Imperialis Armada

The Imperialis Armada was a sub-branch of the wider Imperial Army of the Imperium of Mankind, existing since the dawn of the Great Crusade, and responsible for the defence of Imperial Space and the ferrying of troops from one world to another, as opposed to the fleets of the Legiones Astartes, who were designed nominally around planetary assault.

Numerous vessels existed within the ranks of the Imperialis Armada, from the numerous Mars-class Cruisers, to individual vessels forming a class of their own. Many of these vessel types would be taken under the wing of the Space Marines, the Void Watchers in particular boasting a phenominal fleet of their own, such fleets often seeing more frontline action than purely mortal forces, leading to many seeing the Imperialis Armada as little more than a garrisoning force, much to the anger of those proud souls who crewed such vessels.

History
During the Great Crusade to reunite all the scattered colony worlds of Mankind beneath the rule of the Imperium of Man, both the mortal forces of the Imperium were organised into a single service: the Excertus Imperialis, or the Imperial Army. However, another name was often assigned to the mighty warfleets of the Excertus Imperialis, the Armada Imperialis. The Great Crusade was the largest and most ambitious military endeavour ever undertaken by Mankind. As mighty and valiant as the hosts of the Emperor were, this epic undertaking would have been entirely impossible without the countless thousands of Warp-capable vessels that transported hundreds of thousands of the superhuman warriors of the Space Marine Legions and many millions of Imperial Army soldiers from one star's light to the next.

The Great Crusade saw a staggering array of vessels constructed, reclaimed or pressed into service. Some were used for a matter of solar months before being declared obsolete or wearing out and degrading to destruction, quite apart from losses incurred in battle, while others gained a permanent place in the canon of war, with successful designs endlessly copied and modified as the decades progressed. The first vessels to enter the service of the Imperium were constructed in the orbital foundries of Terra, and later Mars' Ring of Iron and the orbital shipyards of Saturn, under the scrutiny of the Emperor and the Forge-wrights of the Mechanicum, and indeed it was only in alliance with Mars that the trans-solar expansion was possible in any meaningful way.

This was further aided when at last the Saturnyne Dominion, with its accomplished ship-masters, joined the Imperium after their alien overlords were overthrown, and as the Imperium expanded, many more great shipyards were added: Voss, Grulgarod, Lorin and Cypra Mundi, all grew to near rival Mars itself in voidship production.

Driven by the will of the Emperor, the first Expeditionary Fleets pushed outwards into the galaxy. Preceding each great Expeditionary Fleet of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of vessels often ranged smaller contingents of independent flotillas led by a class of martial leader that would become known as the Rogue Traders Militant. Many of these individuals were former rulers of the numerous realms the Emperor had cast down first during the Unification Wars and later, as the Great Crusade spread, came to include leaders of formerly independent human worlds.

They were offered a stark choice--bend their knee before the Emperor and swear service to the Great Crusade, or die by His hand. Though many set pride before what they regarded as slavery, others chose service and took up the Emperor's Warrant of Trade. There was a price, however.

The Rogue Traders Militant were expected to scout ahead of the leading edge of the Great Crusade, accompanied by their own armies as well as whatever assets had been ceded them by the Emperor. Operating so far ahead of the Emperor's crusading armies, the Rogue Traders Militant could expect little or no aid should they encounter foes too powerful for them to overcome.

After several solar decades penetrating the inky black of the void, Rogue Trader Militant fleets often appeared as ramshackle vagabonds, many of their starships taken from defeated enemies, sometimes including xenos vessels of entirely novel or esoteric form. They were forbidden to return to Terra, for in His wisdom the Emperor sought not to just rid Himself of powerful rivals, but to ensure that even in their deaths they might serve Mankind. Many vanished alone and unheralded; slain, consumed or enslaved by nameless xenos abominations far from the light of Terra.

As the Imperium expanded, so too did its fleets. Countless long-lost wonders of technology were recovered, some wrested from the dead hands of unwilling custodians, and others surrendered willingly as fitting tribute to the Master of Mankind. Some vessels were unique, constructed by methods even the most accomplished Adepts of Mars could not hope to replicate: the Blade of Salvation, the Nicor, the Mirabilis and the mighty Phalanx foremost among them. Other patterns and classes proved possible to reproduce and replicate, and before long the various arms of the Imperium's military acquired their own distinctive panoply of warships.

Those of the Legiones Astartes were often blunt of prow and slab-armoured, built to endure the withering storm of fire that accompanies a planetary invasion, their plasma furnace-hearts powering some of the most destructive weapons known to Mankind. But beyond these practical needs, each fleet favoured the nature of its Legion, from the heavily armoured, slab-sided ships of the Imperial Wardens and their mortal regiments, to the baroque golden battlecruisers of the Supernal Seraphs, designed to showcase the prowess of the warriors within as much as be vessels of war.

The ships of the Emperor's wider naval armadas were more diverse affairs, built for void supremacy. They ranged from stately battleships, multi-kilometre long engines of doom, their armour concentrated to the fore and their flanks repleted with rank upon rank of broadside batteries, to lithe and deadly destroyers and stripped-bare Warp Runners, to watchful piquet frigates and lumbering star-fortresses. Beyond these were innumerable classes of transports, arks, conveyers and supply ships, the forge vessels of the Mechanicum and their own strange space-going engines of war.

Anchorage War Fleets
Born of an Imperium for which the galaxy now had been largely conquered, rather than one in which the Emperor still led the Great Crusade, its work not yet done, the Imperium formed multiple fleet anchorages -- a handful of Imperialis Armada fleet bases situated on or near the Imperium's borders. These fleet anchorages, at least one of which was founded in each of the Segmentum Majoris, with more planned, were the largest of their kind outside of the Segmentum Solar, and in their turn were dwarfed by the vast capacity of the Sol System itself, and were founded for the specific purpose of securing the domains the Great Crusade had forged from the strife-torn galaxy.

As such, their functions were in the main as ports of supply and muster, command-and-control hubs, and as home bases for a permanently stationed armada of warships with their own armies of Auxilia troops. These armadas were designed to serve both as a source of deep-range patrols and rapid-reaction forces to respond to sudden threats, be they civil disturbance, rebellion or outside attack, both from within the Imperium and from beyond its borders.

In terms of the warships that physically made up these fleets -- and the Port Maw Armada was an exemplar of this -- they outnumbered and en masse likely out-gunned almost any single Expeditionary fleet of the Great Crusade, at least on paper. They were made up primarily of several hundred first and second rate ships of the line; various classes of cruiser and assault vessels intended to dominate "small wars" and conduct lengthy patrols, supported by frigates and destroyers meant for escort duty, to pursue and destroy marauders, and hunt lone predator craft that might disturb the Emperor's Peace.

By nature they possessed fewer large capital class ships than the outward reaching forces of the Great Crusade by disposition, but those they possessed were often very powerful examples of the type, including Goliath and Legatus-class Battleships.

These two in particular were still extremely strong but support-intensive designs that had been replaced in frontline service only as the Great Crusade had reached ever further from the core worlds of the Segmentum Solar and supply lines had become stretched, giving way to more independently operating Gloriana and Victory patterns, but this was a deficiency of no consequence in their current role.

Unlike the ships and armies that made up the great Legiones Astartes-led Expeditionary fleets, the smaller Compliance battlegroups, and the Explorator and Rogue Trader-led formations, they were essentially defensive in nature, inward-looking and meant to be successively piecemealed down into smaller commands and sub-deployments when needed and for as long as was needed.

