In the millennium since mankind left its cradle and journeyed out into the stars, conflict has followed. While the battles fought across the surfaces of thousands of worlds have taken the focus of most, it is undeniable that many of the greatest battles fought by mankind happened in the void between those worlds. Like the BattleMechs and tanks that rule the battle on land, combat spacecraft are the deciding factor in all space conflict. From the Aerospace Fighter to the Small Craft to the DropShip and even the mighty WarShip, these craft come in countless varieties.

AEROSPACE FIGHTERS:

Mass: 20-100 tons

The smallest units often used in space combat, Aerospace Fighters (or ASF) are exoatmospheric attack craft designed to operate both within a planet's atmosphere and in space. ASF are extremely common compared to other types of combat craft, with most worlds having at least a small squadron of AFS for their defense.

ASF have differing classification based upon tonnage, these designations are rather rigid with no units failing to adhere to the classifications.

Light Fighters:

Mass: 20-45 tons

The smallest type of ASF, Light Fighters are often swifter than their larger counterparts, making them effective interceptors while their low cost makes them somewhat popular among more cash-strapped forces.

Medium Fighters:

Mass: 50-70 tons

Intermediate ASF compared to Light and Heavy Fighters, Medium Fighters serve as a middle of the road option, having greater defenses and weaponry than Light Fighters, while lacking the slow speed and high costs of Heavy Fighters. This makes them a favored choice for dogfighting.

Heavy Fighters:

Mass: 75-100 tons

The largest type of ASF in service, Heavy Fighters have extremely powerful weapons and defenses compared to smaller ASF, though at the cost of slower speeds and higher prices. This makes Heavy Fighters a common tool for attacking DropShips.

SMALL CRAFT:

Mass: 100-200 tons

Intermediate spacecraft between Aerospace Fighters and DropShips, Small Craft are not particularly common in space combat, but they do see use. Most purpose built combat Small Craft are used for boarding actions or as gunboats or patrol ships, having greater firepower than any ASF, while lacking the high price of DropShips.

DROPSHIPS:

Mass: 200-100,000 tons

The largest ships seen in most battles, DropShips serve innumerable roles for space combat. While most DropShips have the ability to land on a planet's surface, some larger or more specialized vessels are permanently voidbound, unable to land without destruction.

Aerospace Carrier DropShips:

Mass: Varied

Designed to carry large numbers of Aerospace Fighters into battle, Carrier DropShips lack the direct punch of Assault DropShips or Pocket WarShips, but make up for it in the vital support they provide any force, both for space combat and through their air support potential. Most carriers only have 6 to 40 ASF, with any more being an extreme rarity.

Assault DropShips:

Mass: Varied

The hardest hitting units in most space formations lacking WarShips, assault dropships are designed to fight other DropShips and ASF, though they occasionally engage WarShips, often to poor results.

Pocket WarShips:

Mass: Varied

An intriguing invention of the 31st century, the Pocket WarShip is built along similar lines to the Assault DropShips but with one major difference, the ability to carry capital missiles and subcapital weapon systems. These weapons give the Pocket WarShip the ability to significantly engage opposing WarShips, or do devastating damage to other DropShips. These powerful vessels have proven a, relatively, economical choice for powers who cannot afford WarShip programs, yet still need to remain competitive in the void.

WARSHIPS:

Mass: 100,000-2,500,000 tons

The pinnacle of void warfare, WarShips are massive spacecraft with integrated jump capabilities similar to JumpShips, yet with far more compact drives, allowing them to equip armaments, fusion drives, and protection far in advance over JumpShips. Since the final days of the Terran Alliance, the WarShip has remained the greatest and most horrible weapon of war within mankind's arsenal, capable of wiping out whole planet's if needed. The years after the fall of the Star League saw the first death of the WarShip, attrition and lack of repair facilities killing off all but a few of the vessels before the 2nd Succession War was over. The middle of the 31st century would see a resurgence for the WarShip, both through the introduction of the Clans to the Inner Sphere and the construction of entirely new vessels, though they would never regain the prominence they once had.

WarShips lack the ability to land on planets, requiring Small Craft and DropShips to ferry crew and cargo to and from planetary surfaces.

Corvettes:

Mass: 100,000-300,000 tons

The smallest vessels given the august title of WarShip, Corvettes rarely find themselves in battle against other WarShips outside of the most dire circumstances due to their small size and relative weakness. Instead, they often serve as scouts, or raiding vessels, moving outside of the main force to find the enemy and raid vulnerable positions. The relatively inexpensive nature of Corvettes made them effective commerce protection vessels, able to take down any force not backed up by another WarShip.

Destroyers:

Mass: 250,000-700,000 tons

The backbone of most WarShip forces, Destroyers are the smallest WarShips to commonly see combat against other WarShips. Their high speed, relatively powerful armaments, and comparative lack of expense make them an economical choice for any navy large enough to field WarShips.

Frigates:

Mass: 400,000-800,000 tons

On average slightly larger and more powerful than Destroyers, Frigates provide a bridge between the smallest WarShips that make up the bulk of most major navies, and the larger capital ships, their backbones. This leaves the Frigate in an odd position: too pricey for the fodder, too weak for the battleline. This leads to them either being unused, or deployed alone as raiders or commerce protection vessels.

Cruisers:

Mass: 500,000-1,200,000 tons

The backbone of most large navies, Cruisers provide a good mix of high firepower, decent protection, and enough speed to take advantage of both of the former. While Battleships are the pinnacle of WarShips, Cruisers often provide better results for their cost.

Cruisers can be divided into Light, Heavy, and Battlecruisers. Light Cruisers are the smallest, often serving in similar roles to Destroyers and Frigates, while Heavy Cruisers provide far greater firepower and protection. Battlecruisers are usually the largest, sacrificing protection and secondary roles in exchange for firepower far greater than their tonnage would suggest and high speeds for their size. Some navies forgo the use of Battleships in favor of the swifter and cheaper Battlecruisers.

Battleships:

Mass: 900,000-2,500,000 tons

The largest WarShips in existence, Battleships are monsters on the battlefield, having firepower and protection unrivalled except for in the most powerful of Battlecruisers. This comes at the cost of speed and price, a single Battleship often costs the same as a small squadron of lesser ships, while having extremely slow speeds. This makes Battleships less effective than their raw power would suggest, leading to many navies choosing more economical vessels.

Carriers:

Mass: N/A

Less of a ship classification and more of a role, Carriers deploy vast numbers of ASF, providing support for their formations and acting as the main punch for these craft. Pure Carriers are rare among WarShips, but many vessels have at least partial capability in this role, especially among larger craft.