Editing Chaos Heavy Cruiser (section)

==Heavy Cruiser Classes==

===Basic===

====Hecate====

[[File:HecateClass.jpg|300px|right|thumb|The master of mixed weapons.]]

The Hecate-Class Heavy Cruiser is the average joe of Heavy Cruisers.

Developed in late M33 as a replacement for the Styx Class Heavy Cruiser, it was seen as more well-rounded for fleet engagements and solitary patrols. The ships were being built at Cypra Mundi when newer designs from Mars were deemed more suitable for the Imperial Navy. Most were decommissioned by the Imperium in late M35.

By M36, a number of vessels had turned renegade, leading many to fear some inherent design flaw made these ships susceptible to corruption within the Warp. As a response, the Imperial Navy was quick to decommission whatever of the Cruisers remained. Since then, the class is frequently seen in the armadas of Chaos Space Marine fleets and in particular the [[Black Crusade]]s of [[Abaddon the Despoiler]].

The Hecate finally appeared in BF:A2 when it was released with the Chaos Campaign expansion, the Hecate drops two of the launch bays carried by the Styx to provide a more front line combat carrier type of vessel, with a much better DPS/CPM profile and a nice chunk of savings on points. The Hecate seems to be an alternative carrier for when you want to bring squads but still need the raw firepower to deal with any unexpected surprises that could end up running your squads dry or proving them to be ineffective, even in large numbers (ie: Necrons and their aoe fighter killing ability).

The Hecate’s weapons and defenses would be good for tearing up a normal cruiser’s shields and breaking its defense turrets. Then some fighters and a lot of bombers could pretty easily wreck havoc on an opponent with fighters distracting and engaging remaining turrets while bombers deal damage. Or use the attack craft before/during the engagement to weaken a target’s offensive capabilities to make them easier prey for the Hecate. Against an opposing attack craft heavy fleet, mixed carriers would probably be better suited using their fighters defensively and their bombers for targets of opportunity already suffering significant damage.

The ship is armed with 1 Triple Barrel [[Macrocannon|Heavy Macro Turret]], 2 Heavy [[Macrocannon|Macro Battery Weapons]], 2 Launch Bays carrying a complement of [[Swiftdeath Fighter]]s, [[Doomfire Bomber]]s, [[Dreadclaw|Dreadclaw Assault Pod]]s or more rarely, [[Kharybdis Assault Claw]]s, 1 Double-Barrel [[Lance Weapon|Lance Turret]] and 1 Triple Barrel [[Naval Missile Turret|Super Heavy Missile Turret.]]

*'''Length:''' 5.3-5.4km; approx
*'''Mass:''' 29 megatonnes; approx
*'''Crew:''' 62,000 crew, 10,000 pilots and support personnel; approx
*'''Acceleration:''' 5.3 gravities max sustainable acceleration; approx

===Carrier===

====Styx====

[[File:14406235_f1024.jpg|300px|thumb|right|I'm still much better than my replacement.]]

A Carrier-type, the '''Styx'''-class was eventually phased out in favor of the [[Mars-class Battlecruiser|''Mars''-class Battlecruiser]]. Which of course makes no sense as the Mars [[Derp|carries far fewer attack craft and is generally considered a failed design.]] A versatile design, many Chaos Lords appreciate its ability to provide [[Swiftdeath Fighter|Fighter]] and [[Doomfire Bomber|Bomber]] support on top of its long-ranged weapons.

The Styx features a pair of Launch Bays, with a long-ranged Weapons Battery and long-ranged dorsal [[Lance Weapon|Lance]] battery. The long-ranged guns means that the ship can keep relatively out of danger while still being able to contribute the firepower of its weapons.

More importantly (since the attack craft are the real power of this ship), it can blast the crap out of enemy escorts/raiders that try and make torpedo runs against it long before they get in range without having to re-direct its attack craft to protect itself while also being able to contribute a notable amount of firepower to assist friendly ships engaged with whatever.

Overall, the profile of the Styx is 1 Triple Barrel [[Macrocannon|Heavy Macro Turret]], 4 Launch Bays carrying a complement of [[Swiftdeath Fighter]]s, [[Doomfire Bomber]]s, [[Dreadclaw|Dreadclaw Assault Pod]]s or more rarely, [[Kharybdis Assault Claw]]s, 2 Double-Barrel [[Lance Weapon|Lance Turret]] and 1 Triple Barrel [[Naval Missile Turret|Super Heavy Missile Turret.]]

*'''Length:''' 5.3-5.4km; approx
*'''Mass:''' 28.3 megatonnes; approx
*'''Crew:''' 55,000 crew, 15,000 pilots and support personnel; approx
*'''Acceleration:''' 5.2 gravities max sustainable acceleration; approx

===Ordinance-Boat===

====Hades====

[[File:BFGAHades.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Near or far you'll die anyway.]]

