Spartan Assault Tank
The Spartan Assault Tank was a large heavy transport designed during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy to carry a full squad of Terminator-armored Marines.
Contents
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[1]. Such was the lethality of the Ring of Death's plasma defence systems, that even with use of the Spartans, only the fraction of Terminator squads could hope to survive the advance.[4a] The design is based off the famous Land Raider.[2]
The original Spartan had the standard Land Raider armament of two twin-linked lascannons (heavy bolters were not standard then) but also mounted either a heavy bolter or 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 Terminators.[1]
The Spartan design used today features the twin hull-mounted heavy bolters seen on contemporary Land Raider designs, as well as a pair of sponsons fitted with a deadly quad-lascannon battery each. It is able to transport 25 Space Marines in power armour and has the largest transport capacity of any dedicated transport vehicle used in the Imperium save the Gorgon[3]. Additionally, it is considerably faster than other Land Raider variants despite its increased size, due to its reactor-driven motive drive systems and secrets[2]. Spartans could further be outfitted with protective Flare Shields.[7]
Many Space Marine Chapters still maintain these huge war machines as part of their arsenals and deploy them into warzones where even the mighty Land Raider would be torn asunder. The Spartan is mainly popular in such Chapters who possess many Terminator suits, such as the Minotaurs.[4a] Chaos Space Marine warbands still operate Spartans that date back to the Great Crusade, with most belonging to the original Traitor Legions.[5]
Technical Information
| Vehicle Name: | Spartan Assault Tank[4b] | Main Armament: | 2x Sponson-mounted quad Lascannons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forge World of Origin: | Anvilus Nine | Secondary Armament: | Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter |
| Known Patterns: | I-VI | Traverse: | 180° |
| Crew: | Driver, Gunner | Elevation: | From -32° to +55° |
| Powerplant: | Atomantic core with auxilliary reactor | Main Ammunition: | Unlimited cell power feed |
| Weight: | 71 tonnes | Secondary Ammunition: | 800 rounds |
| Length: | 10m | ||
| Width: | 6.1m | Armour | |
| Height: | 5m | ||
| Ground Clearance: | 0.5m | Superstructure: | 95mm |
| Fording Depth: | {{{Fording Depth}}} | Hull: | 95mm |
| Max Speed - on road | 45kph | Gun Mantlet | N/A |
| Max Speed - off road: | 38kph | Vehicle Designation: | N/A |
| Transport Capacity: | 25 | Firing Ports: | N/A |
| Access Points: | N/A | Turret: | N/A |
Known Named Spartan Tanks
- Sire of Calth — of the Ultramarines.[4c]
- Tombkeeper — of the Death Guard.[6]
Images
plastic Imperial Fists Spartan Assault Tank for the Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness
Size of a Forge World Spartan Assault Tank compared to a Land Raider Proteus[2]
Original Spartan design featuring Ultramarines livery (Rogue Trader era)
See also
Sources
- 1: White Dwarf 119 (UK), pg. 60 — The Spartan
- 2: Forge World - SPARTAN ASSAULT TANK (last accessed 23 May 2015)
- 3: The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal, pg. 222
- 4: Imperial Armour Volume 2 - Second Edition
- 5: Imperial Armour Volume Thirteen - War Machines of the Lost and the Damned, pg. 66
- 6: The Horus Heresy: Legions - Shadow of the Warmaster: Death Guard Expansion Card Description
- 7: Liber Astartes, pg.79
