REF - Fleet Organisation

[bluntblade]

Even during the Siege it's unlikely

[simison]

Not trying to derail the current discussion over the Emperor's flagships, but I wanted to jot some thoughts down about the future Suzerainty carrier warships and their fighters.

 

To ensure that the Suzerainty carriers are able to match Imperium battleships, Suzerainty fighters are designed to be able to travel longer distances and able to maintain independent operations for long durations. 

 

This has the effect of making Suzerainty fighters hardier and stronger than Imperium fighters, but the latter are faster and easier to construct. Thus, Suzerainty bombers are the terror of Imperial warships, but Imperial fighter aces can wreak havoc on Suzerainty fighters. 

[Doctor Perils]

This might be the military noob in me, but why would an increased range on a fighter be important to better support its carrying craft ?

 

And do I understand that the Suzerainty are supposed to get limited warship construction capacity ? Despite Cypra Mundi becoming a part of the Suzerainty ?

[bluntblade]

We need to look at what worlds will be de facto under their control. Not to mention which will be swallowed up by the Maelstrom.

[Talonair]

This might be the military noob in me, but why would an increased range on a fighter be important to better support its carrying craft ?

Better stand-off distance means the carrier is less vulnerable to counter-attack, and it means that the carrier with the longer-range craft can start attacking from outside the range of the enemy carrier's attack craft

[Kelborn]

They can intercept earlier and start off counter measures.

 

One of The reasons why rebel starfighters were superior to imperial TIEs.

[Chief Captain Redd]

 

 

This might be the military noob in me, but why would an increased range on a fighter be important to better support its carrying craft ?

Better stand-off distance means the carrier is less vulnerable to counter-attack, and it means that the carrier with the longer-range craft can start attacking from outside the range of the enemy carrier's attack craft

Which makes them valuable against a fleet like the Iron Bears who want to get in close asap.

[bluntblade]

Although given that a proper capital ship will still be bristling with anti-craft guns, it won't be a crippling disadvantage.

[Talonair]

At simison's request, here is the current list and specifications of Battleship classes that I've compiled thus far

 

Dictatus-class Battleship

    Ram-Battleship
    Massive hydraulic jaws
    Melta-barbed Harpoons

    7.4km Long
    3.1km Tall
    3.1km Beam

Dominus-class Battleship

    Fast Battleship
    Cruiser speed and armour, battleship armaments

    7.1km Long
    2.9km Tall
    3.0km Beam

Goliath-class Battleship

Massive, heavily armed and armored, the Goliath-class Battleship is an intimidating ship for any captain to find themselves facing. A full kilometer longer than the Emperor-class Battleship, and just about six meters wider at the beam; the Goliath was primarily designed to be the king of brawler-type Capital ships, firing it's array of torpedoes to scatter the enemy as it closed in to bring it's heavy guns to bear.

It's gigantic broadsides and turrets are meant to cause unimaginable damage, while its heavy armor shrugs off whatever ineffectual return fire manages to breach its shields. All that armor and heavy weapons come at a cost however, as the Goliath suffers from a lack of speed and maneuverability, and so must rely on support escorts to avoid becoming overwhelmed by faster and more maneuverable foes.

    Close-range Brawler
    Heavy armour and weapons
    Slow and ponderous

    10.5km Long
    2.9km Tall
    3.4km Beam

    Voss-pattern Prow
    Port side: three macro-cannon batteries
    Starboard side: three macro-cannon batteries
    Dorsal: four macro-cannon turrets
    Prow: Armoured, Eight torpedo tubes

Imperator-class Battleship

    Fleet Carrier
    Torpedoes
    Armoured Prow

    9.5km Long
    3.3km Tall
    3.4km Beam

Infernus-class Battleship

    Close-range Brawler
    Armed with Bombardment cannons
    Medium-light armour
    
    6.7km Long
    2.9km Tall
    2.9km Beam

Mortis Rex-class Battleship

    Planetary Assault/Bombardment
    Despoiler-type hull
    Massed lance turrets
    Long range

    8.3km Long
    2.7km Tall
    3.2km Beam

Tiamat-class Battleship

    Massively armoured
    Sacrifices speed, possibly armament

    11.3km Long
    3.6km Tall
    4.4km Beam

Retribution-class Battleship

The Retribution-class Battleship is considered to be a 'true' Ship of the Line, the backbone of the Imperial Armada. Their massive broadsides can fire a devastating barrage over extreme ranges, exceeding the range of enemy ships. The Retribuion-class also mounts dorsal lance turrets, typically used to finish off enemy ships crippled by its main weapons.

Its torpedo tubes are often used when closing with an opposing fleet, forcing the enemy to scatter and allowing the Retribution to punch through the enemy battle line.

    Heavy Capital Ship, 'True' Ship of the Line
    Armoured Prow
    Torpedo Tubes
    Dorsal Lance Battery
    Massive Broadside Batteries

    8.1km Long
    2.9km Tall
    2.8km Beam

Victory-class Battleship

The Victory-class Battleship is a modified Retribution-class. The internal layout is almost entirely unchanged, however its broadside batteries have been replaced with lances, and its torpedo tubes have been lost in favour of a mighty nova cannon. The Victory-class emerged during the later years of the Great Crusade, in an effort to provide the same role as the Apocalypse-class.

The Victory-class ultimately proved inferior to the Apocalypse, however it still presented a potent threat. It also had the advantage of being easier to produce than the Apocalypse, the larger size of the ship allowing for less advanced technology in its construction.

    Heavy ship of the line
    Long-range engagement
    Armoured Prow
    Lance batteries
    Nova cannon

    8.1km Long
    2.9km Tall
    2.8km Beam

Apocalypse-class Battleship

The Apocalypse-class Battleship is one of the most feared ships in the Imperial Armada. With its massed lance batteries and nova cannon, the Apocalypse-class is a deadly prospect for any ship to face despite its relatively small size. A full broadside from an Apocalypse-class is a death sentence for any ship below a Battleship, and can cripple all but the most heavily armoured Battleships.

