Falchion Escort
The Falchion Class Escort is loosely based on the Endeavour, Endurance, and Defiant classes of light cruiser.
Contents
Overview
The vessel itself is a product of the Voss Forgeworld and was designed to fulfill a similar role as the Sword Class Frigate. It is an escort ship and as such is individually weak and therefore operates paired with three or four ships; sometimes up to six ships are grouped together in a single squadron.[1]
The Falchion has a small weapons battery and a single torpedo tube. It also has a shield generator and turret array for protection.[1]
The Falchion design began with a set of plans that were stolen by Chaos traitors from the Imperial shipyards at Monsk. While this design would appear in the Chaos Fleet as the Infidel-class raider, the Imperials' attempt to reconstruct the stolen plans would result in the Falchion class.[4a]
The pattern's operational successes have tended to be in a defensive, rather than offensive, role where it is used to clear ordnance threats to the more ponderous capital ships, however in a stand up fight it simply cannot compete with the damage potential of the much more widespread Sword Class Frigate that are found in most fleets.[1]
Nevertheless, when guided by an able commander, the Falchion can be a surprisingly effective warship.[4] During the Chaos invasion of Adumbria in 938.M41, a pair of Falchions were the only Imperial vessels on station when the Ravagers armada of a dozen or more vessels emerged from the Warp. Though unable to stop the Chaos forces landing their troops, both vessels were able to slip into the null-fire zone to the aft of the Chaos ships, destroying two with torpedo volleys and a third with their weapons batteries, before the Chaos forces returned fire. Again, their superior speed and maneuverability allowed the Falchions to disengage without taking significant damage.[4a][4b]
Seven months later, the Falchion would confront its erstwhile "sister" ship, the Infidel-class, for the first time in the Sabatine system.[4a]
Notable Falchion Class Squadrons
Notable individual Falchions include the Escapade and the Virago.[4]
Technical Specifications
- Dimensions: 2.2 km long, 0.3 km abeam at fins approx.[2]
- Mass: 6.5 megatonnes approx.[2]
- Crew: 27,000 crew; approx.[2]
- Accel: 4.6 gravities max sustainable acceleration.[2]
Miniature
Sources
- 1: Battlefleet Gothic Armada, pg. 19
- 2: Rogue Trader: Battlefleet Koronus, pg. 26
- 3: Games Workshop (last accessed October 4, 2012)
- 4: The Traitor's Hand (Novel) - Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus):