This article concerns unit lore. You may be looking for:
	StarCraft/StarCraft: Brood War gameplay information StarCraft II gameplay information

Battlecruiser
Historical
Earliest sighting	24th century (original class(es)) 2478 (Behemoth-class) 2502 (Minotaur-class) 2504 (Super-class)
Latest sighting	2500 (Leviathan-class) 2504 (Behemoth-class)
Physical
Race	Terran
Type	Capital ship
Propulsion	4 engines (most, if not all classes)
Length	560 metres/1,827 feet (Minotaur-class)
Width	82.4 metres/240 feet (Minotaur-class
Armaments	ATA/ATS laser batteries (Behemoth, Hercules and Minotaur-class) Armageddon cannons (Super-class) Nuclear missiles (Behemoth-class) Yamato cannon (Behemoth Minotaur and Super-class) Plasma torpedoes (Hercules-class) Missile pods (Minotaur and Super-class)
FTL	Yes (warp space)
Political
Role	Aerospace combat Mobile command center Transport
Personnel
Crew	>8,000 (Minotaur-class)

The battlecruiser is a type of terran capital ship employed in the Koprulu Sector. Battlecruisers were employed during the Guild Wars when space engagements were fought by capital ships and medium-sized gunships. The development of anti-capital ship starfighters, such as Wraiths, did not spell the end of battlecruisers. The large warships adapted to carry strike craft which augmented and complemented the combat value of both. Battlecruisers continue to be an integral part of terran space forces as general purpose warships^[1] and command ships during extended campaigns.^[2]

Battlecruisers stem as far back as the early days of the Terran Confederacy in the 24th century and continue to be used in the 26th.^[3] While there are many classes of battlecruisers, all are armed with lasers and protected by neosteel armor.^[4] Gravity accelerators are also found on all battlecruisers.^[5]

ClassesEdit

Many battlecruiser classes exist. Known classes include:

Leviathan-classEdit

The Leviathan-class battlecruiser is an uncommon battlecruiser class and although still operating at the dawn of the 26th century, had largely been supplanted by the Behemoth-class variant. The Leviathan-class is capable of traveling through warp space and features ports for transport craft, smaller craft linking into the ship via hydraulics. These ports are located perilously close to the bridge however, making a Leviathan vulnerable to any enemy boarding action.^[6]

Behemoth-classEdit

The Behemoth-class battlecruiser was the most common battlecruiser class and represented the "standard" battlecruiser variant during the Great War. The Behemoth variant is greatly advanced from its Leviathan-class predecessor, featuring the ability to operate within planetary atmospheres and even land on planets.^[7] It also features a total of four docking bays (as opposed to hydraulic entry points) which are equipped with force fields, allowing easy deployment of fighters without fear of decompression^[8] and greater resilience to enemy boarding actions.^[9] Like the Leviathan, it is capable of traveling through warp space,^[1] even capable of making jumps within a planet's atmosphere.^[10]

Behemoth-class armor consists of the standard neosteel,^[2] along with energy shields,^[5][11] while armament consists of multiple burst laser batteries (at least 8 around the ship's 'hammerhead')^[10][12] and a complement of nuclear warheads.^[13] Despite the heavy arsenal, Behemoth armament is slightly constricted in that its laser batteries cannot fire at targets to the side^[5] and are vulnerable to interceptors^[14] and its warheads are reserved for orbital bombardment rather than space combat.^[7] A saving grace for the Behemoth-class exists in the form of the Yamato cannon.^[2] One such use of these weapons is that of carrying out a scorched earth policy.^[15] However, the cannon's primary weakness is its huge energy requirements and while the installation of a colossus reactor allows for increased energy storage, it is not a long term solution. The Terran Dominion's Behemoths required access to physics labs to "power up their weapon systems". Should a fleet commander lose access to these accelerators, an entire Behemoth-class fleet can be crippled.^[16]

Fighters are an integral component to battlecruiser deployment and the Behemoth-class conforms to this, capable of deploying Wraiths and scoutships to engage the enemy.^[1] It is also akin to a terran carrier, capable of housing hundreds of soldiers and hardware^[5] and maintaining dropships and shuttles for rapid deployment.^[1] Searchlights are also featured.^[17]

Despite its shortcomings, the Behemoth-class has proven to be an enduring design, keeping up to date with periodic upgrades while its hammerhead design had provided the basis for future classes. Although more advanced classes of battlecruiser have been developed,^[4] the Behemoth-class continue to remain in service.^[9]

