Telgorn Corporation
Gamma-class
Assault Shuttle

This project was developed by Randall "Geekboy1701" Earnest, and Frank V Bonura. This project is based mainly on the original drawings by Karl Martin from the “Star Wars ® — Imperial Sourcebook” 1st edition pages 49, 52, and 53, by West End Games ® a subsidiary of Purgatory Publishing ®.

The Search For Images - Side view

We searched for the oldest image of the Gamma-class we could find. The oldest images of this imperial ship appear in the “Imperial Sourcebook” back in 1989. This original image provided us with information about the proportions of the height and length of the shuttle as well as the positions of many structures in the ships side view. The two original images found in the “Imperial Sourcebook” were made by the same artist at the same time so we decided they would share the role of primary evidence.

Matching and Aligning the Top View

The top view provided us with our second source of information and established the proportion of the ship's width as compared to its length. Many details did not match between the side and top views. Where possible averages where used to reconcile the differences. At times the side view took precedence and sometimes the top view's details were transferred to the side view. The top view was also a cutaway drawing and where possible we have tried to incorporate elements from this official partial deckplan into our project making minor corrections where necessary.

Adding to the Back and Bottom

Moving on to the “Rebel Alliance Sourcebook”, this third image provided us with information about the aft and underside of the shuttle. This image also helped to find suitable locations for the shuttle's landing gear and cargo lift.

Other Sources - Rounding out the Shuttle

Lastly we studied the Gamma-class shuttle from the video games. The digital 3D model differed from the original artwork from the roleplaying game so influences were only used when the original artwork was silent and no information was available from anywhere else. Many of the decals and ship markings come from this 3D source material.

The result of our research is the Gamma-class Shuttle you see below. Our project seeks to use all influences in some capacity and to harmonize all available visual data into one consistent working model.

Errata and Notes:

[a] Power Harpoon Gun Stats Missing

Although mentioned several times in the original source material, no official stats for the “Power Harpoon Guns” or “Magnetic Harpoons” have ever been produced for this ship.

[b] Atmospheric Speed Missing

The original descriptions of the Gamma-class Assault shuttle state the ship is capable of atmospheric flight. However the Second Edition stats in the “Imperial Sourcebook” page 50, “Wanted by Cracken” page 40, and “Gamemaster Screen Revised” page 40 fail to list any atmospheric speed whatsoever for this ship. The only Second Edition sources that provide a stat for atmospheric speed are found in the “Star Wars ® Adventure Journal volume 1, number 6, page 120, see “Striker” and the stats for the older Beta-class Assault shuttle found in “The Last Command Sourcebook” page 131 and “The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook” page 235. The description of the “Striker” lists “atmosphere: 415; 1,200 kmh” and the Beta-class Assault shuttle lists “Atmosphere: 365; 1,050 kmh ”. Due to the fact the “Striker” was a stolen ship and possibly a modified ship as well, we decided to use the stat from the Beta-class for the Gamma-class as well consistently matching the space and atmospheric speeds of both ships.

[c] Backup Hyperdrive Discrepancy

The first edition version stats of this ship list “Hyperdrive Backup: No” yet the second edition stats lists “Hyperdrive Backup: x18” in two places “Imperial Sourcebook” page 50 and “Wanted by Cracken” page 40. We searched other sources trying to determine if this was a correction or typo. The “Gamemaster Screen Revised” page 40 made no mention of a backup hyperdrive in its abbreviated stats. In the adventure “Relic” written by George R. Strayton that appeared in “Star Wars ® Adventure Journal volume 1, number 6, pages 98 - 127, there is mention of a stolen Assault Shuttle “Striker” on page 119 with a damaged hyperdrive. In this story there is no mention of a backup hyperdrive and the damaging of the main drive has left the crew stranded until it is repaired. The stats of the “Striker” on page 120 also do not make any mention of a backup hyperdrive. We lastly looked at the stats of the older Beta-class Assault shuttle in “The Last Command Sourcebook” page 131 and “The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook” page 235 only to find no mention of a backup hyperdrive either. In light of the fact more assault shuttles were not equipped with backup hyperdrives and the fact that internal room on this 30 meter capital-scale ship was very restricted we decided to rule the “x18” a typo and omit the backup hyperdrive on this project.