Because of this, they were made up almost entirely of the Imperialis Auxilia, with cohorts formed in the "Solar" pattern almost exclusively. These were in turn usually drawn from the established Segmentum Excertus commands, and so were purely human in make-up and quite outside the regular command structures of the Great Crusade. Their Grand Admirals and Lords Marshal operated under authority directly proffered by the ruling Council on Terra, and were equal or perhaps greater in effective rank even than the Lords Commander who governed the individual worlds their ships protected.

In practice, of course, it would be a very foolish Grand Admiral that would not defer to a Primarch when matters came to it, or an emissary of the Terran Court or Mars for that matter, but this growing distance between these two sides of the Imperium's military coin, one to defend, the other to conquer, particularly after the Emperor's return to Terra, accounts perhaps for the fact that the Traitors' cause did not have quite so much traction in the midst of these sovereign defence fleets as it did elsewhere in the Imperium's forces, a fact borne out broadly by the historical record.

This observation bears true in the case of the Port Maw Armada, which despite clear efforts being made to deliberately subvert it, remained in the majority loyal, and those ships' crews and Solar Auxilia regiments which did join the Traitors' cause were seldom crewed by wholehearted converts, but more often taken over by a polluted officer cadre or an armed mutiny by a well-prepared and ruthless minority.

The Great War
During the Great Crusade, it was common practice to subordinate Imperialis Auxilia regiments and their supporting Excertus Imperialis war fleets to the Imperial Expeditionary Fleets controlled by the Space Marine Legions. But after the rebellion of no less than fourteen of the Emperor's legions and the onset of the Great War in the early 31st Millennium, it soon became apparent what a monumental mistake it had been to place Imperial Army units under the control of the Space Marine Legions.

During that time of civil war, the Imperium was split asunder and humanity turned in upon itself in a bloody war which almost saw its complete destruction. The fourteen legions stood in open revolt against the tyranical Emperor who had created them, fighting against him to safeguard the Imperium they had been created to forge. Alongside these legions of genetically engineered warriors marched millions of Imperial soldiers, men and women drawn from across the colonies of Mankind and gathered under the banner of the Emperor.

When these Primarch's turned against his father, they took countless soldiers and ships of the Imperial Army with them. Those men which had once fought for the Emperor during the Emperor's Great Crusade to reunite the human-settled galaxy under His banner were instead pitted against each other in a bloody struggle as the Secession unfolded and civil war spanned the galaxy.

Among the Traitor Legions, almost all of their attached Imperial Army formations uniformly followed their masters into rebellion, out of fear or blind faith. Even amongst the Loyalists, Imperial Army units with an officer cadre of genetically-enhanced Geno warriors performed poorly, usually driven to destruction by the inability of the unaugmented human soldiers to keep up with the demands of their transhuman Space Marine leaders.

Over the course of the war, entire armies of mortals were raised and squandered both by brash or desperate commanders on both sides of the conflict. Across the breadth and width of the galaxy, the Imperial Army tore itself apart in monumental battles the likes of which had rarely been seen by the Imperium before the war.

Combined forces of fleet and army elements moved from world to world at the command of Generals and Lord Commanders whose loyalties were unknown to both sides. Thousands of pocket empires were carved out by ambitious commanders with no true loyalty to either side. Over the course of the following centuries, and at a cost of billions of lives, the Imperium was slowly reforged, forever tainted by the blood spilt in the massive civil war which had almost destroyed it.

Ships of the Line
“Ships of the Line” refer to any vessel large enough to perform solo actions in a pitched battle, and as such form the backbone of any fleet. Though they are capable of independent action, many of the smaller ships of the line, such as light cruisers, operate in pairs, maximising their firepower while simultaneously splitting the enemies.

Battleships
Battleships are truly massive starships, equipped with enormous numbers of weapons and potent Void Shields, and usually serve as the flagship for an Imperial Lord Admiral, though this is not always the case. Although very powerful, Battleships are slow and cumbersome to manoeuvre. The Imperialis Armada employs dozens of different battleship classes, though of these, the most common are: the Emperor (which can carry an immense amount of Attack Craft in addition to its normal weaponry), the Victory (known for its heavy Lance batteries) and the Retribution (which is noted for its powerful broadside firepower and its large number of torpedo tubes).

Imperial Battleships can have crews of anywhere between 25,000 to 3,000,000 men or more depending on the source consulted, including large numbers of Imperial Navy armsmen (marines in modern parlance) to defend against enemy boarding assaults.

Battleships can be up to 8 kilometres from prow to stern and displace billions of tons, though some are even greater. Because they represent such a vast expenditure of resources to construct and require a fairly advanced technical base to maintain, Battleships are typically constructed only in the largest Imperial shipyards in orbit of the major Mechanicum Forge Worlds, or around the shipyards of notable worlds such as Saturn, Jupiter and the Ring. These vessels are precious assets of the Imperium and are carefully husbanded, usually employed in only the larger fleet formations and the most critical engagements.

For the Imperialis Armada officer class (admirals, captains, commanders, first lieutenants, etc.) on board, an entire section of a large Battleship's command deck may be divided into huge, luxurious staterooms, with vast bedrooms, offices and wardrobes, bathrooms and toilets mirroring those of an Imperial Planetary Governor's palace, and even harems of concubines and handmaidens.

Lower-class bridge officers and chief petty officers would have fairly large, moderately luxurious quarters, and the armsmen, mid-class crewmen and petty officers would all have decent accommodation, generally consisting of a sleeping area, chemical toilet and storage locker. However, the bottom-class enlisted conscripts and slave ratings would have little more than a flea-infested sleeping pallet and a single toilet shared between ten ratings.

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.

Annihilator-class Battleship

The first battleships designed and built at Cypra Mundi in Segmentum Obscurus, they were typical of the designs from the Jovian shipyards but were unique thanks to their spear-headed front and unusual armament. The Annihilator abandoned traditional broadsides in favor of two enormous turret-mounted cannons. Known as Annihilator Cannons, these massive weapons fired huge high explosive rocket-assisted shells. The shells were fired at such velocity that upon impact their sheer mass and speed was usually enough to tear through even the armored hull of an enemy. A fraction of a second later the shell exploded, causing catastrophic damage. Due to their lack of braodsides, they were often disliked by Imperial Admirals, who could not see past standard combat doctrines and threw them into combat scenarios they were illsuited to perform in. For the more canny admiral however, the Annihilator was a feared weapon, its cannons able to destroy almost any other ship at extreme range.

Dictatus-class Battleship [1]

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 complement 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.

Dominus-class Battleship [1]

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 easily 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 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.

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.

Goliath-class Battleship [1]

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.

Imperator-class Battleship [1]

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 by the end of the Great Crusade were a fairly common sight.

Infernus-class Battleship [1]

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 naval 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.

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-sufficiency, the Oberon was often used as independent raiders and patrol ships. Their flexibility also made them potent Ships of the Line, able to deal with any threat.

Mortis Rex-class Battleship [1]

A highly experimental ship, when the Apostasy 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.

Tiamat-class Battleship [1]

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.

Retribution-class Battleship

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 Retribution-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.

Victory-class Battleship

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.

Battle Barges
The term "Battle Barge" does not refer to a single designation or class of warship as such, but rather is a title given to any variant or retrofit of Battleship class hull modified and optimised for use by the Legiones Astartes, though some rare vessels were in use amongst some of the most beligerent assault regiments of the Imperiual army, specifically for planetary assault and ship-to-ship boarding actions.

Battle Barges are extremely powerful starships and were designed during the Great Crusade with only one purpose in mind -- assaulting other planets. A Battle Barge is primarily configured for the close support of planetary assaults and surface landings and carries numerous bombardment turrets and torpedo tubes, relying on its heavy armour and numerous heavily reinforced Void Shields so that it can breach planetary defences without harm coming to its precious inhabitants and their lethal cargoes. The Battle Barge is a literal mobile fortress in any situation in which an opponent seeks to board one with hostile intent.

