Executor-class SSD, A Question

[Abacus]

Hello again everyone. I've a question to pose to the group: just how many Executor-class Super Star Destroyers did the Galactic Empire actually build? Have we ever been given accurate figures? We know that four were being built near the the time of the Battle of Yavin, but after that up until Endor there doesn't seem to be a consensus. Your thoughts, ideas, or otherwise unknown errata would be appreciated.

Known Executor SSDs
Executor
Annihilator
Enforcer
Guardian
Intimidator
Iron Fist
Knight Hammer
Lusankya
Razor's Kiss
Reaper
Terror
Vengeance
X1's SSD

[Batman]

We know there were enough of them for Han to comment 'there's a lot of command ships' upon seeing Executor in ROTJ, which hints at them not exactly bring rare (which low double digit numbers of them would be in a multimillion system Empire). Also, as Iron Fist, Razor's Kiss and Lusankya are of the 8 km long variant, I don't think they're technically Executors, but rather the unnamed (to my knowledge) Star Battlecruiser (for want of a better term) class that just happens to look like a considerably smaller Executor.

[Ritterin Sophia]

We know there were enough of them for Han to comment 'there's a lot of command ships' upon seeing Executor in ROTJ, which hints at them not exactly bring rare (which low double digit numbers of them would be in a multimillion system Empire). Also, as Iron Fist, Razor's Kiss and Lusankya are of the 8 km long variant, I don't think they're technically Executors, but rather the unnamed (to my knowledge) Star Battlecruiser (for want of a better term) class that just happens to look like a considerably smaller Executor.

What 8km variant? The 8/12km SSD was retconned as disinformation, remember?

[Eternal_Freedom]

We also know that from one of the Black Fleet books that a typical sector force has access to SSD's as well as other fun stuff like Torpedoe Spheres.

At least three "Super-class Star Destroyers" (Executors) were assigned to the Black Sword Command in the Deep Core.

Also, from the OP's list, which are still operational as of 40 ABY? I know Guardian is still kicking, and I don't know what happenned to Intimidator or Reaper.

[Captain Seafort]

I know Guardian is still kicking, and I don't know what happenned to Intimidator or Reaper.

Both destroyed - Reaper during one of the slugging matches between Wedge and Pellaeon, Big Tim's wreckage was found a couple of years after the peace treaty according to the NEC.

[Riquende]

Also, as Iron Fist, Razor's Kiss and Lusankya are of the 8 km long variant, I don't think they're technically Executors, but rather the unnamed (to my knowledge) Star Battlecruiser (for want of a better term) class that just happens to look like a considerably smaller Executor.

I would have thought that Lusankya would have to be the same class as Executor, given that it was built 'as' Executor in a different shipyard as a secret project.

Although given just how many SSDs there had to have been overall, the idea of there being just 1 'secret' SSD is a bit lame. I mean, you'd hardly need it.

[Skywalker_T-65]

Also, from the OP's list, which are still operational as of 40 ABY? I know Guardian is still kicking, and I don't know what happenned to Intimidator or Reaper.

Like Captain Seafort said... the Intimidator and Reaper were both destroyed. Reaper by the NR and the Intimidator by some unknown power on the Rim (maybe the Vong...who knows it was never said...). Now as for other Executors... well the only one that is confirmed is Guardian like you said. Not to say there aren't others floating around, but as far as the OP's list goes only Guardian is still around. Though when you think how common they would have to be (thousands at the least if each is a sector flagship) then there should be more, but with the EU minimalism who knows...

Edit: Darn it...put the wrong name in the original...sorry about that.

[Eternal_Freedom]

There is alos Palleon@s flagship Megador durinthe Swarm War, which may have been an Executor or similar. It was certainly an unusually large and powerful warship.

[The Romulan Republic]

As far as I know there's no solid evidence that every single sector had an Executor. And I think we'd see them turn up more often in the EU if that was the case. There were obviously quite a few of them out there, just not nessissarily that many.

Keep in mind also that while most sectors might have had a Star Dreadnought, their are lots of other types of those. My guess would be that Executors would be found in the most important areas, like Vader's fleet and the Core, while older and lesser dreadnoughts like the Mandator class would be found in other fleets. Eventually, of course, they might have phased out the old designs, with the Executor class becoming the older type of dreadnought and even more powerful classes like the Eclipse being placed in key areas.

[Galvatron]

For all we know, there may have been an Executor-class ship for every admiral in the fleet. The Executor herself may not have been Vader's ship so much as it was Admiral Ozzel's (then Piett's) flagship.

Remember, Vader arrived at the DS2 in an ISD, not the Executor.

[Connor MacLeod]

We know every sector was supposed to have a command ship of some kind. I vagueyl recall that the Saga edition stuff WOTC put out before they lost the license mentioned that there was at least an Executor for every Sector Group. I'm too lazy to recall, and even then that's up for debate (the order of battle for the Imperial sourcebook intended that there was to be 2 torpedo psheres per sector as well as I recall, and yet there were only 6 or so of the things ever made that I remember.)

