Mercury Class Battlecruiser
The Mercury Class Battlecruiser is a Battle Cruiser class of the Imperial Navy. Developed by the Tech-Priests of Bakka at the request of Admiral Knightsbridge in the aftermath of the 12th Black Crusade, the Mercury Class was designed to counter smaller pirate and raider vessels. The design took less than two centuries to construct, and proved to be the fastest Imperial capital ship built in several millennia. The Mercury combines a basic Cruiser layout with the engineering suite normally used on a Battleship, resulting in a much faster propulsion system that can move at speeds to keep up with raider vessels. Its cruiser-level firepower allows it to rapidly dispatch these smaller vessels.[1]
However this performance came at a price, namely its armor protection and as a result the ships can not withstand as much punishment as other Battlecruiser-class vessels.[1]
Notable Ships
- Nemesis - destroyed an Ork Terror Ship and three Ravager Attack Ships single-handed[1]
- Gorgon - Destroyed an Eldar Shadow Class Cruiser[1]
- Scylla - Destroyed by Chaos vessels in 467.M41, creating a Warp Drive malfunction that destroyed an entire squadron of Escorts and damaging the nearby Battleship Mailed Fist
- Medusa - Destroyed, creating a Plasma Drive overload that destroyed the Lunar Class Cruiser Lord Chalfont and leaving a convoy of transports at the mercy of Ork raiders[1]
- Long Serpent[1]
Sources
- 1: Battlefleet Gothic Compendium 2010 pg. 41