The Apocalypse-class is normally used to engage enemy capital ships at range, or closing to shorter ranges if properly supported by escorts and squadrons of friendly craft. Its heavy focus on its lances and its ponderous nature leaves it vulnerable to being out manoeuvred by smaller craft, its lances not numbering enough to combat all threats at close range.

    Lance Attack Craft
    Armoured Prow
    Lance Batteries
    Nova Cannon

    6.6km Long
    2.9km Tall
    2.8km Beam

Emperor-class Battleship

The Emperor-class Battleship is a command ship and carrier, and one of the mainstay capital ships of the Imperial Armada. The Emperor-class lacks the typical armoured prow and instead bears an advanced sensor suite. Its primary armament is its eight squadrons of attack craft, berthed within the ship's massive hangar bays.

The Emperor-class Battleship is a coveted class, highly valued for its command and control abilities. The Emperor-class is normally used to engage from a stand-off distance, using its limited batteries primarily in self-defense, allowing the command staff to better coordinate the rest of the fleet.

    Command Ship/Carrier
    8 squadrons of attack craft
    Port, starboard, dorsal and prow weapons batteries
    Huge sensor suite
    Slow and ponderous

    9.5km Long
    3.3km Tall
    3.4km Beam

Oberon-class Battleship

The Oberon-class Battleship occupies a strange position in the Imperial order of battle. Whilst other Battleship-class vessels are designed to fulfil a specific role, the Oberon is a 'Jack of all Trades'. Featuring torpedoes, lances, weapons batteries and attack craft, the Oberon is unlikely to beat another Battleship at its prefered role, but is the most flexible of all Battleship classes.

With the Oberon's advanced sensor systems and its self-sufficency, the Oberon was often used as indepedent raiders and patrol ships. Their flexibility also made them potent Ships of the Line, able to deal with any threat.

    'Jack of all Trades'
    Often used as patrol ship
    Attack Craft
    Torpedoes
    Lance batteries
    Macro-cannon batteries
    Sensor suite

    6.8km Long
    2.9km Tall
    2.8km Beam

[MikhalLeNoir]

At simison's request, here is the current list and specifications of Battleship classes that I've compiled thus far

 

Dictatus-class Battleship

    Ram-Battleship

    Massive hydraulic jaws

    Melta-barbed Harpoons

    7.4km Long

    3.1km Tall

    3.1km Beam

Dominus-class Battleship

    Fast Battleship

    Cruiser speed and armour, battleship armaments

    7.1km Long

    2.9km Tall

    3.0km Beam

Goliath-class Battleship

Massive, heavily armed and armored, the Goliath-class Battleship is an intimidating ship for any captain to find themselves facing. A full kilometer longer than the Emperor-class Battleship, and just about six meters wider at the beam; the Goliath was primarily designed to be the king of brawler-type Capital ships, firing it's array of torpedoes to scatter the enemy as it closed in to bring it's heavy guns to bear.

It's gigantic broadsides and turrets are meant to cause unimaginable damage, while its heavy armor shrugs off whatever ineffectual return fire manages to breach its shields. All that armor and heavy weapons come at a cost however, as the Goliath suffers from a lack of speed and maneuverability, and so must rely on support escorts to avoid becoming overwhelmed by faster and more maneuverable foes.

    Close-range Brawler

    Heavy armour and weapons

    Slow and ponderous

    10.5km Long

    2.9km Tall

    3.4km Beam

    Voss-pattern Prow

    Port side: three macro-cannon batteries

    Starboard side: three macro-cannon batteries

    Dorsal: four macro-cannon turrets

    Prow: Armoured, Eight torpedo tubes

Imperator-class Battleship

    Fleet Carrier

    Torpedoes

    Armoured Prow

    9.5km Long

    3.3km Tall

    3.4km Beam

Infernus-class Battleship

    Close-range Brawler

    Armed with Bombardment cannons

    Medium-light armour

    

    6.7km Long

    2.9km Tall

    2.9km Beam

Mortis Rex-class Battleship

    Planetary Assault/Bombardment

    Despoiler-type hull

    Massed lance turrets

    Long range

    8.3km Long

    2.7km Tall

    3.2km Beam

Tiamat-class Battleship

    Massively armoured

    Sacrifices speed, possibly armament

    11.3km Long

    3.6km Tall

    4.4km Beam

Retribution-class Battleship

The Retribution-class Battleship is considered to be a 'true' Ship of the Line, the backbone of the Imperial Armada. Their massive broadsides can fire a devastating barrage over extreme ranges, exceeding the range of enemy ships. The Retribuion-class also mounts dorsal lance turrets, typically used to finish off enemy ships crippled by its main weapons.

Its torpedo tubes are often used when closing with an opposing fleet, forcing the enemy to scatter and allowing the Retribution to punch through the enemy battle line.

    Heavy Capital Ship, 'True' Ship of the Line

    Armoured Prow

    Torpedo Tubes

    Dorsal Lance Battery

    Massive Broadside Batteries

    8.1km Long

    2.9km Tall

    2.8km Beam

Victory-class Battleship

The Victory-class Battleship is a modified Retribution-class. The internal layout is almost entirely unchanged, however its broadside batteries have been replaced with lances, and its torpedo tubes have been lost in favour of a mighty nova cannon. The Victory-class emerged during the later years of the Great Crusade, in an effort to provide the same role as the Apocalypse-class.

The Victory-class ultimately proved inferior to the Apocalypse, however it still presented a potent threat. It also had the advantage of being easier to produce than the Apocalypse, the larger size of the ship allowing for less advanced technology in its construction.

    Heavy ship of the line

    Long-range engagement

    Armoured Prow

    Lance batteries

    Nova cannon

    8.1km Long

    2.9km Tall

    2.8km Beam

Apocalypse-class Battleship

The Apocalypse-class Battleship is one of the most feared ships in the Imperial Armada. With its massed lance batteries and nova cannon, the Apocalypse-class is a deadly prospect for any ship to face despite its relatively small size. A full broadside from an Apocalypse-class is a death sentence for any ship below a Battleship, and can cripple all but the most heavily armoured Battleships.

