The Dominion warship designated by Starfleet as the 'Manticore' is a very recent addition to the Dominion fleet. Bridging the gap between the small Scarab attack ship and the great battleships, carriers and dreadnoughts in the Dominion's arsenal, the Manticore fills the role of a swift and very deadly attack cruiser. Entering service alongside the Chimera battlecruiser, with which it shares some of its design features, the Manticore is essentially a much larger version of the Scarab, only with significantly more firepower and durability. The Manticore's speed and manoeuvrability in combat rivals that of ships with only a fraction of its mass. Its firepower is also nigh unmatched among cruiser-weight ships, the Dominion's polaron-based weaponry cutting through shields with ease. A specialised heavy polaron beam completes the picture, allowing the Manticore to deal blows that are devastating even to ships much larger than itself. Much like the Scarab, the Manticore is relatively cheap and quick to construct, echoing the Dominon's penchant for overwhelming their enemies with virtually limitless numbers.