IV. Surface Ships
Kul Tiran surface ships can be classified into a few categories, which we will explain here along with their main Horde counterpart and a comparison of the two.
Battleship
The main ship of the line for the Kul Tiras Navy, battleships are heavily armed and armored, also including a full complement of Marines ready to board enemy vessels or transfer to amphibious transports for a ground assault. The Kul Tiran battleships faced their greatest threat during the Second War against Ogre Juggernauts, however the superior design and performance, as well as the excellent seamanship of Kul Tiran sailors ultimately prevailed. To this day there is no surface ship capable of standing toe to toe against a Kul Tiras Battleship.
Destroyer
Kul Tiran Destroyers are smaller than battleships, but still heavily armed and well suited for battle in the open ocean. On par with the strongest capital ships from other navies such as the Stormwind and Gilnean Navies, the Kul Tiran destroyer is often used as a command ship along side the battleship. It easily out performs the sloppily built Orcish cruisers which make up the largest capital ships of the brutish Horde Navy, due ito a combination of superior shipbuilding design, superior craftsmanship, and better trained crews. For Kul Tiras!
Frigate
Kul Tiran Frigates are the smallest of the capital ships constructed for the Navy, and are on par with Elven Destroyers. Designed for speed and maneuverability, these ships are built for quick strikes and hunting down enemy submarines. Though they are on par with the Elven Destroyers of old, the quality of Elven craftmanship has been noted by Kul Tiran shipwrights to be in decline over the past decade or so. Most experts believe this to be due magical withdrawal by elven shipbuilders, diminishing their ability to perform precision tasks as their hands develop uncontrollable shaking due to their desperate need to sate their magical addiction. It should be noted that elven shipbuilders who form the Silver Covenant and rejected the use of Fel Magic have not exhibited this symptom, a testament to the superior willpower and self control of those who refuse to bend the knee to the brutality of the Orcs.
Icebreaker
Icebreakers are specialized vessels built to break through sheets of ice on the ocean surface in arctic climates. The bow, prow and keel are typically reinforced with corrosion resistant metal to break apart the ice as the ship passes through. These vessels are usually used as transports rather than as surface combatants as the heavy metal cladding makes these types of ships much slower and less maneuverable. The exception to this rule are Kul Tiran Battleships, which also function as Icebreakers due to the light weight yet high strength of the Storm Silver and Monelite cladding on the bow, allowing the ship to function as an Icebreaker while retaining all it’s surface combatant capabilities thanks to superior design and materials used in Kul Tiran shipbuilding doctrine.
Landing Craft
Often the last thing many Horde coastal defenders will see is the sight of a swarm of Kul Tiran landing craft rushing ashore, the bow ramp deploying with all the ferocity of Neptulon’s storms to unleash the might of the Kul Tiras Marines. Ready to separate Orcish heads from their bodies and show them the true meaning of Blood and Thunder, the Marines are all the armament a transport ship needs.