Ark Mechanicus
Arks Mechanicus are a class of incredibly large, nigh-mythical Starships of the Adeptus Mechanicus Fleet. These ships are said to endlessly search the stars as part of the Adeptus Mechanicus' Quest for Knowledge.
Overview
Led by a Venerated Archmagos Explorator, they track down any hint that may lead to the Holy Grail of the Cult Mechanicus: a working Standard Template Construct (STC).[1]
Filled with the best technology that the Adeptus Mechanicus can create, the weapons of an Ark Mechanicus are stronger and longer-ranged than even Imperial Battleships, and their defences are significantly stronger. An Ark Mechanicus class vessel is equipped with a Nova Cannon, four Lance batteries, and two Weapons Batteries. This makes these rarely-seen ships truly mighty opponents on the rare occasions that their journeys are interrupted by battle.[1] So valuable is an Ark Mechanicus that the destruction of an entire Forge World, just to reawaken the ship's Machine Spirit is considered a small price to pay.[2b] The extreme rarity of these venerable ships is such that to discover one intact is a miracle to rival finding a fully functioning STC system, as only a handful of Ark Mechanicus are said to exist.[2b]
At least one Ark Mechanicus, the Speranza, secretly contains a fully functional and still updating STC. Archmagos Lexell Kotov theorized that all Ark Mechanicus secretly contained intact STCs and STC databases, the very things they were sent to find, but the Mechanicus just do not realize it and do not know how to access those functions. The knowledge of the STC was wiped from Kotov's mind upon disconnecting.[2]
Description
Ark Mechanicus are among the largest ships of any in the Imperium. The extreme mass of these vessels create a distorted gravity field equivalent to that of an unstable moon.[2] Wider than a Dominator class cruiser is long, an Ark Mechanicus contains a hive’s worth of manufactories, refineries, power plants, laboratories, testing ranges, chemical vats, and gene-bays.[2] The engines of these vessels are larger than the full mass of most starships.[2]
Known Vessels
- Archimedes Rex [13]
- Ark Majesty — Flagship of Fabricator General Kubik.[3]
- Asterius Evictus — Flagship of Magos Dominus Akuminor Xor.[15]
- Caestus Metalican — Flagship of Magos Dominus Faustinius.[11]
- Cursus Majoris — Makes up part of the Space Hulk Krakamorg and contains one of the three Warp Engines that empower it.[14]
- Encoronada — From the Forge World Satzica Secundus. Status: Controlled by the Dark Mechanicum[10]
- Iron Revenant — Former flagship of Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl.[8a] Status: Destroyed.[8b]
- Omnissiah's Victory — Took part in the Noloptis Crusade (M33).[1]
- Opus Machina — Flagship of Fabricator Locum Engra Myrmidex of Satzica Secundus.[9a] Status: Destroyed[9b]
- Patternmaster — From Segmentum Pacificus Batllegroup 9876 Redeployment Fleet[4][5]
- Pent-Ark — Commanded by Clain Pent of the Dark Mechanicus.[6]
- Red Ark — Assigned to Baal. Trapped in the Olethros Space Hulk. Status: Destroyed[12]
- Speranza — Flagship of Magos Lexell Kotov[2a]
- Zar-Quaesitor — Flagship of Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl[7]
Images
Ark Mechanicus profile
Ark Mechanicus miniature
See also
Sources
 |
- 1: Battlefleet Gothic Resources: Ships of Mars pg. 7 http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/argos/BFG/amfleet.pdf
- 2: Priests of Mars (Novel),[Needs Citation]
- 3: The Beheading (Novel) Chapter 5
- 4: Baneblade (Novel), Epilogue
- 5: Shadowsword (Novel), Chapter Three
- 6: The Lost and the Damned (Novel) Chapter 17
- 7: Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work (Novel), Chapter 5
- 8: Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia
- 9: Adeptus Mechanicus: Skitarius (Novel)
- 10: Adeptus Mechanicus: Tech-Priest (Novel), 1000, DENTRICA I OF I, +NECESSITY BEGETS INVENTION+
- 11: Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
- 12: Space Hulk: Deathwing (Video Game)
- 13: Nocturne (Novel), Chapter Two, Part I
- 14: Codex: Space Wolves (9th Edition), pg. 16 — War Zone: Jhalheid
- 15: White Dwarf 458, pg. 32
| Adeptus Mechanius Fleet | |
|---|---|
| Battleships | Ark Mechanicus • Emperor • Retribution • Oberon |
| Cruisers | Adeptus Mechanicus Cruiser • Lunar • Tyrant • Gothic • Dictator • War Barge |
| Light Cruisers | Adeptus Mechanicus Light Cruiser • Endeavor • Endurance • Defiant • Secutor • Lathe |
| Escorts | Firestorm • Nova • Gladius • Sword • Falchion • Cobra • Hunter |
| Attack Craft | Fury Interceptor • Starhawk Bomber • Shark Assault Boat |
| Transports/Landing Craft | Macro Transport • Heavy Transport • Lifter Barge • Conquesitus Ark • Coffin Ship • Titan Barque • Knight Transport • Invasion Lander • Drop-Vault • Drop-keep |
| Support Craft | Explorator Vessel • Eradication Ark • Explorator Ark • Goliath Class Factory Ship • Megiron Class Forge Vessel • Goliath Class Forge Tender • Capacitar Ship • Salvator Ark • Scavenger Scow |
| Planetary Aircraft | Avenger Strike Fighter • Lightning Fighter • Thunderbolt Fighter • Storm Eagle Gunship • Vulture Gunship • Archaeopter • Lysander Targeting Craft |
