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PENTAGRAM - Protectorate Frontline Fleet

ROLE:
FRONTLINE | BRAWLING | CAPPING

DIFFICULTY:
INTERMEDIATE

DESCRIPTION:
Pentgram is a quintet of Flathead class monitors, heavily armed and designed to take down a variety of enemy forces using gun firepower. They differ from Garnet Squadron mainly in their layout and armament - My version brings 5 C90 spinal cannons as they are highly effective - but users of that fleet will be familiar with Pentagram as well.

With Bared Teeth is the formation flagship. She carries a 600mm spinal, a 100mm T30 gun turret and a top-mounted hangar for a Pike class recon fighter, designated Waterfall. This craft carries an EO designator with a range out to 8km (set behaviour to STANDOFF) that provides fireable tracks and target vision, and a nose mounted 20mm gun that it can use to pounce on unescorted bombers. With Bared Teeth also carries a Pinpoint fire control radar for use at closer ranges.

To Lick A Knife carries a Warbler jammer to spoof CMD-guided missiles. She also brings a T81 plasma turret to the fight - These weapons are best used at closer ranges to degrade enemy armour and prepare for a killing barrage of 100mm HEHC.

A Skin Without Scars and Forbidden Signs both bring a radar jammer each. These standoff jammers are suitable for masking your formation for brief periods when exposure to enemy sensors is not desirable, such as crossing a gap in cover to reach an advantageous position or a brief engagement against an undamaged foe.

Going Out Savage carries a VLS-1-46 with chaff to facilitate softkill and an assortment of cheap interceptor missiles. These are fairly basic and certain advanced missile builds, such as those carrying a self-screening jammer, will defeat these AMMs. Nevertheless they can usually be counted on to at least soften the blow of an enemy missile strike.

USAGE IN BATTLE:
Monitor balls are highly effective fleets if placed cautiously and steadily. The Flatheads armour is second to none in the OSPN's armada and their internal layout affords them good survivability for ships their size.

Their weaknesses are the individual vulnerability of the ships in the formation and the sometimes janky behaviour of ships in a formation - You may find your ships ramming into each other and generally hindering each other at times. Notably, if the formation flagship gets disabled, the formation will stay with it and stop executing movement orders given to the whole formation unless stance is set to LOOSE.

Thus, managing your formation will be an important part of your tasks. Note that, once a target is lost, your ships will change their heading, thus it can be prudent to set heading towards an enemy's last known position to rapidly get a spinal onto target.

Monitor balls are great counters to enemy swarm tactics such as Sprinter swarms, which have recently become popular as fast flanking units. Liberally apply 600mm bomb shell to the offending blob to disable the enemies' drives and then secure kills using the 100mm batteries firing HE (HEHC does not pen Sprinter armour). Swap fire frequently and check for space oil and sirens to confirm kills.

Facing a triple Vauxhall fleet, activate your jammers while rapidly closing the range if the tactical situation allows for it, otherwise retreat. Fire 100mm AP and 600mm HESH at them until you are within 6km or so, then fire plasma to ensure you will actually score hits on the highly maneuverable cruisers. Once their armour is degraded sufficiently, swap to 100mm HEHC to deliver knockout blows. Swap fire frequently to keep enemy guns disabled.

Facing a double Vauxhall fleet, you must beware of their missiles. Most double Vauxhalls carry a S3H HEKP backpack - While your soft- and hardkill suite is effective, even one leaker can seriously damage a monitor. Avoid engagement outside of close range and ideally engage them with a friendly at your side, otherwise proceed as outlined above.

If matched against Axfords or Solomons, avoid engagement at ranges exceeding 9km and make use of jamming and cover to break line of fire. If feasible, approach closer, if not, await allied support or reposition elsewhere. If you are able to engage in close range, apply plasma and 600mm HESH liberally and tickle them with 100mm AP, ideally while checking the results using your Waterfall scout. Once the target armour is degraded sufficiently, usually after a minute or two, engage with HEHC to disable enemy armaments. Once those are disabled, try repositioning to the enemy's broadside for a clean shot at their vulnerable internals.

If you face beams, respect the 6km max range (5km for turreted beams) and liberally apply 100mm HE to the source if it's a Keystone to break the beam. If facing a beam capital, aim to keep a 6-8km range from the hostile and give ground, firing as you go.

Your biggest threats are missiles, railguns and carriers, in this order. Pentagram carries decent soft- and hardkill, but no defence is perfect and more specialised missile builds will still cripple you. Follow standard softkill procedures and, if feasible, use your scout with the Jammer loadout to blind enemy missile seekers or attract ARAD seekers. Stay near friendlies, particularily Ocellos, to make use of their excellent PD net.

Railguns threaten you via forcing you to ground and essentially making you irrelevant to the match. Even brief exposure of a monitor to railgun fire can be surprisingly deadly given their compact internal layout. Call out railgun arrays to your team and pick off what you can from cover.

You on paper carry good anti craft armament in the form of 100mm grapeshot and 600mm bomb but this might not deter a determined carrier player. Focus on softkill, you will not hardkill a concentrated carrier strike.

Do not hesitate to split your formation up in the mid to late game. Especially in the late game you can become a vital contributor to the cap war. Your ships are impervious to light guns and form a nigh immovable obstacle for cap players - Parking a semi-healthy monitor on a capture point can keep it relatively secure!

CHANGELOG:
25/07/2025 - Posted to Steam.

Fleet by J4R.