The Raider is the primary air/space superiority fighter used by the Cylons against the peoples of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. There have been at least two designs used since the outbreak of hostilities between the two powers.
Cylon War-era Raider
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| Race:
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Cylon
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| Type:
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Military
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| FTL:
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Yes
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| Propulsion:
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| Crew:
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Up to 3 Centurions
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| Capacity:
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| CO:
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{{{co}}}
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| XO:
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{{{xo}}}
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| Role:
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Space superiority fighter, dropship
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| Weapons:
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2 triple barrel rotary guns, missiles
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| Armaments:
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{{{arm}}}
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| Defenses:
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{{{def}}}
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| Aircraft:
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{{{aircraft}}}
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| Aviation facilities:
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{{{facilities}}}
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| Fate:
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{{{status}}}
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| Emblem:
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[[Image:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]]
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| Other Images:
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Gallery
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| Length:
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| Width:
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{{{width}}}
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| Height:
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| Weight:
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{{{weight}}}
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| Wingspan:
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| Other:
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{{{otherdi}}}
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| Cost:
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{{{construction}}}
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| Construction Time:
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{{{construction}}}
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| Hull Size:
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{{{hull size}}}
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| Hull:
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{{{hull}}}
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| FTL Cooldown:
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{{{ftl cooldown}}} turns
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| Speed:
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{{{speed}}} m/s
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| Turn Rate:
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{{{turn rate}}}°/turn
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| Armor Total:
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{{{armor total}}}
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| Armor Left:
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{{{armor left}}}
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| Armor Right:
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{{{armor right}}}
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| Armor Front:
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{{{armor front}}}
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| Armor Rear:
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{{{armor rear}}}
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| Armor Top:
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{{{armor top}}}
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| Armor Bottom:
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{{{armor bottom}}}
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| DRADIS Range:
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{{{dradis range}}} m
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| Processing Power:
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{{{processing power}}}
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| Munition Slots:
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{{{munitions}}}
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| Munition Cooldown Period:
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{{{munition cooldown}}} turns
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| Squadron Slots:
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{{{squadrons}}}
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| Squadron Size:
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{{{squadron size}}}
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| Special Abilities:
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{{{special abilities}}}
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During the Cylon War, raiders resembled a big "flying wing," and carried a crew of at least three Centurions piloting under the command of a specifically designated model. They are a mainstay in the Cylon arsenal of the time (TRS: "Miniseries," "Razor," Blood and Chrome).
Deployed en masse by the Cylon basestar, Raiders are used to great effect against Colonial battlestars and are nearly a match in maneuverability against their Colonial counterparts, the Viper Mark II and Mark III. They are also used as drop-ships for deploying ground forces (as seen in the Battle of Tauron) and are capable of vertical take-offs and landings, much like the Colonial Raptor (TRS: "Razor," Blood and Chrome).
In the tenth year of the Cylon War, Viper pilots train for combat using holobands to simulate battles between the Viper Mark IIIs and Cylon Raiders (TRS: "Blood and Chrome").
During the last days of the Cylon War, Raiders destroy the battlestar Columbia in tandem with basestar missile salvos during Operation Raptor Talon (TRS: "Razor").
Some forty years later, some Cylon War-era Raiders are still in active service. A contingent of Raiders is present aboard a lone Cylon War-era basestar which houses the First Hybrid. When the battlestar Pegasus inadvertently discovers this "Guardian basestar," a squadron of Raiders engages with the battlestar as well as its defending force of Viper Mark VIIs (TRS: "Razor"). A small number of original Raiders also appears at the Cylon Colony, shortly before its destruction by Galactica (TRS: "Islanded in a Stream of Stars", "Daybreak, Part II").
Modern Raider
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| Race:
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Cylon
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| Type:
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Military
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| FTL:
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Yes
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| Propulsion:
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| Crew:
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None (biomechanical being)
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| Capacity:
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| CO:
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{{{co}}}
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| XO:
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{{{xo}}}
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| Role:
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Space superiority fighter
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| Weapons:
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2 kinetic energy weapons, conventional/nuclear missiles.
