Vampire Raider
The Vampire Raider is the largest Eldar aircraft yet documented by the Imperium and an orbital-capable dropship. Like the Thunderhawk Gunship the Vampire Raider is used to ferry assault forces onto a planet, descending from orbit at many times the speed of sound to quickly drop off its cargo before ascending back into space just as quickly. The primary transports of Craftworld forces for when a target cannot be accessed through the Webway, Vampire Raiders are also a favourite of Eldar Corsairs for dropping off and retrieving their raiding parties. Many variants of the Vampire Raider exist, the most common one being the Vampire Hunter.[1][2][3][4]
Overview
The Vampire Raider is unusually fast, agile and well-armed for a craft of its size, a testament to the advanced technology of the Eldar race, which is more than capable of seeing off enemy aircraft even without Nightwing escorts. A highly configurable vehicle, in its primary form the Raider includes a nose-mounted Scatter Laser and twin-linked Pulse Lasers on under-wing hard points, a Titan-grade Holo-field for protection and the capability to carry up to thirty troops, or half as many Wraithguard, in a passenger compartment accessible through a rear ramp. The Pulse Lasers can be replaced with twin-linked Phoenix Missile Launchers or a Pulsar in a centerline fuselage mount, turning the Raider into a heavy ground attack bomber, although this reduces its transport capacity by ten. Other variants turn it into a heavy transport with gravitic hooks allowing it to carry a Falcon or Wave Serpent into battle.[2][4]
The Vampire Raider also incorporates an energy field,[7a] generated by pods all over the aircraft,[7b] that can deflect anything other than a direct hit, an air filtration system,[7a] stabilising fins, a targeting array linked to the range finders of the pulse lasers and three wing-mounted engines, capable of both atmospheric and orbital flight.[7b].
Armoured in 8-10mm of Wraithbone,[7b] the Vampire Raider is able to withstand a direct hit by an Earthshaker shell with only limited damage.[7a]
| Technical Information[1] | |||
| Length | 26m[1] | ||
| Height | 7.1m[1] | ||
| Wingspan | 13.12m[1] | ||
| Estimated Weight | 56 tonnes empty[1] | ||
| Armour | 8-10mm material unknown[1] | ||
| Maximum Recorded Speed | 3200kph[1] at 5,000 feet[6] | ||
| Crew | 1 pilot, 1 navigator[1] | ||
| Armament | 2 x twin-Linked pulse lasers,
1 x scatter laser[1] | ||
| Main Ammunition | Unknown[1] | ||
| Payload | Unknown[1] | ||
Images
Vampire Raider
Vampire Raider (Aeronautica Imperialis)[5]
See also
Sources
- 1: Imperial Armour II, pg. 20
- 2: Imperial Armour - Apocalypse, pg. 20
- 3: Epic Swordwind, pg. 23
- 4: Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara, Pg. 201
- 5: Warhammer Community: These Asuryani Aircraft Transport Troops and Rain Down Death with Speed and Style (posted 10/1/2022) (last accessed 11/1/2022)
- 6: Aeronautica Imperialis Game Rulebook, pg. 130
- 7: Inferno! 41— Vampire Raider:
| Craftworld Eldar Vehicles | |
|---|---|
| Light Vehicles | Jetbike (Raptor Jetbike) • Hornet • Vyper |
| Walkers | War Walker • Wasp Assault Walker • Scout Walker |
| Wraith Constructs | Wraithblade • Wraithguard • Wraithknight • Wraithlord • Wraithseer |
| Artillery | Anti-Aircraft Platform • Support Weapon Batteries (D-Cannon • Vibro Cannon • Shadow Weaver) |
| Grav-Tanks | Falcon • Fire Prism • Firestorm • Night Spinner • Warp Hunter • Wave Serpent |
| Super-Heavy Grav-Tanks | Cobra • Lynx • Scorpion • Storm Serpent • Void Spinner |
| Super-Heavy Walkers | Eldar Knight • Eldar Titan (Revenant • Phantom • Warlock) |
| Aircraft | Hemlock • Nightwing • Nightshade (Crimson Hunter) • Phoenix • Vampire Raider • Vampire Hunter • Dawnsail • |