The “FASA Fleet” – Fifth Grouping

Today we’re back with the final installment of the “FASA Fleet” by Christian Fernandez-Duque. We started off with Federation spaceframes and last time we looked at Klingon ships from the same era. Today we’re going to round it out with the last leg of the Beta Quadrant trifecta: the Romulans.

Through the 23rd century the Federation and Klingons clashed and held each other by the throat. Watching them from the sidelines, and stoking the fires now and then, was the Romulan Star Empire. Their cloaking devices allowed them to effectively spy on other groups while building their own forces behind the wall of the Neutral Zone.

Adaptability is the ultimate strength of the Romulans, the ability to change tactics and redirect to project strength where it’s needed and give way where it isn’t. The Whitewind-class multirole cruiser (designated V-7 by Starfleet Intelligence) is exactly the type of vessel for this sort of role. Nimble and strong, the Whitewind class can slip through borders and fleets to provide intelligence and (when needed) a quick knife-thrust for the Star Navy. When a more powerful blow is required the Thunderbird-class escort cruiser (otherwise known as the V-33) is very fast, very stealthy, and very hard-hitting. This is the other secret to Romulan tactics, adapting as needed and hitting before the enemy knows they’re there.

When these tactics aren’t enough and the Romulans are forced into an actual war, their battleships are no lightweights. The Stormbird-class heavy cruiser (designated V-11 by Starfleet) resembles the Klingon battle cruisers, specifically because they traded the Klingons for some D-7 spaceframes. Basing their ships on the Klingon model, the Romulan-designed V-11 cruiser had the best of its predecessor and Romulan adaptations. The Winged Defender-class heavy cruiser (the V-30) was all-Romulan in design but showed new adaptation as the Star Empire reacted to changing politics of the Beta Quadrant. Rugged and strong, the Winged Defender is not so much a ship for fast-and-hard stealth missions but a strong vessel for holding the Romulan border against intrusion. Lastly, the Nova-class battleship (the Z-1) is a system defense craft, created when it became clear that isolationism alone wouldn’t necessarily save the Star Empire.

As the 23rd century followed into the 24th century, the Romulans continued to adapt and these spaceframes all come with Dominion War-era versions as the old frameworks were updated to a new age. Adapting means making use of what you have and you can be sure that these Romulan designs continue to be relevant into the future. They show the range of Romulan tactics and can be useful for your Star Trek Adventures campaign as PC ships or adversary ships.