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Main batteries

Colonial Battlestars are armed with large gun turrets, but their layout varies from class to class. Mercury Class Battlestars have forward-firing bow batteries, as well as smaller batteries along the sides of the flight pods.

Where the Columbia Class Battlestars large guns are clustered along the top side, with secondary batteries concentrated along the flight pods, the guns of the Mercury class are found all over the ship. The greatest concentration of large turrets are found along the side of the ship, within the valley created by the upper and lower halves of the hull, including the flight pods. Four are mounted on the underside of the upper hull on the ship's bow, below which sits eight non-turreted large guns; these form the main forward batteries. Two more turrets are mounted on the front and back of each flight pod.

These are the main offensive weapon of a Battlestar, but are also used to lay down defensive fire against incoming enemy ordnance and fighters.

Point defense guns

Battlestars are equipped with numerous point defense guns located along the entire sides of the flight pods in twin mountings. The entire system is tasked with destroying incoming projectiles. Sensors and expert systems identify and evaluate threats, assigning priorities to them based on data like distance and projected trajectory, while at the same time laying the cannon; this and firing are all done too quickly for a human crew to match.

Although the main batteries are also used to engage incoming fighters and missiles, the point defense guns have a much higher rate of fire, thus making them more effective in that role.

Weapon Systems:

Eight (8) Fixed Super Heavy Kinetic Energy Weapon Mounts: Mounted to fire forward on the Battlestar and weapons can fire individually or in groups. The weapons are in the bow of the ship under the "chin” of the forward section. Instead of firing bursts, the weapon fires a single high density round at extremely high velocities and inflict incredible damage. Cannons have standard penalties for heavy starship weaponry when used against small targets.

Maximum Effective Range: 480 miles (772.5 km) in space and 24 miles (38.6 km) if fired into an atmosphere.
Rate of Fire: 2 rounds per cannon per melee (a total of 16 rounds can be fired per melee)

Payload: 100 rounds per weapon mount. Additional ammunition carried in the ship's main magazines (Takes 6D6 minutes to reload)

Thirty (30) Heavy Kinetic Energy Weapon Turrets: Main batteries of the Battlestar in turrets. Each turret has two barrels which normally fire together. Four are mounted on the underside of the upper hull on the ship's bow, two more turrets are mounted on the front and back of each flight pod, with others scattered along the length of the hull and flight pods. Each mount can rotate 360 degrees and has a 90 degree arc of fire. Each mount fires rounds at extremely high velocity and inflict heavy damage upon their target. Cannons have half standard penalties for heavy starship weaponry when used against small targets.

Maximum Effective Range: 320 miles (515 km) in space and 16 miles (25.6 km) if fired into an atmosphere.

Payload: 2,000 rounds (200 bursts) per weapon mount. Additional ammunition carried in the ship's main magazines.

Point Defense Kinetic Energy Mounts (322): These act as the Battlestar's main point defense weaponry and are in twin mounts. They are similar to the mounts carried on Vipers and are used against both fighters and missiles. The Battlestar has these mounts on the main hull and flight pods. Each mount can rotate 360 degrees and has a 90 degree arc of fire. These electromagnetic weapons fire high-density projectiles at incredible velocities.

Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) in an atmosphere and 32,000 feet (9,600 meters) in space.
Payload: 8,000 rounds (800 bursts) per weapon mount. Additional ammunition carried in the ship's main magazines (Takes 1.3 minutes to reload)

Fixed Super Heavy Kinetic Energy Mounts (8, Bow)
Heavy Kinetic Energy Weapon Turrets (30)
Heavy Kinetic Energy Weapons (60, 2 each turret)
Point Defense Kinetic Energy Mounts (322)
Point Defense Kinetic Energy Weapons (644, 2 each mount):
Hanger Bays / Flight Pods (8):
Viper Launch Tubes (50, 25 per Flight Pod):
Main Hanger Decks (4): .