I know some Romulan captains think KRC stands for "Klingon Retired Crap", but the KRC represents several firsts for Romulan captains. It is the first ship with Plasma D. It is the first ship with 4 plasma launcher. It is the first ship with commando-style transporters. And, for me, it is the first heavy cruiser that I am willing to fly alone in Dynaverse2 against humans.

This ship, and it's bigger brother - the KRCS, are great ships if used effectively.

BVP: 171
Turn Rate: B
Move cost: 1
Cloak cost: 20
Accel: 10

Despite coming in Year 2 in the war, this ship has been mostly overlooked by captains on Multiplayer. That's because bvp 170 in Middle Era will get you a monster KVL. But for Year 2, this is a powerful ship with a brisling arsenal.

A true Klingon hull, the ship moves fast and handles well. For a heavy cruiser, it is as nimble as the SparrowHawk. However, its downside is high cloak costs and...

Hull: 4 Forward - 7 Aft
Armor: 0
Excess Damage: 5

... just like many other Klingon hulls, this ship is delicate. In fact, it's even more delicate than similar Hawk ships. Treat it gently.

Shuttle bay: 4 - Launch 1
Marines: 16/32
Transporters: 7

While H&R has been toned down in v5.5, the KRC comes with Klingon-style transporters. This allows for H&R of single components in multiplayer, or fairly easy captures in single player or D2. In fact, I believe these Romulan conversions to be superior to comparable Klingon ships because plasma is so much better at ripping down shields for marines. Federation/ISC frigates and light cruisers are in for a rude awakening in D2 when they lose their ships with barely a scratch of damage.

In single player, I've brought back whole fleets of Federation FF, LC, and CVs using the KRCS.

Tractors: 5
Shields: 1:30; 2-6:22 = 140

Besides having Plasma D, these ships come with lots of defensive tractors, making them very hard to hit with drones. In early era, the KRC don't fear no stinkin' missiles!

As far as shields go, the ship is pretty middle of the road. Later Klingon hulls offer better shielding (like the R-KDR light cruiser).

Weapons: 2 Pl-G, 2 Pl-F, 2 Pl-D, 5 Ph1s, 4 Ph2s
Mines: 4/8; 0 NSM (bug gives 1 NSM)
Power: 39

The plasma arcs on the KRC, KRCS, and KCR are actually better for plasma ballet than their Hawk cousins (Never chase one of these ships, they can fire their heavy plasma back at you along with their lighter Fs).

The downside? Klingon phaser arcs - Yup, pilot a few Klingon ships and you'll soon learn that it's hard to bring all your phasers to bear. In fact, up close, you'll be rotating around a bit, trying to fire that last phaser bank into a downed shield. Phaser arcs are another reason to not chase a KRC - it can fire most of it's phasers forwards or backwards.

Notes on power:

Charging weapons: 17.00 energy; KRC spd 17 max. - 0 excess power
Charging plasma : 8.00 energy; KRC spd 26 max. - 0 excess power
Holding weapons : 4.66 energy; KRC spd 29.3 max. - 0 excess power (Or charging Plasma G)
Charging plasma cloaked : 8.00 energy; KRC spd 6 max. - 0 excess power
Holding cloaked : 4.66 energy; KRC spd 9.3 max. - 0 excess power (or charging Gs)

Special BUG note: This ship either has an incorrect "Other: 7.0" cost or it really has 41 power. The numbers all add up to 41, not 39.

This ship won't win any speed races, but it also doesn't have to run away from drones or special shuttles as often either. It's also the first ship capable of sustained plasma ballet (SNB has to slow down).

Note: Plasma G charges and holds for same cost. Downgrading G to F cost 1 point power, but charges in 2 turns instead of three. If being chased, shut off your Fs after firing and downgrade your Gs.

Conclusion:

While this ship is only about on par with a middle era light cruiser, it offers a powerful vessel for its time. Consider upgrading to a KRC against Federation/Klingon (if you have the prestige) in the first years of the war. Later, this ship is replaced by the more powerful KRCS in Year 9 and KCR in Year 18.

Good luck captain.