A Battle Barge is essentially one of the most potent starships deployed by the Imperium of Man, easily equivalent in power to that of an Imperial Navy Battlecruiser or even a Battleship when the additional power of its Space Marine contingent is added to the equation.

Basileus-class Battle Barge

Forsaking the heavy armour protection of the other Legion battle barges, the massive Basileus class was designed as a second-wave assault ship. Its cavernous interior can hold vast quantities of material, to be delivered to the surface of a planet via its great launch bays. These vessels were rare during the Great Crusade and Antarus Apostasy era's, and were often employed as potent fleet carriers.

Gloriana-class Battleship

The largest class of Battle Barge, and indeed any vessel created by the Imperium of mankind as a dedicated class type, the Gloriana-class Battleship, also known as the Gloriana-class Battle Barge, were terrifying forces of Imperial might, each legion possessing at least one of these terrifying vessels, the Primarch's taking them as their own, carrying them into battle as their Flagships.

Ironclad-class Battle Barge

A catchall term used to refer to any battleship class vessel that had beebn up-armoured at the expense of gunnery decks, these vessels became known as the Ironclad-class, or more rarely, Adamanticlads. Lacking almost any kind of shielding, these vessels take heavy damage as they approach an enemy fleet, their armour often needing replacement after a single battle, increasing repair times exponentially. However, the lowered of reactor drain from the lack of shields means other systems can be pushed far harder, the Ironclad being one of the fastest Battle Barge classes to date.

Legate-class Battle Barge

One of the most advanced ships in Imperial service, the Legate-class Battle Barge boasted enhanced sensors, void shields and a composite armour design made possible by STC discovery throughout the Great Crusade, allowing them to take far more punishment than their size would suggest, while still maintaining a large enough troop capacity to deploy close to five hundred Astartes directly onto a planet in short order.

Warspite-class Battle Barge

The Warspite was the first of the Battle Barge classes, developed shortly after the beginning of the Great Crusade, bearing all of the hallmarks of the vessels class, though few refinements or advanced systems, ensuring that as other vessel types became avaliable, most legions began to move away from the Warspite. By the time of the Antarus Apostasy, the Legions had all but abandoned the vessels, though they were still employed across the Imperium by numerous Imperial Army regiments.

Cruisers
Cruisers make up the backbone of any starfaring warfleet. More maneouverable than a Battleship and more powerful than an Escort, they have the firepower and speed to be used for almost any sort of duty, including patrols, blockades, raids, and straight-up firefights. Cruisers are divided into many sub-types depending on their size and role. From Light Cruisers that are fast enough to chase off Escorts all the way up to the massive Grand Cruisers that are almost the equal of a Battleship, each Cruiser has its own part to play in achieving victory.

Grand Cruisers
Grand Cruisers are smaller than Battleships, yet larger than Cruisers. These vessels are usually much older in design and do not incorporate many of the features that are typical in the more current classes of Imperial Navy vessels, like the armoured prow, and are not quite compatible with current Imperial Navy tactical doctrine. As such, many are retired from active duty, but are still used by the Imperial Navy's reserve fleets.

The Avenger-class, with its powerful broadside firepower, is one such example of a Grand Cruiser. There are also some modernised versions of Grand Cruisers in active service, but since these are much larger and more heavily-armed than their predecessors, they are more often classed at present as Battleships. These kinds of vessels are usually purpose-built or modified from Battlecruiser hulls and are not commonly encountered in the Imperial Navy.

Avenger-class Grand Cruiser

No other ship defines the tactical preferences of the Imperial Armada as succinctly as the Avenger-class Grand Cruiser. A potent warship marked by brutal simplicity, the Avenger-class mounts enormous macro-batteries along its broadsides. Intended for close-range brawling, squadrons of Avenger-class ships were used as line-breakers, thrown into the middle of the enemy fleet to unleash crippling broadsides.

The Avenger-class was a staple of any Imperial Fleet, however given the nature of the ship they appeared in far greater numbers in those fleets with a particular proclivity for point-blank engagements. The class became a rapid favourite amongst many Astartes legions and the fleets of certain Mechanicum factions.

Charibdys-class Grand Cruiser [1]

Designed as a test bed for new weaponry developed by the Mechanicum or recovered during the advance of the Great Crusade, most of the Charibdys-class were hastily completed and rushed into service armed with untested weaponry, their performance varying wildly, and as such they were not much liked by admirals who preferred a more predictable vessel under their command.

Dagon-class Grand Cruiser [1]

All Grand Cruisers are intended to be the nucleus of small fleet actions and the Dagon-class is no exception. Building off of the success of the Lunar-class cruiser the Dagon-class was supposed to be the archetype upon which all following Grand Cruisers would be based. The inclusion of a bespoke Torpedo system into the prow of the hull was one of the modifications from the Vengeance-class that was anticipated to make the Dagon-class easier to include in larger fleet tactics. Being as it would be able to contribute to opening torpedo volleys to break up enemy formations.

Unfortunately this was not to be the case. While it had the same versatile layout of weapons as the smaller Lunar-class Cruiser, the greater cost involved in building and fielding such ships meant that they often lacked the support needed to engage enemies. Where the Lunar-class could be paired with another cruiser to supplement one another such was not a luxury that could be afforded with themuch more expensive Dagon-class. Additionally issues with the torpedo fire control systems ensured that as the Crusade continued this ship languished in reserve roles and the number of ships built of this class dwindled away to almost nothing.

Exorcist-class Grand Cruiser

A variant of the Vengeance-class Grand Cruiser, the Exorcist-class is primarily intended as a long-range patrol vessel. The Exorcist-class is capable of being self-sufficient for long periods of time, making it ideal for patrolling and scouting far-flung reaches of space far from Imperial territory.

The ability of these ships to survive for long periods of time unaided meant a great many were used in the Eastern Fringe, and it was not uncommon to see this class used as flagship for many Rogue Traders. Their relative lack of armour compared with the Avenger-class meant this ship saw little action in large-scale fleet battles, however the class still proved its worth in skirmishes and flanking actions.

Inflexible-class Grand Cruiser [1]

Designed to be the Grand Cruiser counterpart to the Gothic-class, the Inflexible-class is capable of inflicting the same killing blow, but from a much greater range. Like its smaller cousin the Inflexible-class lacks somewhat in a gunnery duel, it's heavy lances being unable to keep up with the rate of fire of more conventional batteries. As such it matches it's name well remaining a specialist ship in spite of many captains swearing by it's heavy lances.

Being armed with a Nova Cannon also sets the Inflexible-class apart amongst the Grand Cruisers. Unlike it's fellows it is capable of engaging enemies head-on and from extreme range. Many enemies upon coming under bombardment by such a formidable weapon will attempt to flank escape out of it's firing arc and instead blunder into the sights of the broadside lances. If it is allowed to stay at range, this ship can pick off ships that have been damaged or crippled by its allies and this has lead to Inflexible-class Grand Cruisers having some of the highest kill tallies of any ships amongst the Expedition fleets.

Vengeance-class Grand Cruiser

The Vengeance-class Grand Cruiser is one of the oldest classes in service with the Imperial Armada. Less armoured than the Avenger-class, nonetheless the Vengeance-class saw a great deal of action in fleet engagements. Its hybrid armament of macro-cannons and lance turrets gives the class a fearsome broadside, however it suffers in head-on engagements. Lacking any forward-firing armaments to break up the enemy line, and without a true armoured prow, the Vengeance-class proved vulnerable whilst approaching the enemy.

