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The Imperium of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 fictional setting is largely described from the military viewpoint and fighting vehicles feature 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 (APC), the likewise is true of the Chimera. This list covers the armoured vehicles that are referenced in the WH40K setting. The majority come from the WH40K game or the Epic series of games but also appear in related materials such as computer game adaptations or in 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: Imperial Guard Vehicles The Imperial Guard (IG), while having no access to the more advanced vehicles available to elite branches like 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 independant weapons mounted in a mix of gun turrets and sponsons. The Baneblade's design is more modern, with a chassis similar to those of modern main battle tanks, but retains anachronisms such as sponsons and a WW2-era turret design. The Imperial guard has a large number of different artillery vehicles. 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. It also mounts a hull-mounted heavy bolter or heavy flamer, as well as 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 so it can also take part in naval assaults. The Chimera chassis is very durable, and it is the basis for many other IG vehicles, including the Basilisk, the Hellhound and the Griffon. The Inspiration For the Chimera may have come from The British Mark IX tank, which was the World's first armoured personnel carrier, as it has the same long hexagon shape track casings and long body to hold the Soliders. Hellhound The Hellhound, based upon the Chimera chassis, is a flametank. Its sole weapon is the Inferno Cannon which is a large, flamethrower which projects streams of burning "promethium" at range, making the Hellhound well-suited to close-range support (Hellhounds are often used to counter enemy melee units that attempt to assault Imperial armour) and driving dug-in enemies out of cover. The Promethium storage is in the form of two large tanks replacing the passenger area at the vehicle rear. This makes the tanks, and the vehicle itself, vulnerable to enemy weapons. The crew of Hellhounds are often pyromaniacs, and in addition to being considered insane by their fellow 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. The crewmen of a hellhound take great pride in claiming that other vehicle crews "just can't take the heat" Basilisk The Basilisk is a self-propelled gun-howitzer. It mounts one of the longest-ranged weapon available to a standard Imperial Guard regiment, the Earthshaker cannon. Basilisks utilise the standard Chimera chassis but give up the passenger compartment and the turret, leaving it with a single hull weapon and the Earthshaker cannon. The Earthshaker is capable of being adjusted for indirect firing, laying down suppressive fire for effect at coordinates provided by forward observation units. The near-deafening shriek of an incoming shell from the Earthshaker cannon has a strong psychological effect on just about any opponent who has heard it; Earthshaker crews themselves have often gone deaf from operating their own weapons. 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. Bombard The Bombard mounts the ancient and renowned Siege Mortar on a Chimera chassis. Despite its short range, it is one of the most powerful artillery pieces in the Imperial Guard, and it can threaten even troops who are dug in cover. The Forge World model is based on the Leman Russ chassis Griffon The Griffon is another exmaple 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. Hydra Also based on the Imperial Guard Chimera, the Hydra is an anti-aircraft weapon for use inside planetary atmosphere. It is armed with four massive, automatic flak cannons mounted on a radar turret. 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. 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 Two era Soviet SU-14 self-propelled gun. 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. Manticore The Manticore is an example of rocket artillery. A Chimera chassis carries four powerful missiles. A variety of warheads are 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. Deathstrike The Deathstrike is no more than a chassis to carry a single large missile from which it takes its name: the Deathstrike Missile. The Deathstrike can generally be fired only once during a game. Trojan The Trojan is very rarely seen on the battlefield. It is a support vehicle, serving behind the lines to reload heavier tanks and tow fixed gun emplacements. 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. The inspiration for the Leman Russ might have come from The British Mark IV Tank, built within the last two years of World War One, which show the same characteristics in the shape of the track casings and side Sponsons. The only difference being the turret mounted Battle Cannon. variants demolisher the demolisher mounts a heavy, short ranged "demolisher"cannon hence its name the demolisher is often used in city fighting or line breaching where its powerful cannon can be used to best effect vanquisher the vanquisher mounts a high callibre long range battle cannon and is used for long ranged anti-vehicle support conqeuror the conqeuror mounts a stub barreled low callibre battle cannon that can be fired with greater acuracy when on the move,this tank is often used in infantry support exteminator the exterminator carries twin linked auto-cannons,in conjunction with its heavy bolters the exterminator can lay down withering amounts of fire. executioner this tank carries a tempramental "plasma destroyer" a heavy duty plasma based weapon with imense power, unfortunatly this wepon is pron to breakdowns and explosion mars/alpha this variant is favoured as a command tank due to its increased interoir compacity . 