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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
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During the [[Great Crusade]] the Land Raider STC design was rediscovered, allowing their manufacture once more. The discoverer is commonly believed to be the Techno-archaeologist [[Magos]] [[Arkhan Land]] who, at the very birth of the Imperium, is said to have rediscovered the STC designs hidden beneath the surface of [[Mars]]. These vehicles were incorporated into the arsenals of the Imperium's forces, used by both the [[Space Marine Legion]]s and the [[Imperial Army]]. Such was the demand for the Land Raider that an entire [[Forge World]], [[Anvilus 9]], was devoted entirely to Land Raider production, supplying thousands upon thousands of Land Raiders to the [[Emperor]]'s holy forces.{{Fn|4a}}
It is not known, when the first Land Raider was deployed. Some Imperial archaeologists claim that is it was first used during the [[Siege of Delebrion]], while others maintain that it was first deployed during the massed tank battles of [[Calysto Platinum]] at the start of the [[Great Crusade]].{{Fn|15b}}
However, at the outset of the [[Horus Heresy]], Anvilus 9 along with other Forge Worlds were seized by the [[Dark Mechanicum]] aligned with [[Horus]], while others chose to secede from the [[Imperium]] and remain neutral. This would prove to be a terrible blow to the Loyalists as their supply of Land Raiders began to dry up, especially since, in sufficient numbers, Land Raiders can take on and destroy even [[Titan]]s.{{Fn|4a}} With the dark clouds of the rebellion drawing closer to [[Terra]], the Emperor ordered that all Land Raiders still in loyalist service were to be transferred and used exclusively by the Legiones Astartes, who were at the forefront of the fighting. The Emperor was never able to annul the order, and consequently, even after the Heresy, the use of the Land Raider remained exclusive to the Space Marines.{{Fn|2}}
===Armour===
The Land Raider uses a form of composite armour created by bonding layers in huge, high-pressure cookers, giving it a level of protection incomparable to most other Imperial vehicles. The first, inner armour layer, in addition to structural supports, is constructed of [[adamantine]]. The second is a titanium/[[plasteel]] composite used to reinforce strategic locations, such as the assault ramp, front glacis and hatch doors. The next is a thermo-plas fibre mesh to absorb and dissipate high-energy [[laser weapon]]s, followed by the first of two [[ceramite]] layers, designed to ablate against extreme heat and [[melta weapon]]s,{{Fn|4a}} finally ending in an outer layer consisting of a non-magnetic codex approved acrylic identification sheet.{{Fn|15a}} When combined, this armouring makes the Land Raider virtually immune to heavy artillery like [[Battle Cannon]]s.{{Fn|5}} The armour is 3.75 inches thick on the front hull, 3.69 inches thick on the side hull and 3.61 inches thick on the rear hull and is reinforced by [[Molecular Bonding Stud|ceramite bonding studs]] all over the Land Raider.{{Fn|15a}} All in all, the Land Raider's armour is less than a third as thick as those of other armoured vehicles, but offers many times more protection than armour made out of most any other material used by the Imperium or its enemies.{{Fn|11c}}
Another defensive mechanism is provided by the [[Smoke Launcher|MkII 'Tenebris' smoke discharging units]], armed with [[Smoke Grenade|Stygies 'C' pattern smoke grenades]].{{Fn|15a}}
Perhaps the most famous example of this was ''[[Rynn's Might]]'' which, despite lacking any crew, proceeded to kill an [[Ork]] [[Warboss]] and his followers before eventually being destroyed.{{Cite This}}
Besides the Machine SpiritsSpirit, the Land Raider feature triple-redundant banks of [[cogitator|analytical engines]] and communication arrays to facilitate extensive command and control. These even allow deep range strikes behind enemy lines.{{Fn|15b}}
====Hull Equipment====
The main part of the hull is taken up by the troop compartment, which is accessible from the outside both by the auto-scaling frontal assault ramp as well as by the side-mounted armoured hatches, who are separated from the internal compartment by inner blast doors.{{Fn|15a}}
