Vehicles of the Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
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The Imperium of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe is largely described from the military viewpoint, and fighting vehicles are featured more than civilian vehicles.
There are several armed branches, and much of their equipment is common to multiple branches. Their opposition, the Legions of Chaos are often found to have the same vehicles, albeit modified to their needs.
Parallels between the Imperium's military arsenal and those in real-life can be easily drawn. In the same way that, for example, there are several variants of the American M113 armoured personnel carrier, the same is true of the Chimera.
This list covers the armoured vehicles that are referenced in the Warhammer 40,000 setting. The majority come from the WH40K game or the Epic series of games, but also appear in related materials such as in computer game adaptations, comics or novels.
Most have been available as miniatures from Games Workshop through Citadel and/or Forge World.
The armed forces of the Imperium include, but are not limited to:
- The Space Marines
- The Imperial Guard
- The three Ordos of the Inquisition
- Numerous Planetary Defence Forces
- The Adeptus Arbites
- The Orders Militant of the Sisters of Battle
- The Titan Legions of the Adeptus Mechanicus
[edit] Imperial Guard Vehicles
The Imperial Guard, while lacking the more advanced vehicles available to elite branches of the Imperium, such as the Inquisition, do sport the largest selection of ordnance and armoured fighting vehicles in the game setting.
Stylistically, the Chimera and Leman Russ tracked vehicles resemble tanks in World War I and the interwar period. They have exposed treads, no apparent suspension system, and numerous independent weapons mounted in a mix of gun turrets and sponsons. The Baneblade possesses a more modern design, with a chassis similar to those of modern main battle tanks. However, it retains anachronisms such as sponsons and a WW2-era turret design. Several modelers have made their own variants, however, to incorporate suspension systems and remove the archaic weapons fixations.
The tanks of the Imperial Guard are supported by an array of artillery, ranging from mortars to multiple rocket launchers.
[edit] Chimera
The standard armoured personnel carrier of the Imperial Guard, the Chimera can carry a variety of heavy weapons in its gun turret, such as heavy bolters, autocannons and heavy flamers, although the multilaser is most common weapon. It also mounts a hull-mounted heavy bolter or heavy flamer, and 6 hull-mounted lasguns on the sides which can be fired from the passenger compartment, making it akin to a modern infantry fighting vehicle. It can carry up to 12 men. The Chimera has amphibious capabilities, allowing it to take part in naval assaults.
There are three specific close variants of the Chimera named; the Chimedon, Chimerax and Chimerro. The Chimedon replaces the gun turret weapon with a battle-cannon, while the Chimerax has four linked autocannons in the turret. The Chimerro is the standard pattern Chimera with a 'Hunter-Killer' missile mounted on the turret in addition to the multilaser.
The Chimera chassis is the basis for many other Imperial vehicles.
[edit] Hellhound
The Hellhound, based upon the Chimera chassis, is a flame tank. Its main weapon is the Inferno Cannon (in earlier versions called the "Dragon fire Thrower") which is a large flamethrower which projects streams of burning promethium at range, making the Hellhound well-suited to close-range support (such as countering enemy melee units that attempt to assault Imperial armour) and driving dug-in enemies out of cover. It is also armed with a Hull-mounted Heavy Bolter
The promethium storage is in the form of two large tanks, replacing the passenger area at the vehicle's rear. This makes the tanks, and the vehicle itself, vulnerable to enemy weapons. In the game's fluff, the crews of Hellhounds are often pyromaniacs, and in addition to being considered insane by other Guardsmen for their willingness to operate such a dangerous vehicle are often found modifying the components of their Inferno Cannons to produce even greater output.
[edit] Chimera artillery variants
[edit] Basilisk
The Basilisk is a self-propelled howitzer. It mounts one of the longest-ranged weapons available to a standard Imperial Guard regiment, the Earthshaker cannon. Basilisks utilise the standard Chimera chassis, but give up the passenger compartment and turret, leaving it with the hull weapon and the cannon.The Earthshaker can be adjusted for indirect fire, laying down suppressive fire for effect at coordinates provided by forward observation units. This is contrasted with many units of the game, which require 'line-of-sight'. In the fiction, the shells are renowned for the powerful shrieking they make during flight, the mere sound of which is often enough to break enemy morale. Additionally, it is also mentioned that Earthshaker crews tend to go deaf.
Unlike the other artillery units in the Imperial guard, such as the Bombard, Griffon, and Manticore, the Basilisk is capable of direct as well as indirect fire, giving it a limited ability to defend itself from enemy vehicles and infantry. Consequently, Basilisks are often placed at the front of an artillery detachment.
[edit] Bombard
The Bombard mounts a siege mortar on a Chimera chassis. Despite its short range, it is one of the most powerful artillery pieces in the Imperial Guard. The Forge World model is based on the Leman Russ chassis.
[edit] Griffon
The Griffon is another example of self-propelled artillery. It carries a heavy mortar mounted in place of the passenger compartment on a Chimera chassis. It is shorter ranged and cheaper to field, making it an alternative to the Basilisk or Manticore.
Griffons are not part of the current Imperial Guard Codex, but the original models are still available and Forge World supplies an alternative design.
