Gloriana Class Battleship
The Gloriana Class Battleship was an ancient and powerful Battleship design used by the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.
Overview
The Gloriana Class Battleship was an ancient Terran design which alongside similar vessels like the Promethean Class Cruiser and Tiamat Class Destroyer were forgotten technological relics, even by the time of the Great Crusade. They far surpassed the contemporary Imperial designs in capability.[10b]
Officially classified as a type of command Battle Barge, the vessels were around 20 kilometres in length, though their size and appearance varied greatly.[1] These massive ships were frequently used as flagships for Imperial fleets and even Primarchs. The Gloriana Class vessels are the largest known Imperial warships after the Phalanx and Furious Abyss-class vessels.[1] Some of the largest known Gloriana-class vessels were the Vengeful Spirit, Conqueror, Hrafnkel, and Iron Blood.[4]
The Dark Angels had perhaps the greatest fleet of the Space Marine Legions during the time of the Horus Heresy, including many advanced relic ships. These including multiple Gloriana Class vessels.[10c] Besides the Invincible Reason, the Dark Angels fielded two more Gloriana class vessels at the Battle of Advex-Mors, one of which was destroyed.[10d] Later two unnamed Dark Angels Gloriana Battleships were seen during the Thramas Crusade.[10a]
As of M41, the design appears to have fallen out of use. However, a few still serve as flagships, such as the Invincible Reason (Dark Angels) and Macragge's Honour (Ultramarines). The latter of these currently serves as the Lord Regent Roboute Guilliman's personal flagship.[1][2][3][9][11]
Named Gloriana Class Battleships
Trivia
Conflicting sources
The End and the Death: Volume III (Novel) states that only 20 Gloriana class ships were ever made.[13] The list above proves otherwise.
Sources
- 1: The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal, pg. 96
- 2: Collected Visions, pg. 38
- 3: Betrayer (Novel), Chapter 21
- 4: Wolf King (Novella)
- 5: The Horus Heresy Book Five - Tempest, pg. 20
- 6: Fear to Tread (Novel), Chapter 20
- 7: Dark Imperium (Novel), Chapter 19
- 8: Ruinstorm (Novel) [Needs Citation]
- 9: Legacy of Russ (Novel) - Part 8 - Fate Unbound
- 10: The Horus Heresy Book Nine - Crusade:
- 11: Dark Imperium (Novel), Chapter Four
- 12: Campaigns of the Age of Darkness: The Siege of Cthonia, pgs. 34-43 — The Beginning of the End
- 13: The End and the Death: Volume III (Novel), Chapter i
Modern Space Marine Fleet | |
---|---|
Battleships | Battle Barge |
Cruisers | Strike Cruiser • Vanguard Class |
Escorts | Gladius Class • Nova Class • Hunter Class • Rapid Strike Vessel |
Attack Craft | Thunderhawk • Stormraven • Storm Eagle (Fire Raptor) • Storm Talon • Stormhawk • Xiphon • Overlord • Nephilim • Dark Talon • Stormfang • Stormwolf • Corvus Blackstar • Caestus Assault Ram |
Transports | Thunderhawk Transporter • Landing Craft • Drop Pod |
Legiones Astartes Fleet | |
---|---|
Battleships | Gloriana • Emperor • Lunar • Infernus • Dictatus • Oberon • Battle Barge • Abyss |
Grand Cruisers | Avenger • Vengeance • Dominus |
Battlecruisers | Retribution Class |
Heavy Cruisers | Infernus • Indrajit |
Cruisers | Strike Cruiser • Hoplon • Promethean • Bulk Cruiser |
Light Cruisers | Gladius • Eclipse • Dauntless • Triton |
Barques | Gulgor • Attack Barque |
Heavy Frigates | Thunderbolt |
Frigates | Gladius • Sword |
Destroyers | Hunter • Venom • Tiamat |
Corvettes | Credo |
Other | Wrath Hammer • Excelsior • Pythos |
Fighters | Xiphon • Wrath • Lotus • Deathbird • Swordstrike • Lightning Crow |
Bombers | Corsair • Apis • Castellan |
Gunships | Stormbird • Thunderhawk • Storm Eagle • Fire Raptor • Stormhawk • Skylance • Orgus |
Assault Boats | Caestus • Purgio • Harbinger |
Landing Craft & Transports | Landing Craft • Anhur • Drop Pod • Dreadclaw • Kharybdis • Hawkwing |