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: 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. 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. Land Crawler The Land Crawler is the STC design for a 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. 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. Ragnarok 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. 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 316-tonne Baneblade is a venerated Standard Template Construct design, requiring a crew of no less than 10 people 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, 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*. The Baneblade is so powerful, that in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, 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. * The model measures 6 feet long by 4 ft 10 in wide and almost 3 ft high, with a minimum weight of 317 kg (697.4 lbs). Using the stated scaling a "real" Baneblade would be 36 ft (approx 11 m) by 29 ft (8.8 m) by 18 ft (5.5 m), in contrast to an official stated size of 13.5 m by 8.4 m by 6.3 m. By comparison a modern tank hull is about 8 m long (Challenger 2 tank). Variants In most cases, the variants retain the sponson weaponry or replace them with something else. The most noticeable change in some of the variants is that the turret is replaced by a fixed-forward housing, in order to accommodate some huge main weapon. 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. Weaponry: 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. Weaponry: Plasma Blastgun, other weapons same as Stormsword. Role: Tank destroyer-style Titan-hunter Details: One of the many 'counterfeit' Shadowsword variants, all of them replacing the Volcano Cannon with some other Titan-scale 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. 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, and rightly so: Forge World has so far not produced any model for it. Gorgon The Gorgon is a superheavy, amphibious, open-topped, armoured assault transport; roughly the same size as the standard Baneblade chassis. 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. The Gorgon was introduced in the Epic scale but, has subsequently in 2006, become available in the 25 mm scale through Forge World. 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 sames 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. It's main weapon is (was?) the Doomsday cannon. Burrowers In early versions of Epic burrowing vehicles were introduced. Mole Mole is the smallest of the burrowing vehicles. It can carry only a squad or so of troops into combat. Termite The Termite is an intermediate size burrowing vehicle. Hell Bore The Hell Bore 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. 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. 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. 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. A number of Knights were included in the Titan Legions box set and also feature as a hidden extra in the Final Liberation game. Ordinatus The Ordinatii are huge siege machines, each one unique. 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. 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. 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. 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. Marine Variants There are two primary variants of the Predator. The Destructor was the original configuration for the Predator, armed with a turret Autocannon and sponson-mounted Heavy Bolters for anti-infantry work. The 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 has a pair, which one suited to anti-infantry while the other is for anti-tank, 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 Blood Angels Space Marines have developed a third variant of the Predator. The Baal Predator is equipped with a twin-linked assault cannon on the turret and the capability to take a pair of heavy flamers or heavy bolters as the sponson weapons. This variant of the Predator is used as a more specialized close-range anti-infantry than the Destructor as Blood Angels prefer close combat. Though it can literally tear through or toast any infantry (medium to light armour, but still quite effective against heavy armoured infantry and monsters), it has an almost non-existent chance against medium to 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. Whirlwind Being a 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. 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. Vindicator When attacking fortified positions, Space Marines use the Vindicator, which fills nearly the entire Rhino chassis with the massive, snub-nosed Demolisher 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 as the Demolisher Cannon has a very short range. As a trade off, however, the Demolisher Cannon is arguablily one of the most destructive weapons to be mounted on a vehicle of such size(Titans and Titan Hunters carry much more powerful weapons and variants but they are more bulky as a result). Leman Russ Exterminator A variant of the Leman Russ used by both the Imperial Guard and the Space Wolves, the Exterminator sacrifices the heavy battle cannon and replaces it with a twin-linked autocannon. The removal of the heavy ordnance weapon and its ammunition means that the Exterminator can keep up with the fast and fluid style of assault the Space Wolves are known for and is used as a support tank in the Imperial Guard. Dreadnought Even the Space Marines are mortal, and when the greatest of their number fall in battle, if there is a spark of life left in them then their body will be transferred into the armoured sarcophagus of a Dreadnought. They are often mistaken to be huge armoured fighting suits or robots; they