Battlecruiser

The Reliant class, an example of a Manticoran battlecruiser

The Sultan class, a Havenite battlecruiser type

The battlecruiser (BC) was a type of warship employed by most major space forces of the Post Diaspora era. They were the largest warships not to be part of the so-called "ships of the wall", but were classified as capital ships.

History

The battlecruiser was a warship type used in first and second rate national navies. Battlecruisers were designed to straddle the line between medium combatants and heavier combatants, being both fast and well armed and armored. Their design featured some internal compartmentalization and redundancy to help protect against battle damage, but not as much as ships of the wall.

Battlecruisers' roles centered primarily on raiding and serving as a heavy screening unit for other capital ships. Battlecruisers were ideal for commerce raiding since it compelled the enemy to deploy a disproportionate number of lighter weight cruisers to defend against the raids. Similarly, BCs were used in raiding a system since their speed allowed them to run away from any ship larger than a BC. Battlecruisers also served as the heavy combat element and flagship for light task groups.

PNS Saladin, a People's Navy Sultan-class vessel, was an example of a battlecruiser (HH2); as was HMS Nike, a legendary ship of the Royal Manticoran Navy, whose name and honors stretched back for centuries. (HH3)

The Royal Manticoran Navy started building battlecruisers in the 15th Century PD, but re-classified most of these units as heavy cruisers later. (Companion)

Several non-military vessels, such as the Royal yacht and MANS Genesis, had similiar mass and weaponry.

Pod-layer

The pod-laying variant (called battlecruiser pod-layer, BC(P), or pod-laying battlecruiser) was a battlecruiser hull that had been modified to have a hollow core where it could store racks of missile pods, thus protecting them from proximity or "soft" kills, same as with the pod-laying superdreadnought. The Agamemnon class was an early example of Manticoran BC(P)s. (HH11)

Known BC classes

Andermani Empire

• Mendelssohn class
• Thor class

Protectorate of Grayson

• Raoul Courvosier class

Republic of Haven

• Lion class
• Sultan class
• Tiger class
• Tonnerre class
• Warlord class
• Warrior class

Silesian Confederacy

• Silesia class

Solarian Leage

• Indefatigable class
• Nevada class

Star Kingdom / Star Empire of Manticore

• Homer class
• Nike class
• Redoubtable class
• Reliant class

Known BC(P) classes

Andermani Empire

• Blücher class

Protectorate of Grayson

• Raoul Courvosier II class

Star Kingdom / Star Empire of Manticore

• Agamemnon class