foes.

Jem'Hadar Fighter

The Jem'Hadar Attack Fighter is the primary vessel of Dominion forces encountered by Starfleet during the Dominion War. Small, quick to build and with small crew compliments, the Dominion could field incredibly large numbers of these vessels at all stages of the war, even with the loss of multiple shipyards as Alliance forces advanced into Cardassian territory.

Armed primarily with Phase Polaron beam weaponry, these vessels were able to scythe through Starfleet forces in the initial stages of the war due to Federation shielding technology not being able to cope with these weapon systems. This would result in Starfleet officers regarding these vessels as extremely capable and deadly combatants long after their technological edge had been dulled.

With the advent of updated shielding technology to overcome this handicap, it was quickly realised these vessels were lightly shielded and armoured, making them easy targets for ships that could now stand up to their assaults. Because of this, the Dominion began to deploy them in groups of two or three for routine operations and larger swarms during fleet engagements in order to mitigate the loss of a few vessels. While swarm tactics made for a viable strategy, should an attack be reduced in number sufficiently it wasn't unknown for Dominion crews to commit suicide ramming in an attempt to use their vessels to quickly incapacitate larger vessels.

In Play

The Dominion built these vessels in staggeringly high numbers during the Dominion War. There is reason enough to believe that within the Dominion these vessels are built in equally large numbers in order for the Dominion to have a presence everywhere at all times. When one thinks of a Dominion starship, this is the first thing that comes to mind.
While these ships might be encountered by themselves, with their technological edge blunted somewhat, they now operate in groups in order to leverage their combat capabilities and the tactics and training they clearly undertake. Fast, nimble and small cross sections on the x and y axis, these ships prefer repeated multi-directional attack runs to attempt to overwhelm their foes.
When facing defeat Dominion vessels will retreat. However if the objective calls for it, or an attack fighter is too damaged to retreat, rather than risk being captured they will resort to suicide rams in order to maximise damage and prevent Dominion technology falling into enemy hands.

Jem'Hadar Battlecruiser

A short blurb about this rather large Dukat Yacht.

The Jem'Hadar Battlecruiser fills the Dominion's need for a large multi-role combatant that is sturdier than the Attack Fighter and capable of both absorbing and directing considerable firepower, particularly in fleet engagements and siege attacks. Considerable amounts of the ship's volume is given over to redundant combat systems, weapon emplacements as well as crew accommodation seeing as the vessel also serves as a troop transport for planetary and station assaults.

This vessel is primarily and solely a combat vessel whose deployment is a statement by the Dominion either in an offensive or defensive role. These ships form the core of Dominion fleets, acting as command ships, bunkerage vessels and troop transports alongside their primary role as a heavy combatant. Their considerable combat capabilities also lend these vessels over to being used as VIP transports as they are highly resistant to ambush attacks and able to hold their own until reinforcements arrive.

In Play

Dukat's Yacht
Chonky boy
Center of the most Alpha Dominion battlefleets
Has got that purple disco rave look going on
Starbase Kickass wants one to see if they can rig the lights to a sound system for the sweet pulsating light look

Jem'Hadar Battleship

Short blurb about this badass Red Squadron ass-kicking death dealer.

In Play

Kills Red Squadron good
Slow chonky death machine. Next best thing to a Dominion Star Destroyer.
Best killed by an A-wing to the bridge