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==Overview==
Originally designed to get through the ''Ring of Death'' surrounding the city of [[Aries Primus]] on [[Mars]], the standard Land Raider at the time could not transport Terminators{{Fn|1}}. Such was the lethality of the ''Ring of Death'' plasma defence systems, that even with use of the Spartans, only the fraction of Terminator squads could hope to survive the advance.{{Fn|44a}} The design is based off the famous [[Land Raider]].{{Fn|2}}
The original Spartan had the standard [[Land Raider]] armament, two [[twin-linked]] [[lascannon]]s (heavy bolters were not standard then) but also mounted either a [[heavy bolter]] or [[flamer|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 [[Terminator]]s.{{Fn|1}}
==Sources==
*{{Endn|1}}: [[WD119|White Dwarf 119(UK)]] (1989) , pg. 60 ''The Spartan'', by Rick Priestley
*{{Endn|2}}: [http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Space_Marines/Space-Marine-Tanks/SPARTAN_ASSAULT_TANK.html Forge World - SPARTAN ASSAULT TANK] ''(last accessed 23 May 2015)''
*{{Endn|3}}: [[The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal]], pg. 222