[edit] Hydra
Also based on the Imperial Guard Chimera, the Hydra is a self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon, its four long-barreled flak autocannons mounted on a turret that operates automatically. Games Workshop has released official rules for the Hydra for use only in Epic, though Forge World has released conceptual rules that can be used in the main Warhammer 40,000 game, as well as several models.
[edit] Medusa
The Medusa is a self-propelled gun like the Basilisk and also built on the Chimera chassis, but with a larger-bore and shorter-barrelled gun. Functioning as an assault gun rather than long-range artillery, it is also commonly deployed in sieges. The Medusae (there are models for several patterns) bears a strong resemblance to the World War 2-era Soviet SU-14 self-propelled gun.
[edit] Manticore
The Manticore is an example of rocket artillery; a Chimera chassis carrying four powerful Storm Eagle missiles. A variety of warheads are often used for a wider range of effects. Its rate of fire is half that of a Basilisk and it does not have the direct-fire capability but a single barrage from a Manticore is twice as powerful and it has a bit more range.
[edit] Deathstrike Missile Launcher
The Deathstrike Missile Launcher takes its name from the Deathstrike Missile and is no more than a chassis to carry a single large missile. The Deathstrike Missile can generally be fired only once during a game.
[edit] Other Chimera Variants
[edit] Salamander
Also based on the Chimera chassis, the Salamander is an open-topped, lightly armored scout vehicle armed with a single autocannon. A command variant of the Salamander is armed with a heavy flamer.
[edit] Trojan
The Trojan is very rarely seen in the game, as it is a support vehicle, serving behind the lines to reload heavier tanks and tow fixed gun emplacements.
[edit] Leman Russ
The Leman Russ Battle Tank, named after Primarch Leman Russ of the Space Wolves, is the main battle tank of the Imperial Guard. The standard armament is a Battle Cannon mounted in the turret and heavy weapons (eg Heavy Bolters) in side sponsons and glacis plate mounting.
It is by far the most common battle tank in the Imperial arsenal, and many variants have been built on the original design. Based on the scaling of the vehicle the tank is rather small, and reflected in published materials describing the inside as uncomfortable, cramped and loud.
Variants
- Demolisher
- The Demolisher variant mounts the heavy but short-ranged "Demolisher cannon". It is often used in city fighting or line breaching where its powerful cannon can be used to best effect.
- Vanquisher
- The Vanquisher variant mounts a high-calibre long-range battle cannon and is used for long-ranged anti-vehicle support.
- Conqueror
- The Conqueror mounts a stub-barreled low-calibre battle cannon that can be fired with greater accuracy when on the move. This allows the tank to be used in an assault and infantry support capacity.
- Exterminator
- The Exterminator variant carries a pair of linked autocannons in its turret. In conjunction with its heavy bolters, the Exterminator can lay down large amounts of fire.
- Executioner
- This tank replaces the standard battlecannon with a plasma destroyer. This is a extraordinarily powerful but temperamental plasma-based weapon which is prone to breakdowns and explosion.
- Mars/Alpha pattern
- Mars/Alpha pattern Leman Russ tanks feature an increased interior capacity; for this reason, they are favoured as command tanks.
[edit] Sentinel
A lightweight walker, Sentinels are often fielded in squadrons as scouts or flank support. They can carry a variety of heavy weapons and bring high levels of power and maneuverability together in one place. They are lightly armoured however, and are susceptible to small arms fire. Sentinel pilots are often loners and outcasts, and are often considered to be on the borderline of insolence by officers.
There are multiple Sentinel variants, each variant a different combination of primary weapon and level of pilot protection. The most commonly used variants are:
- Mars pattern - multilaser, effective against infantry and lightly armoured vehicles.
- Cadian pattern - autocannon, effective against heavy infantry and armoured vehicles.
- Elysian pattern - multi-melta (effective against all vehicles) or a heavy bolter for use against infantry. It has been modified to fit inside a Valkyrie and is fitted with anti-grav chutes, so it can be "parachuted" into combat alongside troops.
- Catachan pattern - heavy flamer and chainsaw for use in jungles both being effective for clearing a path as well as against troops. They are also generally camouflaged.
- Armageddon pattern - lascannon, an effective anti-tank weapon. The pilot area is also, more often than not, fully enclosed with armour.
- Tallaran pattern - multilaser. It has larger feet for better balance on the loose sand of the regions it is used in
On top of these there are Support Sentinels armed with rocket and missile launchers but these are rare. Sentinels are also the base for many service vehicles, often equipped with "power lifters" to transport supplies and for resupplying other vehicles. Powerlifters are not intended for combat use but they can be used as improvised close combat weapons.
[edit] Cyclops
The Cyclops is a remote controlled, tracked, explosive demolition vehicle. Just small enough to fit within the passenger space of a standard Chimera along with its controller, the Cyclops is intended to roll off its parent vehicle and be steered remotely towards its target, at which point it is detonated with devastating force. The Cyclops is most probably inspired by the German Goliath tracked mine of the Second World War.
[edit] Land Crawler
The Land Crawler is the STC design for a tractor or bulldozer, an all-purpose labor and utility vehicle used for a variety of tasks. In the fiction, it is often said to be the most important discovery made by Arkhan Land, more so that the military-purpose Land Speeder and Land Raider designs. Due to its ubiquity, it has been found modified for military use, as needs dictate.
Variants
- The Bruennhilde is a light APC variant armed only with a single heavy stubber. As it's not very good on the front line, it is usually only used by Planetary Defense Forces.
