The Redemptor class capital ship was the most feared Imperial warship for almost a millenia after the Horus Heresy.  Its firepower was capable of laying waste to whole cities in minutes, and wiping out a world's civilization in just a matter of hours.  It was designed to be self-sufficient, and capable of destroying any ship it encountered.  Sometimes the Redemptors could stand up to entire fleets by themselves.  They were the ultimate fighting vessels.  But even the ultimate fighting vessels, with time, grew outdated, and the Redemptors were soon replaced by the new Redemption class battleship.  Many Redemptors are still in use today, a tribute to the excellent engineering that went into the construction of these ships.

This ship is armed with a power ram.

The Gothic class battleship was a very powerful fighting vessel during the years of M31 - M36.  It was a powerful ship, maneuverable and destructive.  Its distinctive bird-like shape gave the ship a frightening look, and its heavy firepower earned the ship a reputation as a "Bird of Prey".   Even after the Gothic class cruisers were introduced into the Imperial fleet, the older Gothic class battleships continued to fight on, often flying alongside their newer cousins.  A Gothic class battleship is still a powerful sight, and most enemies do well not to underestimate its weight of firepower.

This ship is armed with a power ram.

The Eternal class cruiser was created in M38.   The ship was designed as a light-medium cruiser.  It is capable of filling a variety of roles, from scouting to interception.  The Eternals were responsible for destroying a number of pirate and raiding fleets during the millenia of their use, and they soon earned a reputation as the fierce weapon of retribution of the Imperium.   Tactics were devised so that the ships could lay in wait in the Warp behind a convoy or fleet of warships, and pounce upon any raiding parties that jumped the convoy or fleet.  These tactics gave the Eternals a specific role: Counter-ambush.  They have proven particularly effective and are expected to continue to be effective throughout the coming millenia.

The Vigilant class destroyer is an interesting ship.   Originally concepted as a light cruiser, it was later realised that the ship was more the size and style of a destroyer.  In M33, when it was first placed in use, the Vigilant was very effective against lighter ships, and in groups had an awesome effect against capital ships.  Vigilant squadrons were responsible for the destruction of many Chaos battleships during their time, including two Despoiler class battleships during the Gothic War.

The Eradicator class capital ship was originally designed as a sister class to the Redemptor class vessels.  The two designs were often seen fighting together in battle, their awesome hulls firing shot after shot into the enemy warfleets.  When much of the Imperial Navy joined Horus in his rebellion, most of these ships were lost to the vile forces of Chaos, whether through capture or outright destruction.  Few survived the Heresy, and now they are rarely seen, though when they are sighted in a battle it always brings a chill to their foes.

This ship is armed with a power ram.

The Rage class battleships were designed to be a class of light battleship, heavily armed and armoured but still relatively fast and maneuverable.  The Rage class battleships enjoyed early success, aiding in the Great Crusade and many wars afterward.  Many Rages were used during the Macharian Crusades.   When the Horus Heresy happened many Rages were captured by Chaos fleets or defected.  There are many in use by both the Imperium and Chaos to this day, and they are often seen clashing in battle against each other.  Rage class battleships are often seen leading fast raiding fleets, and are used often in flank attacks and rear strikes during campaigns.

The original Slaughter class cruiser was an awesome sight, a ship that was capable of going a decent speed and taking a good amount of punishment, while at the same time dealing out that punishment.  The Slaughters were used in fleet actions of all kinds, their versatile design making them good at a number of missions.  When the Slaughter class was upgraded to carry more weapons and faster engines, some of the ships were not refitted before the template for the new design was destroyed.  As a result, many of the older class vessels still exist.

The Reaver class destroyer was the precursor to the Vigilant class, their weapons batteries positioned on prow mounts instead of dorsal turrets.  They were fast, maneuverable craft, well suited to the style of warfare of the Chaos warfleets.  The Reavers are used in modern battles to dart in towards the larger vessels, fire upon them, and retreat to replenish their ordnance and weaponry.

The Khaine class Eldar capital ship is a devastating ships.  Even though it has lighter armour and is more vulnerable to massed weapon fire, it has some of the most deadly weaponry on a ship of any kind.  Armed with pulsar lances, plasma batteries, and torpedoes, the Khaine capital ships are more deadly than most small fleets.  It is amazing that the Eldar have such a powerful ship in their fleets, as it was previously thought that they were limited to cruiser sized and smaller vessels.  As it turns out, these ships are only seen occasionally, only in the largest battles that the Eldar are involved in.

The Eldar Vaul class battleship was also somewhat of a surprise to the Imperial forces when it was first encountered in a battle.  When it jumped into the battle and began firing its deadly weaponry, its elegant form dancing between the Imperial warships, some of the Imperial captains were so stunned that they forgot to issue orders to their ships for a precious number of seconds.  In those seconds the Eldar fleet took a heavy toll on the Imperial warships.  Few ships survived to tell of this new sighting.  Since their initial sighting, they have been seen in few battles.

The Khurnous class cruiser is a medium cruiser, capable of performing many various battlefield tasks.  Its beautiful design has fooled many into believing it is relatively harmless, but this is far from being the truth.  The Khurnous class cruisers have been responsible for many losses in the Imperial Navy, striking from hidden locations and making hit and run attacks on Imperial warships.  Often a Khurnous class cruiser has been able to destroy a ship many times its size by making hit and run attacks, striking at the larger ship before moving out of its target's range.

Isha class destroyers are light, maneuverable ships that have a devastating amount of firepower.  Individually, they pose only a small threat to enemy vessels, but in squadrons Isha class destroyers are deadly and destructive.  Their pulsar lances give them powerful weaponry, and their size and speed give them the survivability that they lack in armour and other defenses.  Isha class destroyers have been responsible for the destruction of many vessels from other races, and are often the scourge of trading convoys.

Ork Mork class capital ships are terrifying vessels.   Their hull is designed so that it looks as if the prow is a horrifying face, crude yet terrible to behold.  They are layered with bands of thick armour, and their decks are loaded with weaponry.  They are capable of taking on, and destroying, whole fleets by themselves.  It is hard to imagine that such a ship could be created by the savage and primitive Orks, but it cannot be denied when they are sighted so often.

This ship is armed with a power ram.

The Gork class battleship looks more like a floating pile of scrap shaped into a starship and given engines and weapons than a true fighting ship.  Its prow has the familiar Ork design of a savage face, with two heavy weaponry ports extended from its "eyes".  The ship is capable of fighting a prolonged battle against almost any other vessel, and when everything works properly capable of even fighting a larger vessel and coming out the victor!

This ship is armed with a power ram.

The Slugga class cruiser is a powerful ship designed solely for the purpose of raiding.  Its firepower and heavy armour give it great offensive and defensive capabilities.  Sluggas are often seen in battles against Ork pirates.  They maneuver sluggishly into position beside an enemy vessel and fire away, pouring a devastating amount of firepower into their enemy's side.  A squadron of Sluggas is a terrible sight to behold, and a fleet of them can crush even the toughest captain's resolve.

This ship is armed with a power ram.

Ork Slamma class destroyers are small ships with an awesome amount of firepower.  Though they are small and not very heavily armoured, Slammas carry enough firepower to destroy a cruiser.  A squadron of Slammas is a terrible foe to fight, but it is seen all too often in Ork raiding fleets.  Methods of combating these small but destructive ships are being conceived every day, but no solution has yet been found.