Mars-class Battlecruiser

The Mars-Class Battlecruiser is a starship within the Imperial Navy and a very common and respected sight across Imperial Space. It is the apex of human engineering in space combat as it is a truely multi-role vessel capable of engaging and defeating a large variety of threats to Imperial dominance in the galaxy.

Overview
The Mars-Class is a very widespread vessel and hundreds of these classes can operate in a just a handful of fleets in a single Segmentum. they are regularly used as flagships for small 'wings' of starship on patrol or form the bulky lead vanguards of a battlefleet. It is a special starship as it is a rare vessel in strategic terms because it fulfils many tactic criteria one does not usually find with Imperial shipping. It excels in bombardment, close ship-to-ship warfare, and carrier roles. Only the Dictator-Class is as multi-role with the carrier ability but lacks the ability to hit targets from a distance. The Mars-Class is well armed and equipped for the role it has to acheieve and mounts a nova cannon, lance battery, fighter/bomber launch bays and weapons batteries.

Its name is a hallowed one; one that echoes the great Forge World of Mars because it was unique to the orbital shipyards prior to the Gothic War. While many Imperial Capitals reckon the ship is undergunned for its size in comparison to similar vessel, it is still sought after in many fleets and the vessel still does slot into Imperial space doctrines of War.

Design
The Mars-Class was first built in the orbital shipyards above the massive construction facilities of Mars, this class was also exclusive to the Martian shipyards. However due to the combined criticisms of many imperial captains about how effect the Mars-Class is in combat meant that eight centuries prior to the Gothic, to its outset and the eventual victory of Imperial forces, the production of the class was discontinued indefinitely.

However there are many aspects of the vessel that have to be admired. the Mars-Class was designed to fill a gap in humanities lack of multirole cruisers. While adopting the traditional bulky hull with the adamantium armoured wedged shaped prow with the 'wings' at about three quarters of the way down the ship, the Mars-Class is a ship that is very recognisable. Its key features include the distinctive nova cannon and a dorsal armament bristling with lances, but more distinctive than that are the launch bays positioned half way down the ship- home to four squadrons of Fury fighters and/or Starhawk bombers depending on mission requirements.