are similar to both and yet neither. Dreadnoughts are a combination of armoured walker and life-support system; their pilots are hooked straight into the Dreadnought's body, and are able to use it as if it were their own body, although they are permanently entombed until they are destroyed. Dreadnoughts are often thousands of years old. The oldest Dreadnought in the Imperium, Bjorn the Fell-Handed, of the Space Wolves was a member of Leman Russ' retinue and fought in the Horus Heresy when he was still whole of body. When the Dreadnoughts are not in need by the Chapter, they are placed back into the Chapter's chapel to sleep away the centuries until they are needed once more. As with Power Armour there are different "Marks" of Dreadnought. The most common version, and the one produced as a model by Games Workshop is the Mark V. Forge World makes a (resin) Mark IV model. the style of the Mark IV is close to that of the Epic scale dreadnought when first released - it predating the current 25mm scale design. The very earliest editions of WH40K had the Dreadnought occupants as healthy individuals and they were common to both Imperial Guard and Space Marines. Variants The standard dreadnought carries a heavy weapon on its right side and the left arm acts as a close-combat weapon. The latter is usually a Powerfist with a storm bolter fitted below the forearm. Though it shares its name with melee weapons carried by Space Marine Terminators, the Dreadnought's powerfist is considerably more effective as it does not force the user to strike last and (like the chainfist) it is deadly against heavy armour. The Space Wolves Dreadnought's melee weapon is a Lightning Claw with an underslung heavy flamer, though the claw functions the same as a powerfist for gameplay purposes. Official models and accessories produced by Games Workshop have included the assault cannon, multi-melta, or twin-linked lascannon as the heavy weapon. Through customizations or conversions, players can produce "standard" dreadnoughts with plasma cannons, autocannons or heavy-bolters. There are two major variants of the standard Dreadnought in service within the Imperium. Among the countless more specialised variants that are Chapter-specific, three stand out: Venerable Dreadnoughts Though not truly a variant, it is worth mentioning as these are regarded with more honor and respect than most generals of the Imperium: The original design for scratch-building dreadnoughts have been long lost and so newer versions of these behemoths (if any exist) can only be built from spare/salvaged parts. This is evident in the Iron Hands chapter as they have very few of these beasts after the Drop Site Massacre. One of the more notable examples is the Space Wolves' Bjorn the Fell-Handed. He is the oldest Dreadnought in the Imperium and was a member of Leman Russ' retinue and fought in the Horus Heresy when he was still whole of body. Chaos Chaos Dreadnoughts are not revered for their wisdom like their Imperial counterparts but shackled securely when not in combat as the Chaos Space Marine within has been driven insane by millennia of being trapped within the cold sarcophagus. They are used as insane behemoths to trample the enemy and are regarded with caution, as the madman pilot can turn his wrath upon his comrades if there are no enemy units within range. Their weapons are configured in the same way as Imperial Dreadnoughts but have no specific designations. As they are not wise or even reliable by any means, they are usually designated as fire support or frontal assault units rather than elite soldiers as the Imperial Space Marine Dreadnoughts are. However, Chaos Dreadnoughts can be configured into more powerful versions of their Imperial counterparts by the use of special marks dedicated to one of the Chaos gods, imbuing them with unholy powers. 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. 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. Land Speeder The Land Speeder is a two seater flying vehicle. Its role is reconaissance 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; 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. 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 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. 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. 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. Other Land Raider Variants Rarer modifications of the Land Raider are in service with some Chapters of the Space Marines. 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 but unlike the Leviathan does not carry a example of a super large weapon carrying battlecannons and lascannons instead. It has a large rear loading ramp and a nearly as large front ramp 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. 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. 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. Marauder Bomber The Marauder is a tactical bomber capable of carrying a heavy payload but also of defending itself fromenemy fighters. Besides bombing it can also be used to drop grav-chute-equipped guardsmen into battle. Aquila Shuttle A light shuttle used to carry officers or other important persons. Arvus Lighter A small landing craft typically used to haul cargo, but it has provided an airborne alternative to the Chimera. 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. Vulture Gunship The Vulture is a variant of the Valkyrie designed solely for firepower instead of transport capacity. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 and "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. 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. Model availability and game usage In general many of the odler 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. See also | |||||||
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