Encyclopedia Hiigara
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This is the article on the Somtaaw ship created during the Beast War. For the Dreadnaught created by the Progenitors, see Progenitor Dreadnaught.

Dreadnought
Archangel Dreadnaught
Ship Information
Classification
Purpose
Anti-Capital Ship
Ship Type
Dreadnaught
RU Cost
6800 RUs
Technical Information
Mass
152,000 tons
Length
304 metres
Acceleration
35 m/s2
Speed
240 m/s
Hyperdrive
Armaments
2 Heavy Ion Cannons
6 Missile Launchers
4 Energy Cannons
(Upgrade) 2 Repulsor Emitters
Usage
Eras
Affiliation

The Archangel-class Dreadnought was built by Kiith Somtaaw during a fierce battle against the Beast.

Background[]

The Archangel was based on deep scans of Bentusi tradeships, which inspired Somtaaw engineers into trying to replicate the radial binding design that enabled incredible durability and easy energy distribution with limited success and a number of casualties due to failed stress tests. The desperate situation of the Beast War prompted Somtaaw to scramble for more firepower, but they could not procure technologies necessary to construct the Avatar class heavy cruiser in time to make a difference. Instead, Somtaaw engineers introduced some conservative reinforcements into their radial binding template to achieve desirable results while still within the limit of Hiigaran manufacturing techniques. Then, after Kuun-Lan came to the aid of the Faal-Corum halfway during the war, these engineers came up with the idea of converting their ore processors into a Destroyer Drive. All such incremental improvements to technologies in the Somtaaw's possession were swiftly combined to finalize the design for the Archangel, a fusion of Hiigaran and Bentusi construction.

Armed with four Energy Cannons, six Missile Launchers and protected by a hull that deflects more damage than it absorbs, the Dreadnought quickly became the king of the battle field. Despite a lack of maneuverability, these ships can easily dominate a battlefield, each greatly superior to a Qwaar-Jet.

After encountering the Nomad Moon's repulsor emitter, the scientists incorporated a somewhat weaker version of the device into the Dreadnought, though at a high cost: the two emitter domes were placed at the top and bottom, with the latter obscuring the lower Ion Cannon's frontal arc, greatly reducing the Cannon's already limited coverage: by being attacked from above or below, the Dreadnought can only bring one Ion Cannon to bear, a design flaw which is shared with the much-later Battlecruiser.

Overall, the Dreadnought is designed more to take on multiple opponents at once than to fight, for example, a single infected Heavy Cruiser. Rather than being armed with a relatively few very-powerful heavy weapons, the Dreadnought due to the circumstance of its creation is armed to the teeth by carrying a larger array of regular weapons divided among different firing arcs. Of these, the missile launchers can run out their payloads in a prolonged firefight while the ship's internal missile production facility can only replenish their magazines at one-third of their maximum rate of fire, which means the launchers will only be firing a third as many per salvo until magazine reserves can be built up again. One on one with equal levels of upgrades, it will lose to a Heavy Cruiser even if the Beast Infection Weapon isn't used. Instead, it is less vulnerable to being overwhelmed by multiple frigates and destroyers if they attack it from above and below.

Trivia[]

  • In the Homeworld: Cataclysm manual, it is referred to as an Archangel-class Dreadnought.[1]
  • The Dreadnought is the unit featured on the covers and box art for both Cataclysm and Emergence

Appearances[]

References[]