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| Armaments:
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{{{arm}}}
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| Defenses:
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{{{def}}}
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| Aircraft:
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{{{aircraft}}}
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| Aviation facilities:
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{{{facilities}}}
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| Fate:
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{{{status}}}
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| Emblem:
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[[Image:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]]
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| Other Images:
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Gallery
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| Length:
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29.3 feet (8.94 meters)
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| Width:
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{{{width}}}
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| Height:
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4.97 feet (1.52 meters)
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| Weight:
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{{{weight}}}
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| Wingspan:
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18.3 feet (5.59 meters)
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| Other:
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{{{otherdi}}}
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| Cost:
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{{{construction}}}
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| Construction Time:
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{{{construction}}}
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| Hull Size:
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{{{hull size}}}
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| Hull:
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{{{hull}}}
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| FTL Cooldown:
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{{{ftl cooldown}}} turns
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| Speed:
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{{{speed}}} m/s
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| Turn Rate:
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{{{turn rate}}}°/turn
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| Armor Total:
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{{{armor total}}}
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| Armor Left:
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{{{armor left}}}
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| Armor Right:
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{{{armor right}}}
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| Armor Front:
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{{{armor front}}}
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| Armor Rear:
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{{{armor rear}}}
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| Armor Top:
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{{{armor top}}}
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| Armor Bottom:
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{{{armor bottom}}}
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| DRADIS Range:
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{{{dradis range}}} m
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| Processing Power:
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{{{processing power}}}
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| Munition Slots:
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{{{munitions}}}
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| Munition Cooldown Period:
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{{{munition cooldown}}} turns
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| Squadron Slots:
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{{{squadrons}}}
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| Squadron Size:
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{{{squadron size}}}
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| Special Abilities:
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{{{special abilities}}}
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The modern Raider, called sparrow in Colonial military jargon (TRS: "Maelstrom"), radically redesigned but still resembling its past incarnation as a giant flying wing, is first encountered 0 BCH (2000BYR) when the Cylons launch their devastating surprise attack on the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. During this attack, Raiders transmit commands to Colonial vessels utilizing the compromised Command Navigation Program (CNP (TRS: "Miniseries", "Razor", "The Plan").
This incarnation of the Raider is initially thought to be wholly mechanical in design, with a high-level AI controlling it. However, from inspection of a damaged Raider forced down in a firefight and recovered by Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace (TRS: "Act of Contrition"), the craft is found to be bio-mechanical in nature (TRS: "You Can't Go Home Again"), incorporating a number of large organs in its design, including a central brain. These organs are housed in the center mass, with a sliding hatch access underside of the fuselage, protected by an interior fibrous tissue layer. Raiders require an oxygen-nitrogen mix for their biological functions, and thus an oxygen supply, or the ability to generate said supply, is integrated into the craft (TRS: "You Can't Go Home Again").
Though Raiders are self-aware, their intelligence level is less than that of a humanoid Cylon and more like a trained animal (TRS: "Six Degrees of Separation"). Nonetheless, they are capable of independent thought and action, and can refuse to follow orders if they choose (TRS: "Six of One"). Much like the humanoids, the bio-mechanical Raider's consciousness resurrects in a new "body" if it is destroyed. While this allows the Raider to "learn" from its previous mistakes and become a more proficient killing machine, it can cause Raiders to develop what can be described as a desire for revenge after repeated deaths (TRS: "Scar"). Galactica's Viper pilots are regularly outnumbered and survive, indicating that Cylon Raiders are generally not matches for skilled human pilots, which is supported when Humanoid Cylons assume control of their Raiders for later conflicts (TRS: "The Hub").
The Raider is equipped with a FTL drive system (TRS: "Miniseries"). Following tests on the Raider captured by Galactica, this FTL system is found to be far more efficient in jump calculations than Colonial FTL systems. The drive aptly demonstrates both accuracy and range when Thrace takes the Raider from a point somewhere near the vicinity of Kobol back to Caprica in a single jump (TRS: "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I").
It is armed with conventional and nuclear missiles carried in internal wing bays and two pairs of kinetic energy weapons of different calibers mounted under the leading edge of the wings. Curiously, the only times the Raiders have been seen using their missiles are during the Fall of the Twelve Colonies and the Battle of The Colony. This may indicate that Raiders are not normally armed with missiles.
