The Empire has always gone for opulence, style and quality with no expense spared. Their capital ships are not just warships, but also serve as roving embassies or giant yachts for their wealthy and powerful owners. Internally they are luxurious, at least in those parts used for entertaining, with the internal rotating ring providing comfortable artificial gravity for ambassadorial dinner parties. Guests would have little indication they were in space, let alone aboard a powerful warship.
— The Art of Elite Dangerous[1]
The Majestic-Class Interdictor is a battlecruiser manufactured by Gutamaya exclusively for the Empire. As a capital ship, the Majestic serves as the backbone of the Imperial Navy and the core of each of its fleets. In contrast with its Federal Navy counterpart, the Farragut-Class Battle Cruiser, the Majestic-Class prioritises opulence over firepower, as seen in its prominent artificial gravity centrifuge which houses the crew barracks, as well as luxurious quarters and amenities for officials and guests. Nonetheless, it is still a fearsome warship that enemies of the Empire provoke at their peril.
Overview
I know there are some who would question the need for this vessel. To those individuals, I say this: just how safe do you feel? We live in an age in which even Emperors can be murdered. An age in which our enemies' faces are not known to us, and betrayal and deceit are encountered at every turn. The need for a strong, battle-ready navy has never been greater.
— Lieutenant Severin of the Imperial Navy, urging support for the construction of a new Majestic-Class Interdictor[2]
The Majestic-Class Interdictor is almost two kilometers long, armed with an array of 3 beam lasers and 14 dual-mounted modular interceptor railguns, and equipped with hangars capable of transporting multiple smaller Imperial military ships and Gu-97 squadrons. It is equipped with a capital-class Frame Shift Drive[3] with an undisclosed jump range. The latest of the Imperial Navy's long-running line of Interdictors, the Majestic-Class was introduced in the late 3200s and continues the Imperial tradition of capital ships serving as luxurious and technologically-advanced mobile embassies. The Empire is proud of its navy, and fleets accompany most colonial missions or important events.[4]
From 3278 to 3302, the construction of Majestic-Class Interdictors as well as other capital ships was restricted by the terms of the London Treaty, which was created to prevent an arms race between the superpowers that was projected to occur with the introduction of the Frame Shift Drive. Imperial Senator and Fleet Admiral Denton Patreus publicly spurned the London Treaty on October 21, 3302 in a speech in which he declared he would build as many capital ships as the Empire needed for its defence, marking the Empire's withdrawal from the treaty and heralding its dissolution.[5][6]
Since the outbreak of the Second Thargoid War in 3303, multiple Majestic-Class Interdictors have been destroyed by Thargoid Interceptors due to the former's vulnerability to Thargoid shutdown fields. Since the anti-xeno countermeasures developed for smaller ships have proven prohibitively difficult to scale-up for capital ships, the international research and defence organisation Aegis has declared that capital ships are ineffective at protecting outposts, planets, and shipping lanes from Thargoid attacks at present. Instead, anti-Thargoid efforts have been spearheaded by militias of personal-scale craft.[7][8]
During a period of increased tensions between the Empire and the Federation in late 3306 caused by the activities of the Neo-Marlinist Liberation Army, Senator Denton Patreus convinced the Imperial Senate to approve a funding increase for the Imperial Navy in order to expand production of Majestic-Class Interdictors.[9] With assistance from independent pilots, this resulted in four new Majestics being fast-tracked for completion, with planned deployments in Chimechilo, Orannika, Theta Indi, and Zelano.[10]
Following the disbandment of the tri-superpower xeno defence agency Aegis, the Imperial Navy was required to organise it's own anti-xeno forces. To this end, a number of Majestic-Class Interdictors were upgraded with prototype AX weaponry, allowing them to endure and contribute to the fight in AX Conflict Zones. A trio of these modified ships were deployed to HIP 22460 as part of the Empire's Contribution to Salvation's operations in the system (alongside Federal Battlecruisers with similar upgrades) though all were lost following the disastrous activation of the Proteus Wave. Since then, similar AX Interdictors have been deployed to Imperial controlled systems under Thargoid Invasion, since the arrival of the Maelstroms.