Ultimately the Vengeance-class began to fall out of favour, most admirals turning instead to the Avenger-class or Inflexible-class. Many examples were converted into the Exorcist-class, and others were resigned to reserve roles late in the Crusade. The outbreak of the Apostasy, however, saved this ship from its fall from grace. With the irregular fleet formations some battlegroups were forced to adopt, the Vengeance-class proved a more than capable workhorse when properly supported. Vengeance-class ships were placed within Avenger-class squadrons, in pairs or individually, to ward off enemy Cruisers seeking to attack from above or below the Avenger-class' broadsides.

Battlecruisers
Armiger-class Battle Cruiser [1]

The Armiger-class is a result of taking the Cardinal-class's design philosophy to its logical extreme. A cruiser sized hull capable of dealing with foes out at the extreme ranges normally restricted to battleships. The prow torpedo armament allows the Armiger-class to re-route precious power to it's dorsal lances to enable all of it's weapons to have the same engagement envelope, a powerful advantage that lets captains of these ships to stay out of the messy brawl of the main battlelines.

The complexity of the plasma batteries mounted on the Armiger-class prevent it from seeing the widespread service originally intended for, but even a pair of these ships can put out firepower equivalent to a battleship, and at the same ranges, so their rarity has not impacted upon their popularity in the slightest.

Eclipse-class Battlecruiser [1]

The Eclipse-class Battlecruiser is something of a jack of all trades, it has a mix of weapons that allows it to perform well in any situation. Including the much coveted hangars that allow for the simultaneous launch of 4 squadrons of attack craft. The range of its weapons and launch bays, combined with its use of the famed Nova Cannon allow it to maintain a distance from the foe and perform in a supporting role for smaller fleets.

Unfortunately the traits that makes the Eclipse-class always useful also prevents it from dominating in any one area. In a gunnery duel it will quickly find itself outclassed even by lesser opponents and it doesn't carry the dominating volume of attack craft that the Emperor-class or Imperator-class do, so it is unlikely to be able to achieve air superiority in any but the smallest engagements. In spite of these deficiencies the Eclipse is a solid ship with a good track record that performs well so long as it is supported by other ships in the fleet.

Galleass of War
Maelstrom-class Galleass of War [1]

Close to a Grand Cruiser in terms of scale but only possessing the firepower of a Battlecruiser, the Maelstrom-class is officially defined as a Galleass of War as a result, designed as an all-rounder vessel, having no particular strengths but also no particular weaknesses. It was this nature that saw the Maelstrom-class included in almost every Imperial fleet, even if they rarely got recognition for their work horse nature, rarely carrying the day as they carried their endless duty.

Odysseus-class Galleass of War [1]

A tried and true design, the Odysseus-class like the Maelstrom-class is a Battlecruiser the size of a Grand Cruiser, being given the Galleass of War designation by Imperial Command. Considerably older than the Imperium itself, the Odysseus-class is a lance boat, able to slice apart enemies at extreme range with pinpoint accurate firepower from multiple dedicated lance batteries dotting its sides and spine.

Heavy Cruisers
Bellerophon-class Heavy Assault Cruiser [1]

The Bellerophon-class is the epitome of the brute force approach to naval combat. Carrying enough weapons batteries to level mountains this ship is designed to close with the enemy and overwhelm them with sheer firepower, indeed few other classes can match this one in a straight gunnery duel. The large numbers of this class available has enabled admirals to use squadrons of this ship as linebreakers, charging straight into the heart of the enemy and forcing them back with withering broadsides.

This class of ship is the most numerous of the Heavy Cruisers for one reason, simplicity. The weapons batteries of this class are basic enough that even non-forge worlds can build them given enough time enabling many worlds to contribute to fleet strength who would otherwise be incapable of doing so.

Cardinal-class Heavy Cruiser [1]

The Cardinal-class is a rarer derivation of the Hades-class Heavy Cruiser, which trades out the plasma weapons batteries with long range lance turrets. In combination with the dorsal lance battery this lets the Cardinal-class fire a broadside of equal intensity to the Gothic-class Cruiser, but at substantially greater ranges. This degree of firepower combined with the high speed of the Cardinal-class make it fantastic as a rapid responder in larger fleet engagements. Many xenos have been vapourised unexpectedly by a Cardinal-class that was able to close and engage much more quickly than they believed possible.

One unusual trait the Cardinal-class possesses is the density of it's self defence turrets. Few ships that don't carry attack craft themselves have the same potency to their defences in this area. This allows captains of the Cardinal-class to be more aggressive in the face of enemy ordinance and be confident of victory.

Hades-class Heavy Cruiser [1]

The Hades-class Heavy Cruiser shares much in common with its smaller cousin the Murder-class Cruiser, basically being an up-gunned version of the latter. Building on the success of the Murder-class' ferocious combination of speed and withering long range plasma batteries, the Hades-class adds in a pair of long range dorsal lances, which when combined with it's prow lance battery allow it to deal unexpected damage on foes whilst closing in.

The Hades-class is probably one of the most common classes of Heavy Cruisers, trailing behind only the incredibly simple Bellerophon-class in numbers. This is due to its modular design allowing for certain components to be prefabricated and then assembled at a much faster pace than it's more esoteric contemporaries. As the Great Crusade further expands the borders of the Imperium this is a trait that makes it a very favourable class amongst the higher echelons of the admiralty.

Hellfire-class Heavy Cruiser [1]

The Hellfire-class is a recent innovation by the Mechanicum, sporting a unique hull configuration. Mounting a potent combination of heavy lances and plasma weapons batteries the Hellfire-class is the end result of pushing the very boundaries of the Heavy Cruiser weight class. In this it is entirely successful, able to bring firepower nearly equal to the significantly larger Grand Cruisers whilst still fitting within the tighter space constraints of the smaller class.

All this power is not without cost, however. The Hellfire-class’ weapons tax the generatoria of the vessel resulting in significantly reduced firepower whilst the ship undergoes hard manoeuvres. Additionally a vast proportion of the hull is given over to supplying power to the ship’s weapon systems resulting in cramped and uncomfortable working spaces. The crew quarters in particular are known to be severely restricted and morale is frequently a problem on Hellfire-class ships as a result.

Indrajit-class Heavy Cruiser

A void-warrior of rare and rugged design, the Indrajit-class was named for the invincible demigod of ancient Indus myth, and more than lived up to the legends. A macro-delivery vessel, the Indrajit-class was designed to unleash millions of tonnes of ordnance onto a target at ultra-close range, primarily other ships but also against ground based targets if called upon. Indeed, the level of firepower that this vessel could put out was so great that even Battleships feared allowing them too close, prioritising their destruction when they entered the battle sphere. To combat this, the Indrajit-class possessed extremely heavy hull armour and void shielding, all designed to allow it to close to killing range intact.

Strike Cruisers/Assault Cruisers
A class of vessel similar to the Battle Barge in its usage primarily by the Legiones Astartes, the Strike Cruiser is none-the-less seen in the hands of some mortal forces, designating a cruiser-class vessel primarily designed for planetary invsaion. The first of these class of vessels were often refered to as Assault Cruisers, and as the Great Crusade continued, this designation became common to describe mortal crewed variants, Stike Cruisers refered to Astartes crewed vessels.

Crusade-class Strike Cruiser

A heavy modification of the Olympia-class, the Crusade-class sacrifices the former's launch bay and weapons batteries for a trio of powerful lances. This lets the Crusade-class pick off even heavily armoured defence platforms from long range as well as provide precision strikes against targets on the ground. This role makes the class something of a specialist even within the Strike Cruiser category, and one best employed within a squadron where they can work to support the other Strike Cruisers and their ground troops.

