Gloriana-class Battleship

2019-02-27T08:26:27Z

2001:8003:3800:800:3DE5:154F:A73B:D500: /* Chariots of the Primarchs */

[[File:GlorianaCobraComparison.jpeg|300px|thumb||A Gloriana-class of the Iron Warriors compared to a Cobra-class escort]]

The '''Gloriana''' is a rare class of [[Battleship]] fielded during the [[Great Crusade]]. Created to be the flagships of the [[Emperor]]'s [[Primarch|sons]] and their [[Space Marine]] legions, each and every one is armed to the teeth and heavily armored, on top of being customized depending on each Primarch's needs.

It's important to overstate how ''massive'' each individual Gloriana was. They were capable of holding entire expeditionary forces ''and'' their support staff ''and'' equipment complement. The entirety of a full-strength "modern-day" [[Chapter]] of Space Marines would have trouble filling out even a tenth of their cavernous holds.

Not only that, but their firepower was immense as well, with enough lance turrets, macro-cannons, torpedo tubes, and fighter launch bays to fight off entire ''fleets'', with a good chance of the Gloriana coming out on top. Indeed historically, the only way to take out a Gloriana was either through sheer numbers and/or weight of fire, or with ''another'' Gloriana.

==Chariots of the Primarchs==

During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, each Legion had a Gloriana class warships as their Legion Flagship, except for the Imperial Fists who had the larger and even more deadly [[Phalanx]].

*Dark Angels: The Invincible Reason
*Emperor's Children: Pride of the Emperor
*Iron Warriors: Iron Blood
*White Scars: Swordstorm
*Space Wolves: Hrafnkel
*Imperial Fists: Eternal Crusader
*Night Lords: Nightfall
*Blood Angels: Red Tear
*Iron Hands: Fist of Iron
*World Eaters: Conqueror (Formerly Adamant Resolve)
*Ultramarines: Macragge's Honour
*Death Guard: Endurance
*Thousand Sons: Photep
*Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus: Vengeful Spirit/Magna Tyrannis
*Word Bearers: Fidelitas Lex
*Salamanders: Flamewrought/Fireforge
*Raven Guard: Shadow of the Emperor
*Alpha Legion: Alpha/Beta

==Swords of the Emperor==

There are few Gloriana-class still in active duty in the modern-day Imperium, and in all cases these honored relics are in command of [[Space Marine|Astartes]] Chapters rather than the [[Imperial Navy]]. Needless to say, these old survivors have near-legendary reputations or honor rolls that would fill the libraries of entire planetary systems.

The '''Eternal Crusader''', formerly of the [[Imperial Fists]] Legion, still lives up to its name, serving as the mobile Chapter-monastery of the [[Black Templars]]. Up until recently it had been in pursuit of the infamous [[Warboss]] Ghazgul, but has since then been deployed for the Cardinal Worlds Crusade in the wake of the formation of the [[Great Rift]].

The '''Invincible Reason''' still remains the flagship of the [[Dark Angels]], though in practice it mostly serves as the escort of [[The Rock]] in its travels through the galaxy. Much like the Rock, it's currently deployed in Imperium Nihilus.

The '''[[Macragge's Honour]]''' of the [[Ultramarines]] by comparison spent much of the intervening millennia as a spaceborne shrine to their [[Roboute Guilliman|Primarch]], and has only relatively recently returned to active service. For a time it was [[Derp|lost]] to the [[Red Corsairs]] in the wake of the disastrous Terran Crusade, but has since then been recovered, and [[Awesome|once more serves as the Lord Commander's flagship]].

Finally there's the '''Chronicle of Ashes''', formerly of the [[Word Bearers]], it was captured, renamed the '''Lex Talonis''', and had since then served the [[Nemesis]] Chapter as their flagship. One can only imagine how long it took and how hard it was to cleanse such a huge vessel of chaos taint, and there's a good chance the depths of the ship still aren't completely safe.

==Echoes of the Old War==

[[File:VengefulSpirit13BC.jpg|300px|thumb||Still as deadly as ever]]

There are several ''Gloriana''-class ships known to be still in service to the [[Chaos|dark powers]].

The most infamous of them all, the '''[[Vengeful Spirit]]''', flagship of the archtraitor [[Horus Lupercal]], still bedevils the Imperium well into [[Age of the Dark Imperium|the current age]]. Now under the command of his successor, the Warmaster [[Abaddon the Despoiler]], the ship leads the fleets of the [[Black Legion]] in their rampage out of the [[Eye of Terror]] after the fall of [[Cadia]].

Likewise the '''Magna Tyrannis''', renamed the '''Harbinger of Doom''', flies the colors of the [[Black Legion]].

[[Mortarion]] still commands the plague-ridden '''Endurance''', and used it during the [[Plague Wars]] to terrorize the worlds of [[Ultramar]]. Likewise the '''Conqueror''' still remains under the control of the [[World Eaters]], who use it to wreak havoc in [[Khorne]]'s name.

It's conceivable that the '''Alpha''' and '''Beta''' of the [[Alpha Legion|Legion that doesn't exist]] are still in operation, but given how that Legion functions, no one knows for sure.

==In Battlefleet Gothic==

The ''Gloriana''-class was not statted out when the [[Battlefleet Gothic|specialist game]] was first released. Eventually we were provided the stats of the ''Vengeful Spirit'', but it was underwhelming to say the least, being a slightly more boarding-effective [[Chaos]] Battle Barge. It doesn't even get Chaos-specific benefits, especially compared to the other Chaos God-aligned battles barges statted out (see the '''Terminus Est''' of the [[Death Guard]]).

Not exacly reflecting its reputation as a ship capable of fending off entire Loyalist fleets, and enduring the world-breaking duel between the [[Emperor]] and Horus.

The sidebar to the ''Vengeful Spirit'' also mentions its equivalents still serving the Imperium are considered "relic" Battle Barges that can customize their weapon load-out before deployment for free, and come with a Space Marine crew by default. Again, a far cry from what's expected of a ship class that can fend off fleets on its own.

==In Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2==

The ship class makes its debut in the sequel game, with ''Macragge's Honour'' representing the Imperium while the ''Vengeful Spirit'' appears on the Chaos side. Each is easily twice as powerful and durable as a "regular" battleship of their faction. Just don't send them without escorts however, as they can still be overwhelmed by multiple ships ganging up on them.

[[Category:Battlefleet Gothic]]
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Imperial]]
[[Category:Chaos]]

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Gloriana-class Battleship