Known ships
Name | Last known location | Date of sighting | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
INV Achenar's Courage | Paresa | Oct. 28, 3306 | |
INV Achenar's Might | Siksikas | Nov. 4, 3302 | |
INV Achenar's Pride | Jul. 6, 3305 | ||
INV Achenar's Strength | Chimechilo | Dec. 7, 3306 | One of four vessels constructed by an Imperial Navy production initiative[10] |
INV Achenar's Valour | Jan. 11, 3304 | ||
INV Achenar's Will | Facece | Jan. 1, 3305 | |
INV Aisling Duval | Napia | Jul. 29, 3304 | Named for Princess Aisling Duval |
INV Aisling's Hope | Carthage | Dec. 2, 3302 | One of three vessels constructed by Lavigny's Legion to strengthen Imperial forces[11][12] |
INV Anders Blaine | Pleiades Sector IH-V c2-16 | Named for Chancellor Anders Blaine | |
INV Anders Duval | Ch'eng | Apr. 24, 3304 | Named for Emperor Anders Duval |
INV Artemesia | LTT 9810 | ||
INV Atticus | Avalon | Commanding officer Admiral Brice | |
INV Atticus Obellan Duval | Zelano | Dec. 7, 3306 | Named for Emperor Atticus Obellan Duval; one of four vessels constructed by an Imperial Navy production initiative[10] |
INV Audacious Dream | HIP 22460 | Destroyed in the Battle of HIP 22460 on August 9th 3308[13] | |
INV Boudica | Sorbago | Part of Senator Zemina Torval's personal fleet | |
INV Cleopatra | Ongkuma | Part of Senator Zemina Torval's personal fleet | |
INV Credo | Pleiades Sector IH-V c2-16 | ||
INV Dreadnought | Pleiades Sector AB-W b2-4 | Sept. 28, 3302 | Stationed above the Alien Crash Site on moon 9 a |
INV Duval | Itzamnets | Named for the Empire's ruling dynasty, the Duval family | |
INV Duval's Creed | |||
INV Duval's Decree | |||
INV Duval's Justice | Findja | Dec. 30, 3302 | |
INV Duval's Judgment | Facece | ||
INV Duval's Might | Orom Djugua | ||
INV Duval's Pride | |||
INV Duval's Shield | |||
INV Duval's Sight | |||
INV Elizabeth | Sorbago | Part of Senator Zemina Torval's personal fleet | |
INV Emperor's Creed | Facece | ||
INV Emperor's Faith | Theta Indi | Dec. 7, 3306 | One of four vessels constructed by an Imperial Navy production initiative[10] |
INV Emperor's Fame | Facece | Jan. 1, 3305 | |
INV Emperor's Fortitude | Achenar | Mar. 14, 3307 | |
INV Emperor's Lance | Fidenef | Sept. 15, 3304 | |
INV Emperor's Might | Ngalinn | Sept. 18, 3304 | |
INV Emperor's Tribute | Grebegus | Sept. 18, 3307 | |
INV Emperor's Trust | |||
INV Excalibur | Yupini | Jul. 16, 3305 | |
INV Faveol | 40 Ceti | Named for the Faveol family, which runs the Empire-aligned organisation Patron's Principles and controls the Liaedin system | |
INV Gábor Rénes | Yupini | Jul. 19, 3305 | |
INV Glory | Potriti | Sept. 28, 3303 | |
INV Goliath | Ribhniugo | Feb. 25, 3303 | |
INV Hall's Memory | Facece | Jan. 1, 3305 | |
INV Hall of Martyrs | Facece | Jan. 1, 3305 | Named for the Hall of Martyrs memorial beneath the Imperial Palace on Capitol |
INV Hengist Duval | Neits | Named for Emperor Hengist Duval | |
INV Imperial Freedom | Eotienses | Jan. 7, 3304 | The flagship of Fleet Admiral Denton Patreus |
INV Implacable | Belobog | Dec. 30, 3303 | |
INV Invincible | Huokang | May 26, 3303 | |
INV Lucius | |||
INV Marlin | Ongkuma | Part of Senator Zemina Torval's personal fleet | |
INV Maximillian Wrekcht | Wu Guinagi | May 20, 3303 | Named for the privateer Maximillian Wrekcht, a retired Commander of the Fifth Imperial Fleet who died in 2913 while raiding the Andceeth system[14] |
INV Replicator | Mundjiga | Named after CMDR Replicator_ for contributing the most resources to the CG to construct the ship | |
INV Rex | |||