Although they have seen little active service so far in the Expeditionary Fleets, the Crusade-class is finding favour amongst the Legions for its ability to bring precision firepower to bear on enemy strongpoints. In fact squadrons of two Olympia-class cruisers and one Crusade-class have been used to great effect by them as they bring enough firepower to deal with most orbital defensive installations as well as a contingent of Astartes that can pacify all but the most advanced or recalcitrant worlds.

Dodona-class Strike Cruiser

Some of the Legiones Astartes were reluctant to use orbital bombardment except in the most dire circumstances, and it was this mentality that gave rise to the Dodona-class. Designed to pinpoint accurate fire and strike craft deployment, the Dodona-class was a scalpel, able to provide tactical fire-support, rather than the strategic bombardments of larger vessels. The development of the Thunderhawk and Thunderhawk Annihilator greatly increased the popularity of this vessel, the Dodona-class often serving as a small, fast carrier.

Olympia-class Strike Cruiser

The first of a new wave of Strike Cruisers, the Olympia-class has a tonnage similar to that of a typical Light Cruiser. It's weapons systems are also largely comparable, though they are focused on the planetary assault role. The major difference is that, unlike other Light Cruisers, the Olympia-class carries a large prow launch bay to facilitate the rapid deployment of ground troops onto the battlefield.

Although the origins of the design are lost to time, the Zalmoxite hull-type has only been recently uncovered by the adepts of the Mechanicum, this has led some to question if such an extensive roll out of ships of this design should be attempted. However, in field tests the Zalmoxite hull has proven itself in a variety of scenarios though it seems best suited to the role of planetary assault and bombardment where its heavy armour will let it ferry it's cargo safely to the ground.

Punisher-class Assault Cruiser

The Punisher-class Assault Cruiser is a Cruiser class warship used by the Imperialis Armada, as well as the Proctor Sectus and Adeptus Arbites created during the later parts of the Great Crusade. Created specifically for second line and third line deployment, the Punisher-class is primarily a patrol vessel, putting down rebellions, hunting down pirate bands, and transporting high-ranking planetary officials. While less armoured than frontline Strike Cruisers, the Punisher-class does possess specialize scanning arrays designed to locate pirate bases and xenos holdouts in isolated regions of space, as well as deployment bays for entire regiments of troops.

Undying-class Strike Cruiser

The Undying-class was designed to meet the needs of far-ranging Expeditionary fleets for a powerful, high-endurance assault vessel. Initially planned to bridge the gap between the Basileus-class and the Olympia-class, the Design Synod re-calibrated the Undying-class after consulting with a number of Space Marine captains who had led long-range strikes. Trusting in the experience of these warriors, the Arch Magoi did away with the design's torpedo tubes and increased the strength of its heavy bombardment cannons.

Vanguard-class Strike Cruiser

Vanguard-class Cruisers are normally refitted Strike Cruisers rather than purpose-built. They have improved thrusters and defensive turrets, but this comes at the expense of weaker offensive weaponry so Vanguard-clas vessels are less capable in a planetary assault role. As a result, Vanguards are used as scouting vessels operating independently or as heavy escorts as part of a large Space Marine fleet

Cruisers
Devastation-class Cruiser [1]

The Devastation-class is the Profundis hull-style compatriot to the Dictator-class. Essentially a hybrid carrier/gunboat it is able to use its superior range and speed to keep at a distance whilst still providing fire support to nearby squadrons.

The downside to this is that the Devastation-class is rarely part of the lines of battle so it cannot contribute to the initial torpedo waves to break up enemy formations. And though the range of its attack craft allows it’s bombers to disrupt the enemy from afar in doing to it is frequently too far from friendly ships to provide close air support with it’s fighters. Conventional wisdom is that this ship should be used in a more aggressive role, with its lances and bombers picking off foes from a distance.

Dictator-class Cruiser

The counterpart to the Devastation-class, the Dictator-class is much more a standard ship-of-the-line than its faster brother. It's thick adamantine prow and short range, but powerful weapons batteries make it much easier for Admirals to include it within fleet formations and manoeuvres. Offensively it is very much comparable to the Devastation and they complement each other well able to excel in their own particular niches.

Conventionally this vessel is a much more defensive vessel than its counterpart, making use of its fighter squadrons to protect nearby ships and assisting them with its formidable point defence systems. This makes the Dominator-class less an assassin and more a force multiplier, keeping friendly ships in the fight for longer than would normally be the case. It is a less glorious role than many would wish for, but a vital one nonetheless.

Dominator-class Cruiser

The Dominator-class is a simple ship, it is a hammer that uses it's massed broadside weapons to pummel opponent's into submission. It is a brutal ship and entirely without subtlety, and it is for these reasons that it finds favour among captains of a certain disposition. The long range and powerful nova cannon give the Dominator-class the ability to break apart enemy formations as it closes so it can drive headlong into the disarrayed foe and make use of both it's broadsides simultaneously.

In a fleet engagement squadrons of Dominators can prove formidable line breakers, capable of creating fire zones that even Battleships should be wary of entering. And if they bring all of their nova cannons to bear on a single target the effects can be spectacularly devastating.

Gothic-class Cruiser

The Gothic-class occupies an odd position within  the fleets of the Great Crusade. Its powerful lance turrets give it the ability to deal with heavily armoured opponent and deliver the finishing strike to even the biggest foes. However, it does not have the volume of fire to deal with opponents on it's own. To truly get the best of this ship it needs to be fielded at squadron strength, where its lack of firepower is mitigated by the fact that it's squadron-mates can support it.

This lack of versatility ensures that the Gothic-class are among the rarest of the Cruiser designated classes found in Expeditionary Fleets. However it is unlikely they will ever be phased out as their lances are a powerful tool, albeit one that must be employed carefully.

Lunar-class Cruiser

The Lunar-class is the true workhorse of the Great Crusade. A flexible design that is at home in both a fleet engagement as it is in an individual action. With both lances and weapons batteries it is more than capable of engaging any opponent from the perfidious Eldar to the brutal Orks. However its true strength is its simplicity.

Unlike most capital ships employed by the Expeditionary Fleets, the Lunar-class is capable of being built by non-Forge Worlds. Even relatively minor systems can construct the components required by the laser batteries and so with the ever increasing demand for ships many have been pressed into this shipbuilding role. There are several objectors amongst the Mechanicum adepts, but the success of the program has enabled several crucial shipyards to move construction to more esoteric and powerful ship classes, including the newer Zalmoxite hulls.

Murder-class Cruiser [1]

The Murder-class is perhaps the greatest proponent of the Profundis hull-style approach to naval combat. It has a pair of high-powered long-range lances to the fore so it can pick off targets at range and bristling broadsides of densely packed plasma batteries. Combined with the greater speed that the Profundis hull provides the Murder-class is a very capable ship that can fulfil a number of roles within a fleet.

Perhaps the most widely used Cruiser in the Expedition fleets the Murder-class is seeing ever decreasing production due to the success of the newer Lunar-class. In spite of this the Murder-class has some die hard supporters among the admiralty and still sees favourable usage in the majority of Expedition fleets.

Light Cruisers
Dauntless-class Light Cruiser

The Dauntless-class is the archetypical Light Cruiser. Fast, manoeuvrable and packing a big punch it is everything that a Light Cruiser needs to be. And this is part of why it is probably the most common Light Cruiser operated in the Great Crusade, in spite of the complexity of it's prow mounted heavy lance array. This particular weapon is a large part of what has made the class so successful. however. As it allows the Dauntless-class to punch well above its weight class and engage a far larger number of enemies.

