Dauntless Light Cruiser
The Dauntless Class Light Cruiser is a common scout craft within the fleets of the Imperial Navy.
Overview
Imperial scout cruisers have generally always had enough firepower to fight off a determined attack by escort-sized ships, and can hold enough supplies to remain autonomous for months at a time, the Dauntless being no exception. It forgoes the traditional armoured prow of the Imperial Navy, balancing this lack by being substantially faster and more manoeuvrable than a full size Imperial cruiser. Due to the need for power savings and to conserve supplies, the Dauntless has about half the shielding and turret cover of a full size cruiser, but given its expected opposition this is a sufficient protection.[1]
The Dauntless Class has respectable weapons batteries on either side, and an option of a full cruiser class compliment of torpedo tubes in the prow. A furious set of Lances are set to fire past the ship's prow on any enemy coming too close. This devastating array of weaponry, combined with its speed and manoeuvrability, has ensured that an enemy Captain who carelessly overlooks the Dauntless based on its size never makes the same mistake again. The effectiveness of the Dauntless is even more apparent when paired, or operating alongside an escort squadron.[1]
Notable Dauntless Class ships
- Abdiel[1b]
- Advocate[2]
- August[3]
- Cerebus[3]
- Guardian[1b]
- Havock[1b]
- Luxor[4]
- Ravanor - took part in The Denab Incident[3a]
- Trident[10]
- Unbroken Vow - Under Sisters of Battle Command[9]
- Uziel[1b] and Baron Surtur[1b] - the first ships to detect the Chaos Warmaster Khuzor's fleet near the Formosa Cluster, allowing Admiral Sartus to bring the foe to battle.[Needs Citation]
- Vanguard[1a]
- Vigilant[1b]
- Yermetov[4]
Technical Specifications
- Dimensions: 4.5 km long, 0.5 km abeam at fins approx.[5]
- Mass: 20 megatonnes approx.[5]
- Crew: 65,000 crew; approx.[5]
- Accel: 4.3 gravities max sustainable acceleration.[5]
Images
Miniature[6]
Torpedo Boat Miniature[7]
A Dauntless Light Cruiser with a lance[8]
A Dauntless Light Cruiser with torpedo tubes[8]
Sources
- 1: Battlefleet Gothic Rulebook[Needs Citation]
- 2: Battlefleet Gothic Magazine Issue 3, Inside Front Cover
- 3: Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign[Needs Citation]
- 3a: pg. 15
- 4: Warriors of Ultramar (Novel) — The Ultramarines Omnibus, Chapter Five, pg. 333
- 5: Rogue Trader Core Rulebook, pg. 196
- 6: Games Workshop (last accessed October 4, 2012)
- 7: Games Workshop (last accessed October 4, 2012)
- 8: Battlefleet Gothic: Armada (Video Game)
- 9: Mark of Faith (Novel) Book 1 Chapter 1
- 10: White Dwarf 272, pgs. 42-47 - Destroy the Tombship!