Falchion Escort

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Imperial Navy

Falchion Class Escort

The Falchion Class Escort is an Imperial ship design used by the Imperial Navy and Basilikon Astra.^[5] It is loosely based on the Endeavour, Endurance, and Defiant classes of light cruiser.

Overview

The vessel itself is a product of the Voss Forgeworld and was designed to fulfil a similar role as the Sword Class Frigate. It is an escort ship and as such is individually weak and therefore operates paired with three or four ships; sometimes up to six ships are grouped together in a single squadron.^[1]

The Falchion has a small weapons battery and a single torpedo tube. It also has a shield generator and turret array for protection.^[1]

The Falchion design began with a set of plans that were stolen by Chaos traitors from the Imperial shipyards at Monsk. While this design would appear in the Chaos Fleet as the Infidel-class raider, the Imperials' attempt to reconstruct the stolen plans would result in the Falchion class.^[4a] By 261.M41 the first Falchion squadrons were operational, the design for the vessel being slowly distributed throughout the domains of the Adeptus Mechanicus.^[7]

The pattern's operational successes have tended to be in a defensive, rather than offensive, role where it is used to clear ordnance threats to the more ponderous capital ships, however in a stand up fight it simply cannot compete with the damage potential of the much more widespread Sword Class Frigate that are found in most fleets.^[1]

Falchion Class Escort^[6]

Nevertheless, when guided by an able commander, the Falchion can be a surprisingly effective warship. During the Chaos invasion of Adumbria in 938.M41, a pair of Falchions were the only Imperial vessels on station when the Ravagers armada of a dozen or more vessels emerged from the Warp. Though unable to stop the Chaos forces landing their troops, both vessels were able to slip into the null-fire zone to the aft of the Chaos ships, destroying two with torpedo volleys and a third with their weapons batteries, before the Chaos forces returned fire. Again, their superior speed and maneuverability allowed the Falchions to disengage without taking significant damage.^[4a][4b]

Seven months later, the Falchion would confront its erstwhile "sister" ship, the Infidel-class, for the first time in the Sabatine system.^[4a]

Notable Falchion Class Squadrons

• The Initiates of Monglor
• The Rhomphaian Squadron
• Michaelis Fire Squadron
• Torchbearer Patrol

Notable individual Falchions include the Escapade and the Virago.^[4a]

Technical Specifications

• Dimensions: 2.2 km long, 0.3 km abeam at fins approx.^[2]
• Mass: 6.5 megatonnes approx.^[2]
• Crew: 27,000 crew; approx.^[2]
• Accel: 4.6 gravities max sustainable acceleration.^[2]

Miniature

Miniature^[3]

Sources

This article or article section is based on information from a Fanatic Press publication such as Fanatic Magazine or one of its predecessors (e.g. The Citadel Journal, Necromunda Magazine, etc.). These publications regularly featured articles submitted by hobbyists, and as such, their content may or may not be in contradiction to established background lore.

• 1: Battlefleet Gothic Armada, pg. 19
• 2: Rogue Trader: Battlefleet Koronus, pg. 26
• 3: Games Workshop (last accessed 04 October 2012)
• 4: The Traitor's Hand (Novel) — Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus):
  • 4a: Editorial Note after Chapter Eleven, pgs. 634–635
  • 4b: Editorial Note after Chapter Twelve, pgs. 647–648
• 5: Fanatic Online 92 - Vessels of Mars ^{Fanatic Press}
• 6: Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II
• 7: The Battle for Armageddon (Background Book), pg. 76