- The Siegfried is a scout tank developed during the 500-year civil war on Krieg as a replacement for lost Sentinels, and is still found in Siege regiments. Like the Sentinel, it is armed primarily with a Multilaser.
[edit] Ragnarok
In the game's storyline, like the Siegfried, the Ragnarok heavy tank was developed in the Krieg Rebellion out of necessity. It was designed solely to crush the enemy through the sheer weight of numbers. Simpler and more lightly armed than the Leman Russ, the Ragnarok is armed only with a battlecannon and a pair of heavy stubbers. It is still often used by Siege Regiments such as the Baran Siegemasters, who refer to it as the "Mk. I Mobile Bunker", or the Vostroyan siege administrate.
[edit] Centaur
The Centaur is a light vehicle used to transport men and ammunition or tow light artillery pieces. It is lightly armed with only a single Heavy Stubber, but tends to carry weapons teams and heavy mortars. Although not suited for heavy combat, it is popular with the Death Korps of Krieg.
The Centaur is based heavily on the real-life Bren Gun Carriers of World War II.
[edit] Super heavy vehicles
[edit] Baneblade
The Baneblade is the primary super-heavy tank of the Imperial Guard, and one of the largest and oldest armoured fighting vehicles in Imperial service. The Baneblade is a venerated STC design, requiring a crew of no less than 10 and armed by default with a Mega Battle Cannon, Autocannon, Demolisher Cannon, two lascannons, and three pairs of heavy bolters.
The vast majority are produced on Mars in the storyline, with a select few others granted the right to build it or one of its variants. Every Baneblade bears its own identity number and name, echoed in real-life by Forge World including individually-numbered certificates with every Baneblade resin kit[1].
The Baneblade is so powerful, that in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Winter Assault, the Baneblade is the Imperial Guard's Superweapon, requiring considerable resources and preconditions to be fielded.
In 2003, Games Workshop commissioned a 1/6-scale radio-controlled model of the Baneblade to be built, from Mark 1 Tanks. This was delivered in July 2004 and was shown at a Games Workshop Day at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham. [2]
For the purpose of illustrating the vehicle's size, a table detailing several measurements is provided below. Please note that some of the given values are approximate, and the Challenger 2 entry is intended for comparison against a modern main battle tank.
| Length | Width | Height | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | 6 ft | 4 ft 10 in | 3 ft | 317 kg (700 lb) minimum |
| Model (At 1:1 scale) | 36 ft (11 m) | 29 ft (8.8 m) | 18 ft (5.5 m) | |
| Official specifications | 13.5 m | 8.4 m | 6.3 m | 316 tonnes |
| Challenger 2 | 8.3 m | 3.5 m | 2.5 m | 62.5 tonnes |
[edit] Baneblade Variants
There are a number of variants on the Baneblade for different battlefield roles. The major change is in the main weapon(s); for some the turret is replaced by a fixed-forward housing, in order to accommodate some huge weapon.
- Shadowsword
- Weaponry: Volcano Cannon, four sponson-mounted heavy bolters.
- Role: Tank destroyer-style Titan-hunter
- Details: The massive size and energy requirements of the Volcano Cannon preclude the Shadowsword from mounting any other significant weapon. Unlike the Baneblade which fulfills a general purpose on the battlefield, Shadowswords are used in a specialized role with their main armament best being used against war engines and titans.
- Stormsword
- Weaponry: Fixed superstructure Siege Cannon, four turreted heavy flamers, four sponson-mounted heavy bolters, one housing-mounted heavy bolter.
- Role: Urban warfare specialist tank, with assault gun capability
- Details: A reconfiguration of the Shadowsword, designed for and only deployed in urban environments.
- Stormblade
- Weaponry: Plasma Blastgun, two turreted lascannons, four sponson-mounted heavy bolters, one housing-mounted heavy bolter.
- Role: Tank destroyer-style Titan-hunter
- Details: One of the many 'counterfeit' Shadowsword variants, all of them replacing the Volcano Cannon with some other Scout Titan weapon. Though less powerful and having a shorter range, the Plasma Blastgun is cheaper and consumes less energy than the Volcano Cannon, making the Stormblade more easily produced.
- Stormhammer
- Weaponry: Twin turrets with two Battle Cannons each and no Demolisher Cannon OR Single turret with two Battle Cannons and Demolisher Cannons, eight sponson-mounted heavy bolters, and sometimes four turreted lascannons.
- Role: Extreme firepower
- Details: The reason for the odd weaponry loadout listed above is due to the fact that it varies depending on what source material is being referred to. That being said, the Stormhammer is perhaps the rarest of all Baneblade variants both in the in-game universe and real-life. It was initially described as an urban combat vehicle with equal armour all-round.
[edit] Gorgon
The Gorgon is a superheavy, amphibious, open-topped, armoured assault transport; roughly the same size as the standard Baneblade chassis.<ref>See scale comparison here.</ref> The Gorgon is designed to smash its way through most things, allowing infantry deployment in the middle of enemy positions.
The Gorgon bears a pair of twin-linked Heavy Stubber turrets at the rear that can cover the front and sides, as well as a pair of sponsons that may carry Heavy Stubbers/Bolters/Flamers; there is also a variant that exchanges the sponson weaponry for single-shot mortars.<ref>See here.</ref>
The Gorgon was introduced in the Epic scale but, has subsequently in 2006, become available in the 28 mm scale through Forge World.
