Imperium

The Hochmeister is a mechanical marvel crewed by Teutonic Knight-Luminaries. These Vitruvian colossi stride the seabed waiting for the perfect time to strike, launching upwards on powerful hydro jets. The Hochmeister erupts from the sea, water cascading off its hull as its huge Zweihander sword cleaves through enemy vessels in an awesome display of Imperial might. As all machines of war in the Imperium arsenal, their Colossi can be refitted to suit a different purpose. The Metzger Vitruvian Colossus exchanges the sword and shoulder-mounted turrets for more devastating weaponry such as the Uber Flak Vierling and the Claw Arc Projector. Both of these come directly from the vaults of the Teutonic Knight-Luminaries and are therefore rarely seen. When one of these Colossi appears in the midst of combat a cheer will erupt from the crews aboard the nearby Imperium ships as they are seen as an omen of victory, usually for good reason.

The Imperium war machine is built upon a single concept - efficiency. Having the right weaponry for an engagement is often the key to victory and having access to all manner of different ship configurations allows an Admiral access to what she needs, when she needs it. With widespread rail networks extending from Prussia to the other Germanic nations of the Imperium, the navy (known as the Kaiserliche Marine) decided to equip a new generation of warships and support vessels with compatible gauge rails to allow weaponry and goods to be easily changed in short order. This allows the Imperium to be responsive to the needs of the operation at hand without having to go to the cost or lengthy construction times of creating specific ships to fill those requirements. Should a vessel be needed to bombard an enemy shore battery, then a Blucher cruiser can be modified to create an Augustus Bombardment Cruiser in less than a day. At the Wilhelmshaven Imperial Shipyard, the record stands for the refitting of the warship Stralsund. The cruiser had arrived fresh from hunting corsairs off the coast of Heligoland three hours earlier. In those few hours the yard crew removed her (still steaming) Volt Gun Batteries and installed a Gustav Heavy Bombard in their place.

Commonly found in support of larger vessels of the Imperium's Navy are a number of specialised cruiser variants. Built on the ubiquitous Blucher Class hull, these ships can be refitted as fast as any other frontline ship. The Konrad Class Support Carrier bears a flight deck with supply for a small number of Messer class fighters, providing air power where needed. Reiter Class Flak Cruisers are equipped with an impressive array of Vierling cannons, deadly multiple barreled weapons that launch scores of flak rockets into the air. These two vessels ensure that Blitzen Bomber squadrons can safely reach their targets without interception. Finally the Volsung Class deploys the formidable Sturmbringer Cannons on their decks that can char flesh and rupture enemy armour with terrible voltaic energy. The Imperium operates a large number of destroyer squadrons. Superior to the smaller frigates and escorts, Sigimer Class are longer, more heavily armoured and boast additional firepower. Toten Class, are heavier still and are equipped with two Sturmklaue cannons to cast bolts of lightning into the enemy.

Many Scandinavian vessels are fabricated by the Norwegian master shipbuilders at Akers Mekaniske Verksted, made possible thanks to significant Prussian investment. This modern shipyard produces especially large numbers Hoth Heavy Corvettes for use throughout the Imperium.<p>The Scandinavian attitude to naval warfare is epitomised by the Ragnarok. With a prow mounted Heavy Sturmbringer, and in inbuilt Fury Generator the Ragnarok’s crew closes the distance fast to sow destruction amongst their adversaries, unleashing arcs of lightning that rip apart the target’s superstructure, rendering the stunned crew easy prey for boarding teams.</p><p>Accompanying the Ragnarok as they prowl the bitter northern seas, Odin class Reavers are often painted in dark colours by their crews, preferring to strike at dusk or at night. These are the frontline warships in the Scandinavian fleet and every sjöman will have served on one at some point in their career.</p><p>Long sharp lines distinguish the silhouette of the Jotunn Heavy Raider. This lethal warship is a prized command by Scandinavian captains, with advanced targeting systems to enable it to maximise its firepower against its target.</p><p>Gungnir Class Raiders are built around an exceptional propulsion system, the engineering behind the Gungnir is a closely guarded secret amongst the Scandinavians. Captains have standing orders to scuttle their ship rather than let it fall into enemy hands. The explosive charges throughout the engine room ensure that the advantage will remain with the northern nations.</p>

Commonwealth propaganda states that the Barents Sea is perfectly safe, thanks to its proximity to the sheltered docks of the White Sea from which defensive patrols regularly launch. In truth, however, it is far from tranquil. Raiders from the Scandinavian portion of the Imperium, not to mention the Scions of Jutland, frequently ambush the numerous fishing vessels and exploratory platforms. Loki Shadow Raiders make excellent use of their Ivaldi Shroud Generators to make surprise attacks and then fade away once they have crippled their target. Heimdall Recon Raiders use advanced detection systems to locate enemy patrols with the goal of avoiding contact until their battlefleet has the upper hand while Fenrir Hunter Submarines and Valkyrie Hunt Rotors allow multi-level attacks to be made. Fishermen and other civilian vessels are now being issued military escorts to prevent the damage that the Scandinavian battlefleets have been causing. Time will tell if that will be enough.