Re: What space craft do the Space Marines use in Space Crusade?

Posted by MortiS-the-Lost on Jan 20, 2012; 1:54pm
URL: http://the-lost-and-the-damned.71.s1.nabble.com/What-space-craft-do-the-Space-Marines-use-in-Space-Crusade-tp7187651p7207585.html

With the advent of Battle Fleet Gothic GW re-designed all the spaceships in 40k and while some basics shapes were kept other designs of craft completely disappeared (it's a little off topic and would take to long to explain here so I'll cut to the chase)

The ships used by Space Marines now look like this


 ^ Battle Barge - this is probably the most likely to be 'The Mother Ship' in the newer range

There are also numerous similar looking smaller Strike Cruisers, Destroyers and Frigates

The BFG background and rules talk more about Space Marine ships assaulting planet than other ships, but do mention Boarding Torpedoes quite often (Boarding torpedoes are also mentioned in SpaceHulk and I'll talk more about that later)

"Boarding torpedoes are large, self-guiding missiles which appear to carry a significant number of troops and are used for ship-to-ship boarding actions"

 
There is no mention however of any of the ships having Docking Claws - but the Imperial Navy (note not the Space Marine Fleets) does have a class of small vessel listed called the 'Shark Assault Boat'

"Typically 55 metres in length the Shark consist primarily of a large engine and an armoured troop compartment that is studded with magnetic clamps and melta charges. When the Shark reaches an enemy ship, the clamps latch on to the enemy hull as the charges in concert with las-breachers blast a hole through which assault troops can storm the vessel"

Now that to me sounds pretty close the Assault Vessels mentioned in Space Crusade  - and it turns out Space Marines DO an equivalent ...


 ^ Caestus Assault Ram 

The Caestus Assault Ram, one of several assault rams in use in the Imperium, is the primary assault ram of the Space marines. It is mainly used to board enemy ships ...

Now it's not too hard to imagine either the Shark Assault Boat or Caestus Assault Ram with something like the Space Crusade Docking Claw board section on the front



So that just about neatly wrap it up ... BUT the text in the Space Crusade Mission book says "Once alongside, a number of Docking claws extend from the assault vessels" and also the the illustrations would seem to indicate the Docking Claws being on the end of an arm-like structure connected to a large ship rather than the front of a small attack ship ...