MORE CRUISERS BECAUSE WHY NOT?

Brought to you by: BFG Additional Ships Compendium and also by Insomnia, Ruiner of Days

I too, like you, were not at all impressed with the additional cruisers we’ve received since the core book. Well, the Dictator is very nice and the Conquest is styling, but really more of the same isn’t great. I understand that rules-heavy ships isn’t really fun for mass consumption, but it is for some of us.

So in an endeavour to fill in even more of the voidlanes… I give you More Cruisers Because Why Not Volume 1 !

CRUISERS

Hawking-class Exploration Cruiser

Dimensions: 4.8 km long, 0.7 abeam at fins approx.

Mass: 24.1 megatonnes approx.

Crew: 72,000 crew, approx.

Accel: 3.1 gravities max sustainable acceleration.

Dating from Lord Solar Macharius’ legendary crusades, the Hawking-class was hastily constructed to scout ahead of the main crusade fleets. The Hawkings ranged as far as the Halo Stars for enemy fleets to destroy and new worlds to conquer. Though many were lost to Warp phenomenon the class retains its “lucky” reputation and has earned widespread acceptance for its specialized role. This is due to the hull’s less strict tolerances during construction, allowing for rampant refits to customize Hawkings to their theatres of operation.

Speed: 6

Manoeuvrability: +10

Detection: +20

Hull Integrity: 60

Armour: 17

Turret Rating: 2

Space: 65

Weapon Capacity: 1 Prow, 2 Port, 2 Starboard (of these, 1 port and 1 starboard slot are pre-equipped with Components)

Support Carrier: The Hawking comes pre-equipped with Jovian-pattern Escort Bays in the Port and Starboard slots. However, double the number of squadrons the ship can store.

Explorer: The vessel adds +25 to all Exploration Endeavours. Add 3 months of emergency supplies.

Note: Refits to armour the Hawking’s prow are possible, however several of the augur vanes and spines would have to be removed resulting in -5 Detection.

Dominator-class Cruiser

Dimensions: 5.2 km long, 0.8 abeam at fins approx.

Mass: 29.2 megatonnes approx.

Crew: 88,000 crew, approx.

Accel: 2.4 gravities max sustainable acceleration

Built in the distant Ultima Segmentum, in the Kar Duniash Fleet Headquarters, the Dominator-class cruiser was designed around the massive and Nova Cannon. Though many Lunars have been refitted before and after the launch of the first Dominator, these are still classified as Lunar-class cruisers by the Imperial Navy. The keel is especially reinforced to handle the colossal energies of the Nova Cannon it fires, and power relays, buffers, and cutouts all sheathe the weapon, ensuring it is safe from most critical failures.

Speed: 5

Manoeuvrability: +5

Detection: +15

Hull Integrity: 70

Armour: 21 (Prow 25)

Turret Rating: 2

Space: 64

Weapon Capacity: 1 Prow, 2 Port, 2 Starboard (of these 1 prow comes pre-equipped with a Component)

Nova Cannon: The Dominator must be equipped with a Nova Cannon (choose one) in its Prow slot. After installation it cannot be removed without utterly destroying the Nova Cannon in the process.

Bombardier: The Dominator can carry 50% more Nova Cannon shells. If a Munitorium is installed it will add a further 5 shells.

Never Faces The Enemy: The Dominator is equipped with an Armoured Prow.

Gothic-class Cruiser

Dimensions: 5 km long, 0.7 abeam at fins approx.

Mass: 28.4 megatonnes approx.

Crew: 84,000 crew, approx.

Accel: 2.3 gravities max sustainable acceleration

Designed from the inside-out to mount power intensive lance batteries, the Gothic-class cruiser is well known throughout the Imperium. It sacrifices mobility for the ability to continuously fire its ship-killers. Redundant power relays, if carefully and lovingly maintained, can divert power from one broadside to the other to circumvent battle damage. It has the secondary effect of “turbo-charging” one broadside’s batteries which many Gothic captains eagerly make use of.

