Imperial Grand Cruisers
Avenger Class Grand Cruiser
Size: 7.5 KM long, 1.8 KM abeam at the wings
Crew: 141,000
Max Acceleration: 1.6 g (2.2 g in some cases)
Defences: faramite-alloy armour plating, 4 cruiser class Void shields.
Standard Main Armament: 64 Macro Cannons (32 per broadside) (some having 32 total Macro Cannons and 16 Heavy 'Titan Forge' Macro Cannons, as well as 3 dorsal lance turrets)
Standard secondary Armament: missile banks and autocannons (belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)
Auxiliary craft: 4 Arvus lighters, 1 Apulia lander, 2 Tetrarch assault-landers
Lore: The avenger is one of the oldest Imperial ships that still sees some service in M41. Famed for its reliability and dependability, even now, these ships have largely fallen out of service with the Imperial Navy. Before the time of the Imperial Navy, these ships where essentially pocket battleships: deploying in small groups with full-battleships (acting like body guards) and fulfilling combat duties as the flagships of Cruiser flotillas.
The Avenger filling very much a 'Brawler' or 'Line Breaker' assault role is armed with massive broadsides of cruiser-grade macro cannons in such a concentration that they can make short work of anything it can bring them to bear on, although they are short ranged. The ship also featuring massively thick armour and multiple layers of void shielding, although the ship is cripplingly slow and has no prow armour or frontal armaments.
The Imperial Navy in M36 attempted to extend the life of the Grand Cruiser by replacing the lower-most broadside with more modern Heavy Macro Cannons, some even receiving speed upgrades and dorsal lances by being equipped with newer battle cruiser power plants. For a long time, these upgrades have kept the Avenger loyally serving the Imperium in active combat roles, although most began being moth balled or repurposed as heavy cargo haulers by M39 and only a handful serve with major battle fleets by late M41. The slow speed and lack of an armoured prow meaning the ship frequently suffered minor to moderate damage trying to close with targets, making them expensive additions to the fleet, the Grand cruiser ultimately achieving the same thing as an Overlord battlecruiser in a less efficient manner.
Despite this, the Avenger is still held in high regard, and even retains flagship roles in many minor battle fleets. The ships massive broadside armament and heavy durability making it a deadly foe even to battleships in a close-ranged brawl.
Vengeance Class Grand Cruiser
Size: 7.2 KM long, 1.2 KM abeam at the wings
Crew: 139,500
Max Acceleration: 1.7 g
Defences: faramite-alloy armour plating, 4 cruiser class Void shields.
Standard Main Armament: 4 Heavy Plasma Lance batteries (2 per broadside), 16 Macro Cannons (8 per brousdies), 12 Heavy Macro Cannons (6 per broadside)
Standard secondary Armament: missile banks and autocannons (belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)
Auxiliary craft: 4 Arvus lighters, 1 Aquila lander, 2 Tetrarch assault-landers
Lore: The Vengeance is believed to have been the evolution from the Avenger Class, featuring slightly superior speed and a more versatile range of broadside armaments. While avenger being a 'line breaker' and a 'brawler' the Vengeance seeming to fill a more general purpose fire-support role. The ship is still very old, and not many are seen in late M41, the design dating back to before the Great Crusade.
The Vengeance armament reflects it's more versatile: having two different calibres of macro cannon, for dealing with smaller targets or battleships, and several heavy Lances that can make short work out of anything the Grand Cruiser chooses to engage.
The Vengeance still falls to the same weaknesses that befell all Grand Cruisers: the lack of a prow, slow speed and no frontal weapons. The Vengeance suffering from a lack of PD. The few missiles and auto cannons she is equipped with being easily overwhelmed by strike craft.
Exorcist Class Grand Cruiser
Size: 7.3 KM long, 1.1 KM abeam at the wings
Crew: 112,000
Max Acceleration: 1.9 g
Defences: faramite-alloy armour plating, 4 cruiser class Void shields.
Standard Main Armament: 32 Macro Cannons (16 per broadside), 4 hanger decks (2 per broadside)
Standard secondary Armament: missile banks and autocannons (belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)
Auxiliary craft: 4 Arvus lighters, 1 Aquila lander, 2 Tetrarch assault-landers, 1 Devourer dropship, 40 Thunderbolts, 30 Marauders, 20 Valkyries, 4 Vultures, 75 Furies, 26 Star Hawks, 6 Shark Assault Boats
Lore: The Exorcist is a grand cruiser that has done very well for itself in M41 in finding a role to fill. The Grand cruiser is the second fastest among regular Imperial Grand Cruisers and the only one that has managed to adapt adequately to the shifting and changing of time. This being due largely to her massive carrier capacity.
Her high carrier capacity has made her a firm favourite with many fleets. The ship still sees front-line service as a system-enforcement vessel, fleet- ground support ship, Invasion ship and an exploration vessel. The ship being very well suited to operating for extended periods of time without maintenance or support due to its high durability and capacity to defend itself. The carrier capacity it has being easily interchangeable with a wide variety of craft to specialise it into more specific roles.
Although many have still been moth balled in favour of either the Emperor Class battleship, the Nemesis Class Battleship or the Jovian Class Battle cruiser, there are still no other ships that can combine carrier capacity, Macro-firepower and durability like the Exorcist does.
Furious Class Grand Cruiser
Size: 7.4 KM long, 1.6 KM abeam at the wings
Crew: 112,000
Max Acceleration: 2.5 g
Defences: Tripple-armoured adamantium prow, faramite-alloy armour plating, 4 cruiser class Void shields.
Standard Main Armament: 32 Macro Cannons (16 cannons per broadside), 3 plasma lance turrets (dorsally mounted), 6 torpedo launchers
Standard secondary Armament: Turbo lasers, missile banks and autocannons (belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)
Auxiliary craft: 4 Arvus lighters, 1 Aquila lander, 2 tetrarch assault-landers
Lore: This ship is the last known class of Grand Cruiser to be produced: the fastest of the Grand cruisers, and the only one to have an armoured prow and frontal weapons.
The ship dates to the late Great Crusade and Horus Heresy period. It was built to provide the Imperial Navy with a more up to date version of a Grand Cruiser, taking the prow section of a Retribution and marrying it to the hull of a Repulsive-class Grand Cruiser. Also, creating a new and experimental engine for the new Grand cruiser.
The result was a Grand Cruiser as fast as a Line-cruiser that was armed and armoured like a battleship. Unfortunately, it was costly and complicated to produce, as well as the engine and warp drive having serious reliability problems: many ships losing power to their engines for no apparent reason or getting lost in the warp.
Although the ship was a very successful combat vessel, elsewhere it was woefully lacking for reliability. As such, it wasn't widely adopted. The Furious Class being the final nail in the coffin for most attempts to bring the Grand Cruiser back into the Imperial fleets. By M41, battleships and battlecruisers replacing the ancient ships in their old roles.
