Ok, so I think most people who even have a vague awareness of Star Trek at this point are at least aware of the USS Defiant. Deep Space Nine's epic solution to their initial problem of being a show set in one place and Starfleet's one and only true warship. There's no doubt in my mind that the Defiant is a really cool and awesome ship, but is it really as awesome in universe as people remember it?
See, I am here to argue what seems to largely be an unpopular opinion: The Defiant is not that great. Oh sure, give it the right Captain and the right crew it can do great things. Any ship can. But I am firmly of the opinion that the Defiant as a class is mediocre at best, short of one exception in its overall manoeuvrability. When we see it fight we mainly see it fight off fighter craft. It eats Jem-Hadar fighters for breakfast, but then again so do Klingon Birds of Prey... A class of vessel which is about a Century old in Star Trek terms. It has an ablative hull armour... But then again it sort of needs it since it is so small all it's vital components are incredibly vulnerable. It can take on ships more five times its size... Which IS true but we rarely see it beat ships that big either...
I love the Defiant, but I feel it has been put on a pedestal by the fandom. DS9 tells us almost as soon as it appears in the show that it is a flawed and imperfect design. Probably held together by duct-tape and twine by the administrations of the awesome Chief O'Brien and operated to near breaking point by Sisko and Commander Worf.
So please tell me there's someone else out there who sees it? Because sometimes I think I'm all alone in this. And if anyone disagrees and thinks the Defiant can honestly take on a Galaxy class Starship or something ludicrous then by all means tell me why... I mean I will fight you but it'll be fun.
See, I am here to argue what seems to largely be an unpopular opinion: The Defiant is not that great. Oh sure, give it the right Captain and the right crew it can do great things. Any ship can. But I am firmly of the opinion that the Defiant as a class is mediocre at best, short of one exception in its overall manoeuvrability. When we see it fight we mainly see it fight off fighter craft. It eats Jem-Hadar fighters for breakfast, but then again so do Klingon Birds of Prey... A class of vessel which is about a Century old in Star Trek terms. It has an ablative hull armour... But then again it sort of needs it since it is so small all it's vital components are incredibly vulnerable. It can take on ships more five times its size... Which IS true but we rarely see it beat ships that big either...
I love the Defiant, but I feel it has been put on a pedestal by the fandom. DS9 tells us almost as soon as it appears in the show that it is a flawed and imperfect design. Probably held together by duct-tape and twine by the administrations of the awesome Chief O'Brien and operated to near breaking point by Sisko and Commander Worf.
So please tell me there's someone else out there who sees it? Because sometimes I think I'm all alone in this. And if anyone disagrees and thinks the Defiant can honestly take on a Galaxy class Starship or something ludicrous then by all means tell me why... I mean I will fight you but it'll be fun.
Comment