[edit] Leviathan
The Leviathan Command Vehicle is a massive Land battleship commonly used as a mobile command center. The Leviathan was built on a massive vehicle chassis produced by the Squat worlds - the same as that used for the Squat Colossus and Cyclops. With the removal of the Squats from the WH40K universe, it does not appear in the current edition of the Epic game and is not curently available as a model. Its main weapon is (was?) the Doomsday cannon.
[edit] Burrowers
In early versions of Epic burrowing vehicles were introduced.
[edit] Mole
Mole is the smallest of the burrowing vehicles. It can carry only a squad or so of troops into combat.
[edit] Termite
The Termite is an intermediate size burrowing vehicle.
[edit] Hellbore
The Hellbore Heavy Mole' is a super-large burrowing vehicle capable of carrying many units of troops safely underground into enemy positions at which point they disembark for close assault. It is equipped with multilaunchers and heavy bolters. The model used the same (non-GW produced) plastic components as the Capitol Imperialis.
[edit] Space Marines
The Space Marines have less variety in vehicles than the Imperial Guard, befitting their more specialized role. Their vehicles are more focused on rapid mobile assault instead of armour and artillery firepower. However, their vehicles are generally superior in construction to their corresponding Imperial Guard counterparts.
[edit] Rhino
Derived from the Rh1 N0 Standard Template Construct pattern, the Rhino is a fast armoured personnel carrier that can hold up to ten Space Marines. The Rhino generally mounts a single storm bolter and is lightly armoured. The chassis of the Rhino is easily adaptable, and serves as the basis for almost every other Space Marine vehicle. Rhinos are one of the most common and cheapest transport vehicles available to Mankind, also used by the Battle Sisters and the Arbites.
[edit] Razorback
A Razorback is a variant of the Rhino chassis that sacrifices a portion of its troop capacity for additional firepower. Razorbacks are mounted with twin-linked heavy bolters, lascannons or a multi-melta on a single automated (though on earlier incarnations manned) turret mounted on the chassis, and are excellent for adding firepower to smaller squads. Razorbacks would be classified as infantry fighting vehicles.
The Razorback, along with the Whirlwind, is a post-Heresy design and is therefore not used by Chaos Space Marines.
[edit] Predator
The Predator is a battle tank based on the Rhino chassis. Transport space is sacrificed to accommodate heavier armour and a variety of anti-personnel and anti-armour weapons. Armed with either an autocannon or twin-linked lascannons in the turret, it can also have heavy bolters or lascannons located on two side sponson mountings.
Compared to their Imperial Guard equivalent, the Leman Russ, the Predator is cheaper and more mobile, but has thinner armour. As the Predator is not truly a main battle tank, Marine commanders have to rely more upon positioning and surprise instead of staying power.
There are two primary variants of the Predator.
- Destructor was the original configuration for the Predator, armed with a turret Autocannon and sponson-mounted Heavy Bolters for anti-infantry work.
- Annihilator was originally developed by the Space Wolves, using scavenged lascannons to provide anti-tank support, and quickly spread through all the chapters, and eventually developed into a sanctioned design.
Marine commanders often deploy the Destructor and the Annihilator as a pair complementing each other.
Some Predators will combine elements of both designs, such as the lascannons of the Annihilator turret, but the Destructor's heavy bolters. As a guideline, any Predator with an Autocannon turret is considered a Destructor while Predators with Lascannon turrets are considered Annihilators.
The White Scars Space Marine chapter do not equip their Predators with sponson weapons, which presumably increases the speed of their vehicles.
- Baal
The Baal is a variant specific to the Blood Angels. It is equipped with a twin-linked assault cannon on the turret and the sponsons are fitted with either a pair of heavy flamers or heavy bolters. This variant is used as a specialized close-range anti-infantry vehicle in preference to the Destructor - the Blood Angels preferring close combat. Though it is still effective against heavy armoured infantry and monsters it has very poor performance against medium or heavily armoured vehicles.
- Chaos
The Chaos equivalents are identical in design, but carry no Annihilator or Destructor designation. Though they are older by far, a Chaos Predator (in any configuration) is superior in nearly all aspects if properly equipped. This is due to the larger and more flexible range of upgrades and mutations available in addition to the various marks that can be bestowed upon them.
[edit] Whirlwind
Being a highly mobile force, the Space Marines do not use the same array of artillery as the IG. They have one artillery vehicle, the Whirlwind, which is a Rhino chassis armed with a roof mounted missile launcher. the launcher holds several missiles which are used to bombard enemy positions in preparation for attack. The missiles are mainly anti-personnel in nature.
The Hyperios variant of the Whirlwind acts as an anti-air missile platform, as its targeting system is recalibrated for scanning the skies. A Whirlwind can also be equipped with Castellan missiles which are fired high into the air to deploy mine fields. These variants came about as Space Marines previously did not have dedicated anti-air flak platforms as the Imperial Guard did.
The Whirlwind, along with the Razorback, is a post-Heresy design and is therefore not utilized by Chaos Space Marines.
[edit] Hunter
A variant rarely found on the frontlines, the Hunter is a missile-launching vehicle much like the Whirlwind. The Hunter, however, is used almost solely to counter enemy aircraft.
