View source for Battleship/Legends

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[[File:Kedalbe_battleship2.jpg|230px|thumb|The [[Keldabe-class battleship|''Keldabe''-class]] was the largest warship of the Zann Consortium's navy.]]
'''Battleship''' was a name widely used for types of [[Capital ship/Legends|capital ship]]. Often, it was reserved as a term for the largest and strongest warships in a navy, broadly comparable with [[dreadnaught]], but sometimes, smaller vessels in the same navy were described as performing the duties of a peace-keeping battleship. At times, it was synonymous with "warship" and simply described larger combat ships.<ref name="TCWVG">''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Visual Guide]]''</ref>

==History==
===Republic records===
[[File:Cal_ambre.jpg|thumb|left|230px|The ''Cal''-class was the last in a long line of battleships, being powered with a hull-running mass-driver cannon.]]
Even in the [[Pre-Republic era]], large capital ships like the titanic [[Eibon Scimitar|battlecruisers]] that served in the navy of [[Xim/Legends|Xim the Despot]] were counted on to turn the tide of any battle.<ref name="HSATCSS">''[[Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook]]''</ref><ref name="EGW">''[[The Essential Guide to Warfare]]''</ref> Some of the earliest [[Old Republic era]] battleships and battlecruisers belonged to the planetary or sector naval forces of such worlds as [[Coruscant/Legends|Coruscant]], [[Alsakan/Legends|Alsakan]], [[Corellia/Legends|Corellia]], and their respective allies within the Core.<ref name="EGW" /> Throughout the course of the [[Alsakan Conflicts/Legends|Alsakan Conflicts]], squadrons of great and massive battleships were described to be the guardians of the [[Core Worlds/Legends|Core worlds]].<ref name="EGW" /> The prevalence and effectiveness of these larger capital ships varied depending on the technology and the prevailing strategies of the day.<ref name="EGW" />

One of the known battleship classes introduced around the year [[10,000 BBY]], were vessels created in imitation of the long-running planet buster [[Kumauri Battleship]] line.<ref name="EGW" /> This trend culminated with the [[Cal-class battleship|''Cal''-class battleship]], which was popular with several governments, most notably the Galactic Republic. These battleships were used to intimidate or destroy hostile civilizations, as the Republic aggressively expanded outward into the [[Galaxy/Legends|Galaxy]]. They were also effectively used as terror weapons during the [[Tenth Alsakan Conflict]].<ref name="EGW" />

After the [[Waymancy Storm]] of [[7811 BBY]], the Republic slowly incorporated new technologies like the [[squintpipe process]], which led to greatly improved turbolasers.<ref name="EGW" /> By [[7500s BBY]], new breakthroughs in armor, shields, hyperdrives, and power generation ushered in a golden age of warship production. Larger capital ships would once more become the mainstays of the Republic military and its individual private sector fleets, as well with dominions and kingdoms located beyond the borders of the Republic.<ref name="EGW" /> This battleship era would only come to an end in [[2500 BBY]] due to an economic downturn, which led to fleets being largely comprised of smaller cruisers.<ref name="EGW" />

