Crusade era ships

[Tormented]

During the great crusade what ships did the legions use? as i understand battle barges were produced after Guilliman set down his codex right? Any info would be greatly appreciated thanks.

[Nachocuban]

In the Horus Heresy books, it mentions several times, battle barges, Imperial style battleships, and normal imperial frigates.

[Tormented]

Okay thanks, i just thought that battle barges were introduced after the heresy so marines wouldnt have emperor class batlleships and the like.

[isilvra]

As I understand it, the term Battle Barge would refer to any ship over a particular tonnage that was primarily used by Space Marines. Only after the Heresy did the term come to mean a more specific type of ship, and then only in the loyalist legions.

[Tormented]

Thank you very much

[c-wrex]

During the Heresy, many of the legions employed large scale battleships and heavy cruisers that were fitted as much for ship to ship combat as for orbital bombardment. After the Heresy, the ability of the marines to engage in shipborne naval combat needed to be scaled back to prevent them from having the edge in every possible engagement, and their naval needs were focused on supporting the marines' primary mission of orbital assault.

[Tormented]

C-wrex thank you, that is what i imagined it to be but i needed evidence and help. Thanks again.

[Son of Dorn26]

Take a look at the ships for the Navies of Chaos for Battlefleet Gothic. These are the older Imperial ships, while the Imperial fleet starts with ships being built around the 31st Century. In Flight of the Eisenstein, it mentions that the Sword class frigate was a brand new, top of the line ship.

[Tormented]

So it would be plausible for say the primarchs to have flagships of Emperor class battleship size? or maybe even start fort type ships?

 

Also how big would the legions fleetz of been?

[Grand Master Tyrak]

So it would be plausible for say the primarchs to have flagships of Emperor class battleship size?

 

Certainly. Although it's a good idea to check the BFG fluff (available for free on GW's website) for any exact dates on when ships were introduced, just in case. Also, don't use 'modern' battle barges and strike cruisers. Naval commanders of the Heresy era would have wet themselves laughing at the idea of deliberately limiting ships like that.

 

or maybe even start fort type ships?

 

Only if they are specifically named (like the Phalanx). Star Forts are, well, Star Forts. They're not very mobile and that just isn't what you need in the Great Crusade. The other Primarchs would look very strangely at you if you decided to shackle a continent-sized ball and chain to your Legion fleet.

 

Also how big would the legions fleetz of been?

 

Sector Battlefleet size, I would think. Half a dozen Battleships/Grand Cruisers, between one and two dozen large Cruisers/Battlecruisers, a similar number of Cruisers/Light Cruisers, and between three and four dozen squadrons of escorts (between two and four escorts per squadron seems reasonable to me).

 

Yes, the Imperial Navy is a truly gargantuan force. ;)

[Tormented]

Thank you Grand Master, this will be very helpful. Also i would assume the larger legions such as the Ultramarines would of had more ships due to their size and production capabilities?

[Grand Master Tyrak]

Also i would assume the larger legions such as the Ultramarines would of had more ships due to their size and production capabilities?

 

Yes, I would think so.

[Tormented]

Thank you.

Another question, wo would of crewed their fleets; failed aspirants? humans or marines?

[Talsin]

The fleet would have been crewed by standard humans.

 

Think of it as like the current Imperial Navy, but with the fleets assigned to the legions instead of sectors.

 

bear in mind that not all expepition fleets had a legion component so the fleets had to be crewed seperatly.

[Tormented]

Ah okies, so basically the current Imperial Navy ships with their crew but under the control of the legions?

[Sons of Horus]

Capital Ships:

Vengeful Spirit, Pride of the Emperor (or whatever Fulgrim's was called), Conqueror (or whatever Angron's was called

 

Battle Barges:

Endurance, Alpha, Beta, Indomitable Will (or whatever Lion's was called)

 

Strike Cruiser:

Waning Moon

 

there are others but I can't remember them.

[Grand Master Tyrak]

Ah okies, so basically the current Imperial Navy ships with their crew but under the control of the legions?

 

A fairly easy way to represent them in BFG would be to use the older pattern of Imperial Navy ships (so no Tyrant class cruisers or others which were developed post-Heresy), and some Chaos ship patterns (again, no post-Heresy patterns, and definitely not the Planet Killer) , commanded by a Master of the Fleet and with every ship automatically getting the company of Space Marines (No. 6 on the Space Marines Appeals Chart for the Campaign rules).

[Tormented]

Thank you guys, this is not for BFg but for a story i am planning to write.