The Dauntless-class isn't just made for fleet engagements though. It possesses a remarkable endurance, allowing it to be used as a long range patrol vessel to protect merchant assets and hunt for pirates in those areas far from the well-defended forge or hive worlds. It is most often used in this role and one or two Dauntlesses are more than capable of dealing with almost any pirate threat on their own, without any need of reinforcement. Indeed, many captains consider it a fine break from the tedium of patrols to be able to charge their weapons and vapourise some pirate scum.

Endeavour-class Light Cruiser

The Endeavour-class is unusual amongst the Light Cruisers in that it is no faster than a traditional Cruiser. However this seeming weakness is in fact one of it's greatest assets, as it is forced to remain as part of the main formation in an engagement and can provide support to nearby ships as traditional doctrine would suggest. To aid in this it is equipped with fairly substantial weapons batteries as well as a pair of torpedo tubes allowing it to support during all stages of a confrontation.

While many consider the Endeavour-class to be a "poor-man's-cruiser" the reduced assets required to produce and maintain this class are part of what makes it attractive. Although it is significantly less powerful in a fight than a Cruiser the resources needed to build one are likewise significantly lower, as are the crew requirements. So it is often possible to fit and staff multiple Endeavours for each larger ship.

Silura-class Light Cruiser [1]

The Siluria-class was an attempt to combine the greatest strengths of the Dauntless and Endeavour classes of Light Cruiser. It was only partially successful in that regard. While the ship possesses the firepower of the Endeavour-class as well as the speed of the Dauntless-class, there have been several trade-offs in order to make the design function within acceptable parameters. Firstly the highly coveted armoured prow of the Endeavour-class was lost, as were the torpedo tubes. In exchange the Siluria-class has speed equal to that of the lighter Dauntless-class and a much more formidable broadside.

While the Siluria-class did not meet the hopes of the designers it is still a formidable vessel and when fielded in squadrons, as fleet doctrine insists, Silurias can quickly dismantle an unprepared foe. In fact the Siluria-class has a particularly high rate of kills when engaging with the perfidious Eldar where it can mitigate much of the advantage of the xenos' holofields through volume of fire.

Tetsuijn-class Light Cruiser [1]

An oddity among the Crusade fleets the Tetsujin-class is one of very few classes of Light Cruiser developed from the Profundis hull-type, but it is not only this that makes it unusual. The Tetsujin-class boasts the ability to launch a wave of torpedoes comparable to those of Battleships and maintain that same rate of fire over even prolonged engagements. The specifics of it's auto-loading systems are held close by the few Forge Worlds with access to them, but this exclusivity has also made the Tetsujin-class a markedly rare ship.

The sheer volumes of ordnance that a squadron of Tetsujin-class can deploy makes them invaluable bombardment ships. Their torpedoes mean that they can deploy far outside of conventional weapons range and pummel stationary targets into rubble. In a fleet engagement they are often used as flankers, using their speed to pounce on targets of opportunity and 'shotgun' enemy vessels at close range with a volume of torpedoes that even the largest of ships will struggle to defend against.

Star Galleon

Specialist long-range exploration vessels, capable of voyaging for years at a time, Star Galleon’s are found in numerous different pattern types, but all conform to the same basic standard, conceived as heavily armed hybrids of Cruiser and transport, with enough Lance firepower to defend themselves and carve apart Renegade star empires, yet also capable of safely transporting back the spoils of war by the megatonnne.

Escort Vessels
Escort ships are the smallest type of warship in the Imperialis Armada's fleets, found in two distinct sub-classes. The larger of the two sub-classes of Escorts are Frigates, which are better armed and more heavily armoured than other Escorts. Destroyers are generally smaller than Frigates, but they are by far the fastest and most manoeuvrable interstellar warships employed by the Imperialis Armada.

They are usually organised in squadrons of 2 to 6 vessels and will always operate as a group or "wolf pack." The main task of Escorts is to serve as a screen for capital starships against enemy torpedoes and Attack Craft so that they can get into position more quickly and safely.

They are also employed behind the gun line to finish off enemy Cruisers that have been damaged so that the larger vessels can concentrate on the most dangerous capital ship threats in an enemy formation. Most Escort classes specialise in a certain role, such as the Cobra-class torpedo boat Destroyers or the Firestorm-class Frigate with its armour-piercing prow-mounted Lance. Escorts are normally not more than 1.5 kilometres in length, with Destroyers generally being only 750 metres to 1.5 kilometres from prow to stern.

Heavy Frigates
Gladius-class Heavy Frigate

The Gladius-class is armed with a mid-sized weapons battery, much like the Sword-class, but its engines are about twenty percent more powerful than the Sword-class. This enables the Gladius-classto take advantage of the enemy's movements, darting into holes left in the battle line, and using its weapons batteries to good effect. The ship is shielded as well as any other escort, but due to the nature of its role in combat, has an excellent turret array for its size, comparable to that of a standard Imperialis Armada cruiser.

Nova-class Heavy Frigate

The Nova-class is a Lance boat, much like the Firestorm-class Frigate, armed with a single turret-mounted lance in the prow of the ship, able to fire to the sides, and in front of the ship, and two small weapons batteries, also turret mounted. However, its engines are much more powerful than a Firestorm-class, making the Nova-class almost twice as fast as a cruiser of the Imperialis Armada. This speed and manoeuvrability allow the Nova-class to get to favourable firing positions, deliver the lance armament's bite, and withdraw before the enemy can react to bring their guns to bear on the Nova-class.

Thunderbolt-class Heavy Frigate [1]

A particular rarity in the Expeditionary Fleets, the Thunderbolt-class has perhaps one of the most advanced weapons systems seen on any escort class ship. It's Lance weapon is capable of engaging enemies at ranges far greater than that of almost any other ship of its size. This first strike ability along with the armour piercing properties of the lance in general make this a highly sought after ship. However, only a small number of forge worlds possess the manufacturing capabilities to create focusing lenses of such size and precision, so demand always far outstrips production output.

Sceptre-class Heavy Frigate

A minor variant of the Sword-class, the Sceptre-class features a centre-line torpedo launcher in exchange for reduced firepower. This trade-off allows the ship to engage from much greater ranges as well as inflict damage on targets that would be difficult for it to engage traditionally, such as heavily armoured and shielded Battleships or planetary defenses. The increased flexibility has made the Sceptre an increasingly popular ship, though it still trails far behind its parent in numbers.

Sword-class Heavy Frigate

Perhaps the most common escort ship used during the Great Crusade the Sword-class has the perfect balance of firepower, speed and defences. Capable of dealing with threats ranging from the tiny fighter squadrons all the way up to battleships this ship only needs a canny commander and a skilled crew to be able to win against any foe. In a fleet situations, squadrons of Swords roam the edges of the engagement area like wolf packs preventing the enemy from fleeing and sweeping in to finish off crippled ships.

Frigates
Baron-class Minekeeper

A variant of the Stalwart-class, the Baron-class mounts the same sensors, but forgos direct fire weapons to make room for large ordnance bays filled to the brim with capital-ship killing mines. Sitting on so much firepower in such a small craft attracts a certain type of captain, and many of their breed are dour types, or else assigned to Baron-class charges as a punishment.

The Baron-class often works in tandem with the Stalwart-class, gathering up the deactivated mines and turning them to the Imperium’s service. More than one enemy fleet has been caught offguard as they travel through what they believe to be their own minefield, only to find a score of Stalwart and Baron classes have passed through, running near silently and perverting their defences into their own doom.

Firestorm-class Frigate

The Firestorm-class is a variant of the Sword-class Frigate, designed to link the speed and manoeuvrability of an escort, with the bite of a lance vessel. The systems utilized to power the Sword-classes laser weapons battery have been reconfigured to power the single prow-mounted lance of the Firestorm-class.

