The big ships sat atop a thick, solid rocket that would boost them to ram speed.
The later Shuttle design is somewhat similar, although it used solid rockets for its lower stages.
Consequently, they must make use of large, powerful (and heavy) solid rockets.
Their simplicity also makes solid rockets a good choice whenever large amounts of thrust are needed and cost is an issue.
This makes the rocket far safer than conventional liquid or solid rockets.
The biggest drawback was that solid rockets can't be stopped once they are lit; liquid ones can.
Fireworks are the simplest of solid rockets and the weakest.
This makes them less practical than solid rockets for most weapon systems.
It's also worth noting that liquid engines almost always have a higher specific impulse than solid rockets.
And use up all your dittos at the same time, like solid rockets, to help the spirit get launched.