+++BATTLEFLEET GOTHIC+++

by Steven Howell

The History of the Behemoth War

The first clues of an alien threat were found on the Adeptus Mechanicus way-station of Tyran. Tyran sent an ever growing number of reports back to Terra about dead worlds on the Eastern Fringe. These worlds were stripped bear of all life and it was this that piqued the interest of the Inquisition. Inquisitor Krytman set out to find out what was going on but he arrived too late…

By the time he arrived in the Tyran System all life was dead. He retrieved the bases data codex and studied it extensively. He tried to send a priority warning to Terra but was blocked so he headed for the telepathica booster matrix on Thandros but the Tyranids (as the aliens were now called) had beat him to it. He salvaged the booster matrix and sent a message back to Terra.

Kryptman travelled to Macragge and conversed with Marneus Calgar, Master of the Ultramarines. He believed Ultramar was the system most immediately threatened by the Tyranids, so the Ultramarines and the planetary defence force were preparing for an all out siege.

A month later the Tyranids attacked. Calgar drew the Tyranid fleet onto the big guns of Macragge and destroyed most of their main ships. Calgars fleet then pursed the fleeing Tyranid Ships but not before the Tyranids had dropped thousands of Mycetic Spores onto the planets surface. Calgars ships pusrsued the Tyranid ships to Circe where the Imperial Navy fleet and Calgars fleet destroyed the Tyranids thanks to the sacrifice of the Emperor Class Battleship Dominus Astra who detonated her warp drives in the middle of the enemy.

The Tyranids who had landed on Macragge were eventually destroyed after a heroic last stand by the members of the Ultramarines 1st Company. Little was learned about the Tyranids except that they were a deadly foe and if they were in enough numbers then they could destroy the Imperium.

Imperial Navy Fleet List

See Battlefleet Gothic.

Ultramarine Fleet List

Battle Barges-400pts (0-3 - 1 per every five Rapid Strike Vessels/Strike Cruisers)
Strike Cruisers-200pts (0+)
Rapid Strike vessels-50pts (0+)

Space Marines add +2 in Boarding actions and gain +1 to their randomly determined leadership.

The Space Marine battle barge is a rough equivalent to the Emperor Class Battleship but is more heavily armoured. Most of the hull space is taken up by launch bays for the small intra-system craft, drop-pods and Thunderhawks. Unfortunately, the barges heavy armour makes it slow and difficult to manoeuvre like most large ships.

Similar in design to the Dauntless Class Light Cruiser of the Imperial Navy, Strike Cruisers form the majority of the Space Marine fleets.

Rapid Strike Vessels are virtually the same as Sword class escorts that are common in the Imperial Navy, except because of their master crafted status they are slightly more heavily armed and faster. These ships form the scouts of the Space Marine Fleets.

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