The Apocalypse-class is normally used to engage enemy capital ships at range, or closing to shorter ranges if properly supported by escorts and squadrons of friendly craft. Its heavy focus on its lances and its ponderous nature leaves it vulnerable to being out manoeuvred by smaller craft, its lances not numbering enough to combat all threats at close range.

    Lance Attack Craft

    Armoured Prow

    Lance Batteries

    Nova Cannon

    6.6km Long

    2.9km Tall

    2.8km Beam

Emperor-class Battleship

The Emperor-class Battleship is a command ship and carrier, and one of the mainstay capital ships of the Imperial Armada. The Emperor-class lacks the typical armoured prow and instead bears an advanced sensor suite. Its primary armament is its eight squadrons of attack craft, berthed within the ship's massive hangar bays.

The Emperor-class Battleship is a coveted class, highly valued for its command and control abilities. The Emperor-class is normally used to engage from a stand-off distance, using its limited batteries primarily in self-defense, allowing the command staff to better coordinate the rest of the fleet.

    Command Ship/Carrier

    8 squadrons of attack craft

    Port, starboard, dorsal and prow weapons batteries

    Huge sensor suite

    Slow and ponderous

    9.5km Long

    3.3km Tall

    3.4km Beam

Oberon-class Battleship

The Oberon-class Battleship occupies a strange position in the Imperial order of battle. Whilst other Battleship-class vessels are designed to fulfil a specific role, the Oberon is a 'Jack of all Trades'. Featuring torpedoes, lances, weapons batteries and attack craft, the Oberon is unlikely to beat another Battleship at its prefered role, but is the most flexible of all Battleship classes.

With the Oberon's advanced sensor systems and its self-sufficency, the Oberon was often used as indepedent raiders and patrol ships. Their flexibility also made them potent Ships of the Line, able to deal with any threat.

    'Jack of all Trades'

    Often used as patrol ship

    Attack Craft

    Torpedoes

    Lance batteries

    Macro-cannon batteries

    Sensor suite

    6.8km Long

    2.9km Tall

    2.8km Beam

I add it to the opening post.

[TheBlindPrimarch]

Info on the Dictatus and the Infernus

Dictatus-Class Battleship

Few Battleships generate as much fear in the captains of Cruisers and Frigates like the Dictatus-Class Battleship. Known amongst the lower ratings as the “Ship Eater,” The Dictatus-Class Battleship was primarily designed to capture enemy ships and hold them fast in its mighty hydraulic “jaws” while its compliment of marines crossed the empty expanse of space to board and take the enemy vessel. To accomplish this task, the Dictatus would close with the enemy, disabling the target’s engines if possible, and fire its array of melta-tipped harpoons deep into the enemy’s hull, drawing them into the “mouth of the Dictatus.

If capture wasn’t the objective, the jaws of the Dictatus were just as capable of slowly biting a ship it two, using its array of Macro-cannons to keep would be saviors at bay while it did its terrifying work. The Harpoons of the Dictatus could also be used to hamstring faster ships, using the bulk of the Battleship to slow the target enough for the other ships in the fleet to target the enemy ship more accurately. While this tactic would prove risky, as the Dictatus would be too close to the enemy ship to maneuver out of the area of effect if the target’s plasma reactor went supernova, many captains would consider this a proven tactic when dealing with faster, more maneuverable ships.

Measurements-

Length: 7.4km

Height: 3.1km

Beam: 3.1km

Armaments-

Port Side: Three Macro Cannons, One Launch Bay

Starboard Side: Three Macro Cannons, One Launch Bay

Dorsal: Four Photon Lances

Prow: Hydraulic Jaws, Melta-Tipped Harpoons

 

Infernus-Class Battleship

The Infernus-Class Battleship fulfills the role of a close-range brawler for the Imperial Navy. Lighter and more maneuverable than its larger cousin, the Goliath-Class Battleship, the Infernus excels at closing the distance between it and its target and tearing them apart with rapid, punishing salvos from it’s arrays of Bombardment Cannons.

Rightly feared by captains of both Cruisers and Battleships alike, the Infernus is armored enough to survive enemy fire but also fast enough to outmaneuver many of the larger ships in its class. The Infernus suffers from a lack of range however, needing to rely on its fellow ships to strike the enemy at range while it closes the distance. This lack of reach unfortunately has led to large numbers of Infernus-Class Battleships being disabled in large scale navel engagements before they could reach effective range, necessitating the Battleship to be regulated to engagements where close range combat was inevitable, or as guardians of their longer ranged cousins to safeguard them from enemy ships that sought to get in close enough to attempt boarding actions.

Measurements-

Length: 6.7km

Height: 2.9km

Beam: 2.9km

Armaments-

Port side: Six Bombardment Cannons

Starboard side: Six Bombardment Cannons

Dorsal: Photon Lance Cannons

Prow: Armored with ram

[Talonair]

After much time, pain and confusion, the full, standardised list of Imperial Battleships is complete! With descriptions, role, dimensions and specifications for each, we can FINALLY have a reference guide for use within the BotL. The Grand Cruisers will be next

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Apocalypse-class Battleship (Lance Attack Craft)

The Apocalypse-class Battleship is one of the most feared ships in the Imperial Armada. With its massed lance batteries and nova cannon, the Apocalypse-class is a deadly prospect for any ship to face despite its relatively small size. A full broadside from an Apocalypse-class is a death sentence for any ship below a Battleship, and can cripple all but the most heavily armoured Battleships.

The Apocalypse-class is normally used to engage enemy capital ships at range, or closing to shorter ranges if properly supported by escorts and squadrons of friendly craft. Its heavy focus on its lances and its ponderous nature leaves it vulnerable to being out manoeuvred by smaller craft, its lances not numbering enough to combat all threats at close range.