It is not uncommon to see a squadron of Firestorm-class supporting independent squadrons of Sword and Cobra-class Destroyers. In situations like these, it falls to the Firestorm-class to deal damage to capital ships, and rival escorts once the other two classes have lowered the enemy's shields. Firestorm-class Frigates are often seen fighting alongside Space Marine formations.

Havoc-class Frigate

An old design, the Havoc-class is is primarily used for plundering against Xenos or renegade human Merchant Fleet shipping. A typical Havoc Raider has fast engines, sizable cargo space, and enough firepower to rival many frigates. However their armor is relatively weak, meaning that they tend to have a hard time going toe-to-toe with a comparable naval vessel. This weakness has earned them the nickname "glass cannon".

Spectre-class Warprunner

One of the swiftest vessels ever built by the Imperium, the Spectre-class served the Expeditionary Fleets in a variety of support roles. Most frequently, they would be sent ahead of the main body to gather up-to-date tactical intelligence before a main strike was launched.

Stalwart-class Frigate

The Stalwart-class was a minesweeper used in every fleet of the Imperialis Armada, without fail. Lightly armed and armoured, the ship dedicated everything to its advanced sensor suite and counter-electronic warfare suite. Sent ahead of the main fleet, squadrons of Stalwart’s would find and deactivate minefields, allowing the main fleet to advanced unopposed.

Thor-class Ordinancer

Designed with a single goal in mind, the Thor-class is a plasma vessel, boasting giant plasma weapons that would be used as broadsides on larger vessels. Often commander by the most bellicose of captains and commanders, the attrition rate amongst the Thor-class and their gun crews are second to none.

Vigil-class Siege Frigate

Only just lighter than a Heavy Frigate, the Vigil-class is often used when a world needs to be taken, but a full fleet cannot be mustered, or is otherwise not required. Built around a single massive Bombardment Cannon that runs its entire length, the Vigil-class can bombard a lesser planet into submission, or be used alongside larger ships to destroy even the greatest of defences.

Destroyers
Cobra-class Destroyer

Fast and manoeuvrable enough to get into a position from where its torpedoes will do most damage, the Cobra-class is much liked by fleet admirals, though less so amongst those who crew them. Due to its small size, large engine signature, and relatively poor armour, it does not stand up well to enemy fire. This shouldn't be a problem, however, due to the long range of a torpedo, but if an admiral is not careful and the Cobra-class is caught out of position, they are easy pickings for even the smallest of enemy ships. To somewhat offset this, Cobra-class vessels always act in squadrons of between two and six ships, making a torpedo volley from a squadron enough to cripple a large capital ship. It is the smallest independent Imperial warship, the smaller ones being carried aboard larger cruisers.

The Cobra-class has a pair of torpedo tubes in the prow, and a single weapons battery positioned to fire to the sides, and in front of the ship. The weapons battery is a purely defensive measure, for when the Cobra-class is attacked by enemy escorts. It is short-ranged, and is almost never used to attack a capital ship, as it simply is not powerful enough to do any real damage. Cobra-class Destroyers are often seen fighting alongside Space Marine formations.

Falchion-class Destroyer

The Falchion-class is a product of the Voss Forgeworld and was designed to fulfill a similar role as the Sword-class Frigate. It is an escort ship and as such is individually weak and therefore operates paired with three or four ships; sometimes up to six ships are grouped together in a single squadron. The Falchion-class has a small weapons battery and a single torpedo tube. It also has a shield generator and turret array for protection.

Harpy-class Destroyer

Swift and deadly, the Harpy-class mounts two small lances, able to threaten small ships from extreme range, making it perfect for hunting down transports or fleeing escape pods. When used en-masse, the Harpy-class can even threaten larger vessels, though the death toll amongst the crews in such actions are astronomical.

Hunter-class Destroyer

The Hunter-class is designed to fulfill the same role in the Space Marine Fleet that the Cobra-class Destroyer does in the Imperialis Armada. The Hunter-class is armed similarly to the Cobra-class, but is a little faster, allowing it to react quickly to openings the enemy provides. The vessel is equipped with Torpedo tubes and a Weapons Battery. The same shield and turret array complement found on the Cobra-class is fitted on a Hunter-class. The Hunter-class is also more heavily armoured than a Cobra-class, providing it with a little more survivability in a combat situation.

Viper-class Destroyer

A Viper-class Destroyer is a variant Cobra-class Destroyer converted to carry Boarding Torpedoes. Some of these warships retained their torpedo armament, even after they were no longer needed. The Viper-class has been designated as a Missile Destroyer by the Imperialis Armada and is usually organised into separate flotillas which are able to be brought to bear in massed torpedo attacks at critical moments during a battle.

Corvettes
Claymore-class Corvette

Corvettes in general are a bit smaller and less powerful than Frigates, but are better equipped than some other ships, such as light Raider vessels. The Claymore-class is seen as a standard Corvette: It is rugged and uses a simplistic design which allows easy repairs, making the Claymore-class an extremely practical vessel to manufacture during wartime

Defence Monitors

Defence Monitors are dedicated Imperial defense ships designed for short-ranged combat. Their lance and massive weapons batteries make them a threat to ships closing in to attack a planet, but at the cost of being too slow to fight effectively in open space.

System Ships

System Ships are a mix of short-ranged vessels incapable of interstellar travel. They have civilian crews and do not have the advanced equipment (engines, weapons targeting systems) more commonly seen in Imperialis Armada warships. However, they can pack a good punch when massed and used effectively.

Wrath Hammer-class Escort

An ancient pattern of ship, the Wrath Hammer-class is used exclusively by the Space Marine Legions, able to outpace, outgun and out fight any other Imperial vessel its size many times over.

Attack Craft
Attack Craft are the small, carrier-launched spacecraft that provide far-ranging support for battlefleets in combat. The difficulty of hitting such targets with anti-ship weapons makes them a formidable weapon, but they are held back by their lack of endurance.

Most attack craft fall into one of three broad categories: Fighters, Bombers, and Assault Boats.


 * Fighters are small, one-man craft that intercept and destroy enemy attack craft and ordnance, but lack the firepower to damage starships. These often come in two forms, atmospheric and void capable, the Imperialis Armada responsible for both such vessels.
 * Bombers are (relatively) large, lumbering craft that carry heavy anti-ship weapons.
 * Assault Boats clamp on to enemy ships and deliver their cargo of elite soldiers for a short but damaging boarding action.

Apis-class Bomber

The Apis was a type of bomber used primarily by the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade. Apis Bombers were fast and mobile, but were only able to carry a small number of bombs, relegating them to a strike bomber role rather than larger scale tactical or strategic bombers.

Calixis-pattern Starhawk Bomber

The Starhawk, also known as the Calixis-pattern Starhawk Bomber, is a non-atmospheric Imperial Navy bomber. Starhawk bombers are larger, slower voidcraft than the Marauder bomber which is capable of operating in both vacuum and an atmosphere and was the previous primary bomber in use by Imperial forces. A Starhawk is designed to carry a heavy payload of Plasma Bombs and armour-piercing missiles for use solely against enemy capital ships rather than planetary targets.

The Calixis-pattern has forward racks for up to 10 large anti-ship missiles with powerful Krak warheads, and mid-bays containing multiple bomb-firing cylinders. Starhawks launch volleys of missiles at precise targets on an enemy warship, then close and make "bombing runs" on the hull, pumping out ﬂurries of plasma warheads.

Corsair-pattern Bomber

The Corsair Bomber was a type of Space Bomber aircraft used by the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Antarus Apostasy. Frequently serving alongside the Wrath Starfighter, the Corsair was a vulture-winged gunship armed with missiles and lascannons. By the end of the Great Crusade, the Corsair-pattern had been almost completely replaced by the Starhawk in Imperial service.