The wars between the Republic and the [[Sith Empire/Legends|Sith Empire]], as well as with the [[Mandalorian/Legends|Mandalorians]], were known for their colossal battles involving some of the largest capital ships in the history of the Galaxy.<ref name="EGW" /> Throughout the [[Great Hyperspace War/Legends|Great Hyperspace War]], the primary combatant ships in both [[Sith/Legends|Sith]] and [[Galactic Republic/Legends|Republic]] fleets, were denoted as "battleships".<ref name="TOTJ:GAOTS">''[[Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi — The Golden Age of the Sith]]''</ref><ref name="TOTJ:TFOTSE">''[[Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi — The Fall of the Sith Empire]]''</ref> During the [[Great Sith War/Legends|Great Sith War]]<ref name="TOTJ:TSW">''[[Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi — The Sith War]]''</ref> and the [[Mandalorian Wars]],<ref name="KOTOR:FP">''[[Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Flashpoint]]''</ref> the Mandalorian factions used [[Kyramud-type battleship|''Kyramud''-type battleships]] and [[Kandosii-type dreadnaught]]s in their fleets. Meanwhile, the Republic maintained fleets of very large and blocky [[Republic Command Ship|command ships]] and [[Republic battleship (Great Sith War)|battleships]],<ref name="POTJSB">''[[Power of the Jedi Sourcebook]]''</ref> which slowly became outdated and were eventually replaced with newer warships.<ref name="KOTORCG">''[[Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide]]''</ref> The Mandalorian Wars saw the Galactic Republic constructing and fielding the [[Inexpugnable-class tactical command ship|''Inexpugnable''-class tactical command ships]]<ref name="KOTOR:FP" /> which were sometimes referred to as "battleships."<ref name="John Jackson Miller's notes">{{Faraway|comics/swknights/swkotor08.html|''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #8''|archivedate=20170211082138}} &mdash; The author also compares them with battleships or ships-of-the-line of Earth's past.</ref> The Republic would go on to build a number of very advanced warships during the [[Great Galactic War]], one of the largest examples being the behemoth [[Superdreadnought]] the [[Star of Coruscant]].<ref name="TORC">''[[Star Wars: The Old Republic]]'' - Codex entry ''Star of Coruscant''</ref>

[[File:Couragoushandbook.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The ''Inexpugnable''-class served as command ships and battleships during the [[Mandalorian Wars]].]]

In the final stages of the [[New Sith Wars]], the term "battleship" for [[Capital ship/Legends|capital ships]] like the [[corsair battleship]], fast-moving vessels which, along with [[Starfighter/Legends|starfighters]], served in a picket/attack role, and provided support for other warships like [[Sith Destroyer]]s and [[Hammerhead-class cruiser|''Hammerhead''-class cruisers]].<ref name="PoD">''Darth Bane: Path of Destruction'', pp. 85-6.</ref>

After the devastation wrought by the [[New Sith Wars]], the Republic military was disbanded and reorganized into the [[Judicial Forces/Legends|Judicial Forces]]. In an effort to keep the peace, the [[Ruusan Reformation]] implemented many restrictions on fleet sizes, armaments, and on the hyperdrives of the larger warships serving in the various [[Planetary Security Forces]] around the Galaxy.<ref name="EGW" /> Generally, warships were limited to being cruisers with a maximum length to 600 meters, though there were some exceptions to these restrictions.<ref name="EGW" /> Planets and sectors that had direct representation in the [[Senate]] were allowed more military allowances, as they strove to impress neighboring systems and to create robust defenses.<ref name="EGW" /> As time went on new battleships would be constructed for the wealthy planets and sectors of the Republic, while intergalactic organizations built large transports there were capable of being transformed into large warships.<ref name="EGW" /> In an effort to encourage innovation and the development of new technologies, starship manufacturers were also allowed to produce prototype warships or experimental variants of existing classes that could be in excess of the Ruusan restrictions.<ref name="EGW" /> In the centuries prior to the [[Clone Wars/Legends|Clone Wars]], the rich and heavily industrialized [[Core Worlds/Legends|Core Worlds]] like [[Corellia/Legends|Corellia]], [[Humbarine/Legends|Humbarine]], and [[Kuat/Legends|Kuat]] were awash in warships and built fleets centered around powerful multi-kilometer long warships.<ref name="TFNCi">[http://www.theforce.net/jedicouncil/interview/saxton.asp TFN Curtis Saxton interview]</ref><ref name="AOTC:ICS">''[[Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Incredible Cross-Sections]]''</ref><ref name="EGW" /> During this era, two types of large warships that were among [[Kuat Drive Yards/Legends|Kuat Drive Yards]] bountiful catalogue of Star Destroyers, were the 2,500 meter long [[Procurator-class Star Battlecruiser|''Procurator''-class Star Battlecruiser]] and the 8,000 meter long [[Mandator-class Star Dreadnought|''Mandator''-class Star Dreadnought]].<ref name="EGW" /><ref name="AOTC:ICS" /> Kuat would not only use these battleships for their own [[Kuati Sector Forces|sector forces]], but also sold these warships to other planetary governments and eventually the Republic itself during the Clone Wars.<ref name="EGW" /> The Clone Wars would then once more usher in an age of large and heavily armed transgalactic warships.<ref name="AOTC:ICS" />

===Clone Wars and beyond===
[[File:Lucrehulk_blockade.jpg|thumb|left|230px|The ''Lucrehulk''-class was converted from commercial freighters to battleships, and heavily upgraded during the Clone Wars.]]

