Mars Class Battlecruiser
The Mars Class Battle Cruiser was designed to replace the Exorcist Class Grand Cruiser as a small fleet carrier and long range patrol ship. It serves in both roles adequately well, but excels at neither.
Overview
The Mars class features the classic armoured prow, allowing it to close with the enemy in relative safety. Its main armament consists of medium sized, long ranged weapons batteries, two lances on the dorsal section, and the fearsome Nova Cannon. It can also support a good number of attack craft. These allow the Mars Class to engage the enemy whilst out of range of their main weapon systems, or go closer to the enemy and use its attack craft to protect itself or make lightning raids against enemy ships.[1]
The Mars Class is thought to be undergunned by many Imperial Navy Captains, and the shipyards of Mars stopped laying down Mars Class keels some 1,900 years before the Gothic War. Only a handful of shipyards continue to produce Mars in limited numbers ever since.[4] Those that remain, however, are on active front line duty, for as many captains who do not like them, there are those who adore their ability to operate at stand-off range.[1]
Notable Mars Class Vessels
- Fist of Russ — Formerly the Resolute. Captured by the Wolf Lord Hrothgar Ironblade after the Battle of Sestus Proxima and pressed into Space Wolf service.[6]
- God-Emperor's Mantle[10]
- Imperious[1]
- Jovian - Sub-class.
- Judgement of the Void[9]
- Lord Berrus[8]
- Marquis Lex[3]
- Pax Imperium[2]
- Tyrant's Light[7]
Technical Specifications
- Dimensions: 5.4 km long, 0.85 km abeam at fins approx.[4]
- Mass: 33 megatonnes approx.[3]
- Crew: 107,000 crew; approx.[3]
- Accel: 2.3 gravities max sustainable acceleration.[3]
Sources
- 1: Battlefleet Gothic Rulebook, pg. 108
- 2: Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex),
[Help] - 3: White Dwarf 232, pg. 15 — De'Aynes Fighting Ships of the Gothic Sector
- 4: Rogue Trader: Battlefleet Koronus, pg. 22
- 5: Battlefleet Gothic: Armada (Video Game)
- 6: Wolf's Honour (Novel) — Space Wolf: The Second Omnibus, Chapter Three
- 7: Shadow of Ullanor (Novel) — Chapter 9
- 8: White Dwarf 272, pgs. 42–47 - Destroy the Tombship!
- 9: Sea of Souls (Novel) - Chapter 2
- 10: Crusade: Nachmund Gauntlet, pg. 16
