Good counter argument, but it stands, nevertheless, that the Cardassians do use what was earlier referred to as "knife-fight" tactics, by Antonsb214 above. Here's how I see some of their earlier ship-design and strategy sessions going:
Presented Tactics A and B
Tactic A - Use ships relying on greater shield power from such advances as embedded nacelles and utilise arrays of powerful disruptors to pummel opponents and bring down their shields, and then hull, before their weapons can penetrate our shields
Tactic B - Strike opponent at range with torpedo weapons before closing to finish off with fewer disruptor blasts, thus posing less risk to the attacking ship (in theory)
Now given that Cardassian military history has proven that Tactic A is a viable method of keeping their ships and personnel alive the obvious choice for a species used to being basically broke would be to use non-expended resources given equal or near-equal chances of victory irregardless of chosen attack method. A more resource rich empire (such as the Federation) would be far more likely to choose Tactic B because of even the most marginal increase in survivability rates (hence torpedo cruisers like the Akira... if i recall the Akira correctly). For the Cardassians Tactic A is made more viable because their ship designs with embedded nacelles and their potent disruptors. Combine this with Federation tendancy to walk up to you and try talking anyway, and you've got your nearest neighbours walking into a tactic you would have preferred anyway.
Granted, I'm not claiming to -know- why the Cardassians fight the way they do, maybe they just prefer the simple efficiency of energy based weapons or they didn't develop viable torps until later on, I'm just backing my theory with the nearest thing to logic I have
There an episode of TNG (I believe the first appearance of Cardassians) where there was that Bajoran Militant leader who destroyed the federation colonies. Anyways, near the end of the episode, when Starfleet ordered Picard to not interfere and the Bajorans took off from the planet they were hiding in in impulse-only spacecraft. There were a couple of cardassian ships who intercepted the ship and destroyed it with what looked like missle weapons. (Actually I think the ep was titled Ro Laren.)
The DS9 TM has a list of weaponry produced per year by the Cardassian Union. It lists 54,300 torpedoes per year.
Devide that into the 8000 odd ships described in the DWS, and its not a lot of torpedoes.
I figure the Cardassian have torpedo technology, but physical resources prevent them manufacturing a sufficient quantity to equip every ship with them. I would say larger ships and stations have them, but not every one.
Of course after the alliance with the Dominion, I would think they would have used imported Dominion torps and upgrade their ships. At least until the Wormhole was closed and the war started.
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Greg
"Calm may work for Locutus of Borg here, but I'm freaked and intend to stay that way."
Xander, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Prophecy Girl.
<QUOTE>On Cardassian torpedoes, Voyager episode "Dreadnought" the ship was equipped with quantum torpedoes that could have been used on Voyager.</QUOTE>
That has to have been a dread glitch--a simple continuity error. There'd be no reason for the Cardassians to have quantum torpedoes. They're a relatively new technology... unless...
What makes more sense to me is that the Maquis armed the ship with a handful of quantum torpedoes (acquired from some sympathetic Starfleet officer, perhaps, when he "left" his post to join the Maquis, a laEddington--who, as I recall, absconded with industrial replicators). This explains how Dreadnought could be so armed, but keeps quantums firmly in the hands of the Federation where they belong.
Again not canon, but I was wrong about Dominion Wars. Been playing the game and the big ship (Hutet) has what looks to be Photorps to me. They sure aint disruptor pulses (since the Achillies class ship in the intro cutscene intercepted them with pulse phasers).
LCM, as I recall didn't the "Spoon-heads" have the best intel operatives in known space the Obsidion Order, a little spy work can go a very long way. So your "dread glitch--a simple continuity error" might be fact (Eeek). As you said "...Unless...".
Phoenix...
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"Of all the shadows cast in this world, it is my own that I fear the most"
-Phoenix Merrick 2001
Since the Dreadnaught was a super advanced prototype, I don't think quantums are beyond the realms of possiblity.
It had shields completely unaffected by repeated photon fire. It had a plasma wave emitter that destroyed multiple attacking ships. It carried a charge capable of destroying a small moon.
A few quantums aren't unreasonable, IMHO.
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Greg
"Calm may work for Locutus of Borg here, but I'm freaked and intend to stay that way."
Xander, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Prophecy Girl.
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