The Ordinance-boat of the Heavy Cruisers, the '''Hades'''-class is equipped to engage opponents at not-quite brawling range. While it doesn't have the shields or armor to take a sustained firefight with larger ships, it's still more than a match of any Imperial Cruiser.

The Hades is the mirror of the Acheron, weapons-wise, with mid-ranged [[Macrocannon|Macro Weapons Battery broadsides]] (despite its lowish shields and armor or its size and so should be long-ranged all around) supplemented by a long-ranged forward-mounted [[Lance Weapon|Lance]] battery, and dorsal-mounted long-ranged Lance turrets.

In battlefleets, the Hades shines even brighter when leading a group of other long-ranged ships like the [[Murder-class Cruiser|Murder-]] and [[Carnage-class Cruiser|Carnage-class cruisers,]] letting them combine their long-range guns into a solid wall of death awaiting any captain dumb enough to try to close the gap.

The Hades is armed with 1 Double-Barrel [[Lance Weapon|Heavy Lance Artillery]], 4 [[Macrocannon|Macro Battery Weapons]] and 2 Double-Barrel [[Lance Weapon|Lance Turret.]]

*'''Length:''' 5.3-5.4km; approx
*'''Mass:''' 32 megatonnes; approx
*'''Crew:''' 68,100 crew; approx
*'''Acceleration:''' 5.4 gravities max sustainable acceleration; approx

===Lance-Boat===

====Acheron====

[[File:BFGAAcheron.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Ancient grudges cut deep.]]

The Acheron-Class Heavy Cruiser is a Chaos starship that was built on the [[Cardinal-class Heavy Cruiser|Cardinal-class heavy cruiser]] hull which, interestingly, is the only keel-built Imperial ship still operating that fans know of.

A testbed for experimental and possibly [[Heresy|xenos-based technologies,]] only one was thought to have been built. Said ship suddenly defected to the side of [[Abaddon]]'s forces during the [[Gothic War]]. Multiple ships of the same type were spotted since that time, which means that there's a [[Dark Mechanicus]] [[Forge World]] somewhere churning them out.

A dedicated [[Lance Weapon|Lance]]-boat, the '''Acheron'''-class features long-ranged [[Lance Weapon|Lance]] broadsides, a mid-ranged dorsal Lance battery, and a mid-ranged forward-mounted Weapons battery. It may have been intended to take out or weaken shields while approaching an enemy and then pivot and unleash a storm of lances.

The ship is armed with 1 Triple Barrel [[Macrocannon|Macro Turret]], 4 Double-Barrel [[Lance Weapon|Heavy Lance Battery Weapons]], 2 Double-Barrel [[Lance Weapon|Lance Turret]] and 1 Triple Barrel [[Naval Missile Turret|Missile Turret.]]

*'''Length:''' 5.3-5.4km; approx
*'''Mass:''' 29.3 megatonnes; approx
*'''Crew:''' 61,000 crew; approx
*'''Acceleration:''' 5.3 gravities max sustainable acceleration; approx

====Hellfire====

[[File:HellfireClass.jpg|300px|right|thumb|When you put so much in Dex, you forgot your vitality.]]

The Hellfire-Class Heavy Cruiser is a class of Heavy Cruiser that was originally an early attempt by the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] to mount large Weapons Batteries onto a Cruiser-class hull. Initially only fitted with relatively weak [[Lance Weapon|Lance]]s, after several years of tinkering with the ship's power generators the Mechanicum was able to add further-ranged and more powerful lance batteries. Thus the ships became formidable and were used in planetary sieges and system blockades.

That being said the ships still suffered from multiple issues. Their huge arsenal greatly reduced their speed, something which proved a constant hindrance for smaller and more manoeuvrable ships it fought alongside. Their lack of Void Shield generators (due to most of the ship's power going to its weaponry) also made them easy targets for enemy fire. Additionally, due to the large space required to fit its ammunition and power generators, crew quarters were cramped and under-supplied. All of these weaknesses made the Hellfire ill-suited for long-range patrols unless supported by a flotilla of transports and escorts.

Due to the undesirable conditions on board, crew morale tended to suffer during long periods at dock or patrol. In such cramped and crowded conditions, the murmurings of discontent started to spread and many of these vessels and their crews eventually mutinied, leading them down the road to Chaos. Today, most Hellfires remain in the fleets of Chaos.

A shame the AdMech was too pants-on-head retarded to just make the weapons batteries smaller but the guns inside the same as those on a larger class of ship. Imperial weapons batteries have fifty weapons each. Make it like, twenty guns from a battleship. There, problem solved. Put battleship engines in your cruiser while you’re at it and use the increased power to power increased void shield strength and layers as well as much thicker armor. Say, battleship level of both. You’re welcome.

*'''Length:''' 5.3-5.4km; approx
*'''Mass:''' 31 megatonnes; approx
*'''Crew:''' 48,000 crew; approx
*'''Acceleration:''' 3.8 gravities max sustainable acceleration; approx