Venerable Dreadnought
Venerable Dreadnoughts are the oldest Space Marine Dreadnoughts still in service.[4]
Overview
Venerable Dreadnoughts are the sarcophagus of heroes of a Chapter's past, entombed into the Mark VI Castaferrum pattern, believed to be inherently susceptible to the corruption of Chaos, and as such are covered in purity seals and daemonic wards. Like all dreadnoughts, they are kept in stasis chambers prolonging their existence when not in battle, and only awoken for key battles or in direst need.[1]
The memories of the ancient heroes who pilot them can extend back to the founding of their Chapter and its earliest history. Thus they are revered by other Space Marines, not just as potent warriors of legend, but also as ageless forebears and living embodiments of battles fought long ago. Venerable Dreadnoughts are keepers of tradition and custodians of knowledge, whose advice is sought by battle-brother and Chapter Master alike, lending wisdom to strategy as they do fury to the battlefield.[4]
Having fought in thousands of battles over millenias, they have gained vast knowledge of warfare and are experienced in almost any situation. Having become nearly impervious to harm and combined with their knowledge of warfare and the galaxy, these Dreadnoughts have become very difficult to destroy. Ultimately, it requires the utter destruction of their sarcophagus to stop them.[2]
Space Marine Chaplains who are entombed in dreadnoughts are known as Chaplain Dreadnoughts.[3]
Notable Venerable Dreadnoughts
- Aeton Macramus of the Deathwatch
- Alenso of the Silver Skulls
- Agrippan of the Ultramarines
- Altarion of the Ultramarines
- Bannus of the Iron Hands, leader of Clan Kaargul[6]
- Bjorn the Fell-Handed of the Space Wolves, the oldest Dreadnought in the Imperium;
- Damos of the Angels Porphyr
- Eyranthos of the Imperial Fists[6]
- Furnous of the Iron Hands
- Kleitor of the Astral Claws
- Moriar the Chosen of the Blood Angels[1] (also a Furioso Dreadnought)
- Secarssa of the Mantis Warriors[10]
- Selatonus of the Ultramarines
- Sybra of the Exorcists[7]
- Thrane Sagaborn - Space Wolves
- Vordyn Kasz - Raven Guard[9]
- Vos'kyr - Salamanders
Images
Venerable Dreadnought
Dark Angels Venerable Dreadnought
Ultramarines Venerable Dreadnought (4th Edition)
Space Marine Venerable Dreadnought (5th Edition)
Space Wolves Venerable Dreadnought (7th Edition)
See also
Sources
- 1: Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition, pgs. 131-132
- 2: Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), pg. 15
- 3: Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part Two, pg. 129
- 4: Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pg. 91
- 5: Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition), pg. 82
- 6: White Dwarf 262 (UK), pgs. 64-71
- 7: Imperial Armour Volume Ten, pg. 126
- 8: Dataslate: Space Marines Strike Force Ultra (Background Book), pg. 10
- 9: Kill Team: Salvation, pg. 11 - The Raven Guard Space Marines
- 10: Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One, pg. 71