[edit] Vindicator
When attacking fortified positions, Space Marines use the Vindicator, which fills nearly the entire Rhino chassis with the massive, snub-nosed Demolisher Cannon (in earlier versions described as "Thunderer cannon"), capable of blasting through the thickest walls. This weapon has proven so effective that the Iron Warriors Traitor Legion makes it a point to scavenge these for their own use whenever possible and is the only Traitor Legion to utilize these vehicles. Vindicators are used solely for destroying heavy armour and bunkers in close quarters - though it is one of the most powerful weapons the Demolisher Cannon has a very short range. The Vindicator first appeared as a WD article on conversion of the Rhino and a complete model did not appear until much later.
[edit] Leman Russ
The Space Wolves use the Leman Russ Exterminator - see above.
[edit] Dreadnought
A Dreadnought is an armoured sarcophagus into which an injured Space Marine can be placed; it acts as both an armoured walker and a life-support system.
[edit] Space Marine Bike
Used primarily by the Space Marines, although use by the Imperial Guard is not unheard of, combat motorcycles are often used for reconnaissance and rapid support. Each bike is equipped with twin-linked bolters, and the riders will commonly carry a support weapon, such as a flamer or plasma gun, or a close combat weapon.
The White Scars Chapter has access to the most bikes as these swift machines of death are available to nearly every single member of the chapter. The Ravenwing Company (the Second Company) of the Dark Angels also have many of these machines.
[edit] Attack Bike
A variant of the combat motorcycle is the Attack Bike. A sidecar carrying a crew-operated heavy bolter or multi-melta is attached to the motorcycle, significantly increasing the firepower of a combat motorcycle squadron. The multi-melta equipped Attack Bike makes a potent hit-and-run tank hunter.
[edit] Land Speeder
The Land Speeder is a two seater flying vehicle. Its role is reconnaissance and to provide a mobile platform for a heavy weapon. Although it is well-armed it has little armour and speed is part of its protection. The basic Land Speeder mounts a single heavy weapon for its armament; either heavy bolter or multi-melta. They can also the fielded in squadrons of up to three.
There are a number of variants which are more effective in specialized different roles. However, in game rules, variants can only be fielded as a single unit.
Variants include;
- Tornado. Fitted with a second heavy weapon; either a heavy flamer or assault cannon. Common configurations are either the multi-melta and heavy flamer for close support, or heavy bolter and assault cannon for ranged attack.
- Typhoon. Typhoons are equipped with racks of anti-personnel missiles.
- Tempest. The Tempest carries heavier front armour, and is equipped with an assault cannon and missile launchers. It is a rare specialist variant that was first developed by the White Scars Chapter. The Tempest operates as a close support gunship.
- Ravenwing Master-Crafted Landspeeder. This is a special variant only for the Dark Angels Second Company, which is known as the Ravenwing. It mounts a heavy bolter and twin-linked assault cannons underneath. This is perhaps the most revered variant of all as they are as ancient as the mighty Dreadnoughts. The methods to construct a Master-crafted Ravenwing Landspeeder has long been lost and only the Master of the Ravenwing may ever ride it.
The Land Speeder, as well as the Land Raider, get their names from Arkhan Land, the Magos who rediscovered the STC template containing their designs.
First introductions of the Land Speeder included both Imperial Guard and Space Marine versions; the former with a heavy bolter, the latter with a mulit-melta. These model designs had the crews completely exposed compared to the current plastic design.
[edit] Land Raider
The armoured fist of the Space Marines, the Land Raider is one of the most powerful tanks in the Imperium's arsenal. It can transport a squad of five Terminators into battle, carries enough weapons to blast its way through nearly any defence, and has armour thick enough to withstand lascannon fire. The Land Raider is turretless; the lascannons are mounted either side of the hull.
The Land Raider is the most heavily armoured vehicle available to any army smaller than a full Imperial Guard Armoured Company, and its armour is believed to be second only to the Necron Monolith. Particularly noteworthy is that the Land Raider's all-around thick armour has no weaknesses, making it a mobile bunker, unlike other tanks that often have thinner side and rear armour.
The standard Land Raider carries a pintle-mounted storm bolter and hull-mounted, twin-linked heavy bolter and two twin-linked "Godhammer" pattern lascannons, making the Land Raider an extremely formidable foe for armoured vehicles and infantry alike.
Land Raiders are also equipped with a Machine Spirit, an Artificial Intelligence crafted by the Adeptus Mechanicus. The Machine Spirit is smart enough to move the tank and fight even without a crew, although it is nothing compared to the battle-hardened Space Marine crew of the Land Raider, and as a result, accuracy suffers considerably.
[edit] History
The original designs for both the "Land" Raider and the anti-gravitic plates used on the "Land" Speeder were discovered during an expedition deep in the Librarius Omnis on Mars by Technoarchaeologist Arkhan Land, after whom the vehicles were named.
Land Raiders were once used by all branches of the Imperium's armed forces, but during the Horus Heresy, their use was restricted to the Space Marines by decree of the Emperor himself. The popularity of this mighty war engine was so great, that a whole Forge World, the Anvilus 9, was entirely turned over to Land Raider production. Anvilus 9 was overrun by renegade techpriests at the beginning of the Heresy, and Land Raider production suddenly slowed to a trickle.
