anti replicator shield

[mammon]

i've got a question for you.. in this episode McKay made an anti replicator shield so they could move freelier in replicators city.. why can't they make a pulse weapon out of that and that way like bomb the planet so we could get the replicator cities for our own purpose? or is there something i have forgotten?

[Mattathias2.0]

SHEPPARD: So, uh, you’re gonna blow up their ships.

ELLIS: That’s right.

WEIR: Just like that?

ELLIS: Just like that.

McKAY: How the hell do you plan on doing that?

ELLIS: A set of Mark Nine tactical nukes housed in a custom-made weapons platform codenamed Horizon.

SHEPPARD: How many nukes do you have?

ELLIS: The Horizon carries six warheads and four decoys. (To Rodney) I’m gonna need you to do a final inspection before we head out.

McKAY: Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, wait. Six?

ELLIS: That’s right.

SHEPPARD: That’s not enough.

McKAY: The Replicators are self-replicating robots, which means that they can ... (He circles his index fingers around each other to signify the Replicators self-replicating.)

ELLIS: I’m aware of that, thank you, Doctor, but they’re not like the Milky Way Replicators. Their ships aren’t built from nano-cells. They’re constructed of real material that can be destroyed. Six will be more than enough for now.

McKAY: “For now”? Look, isn’t this a bit like poking a sleeping dragon? Why don’t we just wait ‘til Area 51 finishes the P.W.A.R.Ws?

WEIR (looking like she’s getting a headache): Which one’s that, again?

SHEPPARD: Planetary-Wide Anti-Replicator Weapons.

McKAY: Look, the Asgard were capable of creating a satellite that could wipe out an entire Replicator planet. I mean, we’ve had some trouble making one of our own but ...

ELLIS: Look, would I prefer taking out an entire planet at once? Absolutely. But this image is giving the I.O.A. a lot of sleepless nights. The Replicators know the location of Earth and, with these new ships, have the means to get there. We can’t just sit on our hands while the guys at Area 51 try to come up with a solution. This mission’s primary objective is to eliminate key military targets. We’ll come back and finish once the new weapon is up and running. (To Rodney) Doctor, I’m gonna need you to start your inspections as soon as possible.

Taken from the First Strike Transcript on this site.

[Sicktem]

Assuming that's possible to do (he just modified the cloak, which is not designed to blow up, but can be extended to greater distances) there wouldn't have been enough power - Mckay had yet to try to interface the ZPM with the jumper and he was very reluctant to do so at all (fortunately the Apollo showed up before he had to risk blowing them all up). However, even if he took the time to do it while they were still cloaked they made it sound like the jumper could not drain a steady supply of power from the ZPM. Rather he needed to get the ZPM to funnel less power at once so he could recharge the jumper. If that's the case, even at full power, the jumper should not have been able to wipe out that large a space. So what's the point? Unless you're going to destroy all Asurans at once (which wouldn't be possible with what they had) you're just wasting time and power by trying to extend the level of damage.

[AutumnDream]

I love the assumption that the ships were intended for Earth. And the considerable leap in rationality, supposing they couldn't create just as many more ships in a few days or weeks.

[Sicktem]

Well if they're not meant for Atlantis, (too many ships) they weren't meant for the Wraith, (explained why in full, this episode) and they weren't meant for Earth what other rational explaination do you have to offer that they should've considered? Afterall, you make it sound like such an idea was foolish of them. I suppose you'd prefer they thought the Asurans just wanted to fly around the galaxy planting roses on random planets. For 10,000 years they didn't bother building a fleet of ships. Humans come along with a weapon that can defeat them and suddenly they're building a massive one. I don't think it would've been in Earth's best interest to just hope they weren't coming for them and let it happen.

Anyway, they know it would take them at least 1-2 months to make that many ships - When the Daedalus was taking photos of the planet they did not do so every day. Rather they came back and forth. So perhaps a week or so passed between the time they last checked the planet and the first time the sign of the ships appeared. Then they had to run back and inform the SGC. Either they dialed Earth from Atlantis and gave them an update in an encrypted file so Atlantis wasn't aware of what was going on or they flew halfway back to Earth and told them from there (more likely it's the first since time was important, but if it was the second that adds about a week and a half). Then they had to come up with a plan. Add a few days. Then they have to build a device which would deploy 10 bombs. Add a few more (perhaps even a week). Finally they have to load it on the Apollo and send it off to the Pegasus galaxy. Add 3 weeks. Now at this point the Asurans still had not finished their ships and we have no idea how far off they were. It could've been days, weeks, or months. But either way they bought themselves enough time to where they can try and get their anti-replicator satellite operational. Which was the goal.

If they fail in completing the weapon before the Asurans rebuild their fleet in full, then they'd have to find another way to stall them. If that failed, well at least they tried instead of sitting on their hands and waiting for the Asurans to destroy them which is exactly what would've happened if that many ships attacked them.

[Gala]

They were meant for earth, oberoth didnt deny it in first strike, and after the new code was activated they went straight for the wraith.

I think its safe to assume they would of gone for earth before, now I guess we are alrite though until they destroy all the wraith, which will likely take years.

[Vala_M]

They were meant for earth, oberoth didnt deny it in first strike, and after the new code was activated they went straight for the wraith.

I think its safe to assume they would of gone for earth before, now I guess we are alrite though until they destroy all the wraith, which will likely take years.

Why would it take years? The Wraith are fighting each other and they have had some of their hives destroyed over the past few years. And who knows how many hives were destroyed by Wraith fighting each other.

I also doubt that they will ever get the PWARW working otherwise the show would be over.

Vala,

[Sicktem]

I also doubt that they will ever get the PWARW working otherwise the show would be over.

Not necessarily. The Asurans could be better prepared for an attack now and so trying to get it near to planet may fail (perhaps they will now be placing a fleet of cloaked ships in orbit). Also, given that they now have people on ships who are out and about, using it on their planet will not destroy all of them and since they keep backups of themselves on file, once the survivors have nanites make new bodies for their comrads they will all be back. Even if there's just one ship in orbit with a few Asurans on them, they can later return to the planet and so they will be back to full force in no time.

[Heaven]

maybe I'm missing something, but aren't the Asurans immune now?

[wise one]

maybe I'm missing something, but aren't the Asurans immune now?

yes but mckay or someone will find another freuqency that the asurans wont know of and they will go disbonding.