User blog comment:Braveangel/About planetary defenses/@comment-217683-20100423085454

The Codex isn't necessarily inconsistent. It was likely just using generalizations. Generally speaking, yes, dreadnoughts and cruisers do stay at long range and engage targets from afar. But, when hard pressed, cruisers can close with the target. After all, the Codex also states that Alliance dreadnoughts (and presumably other races dreadnoughts as well) possess broadside armament in addition to the main spinal gun. If dreadnoughts ONLY stayed at extreme range and ONLY used their man gun, why would they need this broadside armament, which would only be useful for ships that are relatively close in? Real-life example. I could say that aircraft carriers stay at long ranges and engage enemies with their aircraft. This is true, generally speaking. However, it is not 100% literally true, as I can point to at least one example of carriers having to duke it out with guns. Ditto for battleships. They stay at long range and engage with their main guns. This is true, generally speaking, although there are instances where battleships have had to fight it out up close using their secondary weapons. So no, the Codex likely isn't inconsistent and/or wrong, just using generalizations.

And one final note, being the historical sticker I am. Technically speaking, it was the Byzantines who faced the Ottomans in the 15th century. The generally acknowledged split between Roman/Byzantine Empire occurred in the 4th century, when Constantine moved the imperial capital to Byzantium. But that is kind of splitting hairs.