With Horus' forces threatening to overrun Holy Terra, the Emperor stated that all Land Raiders still on the loyalist side were to be reformed for exclusive use by the Space Marines, who were at the forefront of the fighting. Once the Horus Heresy had been crushed with the sacrifice of the Emperor, the decree of exclusive use remained in place, even after the ascension of the Emperor to the Golden Throne, as none dared to revoke his most holy commandments. The decree has remained in place for ten thousand years, although a small number of Land Raiders have been manufactured for use by the Inquisition.
All of the enemies of the Imperium fear the Land Raider, and they have a right to do so. Some say, at the Siege of the Emperor's Palace 2-3 Land Raiders took on and destroyed a Titan. If this holds any truths, the power of the Land Raider could rival that of a super-heavy Titan-Hunter tank.
The Chaos Space Marines also have access to these powerful machines as they took with them countless numbers of these destructive behemoths. In the Eye, the Machine Spirit is destroyed and replaced with an Infernal Device that performs similar functions. Some Chaos Land Raiders are entirely Daemonically Possessed so that they are virtually a box with guns carrying countless daemons. Though these "upgrades" augment the already-formidable power of the Land Raider to unimaginable heights, they also make it unable to carry any troops.
The Land Raider was one of the first vehicles to be introduced by Games Workshop for WH40K appearing in the WH40K:Rogue Trader rules. A plastic model followed about the same times as the Rhino model was introduced in the late 1980s. The model was bulky and high with oversize track plates. The subsequent Epic scale models were in the same design. The current design did not appear until the end of the 1990s.
[edit] Land Raider Crusader
The most common variant of the Land Raider, the Land Raider Crusader is armed to provide short-ranged, anti-infantry support. The Crusader was originally developed by the Black Templars Chapter, but was eventually approved as an authorized design (It should be noted that this didn't stop many chapters from using them for some time beforehand. In games, other Chapters are restricted to fielding a single Crusader).
The Land Raider Crusader is armed with a hull-mounted twin-linked Assault Cannon and two sponson-mounted Hurricane Bolters (essentially six bolters linked together). It is also equipped with a pintle-mounted multi-melta to burn through armoured walls, and its front is studded with fragmentation launchers to assist the troops disembarking from its front ramp.
The removal of the lascannon generators has increased the carrying capacity of the Crusader by an additional 50% making the Crusader able to carry fifteen space marines or eight Terminators into the heat of battle.
[edit] Other Land Raider Variants
Rarer modifications of the Land Raider are in service with some Chapters of the Space Marines.
- The Land Raider Prometheus is a specially developed command tank. The two lascannon sponsons have been replaced with two pairs of twin-linked heavy bolters and the hull-mounted heavy bolters have been replaced with special communications and sensor equipment. This variant is mostly used by commanders of the army as their mobile base of operations as its heavy armor can withstand the most hard-hitting attacks. However, not all Land Raider Prometheus' are used as command vessels.
- The Land Raider Helios mounts a Whirlwind multiple-missile launcher in place of the twin-linked heavy bolters. The Helios was designed to supplement the Whirlwinds of the Red Scorpions Chapter during the Siege of Helios. The extra space required for ammunition means that the transport capability was reduced. Helios pattern Land Raiders can also be upgraded to become Hyperios just like their Whirlwind counterparts, making them anti-air batteries.
- The Land Raider Spartan was a variant of the Land Raider designed during the Horus Heresy to break through the 'Ring of Death' surrounding the city of Aries Prime on Mars. It was originally the only Land Raider capable of transporting Terminators. It had the standard Land Raider armament of the day, two twin-linked lascannons (heavy bolters were not standard then) but also mounted either a heavy bolter or heavy flamer on a turret on top. It was widely spread after the Heresy, but disappeared when the standard Land Raider was re-designed to carry Terminators.
- The Hellfire Land Raider was an early type armed with sponson-mounted lascannons and a pintle-mounted bolter. They are no longer in production, though examples are known to have survived with the White Scars chapter.
[edit] Capitol Imperialis
The Capitol Imperialis is a super-large tracked vehicle that can carry a company of Space Marines into battle. It operates as a mobile command post as well as an assault vehicle, equipped with a Defence Laser, heavy plasma guns and heavy bolters and protected by power fields. It has a large rear loading ramp and a front ramp nearly as large through which the Space Marines disembark once it has breached the enemy defences. Like the Imperial Guard's Leviathan it appeared only in the epic scale in the early 1990s and has since been discontinued.
[edit] Adeptus Mechanicus
[edit] Titans
Titans are huge walking war machines. At 50-200 ft tall, they stand high above the battlefield, and carry huge amounts of firepower. Opposing Titans are usually the determinate of extremely large scale battles finishing it with cataclysmic duel. A single Titan has the ability to level a city and have protection against most smaller vehicles but are not completely invulnerable. The armament of a Titan is flexible and many weapon combinations are possible. Being so large they are not tied down in battle and can destroy small vehicles and units of troops by stepping on them.
- Emperor Titans
Emperor-class Titans are the largest Titans and carry many high-power weapons as well as substantial numbers of troops. They are few in number and can be subdivided into the more common Imperator and the rarer Warmonger fire-support variant.
