Dreadnought

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A Dreadnought is death incarnate, these walking tanks carry powerful guns to annihilate their enemies, and crackling, lethal close combat weaponry to tear them to pieces. They are used exclusively by Space Marines. The Grey Knights also use dreadnoughts. Each Dreadnought contains a living being, and the pilots often have memories stretching back thousands of years. Many of the Dreadnought "shells" date back millenia, to when the Emperor walked amongst his people.

Space Marine Dreadnoughts

Space Marines Dreadnought

An "Old One" is a mighty Space Marine hero who suffered mortal wounds in battle and was saved from death by being encased within an armoured sarcophagus. It is a great honour to be deemed worthy enough to be turned into a Dreadnought. The Old One's body is surgically implanted into the war machine, new mechanical senses allow him to perceive the world around him and continue the fight for the Emperor for centuries longer than would normally be the case. In battle, Space Marine Dreadnoughts fight with all the skill of a "normal" Space Marine. However, protected by thick plates of adamantium and armed with destructive weapons and devastating fists and claws that can smash a hole through a battle tank, their power is heightened to a level greater than would have been possible in their brittle human form. A Dreadnought can usually be defeated only by completely destroying the armoured sarcophagus in which the Old One lies. If one is ever taken out of action the Space Marines will fight with righteous fury to retrieve it and lay its occupant to rest within the Chapter's burial chambers. When not fighting, the Chapter's Techmarines will allow the fallen heroes to sleep away the centuries, until once more they are called to battle.

Famous Dreadnoughts

• Moriar the Chosen of the Blood Angels
• Brother Serverus of the Ultramarines
• Bjorn the Fell-Handed of the Space Wolves
• Brother Damos of the Angels Porphyr
• Huron-Fal of the Pre-Heresy Death Guard

Furioso Pattern

The Blood Angels have a special type of Dreadnought, the Furioso pattern. It fits in with their close combat speciality by its equipping two massive Power Claws, allowing it to pierce through the armour of a Land Raider with ease.

Mortis Pattern

The Dark Angels have a special type of Dreadnought, the Mortis Pattern. It's armed with paired heavy weapons consisting of either two Missile Launchers, two twin-linked Heavy Bolters, two twin-linked Autocannons or two twin-linked Lascannons.

Ork Dreadnoughts

Ork Dreadnoughts are ramshackle devices, often with Orks or Gretchin still alive but fused within the hull, operating the machine by a myriad of levers and buttons. Killa Kans are smaller version of Ork Dreadnoughts and are often found in a supporting role.

Sources

• UK WD255
• Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition)
• Imperial Armour II
• Codex: Dark Angels (4th Edition)
• Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow