# The Enterprise VS. Star-Destroyer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274 "2011-01-20T02:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/101 "2011-01-22T00:03:20Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Has there ever been anything written or produced for the Star Trek universe where anyone has actually done that? If it never occurs to them to do it to a Bird of Prey, I don’t see them suddenly figuring it out against an Imperial SD. Actually they did do something like that. There was an episode where the Cardassians had captured Picard. Picard’s replacement knew some Cardasians were hiding a sensor obscuring nebula so he placed some mines on their hulls and blackmailed them into doing what he wanted, including returning Picard. Sisko was involved in some nasty dealings too. Even being indirectly responsible for assassinating a Romulan Senator, without any regrets. The Federation is nice, but it can get vicious if cornered. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/102 "2011-01-22T00:20:01Z")
Bah. Sic Grand Admiral Thrawn on the Federation and the war would be over before the first commercial break. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/103 "2011-01-22T00:23:09Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > And personally, being a former tank crewman…There’s nothing wrong with a brute-force approach to problem solving when the object is to blow the ever-loving shit out of someting. I often disagree with you about politics, but you nailed that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/104 "2011-01-22T06:17:05Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Bah. Sic Grand Admiral Thrawn on the Federation and the war would be over before the first commercial break. Indeed, which gives until the second commercial break for Picard to rally La Resistance (He’s French, that gives him +5 to anti-occupation uprisings), and until the credits roll for him to dictate the terms of peace to the irreparably outflanked Thrawn while quoting Shakespeare.😃 ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/105 "2011-01-24T15:26:12Z")
Enterprise, easy. Better range, speed, sensors, shields. Even if you assume the SD has superior firepower - and tech manual notwithstanding, I don’t - the Enterprise can fight from outside the SD’s engagement range and prevent it from ever catching up. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/106 "2011-01-24T15:41:10Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > and until the credits roll for him to dictate the terms of peace to the irreparably outflanked Thrawn while quoting Shakespeare.😃 But how could an entire rebel army suddenly appear on my left, in the middle of a flat featureless plain? It would take a tactical geniu… CREEEEEEEEEEEED! ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/107 "2011-01-24T15:48:24Z")
As expected, this thread fell apart into complete and utter fanwanking. There’s really no help for it. Well, there is, but it takes actual thought. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/108 "2011-01-24T16:00:09Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Indeed, which gives until the second commercial break for Picard to rally La Resistance (He’s French, that gives him +5 to anti-occupation uprisings No - he’s _from_ France, and his family owns a vinyard, but it’s pretty clear that the Picards descend for the first generation of the British (re)conquest of France. Since we never see any actual Francophones in the series, we’re left to conclude that the conduct of the Glorious Reconquest was … less than entirely in keeping with modern norms on the humane conduct of war. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/109 "2011-01-24T16:26:52Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > As expected, this thread fell apart into complete and utter fanwanking. What else could this thread possibly be? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/110 "2011-01-24T18:09:47Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > What else could this thread possibly be? If people agree to actually define the rules, an answer is possible. ---
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/111 "2011-01-24T19:33:49Z")
I submit that if a star destroyer cannot catch and destroy the freakin Falcon (and how many laser shots did the falcon take and not explode?), the Enterprise would tear it apart. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/112 "2011-01-24T20:10:02Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > As expected, this thread fell apart into complete and utter fanwanking. There’s really no help for it. Well, there is, but it takes actual thought. This thread _started_ as complete and utter fanwanking. Did you read the topic? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/113 "2011-01-24T20:29:26Z")
> [@Dob](#): > > I submit that if a star destroyer cannot catch and destroy the freakin Falcon (and how many laser shots did the falcon take and not explode?), the Enterprise would tear it apart. This. Best.Answer.Yet. Now, the real question becomes - Enterprise vs. Falcon. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/114 "2011-01-24T21:47:49Z")
> [@Dob](#): > > I submit that if a star destroyer cannot catch and destroy the freakin Falcon (and how many laser shots did the falcon take and not explode?), the Enterprise would tear it apart. The only thing this tells us is that the Falcon’s shields are strong enough to withstand the energy output (firepower) of a SD. We don’t know the relative strength of Star Trek energy weapons and shields vs. Star Wars. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/115 "2011-01-24T21:52:02Z")
I’ll post the answer I posted in the original thread: Superman’s foreskin kicks both of their asses.😃 Well, it was funny then. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/116 "2011-01-25T11:33:58Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Replicators and transporters would also seem to imply a more advanced technology. You’re confusing “shiny” and “lazy” with “more advanced”. Given how often we’ve seen transporters malfunction or just plain not work due to interference, not relying on them would be prudent. And it’s not like the Empire doesn’t have advanced tech - See “World Devastators”, etc. Hell, the Federation only has one sentient robot, and they couldn’t even duplicate him properly. How’s that advanced? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/117 "2011-01-25T11:38:16Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Enterprise, easy. Better range, Nope > [@](#): > > speed No > [@](#): > > , sensors No > [@](#): > > , shields Prove it. [quote] ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/118 "2011-01-25T11:40:34Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > The only thing this tells us is that the Falcon’s shields are strong enough to withstand the energy output (firepower) of a SD. We don’t know the relative strength of Star Trek energy weapons and shields vs. Star Wars. Yes, we do. We have a minimum figure for their power ranges from on-screen evidence (blowing up asteroids and the like), as I linked to before. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/119 "2011-01-25T14:35:20Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > NopeNoNoProve it. Sigh. As to the range, the Enterprise’s Photon Torpedoes outrange the Star Destroyers armaments. I know some little book came out in the last ten years that may say differently, but before that, other books had it the other way. You can believe whatever you like. As to speed, the text of Star Wars suggests that Hyperspeed = Light Speed. But even if you handwave that as slang (or acknowledge it as Lucas not knowing a damn thing about anything) - Star Wars vessels are DAMN slow in sublight and can only jump to hyperspace with preparation. (If you need evidence of that, I suggest watching any one of the Star Wars films.) The Enterprise’s speed and maneuverability is more in line with a Fighter in the SW Universe, than one of the Capital Ships. As to sensors, A Star Destroyer can’t distinguish the Millenium Falcon from their own garbage. The Enterprise can detect a precise count of every individual lifeform on a planet. As to shields, a Star Destroyer apparently can’t stop an A-Wing fighter from taking out its bridge. The Enterprise’s passive shields - for space debris - repel lasers. As for “prove it”? Why? Everytime someone does, some Lucas nerd writes a new book to move the goalposts. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274/120 "2011-01-25T14:49:59Z")
This guy’s got it : [http://www.st-v-sw.net/BoB/bobSTSWcompare.html](http://www.st-v-sw.net/BoB/bobSTSWcompare.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-enterprise-vs-star-destroyer/568274.md?page=7)