Main Factions Minor Factions
Kushan and Hiigaran Ships
Fighters
Microships Sentinel-class Defense Pod (HWC) • Leech-class Breaching Pod (HWC)
Scouts Arrow-class Scout‎ (HW) • Seeker-class Reconnaissance Fighter (HWC) • Hiigaran Scout (HW2)
Interceptors Blade-class Interceptor‎‎ (HW) • Spectre-class Cloaked Fighter (HW) • Acolyte-class Heavy Fighter (HWC) Hiigaran Interceptor (HW2)
Bombers Thunderbolt-class Attack Bomber‎‎ (HW) • Hiigaran Bomber (HW2)
Defenders Shield-class Defender‎ (HW)
Weapons Platforms Hiigaran Gun Platform (HW2) • Hiigaran Ion Platform (HW2)
Fireships Mimic-class Infiltration Craft (HWC) • Martyr-class Mimic Composite Vehicle (HWC)
Corvettes
Light Corvettes Cavalier-class Light Corvette (HW)
Corvettes Avenger-class Acolyte Composite Vehicle (HWC)
Heavy Corvettes Hammer-class Heavy Corvette (HW) • Ambassador Corvette (HW)
Gunships Hiigaran Gunship (HW2) • Pulsar Gunship (HW2)
Logistical Support Corvettes Porter-class Salvage Corvette (HW) • Mercy-class Repair Corvette (HW)
Multi-Weapon Corvettes Tempest-class Multi-Gun Corvette (HW)
Minelayer Corvettes Resolute-class Minelayer Corvette (HW) • Hiigaran Minelayer Corvette (HW2)
Frigates
Assault Frigates Vengeance-class Assault Frigate (HW) • Minion-class Heavy Tug (HWC) • Flak Frigate (HW2) • Torpedo Frigate (HW2)
Logistical Support Frigates Matriarch-class Support Frigate (HW) • Marine Frigate (HW2) • Hiigaran Defense Field Frigate (HW2)
Ion Cannon Frigates Firelance-class Ion Cannon Frigate (HW) • Hiigaran Ion Cannon Frigate (HW2)
Multi-Weapon Frigates Dervish-class Multi-Beam Frigate (HWC)
Drone Frigates Puppeteer-class Drone Frigate (HW) • Hive-class Advanced Drone Frigate (HWC)
Super Capital Ships
Destroyers Revelation-class Destroyer (HW) • Perdition-class Missile Destroyer (HW) • Deacon-class Destroyer (HWC) • Hiigaran Destroyer (HW2)
Carriers Imperator-class Carrier (HW) • Shaman-class Carrier (HWC) • Hiigaran Carrier (HW2)
Heavy Cruisers Avatar-class Heavy Cruiser (HW)
Battlecruisers Hiigaran Battlecruiser (HW2)
Dreadnoughts Archangel-class Dreadnought (HWC) • Kalash (DoK)
Motherships
Motherships Kushan Mothership (HW) • Hiigaran Shipyard (HW2) • Pride of Hiigara (HW2)
Non-Combat Ships
Resource Collectors Providence-class Resource Collector (HW) • Worker-class Resource Collector (HWC) • Hiigaran Resource Collector (HW2)
Resource Controllers Redemption-class Resource Controller (HW) • Chieftain Mk. 3-class Ore Processor (HWC) • Hiigaran Mobile Refinery (HW2)
Drones & Probes Target Drone (HW/HW2) • Seeker-class Probe (HW) • Proximity Sensor (HW) • Hub-class Research Ship (HW) • Trapper-class Gravity Generator (HW) • Veil-class Cloak Generator (HW) • Kushan Sensors Array (HW) • Hiigaran Probe (HW2) • Hiigaran Proximity Sensor Probe (HW2) • Hiigaran Sensor Distortion Probe (HW2)
Other Logistical Ships Khar-Selim (HW) • Scaffold (HW) • Explorer-class Deep Space Mining Vessel (HWC) • Clee-San (HWC) • Hiigaran Crew Transport (HW2) • Khar-Toba (HW/HW2/DoK)
Space Stations Chimera Station (HW2) • Tanis Station (HW2)
Turanic Ships
Fighters
Interceptors Bandit-class Interceptor (HW/HWC)
Corvettes
Corvettes Thief-class Corvette (HW/HWC) • Brigand-class Missile Corvette (HW/HWC)
Frigates
Frigates Dagger-class Ion Array Frigate (HW/HWC)
Super Capital Ships
Carriers Lord-class Attack Carrier (HW/HWC)
The Beast Ships
Fighters
Fireships Cruise Missile (HWC)
Motherships
Motherships Beast Mothership (HWC) • Naggarok (HWC)
Non-Combat Ships
Space Stations Nomad Moon (HWC)
Other Logistical Ships Beacon Pod (HWC)
Bentusi Ships
Fighters
Interceptors Super Acolyte (HW/HWC)
Motherships
Motherships Bentusi Exchange (HW) • Bentus (HW2)
Non-Combat Ships
Barges Cargo Barge (HW)
Taiidani Ships
Fighters
Scouts Fiirkan-class Scout‎ (HW)
Interceptors Triikor-class Interceptor‎‎ (HW) • Koshiir-Ra-class Defense Fighter (HW)
Bombers Kaark-class Attack Bomber‎‎ (HW)
Defenders Seejur-class Defender‎ (HW)
Weapons Platforms Orbital Ion Cannon Turret (DoK)
Fireships Cruise Missile (HWC)
Corvettes
Light Corvettes Raachok-class Light Corvette (HW)
Heavy Corvettes Taiidan Heavy Corvette (HW) • Ambassador Corvette (HW)
Logistical Support Corvettes Tiirshak-class Salvage Corvette (HW) • Taiidan Repair Corvette (HW)
Multi-Weapon Corvettes Diirvaas-class Multi-Gun Corvette (HW)
Minelayer Corvettes Wodaan-class Minelayer Corvette (HW)
Frigates
Assault Frigates Kudaark-class Assault Frigate (HW)
Logistical Support Frigates Heeshk-class Support Frigate (HW) • Tiifal-class Defense Field Frigate (HW)
Ion Cannon Frigates Sajuuk Cor-class Ion Cannon Frigate (HW)
Super Capital Ships
Destroyers Skaal-Tel-class Destroyer (HW) • Skaal-Fa-class Missile Destroyer (HW)
Carriers Saarkin-Cho-class Carrier (HW)
Heavy Cruisers Qwaar-Jet-class Heavy Cruiser (HW)
Motherships
Motherships Imperial Flagship (HW) • Headshot Asteroid (HW)
Superweapons
Superweapons Low Orbit Atmosphere Deprivation Weapon (HW/HW2)
Non-Combat Ships
Resource Collectors Taiidan Resource Collector (HW)
Resource Controllers Siim Salla-class Resource Controller (HW)
Drones & Probes Target Drone (HW/HW2) • Taiidan Probe (HW) • Proximity Sensor (HW) • Taiidan Research Ship (HW) • Koraal-class Gravity Generator (HW) • Fushai-class Cloak Generator (HW) • Raakel-class Sensors Array (HW)
Other Logistical Ships Field Generator (HW) • Colony Ship (HWC)
Space Stations Research Station (HW) • Nomad Moon (HWC)
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