Like its counterpart, the Colonial Viper, the Raider is capable of atmospheric operations, and retains an aerodynamic shape (TRS: "You Can't Go Home Again"). In lieu of landing skids, its wings supports its bulk when landed; for manual conveyance of unpowered Raiders, a wheeled rig or suspension via crane are used, particularly by Galactica's deckhands (TRS: "Act of Contrition", "You Can't Go Home Again", "Hero").
Modifications
During the Battle of the Ionian Nebula, a Raider identifies one of the Final Five after their activation, causing a sudden about-face with the Cylons retreating from their certain victory against the Fleet (TRS: "He That Believeth in Me"). Cavil concludes that the Raiders exceeded their programming, and to regain control over them the humanoid Cylons must reconfigure the Raiders' neural architecture and shave down their heuristic responses, essentially lobotomizing them and "dumbing them down." This decision leads to a violent split among the Cylons (TRS: "Six of One", "The Ties That Bind"). This split further leads to the Battle of the Resurrection Hub, resulting in the destruction of the resurrection technology used by both the Humanoid Cylons and the Raiders (TRS: "The Hub", "Sine Qua Non").
Heuristically-reconfigured Raiders participate in the Battle of The Colony against Galactica's Vipers. For the first time since the Fall of the Colonies, they are observed firing ship-to-ship missiles (TRS: "Daybreak, Part II").
Notes
- In an homage to the Original Series Raider, the weapons fire of the Re-imagined Series Cylon Raiders is blue-white. Given the use of conventional weaponry only in the series, these are muzzle flashes and tracer rounds, and not energy weapons like in the Original Series.
- The design of the Raider has seen modifications since its debut in the Miniseries. Of note, the fore grill is not present until as early as Season 1's "Act of Contrition."
- As of "Razor," a new exterior design is being used for the modern Raider. This version displays a more reflective outer armor, and has a flatter face with a sharper jaw line. Overall, this affords the Raider a closer resemblance to the Centurion foot-soldier.[1]
- The Cylon War era Raider is based heavily on the Original Series Raider. However, it is not identical as the TRS design has enlarged engines and wings that protrude forward from the main hull.
Related Imagery
- The concept drawings represent the interior of the modern Raider and emphasize the bio-mechanical nature of the craft. They are very close to the fully realized versions seen in the Re-imagined Series. However, there were several changes made and these drawings should not be considered completely canon.
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Raider, fore
(TRS: "Miniseries").
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Raider, aft
(TRS: "Razor").
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Raider missiles (Miniseries).
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Raiders docked within a baseship
(TRS: "Torn").
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Redesigned Raider cockpit
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Closeup of the redesigned cockpit
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Transmiting CNP Virus in The Plan
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Raider on Galactica's hangar deck
(TRS: "You Can't Go Home Again").
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Damaged Raider (Razor).
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Raider functioning as a drop-ship (Razor).
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Raider fires (Razor).
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Internal workings.
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The Brain.
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Brain - Anterior view.
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Starbuck in brain cavity.
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Unused Raider concept by
Chris Bell.
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Render based on Chris Bell's concept, aft.
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Render based on Chris Bell's concept, fore.