The "battleship" designation was again used by the [[Trade Federation of Planets|Trade Federation]] for the [[Lucrehulk-class battleship|militarized version]] of their [[Lucrehulk-class LH-3210 cargo freighter/Legends|LH-3210 cargo freighter]]. Though very large ships, and at least sometimes heavily shielded, the original militarized version of these ships was more of a [[Starfighter/Legends|starfighter]] carrier and [[Battle droid/Legends|battle droid]] assault ship than a combat warship, with a relatively light defensive armament of [[Quad laser cannon/Legends|quad laser cannons]]. Later versions used during the [[Clone Wars/Legends|Clone Wars]], however, lived up to the "battleship" designation with a massive armament of [[Turbolaser/Legends|turbolasers]].<ref name="ROTS">''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith''</ref><ref name="SBP4">''Starship Battles Preview 4''</ref>
During the Clone Wars, the Republic also faced the threat of the battleship [[Malevolence/Legends|''Malevolence'']], Grievous's flagship and the strongest vessel in the [[Confederacy of Independent Systems/Legends|Separatist]] fleet.<ref name="TCW:RM">Star Wars: The Clone Wars - "Rising Malevolence"</ref>

Another particularly powerful Separatist battleship was the ''[[Starcrusher/Legends|Starcrusher]]'', which destroyed every Republic cruiser sent against her. The ''Starcrusher'' served as the flagship of Admiral [[Kirst]]. The ''Starcrusher'' was destroyed when Anakin Skywalker disabled her reactor in his interceptor, resulting in the ship falling into a gravity well, killing her crew, including Kirst, in the process.<ref name="TCW">''[[The Clone Wars: The Starcrusher Trap]]''</ref>

===Cruisers and battleships===
[[File:HomeOne-SWArmada.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The ''Home One''-type Star Cruiser served as a battleship and command ship.]]

During the [[Clone Wars/Legends|Clone Wars]] and [[Galactic Civil War/Legends|Galactic Civil War]], ships such as the [[Venator-class Star Destroyer/Legends|''Venator''-class]], [[Victory-class Star Destroyer/Legends|''Victory''-class]] and [[Imperial-class Star Destroyer/Legends|''Imperial''-class]] [[Star Destroyer/Legends|Star Destroyers]] could be referred to as either "battleships" or "peacekeeping battleships".<ref name="SW:ICS">''Star Wars: Incredible Cross-Sections'', p. 6</ref><ref name="RotS:ICS 1">''Revenge of the Sith: Incredible Cross-Sections'', p. 14 (fold-out)</ref>

At the same time, the ''Venator''-class was also contrasted with battleships in the Republic fleet, for which they acted as escorts. Little else is known about these battleships, except that they were heavier in some sense than "medium-weight" warships like the ''Venator''-class.<ref name="RotS:ICS 2">''Revenge of the Sith: Incredible Cross-Sections'', p. 4-5</ref> This would be mirrored in the [[Imperial Navy/Legends|Imperial Navy]], with Star Destroyers of the day acting as escorts for larger vessels, like Star Dreadnaughts.<ref name="SW:CL">[[Star Wars: Complete Locations (2005)|''Star Wars: Complete Locations'']]</ref>

During the [[Galactic Civil War/Legends|Galactic Civil War]], the [[Imperial Navy/Legends|Imperial Navy]] described ships bigger than [[Imperial-class Star Destroyer/Legends|Imperial Star Destroyers]] as its largest battleships, built for the Imperial Navy by shipwrights like [[Kuat/Legends|Kuat]], [[Rendili/Legends|Rendili]] and [[Loronar/Legends|Loronar]].<ref name="TISWU">''The Illustrated Star Wars Universe''</ref>

