Lunar Cruiser

Imperium Portal Imperial Navy

Lunar Class Cruiser.*^[1b]

The Lunar Class Cruiser is the mainstay of the Imperial Navy that also sees use with the Basilikon Astra.^[8]

Overview

It is a good all-around ship, having reasonable lance and weapon battery armament, and a fair torpedo capability. This versatility is the factor that has won the ship its position as the Imperial warship of choice. Whilst the Lunar doesn't have the range of larger ships, it can hold its own at medium to short ranges. It also possesses enough shielding and armour to enable it to get to the range of its weapons relatively unscathed.^[1b]

Usually cruisers operate in pairs, and the Lunar is no exception, as it allows twice the firepower to be brought against the enemy, whilst forcing them to halve their reply. The standard tactic with the Lunar class is to fire the torpedoes whilst closing with the enemy. This will cause some disruption as the enemy attempts to manoeuvre away from the torpedoes. This disruption will hamper attempts to fire upon the pair of cruisers, and they will get within range, and turn their broadsides to face the enemy. From here, they will fire volley after volley into the enemy while circling at full speed.^[1b]

The Lunar class is represented in almost any Imperial Fleet that one will see, as it is uncomplicated to produce. Roughly six hundred Lunar class vessels are in service in Segmentum Obscurus alone.^[4] Even a Hive World with no shipbuilding expertise can build a Lunar class in short periods of time. The ship Lord Daros was built in orbit of the Feral World of Unloth. For eleven years its inhabitants mined and smelted ores to be presented to the "sky temples." Their perseverance was rewarded with the birth of a new star in the heavens, which left to join its brothers in the cosmos. This "new star" was the Lord Daros's plasma wake, as it left the system to join its fleet.^[1b]

Notable Lunar Class Vessels

A Lunar Cruiser^[7]

• Agrippa^[1b]
• Glaive of Pyran^[10]
• Golden Farrel
• Goliath — Part of Battlefleet Cadia.^[5]
• Hammer of Thrace^[2]
• Heart of Light
• Indomitus Imperious^[1a]
• Iron Duke^[1b]
• Justicar^[1b]
• Lord Daros^[1b]
• Manichaean^[11]
• Minotaur^[1b]
• Pulchritudinous
• Relentless^[6]
• Retribution^[1b]
• Righteous Protector

Technical Specifications

• Dimensions: 5 km long, 0.8 km abeam at fins approx.^[3]
• Mass: 28 megatonnes approx.^[3]
• Crew: 95,000 crew; approx.^[3]
• Accel: 2.5 gravities max sustainable acceleration.^[3]

Images

• 

  Lunar cruiser front cross view^[9]

• 

  Lunar cruiser side view^[9]

• 

  Lunar cruiser rear cross view^[9]

Sources

• 1: Battlefleet Gothic Rulebook:
  • 1a: pg. 94
  • 1b: pg. 110
• 2: Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign, pg. 39
• 3: Rogue Trader Core Rulebook, pg. 196
• 4: Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part Two, pg. 7
• 5: Codex: Eye of Terror (3rd Edition), pg. 13
• 6: Relentless (Novel) ^{[Needs Citation]}
• 7: Battlefleet Gothic: Armada (Video Game)
• 8: Fanatic Online #92 - Vessels of Mars: Ships of the Adeptus Mechanicus, by Nate Montes, Robert Henderson, and Ray Bell.
• 9: Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II
• 10: The Pyres of Armageddon (Novel) — Yarrick: The Omnibus, Chapter 1, Section 1
• 11: Eclipse of Hope (Short Story)