Oberon-class Battleship

Imperial Oberon-class Battleships

The Imperial Navy's Oberon-class Battleship is a well-rounded early variant of the Emperor-class Battleship that was designed to perform a variety of roles. While lacking the swarming attack craft of its successor or the raw firepower of the Retribution- or Apocalypse-class Battleships, the Oberon is able to deliver a mixed assault of attack craft, torpedoes, and lance and weapons battery fire that more specialized battleships cannot.

This diverse armament gives the Oberon the ability to deal with any threat, and therefore not need the usual squadron of escorts to protect it. This self-sufficiency is further enhanced by advanced sensor systems that give the Oberon the ability to detect enemies before they are aware of its presence.

Unfortunately, despite its impressive combat record, the Oberon has become exceedingly rare after it was phased out by the Imperial Navy in favor of the Emperor-class. Those still in service, however, remain formidable ships of the line with the ability to defeat any enemy on the field of battle.

Notable Oberon-class Battleships

• Green Lake - The Green Lake was an Oberon-class Battleship that fought in the Third War for Armageddon. It scored several victories over Ork ships, including destroying the Space Hulk Skullbanga before itself being destroyed by a teleporter attack by the Ork Battleship Dethdeala.
• Light of Truth - The Light of Truth is an Oberon-class Battleship recently commandeered by Inquisitor Tane Massata of the Ordo Malleus. It served as his flagship on his mission to the Knight World of Adrastapol. For several Terran years, the Light of Truth and her fleet lurked outside the Majestis System while the Inquisitor conducted his covert missions to retrieve an artefact of Chaos. His plans foiled, Inquisitor Massata ordered the Light of Truth to conduct a hit-and-run campaign on the vessels of WAAAGH! Killfist, rerouting the Ork invasion to Adrastapol as a cover for his own expedition. Before he departed, the Inquisitor left standing orders for the Light of Truth to enact Exterminatus-protocols. Having changed his mind regarding the culpability of the Knight Houses of Adrastapol while planetside, Inquisitor Massata contacted his flagship, aborted his previous orders and ordered the Light of Truth to join the fight against the Orks. In the subsequent void battle, the WAAAGH's naval elements were hunted down and destroyed, ending the Battleship's mission with a resounding victory.
• Thunder of Heaven - An Oberon-class Battleship of Battlefleet Tempestus that fought in the Dark Marches Crusade of the 36th Millennium.
• Tomioka - The Tomioka was the flagship of the lost Magos Telok who vanished behind the Halo Scar in the 36th Millennium, never to be seen again until the venerable Oberon-class Battleship was found mysteriously abandoned on a dying planet that orbited an end-sequence star beyond the galactic fringes.
• Execution Eternal - The Execution Eternal is an ancient Oberon-class Battleship lost to a crew mutiny in the early ninth century of the 41st Millennium while on a mission to reinforce Imperial armies fighting on the Achilus Crusade's Greyhell Front. The ship's officers were murdered, but not before they could sabotage the Warp-Drives, preventing the mutineers from fleeing with the ship. T'au forces learned of the ship's plight and sent a Hunter Cadre to capture it, but the Imperial Navy sent its own mission to recover it and the resulting battle raged through the countless decks of the starship. It is still going on, with the T'au holding the cavernous engine chambers and the Imperial Navy troops holding the bridge and crew decks.

Sources

• Battlefleet Gothic Armada
• Deathwatch: Rites of Battle (RPG), pp. 250-251
• Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pg. 18
• Knightsblade (Novel) by Andy Clark
• Priests of Mars (Novel) by Graham McNeill
• The Emperor Expects (Novel) by Gav Thorpe