Raiders are primarily assault vehicles of the Cylon Imperium. Deployed from immense Cylon basestars, each Raider is technically more than a match for the Colonial Viper, making up what it lacks in speed with superior armament & maneuverability. Making matters even worse for the human pilots of the Battlestar Galactica is the universal Cylon tactic of three-unit raider wings, making almost any engagement a three on one battle. The only advantage an outnumbered, outgunned human pilot has over the formidable Raider is his innate talent for improvisation & abstract thinking.