References
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| Race:
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Cylon
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| Type:
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Military
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| FTL:
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Yes
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| Propulsion:
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* 8x sublight boosters
* RCS thrusters
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| Crew:
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Approx. 10
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| Capacity:
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| CO:
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{{{co}}}
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| XO:
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{{{xo}}}
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| Role:
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* Dropship
* Gunship
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| Weapons:
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{{{weapons}}}
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| Armaments:
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* 2x tri-barreled automatic cannons
* Ship to ship missiles
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| Defenses:
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{{{def}}}
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| Aircraft:
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{{{aircraft}}}
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| Aviation facilities:
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{{{facilities}}}
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| Fate:
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Unknown
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| Emblem:
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[[Image:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]]
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| Other Images:
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Gallery
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| Length:
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{{{length}}}
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| Width:
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{{{width}}}
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| Height:
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{{{height}}}
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| Weight:
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{{{weight}}}
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| Wingspan:
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{{{wingspan}}}
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| Other:
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{{{otherdi}}}
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| Cost:
|
{{{construction}}}
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| Construction Time:
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{{{construction}}}
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| Hull Size:
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{{{hull size}}}
|
| Hull:
|
{{{hull}}}
|
| FTL Cooldown:
|
{{{ftl cooldown}}} turns
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| Speed:
|
{{{speed}}} m/s
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| Turn Rate:
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{{{turn rate}}}°/turn
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| Armor Total:
|
{{{armor total}}}
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| Armor Left:
|
{{{armor left}}}
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| Armor Right:
|
{{{armor right}}}
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| Armor Front:
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{{{armor front}}}
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| Armor Rear:
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{{{armor rear}}}
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| Armor Top:
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{{{armor top}}}
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| Armor Bottom:
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{{{armor bottom}}}
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| DRADIS Range:
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{{{dradis range}}} m
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| Processing Power:
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{{{processing power}}}
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| Munition Slots:
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{{{munitions}}}
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| Munition Cooldown Period:
|
{{{munition cooldown}}} turns
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| Squadron Slots:
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{{{squadrons}}}
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| Squadron Size:
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{{{squadron size}}}
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| Special Abilities:
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{{{special abilities}}}
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A Heavy Raider is a Cylon dual purpose attack and transport spacecraft, analogous to the Colonial's Raptor vehicle. It is nicknamed a "turkey" by the surviving Colonial Fleet's military units (TRS: "Maelstrom").
Design
The Heavy Raider shares many design similarities with the rest of the Cylon fleet, featuring an autonomous bio-mechanical design. However, this craft is also easily piloted by Centurions or Humanoid Cylons if needed. The Heavy Raider has no windows, and any Cylon piloting the craft must rely on telemetry delivered to a Datastream inside the craft for operation (TRS: "The Farm", "Deadlock").
Heavy Raiders typically carries two tri-barreled automatic cannons capable of high rates of fire. These are further augmented with ship-to-ship missiles, which can be easily connected to the Raider's DRADIS dish and converted into anti-aircraft batteries for use on a planetary surface (TRS: "Fragged").
Typically, Heavy Raiders are tough targets, being able to withstand severe punishment, including crash landings (TRS: "Fragged", "Razor").
History
The Heavy Raider was developed sometime during the forty year Cylon exile from Colonial contact, and were used in combat during the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. Heavy Raiders delivered Centurions to the surface of Caprica and likely other Colonies as the start of the ground invasion (TRS: "The Plan"). After the Fall, they continued to serve as troop transports for Centurions boarding the battlestars Pegasus and Galactica (TRS: "Scattered", "Fragged", "Razor") and entering battle on the Algae planet (TRS: "The Eye of Jupiter", "Rapture"). The Cylons deployed one for every ten or so autonomous Raiders when attacking space-based targets (TRS: "Resurrection Ship, Part I", "Flight of the Phoenix"). They were also used to suppress human resistance fighters on the ground during the Cylon occupation of New Caprica (TRS: "Occupation").
Humans and their allies were able to take advantage of Heavy Raiders. With the help of a rogue Number Eight Cylon, the Caprica Resistance stole a Heavy Raider to rescue Kara Thrace from a Cylon farm, evacuate the resistance fighters to their base, and allow Thrace, the Eight, and Karl Agathon to jump to Kobol and reunite with Laura Roslin's faction (TRS: "The Farm". Home, Part I"). With the help of the same Eight, Thrace was later able to use the navigational computer of the Heavy Raider to jump a fleet of Raptors to Caprica to rescue the remaining Caprica Resistance members (TRS: "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I," Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II"). Heavy Raiders tow Vipers into battle in order to catch Cavil's faction off-guard during the Battle of the Resurrection Hub (TRS: "The Hub"). Admiral William Adama reluctantly authorizes a Heavy Raider reconnaissance mission to the Colony as part of an attempt to rescue the kidnapped Hera Agathon (TRS: "Islanded in a Stream of Stars").
Heavy Raiders also served as transports for non-combatants (TRS: "Occupation", "Exodus, Part II").