- Warlord Titans
Warlord Titans are the mainstay of Imperial Battle Titans and the largest of such that are normally encountered. They have four weapons hardpoints: two on the carapace/shoulder positions and one on each "arm". The arm weapon position can mount a close combat weapon, while the carapace is able to mount artillery.
- Reaver Titans
Reaver Titans are smaller and rarer than Warlords but still considered Battle Titans. They have a maximum of three weapon positions - one on either "arm" and one on the top of the carapace.
- Warhound Titans
Warhound Titans are the smallest Imperial Titans. They have two weapon hardpoints which mounts a smaller (and usually shorter range) variety of the weapons carried by Battle Titans; the Warhound cannot carry close combat weapons.
[edit] Imperial Knights
Knights are smaller than Titans though built on the same principle and are related to Sentinels. They can be seen as one-man mini-Titans. Unlike Imperial Titans, Knights use high-capacity energy cells rather than plasma reactors. Knights also benefit from power fields, which provide the same protection as Titans' void shields though they cannot be replenished in the course of a battle.
They are the product of feudal agri-worlds within the Imperium and are, like the Sentinels, in imitation of machines built by the Eldar - "Eldar Knights". While the Sentinels are used for herding megasauropods, the Knights defend these herds from predators.
Three types were introduced in the 1990s - the Warden, Paladin and Lancer. The Wardens are defensive; armed with long range heavy weapons and well protected. The Paladin are fitted with a ranged weapon and a close combat weapon. The Lancer has only a single major ranged weapon but is speedier than the other types.
The range was reworked in look and rules to "Paladin", "Errant" and "Lancer" types with the "Baron" as a superior command unit.
A number of Knights were included in the Titan Legions box set and also feature as a hidden extra in the Final Liberation game.
[edit] Ordinatus
The Ordinatii are huge siege machines, each one unique with a different weapon system on a large crawler type body. Named examples are Ordinatus Mars (Sonic disruptor), Ordinatus Armageddon (Nova Cannon) and Ordinatus Golgotha (Hellfire missiles).
[edit] Robots
War Robots were introduced in WH40K and later in Epic. Five types, for different battlefield roles were described. The robots with their typical though not fixed armament were:
- Colussus - bolter and "siege hammer" arms and back mount weapon
- Cataphract - bolter and flamer arms and back mount weapon
- Crusader - twin power-sword arms and a back-mounted lascannon
- Conqueror - power fist and autocannon arms and a heavy bolter
- Castellan - twin power fists and a heavy bolter
For WH40K, their points cost was determined by the sophistication of their programming - the programming being a set of simple isntructions that the player would draw up. In play the robot followed these instructions slavishly whether to the advantage of the owning player or not. At Epic scale individual metal models were available and robots were also included on plastic sprues of Space Marine and Imperial Guard units.
[edit] Aircraft and atmospheric capable craft
[edit] Thunderbolt Fighter
A large, cumbersome fighter that has long range and heavy weapons. The Thunderbolt is the standard fightercraft of the Imperial Navy for ground-based actions.
[edit] Lightning Fighter
A fast, light air superiority fighter, it is used to gain control over a battlefield before Thunderbolt fighters are deployed to maintain that control. The Lightning is primarily armed with wing-mounted lascannons and an autocannon mounted under the nose.
[edit] Marauder Bomber
The Marauder is a tactical bomber capable of carrying a heavy payload but also of defending itself from enemy fighters. Besides bombing it can also be used to drop grav-chute-equipped guardsmen into battle.
[edit] Aquila Shuttle
A light shuttle used to carry officers or other important persons.
[edit] Arvus Lighter
A small landing craft typically used to haul cargo, but it has provided an airborne alternative to the Chimera.
[edit] Valkyrie Transport Gunship
The Valkyrie can transport twelve Imperial Stormtroopers into battle and give supporting fire with weapons mounted on the wings and in the cargo doors.
[edit] Vulture Gunship
The Vulture is a variant of the Valkyrie designed solely for firepower instead of transport capacity. It is armed with a nose-mounted Heavy Bolter and a large variety of missles, cannons, rockets and bombs on wing-mounted hardpoints
[edit] Thunderhawk Gunship
The Thunderhawk is a massive, heavily-armoured spacecraft used by the Space Marines for a variety of missions. It is primarily used as a transport and dropship, bringing Marines to the enemy, whether on the ground or in a spaceship. The Thunderhawk is heavily armed, with a number of Heavy Bolters and Lascannons to clear out enemy infantry or vehicles to clear a landing zone, or provide aerial support. In addition, the Thunderhawk may carry missiles mounted under the wings, and is equipped with a massive dorsal-mounted gun towards the rear of the ship. This gun may be either a Battlecannon, as seen on the Leman Russ tank, or a Turbo Laser, a massive laser weapon capable of hurting Titans or even spaceships.
A variation of the Thunderhawk modified into a dedicated transport also exists. This version is very lightly armed, but can carry three Dreadnoughts, two Rhinos (or variants), or a Land Raider straight into combat. Thunderhawks are also occasionally used by the Inquisition.
[edit] Space Marine Landing Craft
A much larger ship than the Thunderhawk, Landing Craft are capable of dropping an entire Space Marine detachment and/or an assortment of vehicles into battle, then using its lascannons and heavy bolters to support them.
