Galaxy class starship vs D'deridex class warbird

[Sarevok]

In the neutral zone a cloaked Romulan Warbird decides to engage a lone Galaxy class starship. Reinforcements are far away. Which ship would be left standing after the battle is over ?

[Gandalf]

If the Warbird can get the jump on the GCS, it'd be a quick fight.

But if the GCS is somehow aware and has time to raise it's shields, it'd come down to if it could get behind the Warbird and fire there.

[Stofsk]

If we're talking a run-of-the-mill GCS without the War upgrades or without having time to prepare for battle a la BOBW, the Warbird ambushes it and blasts it into a million pieces.

If the GCS is on Red alert, is prepared for battle, and is patrolling the Fed side of the NZ then it's conceivable that they can destroy the warbird - if they survive the opening volley.

[Howedar]

WORF: Romulan warbird, closing. They're arming main distruptors, Captain.
PICARD: Go to Red Alert -- shields at maximum.
RIKER: Worf, arm photon torpedoes and stand by.
WORF: Aye, sir.
PICARD: Damage report.
WORF: No casualties reported. Seventy percent loss to main shields, sir.

I'm totally going with the GCS on this one.

Just kidding. GCS is hosed.

[Sarevok]

If we're talking a run-of-the-mill GCS

Yes it is a pre war Galaxy.

[DaveJB]

Considering a Warbird managed to obliterate DS9 with no trouble in an alternate timeline, I don't see the Galaxy class having much of a chance.

[Stofsk]

If we're talking a run-of-the-mill GCS

Yes it is a pre war Galaxy.

What about the other part of my quote? Has the GCS had time to prepare for combat a la BOBW and is on Red Alert? Or is it basically just dicking around in deep space with it's shields down?

[Sarevok]

Has the GCS had time to prepare for combat a la BOBW and is on Red Alert?

The Galaxy is patrolling the neutral zone on yellow alert. It is not expecting an immediete Romulan attack but is cauitious.

Or is it basically just dicking around in deep space with it's shields down?

AFAIK yellow alert means shields are up but weapons are offline. So the shields are raised.

[Alyeska]

If we're talking a run-of-the-mill GCS without the War upgrades or without having time to prepare for battle a la BOBW, the Warbird ambushes it and blasts it into a million pieces.

If the GCS is on Red alert, is prepared for battle, and is patrolling the Fed side of the NZ then it's conceivable that they can destroy the warbird - if they survive the opening volley.

Run of the mill GCS is now the War standard. All known GCSs were upgraded to that standard.

Even if this is a war GCS, the Warbird has a distinct advantage. Its weapons are concentrated heavily on its forward arc. A Galaxy is unlikely to have time to get on the Warbirds aft quarter. The Warbird decloaks firing an alpha strike causing massive shield damage. It weathers the Galaxy counter volley and then follows up killing the Galaxy.

The Romulan warbird is perfectly designed as a first strike platform in a surprise attack against its enemy. Its in the fleet engagements that the Warbird is seriously lacking.

[Praxis]

Considering a Warbird managed to obliterate DS9 with no trouble in an alternate timeline, I don't see the Galaxy class having much of a chance.

DS9 had its shields down. The romulan warbird first took out the shield generators, and it still took a good two minutes of pounding- and enough time for O'Brien to get to a shuttle, load up a bunch of people, and launch.

[Sarevok]

I think the although the Warbird has greater firepower it has somewhat weaker shields than the Galaxy. The smaller the shield surface area the stronger the shield. Hence the Nebula has stronger shields than Galaxy even though both ships are equipped with the same warp core. The Warbird has a much larger shield area than Galaxy and a powerplant that is probobly not that much stronger (IIRC it has slower warp speed). So it has weaker shields.

[Howedar]

That's a... fascinating analysis. I could just as easily say that since the Warbird has much more powerful weapons, it probably also has a more powerful reactor.

[Alyeska]

That's a... fascinating analysis. I could just as easily say that since the Warbird has much more powerful weapons, it probably also has a more powerful reactor.

Possible, but not necessarily. The Warbird is rated at aproximately equal to the Galaxy class in terms of firepower. That the Warbird can cause so much damage to a Galaxy in such short order would most likely come from a forward weapon biass. The Warbirds power comes from its design. That means greater forward firepower over a Galaxy with relatively equal power generation. Equal power generation with the Warbird being so massive means the Warbird has inferior shields.

Anyway thats just one way of looking at it. You are correct, the weapons might also simply be more powerful.

[Howedar]

My point was we can most certainly not make any reasonable conjecture regarding the strength of the Warbird's shields based on her power generation.

[Imperial Overlord]

The Feds generally have the best shields when compared to their neighboring powers. And a GC is marginally faster at warp than a Warbird.

But a Warbird is larger, so it would take more power to move it.

So a Warbird probably has a more powerful power plant and inferior shielding.

[Ghost Rider]

Let dead topics lie where they sit.