BRAD'S COMMENTS:  Ton for ton, the Wanderer blockade runner is the best mass V ship in the entire STSTCS.  Bar none!  Not even the Federation builds a mass V ship that can hang with this hot rod.  The Wanderer class is an excellent balance of firepower and defensive protection, able to deal lethal blows with its beam and torpedo weapons while at the same time capable of absorbing more damage than most similarly sized escorts and destroyers.  On top of that, the Wanderer has a sleek, sexy design.  Why bother playing one of the three classic Trek governments when you can be an Orion pirate with one of these babies at your command?  YOW!  Having said all this, the Orions are a woefully underdeveloped minor nation within the Trek universe.  Mentioned occasionally in ST:TOS, and mostly famous because of the green Slave Girl from 'The Cage', the Orions seem very much like what the Ferengi would eventually become in ST:TNG and ST:DS9: roguish, profiteering, motivated by money and willing to circumvent any "legal entanglements" along the way.  Were it that the producers of TNG had merely transposed the Orions into the Ferengi role when they did TNG!  Alas, the Orions are like the Gorn, Tholians, and several other races featured in TOS: relics of the past.
        The only thing linking the Wanderer Class to official canon is a horribly brief glimpse that we get over Data's shoulder during an early Next Generation episode.  Though not displayed by name, the Wanderer is clearly visible in the LCARS screen that Data and Riker are looking at.  Is this rock solid proof that the Wanderer is a bona fide Trek ship?  Maybe not.  But it's a hell of a lot closer than most other FASA Trek ships will ever get!
        P.S:  Thanks to Bernard Guignard for his scans of the ship and information from a previous edition of the game!

From the FASA Star Trek Starship Tactical Combat Simulator, circa 1983 - 1986
Wanderer Class V Blockade Runner
Notes:  Nothing symbolizes Orion space power more than this sleek and powerful vessel, often called "the Orion D-7."  A relatively new design, the Wanderer owes much to human starships, particularly in the use of an oval main hull where the bridge, sensors, computer, and most of the crew quarters are located.  The engineering section, contained in a swelling 'abdomen', also contains the compact shuttlecraft bay (two eight-man shuttlecraft are carried in snug bays and can be launched simultaneously) and a powerful tractor beam capable of towing vessels up to twice the mass of the Wanderer.
        The most striking feature of this ship is its outrigger weapons pods, carried at the waist of the narrow hull.  Not only are these pods convenient for mounting heavy and dangerous weapons, but they are also easier to access for repair or to jettison in case of explosion, fire, or leakage.  So far, the heaviest weaponry carried by the Wanderer has been four disruptors and no less than four Federation photon torpedoes.  With some modifications (such as reducing the ship's shields), even heavier arms could be carried.
        Although the Wanderer has often been termed nothing more than a pirate's mount, a number of Federation concerns have purchased Wanderers (despite the heavy import duties) because the ship is suitable for certain tasks.  As a salvage and rescue vehicle, it has few peers, especially because sensor pods possessing marvelous range and sensitivity can replace the weapons pod.  For the same reason, they perform planetary survey work well, particularly in unmapped regions or near uncertain borders where its great speed may ensure the survival of the mission.
        The Wanderer is an example of a good, sturdy, versatile Orion starship.  Star Fleet calls every vessel with a high speed and a small payload no larger than Class V a "blockade runner".  This term describes a goodly portion of Orion starship designs, regardless of their actual function.  For example, notice the differences between the Wanderer and the Lightning, which Star Fleet rates as the same type of ship.

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