    Lance Attack Craft
    Armoured Prow
    Lance Batteries
    Nova Cannon

    Length: 6.6km
    Height: 2.9km
    Beam: 2.8km

    Mass: 89 megatonnes approx.
    Crew: 157,000 crew approx.
    Accel: 1.3 gravities max sustainable acceleration

    Port side: Six lance turrets
    Starboard side: Six lance turrets
    Dorsal: Four lance turrets
    Prow: Armoured, Nova Cannon

 

Dictatus-class Battleship (Ram Battleship)

Few Battleships generate as much fear in the captains of Cruisers and Frigates like the Dictatus-Class Battleship. Known amongst the lower ratings as the “Ship Eater,” The Dictatus-Class Battleship was an ancient ship that was nearing obsolescence during the Great Crusade. Primarily designed to capture enemy ships, it would hold ships fast in its mighty hydraulic “jaws” while its compliment of troops crossed the empty expanse of space to board and take the enemy vessel. To accomplish this task, the Dictatus would close with the enemy, disabling the target’s engines if possible, and fire its array of melta-tipped harpoons deep into the enemy’s hull, drawing them into the “mouth of the Dictatus.

If capture wasn’t the objective, the jaws of the Dictatus were just as capable of slowly biting a ship it two, using its array of macro-cannons to keep would be saviors at bay while it did its terrifying work. The harpoons of the Dictatus could also be used to hamstring faster ships, using the bulk of the Battleship to slow the target enough for the other ships in the fleet to target the enemy ship more accurately. While this tactic would prove risky, as the Dictatus would be too close to the enemy ship to maneuver out of the area of effect if the target’s plasma reactor detonated, many captains would consider this a proven tactic when dealing with faster, more maneuverable ships.

    Length: 7.4km
    Height: 3.1km
    Beam: 3.1km

    Mass: 117 megatonnes approx.
    Crew: 294,000 crew approx.
    Accel: 1.3 gravities max sustainable acceleration

    Port Side: Two macro-cannon batteries, one set of hangar bays (two attack craft squadrons)
    Starboard Side: Two macro-cannon batteries, one set of hangar bays (two attack craft squadrons)
    Dorsal: Four lance turrets
    Prow: Hydraulic laws, melta-tipped harpoons

Dominus-class Battleship (Fast Battleship)

Opinions on the Dominus-class were extremely divisive. Whilst retaining the size and armament of a Battleship, the Dominus sacrificed much of its armour, leaving it severely underarmoured by comparison. In return, the Dominus-class gained the speed and maneuverability of a Cruiser. The combination of speed and attack power meant the Dominus-class could kill any ship short of a Battleship, and could outrun any ship capable of destroying it.

Unfortunately, because the Dominus-class looked like a Battleship and was armed like one, most Admirals ultimately used it as a traditional Battleship. Here the weaknesses of the Dominus-class were displayed in harsh detail; even the under-gunned Emperor-class ships could defeat it in a clash of the lines. To those naval commanders with the talent for void warfare, such as the Void Eagles and Harbingers, the Dominus-class became a valuable asset. As a raiding ship it was invaluable, able to destroy entire convoys and escape unharmed, and in fleet battles it dominated flanking actions.

    Length: 7.1km
    Height: 2.9km
    Beam: 3.0km

    Mass: 98 megatonnes approx.
    Crew: 287,000 crew approx.
    Accel: 2.5 gravities max sustainable acceleration

    Port side: Two lance turrets, two macro-cannon batteries
    Starboard side: Two lance turrets, two macro-cannon batteries
    Dorsal: Four lance turrets
    Prow: Unarmoured, Nova Cannon

 

Emperor-class Battleship (Fleet Carrier)

The Emperor-class Battleship is a command ship and carrier, and one of the mainstay capital ships of the Imperial Armada. The Emperor-class lacks the typical armoured prow and instead bears an advanced sensor suite. Its primary armament is its eight squadrons of attack craft, berthed within the ship's massive hangar bays.

The Emperor-class Battleship is a coveted class, highly valued for its command and control abilities. The Emperor-class is normally used to engage from a stand-off distance, using its limited batteries primarily in self-defense, allowing the command staff to better coordinate the rest of the fleet.

    Length: 9.5km
    Height: 3.3km
    Beam: 3.4km

    Mass: 157 megatonnes approx.
    Crew: 328,000 crew approx.
    Accel: 0.9 gravities max sustainable acceleration

    Port side: Macro-cannon battery, two sets of hangar bays (four attack craft squadrons)
    Starboard side: Macro-cannon battery, two sets of hangar bays (four attack craft squadrons)
    Dorsal: Four lance turrets
    Prow: Unarmoured, Sensor-suite

Goliath-class Battleship (Brawler)

Massive, heavily armed and armored, the Goliath-class Battleship is an intimidating ship for any captain to find themselves facing. A full kilometer longer than the Emperor-class Battleship, and just about six meters wider at the beam; the Goliath was primarily designed to be the king of brawler-type Capital ships, firing it's array of torpedoes to scatter the enemy as it closed in to bring it's heavy guns to bear.

It's gigantic broadsides and turrets are meant to cause unimaginable damage, while its heavy armor shrugs off whatever ineffectual return fire manages to breach its shields. All that armor and heavy weapons come at a cost however, as the Goliath suffers from a lack of speed and maneuverability, and so must rely on support escorts to avoid becoming overwhelmed by faster and more maneuverable foes.

    Length: 10.5km
    Height: 2.9km
    Beam: 3.4km

    Mass: 179 megatonnes approx.
    Crew: 334,000 crew approx.
    Accel: 0.9 gravities max sustainable acceleration

    Port side: Three macro-cannon batteries
    Starboard side: Three macro-cannon batteries
    Dorsal: Four macro-cannon turrets
    Prow: Armoured, Eight torpedo tubes

Imperator-class Battleship (Fleet Carrier)

Usually created from crippled Emperor-class Battleships, the Imperator-class Battleship sacrifices the enhanced command and control systems of the Emperor-class in favour of a heavily armoured prow and torpedo tubes. The modifications turn the Imperator-class into a capable line-breaker, its squadrons of attack craft helping disrupt the enemy formation.

