Starship Smackdown!

[Athos]

Yes!  Could not have said it better Niomo, Storm, & Sorripto.  All hail the Galaxy Class...and Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise...that's with a "D". lol

Keep the votes coming for the Galaxy folks!

[Evshell]

(Scroll up or click here to get to poll)
Click Here to see the ongoing results...

Congrats to the Galaxy, for the 7-5 victory over the Constitution! It was a closer race than I had expected, so well done to the Constitution for its perseverance!

The next competition is another Federation-only battle between the Excelsior and the Defiant. Again we see a 23rd century ship take on a 24th century one, but I feel like the tables may turn on this one. But we shall wait and see!

Federation Excelsior

Specifications
The first ship of this class that bore its name was widely known for the failed "Great Experiment" to exceed the Warp speed limit. This new, new frontier, known as Transwarp, was successfully reached later with the help of Borg technology. Beyond this experiment, the class of ship itself was a very popular design during the 2nd half of the 23rd century and the first half of the 24th century, with at least 24 well-known ships in the line. It is slightly shorter from fore to aft than the Ambassador, but with a much skinnier saucer section. The 12 Type XIII phaser banks and 4 Type II torpedo tubes made it one of the most powerful ships at the time and served as a capital ship bearing the name "Enterprise" (1701-B), between the Constitution and Ambassador (1701-C).

Federation Defiant

Specifications
The Defiant-class was a small, maneuverable fighter-type of escort that was designed to get in fast, do lots of damage, and get out even faster. With 4 rapid-fire phaser pulse cannons and 3 quantum torpedo tubes, this ship had an armament very impressive and deadly for its size. The original USS-Defiant also sports the only cloaking device ever to be allowed on a Federation vessel, making it as stealthy and deadly as any Klingon or Romulan ship.

[Jeff T]

Two main reasons I am wholeheartedly voting for the Excelsior-class ship:

First:  RP

The USS Icarus manned by Captain Sterling, Lieutenant Commander Brian Archer, Counselor Ray Pasqual, and other officers (in our RP dept) was an Excelsior-Class Federation Advanced Heavy Cruiser which was refitted inside-and-out and from top-to-bottom with of the most advanced materials and components available by 2388.

Second:   In cannon:

"The launch of the USS Enterprise-B (itself) opened the door for the Excelsior-class to become one of the most widely used designs in all of Starfleet, a design lasting well into the late 24th century. It was the backbone of Starfleet for nearly a century, making it one of the longest serving starship designs, and one of the most recognizable ships in the fleet."

That is quite an impactful record.

So... despite all of the criticisms and such that are surely to come (as they have in previous rounds), I nevertheless cast my vote to the Excelsior-class starship.

[Kheren]

E-ship sprouting from the iconic design vs Millenium Falcon wanna-be... no contest for me.

[BLZBUB]

 I am going stealth and speed over size and brawn. 

[Athos]

Hmmm...this is not an easy one.  The problem is, I like BOTH ships equally!  While the Excelsior class was originally designed in the 23rd century, it can hardly be said that it is only a 23rd century ship.  This class has endured in active service for at least 100 years, going through upgrades and staying relevant to the times.  An Excelsior-refit carried the name Enterprise (B) for roughly 40 years! (B was launched 2293; C was launched 2344)  It's safe to say that the Excelsior class, while once being the flagship class of the Federation, certainly became the workhorse of the same.  It's a multi-mission capable ship, strong enough to hold its own in combat, but diverse enough for exploration. 

On the other hand, the Defiant class is the first of its kind; a pure warship born from Starfleet's experience with the Borg at Wolf 359.  This ship is meant to take a beating and fight back with the firepower of a battleship.  The Defiant class is fast, very maneuverable, equipped with ablative armor (though that may not be standard), and loaded with the new technology pulse phasers and quantum torpedoes.  The Defiant class can easily take on ships much larger and arguably more powerful or against multiple aggressors. 

We did see an upgraded Excelsior (USS Lakota) fight against the USS Defiant; both ships were holding back, but at the end of the fight, the Defiant was in better shape.  During the Dominion War, Excelsior classes were continuously seen being destroyed with one shot whereas the Defiant classes kicked arse. (Yes, we only ever saw the Defiant itself fighting, but we did see other Defiant classes in fleet formations.)

Ahhhhh!  I can argue myself into a loop with this one so I am officially (and I'm not joking) going to flip a coin.  Teddy Roosevelt is the Excelsior; wolfpack is the Defiant...
Defiant it is!

[Sorripto]

I had to go with my favorite from day one, so I voted for the Excelsior. Other than bias I voted for firepower and durability. DS9 had a fight between an upgraded Excelsior and the Defiant and it was a draw, the Defiant even surprised an Excelsior could hit like that. With the capabilities to adapt and mod that the Defiant does not have, along with a larger crew and power supply I feel the Excelsior would win in a final fight to the end.

[Athos]

Actually, the fight between the Defiant and the Lakota was not a draw.  If you re-watch the episode, it is stated that the Lakota was worse-off than the Defiant; that one more hit would destroy them.  Both crews decided to stand down though as neither wanted to kill fellow Starfleet officers.

[Jeff T]

Hmmmm... seems to be a pattern developing over these last couple of battles.
But seriously... the Defiant over an Excelsior?
I leave it to Jean Luc to present the appropriate expression.

[Sorripto]

Actually, the fight between the Defiant and the Lakota was not a draw.  If you re-watch the episode, it is stated that the Lakota was worse-off than the Defiant; that one more hit would destroy them.  Both crews decided to stand down though as neither wanted to kill fellow Starfleet officers.

I did. Dax comments that if they wanted to they could have gone in the kill, but the Lakota had quantum torpedoes and refused to use them. The Defiant and Sisko, via channel, acknowledged that those torpedoes would have destroyed the Defiant. The Lakota stood down because they did not want to kill the crew of the Defiant, something that would have happened if they had fought to win. I stick with my choice, an upgraded Excelsior would win this fight.