In the [[Alliance to Restore the Republic/Legends|Alliance to Restore the Republic]], the [[Mon Calamari/Legends|Mon Calamari]] [[MC80 Home One type Star Cruiser]] [[Home One/Legends|''Home One'']] served in a battleship role for the Rebels,<ref name="TRASc">''The Rebel Alliance Scrapbook'', p. 21</ref> In the Rebel Alliance and the [[New Republic/Legends|New Republic]], at least one model of [[DP20 frigate|Corellian gunship]], could be described as a "battleship"<ref name="Darksaber">''Darksaber''</ref> or a "[[ship of the line]]".<ref name="SW47">[[Star Wars (1977) 47|''Star Wars'' (1977) 47]]</ref>

==Behind the scenes==
[[File:Invincible-class_Dreadnaught.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The ''Invincible''-class served the Republic for thousands of years, even finding service as a patrol ship under the Corporate Sector Authority.]]

In real life, the term "battleship" emerged with a precise meaning in the late nineteenth century, as an abbreviation of "line-of-battle ship". It denoted a ship that could fight in the "line of battle", the main fleet formation. The early battleships were contrasted with [[Wikipedia:cruiser|cruisers]], which while at this time were similar in size and speed, but were designed for longer-range patrol missions, and carried less armor. Over the following decades, cruisers became faster, with more speed but less armor than a battleship.

The term [[Wikipedia:Dreadnought (disambiguation)|dreadnought]] (erroneously spelled "dreadnaught".) became synonymous with "battleship" after the introduction of the revolutionary "all-big gun" battleship [[Wikipedia:HMS Dreadnought (1906)|''HMS Dreadnought'']] in 1906. Overnight, all battleship classes prior to ''HMS Dreadnought'' were made obsolete, and two modern eras in battleship history would later be considered: Classes made before ''HMS Dreadnought'' were referred to as "pre-Dreadnoughts" while classes made afterwards, based on its design-principles, were referred to as "Dreadnoughts". However, this nomenclature only applied to the new generation of battleships, and didn't replace the term "battleship" (for instance, the US Navy referred to its largest ships as Battleships: [http://www.navy.mil/navydata/our_ships.asp] as well as second generation Dreadnoughts being referred to as Super Dreadnoughts before the term faded following WWI).

Alongside the dreadnaught, a type of large cruiser with a similar armament of heavy guns was introduced, called the [[Wikipedia:battlecruiser|battlecruiser]]. These retained the traditional of less armor and greater speed, but being Capital Ships in their own right, quickly came to be perceived as closer cousins to Dreadnoughts than to normal cruisers, a situation that was formalized in the international naval treaties after World War I, which limited the size of cruiser guns.

In the early twentieth century, battleships were often only slightly larger than contemporary cruisers, even the limited post-WWI types, and usually smaller than battlecruisers.

The SW galaxy diverges somewhat from the real-world terminology by having a mix of "battleships" and "dreadnoughts" in the same cultures and eras.

==Appearances==
{{Scroll_box|content=
[[File:Battle_of_the_Ryndellia_System.png|thumb|right|250px|The ''Malevolence'' struck hard against Republic task forces during the Clone Wars.]]
*''[[Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi — The Golden Age of the Sith]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi — The Fall of the Sith Empire]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi — The Sith War]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Flashpoint]]''
*''[[Star Wars: The Old Republic]]''
*''[[Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire]]'' {{Mo}} {{Codex}}
*''[[Cloak of Deception]]''
*''[[Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles]]''
*{{Film|I}}
*[[Outbound Flight (novel)|''Outbound Flight'']]
*{{Film|II}}
*[[Republic 50|''Republic'' 50]]
*{{TCW|Cat and Mouse}} {{C|Mentioned on [[Computer/Legends|computer]] screen only}}
*[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars (novelization)|''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' (novel)]]
*[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars (audiobook)|''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' audiobook]]
*''[[The Clone Wars: Prelude]]'' {{Imo}}
*''[[HoloNet News — A Galaxy Divided]]'' {{Imo}}
*''[[The Clone Wars: Shakedown]]''
*{{TCW|Rising Malevolence|Rising ''Malevolence''}} {{1st}}
*''[[The Clone Wars: Procedure]]'' {{Imo}}
*{{TCW|Shadow of Malevolence|Shadow of ''Malevolence''}}
*{{TCW|Destroy Malevolence|Destroy ''Malevolence''}}
*''[[Star Wars: Battlefront]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Battlefront II]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Republic Commando]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Obsession]]''
*''[[Labyrinth of Evil]]''
*{{Film|III}}
*''[[Han Solo at Stars' End]]''
*[[Star Wars (Marvel Comics 1977)|''Marvel Star Wars'']]
*{{Film|V}}
*''[[The Empire Strikes Back: A Storybook]]''
*{{Film|VI}}
*[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (novel)|''Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'' novel]]
*[[Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (junior novelization)|''Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'' junior novel]]
*''[[Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption]]''
*[[Children of the Jedi (novel)|''Children of the Jedi'']]
*''[[X-Wing: The Krytos Trap]]''
*''[[X-Wing: The Bacta War]]''
*[[X-Wing: Iron Fist|''X-wing:'' Iron Fist]]
*''[[X-Wing: Solo Command]]''
*''[[X-Wing: Isard's Revenge]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Dark Empire]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Empire's End]]''
*''[[Jedi Search]]''
*[[Darksaber (novel)|''Darksaber'']]
*''[[Star Wars: Crimson Empire]]''
*''[[The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide II: Ruin]]''
*''[[The New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse]]''
*''[[The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime]]''
*''[[The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force]]''
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Betrayal]]''
}}