Though the hull is as spacious as a Lunar, its cantankerous weapons and overly-large relays and auxilary generatoria cut into the ship’s stores. The ship has half the operational void range than normal.

Speed: 5

Manoeuvrability: +5

Detection: +10

Hull Integrity: 70

Armour: 20

Turret Rating: 2

Space: 70

Weapon Capacity: 1 Prow, 2 Port, 2 Starboard

Redundant Redundancies: If lance weapons of any kind are unpowered while the ship has power, a successful Tech-Use Test from the Bridge or Enginarium can re-route power from one or more components to power the lance weapon. If successful, the component(s) are Unpowered and as long as sufficient Power was rerouted to match the lance weapon’s requirements, then it is no longer Unpowered. It may, however, be still on fire or exposed to vacuum.

Going Turbo: A successful Tech-Use Test can unpower the lance weapons from one broadside and reroute it to the opposite broadside. The lance weapons being unpowered need not be operational as long as all the power that fed those lance weapons are channelled to other lance weapons. The turbo-charged lances ignore range penalties when firing at double the lance’s range. Power is redistributed automatically after firing.

LIGHT CRUISERS

Endurance-class Light Cruiser

A variant of the Endeavour hull, the Endurance-class is controversial in many Segmentum Battlefleets for its reliance on lances. Several were given to Battlefleet Calixis from the Obscuras reserve fleets. In turn, the vessels have been transferred to Passage Watch 27-Est, better known as Battlefleet Koronus. So far, no Endurance has been lost to struck ammunition stores or ruptured plasma banks, a weakness with the light cruiser that has made it unpopular in many regions of the Imperium. This is mostly owing to the fact that the ships operate strictly in pairs to prevent one from being overwhelmed.

Commonly Installed Components

Essential Components: Gellar Field, Jovian Pattern Class 3 Drive, Single Void Shield Array, Command Bridge,Vitae Pattern Life Sustainer, Pressed Crew Quarters, M-100 Augur Array

Supplemental Components: Prow Voss Pattern Torpedo Launchers (Fixed), Prow Mars Pattern Macrocannon, Port Titanforge Lance Battery, Starboard Titanforge Lance Battery, Munitorium, Auxiliary Plasma Banks

Defiant-class Light Cruiser

The Hawk, with Lord-Commander Victoria Horne as its master and commander, has won over many of the admiralty with its prolonged “shakedown patrol”. Though the Defiant is far older than the Falchion class frigate it is treated with the same disdain for the unproven. The Hawk’s surprising range of operations and ability to project power has finally lead to Battlefleet Calixis to request the completion of several Defiant hulls waiting in the Lathes. Lord-Commander Horne has been recalled to undergo refit--or rather finish it. When it is relaunched, the premier ranger of Battlefleet Koronus will sport a macrobattery on the prow to support the lance weapon.

Weapon Capacity: 2 Prow, 1 Port, 1 Starboard (of these, 1 port and 1 starboard slot are pre-equipped with Components)

Carrier: Same rules as in BFG p26.

More Cruisers Because Why Not, Volume II!

Inspired by more obscure classes and copious amounts of free time, I give you part 2!

LIGHT CRUISERS

Siluria-class Light Cruiser

Dimensions: 4.6 km long, 0.5 km abeam at fins approx.

Mass: 21 megatonnes approx.

Crew: 54,000 crew, approx.

Accel: 3.6 gravities max sustainable acceleration

An older vessel of a different age of Imperial tactics, the Siluria was used much in the same way as grand cruisers were, albeit in smaller forms with more maneuverable formations. Tactical doctrine eventually left the Siluria behind, but its sturdy construction and respectable firepower has kept it in widespread service unlike the grand cruisers it mimicked.

