One of the more complex facets of the ships used by The Knights Templar is the Lattice Shield Matrix, a unique defense system. Enveloping the entire ship, the lattice shield does not have any open spots nor defined geometric shape to exploit, unlike Domain shield technology. Furthermore, while damage done to the ship does generate hard flux, an active lattice shield neither prevents hard flux from being dissipated, nor does it generate any flux by itself. As a result, the Lattice Shield Matrix is a passive defense system, remaining on indefinitely as long as the ship's flux level is not too high. However, the lattice shields do not provide total protection; some damage does bleed through, depending on how overtaxed the ship's reactor is. The shield becomes less effective when the ship's flux level increases, until it eventually shuts off entirely.
Due to how powerful these shields are, captains are advised to wait until the opposing Templar ship has fired its weapons enough to build a significant amount of flux, leaving the ship vulnerable to fire.
If a shield is taxed enough, it will flash red. Once the shield becomes critical, it will sustain the red color. It is unknown as to why the alien civilization that designed these ships made such an obvious tactical telegraph. Perhaps they were fundamentally more chivalrous than our own species?
When the shield goes down, it is the best opportunity to do damage to the Templar ship. However, beware the fact that most of their weapons will be overcharged from the high flux and that their burst will be at its most powerful...
Templar ships have an additional defense system known as the Priwen Burst Shield. It partially phases the hull for a short time to avoid projectiles, before cataclysmically returning to real space, inducing a resonant flux burst which projects a powerful shear force while damaging and disrupting nearby ships with arcs of flux-rich energies. The Priwen burst is not particularly powerful while the ship is at low flux levels, useful only as a minor defensive tool.
At a higher flux level, the burst is more powerful and has a wider area, making it useful for redirecting projectiles back at the ships that fired them and scrambling missiles in every direction.
At even higher flux levels, the burst becomes strong enough to damage nearby ships.
Should ever the Templar ship reach a critical flux level, the burst becomes an effective option to punish ships that go in for the kill after the shields go down. At this state, the burst is at its most deadly and is capable of doing significant damage to nearby ships. Frigates in particular need to be wary about being being swatted out of the battle by a critical burst.
Together, these systems are extremely effective and require clever tactics to overcome. Be careful out there, Commander. Countless good men and women died out there to bring us this information.
Lattice Shield MatrixAn alien defense system that covers the entire hull of the ship, passively dissipating damage. Operates at high efficiency at 0% flux and degrades to half efficiency at a higher flux level. The shield's damage absorption rate compares to Core epoch shield generators.Priwen Burst ShieldThe ship partially phases and shunts its built-up flux potential outward, ravaging nearby objects in the process. Power and duration is based on the ship's flux level. Generates flux.