Though many Admirals condemn the Imperator-class for its lack of the Emperor-class' sensor arrays, the Imperator-class proved easier to produce. The armoured prow and torpedo tubes could be manufactured faster, and this class became one of the most common recepients of Douvior systems later in the Great Crusade.

    Length: 9.5km
    Height: 3.3km
    Beam: 3.4km

    Mass: 165 megatonnes approx.
    Crew: 325,000 crew approx.
    Accel: 1.1 gravities max sustainable acceleration

    Port side: Macro-cannon battery, two sets of hangar bays (four attack craft squadrons)
    Starboard side: Macro-cannon battery, two sets of hangar bays (four attack craft squadrons)
    Dorsal: Four lance turrets
    Prow: Armoured, Eight Torpedo Tubes

Infernus-class Battleship (Bombardment Craft)

The Infernus-Class Battleship fulfills the role of planetary bombardment and close-range brawler for the Imperial Armada. Lighter and more maneuverable than its larger cousin, the Goliath-Class Battleship, the Infernus excels at closing the distance between it and its target and tearing them apart with rapid, punishing salvos from it’s arrays of bombardment cannons. In the role of planetary bombardment, its lance turrets can be used to provide precision strikes, whilst the bombardment cannons can rain mass destruction.

Rightly feared by captains of both Cruisers and Battleships alike, the Infernus is armored enough to survive enemy fire but also fast enough to outmaneuver many of the larger ships in its class. The Infernus suffers from a lack of range however, needing to rely on its fellow ships to strike the enemy at range while it closes the distance. This lack of reach unfortunately has led to large numbers of Infernus-Class Battleships being disabled in large scale navel engagements before they could reach effective range, necessitating the Battleship to be regulated to engagements where close range combat was inevitable, or as guardians of their longer ranged cousins to safeguard them from enemy ships that sought to get in close enough to attempt boarding actions.

    Length: 6.7km
    Height: 2.9km
    Beam: 2.9km

    Mass: 93 megatonnes approx.
    Crew: 287,000 crew approx.
    Accel: 1.3 gravities max sustainable acceleration

    Port side: Six bombardment cannons
    Starboard side: Six bombardment cannons
    Dorsal: Four lance turrets
    Prow: Armoured

Mortis Rex-class Battleship (Lance Attack Craft)

A highly experimental ship, when the Insurrection began the Mortis Rex-class was primarily in service with the Mechanicum, few examples seen outside the direct control of the Priesthood. The Mortis Rex-class shares many similarities with lance attack craft such as the Apocalypse-class, however its armament is more esoteric than mere lances. The Mortis-Rex mounts photon thruster weaponry, scaled up to ship-grade armament.

These arcane weapons are greatly feared, firing beams of screaming darkness across the void. These thin beams of dark energy can tear through shields and boil away the thickest armour with frightening ease. Their power sources, however, are extremely unstable, and more than one Mortis Rex-class ship has met its end at the hands of its own weaponry. These unfortunate ships are burnt from the inside by raging black flames.

    Length: 8.3km
    Height: 2.7km
    Beam: 3.2km

    Mass: 118 megatonnes approx.
    Crew: 303,000 crew approx.
    Accel: 1.2 gravities max sustainable acceleration

    Port side: Six photon-lance turrets
    Starboard side: Six photon-lance turrets
    Dorsal: Four photon-lance turrets
    Prow: Armoured, Nova cannon

 

Oberon-class Battleship (Jack of All Trades)

The Oberon-class Battleship occupies a strange position in the Imperial order of battle. Whilst other Battleship-class vessels are designed to fulfil a specific role, the Oberon is a 'Jack of all Trades'. Featuring torpedoes, lances, weapons batteries and attack craft, the Oberon is unlikely to beat another Battleship at its prefered role, but is the most flexible of all Battleship classes.

With the Oberon's advanced sensor systems and its self-sufficency, the Oberon was often used as indepedent raiders and patrol ships. Their flexibility also made them potent Ships of the Line, able to deal with any threat.

    Length: 6.8km
    Height: 2.9km
    Beam: 2.8km

    Mass: 91 megatonnes approx.
    Crew: 291,000 crew approx.
    Accel: 1.3 gravities max sustainable acceleration

    Port side: Macro-cannon battery, two lance turrets, one set of hangar bays (two attack craft squadrons)
    Starboard side: Macro-cannon battery, two lance turrets, one set of hangar bays (two attack craft squadrons)
    Dorsal: Four lance turrets
    Prow: Armoured, eight torpedo tubes

 

Retribution-class Battleship (Ship of the Line)

One of the Imperium's 'true' Ships of the Line, the Retribution-class is the backbone of the Imperial Armada. Their massive broadsides can fire a devastating barrage over extreme ranges, exceeding the range of enemy ships. The Retribuion-class also mounts dorsal lance turrets, typically used to finish off enemy ships crippled by its main weapons.

Its torpedo tubes are often used when closing with an opposing fleet, forcing the enemy to scatter and allowing the Retribution to punch through the enemy battle line.

    Length: 8.1km
    Height: 2.9km
    Beam: 2.8km

    Mass: 108 megatonnes approx.
    Crew: 213,000 crew approx.
    Accel: 1.2 gravities max sustainable acceleration

    Port side: Three macro-cannon batteries
    Starboard side: Three macro-cannon batteries
    Dorsal: Four lance turrets
    Prow: Armoured, Eight Torpedo Tubes

Tiamat-class Battleship (Shield Bastion)

One of the more unusual ships to appear during the Great Crusade, the Tiamat-class all but abandoned the typical silhouette of Imperial vessels, in favour of a more wedge-shaped hull. The Tiamat-class was without question the most heavily armoured of the Imperium's battleships, and paid a commensurate cost in firepower and speed.

The only example of the 'Shield Bastion' Battleship, the Tiamat-class was most often deployed to defend vital systems. It was not unheard of, however, for the Tiamat-class to be used when assaulting hostile systems. Capable of deploying a pair of defense platforms configured to defend against small escorts all the way down to individual torpedoes, the Tiamat-class itself was fitted with similar command and control systems to the Emperor-class. A common variant of the Tiamat-class replaced these systems with additional firepower; this variant was more commonly used to attack planets.

