Editing Imperial Navy Cruiser

The workhorse of the [[Imperial Navy]]'s fleets, the '''Cruiser''' is a medium-sized warship, sitting at the midpoint between the [[Imperial Navy Battleship|Battleship]] and the Destroyer escort.  Though they are less powerful than a Battleship, they are faster and much more common, and as such are used for typical fleet duties like sector patrols, planetary blockades, and lightning raids into enemy territory.

Cruisers fall into four broad categories: Basic (mix of weapons batteries, lances, and usually torpedoes), Ordinance-boats (those armed mostly with Macrocannons), Lance-boats (likewise, armed mostly with [[Lance]] batteries), and Carriers.

==Cruiser Classes per Category==
===Basic===

====Lunar====
[[File:BFGALunar.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Your bread and butter.]]
The [[Leman Russ Battle Tank|Leman Russ Battle Tanks]] of Imperial Cruisers.

The "standard" Imperial Cruiser, the ''Lunar''-class is one of the oldest Cruiser designs still used by the Imperium.  It's also easy-to-build and maintain, which explains its continued popularity with the Imperial Navy.  Due to its standard load-out (Macrobatteries, [[Lance]]s, and Torpedoes), the Lunar is very versatile and easily slot into any fleet role given to it.

Usually, cruisers operate in pairs, and the Lunar is no exception, as it allows twice the firepower to be brought against the enemy, whilst forcing them to halve their reply. The standard tactic with the Lunar class is to fire the torpedoes whilst closing with the enemy. This will cause some disruption as the enemy attempts to manoeuvre away from the torpedoes. This disruption will hamper attempts to fire upon the pair of cruisers, and they will get within range, and turn their broadsides to face the enemy. From here, they will fire volley after volley into the enemy while circling at full speed.

The Lunar class is represented in almost any Imperial Fleet that one will see, as it is uncomplicated to produce. Roughly six hundred Lunar class vessels are in service in Segmentum Obscurus alone. Even a Hive World with no shipbuilding expertise can build a Lunar class in short periods of time. The ship Lord Daros was built in orbit of the [[Wat|Feral World of Unloth.]] [[Lolwut|How in the proverbial fuck a bunch of cavemen somehow got the schematics and expertise to construct a multi-kilometre long spaceship in low orbit,]] [[Derp|we have no idea.]]

In ''Battlefleet Gothic: Armada'' 1 & 2, the ''Lunar''-class is the generalist of the Cruisers, and can fill any role in a fleet.  It's also one of the cheapest points-wise, which is a steal given how versatile it is.

*'''Length:''' 5km
*'''Mass:''' 28 megatonnes approx
*'''Crew:''' 95,000 crew; approx
*'''Acceleration:''' 2.5 gravities max sustainable acceleration

===Carriers===

====Dictator====

[[File:BFGADictator.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Now with fighter support!]]

A retrofit of damaged ''Lunar''-class ships, where any destroyed Lance battery gets swapped out for a pair of Launch Bays for fighters and bombers, although the Dictator retains the Lunar's weapons batteries and torpedo capabilities, as well as the armoured prow. The shield, turret, and engines also remain unchanged. This elegant solution makes the ''Dictator'' even more effective than the Lunar at some roles, just don't expect it to win in a straight out broadside duel.

It was originally designed as a stop-gap method to deliver the huge numbers of atmospheric craft that an opposed planetary landing needs. In these situations it is unusual to have an airfield under the control of the invaders, and therefore the Dictator fills the role of the airfield for the bombers and fighters supporting the landings.

In ''Battlefleet Gothic: Armada'' 1 & 2,  the ''Dictator''is an Imperial player's first serious Carrier (unlike the ''Defiant''-class), but it's also the smallest available.  Don't expect those two Launch Bays to do much, unless you run the Dictator in support for another Carrier.  

*'''Length:''' 5.1km
*'''Mass:''' 29 megatonnes approx
*'''Crew:''' 85,000 crew, 15,000 pilots and support personnel, approx
*'''Acceleration:''' 2.5 gravities max sustainable acceleration

===Lance-boat===

====Gothic====

[[File:BFGAGothic.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Not compensating for anything.]]

Take the ''Lunar'', replace the Macrocannons with even ''more'' [[Lance]] batteries, and you get the ''Gothic''-class.  Due to its weaponry, this class can easily deal with heavier ship types, but often have to work in conjunction with another ship to deal with enemy shields. This weaponry is also its main weakness: unlike macro cannons, lance batteries are delicate things, making it much easier to destroy the ships weapons. Lances are also less effective than macro cannons in a short-range broadside battle. 

The ship has the distinctive armoured prow of the Imperial Navy and the standard six torpedo tubes of an Imperial cruiser. The class is as fast and manoeuvrable as any other Imperial cruiser type, with an equally good shield and turret coverage. Supported properly, however, and the Gothic becomes an effective capital ship killer.

