Hammerhead

Up to date for latest version, 0.97a.

Hammerhead-class Destroyer
Midline Destroyer
40,000c
Logistical data
CR per deployment	12%
CR per deployment	12%
Recovery rate (per day)	5%
Recovery rate (per day)	5%
Recovery cost (supplies)	10
Recovery cost (supplies)	10
Deployment points	10
Deployment points	10
Peak performance (sec)	360
Peak performance (sec)	360
Ordnance points	95
Ordnance points	95
Maintenance (supplies/month)	10
Maintenance (supplies/month)	10
Cargo capacity	100
Cargo capacity	100
Maximum crew	100
Maximum crew	100
Skeleton crew required	50
Skeleton crew required	50
Fuel capacity	60
Fuel capacity	60
Maximum burn	9
Maximum burn	9
Fuel per LY / Jump cost	2
Fuel per LY / Jump cost	2
Combat performance
Hull integrity	5000
Armor rating	500
Flux capacity	4200
Flux dissipation	250
Top speed	90
Systems
Defense	Front Shield
Shield arc	300
Shield upkeep/sec	100
Shield flux/damage	0.8
System	Accelerated Ammo Feeder
Mounts	2x Small Missile 2x Medium Ballistic 4x Small Hybrid

	A midline destroyer from the golden age of the Domain, the Hammerhead is respected for its staying power in battle as well as its ballistic capabilities.
–In-game description

Hammerhead • Hammerhead (LG)

A midline Destroyer, the Hammerhead is a very frontal-heavy ship, with its 2 Medium Ballistic and 2 Small Missile hardpoints pointed forwards.

Overview

The Hammerhead is a versatile midline destroyer that performs well both as flagship and escort.

True to its name, the Hammerhead is optimized for head-on engagement, with wide front shields and a concentrated array of forward-facing hardpoints; however, its side and rear firepower is limited to four small hybrid turrets.

The Lion's Guard variant replaces the Hammerhead's Medium Ballistics for Medium Energy instead, while also adding in built-in Solar Shielding, Energy Bolt Coherer, and Special Modifications hullmods; in exchange for this the ship suffers from 10 less Ordnance Points and reduced Flux stats.

Strategy and tips

The following section contains user-submitted suggestions, these may be inaccurate or outdated.

Due to the majority of the Hammerhead's firepower being concentrated to one side, and owing to its considerable speed and maneuverability, the Hammerhead benefits greatly from Integrated Targeting Unit, thus allowing it to bombard the enemy fleet from farther away. Alternatively, the Hammerhead can also be turned employed as a tool of sustained harassment; when outfitted with Safety Overrides and anti-armor weapons like the Assault Chaingun, the Hammerhead can become a decent close-range brawler, though its low armor does compromise it should its shields go down. Either way, the Hammerhead's Accelerated Ammo Feeder complements both roles exceptionally well.

Unlike the base Hammerhead, the Lion's Guard variant instead utilizes an energy-based loadout, allowing the player to combine powerful strike energy weapons such as the Phase Lance with versatile kinetic ballistic weapons such as the Light Needler or the Railgun. However, care should be taken when outfitting a Lion's Guard Hammerhead, as the flux-demanding nature of energy weapons means that the Hammerhead is more prone to overfluxing itself. The reduced number of OP also means there is less room for hullmods, vents and capacitors which further exacerbates the issue.

Suggested Strategies and Loadouts

Skirmisher custom variant

• Skirmisher Variant (custom): This "kinetics 'n missiles" loadout uses its twin Heavy Autocannons to pummel enemy shields and hits them with the Harpoon MRMs when they're vulnerable. Including the Expanded Missile Racks hullmod ensures a sufficient supply of Harpoons for the Hammerhead to get the job done.
• Fleet support (custom): A variation of the "kinetics 'n missiles" loadout also using twin heavy autocannons but linked (within the same weapon group) with the swarmer SRMs. This kinetic focused loadout assists in breaking shields while the swarmers continuously wear down opponnents with a sustained barrage of HE missiles. This build is best utilized with range and flux improving hullmods.

Fleet support variant

• Close Quarters: Making use of the base hull's accelerated ammo feed as well as Safety Overrides, this variant uses short range weapons: Sabot SRMs for shield cracking, a pair of Light Dual Autocannons or Light Dual Machine Guns in the front small ballistic slots for some anti-shield support, and linked Assault Chainguns in the front medium hardpoints. Designed for aggressive or reckless officers, the AAF allows the chainguns to shred through armour and hull alike once the sabots have taken the shields down.

Changelog

Patch 0.96a: Added Hammerhead (LG) to the game Patch 0.95a:  Rear turrets no longer capable of facing directly to the front Fixed slight alignment issue for left medium hardpoint, this is Very Important Patch 0.9.1a: Increased supply cost to deploy and per month to 10 (was: 8) Patch 0.8a:  Ordnance points increased by 5 Accelerated Ammo Feeder: now reduces ballistic flux cost by 50% (was: 30%)