Review & Commentary On The Atlas-class Freighter By Michael Johnson For The Edition Clement Sector Rpg

 "The Atlas-class freighter is the second most commonly found ship in Clement Sector.  Building on the information found in Clement Sector Third Edition, this updated volume  lovingly details this shipping legend and brings it up the Clement Sector Third Edition rules and standards.

Created by Cascadian legend James Lancaster, the Atlas is perhaps his most enduring legacy.  The vessel was first used by Lancaster Shipping and, later, by his Cascadia Colonization Authority (before it became a Cascadian government agency).  Following Lancaster's voluntary break-up of his shipping company, the Atlas started being used by corporations, governments, and individuals across the sector."
There are starships & then there's the iconic Atlas class Freighter, & I really dig this starship for the Clement Sector or Earth sector rpg.  I from a personal stand point really dig this star ship. There's something iconic about a starship that can easily be converted into a colony ship such as the Atlas. Add to this the fact that the starship has a complete history, background, variations, and more. The Atlas has all of the makings of a fantastic starship for a Space Western setting. Michael Johnson's writing and design on the Atlas is tight. The layout, fonts, etc are all up to the usual Independence Games standards. Ian Stead, Bradley Warnes, Michael Johnson, & Steve Attwood's artwork is on point. And the Atlas is potrayed in a very flattering and adventurous light in the artwork for this supplement. 
The Atlas is a functioning starship that farrets colonists and passengers into the depths of the black in the Clement sector. We get everything we need to introduce the Atlas into our Clement sector campaigns in seventy nine pages. We get two pdfs of the Atlas from plans to a complete break down of the starship. This is a functional ship with a crew of 10 or more and a wide variety of variation models of the Atlas;" 
Armed Merchantman - Used by some governments as system defense and some corporations as escorts, the Atlas-class Armed Merchantman and its particle beam barbettes pack quite a punch.

Missile Ship - Trading the cargo pods for missile bays, the Atlas-class Missile Ship can form the backbone of a system's defense forces when they cannot afford to build or purchase a warship.  Pirates beware!

Passenger Variant - Rearranging the Atlas' interior space and pods to be able to carry the maximum amount of passengers and cater to their needs.

Extended Range - Using the Atlas' famous cargo capacity to hold more fuel to allow for transits into open space or simply extend the ship's ability to go without refueling."
Each of the variations of the Atlas fullifuls its stellar role and then some. We get details, weapons, equipment, crew, plans and more. Again the artwork here is top notch and Atlas is a DM's dream to add ongoing colonial settlement & adventure opportunities to thier own games. The Atlas has so much potential as an adventure element, transport, even roving starship adventurer headquarters, and much more. 
The starship is well thought out and works on several levels. The fact that there's an actual managable crew here allows the DM to insert in thier favorite NPC's without getting lost in a sea of hundreds of crew! 
The Atlas works as a starship on several levels for the Clement Sector. One it's a perfect colonist's transport ship. Two as a supply run ship the Atlas can't be beat. As a complete package of system defense & deep exploration vessel. 
Because the Atlas is so multi operational it's easy to see why it would be a target for pirates but these vessels can give a pirate ship a bloody nose or worse. The Atlas is a full formed starship in every respect. And perfect too add into your Clement Sector games!