Battlefleet Armageddon is a colossal fleet of Imperial Navy vessels charged with the the protection of the strategic Armageddon Sector within the Segmentum Solar. The Imperial Navy shipyards for the Segmentum are located on Luna, and the Imperial Navy headquarters in the Segmentum is based within Mars' Ring of Iron. Battlefleet Armageddon is currently commanded by Admiral Parol, who fought alongside High Marshal Helbrecht of the Black Templars Space Marine Chapter's Crusade Fleet, and other Imperial commanders in the space above Armageddon, playing a major role in the defence of the Armgeddon Sector from the vast Ork threat of WAAAGH! Thraka during the Third War for Armageddon in 998.M41.
History
Segmentum Solar
Departmento Cartographicae Map of the Segmentum Solar
Segmentum Solar is one of the five Segmentum Majoris, the great Imperial administrative divisions of the galaxy. The Segmentum Solar is the central hub of the Imperium of Man and the most ancient and densely settled region of human space. Centered on Terra, where the Emperor of Mankind sits upon his Golden Throne, the central Segmentum is protected on four sides by the other Segmentae Majoris. The Battlefleet Armageddon is based in the orbital fleet docks of the so-called Ring of Iron that surrounds the Adeptus Mechanicus' primary Forge World of Mars. The Ring of Iron is the name given to the massive complex of orbital shipyards, refineries and construction facilities that encircle the equator of the Adeptus Mechanicus' homeworld of Mars in the Sol System. The exploratory and expeditionary fleets of the Emperor of Mankind's Great Crusade were constructed in the orbital shipyards of the Ring of Iron during the late 30th and early 31st Millenniums.
Segmentum Tempestus is mercifully free from proximity to a festering mass incursion from the Warp, such as the Eye of Terror or the Maelstrom. As such, a Chaos incursion is usually a problem of xenos raiders rather than the mass attack of a large Chaos Fleet of deranged Heretics. Each of the five warfleets serves within one of the Segmentae Majoris and is responsible for protecting shipping within it. Most space battles take place around installations or planets, most of which can be defended efficiently by means of sub-stellar craft and planet-based defences. Even so, it is impossible to provide total defence for every Imperial world. The warships of the Imperial Fleet are highly mobile and extremely potent weapons, able to gather to meet large threats where necessary.
Imperial space is so vast, with so many star systems and areas of Wilderness Space to be patrolled, that even the many thousands of spaceships in the warfleets must be spread thin, with individual ships and squadrons set out on their own assignments. The Imperium cannot maintain permanent fleets ready to respond to invasion or rebellion. Nor would it make sense to do so - it would take so long for a fleet to get from its base to the war zone that the enemy would surely have moved on by the time it arrived. Instead, temporary battlefleets are gathered together whenever they are needed. Battlefleet Armageddon is charged with protecting the vital Hive World of Armageddon and the planets within the surrounding systems.
Battlezones
Although the dark reaches of space vary far less than the battlefields of the worlds they contain, there is nonetheless local peculiarities, phenomenon and anomalies in almost every region of populated space. The Armageddon Sector is no exception, and coupled with the variety of unique defences, wrecks and astral bodies found, this makes the battlezones throughout the Armageddon System somewhat different to many others. Most inhabited systems can be divided into six regions or zones from deep space through to the flare region close to the system's sun.
System Defences
Torpedo Salvoes
In preparing the Armageddon System for invasion, the Imperial Navy set many deadly traps for the marauding Orks. One of the most common of these were salvos of torpedoes, hard-wired to hone in on any approaching ship. The friend or foe systems of these weapons were disabled when deployed, to avoid any danger of the Orks interfering with the mechanisms and turning the torpedoes to their own devious use. This is not the only way a deadfall occurs; many stray salvoes run low on fuel having missed their intended target. These stray torpedoes finally come to rest with only a small amount of fuel left, just enough to lurk in wait for a suitable, unsuspecting target to pass. These stray torpedo salvoes then activate and using the remainder of their fuel and lock on to the unwary ship.
Debris Fields
Whether it is the result of critical navigational errors or one of the many engagements between Ork fleets and the Imperial Navy within the Armageddon System, there are now many large wreckage fields slowly orbiting the sun. The smashed wreckage often forms trails extending for many thousands of kilometres, gravely endangering navigation within the system. The previous space battles around Armageddon have left many ships broken and shattered, destined to orbit the sun for millennia. However, the burnt out hulks are still considered to be a valuable prize for both sides in the war and their capture was always rewarded by any Admiral's or Warboss' superior. Contrary to the beliefs of many of those who must remain planet-bound, every Imperial Captain knows that space is far from empty. A great number of debris field can prove to be a serious risk to travel within a system. Whether they are formed from past battles or naturally form from matter in the outer reaches, these fields can prove deadly to an unwary vessel.
Third War for Armageddon
Notable Vessels of Battlefleet Armageddon
- His Will (Apocalypse-class Battleship
- Triumph (Apocalypse-class Battleship
- Green Lake (Oberon-class Battleship
- Ex Cathedra (Armageddon-class Battlecruiser
- Hammer of Light (Armageddon-class Battlecruiser
- Thunderchild (Armageddon-class Battlecruiser
Sources
- Battlefleet Gothic Magazine 12, "Battlefleet Armageddon - Scenarios, Sub-Plots, Battlezones, Sector Maps, Fleet Lists," pp. 4-19
- Battlefleet Gothic Magazine 14, "
- Codex: Armageddon (3rd Edition), pg. 2
- Codex: Orks (4th Edition), pg. 24
- White Dwarf 140 (US), "Space Fleet: Additional Background, Rules, Data Cards and Counters", pp. 46-75
- White Dwarf 139 (US), "Space Fleet: Rules Expansion", pp. 8-36