    Length: 11.3km
    Height: 3.6km
    Beam: 4.8km

    Mass: 321 megatonnes approx.
    Crew: 397,000 crew approx.
    Accel: 0.7 gravities max sustainable acceleration

    Port side: Two plasma cannon batteries
    Starboard side: Two plasma cannon batteries
    Dorsal: Four lance turrets
    Keel: Two bombardment cannons
    Prow: Armoured

Victory-class Battleship (Ship of the Line)

Modified from the Retribution-class, the Victory-class is another heavy 'line' ship. The internal layout is almost entirely unchanged, however its broadside batteries have been replaced with lances, and its torpedo tubes have been lost in favour of a mighty nova cannon. The Victory-class emerged during the later years of the Great Crusade, in an effort to provide the same role as the Apocalypse-class.

The Victory-class ultimately proved inferior to the Apocalypse, however it still presented a potent threat. It also had the advantage of being easier to produce than the Apocalypse, the larger size of the ship allowing for less advanced technology in its construction.

    Length: 8.1km
    Height: 2.9km
    Beam: 2.8km

    Mass: 106 megatonnes approx.
    Crew: 209,000 crew approx.
    Accel: 1.2 gravities max sustainable acceleration

    Port side: Six lance turrets
    Starboard side: Six lance turrets
    Dorsal: Four lance turrets
    Prow: Armoured, Nova Cannon

[simison]

Excellent work, Talon and Blind!

[TheBlindPrimarch]

Ok, so I broke a single fleet down into something that makes sense to me...

Assuming a fleet has 75 warships (Battleships and cruiser types) it would be logical for that fleet to have at most 4X that number of escort ships, so 300. (frigates and destroyers)

Additionally, it would make sense for the fleet to have twice it's number of warships and escorts in supporting ships, so 750. (transports, re-fuellers, and other miscellaneous ships)

That puts the total number of void capable craft in a fleet not including fighters, bombers, assault boats, personal transports or anything else that could fit in a hangar; at 1125 ships

Here are the basic numbers I worked out:

WARSHIPS

10 Battleships

5 Grand Battle Cruisers

10 Battle Cruisers

17 Heavy Cruisers

13 Cruisers

20 Light Cruisers

ESCORTS

200 Frigates

100 Destroyers

SUPPORT SHIPS

TRANSPORTS

2 Universes

5 Super Heavy Barges

8 Heavy Barges

5 Heavy Transport

30 Galaxy

RE-FUELLERS

50 Heavy Re-fuellers

MISC

650 Miscellaneous support ships

[simison]

I have claimed the 8th Fleet for the early 16th Legion. Not sure if this will eventually serve as Morro's personal fleet, but it's a start.

[Hesh Kadesh]

Morro takes command of the Kelyfos (main  from Hennasohn. I'd not planned out any specifics, apart from a few nebulous idea's.

 

Before the Legion's first Gloriana was gifted, they had a Super-Heavy Battlebarge serve as their flagship, the Nova Levante, specifically outfitted with a close range bombardment array, uparmoured, and massive complements of Fighters and Hangars to support a mass drop pod invasion, supporting the early legion's tactics. The downside of this left it open to longer range threats, which it shielded with 3 more conventional sized battlebarges, mounting longer ranged weaponry. Made with speed of construction in mind following the damage sustained during an earlier engagement, these were prioritised to keep the Drowned's earliest flagship alive.

 

These were the Megiddo, [x], and [x]. These vessels provided heavier escort for the flagship.

 

The command of the Nova Levante fell to Captain Somnus, who would go on to take the name "Rainmaker Somnus" when the legion was reunited with their Primarch. he is known is known to have survived the Siege of Terra on the Nova Levante, running a fighting retreat as they left the system, survivors from a half-dozen traitor legions filling its hangars, forming one of the largest warbands in Imperial Realspace as they sought to recover their errant Primarch in the name of their new Prince; Dark, where their old one was Copper.

 

During the assault on Untara against the sons of Pionus, a teleport attack on the vessel by Scions Terminators recorded pict capture footage of XVIth legion Astartes, twisted in a perfidy of their own duplicitous nature, their lower forms now in the shape of a snake, their upper halves partly transitioning into six-armed beasts. Known as the Hexarch's of Pergha'amon, these 

 

I was still in the process of writing, so haven't had time to check with Helterskelter if he's okay with this, and for his input on what the other two names of the vessels were to be and their significant characters. 

 

Hope that's okay?

[bluntblade]

Battle-barge seems to be a general term in 40K, so I'd make it a unique relic-vessel.

[Hesh Kadesh]

Battle-barge seems to be a general term in 40K, so I'd make it a unique relic-vessel.

Going by the list, it appears that the Nemesis Class ships would be a good representation of that.

[Hesh Kadesh]

Okay, so, I've been running through the Battlefleet Gothic Rules, with an attempt to understand it and how ships are built, with an attempt to create a Gloriana Class.

 

The Gloriana Class ships are seemingly much more than simply 1-off vessels that were gifted to the legion; the Alpha Legion had 2 vessels, the Word Bearers had a Gloriana Class called the Chronicle of Ashes, Abaddon had a ship called the Harbinger of Doom which was a Gloriana (going by the 40k Wikia article), and Battlefleet Solar's Amphion was also a Gloriana. However, these aren't sourced materials, so it's really hard to justify which are pointless bloat added by later 40K Writers adding worfism into their works.

 

That said, I think the Legion Ships could do with being modified, but my hope was to create a Generic "Gloriana" Class vessel, above that of the Battleship class.

 

Going by sizing (which is apparently to scale) the Cobra Destroyer (Escort Class) in Book III; Extermination was around 812px, for a 1.5km sized vessel; the Tribune (Victory Class Battleship) in comparison was around 4841px; give or take the spare change, 6 times its length; 9km in length in total; this puts the Contrador (A Legatus Class Battlebarge) differentiation from the BFG Battlebarge Model in that it has a 7 Port/Starboard oriented guns at around 8.3km, and the much larger Iron Blood Gloriana at around 18.3km in total length.

