[jr2]

We do not know that the shield can be strained by repeated attacks. We have no idea if the number of reactors is a basic requirement to erect it at which point incoming fire places no further demands on it, or what.

I assume that, given that Vasuda Prime was usually only one jump from the battle lines, it was heavily militarized and capable of preventing anyone from getting close enough to drop a few continent-cracking Harbingers on the planet. The Vasudans would have thrown everything in their arsenal at the Lucifer, including the rocks. If it were possible to simply beat down the Lucifer's shields with sustained fire or penetrate them with a sufficently powerful single blast or projectile, I have to believe it would have happened at Vasuda Prime.

It didn't. That leaves beam cannon as the only reasonble recourse.

I do believe it was the Lucifer fleet that moved on Vasuda Prime.  Kinda evens the odds a bit.  The Shivans I am sure had a formidable defense around the Lucifer.

EDIT: And modern tanks are invulnerable to small arms machine gun fire... not.  But they are so tough that the damage from say an M-16 or AK-47 is negligible. 

[Scotty]

Nonsense!

Unless Death of a Thousand Cuts lied to me

[NGTM-1R]

Death Of A Thousand Cuts only works on squishies.

[Paladin327]

For all we know, the shields could absorb damage and convert that energy to recharge the shields that way

[General Battuta]

For all we know, the shields could absorb damage and convert that energy to recharge the shields that way

I think that violates conservation of something.

[Droid803]

Maybe entropy/thermodynamics?
You can't have a perfect system or something...

[General Battuta]

That was what I was alluding to, yes. 

You could technically figure out some way to recharge the shield, but by engineering and probably physical necessity you'd never recharge as much from the hit as you lost from it - you'd just manage some clumsy abeyance.

[deathfun]

For all we know, the shield on the Lucifer could actually be surrounded in such a fashion that it goes in scales.

This being, instead of hugging the hull, the shield forms layers of scales around the body of the Lucifer acting much like body armour (dragon armour or whatever name it was given which I can't for the life of me remember clearly)

Or the shield itself is the hull but that would be complicated to explain. Just felt like throwing the concept out there

[Paladin327]

For all we know, the shields could absorb damage and convert that energy to recharge the shields that way

I think that violates conservation of something.

This is the shivans we're talking about, if anyone can violate physics, they can

[Snail]

Yeah. What we take for granted now may not actually be true.

[General Battuta]

If they could violate the laws of thermodynamics then we'd have bigger problems than invincible ships.

[Kie99]

They created a supernova that expanded faster than the speed of light.

[Droid803]

And they have lasers that travel slower than the speed of light.
It makes up for it, really.
Slow down light one place, speed it up in another.

[Mongoose]

They created a supernova that expanded faster than the speed of light.

Funny, I thought the cutscene renderers did that.

[Aardwolf]

Maybe entropy/thermodynamics?
You can't have a perfect system or something...

Ah, but if you can tell the shot is coming, or (in general) that shots of a certain type may be coming, you can protect yourself against them, and even take advantage of them. Of course, by shielding yourself against a specific kind of threat, you make yourself vulnerable to noise / other kinds of threats. Entropy / uncertainty principle something.

[Mav]

We do not know that the shield can be strained by repeated attacks. We have no idea if the number of reactors is a basic requirement to erect it at which point incoming fire places no further demands on it, or what.

I assume that, given that Vasuda Prime was usually only one jump from the battle lines, it was heavily militarized and capable of preventing anyone from getting close enough to drop a few continent-cracking Harbingers on the planet. The Vasudans would have thrown everything in their arsenal at the Lucifer, including the rocks. If it were possible to simply beat down the Lucifer's shields with sustained fire or penetrate them with a sufficently powerful single blast or projectile, I have to believe it would have happened at Vasuda Prime.

It didn't. That leaves beam cannon as the only reasonble recourse.

I do believe it was the Lucifer fleet that moved on Vasuda Prime.  Kinda evens the odds a bit.  The Shivans I am sure had a formidable defense around the Lucifer.

EDIT: And modern tanks are invulnerable to small arms machine gun fire... not.  But they are so tough that the damage from say an M-16 or AK-47 is negligible. 

Well, I always thought Lucy's shields just reload too fast for puny GTVA weapons (pre-beam) to damage it beyond it's regenerating capability.

Proof: Ever thrown a look at the shield damage modifiers of those bombs?? 0.02 and such...

[Lucika]

Even though I'd love to believe that the Lucy's shields are invulnerable to beams, I am afraid it can't be.
Why?
The reason is simple: if this ship would've been invulnerable to conventional weaponry AND beams, then the Shivans would've built a huge Lucifer fleet instead of a Sathanas fleet.
Let's assume that (since the Colly is the size of 12 Lucys and a Colly is, for instance, equals a size of a Sathanas) - being really pessimistic - that you can build 8 Lucifers on the "price" of one Sathanas. If so, the Shivans could've had a fleet of 640 invulnerable ships instead of the 80 Sathanii. It is clear that the Shivans would've built the Lucys - but they didn't. Thus it is proven that the Lucy isn't invulnerable to beams.

Note: It IS possible that the Lucy needs some special resources the Shivans lacked at the time. But this is unlikely, considering the probable size of the Shivan empire and the way the canon campaigns go.

[Droid803]

Oh no, here we go again...
Arguing about it canonically, we don't even know if Shivans build there ships. (Sure, its a solid assumption to make when writing a campaign, but its not canon).

Also, Saths can blow up stars. Lucys can't.

[Scotty]

Also, Saths can blow up stars. Lucys can't.

That we know of (same assumption as Shivans build their ships, but still).

[Kie99]

Even though I'd love to believe that the Lucy's shields are invulnerable to beams, I am afraid it can't be.
Why?
The reason is simple: if this ship would've been invulnerable to conventional weaponry AND beams, then the Shivans would've built a huge Lucifer fleet instead of a Sathanas fleet.
Let's assume that (since the Colly is the size of 12 Lucys and a Colly is, for instance, equals a size of a Sathanas) - being really pessimistic - that you can build 8 Lucifers on the "price" of one Sathanas. If so, the Shivans could've had a fleet of 640 invulnerable ships instead of the 80 Sathanii. It is clear that the Shivans would've built the Lucys - but they didn't. Thus it is proven that the Lucy isn't invulnerable to beams.

Note: It IS possible that the Lucy needs some special resources the Shivans lacked at the time. But this is unlikely, considering the probable size of the Shivan empire and the way the canon campaigns go.

Problem with 640 Lucifers is that you force your enemy to attack in subspace, and if the attack's successful, they're sealed off from you.