Slaughter-class Cruiser

A Slaughter-class Cruiser is one of the fastest Imperial capital starships ever built, though these vessels now belong to an infamous class of Cruisers often utilised by the Chaos Fleets of the Ruinous Powers.

History

The Slaughter-class Cruiser utilises a special plasma drive design called the Scartix Engine Coil. This advanced pattern of nuclear fusion-based plasma propulsion provides considerably more thrust than any other comparably-sized Plasma Drive. Scartix Coils are rugged and reliable, although complex and time-consuming to repair. The design for the Scartix Coil resided in the data-vaults of the Sethelan Forge World until 126.M34, when it was destroyed by a surprise attack from the Slaughter-class Cruiser Dutiful (later renamed the Soulless). Some think the attack had the sole purpose of preventing the construction of any more vessels of this design. The Dutiful was re-named the Soulless by Admiral Dorez for this despicable deed and was mercilessly hunted across Imperial space for the next seven millennia. It was finally destroyed during the Orar Raid, when its plasma drives were wrecked by the Imperious, a Mars-class Battlecruiser. The Killfrenzy has a fearsome reputation and is so named because of its peculiar broadcasts. In every encounter, the vessel has transmitted a single continuous message across all frequencies, "KILLFRENZY KILLFRENZY KILLFRENZY..." The ship's captain, believed to still be Abraham Thurst, shows an incredible disregard for the safety of his ship, continuing to fight in several battles despite suffering crippling damage.

Armament

The Slaughter 's speed is not its only advantage; these vessels are also armed with considerable short-ranged firepower, including high-yield Lance turrets and turbo-linked Destructor Cannon batteries on both broadsides. A Slaughter-class Cruiser can wreak considerable havoc amongst an Imperial battle line formation if it is able to move into range and then dart away.

Dimensions

Hull: Cruiser.
Class: Slaughter-class Cruiser.
Dimensions: Approximately 5 kilometres long, 0.8 kilometres abeam.
Mass: Approximately 28.5 Megatonnes.
Crew: Approximately 80,000 crew.
Acceleration: 2.4 Gravities maximum acceleration.

Notable Slaughter Class Cruisers

Eternal Lament - Unlike other pirate capital ships, the Eternal Lament prefers to hunt alone. This Slaughter-class Cruiser has used its deceptive speed and heavy, short-ranged armaments in a series of ambushes near the world of Orn in the Koronus Expanse. High-density asteroids in the region give the Eternal Lament a prime hunting ground to prey upon Imperial shipping vessels and a handful of Explorator ships. Reports from the few survivors of these ambushes indicate that the captain of the Lament, whoever that may be, fights his ship in an extremely reckless and daring fashion. The risks of operating a capital ship such as a Cruiser within an asteroid field are certainly daunting, but the Lament seems to have a particular gift for navigating such hazards.
Might of Huron - The Might of Huron is the flagship of the notorious leader of the Red Corsairs, Huron Blackheart. It was destroyed in the Fourth Battle of the Sunward Gap by a Dark Angels Battle Barge and fighters of the Imperial Navy.

Sources

Rogue Trader: Battlefleet Koronus (RPG), pp. 107-108
Pandorax (Novel), by C.Z. Dunn
Games Workshop - Specialist Games: Battfleet Gothic Resources - Ships of the Gothic Sector, pg. 124