Caravan Trader
Faction: free traders
Overview
The Caravan is the backbone of the living galactic economy - a purpose-built trade hauler that carries the volume of a bulk freighter while surviving the dangers a freighter cannot. Reinforced cargo bays, a respectable shield envelope and an integrated escort-coordination suite let it run the long, contested trade lanes between player economies where unescorted haulers are simply lost. It is not a warship, but it is a hauler that fights back, and in a galaxy where every cargo run is a target, that distinction is the difference between profit and ruin.
Base Stats
Weapons
- Defensive Turret Battery x4
- Point-Defence Grid x3
Module Slots
- Cargo Slot x4
- Shield Slot x2
- Utility Slot x2
- Engine Slot x1
- Command Slot x1
Lore
The first Caravans were ordinary freighters with armour bolted on by nervous captains tired of losing cargo to pirates. The Free Traders Guild formalised the design, added the escort-link suite, and turned a desperate field modification into the most trusted trade hull in known space. A Caravan convoy on the move is a statement: this cargo is going to arrive.
Tactics
- 1
Run Caravans in convoys of three or more and link them through the escort-coordination suite - shared point-defence fire makes a convoy far harder to raid than the sum of its hulls.
- 2
Fit the Command Slot with a trade-logistics module to extend profitable range; the Caravan's tradeRangeBonus already opens lanes a bulk freighter cannot reach safely.
- 3
Keep at least one combat escort attached to each convoy - the Caravan can survive a raid long enough for help to arrive, but it cannot win the fight alone.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- +Massive 4200 cargo capacity rivals dedicated bulk freighters while carrying far more survivability into contested lanes.
- +Strong shields and a dense point-defence grid let it absorb and shrug off the opportunistic raids that destroy unescorted haulers.
- +Built-in escort-link slots turn a group of Caravans into a mutually defending convoy, scaling protection with fleet size.
Weaknesses
- −Slow speed of 22 makes it impossible to outrun a determined raiding party - it must rely on toughness and escorts instead of flight.
- −Defensive armament only; it cannot project force or punish an attacker, merely endure long enough to survive the encounter.
- −High metal cost and long build time make it a serious economic commitment for a trade-focused commander.
Recommended Modules
- reinforced cargo bay
- convoy shield projector
- trade logistics core