Notes
- According to Eric Chu, Richard Livingston designed the Heavy Raider. [1]
- As of "Razor," a new retconned exterior design for the Heavy Raider is in use. It is virtually identical to the previous incarnation save for a new head canopy—which matches that of the retconned standard Raider—and the addition of missile launcher (capable of propelling two missiles) superior to the forward battery.
- The production team never constructed the interior of the Heavy Raider.
Related Imagery
External links
References
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This article is about the Raider named Scar. For the episode with the same name, see Scar. |
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| Race:
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Cylon
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| Type:
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Raider
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| FTL:
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Yes
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| Propulsion:
|
|
| Crew:
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None (biomechanical being)
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| Capacity:
|
|
| CO:
|
{{{co}}}
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| XO:
|
{{{xo}}}
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| Role:
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Ace Cylon Raider
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| Weapons:
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2 kinetic energy weapons
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| Armaments:
|
{{{arm}}}
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| Defenses:
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{{{def}}}
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| Aircraft:
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{{{aircraft}}}
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| Aviation facilities:
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{{{facilities}}}
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| Fate:
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Permanently destroyed by Lt. Louanne "Kat" Katraine in episode "Scar"
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| Emblem:
|
[[Image:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]]
|
| Other Images:
|
Gallery
|
| Length:
|
{{{length}}}
|
| Width:
|
{{{width}}}
|
| Height:
|
{{{height}}}
|
| Weight:
|
{{{weight}}}
|
| Wingspan:
|
{{{wingspan}}}
|
| Other:
|
{{{otherdi}}}
|
| Cost:
|
{{{construction}}}
|
| Construction Time:
|
{{{construction}}}
|
| Hull Size:
|
{{{hull size}}}
|
| Hull:
|
{{{hull}}}
|
| FTL Cooldown:
|
{{{ftl cooldown}}} turns
|
| Speed:
|
{{{speed}}} m/s
|
| Turn Rate:
|
{{{turn rate}}}°/turn
|
| Armor Total:
|
{{{armor total}}}
|
| Armor Left:
|
{{{armor left}}}
|
| Armor Right:
|
{{{armor right}}}
|
| Armor Front:
|
{{{armor front}}}
|
| Armor Rear:
|
{{{armor rear}}}
|
| Armor Top:
|
{{{armor top}}}
|
| Armor Bottom:
|
{{{armor bottom}}}
|
| DRADIS Range:
|
{{{dradis range}}} m
|
| Processing Power:
|
{{{processing power}}}
|
| Munition Slots:
|
{{{munitions}}}
|
| Munition Cooldown Period:
|
{{{munition cooldown}}} turns
|
| Squadron Slots:
|
{{{squadrons}}}
|
| Squadron Size:
|
{{{squadron size}}}
|
| Special Abilities:
|
{{{special abilities}}}
|
|
|
|
|
Scar is the nickname for a particularly vicious and cunning Cylon Raider, feared and revered by Galactica's pilots. The nickname is derived from battle damage and grime on the Raider's forward cowling that resembles a scar.
Scar is responsible for many ruthless, successful attacks against mining vessels deployed from the Fleet into a treacherous asteroid field. It is known for its taste for nuggets and favors separating them from their wingmates for an easy kill. The need to eliminate Scar's threat increases a pilot rivalry between Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace and Lieutenant Louanne "Kat" Katraine.
Caprica-Valerii believes that the cause of Scar's unusual aggressiveness was pent-up rage after repeated painful deaths and resurrections.
On the 29th day of mining operations, Starbuck engages Scar but breaks off a suicidal run against it in favor of luring it into the sights of her wingmate, Kat, who scores a crippling blow on Scar. Scar is sent careening into an asteroid, and is destroyed in an explosion of shrapnel and gore.
It was unlikely that Scar was able to resurrect, due to the recent loss of the nearest Resurrection Ship (TRS: "Scar").
Notes
A typical Raider crew (TOS: "Saga of a Star World").
A Raider schematic displayed by a scanner on Galactica (TOS: "Saga of a Star World").
The helm console of a Raider (TOS: "Baltar's Escape").
The underside of a Raider (The Return of Starbuck).
Original Raider as seen in the Re-imagined Series.
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