Bishop Ironclad

**Key Features** | »» Full broadside gun complement»» Deck mounted howitzer w/ Clockroach shells»» Substantial reserves of shells»» Thick Talon Steel armour plating»» Awkward long design prohibits tight turns

*"Fire the broadside!"*

- Bishop Ironclad Captain

## Tactical Analysis

* **Ironclad warship:** Heavily armoured and mounting a fearsome broadside, the Bishop Ironclad is a mighty battleship, able to stand toe-to-toe with anything afloat short of the Giga-Fortress. It's large size and heavy Talon Steel armour lets it block incoming shots with ease, using its bulk to shield more fragile ships from fire.

* **No escaping Davy Jones today:** However, the Bishop has a way of getting around this problem: a howitzer capable of firing rounds that completely, if temporarily, stop even the largest ships dead in the water.

* **Turns like a cruise ship:** Unfortunately, the fixed firing arcs of the Bishop's cannons means that it must turn broadside to effectively engage the enemy, and the ship was designed for firepower and durability rather than manoeuvrability. And without the mortar, swift and manoeuvrable enemies can theoretically "dance" or "kite" a Bishop into oblivion if a commander is careless. The escort of Bishops with anti-air escorts is likewise highly recommended, as Bishops have no surface-to-air weapons.

* **Pull broadside:** Decorated Bishop admirals, in light of their service, would have their Ironclad updated. Starting with deck guns that give it come 360-degree defense, upgraded howitzer shells that completely disable the ship, a similar but larger variant of the *"Priest"* electromagnetic generator, and further broadside upgrades that slow ships and anti-air ballistas.

## Background

The era of the wooden hulled warship came to an end in the 18th century, with the invention of the first naval gun to fire explosive shells. The effect of explosive shells lodging into a wooden hull and then detonating proved devastating, and explosive shells were soon standard among most navies. Already, the steam engine's invention had already spelled the end of the sailing ship, though sailing ships would continue to be used for some time afterwards.

Having seen how vulnerable wooden hulled ships were to explosive shells, countries began to develop warships protected by heavy armour and armed with heavy guns. The first ironclad warship would be launched in 1859 by the French, and other powers would follow. The first battle of ironclad warships would be between the CSS Virginia and the USS Monitor, at the Battle of Hampton Roads. The Order of the Talon were not so blind as to be incapable of seeing what others clearly saw--the wooden hulled ship could no longer compete, easily outclassed by the ironclad warship. And although the Order never had any great need for a naval arm, the Order was nevertheless able to acquire five ironclad warships over the years through a variety of methods.

The Talon shipwrights took apart the ironclads and rebuilt them with Talon materials and technology. The ironclads were stripped of their iron armour plating, replated in the far superior Talon Steel. The steam engines of the ironclads were removed, replaced with far more efficient engines of Talon design. The ironclads were armed with six powerful 12-inch naval guns to each side, as well as a number of smaller cannon, giving them a formidable armament capable of destroying lesser ships with ease. Completely rebuilt, the Order's ironclads were dubbed the ***Bishop*-class Ironclads**.

Over the years, the Bishop has received some minor upgrades. The most noticeable is the mounting of a deck howitzer, meant to fire special shells that release a swarm of "clockroaches" upon impact. In practice, ships struck by one of these shells end up being temporarily immobilised, as the crew attempts to purge the infestation. Aside from the installation of the howitzer and various "upgrades" forged by some of the more experienced crews, however, the Bishop Ironclad is otherwise mostly unchanged from the original Talon design. Its Talon Steel armour plate provides unmatched protection from attack even when matched against modern weapons, while their complement of guns can still deliver shattering broadsides to any ship foolish enough to cross their path. Though the rarity of such ships and the reluctance of the Talon to resort in open combat means that the Bishops have only seen combat a few times; most of the time, they sit disguised in their harbours, with only a bare minimum of maintenance, and their crews working on other tasks for the Order. However, in the few instances in which the Talon has warranted their deployment, they have shown to be capable of standing firm against modern ships; though their firepower is lacking, their armour can weather dozens of hits, and their bulk lets them soak up blows for other ships while they retaliate.

## Known Ships

* *Bulwark*
* *Endurance*
* *Leviathan*
* *Jonah*
* *Corona*

## Behind the Scenes

* Based on the famous United States Civil War ironclad, the Virginia, formerly known as the Merrimack. Ensign Sedge is a tribute to Kerensky287, who was one of the mod's founding members and had to leave for personal reasons.