Segmentum Obscura’s reserve fleets are well-stocked with these light cruisers, many half-mangled and in drydock, waiting for a chance to be used again. Over the years, Traders-Militant have tapped into these reserves to bring the ships back for one last fight. Every time the ships were either all lost or won over their owners so that they’re still in service with them to this day.

Renowned Ships :

Winterscale’s Fleet operates three squadrons of Silurias. One in three have been refitted to mount dual lance batteries on both broadsides and the rest have replaced the macrocannon for more precise and longer ranged laser or plasma batteries. The prows have been reinforced and the vessels often carry thousands of mercenaries that seem more piratical than the raiders and marauders they kill in boarding actions.

The Saul Dynasty Fleet operates a pair of Silurias refitted as heavy transports. Though far from being a warmonger, Trade-Admiral Jonquin Saul has made good use of the Debit and the Credit and their cruiser-like broadsides. Entire raider wolfpacks have disintegrated against the pair as they move megatons of cargo at a time.

Speed: 6

Manoeuvrability: +15

Detection: +10

Hull Integrity: 60

Armour: 18

Turret Rating: 1

Space: 70

Weapon Capacity: 2 Port, 2 Starboard

Loose Tolerances: When rolling for the first critical hit in that combat on the critical hits table, increase the roll by 1. Installation (and removal) of components is also easier: halve the time to refit components.

Enforcer-class System Control Cruiser (Rogue-pattern)

Dimensions: 4.3 km long, 0.6 km abeam at fins approx.

Mass: 23 megatonnes approx.

Crew: 65,000 crew, approx.

Accel: 3.6 gravities max sustainable acceleration

A product of the Gareox Prerogative that survived its original designers’ fall and treason, the Enforcer is a niche class. Many admirals are loathe to use the vessels even in the very same roles they were designed for. Planetary superiority, the complete and utter eradication of any orbital or atmospheric threats over a world, is not one of the Navy’s most cherished roles so the Enforcer may simply be tolerated for this.

Surprisingly, very few Enforcers sided with the Traitors following the Gareox Incident. The strict crew and officer selection guidelines placed very loyal, if not very imaginative, people on board the ships. Despite this stellar service record, Enforcers are still foisted from battlefleet to battlefleet, and shrewd planners use them to bring wayward systems to heel and pass them off lest any of the ships have any actual taint.

Rogue Traders have acquired these unwanted vessels for their own purposes. Many act as capable-enough convoy escorts which can then be later used to support ground invasions. Koronus Rogue Traders popularized the extensive refit that installs a dorsal turret mount on the already overburdened hull. Though slow and ungainly, it is a respectable ship-killer when outfitted this way and these “Rogue Enforcers” have become the consummate convoy guards.

Speed: 5

Manoeuvrability: +5

Detection: +12

Hull Integrity: 55

Armour: 17

Turret Rating: 2

Space: 50

Weapon Capacity: 1 Prow, 1 Dorsal, 1 Port, 1 Starboard (of these 1 port and 1 starboard come pre-equipped with components)

Support Carrier: The Enforcer comes pre-equipped with two Jovian-pattern Escort Bays installed in the Port and Starboard slots. The hull’s Space has already been reduced but 2 Power must be provided when the ship is constructed.

Dorsal Turret: If anything is installed in the Dorsal mount then reduce Speed by 1, and Hull Integrity and Manoeuvrability by 5.

CRUISERS

Tyrant-class Cruiser (Calixis-pattern)

Dimensions: 5 km long, 0.8 km abeam at fins approx.

Mass: 27.2 megatonnes approx.

Crew: 90,000 crew, approx.

Accel: 2.4 gravities max sustainable acceleration

The Tyrant rose and fell in popularity in the span of a single millennia. Its super-fired plasma batteries gave it an engagement range seen in only the oldest vessels, but the weapons proved dangerous only to escorts at such ranges. Many Tyrants that serve today are equipped with recovered Mars-class plasma batteries, the finest plasma weapons Mars has produced for the Imperial Navy, often wrested from space hulks or burning Traitor ships.