Hercules-classEdit

The Hercules-class battlecruiser came into service after the Brood War. It is largely based on the Behemoth-class, albeit equipped with additional laser batteries for a greater volume of fire. Plasma torpedoes are an optional armament, capable of saturating an area with a lethal deluge of fire, ideal for breaking up oncoming attack waves or ravaging a defensive position. As with the Yamato cannon, a sufficient reserve of energy was needed to unleash a plasma torpedo bombardment.^[4]

Minotaur-classEdit

The Minotaur-class battlecruiser was in service to the Terran Dominion by 2502.^[18][19] This class (or at least the Bucephalus, a flagship) has dimensions of about 560 meters length by 82.4 meters wide, and a crew numbering approximately 8000 people.^[20] Minotaurs are largely based on the Behemoth-class, and have additional laser batteries for a greater volume of fire.^[4] In 2503,^[21] these warships were suddenly recalled to Korhal IV. They were ordered to abandon their current assignments, disembark passengers and cargo on nearby habitable worlds, and proceed immediately to the Dominion capital to be refitted for interatmospheric combat.^[22]

The Minotaur-class may be upgraded by a variety of tactical systems. Equipped with a Type-V Yamato cannon^[23] and energy shields,^[24][20] Minotaurs can also be equipped with missile pods for use against aerial targets and a defensive matrix.^[14]

The interior of Minotaur battlecruisers are known to feature personal quarters, a brig, a mess hall^[18] and a bridge.^[24]

Other ClassesEdit

The Starcruiser is an advanced battlecruiser prototype sold by Crazy Bob's Bazaar.^[25]

By 2504, the Loki was undergoing testing at Valhalla.^[26] A prototype, it was deemed a "super-battlecruiser."^[27]

Game UnitEdit

StarCraftEdit

For StarCraft gameplay information see: Battlecruiser (StarCraft).

For StarCraft in-game quotations see: StarCraft Battlecruiser Quotations.

StarCraft: GhostEdit

	This article or section contains information about StarCraft: Ghost. The content may be significantly out of date. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details.

In StarCraft: Ghost, the battlecruiser acted as a support unit for Nova. Through targeting, the player could call down a Yamato Cannon strike that dealt damage to all objects in an area.^[28]

StarCraft IIEdit

For StarCraft II gameplay information see: Battlecruiser (StarCraft II).

For StarCraft II in-game quotations see: StarCraft II Battlecruiser Quotations.

Known BattlecruisersEdit

Main article: List of battlecruisers

Leviathan-classEdit

• Merrimack (converted prison ship)
• Thunder Child

Behemoth-classEdit

• Bismarck
• Gray Tiger
• Hephaestus
• Huey Long
• Hyperion
• Iron Fist
• Jackson V
• Napoleon
• Ragnorak
• Theodore G. Bilbo

Norad-seriesEdit

• Norad II
• Norad III

Minotaur-classEdit

• Bucephalus
• Emperor's Fury
• Helios
• Victory

Other or unknown classesEdit

• Aleksander (UED flagship)
• Hurricane
• Iron Justice
• Jackson's Revenge
• The Kimera
• Kimeran Juggernaut
• Loki (Super-class)
• Palatine
• Tahoe
• White Star

Known Battlecruiser CommandersEdit

• Admiral Gerard DuGalle
• General Edmund Duke
• General Arcturus Mengsk
• General Horace Warfield
• Commodore Georg Darabont
• Captain Bolshev
• Captain Buzan
• Captain Alexander Davidoff
• Captain Robert Mason
• Captain Jim Raynor
• Captain Rourke
• Captain Elias Tudbury
• Colonel Jackson Hauler
• Commander Hale
• Commander Haley
• Major Tom Hawkins
• Major Spaulding
• Lieutenant Matt Horner
• El Kang the Quixotic

NotesEdit

• Most battlecruiser classes share their designations from various mythologies—the Leviathan and Behemoth are of the Bible, while Hercules and the Minotaur stem from Greek mythology.

• A Behemoth-class battlecruiser was stated as being two "leagues" long in StarCraft: Uprising.^[5] Most league measurements would have put the battlecruiser as over 9 km in length. However, the Bucephalus, a Minotaur model, measured 560 meters long, a significantly shorter measurement.^[20] There is no indication that Minotaur battlecruisers are significantly different in size than their predecessors, so this article treats the league measurement as an error.

• "Super-battlecruisers" are designated as such, without the "class" designation.^[27] This may be indicative of an different type of ship altogether. However, it has been listed on this page to avoid a stub article.

• Mega Bloks plans to make 3,000 battlecruiser models as part of its StarCraft toyline. A poll has been opened as to which model(s) fans would like to see them represent.^[29]

ReferencesEdit