INV Shield of the Empire | Wu Guinagi | April 18, 3303 | |
INV Shield of Martyrs | Facece | Nov. 5, 3302 | |
INV Sid "Duster" Ashe | Yupini | Jul. 19, 3305 | |
INV Succession | Novas | Commanding officer Admiral Henry Paul Atherton[15] | |
INV Sword of the Empire | Orannika | Dec. 7, 3306 | One of four vessels constructed by an Imperial Navy production initiative[10] |
INV Thunderer | Wu Guinagi | July 12, 3303 | |
INV Trasken Duval | Pleiades Sector IH-V c2-16 | Dec. 29, 3302 | Named for Emperor Trasken Duval |
INV Trasken Duval III | Named for Emperor Trasken Duval III | ||
INV Valiant | Gliese 3371 | May 30, 3304 | |
INV Watcher | Facece | Jan. 1, 3305 | |
INV Xanadu | Synteini | The flagship of Senator Zemina Torval | |
Baconneggs | Arevakimos | Jan. 6, 3306 | |
LLV Charybdis | Carthage | Dec. 2, 3302 | One of three vessels constructed by Lavigny's Legion to strengthen Imperial forces[11][12] |
Orion | Potriti | Sept. 27, 3303 | Believed captured and operated by pirates |
RZS Cerberus | Carthage | Dec. 2, 3302 | One of three vessels constructed by Lavigny's Legion to strengthen Imperial forces[11][12] |
Vanguard | Potriti | Sept. 27, 3303 | Believed captured and operated by pirates |
Warrior | Regulus | Dec. 10, 3303 | Believed captured and operated by pirates |
Notes
- David Braben describes the Majestic-Class Interdictor: "...where luxury comes is where you've actually got gravity. That's why this thing is spinning, it's using the centripetal force to actually give you the sensation of gravity as you move around. This ship is huge and that round section is also huge, and the point is even a low level of gravity is very comfortable, you know water settles...you actually see the contrast with the Empire where for the senior people, at least on this ship, they get gravity for their sleeping quarters, for where they eat and all that sort of thing..."[16]
- After destroying all of the Majestic-Class's Heat Relays the ship will escape from battle by activating its Frame Shift Drive.
- Most Capital Ships have an exclusion zone, and flying too close to one can provoke it into attacking even if the player is on friendly terms with its controlling faction. In these cases, the Capital Ship will issue warning messages to ships that invade its exclusion zone.
Trivia
- The length of the Majestic-Class Interdictor (1,904 meters) is almost as long as six Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers (337 meters) lined up end to end.[17]
Videos
Gallery
References
- ↑ The Art of Elite Dangerous, August 17 2016
- ↑ GalNet: Community Goal: Expanding the Imperial Fleet
- ↑ Frontier Forums: UAs, Barnacles & More Thread 6 - The Canonn, post #7788
- ↑ Elite Encounters RPG
- ↑ GalNet: Galactic News: Economic Turmoil Ahead?
- ↑ GalNet: Galactic News: Patreus Rails against London Treaty
- ↑ GalNet: Galactic News: Capital Ships Vulnerable to Thargoid Attack
- ↑ GalNet: Community Goal: Operation Andronicus
- ↑ GalNet: Empire and Federation Increase Capital Ship Production
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 GalNet: Capital Ship Construction Initiatives Conclude
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 GalNet: Community Goal: A Majestic Development
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 GalNet: Galactic News: Latest Imperial Campaign Concludes
- ↑ GalNet: Empire Shifts Anti-Xeno Strategy
- ↑ Tourist Spot 0134, "Wrekcht's Raid"
- ↑ GalNet: The Sanderlyn Interviews (Part One)
- ↑ YouTube: Elite: Dangerous Progress Diary #6 (3:39)
- ↑ YouTube: Elite ship scale 3.0