==Sources==
{{Scroll_box|
*[[Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game (first edition)|''Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game'']]
*''[[Star Wars Campaign Pack]]''
*''[[Imperial Sourcebook]]''
*''[[Heir to the Empire Sourcebook]]''
*''[[Dark Empire Sourcebook]]''
*[[Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi (Second Edition)|''Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi'', Second Edition]]
*''[[The Illustrated Star Wars Universe]]''
*''[[The Truce at Bakura Sourcebook]]''
*''[[The Jedi Academy Sourcebook]]''
*''[[The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook]]''
*''[[The Rebel Alliance Scrapbook]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Episode I The Visual Dictionary]]''
*[[The Essential Chronology (real-world book)|''The Essential Chronology'']]
*''[[The Dark Side Sourcebook]]''
*''[[Tempest Feud]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Incredible Cross-Sections]]''
*''[[Star Wars Roleplaying Game Revised Core Rulebook]]''
*''[[Power of the Jedi Sourcebook]]''
*{{WizardsCite|url=default.asp?x=starwars/article/sw20031009malak|text=Darth Malak|int=Darth Malak (article)|archivedate=20090603071915}}
*''[[Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Trilogy]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross-Sections]]''
*''[[Byss and the Deep Core]]''
*''[[The Art of Revenge of the Sith]]''
*[[Star Wars: Complete Locations (2005)|''Star Wars: Complete Locations'']]
*''[[The New Essential Chronology]]''
*''[[Star Wars Chronicles: The Prequels]]''
*''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Visual Guide]]''
*''[[Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide]]''
*{{SWArchive|url=theclonewars/guide/episode002.html|text=''The Clone Wars'' Episode Guide: Rising ''Malevolence''|archivedate=20110629042530}}
*{{SWArchive|url=theclonewars/guide/episode003.html|text=''The Clone Wars'' Episode Guide: Shadow of ''Malevolence''|archivedate=20110713005905}}
*{{SWArchive|url=video/view/000697.html|text=Episode Commentary #3: Shadow of ''Malevolence''|nobackup=1}}
*''[[The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia]]''
*''[[The Clone Wars Campaign Guide]]''
*''[[The Essential Atlas]]''
*''[[Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: The Expanded Visual Dictionary]]''
*''[[Battle for Naboo]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Darth Maul, Sith Apprentice]]''
*''[[Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side]]''
*''[[The Essential Guide to Warfare]]''
*{{SWE|technology|tradefederationbattleship|Trade Federation battleship}}
*[[Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook|''Star Wars: Age of Rebellion'' Core Rulebook]]
*''[[Strongholds of Resistance]]''
}}

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{WP|Battleship}}

{{Interlang
|da=Slagskib
|es=Nave de batalla/Leyendas
|pt=Legends:Nave de batalha
|ru=Линейный корабль
}}

[[Category:Battleships| ]]
[[Category:Battleship classes]]
[[Category:Capital ship classifications]]