[d] Plurality Typo

The word “Cannons” was originally listed as “Cannon” in the first edition stats even though it referred to 4 cannons in total. This typo was corrected in the Second edition stats.

Optional Rules:

[1] Clarifying Scale Rules

The reason this relatively small 30 meter ship falls under the rules for capital-scale ships is due to several factors. The ship is carrying almost 40 tons of military-grade shielding equipment and almost 90 tons of capital scale weapons systems. This hardware coupled with extremely dense military-grade hull armor and a power core strong enough to move the entire ship at 80 MGLT, reduces the ships ability to dodge attacks from lighter more agile starfighter-scale ships. This poor power-to-mass ratio also makes it very difficult for this vessel to track, target and hit starfighter targets as well. Thus all the penalties and bonus applying to ships of different scales in combat apply. Please consult the rules on “Scale” on page 95 of “The Star Wars ® Roleplaying Game” - Second Edition - Revised and Expanded for more information.

[2] Power Harpoon Guns - Energy Savings

For those Gamemasters who wish to add an additional degree of detail to these ships and use the “Magnetic Harpoons” launched by the “Power Harpoon Guns” described in the sourcebooks, these stats have been provided. These harpoons are usually used on disabled/damaged ships due to their shorter range as compared to the ship's tractor beam. When used and the tractor beam is powered down, the ship can channel the surplus power to other vital systems while still holding fast to the enemy ship's hull. Please consult the optional rule for “Power Control” on page 25 of “The Far Orbit Project” for additional information. It should be noted this system works only on ships that possess a large percentage of ferrous metal in their hull and chassis. Organic and non metallic targets can only be held by the ship's tractor beam. For purposes of play, the magnetic harpoons use the same rules as tractor beams. Please consult the rules for “Starship Weapons” on page 127 of “The Star Wars ® Roleplaying Game” - Second Edition - Revised and Expanded for more information.

[3] Capital Scale Shields - Energy Surplus

Due to this shuttle's massive energy requirements for its shields, the normal dice bonus should be doubled when transferring power to other non-weapon ship systems when the shields are powered down. Please consult the optional rule for “Power Control” on page 25 of “The Far Orbit Project” for additional information.

[4] New Ship Cost

No ship cost was ever listed in any sourcebook for this shuttle, but a new ship cost was calculated and listed for use with the ship repair rules. If for some reason one of these ships became available via the black market or some other illegal venue, the cost of this ship would be 5 to 10 times the listed cost. Ownership or operation of this ship by unauthorized non-imperial personnel is considered a class 1 infraction by the imperial authorities.

This section was designed to show how the 3 decks relate to one another. You can also see the workings of the cargo lift and how it passes through deck 1 and extends to the ground.

Index of Published Images that inspired this project, in Order of Importance:

1. Side View: “Imperial Sourcebook” First Edition, page 49 , drawn by Karl Martin, published by West End Games ® a subsidiary of Purgatory Publishing ®, ISBN 0-87431-135-7, WEG 40006, October 1989
2. Top View Cutaway: “Imperial Sourcebook” First Edition, page 52-53, drawn by Karl Martin, published by West End Games ® a subsidiary of Purgatory Publishing ®, ISBN 0-87431-135-7, WEG 40006, October 1989
3. Bottom and Rear Views: “The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook” First Edition, page 43, drawn by Allen Nunis, published by West End Games ® a subsidiary of Purgatory Publishing ®, ISBN 0-87431-109-8, WEG 40007, October 1990
4. 3D CGI Model: “Star Wars ® — X-wing Alliance” PC Game, designed by Lawrence Holland, developed by Totally Games ™, published by LucasArts Entertainment co. LLC ®, UPC: 023272209810 , February 1999