|
Once a supremely rare sight, the gigantic stately commerce vessels of the Demiurg have been seen with increasing regularity in the Ultima Segmentum over recent centuries. Fleet strategists have postulated a link between the ships and the expansion of the Tau Empire on the eastern fringe, citing three confirmed sightings of Tau/ Demiurg or Kroot/Demiurg fleets in the region of the Damocles Gulf. Others have suggested that the nomadic movement of the mysterious Demiurg demonstrates only an opportunistic desire to capitalise on the disruption caused by the Tyranid hivefleets.
The type classified as ‘stronghold’ class is fairly typical of Demiurg vessels, being large, technologically advanced and extremely well-powered. Strongholds appear to act as factory/processor vessels and bases for a small fleet of intersystem asteroid mining pods, haulage flyers and prospector probes (it is theorized that many of these are automated). Typically lone strongholds have been encountered in the flare or mercurial zones of uninhabited star systems, hanging motionless and prow-on to the star with a cloud of small craft busily hustling to and fro to exploit local resources.
In most cases these ships withdraw their craft and disengage if challenged but in some instance have inexplicably turned on their attackers with surprising ferocity. It is worthy of note that every known encounter between Demiurg and Ork vessels has resulted in combat, and that renegade elements have often hired Demiurg vessels to fight as mercenaries in interplanetary and intersystem power struggles. As warships Demiurg vessels are slow but well defended, boasting considerable firepower at close ranges and the capacity for launching mining craft reconfigured as attack craft and torpedoes.
A notable trait of the stronghold class is its employment of an array of electromagnetic fields around its prow to scoop up interstellar hydrogen. This is accelerated to the rear of the ship to provide motive power in a ram-jet effect but the complex shielding it requires evidently produces numerous other benefits. This process is little understood by the Adeptus Mechanicus and they would dearly like to secure an intact Stronghold for investigation but thus far the opportunity has eluded them.
| Type/Hits | Speed | Turns | Shields | Armour | Turrets | ||
| Battleship/ 10 | 15cm | 45o | 4 | 5+/6+ prow | 4 | ||
| Armament: | Range/Speed | Firepower/Strength | Fire Arc | ||||
| Port Weapon Battery | 30cm | 12 | Left | ||||
| Stb’d Weapon Battery | 30cm | 12 | Right | ||||
| Port Lance Battery | 60cm | 3 | Left | ||||
| Stb’d Lance Battery | 60cm | 3 | Right | ||||
| Prow Weapon Battery | 45cm | 14 | Front | ||||
| Prow Cutting beam | 15cm | Special | Front | ||||
| Launch bays | Fighters:
30cm Bombers: 20cm Assault boats 30cm |
3 squadrons | - | ||||
| Torpedo silos | speed 30cm | 4 | all round | ||||
| Special Rules: Leadership Demiurg stronghold class ships are heavily automated and count their Ld value as being equal to their remaining number of hits, so starting at 10. Bridge smashed critical hits will not inflict additional Leadership loss on a Demiurg ship, but instead cause an extra point of damage (and attendant Ld loss) on the vessel. Blast markers The curious shielding arrangement of the Stronghold dissipates the effects of ionised gases and repels larger obstacles in its’ path. As a result any blast marker which a stronghold moves over is removed immediately -this includes any in base contact with the stronghold at the beginning of its turn. Blast markers have no effect on the movement of the Demiurg ship. Keep markers ‘hoovered up’ like this to one side so they can be used to fire a cutting beam from the prow in the shooting phase. Cutting beam The cutting beam is a short ranged but devastating ionisation beam the stronghold usually employs for gouging out recalcitrant moonlets. Each blast marker picked up by the Stronghold in the movement phase gives the beam the equivalent of one lance shot. Mercenaries Unless the fleet is entirely composed of Demiurg ships they are considered to be mercenaries and will not continue to fight if crippled. Crippled Demiurg ships will attempt to disengage every turn and run for the nearest point on the nearest table edge if they fail. However if the Demiurg ship is supporting a fleet fighting against Orks it will only disengage if first reduced to 1 or 2 damage points remaining. Celestial phenomena Demiurg stronghold class ships are totally unaffected by solar flares, gas and dust clouds and radiation bursts. Special Orders Demiurg Stronghold class vessels cannot employ come to new heading orders. Deployment And Scenarios Any fleet except Orks can use Demiurg stronghold class vessels, they are purchased as cruisers but do not contribute to the number of ships required to gain access to battleships, grand cruisers etc. Demiurg ships can never use fleet commander rerolls or be placed in squadrons with non-Demiurg vessels. |