Personally I've started feeling that the bulk of command ships would probably be leftovers from the Clone Wars era. Palpy and Vader may have intended or pushed for a replacement of all of them as part of the ongoing military expansion, but I hav eno knowledge of them actually doing so - we certainly didn't have huge numbers of Executors floating around post endor (then again we didn't have many huge ships period, so...)

[Abacus]

For all we know, there may have been an Executor-class ship for every admiral in the fleet. The Executor herself may not have been Vader's ship so much as it was Admiral Ozzel's (then Piett's) flagship.

Remember, Vader arrived at the DS2 in an ISD, not the Executor.

Incorrect. Vader arrived at the DS1 in an ISD. He arrived at the DS2 in the Executor, hence its presence there at the Battle of Endor.

[Galvatron]

Watch ROTJ again. The opening scene shows Vader's shuttle launching from an ISD.

[TheHammer]

I'd always assumed that while Vader went ahead to prep things, Palpatine came on the Executor.

[Skywalker_T-65]

Well we don't know what Darth Wrinkle-face turned up in (probably the Executor) all we know is Vader came in an ISD. That and the Executor turned up soon afterwards. Then again its been a while since I have seen ROTJ so its a possibility that Palpy showed up on the SSD.

As for the Sector Fleet thing...I only put that since that was what I had heard. Though in the long run it makes more sense for older ones like the Mandator, or smaller ones like Fractal's Bellator (not literally that one, but you know what I mean) being used as opposed to the Executor's. After all, one can't expect every fleet to have one in just a few years of building time (even the Empire couldn't build thousands of 19 kilometer ships that fast...or maybe they could, but it would detract from the DS2 and Byss (more so Byss). Though then again, they probably could have done it if they really put their minds to it.

[Batman]

While they likely could have built first the infrastructure needed and then the ships themselves if they really wanted to (not that the DS2 was built in secret, with no major drain on the Empire's economy ever mentioned) what would be the point? What would they need thousands of Executors for? At the time the Empire faced zero external threats, and the internal ones were easily dealt with via the ships available-despite numerous defections by Imperial officers to become warlords and the fact that the New Republic had far more resources than the Alliance ever did, they were still about equally matched as of HttE. Heck they could afford to dispatch a triplet of ISDs to support what was essentially a search and recover mission (find those damn Droids) in ANH.

[Galvatron]

What would they need thousands of Executors for? At the time the Empire faced zero external threats, and the internal ones were easily dealt with via the ships available

Maybe all those star systems that Leia warned Tarkin would slip through his fingers? Without the DS1, how could the Empire maintain control after disbanding the Senate?

I can easily imagine that the majority of the Imperial fleet was more than occupied with either blockades and sieges against openly rebellious systems or protecting vital strategic assets from hit-and-run attacks by the rebels themselves.

Of course, nothing in the EU substantiates any of this, but since when do I care about that?

[Batman]

What would they need thousands of Executors for? At the time the Empire faced zero external threats, and the internal ones were easily dealt with via the ships available

Maybe all those star systems that Leia warned Tarkin would slip through his fingers? Without the DS1, how could the Empire maintain control after disbanding the Senate?
I can easily imagine that the majority of the Imperial fleet was more than occupied with either blockades and sieges against openly rebellious systems or protecting vital strategic assets from hit-and-run attacks by the rebels themselves.

How would a fuckton of Executors help them in that case? There's never been any indication than they can do beans about a planetary shield given the lousy theatre shield the Rebels managed to deploy at Hoth apparently was enough to blithely ignore an Executor's firepower. If anything the Empire should be investing in more ISDs and lots of Torpedo Spheres if openly rebellious systems were that much of a problem.

[Galvatron]

I agree. That's why I think the more heavily shielded worlds would be blockaded rather than attacked directly.

[Batman]

I agree. That's why I think the more heavily shielded worlds would be blockaded rather than attacked directly.

So again, what would they need all those Executors for? The only ships that even were a match for the run-of-the-mill ISD were the Mon Cal cruisers so for blockading a world ISDs would have been easily sufficient.

[The Romulan Republic]

All the Executers were to basically making people frightened and impressed, I suppose. Or to compensate for the Emperor's small penis.

[Galvatron]

I agree. That's why I think the more heavily shielded worlds would be blockaded rather than attacked directly.

So again, what would they need all those Executors for? The only ships that even were a match for the run-of-the-mill ISD were the Mon Cal cruisers so for blockading a world ISDs would have been easily sufficient.

I seem to recall the Executor getting destroyed by a small fleet of Mon Cals and an A-wing. I also seem to recall an ISD getting its teeth kicked in by two shots from a planetary ion cannon during a blockade.

[The Romulan Republic]

Also, in The Thrawn Trilogy, Bel Iblis was able to hold his own against an ISD with three old Dreadnought class cruisers, right? Ships in that size range aren't exactly rare, are they?

[Eternal_Freedom]

Bel Iblis held his own because he had six Dreadnoughts initially engaging the Judicator, and they had been specially modified to carry heavy ion cannons for this purpose. Only when the Peremptory arrived did three Dreadnoughts break off, but they weren't engaging the second ISD for long when it got splatted by one of the Katana Fleet Dreadnoughts.

[The Romulan Republic]

Ah, I might have remembered it wrong. Its been a while since I read it. Thought it was three Dreadnoughts.