Chaos Grand Cruisers
Executor Class Grand Cruiser
Size: 7.6 KM long, 1.8 KM abeam at the wings
Crew: 143,000
Max Acceleration: 1.9 g
Defences: faramite-alloy armour plating, 4 cruiser class Void shields.
Standard Main Armament: 8 Lance batteries (4 per broadside), 4 Heavy Lance batteries (2 per broadside)
Standard secondary Armament: Turbo lasers, missile banks and autocannons (belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)
Auxiliary craft: 4 Arvus lighters
Lore: This class of Grand Cruiser was designed and built for use by Battlefleet Cadia in the defence of the Cadia gate, its intention being an upgrade over the Vengeance Class and one of the few ships in the Imperial arsenal to match the Apocalypse battleship for lance broadside firepower.
Almost all of these rare vessels where arranged into a single squadron of giant cruisers, Blood Royale leading them. The Executors roamed the border of the Eye of Terror, using their extended range Heavy-Lance weaponry to annihilate anything foolish enough to try and break out of the Gate long before they realised they were in range. Their effectiveness grabbed the attention of Chaos forces and, one day, the Grand Cruisers disappeared without a trace while on one of their long-range patrols.
For six centuries all the Grand Cruisers where believed lost (the experience promoting the Imperium to split up its Grand Cruisers more sparsely, to prevent the loss of several of the ancient vessels at a time) until they suddenly appeared in the Gothic Sector... as part of a massive chaos warfleet.
The powers of Chaos had further increased the already upgraded range and speed beyond what should be physically possible: The Executor now a truly deadly threat to anything that dares challenge the Grand cruiser, regardless of protection and range.
Retaliator Class Grand Cruiser
Size: 7.5 KM long, 1.6 KM abeam at the wings
Crew: 144,000
Max Acceleration: 1.7 g
Defences: faramite-alloy armour plating, 4 cruiser class Void shields.
Standard Main Armament: 8 Heavy Macro Cannons (4 per broadside), 2 Lance batteries (1 per broadside) and 4 hanger decks (2 per broadside)
Standard secondary Armament: Turbo lasers, missile banks and autocannons (belly and spine mounted, undetermined numbers)
Auxiliary craft: 4 Arvus lighters, 200 Swift Death fighters, 288 Hell Talons/Hell Blades, 108 Doom Fire bombers, 120 Dread Class Assault pods
Lore: Retaliator Class: Retaliator Class vessels served the Imperium as dedicated blockade vessels, anti-piracy ships and as PDF vessels from M32-M35 primarily in the Eye of Terror region but also seeing service with Imperial forces in the Galactic East. In M35, the Industrial World of Galan V and the entire garrison fleet surrounding the planet (that included a majority of the Retaliator Class vessels) rebelled against the Imperium and turned to Chaos. A two-day long intense naval battle took place around Galan V's moon between Imperial Cruiser squadrons and the rebel fleet, the remaining Retaliators and their escorts broke off and retreated for the Eye of Terror. Having received heavy damage at the hands of the Imperial Cruiser, and despite inflicting heavy losses, where faced with overwhelming imperial reinforcements (which included an Apocalypse Class battleship).
When seen again by Imperial forces: the Retaliators where deadlier, twisted, parodies of the vessels they had been. Battery and lance range impossibly extended by supernatural means, Strike Craft replaced for smaller and more mobile Chaos models: pilots reduced to an unholy union of flesh, bone and machinery.
Although rarely seen, as Chaos fleets primarily use them to blockade important planets which are under invasion and for defensive operations, one renegade Retaliator is known to still be at large in the Imperium in the Kronus sub-sector: the Monarch of Whispers, which continues to terrorise Imperial convoys and planets across the sub-sector to this day.
Repulsive Class Grand Cruiser
Size: 7.4 KM long, 1.6 KM abeam at the wings
Crew: 114,000
Max Acceleration: 2.2 g
Defences: 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
Lore: The Repulsive was designed to be the ultimate evolution of the Grand Cruiser concept in M34, armed with long range lances, more powerful battleship-type engines, extended-range weapons batteries and forward mounted torpedoes deployed on a more heavily armoured prow-section. The cruiser was quite simply designed to address all of the recurring issues with the Grand Cruisers still in service with the Imperium.
The Repulsive (original name long lost, being nicknamed such by Imperial crews while in Imperial service and officially classes as the 'Repulsive Class' while in Chaos service) had some disturbing complications from very early in her design stage. A series of strange and perfect coincidences allowing the development to be unusually speedy and successful on the ship, and allowing for several batches of the cruiser to be produced in rapid succession not long after being developed in lightning speed... only for a disturbing number of these ships to be 'lost in the warp' in their first few jumps. Eventually the Imperium picked up the pattern, discontinuing the Grand Cruisers from service and production (and losing the ability to continue producing them not long after), this cruisers ugly reputation of dragging crews into the Warp already earning it the name 'Repulsive': the few remaining being regulated to planetary defence duties, being unable to warp between sectors.
Many of these 'lost' Grand Cruisers where immediately being prepared to be put into active service with Chaos fleets.
The Repulsive Class saw extensive upgrades to her speed and range by her new Chaos masters, the twisted powers of Chaos empowering the ship's systems beyond the limits of the simple physics of Real-Space.
The Repulsive is a truly deadly adversary to any who try to engage her, her long range batteries (and even longer range Lances) tearing into formations from far beyond the effective engagement range of most Imperial vessels. She is also a rare vessel among Chaos fleets for having forward torpedo armament, only further increasing her fearsome firepower at extreme ranges, she's also unusual for having Heavy armour: able to withstand an Imperial Battle Cruiser broadside long enough to fire at least one terrifyingly powerful broadside in return.
The Repulsive is also frequently used in raids on Imperial worlds and in planetary invasions.