Faustus Interceptors

Faustus Interceptors are attack craft used for long-range patrol duties, operating as early-warning detectors for Imperial fleets. Because of this role, they possess onboard astropaths, used for secure, long-distance communication. Powerful and fast for their size, Faustus interceptors can be armed with a variety of turreted ballistic cannons and a forward-locked plasma gun array.

Fury-class Interceptor

The Fury Interceptor was first developed by the Mechanicum during the last years of the Emperor's Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium. The craft was designed to replace the aging Wrath-pattern Starfighter that was the most widely used starfighter by the Imperium at that time. The Fury was easier to produce, handled more smoothly for its pilots, and suffered from less technical malfunctions. However, the more veteran pilots in the Imperialis Armada still preferred the Wrath, seeing it as a finer instrument of void war over the much more "sterile" Fury.

The Fury Interceptor is the workhorse of the Imperialis Armada and can be used in multiple roles throughout a single fleet. The Fury is most commonly used as either a void superiority fighter or an interdiction Attack Craft that shoots down enemy torpedoes and bombers that threaten larger starships. The Fury is also used to escort the Imperialis Armada’s Starhawk Bombers during their own attack runs on the enemy's capital ships.

Furies can return to their mothership, or another Imperial carrier ship if need be, to be rearmed and repaired, although if a Fury is too heavily damaged another can be issued if the pilot and his crew are needed in the battle. When not in combat, Furies are used for scouting and reconnaissance, and simple combat air patrol missions around a fleet. The Fury Interceptor, along with the Starhawk bomber, is fully capable of attacking planetary targets within an atmosphere, although, due to their sheer size and obvious specialisation for void combat their effectiveness varies depending on their target and how well it is protected.

Jackal-pattern Gunship

The Jackal-pattern Gunship was a type of Imperial Army gunship used during the Great Crusade. Designed with sophisticated anti-gravitic engines rather than jets or other type of propulsion, the Jackal-pattern can hover in place above a contested battlefield, providing dedicated heavy weapons fire, a power shield, far weaker than a knights ion field or a true void shield but still potent, keeping it safe from stop-gap anti-air fire, though it quickly fails in the face of dedicated weapons batteries.

Lotus-pattern Air Superiority Fighter

The Lotus-pattern was a type of atmospheric fighter used by the Legiones Astartes doing the Great Crusade. One of the fastest attack crafts produced by the Imperium, these are either loved or hated within the legions, seemingly none having a middle-ground opinion.

Marauder Bomber

The Marauder Bomber is the workhorse of the Imperialis Armada, mostly due to its extreme range, high speed and large payload for an aircraft of its modest size. The Marauder is used in several common tactical roles such as Strategic Bombings, free range interdiction and heavy air support of ground forces.

Marauder Colossus

The Colossus variant of the Marauder bomber replaces both the internal bomb storage and top-mounted turret of the original with room for a single warhead. The warhead carried by the Colossus is a single 10,000 kg Guided Bomb. This weapon allows the Marauder to destroy heavily fortified structures and positions. This variant also replaces the nose weapons with a single set of Twin-linked Heavy Bolters.

Marauder Vigilant

The Vigilant variant of the Marauder replaces the internal bomb storage and top-mounted turret of the original with sophisticated surveillance equipment. This variant is used to gather intelligence on enemy positions and bases, flying at a high altitude allows the craft to remain relatively safe. This variant also replaces the nose weapons with a single set of Twin-linked Heavy Bolters.

Panthera-class Fighter

The Panthera-class Fighter was a high-performance fighter used by the Imperial Army during the Great Crusade and Secession. The Panthera was an advanced and rare aircraft equipped with Lascannons and Missiles, most being marked for deployment upon Terra itself

Primaris Strike Fighter

Also called the Primaris Lightning Strike Fighter, the Primaris Strike Fighter was created by Archmagos-Arbiter Sykosk Thule, originating from the Forge World of Voss Prime. The 'Strike' variant of the Lightning is designed for a fighter-bomber role, and normally equipped with a potent armament of twin-linked Lascannons and six Hellstrike Missiles or Rad Missiles.

At the time of its introduction, the aircraft represented a new paradigm in aerial warfare for the Imperium of Man, being powered by a forced-plasma ramjet drive and optimized for the most sophisticated munitions available. However the pattern proved extremely costly to produce and could only be handled by the most experienced pilots.

Raven-class Interceptor

The Raven-class Interceptor was a fighter aircraft used by the Imperialis Armada during the Great Crusade and Antarus Apostasy. Save the Panthera-class, the Raven-class was the fastest interceptor in use by Imperial forces, though it mounted minimal weapons as a result, a single Lascannon mounted upon its hull, with two heavy bolters built into its wings.

Reaper-pattern Ground Attack Fighter

The Reaper-pattern was a type of ground attack aircraft used by the Imperial Army during the Great Crusade and Antarus Apostasy. Though they were all but mothballed by the time of the Civil War, more sophisticated weapons of war available, many Reapers were nonetheless pressed back into service and thrown at the enemy, heedless of the losses amongst the antiquated vehicles.

Shark Assault Boat

The Shark Assault Boat is the Imperialis Armada’s standard Assault Boat. Typically 55 metres in length the Shark consists primarily of a large engine and an armoured troop compartment that is studded with magnetic clamps and Melta Charges. When the Shark reaches an enemy ship, the clamps latch on to the enemy hull as the charges, in concert with las-breachers, blast a hole through which assault troops can storm the vessel. Consequently, nearly all patterns of the Shark carry only defensive weapons with most of the space within the hull dedicated to armour, engines, or carrying capacity.

Tactically, Sharks are often accompanied by fighters to help the assault craft breach an enemy vessel's defences. To enable this tactic, the assault boats typically have engines capable of matching a starfighter's acceleration, although they are harder to maneuver. Sharks are never seen on anything smaller than a Battleship-sized carrier, and even then only at significant cost.

Stiletto-class Fighter

The Stiletto-class was a two-seat fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Army during the Great Crusade and Antarus Apostasy, one pilot and one gunner. Possessing two twin-linked forward firing autocannons and a turret-mounted quad lascannon array, the Stiletto-class is a heavily armed and armoured killing machine, feared by all the Imperium’s enemies.

Thunderbolt Heavy Fighter

The Thunderbolt primarily serves as an air superiority fighter, given the task of hunting down enemy bombers or engaging enemy fighters in order to establish air superiority over the battlefield. However one of the chief advantages of the design is its versatility, allowing it to fulfill other types of missions. Thunderbolt fighters frequently serve as high altitude escort fighters for flights of Marauder Bombers. They can also be adapted to serve as low level fighter-bombers, night fighters and reconnaissance aircraft. Typically, Imperialis Armada Thunderbolt Wings operate thirty aircraft

Viento-class Sub-Orbital Superiority Fighter

The Viento-class was a class of atmospheric attack fighter used by the Imperial Army during the Great Crusade, designed to dominate the skies of xenos held worlds. Possessing good armour, speed and firepower, the Viento-class is not the strongest fighter used by the Imperialis Armada, but it is invaluable nonetheless.

Wrath-pattern Starfighter

The Wrath-pattern Starfighter was a space fighter used by the Legiones Astartes and Imperial Army during the Great Crusade and Antarus Apostasy eras. By the beginning of the Apostasy it had become obsolete, increasingly replaced in Imperial service by the Fury Interceptor, as the Fury was easier to produce, handled more smoothly, and suffered from less technical malfunctions. However more veteran pilots in the Imperial Fleet still preferred the Wrath, seeing it as a finer instrument of void war over the "sterile" Fury. Like the Fury, the Wrath was crewed by a mix of Servitors and human or Space Marine pilots.