Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

What is the size of a crusade fleet? Ie how many space marine chapters/guard regiments and, vitally, how many ships (ideally with size categories, ie 30 battleships). I'm writing some fiction that involves a nation made up of surivors of DAOT being invaded by the imperium and I need at least a rough numbers assessment so that I know how large my defensive force needs to be. Thank you in advance for any help you give!

"Crusade Fleet" is not a fixed unit of measurement, it's just "As many ships as are taking part in a particular crusade"

For example Indomitus Crusade Fleet Quartus consisted of hundreds of ships and at least 11 battlegroups

Whereas the Black Templars' Donian Crusade fleet was only 2 capital ships, 2 cruisers and 9 escorts at its largest (a decent sized Battlefleet Gothic fleet)

it's whatever the narrative needs it to be. GW is terrible with numbers and scales so write what you want to write and however many ships you end up with, that's the Crusade Fleet

It could be argued a Crusade Fleet’s main defining factor is being comprised of different Naval wings of the Imperium.

So Imperial Navy, Astartes and Adeptus Mechanicus. And Ecclesiarchy as I think they have their own Naval assets? All packing different elements of The Imperium’s various armed forces, so whatever trials lie ahead, they’re well placed to meet it on the field of battle.

As everybody has said there was no fixed size for Great Crusade fleets they were designed tdo a job and could be expanded or shrunk as the target required. If a Primarch is going to turn up it'll be bigger.

Does the Imperium believe these DAOT survivors have an STC? Because that alone would warrant dozens of Admech ships and almost as many Inquisition (or commandeered) ships.

If the Imperium just thinks they’re another planet of backwards primitives who’ve never heard of the emperor, then the fleet might only consist of a cruiser and some support ships.

On this as a broader note, are there any post-Heresy novels dealing with Compliance of a human held world not formerly part of the Imperium?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
But, back On Topic.

Worth keeping in mind first contact is most likely achieved by a Rogue Trader or Mechanicus Explorator fleet.

In either case, they may well already be packing sufficient firepower and troops to intimidate a lone world into joining the fold. And a Rogue Trader fleet is fairly likely to have some Ecclesiarchy representatives to start spreading the good world.

If for whatever reason those assets aren’t sufficient? Then an alert is made to the wider Imperium, so sufficient assets can be deployed.

And that’s when a potential “you’ll be part of the Imperium and jolly well like it, you scamp” Crusade Fleet is launched.

Other Crusade Fleets may be deployed to reclaim lost, previously held Imperial worlds. For instance, perhaps wiping out an Orky Waaagh!, hunting down a Hive Fleet or pushing back a Tau expansion.

Are Black Templar fleets all “crusade” fleets by definition? That would allow for pretty small fleets with limited components and goals. In my head a proper full on crusade is only called for big multi-system or subsector retrieval with a decent showing from all military wings, titans, Eclesiarchy forces and everything. Otherwise it’s just a normal punitive expedition.

 Flinty wrote:
Are Black Templar fleets all “crusade” fleets by definition? That would allow for pretty small fleets with limited components and goals. In my head a proper full on crusade is only called for big multi-system or subsector retrieval with a decent showing from all military wings, titans, Eclesiarchy forces and everything. Otherwise it’s just a normal punitive expedition.

By and large, yes. I'm sure there are some exceptions occasionally but Black Templars routinely refer to their spaceborne force groupings as crusades, comparably to how other Chapters would use company, but obviously more ad hoc.

My understanding of the Black Templars is that they’re on a permanent Crusade footing. As in they’re fleet based, recruit where they can as they need, and are always moving from war zone to war zone lending aid where they turn up or prosecuting “private” wars against whichever Xenos or Heretics are on hand, and they don’t have a set patrol area or Chapter Jurisdiction.

Which is different from a Crusade Fleet. That is a more formal affair, with a set goal - such as “retake System Y” or “push into uncharted Sector X as far as you can, taking whatever worlds you can” and variants there on.

And the Indomitus Crusade is again something a bit different, being comprised of multiple fleets in a mobilisation rarely seen since the Great Crusade faltered. As well as reestablishing Imperial authority, it’s also tasked with distributing the new Primaris to other Chapters. So a mix of Black Templars (go where we want, take on whatever we find) and a more general Crusade fleet (also distributing new soldiers and materiel to the beleaguered Chapters, which may involve actively seeking out their high command to do so)

"Size of a Fleet" for a Crusade does become more complicated a question for something like the Indomitus Crusade where it won't be one fleet in one spot.

Similar to the "Crusades" in reality it might well be many forces splintered over region and time that answer the call and whilst they might gather in key locations for major battles; they might also conduct many in isolation from each other as they push toward a general objective over a larger region.


You can also have the "pomp and ceremony" aspect too. You might launch a particularly grand crusade with a large military showing. This launch fleet could be vast, but might only exist for that brief moment of the ceremonial launch and then be divided into separate fleets afterwards.