 

So these Gloriana are huge.

 

However, we have slight discrepancy with some of the other Battleship sizes. The Battlebarge is a Battleship/12, which is the same as an Apocalypse Class Battleship, at 4km in size, which is also a Battleship/12. However, that I feel is nonsense, as another article (again, unsourced, god damn that wikia), lists Light Cruisers as 4km, and Heavy Cruisers at 6km, with nothing with respect to Grand Cruisers, so I'm comfortable enough to ignore that Apocalypse Class is sized too small. By comparison, the Grand Cruisers, Cruisers, and Light Cruisers are Cruiser/10, Cruiser/8 and Cruiser/6 Respectively. I do get that size isn't everything when it comes to hull density, but when a "Light Cruiser" is apparently the same size as a Battleship, skipping two size categories feels a bit off.

 

I think that gives us a rough indication of the size of hull to expect from a ship.

 

8km+= Battleship/12 (Perhaps Battlebarge Sized are slightly smaller in order to give them greater speed/maneuverability, which the Iron Warriors then mitigated by throwing four heavier guns and up armouring her).

8km = Cruiser/10

6km = Cruiser/8

4km = Cruiser/6

1.5km = Escort/1

 

In reference to this, the Planet Killer is a Battleship/14, while Eldar Light Cruisers are Cruiser 4. An Ork Hulk is "Defense/40", while a Rok is Defense/8; their Battleships however are more conventional in that they are Battleship/8. A Dormant Blackstone Fortress by Comparison has Defense/16.

 

My Suggestion would be to make all Gloriana "Battleship/18" vessels. This means that they're a lot more resilient than the typical Battleship (although it's not as though they especially need it), rather than simply being a scalar uptick. This gives them 1.5* the amount of hits that they can take. The rest of the defenses of a Battleship is it's Speed, it's Maximum Turn, any Shields it may have, Armour, and the amount of turrets. This Battleship/18 can allow factions like the Steel Legion, Iron Bears to increase the amount of Hits the ship can take, without that benefit being made less useful by simply doubling it (+1 Hit at 18 is a larger percentage increase than +1 Hit at 24), but is also not unmanageable in a game.

 

Most Imperial Battleships have a speed of 15cm; however, the Retribution Class has 20cm, as does the Space Marine Battle Barge, and the 40k-ified Plagued Terminus Est, being the typical for a Space Marine vessel. The Desolator Class Chaos Ship in BFG 40k has a 25cm speed, however, and is noted to be Pre-Heresy, but whether it was intentionally designed to have a 25cm Speed, or if that's as a result of the Chaosification, or design changes wrought post Heresy, I'm unsure; given that most Imperial Cruisers (excluding the Dauntless Class, and Space Marine Strike Cruiser, which are 25cm) are limited to 20cm Speed, I think that 15cm should be a given for the standard Dauntless, while specifically faster Gloriana (such as the Void Eagles, or the Drowned, may have their specific Gloriana increased to 20cm. (Apologies, not au fait yet with everyone's vessel designations to pass a further judgement).

 

Turn Speed; 45 degrees without a doubt should be the limit. It's not until you get to Light Cruisers that you can do 90 degree turns. I'm not even sure that a Legion might have any ability to turn quicker than this.

 

Shields; with the exception of the Space Marine Battlebarge, 4 is the expected value of the amount of Shields a Battleship has. Thus, the suggestion is that the Gloriana takes 5 Shields. This gives those Legions who can are more tanky to take an additional Shield (Iron Bears, Steel Legion, perhaps Void Eagles again).

 

Armour; Most Battleships have an Armour Value of 5, but some have Armoured Prows giving an Armour Value of 6+; I don't think that there would be any problem with granting a Gloriana Class, of all the ships in the game, an Armour of 6+.

 

Turrets; It seems that the average is 4, but the Emperor Class and Oberon Class pack 5, while the Battlebarge packs only 3, which is the same as Grand Cruisers; Cruisers have 2, Light Cruisers usually have 2, while Escorts have 1 or 2 themselves. Given the size of the Gloriana; I think that 6 would be a fine amount of turrets to have.

 

The other universal trait that Battleships have is that they cannot use the Come to New Heading Order. Given that it's a larger ship, I think the Gloriana should match that. However, I think that given we have a Legion who has Yucahu as their Primarch, having the Primarch as the Admiral, in their Gloriana, should give them an additional benefit past just Ld10 and rerolls, and I think that the Void Eagles Gloriana should be able to make use of the "Come To New Heading" as a result of his skills.

 

Anyway, before we get into that, here is what the proposition is for the hull (still working on the weapons) of the Gloriana Class.

 

Edit; Uploaded the file, and realised I've just placed it as Battleship/12, rather than Battleship/18, my bad. Will update when I get a chance.

[Grifftofer]

Okay, so, I've been running through the Battlefleet Gothic Rules, with an attempt to understand it and how ships are built, with an attempt to create a Gloriana Class.

 

The Gloriana Class ships are seemingly much more than simply 1-off vessels that were gifted to the legion; the Alpha Legion had 2 vessels, the Word Bearers had a Gloriana Class called the Chronicle of Ashes, Abaddon had a ship called the Harbinger of Doom which was a Gloriana (going by the 40k Wikia article), and Battlefleet Solar's Amphion was also a Gloriana. However, these aren't sourced materials, so it's really hard to justify which are pointless bloat added by later 40K Writers adding worfism into their works.

 

That said, I think the Legion Ships could do with being modified, but my hope was to create a Generic "Gloriana" Class vessel, above that of the Battleship class.

 

Going by sizing (which is apparently to scale) the Cobra Destroyer (Escort Class) in Book III; Extermination was around 812px, for a 1.5km sized vessel; the Tribune (Victory Class Battleship) in comparison was around 4841px; give or take the spare change, 6 times its length; 9km in length in total; this puts the Contrador (A Legatus Class Battlebarge) differentiation from the BFG Battlebarge Model in that it has a 7 Port/Starboard oriented guns at around 8.3km, and the much larger Iron Blood Gloriana at around 18.3km in total length.

