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THE FIREBRAND Gothic-class Cruiser (180 pts)
The Gothic class cruiser has earned a checkered combat record amongst the various Battlefleets. Mounting a lance armament that rivals or even surpasses that of many battleships, the Gothic is a fearsome sight to the enemies of the Imperium. The lances of this class are capable of pulling down another cruiser's shields or downing an escort in one volley. With its lances coupled with a strong torpedo armament, the class makes a very dangerous opponent indeed. However, the lance decks have limited arcs of fire requiring the Gothic class get into broadside position on its opponent to be effective. This puts the class at a bit of a disadvantage when facing other capitol ships. Recently, these ships have been benefiting from the Gothic War experiences of Captain Hodge of the Righteous Fury. Captain Hodge developed the tactic of pairing his ship with a dedicated squadron of escorts, allowing them to damage the opponent from the rear after the Righteous Fury pulled down the target's shields with its lances. The Gothic-class Firebrand had an undistinguished service history prior to being assigned to Battlegroup Fortitas. The ship has mostly been used for convoy service and tracking down pirates, using her lances to good effect on the lightly armored ships popular with raiders. However, she has a lack of experience with major fleet engagements, and the Lord High Admiral of Battlegroup Pacifica considered her expendable enough to assign to the fledgling Battlegroup Fortitas. Exacerbating the situation is that fact that the Chaos fleet seems to single out the Firebrand during battle, perhaps because the traitors are wary of her lance armament. In the few engagements Battlefleet Fortitas has had thus far with its enemy, the Firebrand has suffered crippling damage in the opening stages of the battle. Nevertheless, Admiral Ruckdog regards the Firebrand as an integral component of his fleet. So, she continues her service with Battlegroup Fortitas, biding her time for the chance to make a name for herself on the field of valor. By Andy Rucker |
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