In ''Battlefleet Gothic: Armada'' 1 & 2, the Gothic does well against heavily-armored foes thanks to the armor penetration of its Lances. The fact that Lances never miss doesn't hurt either.

*'''Length:''' 5km

===Ordinance-boat===

====Dominator====

[[File:Dominator.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Your pocket Retribution, right here.]]

Another variant based on the ''Lunar''-class hull, the ''Dominator'' is essentially [[Awesome|a ''Retribution''-class Battleship in miniature]] (minus the range of course).  The ship was originally designed as a long-range support vessel, using its massive Nova Cannon from behind fleet battle lines. In this function, however, it never really excelled and only gained a handful of victories to its name. 

It was never truly appreciated by its crew(s) until the start of the Gothic War. In a particular battle, a single Dominator, the Hammer of Justice, found itself between two Chaos cruisers. The Dominator's true role was found that day when the Hammer of Justice gave both of its rivals a full broadside to the face.

Armed with Macrocannons with a prow-mounted [[Nova Cannon]] thrown in, the class was designed primarily around planetary assaults, and in-universe was rarely seen in fleet actions.  It can still provide support, however, and any ship that gets within range of a ''Dominator'' is guaranteed to get hurt badly.

One of these, the Depth of Fury, nearly killed the Terminus Est.

In ''Battlefleet Gothic: Armada'' 1 & 2, the ''Dominator'' can wreak havoc on enemy fleets with its regular armaments alone. Throw in its stasis bomb and disruption bomb abilities, and a properly-placed squadron of ''Dominators'' can slow enemies, strip their shields, and THEN blast them to kingdom come with the Nova Cannon.  

*'''Length:''' 5km

====Tyrant====
[[File:TyrantCruiserBGA.png|300px|right|thumb|Meet the pinnacle of false advertising.]]
The ''Tyrant'' was initially conceptualized as a long-ranged plasma ordinance boat. At the end of the 38th Millennium, a new technique was found for extending the range of plasma-based weaponry. The super-fired plasma weapons developed by Adeptus Mechanicus Artisan-Magos Hyus N'dai were built into the Tyrant class cruiser. In the 39th Millennium, the Tyrant class was popular, due to its superior range over other cruiser classes. It was theorised that the Tyrant would be able to deliver both long-range fire, and short-range fire, of the same power. 

Unfortunately, [[Meme|reality is often dissapointing]], as design compromises (to not tax the plasma reactor) led to it to being armed instead [[Fail|with an ineffective mix of short-ranged batteries and long-ranged plasma macrocannon]].  The Navy is still trying to make the classwork, but now has to scavenge the replacements to the short-ranged weapons either from enemy vessels or the odd [[Space Hulk]].  This is stupid, just use a different short-ranged weapon that takes comparatively little energy like railguns or missiles and devote the rest to the long-range plasma cannons to make up for their lack of numbers.

The ship is popular with [[Rogue Trader]]s, who mostly just strip out the plasma weaponry to maximize all that reactor power.  Soooo...how do they defend themselves?

By using different weapons that take comparatively little energy like railguns or missiles.

*'''Length:''' 5km
*'''Mass:''' 27.2 megatonnes approx
*'''Crew:''' 90,000 crew, approx
*'''Acceleration:''' 2.4 gravities max sustainable acceleration

===Other===
====Cardinal====
[[File:CardinalCruiser.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The black sheep of Imperial Cruisers.]]
A ship that's plagued by its [[Chaos|ancestors.]]

The Cardinal-Class Heavy Cruiser is a class of Cruiser used by the Imperial Navy. Seeing as how this ship used the original template for the ill-fated Acheron Class, one can see why this class of ship proved a [[Extra Heresy|''tad'' bit too controversial for the Imperial Navy.]]

The failure of the Acherons and their supposed use of [[Heresy|xenos technology]] has haunted the Cardinal Class and now only a handful of Imperial Navy fleets use the ageing ships in service. 

As its design was Great Crusade-era, the Cardinal lack the armored prow of its modern cousins and is more suited for long-range engagements.

*'''Length:''' 5km

==In Battlefleet Gothic==

Much like in-universe, the Cruiser will be the bread and butter of any Imperial Navy fleet. While having a [[Imperial Navy Battleship|Battleship]] is all good and well, any decent list out there will feature ''multiple'' Cruisers (of any flavor) simply due to their low point cost (one can get two Cruisers for the cost of a Battleship).  Run with [[Imperial Navy Escort|Destroyer squadrons]] for maximum fun.
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[[Category:Warhammer 40000]]
[[Category:Battlefleet Gothic]]
[[Category:Imperial]]
[[Category:Imperial Navy]]