Battlefleet Calixis was given several Tyrants during its formal formation from the reserve fleets of Segmentum Obscuras. These were not the ones refitted with ancient plasma weaponry, but near hulks themselves. The least damaged were repaired and pressed to service, but the bulk of the squadrons were given to the Lathes and forgotten.

The increasing demands of the so-called Margin Crusade have forced the admiralty to look at all of their assets. The Lathes were adamant that they could install Mars-pattern plasma batteries on the Tyrants, if there were sufficient numbers of those weapons to be had. Instead, they proposed a rather innovative solution: the use of battlecruiser-grade weapons.

The first block of refitted Tyrants are only now entering their shakedown trials. Battlefleet Calixis is reaching out to several Rogue Traders to make use of these ships, for a time, and report back any faults they may encounter.

Speed: 5

Manoeuvrability: +10

Detection: +8

Hull Integrity: 65

Armour: 19

Turret Rating: 2

Space: 75

Weapon Capacity: 1 Prow, 2 Port, 2 Starboard

Superfired: Plasma and melta batteries installed on a Tyrant may increase their Range by 1 VU at the cost of -1 to each damage roll, to a maximum of 3 VU and -3 to damage per hit. The required hits for criticals is increased by 1 as well.

Battle Ready: One battlecruiser-only weapon system may be installed in 1 Port and in 1 Starboard slot. Doing so increases those weapons’ Power and Space requirements by 1 each. Critical hits suffered by the Tyrant will also trigger a Fire! critical hit 10% of the time for both of these battlecruiser-grade weapons.

HEAVY CRUISERS

Cardinal-class Heavy Cruiser

Dimensions: 5 km long, 0.8 km abeam at fins approx.

Mass: 28.1 megatonnes approx.

Crew: 77,000 crew, approx.

Accel: 2.3 gravities max sustainable acceleration

The Cardinal served for several millennia as a stalwart heavy cruiser of the Imperial Navy. Doctrine was shifting towards standard cruisers, like the Lunar, to replace these aging vessels when the Acheron Project was proposed. It was billed as a refit, an upgrade, of the aging hulls with newly recovered technologies. The technologies proved to be of xenos origin, ensuring that entire class’ downfall, and with it most of the remaining support for the Cardinals.

Despite this, the heavy cruiser persists in many standing fleets to this day. Its ancient construction requires little maintenance though that is offset by arcane requirements and sparse spare parts. The Cardinals were designed at the height of the popularity of heavy cruisers in the Navy, and as such features many improvements like vastly increased stowage for supplies and expanded small craft bays.

More and more Cardinals are lost to the Warp year after year, suggesting some fault with its engines or Gellar fields. However, the general neglect these ships suffer would also explain the disappearances as treasonous acts. News of Cardinals in service to the Ruinous Powers force many admirals to either mothball their remaining cruisers or sell them off to Rogue Traders eager for a new cruiser for their fleet and the hint of danger the class provides.

Speed: 5

Manoeuvrability: +10

Detection: +12

Hull Integrity: 70

Armour: 21

Turret Rating: 2

Space: 75

Weapon Capacity: 1 Prow, 1 Dorsal, 1 Port, 1 Starboard

Heavy Cruiser: The Cardinal is a heavy cruiser and has access to Light Cruiser and Cruiser components and may equip a single Battlecruiser component.

Cardinal Sin: The vessel’s reputation is tainted. Any interactions while the vessel is used suffers a -10 penalty. Renegades may be more welcoming of the ship and its crew given its dangerous reputation.

Dying Class: The Cardinal is a rare ship even among the already rare Cruisers of the void. All Acquisition Tests to repair its hull suffer a -10 penalty, and any installation of new components requires an additional week of work. Unless, of course, this is done at a Mechanicus facility (loyal or otherwise).