[edit] Drop Pod
Drop pods are a means of getting Space Marines directly into battle and often straight among the enemy. A drop pod can carry a small number of marines. They are launched from ships in orbit, dropping rapidly through the atmosphere. Retrothrusters fire just before impact to slow the pod sufficiently that the impact is not fatal. The sides of the pod then immediately open so that the occupants can disembark and enter combat.
The standard pod carries normal (power-armour) Space Marines but there is a variant that can carry a single Dreadnought.
To give heavy weapon support during a drop there are the Deathwind and Deathseed pods. These do not carry troops but are fitted with automated heavy weapons such as missile launchers or assault cannons. Landing before the transport pods these open fire automatically at enemy units reducing resistance for the following squads.
[edit] Space craft
From Space Fleet
- Emperor Capital Ship
- Gothic Battleship
- Ironclad Battleship
- Firestorm Cruiser
- Cobra Destroyer
- Castellan Shield Ship
- Annihilator Battleship
- Dictator Battleship
- Thunderbolt Cruiser
- Stalwart Escort Ship
- Dominator Battleship
- Goliath Factory Ship
- Galaxy Troop Ship
[edit] Sisters of Battle vehicles
The Battle Sisters, female warriors of the Ecclesiarchy (although they often fight alongside the Inquisition), frequently use the Rhino transport and have access to weapons not used by the Space Marines or Imperial Guard. In addition, Inquisitors are allowed to recruit any vehicle of any Imperial army into their use and so any of the above vehicles could feature in their company.
[edit] Sisters of Battle specific Rhino variants
[edit] Immolator
A Rhino variant used exclusively by the Sisters of Battle, Immolators carry twin-linked heavy flamers, heavy bolters, or multi-meltas. The room for ammunition means that only a small number of Sisters of Battle can be transported by an Immolator.
[edit] Repressor
The Repressor was designed for use by the Adeptus Arbites, but has been used by the Sisters of Battle for support. It is primarily used for anti-insurgency roles, being equipped with a dozer blade in front, and additional transport capacity. They are armed with a Stormbolter and flamer, as well as smoke grenade launchers.
[edit] Exorcist
Exclusive to the Sisters of Battle, the Exorcist fulfils the role of mobile artillery for Sisters of Battle forces. Exorcists are rare, and each vehicle is regarded as a work of art, as much a symbol of the Divine Emperor as a provider of long-range fire support. It is mounted with a weapon system unique to the Exorcist, a multi-barreled missile launcher sometimes shaped like a huge pipe organ and sometimes like a more conventional missile launcher, which fires salvos of armor- piercing missiles at its targets. However the technology of their manufacture has long since been lost, which both makes them even more rare, and rather quirky in operation.
[edit] Incarcerator
The Incarcerator is not an armoured fighting vehicle as such and mounts no weapons. It is a mobile high security cell for containing the most dangerous heretics, mutants, and traitors are and transporting them to Imperial facilities for judgement. The passenger area has been expanded to fit an "immolation chamber" which protudes through the vehicle roof. Besides the physical strength of the cell it has psychic barriers. The chamber itself is fitted with a heavy flamer and turbine blades. If the occupant tries to escape then, at the flip of switch, the flamer will burn them while the blades shred them.
[edit] Penitent Engine
Penitent Engines are walkers used by the Ecclesiarchy as a form of punishment for repenting heretics. The pilot is hard-wired into the frame of the Penitent Engine, and will charge into combat in a frenzied state, made to recognise that only in death can he find forgiveness for his crimes.
[edit] Model availability and game usage
In general many of the older models are no longer in production. The most common vehicles are available in both 25mm and Epic scale from Games Workshop/Citadel. Less common vehicles are or were only available from Games Workshop in the Epic scale and their 25mm counterparts are available as relatively expensive resin kits or conversions from Forge World.
Only some vehicles are catered for in the current WH40K and Epic rules. There are semi-official and experimental WH40K rules for models from Forge World.
[edit] References
- McNeill, Graham, Thorpe, Gav, and Haines, Pete (2005). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Black Templars, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-685-2.
- Thorpe, Gav (2001). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Blood Angels. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-869893-45-X.
- Johnson, Jervis (2001). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Catachans. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-016-1.
- Games Workshop Design Staff (2002). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Chaos Space Marines, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-322-5.
- Haines, Pete. Chapter Approved – Rolling Thunder: Armoured Companies Army List (PDF). Games Workshop. Retrieved on 2006-06-04.
- Priestley, Rick (1995). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Imperial Guard, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-872372-92-9.
- Chambers, Andy, Haines, Pete, and Hoare, Andy (2003). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Imperial Guard, 4th Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-410-8.
- Chambers, Andy (2004). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Space Marines, 4th Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-526-0.
- McNeill, Graham, Hoare, Andy, and Haines, Pete (2003). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Witchhunters, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-485-X.
- McNeill, Graham, and Haines, Pete (2003). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Daemonhunters. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-361-6.
- Kinrade, Warwick, and Cottrell, Tony (2003). Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy. Nottingham: Forge World. ISBN 1-84154-421-3.
[edit] See also
- Warhammer 40,000 Weapons, Equipment and Vehicles
- Weapons and Equipment of the Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
- Weapons, equipment, and vehicles of the Craftworld Eldar (Warhammer 40,000)
- Weapons, equipment, and vehicles of the Necrons
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