Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-68.116.173.209-20141114044858/@comment-96.237.224.250-20141114203122

Here is what I think. First Chaos forces can make new ships, no doubt about it. Especially the Black Legion, Iron Warriors, and Word Bearers. They have the reasourcess to do that and more, see gehemehnet. They also obtain new vesels through curruption as you imply.

Now, as you say The Chaos fleet is not a match for the full might of the Imperial Navy, and Astartes vesseles, in plain comparasen. But they never go up against the entire might of the Imperium. They Imperium is never fighting one theater alone; the Imperium is fighting xenos more often then chaos. So because of this the two, Imperium and Chaos forcess, are often evenlly matched.

Chaos forcess avoid space battles because they know they would be outguned and usually work with stealth into making planatery deployment and rensaking worlds were they are facing only a portion of the Imperial fleet and forcess. Then retreating when the Imperium musters a sizable response, or fighting and eventually loosing then retreating. This is what Abbadon's resume is filld with now days.

Also it should be mentioned that although smaller the Chaos fleet has some of the most powerfull vesserls in the galaxy. Vengeful Spirit, Planet Killer, Terminus Est. So they can survive space battles with quality not quantity.