 

So these Gloriana are huge.

 

However, we have slight discrepancy with some of the other Battleship sizes. The Battlebarge is a Battleship/12, which is the same as an Apocalypse Class Battleship, at 4km in size, which is also a Battleship/12. However, that I feel is nonsense, as another article (again, unsourced, god damn that wikia), lists Light Cruisers as 4km, and Heavy Cruisers at 6km, with nothing with respect to Grand Cruisers, so I'm comfortable enough to ignore that Apocalypse Class is sized too small. By comparison, the Grand Cruisers, Cruisers, and Light Cruisers are Cruiser/10, Cruiser/8 and Cruiser/6 Respectively. I do get that size isn't everything when it comes to hull density, but when a "Light Cruiser" is apparently the same size as a Battleship, skipping two size categories feels a bit off.

 

I think that gives us a rough indication of the size of hull to expect from a ship.

 

8km+= Battleship/12 (Perhaps Battlebarge Sized are slightly smaller in order to give them greater speed/maneuverability, which the Iron Warriors then mitigated by throwing four heavier guns and up armouring her).

8km = Cruiser/10

6km = Cruiser/8

4km = Cruiser/6

1.5km = Escort/1

 

In reference to this, the Planet Killer is a Battleship/14, while Eldar Light Cruisers are Cruiser 4. An Ork Hulk is "Defense/40", while a Rok is Defense/8; their Battleships however are more conventional in that they are Battleship/8. A Dormant Blackstone Fortress by Comparison has Defense/16.

 

My Suggestion would be to make all Gloriana "Battleship/18" vessels. This means that they're a lot more resilient than the typical Battleship (although it's not as though they especially need it), rather than simply being a scalar uptick. This gives them 1.5* the amount of hits that they can take. The rest of the defenses of a Battleship is it's Speed, it's Maximum Turn, any Shields it may have, Armour, and the amount of turrets. This Battleship/18 can allow factions like the Steel Legion, Iron Bears to increase the amount of Hits the ship can take, without that benefit being made less useful by simply doubling it (+1 Hit at 18 is a larger percentage increase than +1 Hit at 24), but is also not unmanageable in a game.

 

Most Imperial Battleships have a speed of 15cm; however, the Retribution Class has 20cm, as does the Space Marine Battle Barge, and the 40k-ified Plagued Terminus Est, being the typical for a Space Marine vessel. The Desolator Class Chaos Ship in BFG 40k has a 25cm speed, however, and is noted to be Pre-Heresy, but whether it was intentionally designed to have a 25cm Speed, or if that's as a result of the Chaosification, or design changes wrought post Heresy, I'm unsure; given that most Imperial Cruisers (excluding the Dauntless Class, and Space Marine Strike Cruiser, which are 25cm) are limited to 20cm Speed, I think that 15cm should be a given for the standard Dauntless, while specifically faster Gloriana (such as the Void Eagles, or the Drowned, may have their specific Gloriana increased to 20cm. (Apologies, not au fait yet with everyone's vessel designations to pass a further judgement).

 

Turn Speed; 45 degrees without a doubt should be the limit. It's not until you get to Light Cruisers that you can do 90 degree turns. I'm not even sure that a Legion might have any ability to turn quicker than this.

 

Shields; with the exception of the Space Marine Battlebarge, 4 is the expected value of the amount of Shields a Battleship has. Thus, the suggestion is that the Gloriana takes 5 Shields. This gives those Legions who can are more tanky to take an additional Shield (Iron Bears, Steel Legion, perhaps Void Eagles again).

 

Armour; Most Battleships have an Armour Value of 5, but some have Armoured Prows giving an Armour Value of 6+; I don't think that there would be any problem with granting a Gloriana Class, of all the ships in the game, an Armour of 6+.

 

Turrets; It seems that the average is 4, but the Emperor Class and Oberon Class pack 5, while the Battlebarge packs only 3, which is the same as Grand Cruisers; Cruisers have 2, Light Cruisers usually have 2, while Escorts have 1 or 2 themselves. Given the size of the Gloriana; I think that 6 would be a fine amount of turrets to have.

 

The other universal trait that Battleships have is that they cannot use the Come to New Heading Order. Given that it's a larger ship, I think the Gloriana should match that. However, I think that given we have a Legion who has Yucahu as their Primarch, having the Primarch as the Admiral, in their Gloriana, should give them an additional benefit past just Ld10 and rerolls, and I think that the Void Eagles Gloriana should be able to make use of the "Come To New Heading" as a result of his skills.

 

Anyway, before we get into that, here is what the proposition is for the hull (still working on the weapons) of the Gloriana Class.

 

Edit; Uploaded the file, and realised I've just placed it as Battleship/12, rather than Battleship/18, my bad. Will update when I get a chance.

Interesting ideas. I will write a response, but I'll be putting it in our Battlefleet Insurrection Thread as that seems more appropriate for this discussion of rules rather than here, which is more fluff-based info.

[bluntblade]

And now on the Wiki, in part: https://botl.wikia.com/wiki/Expeditionary_Fleet#Known_Expeditionary_Fleets

[simison]

To comment on an earlier effort, with the battleships complete, when could we see a complete listing of the cruisers?

[Grifftofer]

To comment on an earlier effort, with the battleships complete, when could we see a complete listing of the cruisers?

 

I have a pretty complete listing of the various ships, complete with working fluff descriptions that I've assembled for the Battlefleet: Insurrection file. The additional details (Length, Height, Beam, Mass, Crew & Acceleration) were added by Talon based on comparisons with stats listed in the 40k RPGs. I'm not certain, but I believe he is not particularly inclined to continue with that project given the incredibly scant information available and the inconsistencies of the fluff in this area.

[Talonair]

Also Forgeworld's insistence on adding handfuls of new ship classes with every new book but providing zero information on said classes

[Grifftofer]

That too :P