Chaos Dreadnought

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Chaos Portal

A Chaos Dreadnought

Frontal view

The Chaos Dreadnought is a gruesomely deformed version of the Space Marine Dreadnought.

Overview

In principle they both work similarly to their loyalist counterparts, the body of a near-dead but revered warrior is placed within an armoured coffin which forms the central cortex of the Dreadnought. However, most Chaos Space Marines loathe this fate. The captivity drives the Marine insane and turns the dreadnought into a nigh-unstoppable, blood-frenzied killing machine.^1,2 Due to the unending insanity and pain captivity brings the Marine, Dreadnoughts need to be tied down when not in battle so they don't rampage throughout the lines of their fellow Chaos Marines.¹

Like their counterparts in the Space Marine army, Chaos Dreadnoughts can be armed with a wide range of weaponry, for both ranged and melee combat. These include either one or two Dreadnought Close Combat Weapons, in the form of whips or claws, or twin-linked versions of autocannons, lascannons, heavy bolters or individual multi-meltas or plasma cannons. Built into the close combat weapons is often either a twin-linked bolter or heavy flamer and one entire arm may be replaced with a missile launcher. The insanity also often has effects on the Dreadnoughts mode of attack, making its movements erratic and difficult to predict.¹

Forgeworld have produced a range of Dreadnoughts, one each for the original Chaos legions, each with their own subtle variations including the individual markings of each of the legions and individual weapons for each arm to allow conversions. Each version also has a different 'face' to more closely associate the dreadnought to the Legion.

Notable Chaos Dreadnoughts

Lord Berossus of the Iron Warriors - Warsmith of an Iron Warriors Grand Company based on the planet Medrengard. Entombing did not impair his sanity. ³
The Warmonger of the Word Bearers - An ancient warrior, The Warmonger was a Dark Apostle who fought during the siege of the Emperor's Palace during the Horus Heresy. Due to his formidable mental power, he is the only Dreadnought on the Infidus Diablous who has retained some of his sanity, though he often remembers The Siege while in the heat of battle. ⁴ He was killed during the Battle for Boros Prime when he attempted to kill The Undying One, the Necron Lord's death explosion killing the already wounded Warmonger. ⁶ His shell was later inhabited by Burias Drak'Shal.⁷
Amurael the Corrupted of the Black Legion - A former leader of a Black Legion warband until he was cleft in two by a Khornate daemon, his shattered remains were entombed in a Dreadnought allowing him to fight on.¹ p3
Commander Demetrius of the Violators - Led a large force of Chaos Space Marines under the banner of Lady Charybdia Princess of Slaanesh on the Daemon World Torvendis. ⁵
Malcharion the War-Sage of the Night Lords Legion, former Captain of the Tenth Company, interred in a dreadnought following his victory over Xorumai Khan, swordmaster-captain of the White Scars 9th Company, Lethandrus the Templar, paladin of the Imperial Fists Legion and Raguel the Sufferer, captain of the Blood Angels 7th Company in a single day at the Siege of Terra. Rewakened by Talos the Soul-Hunter.⁸ Supposedly slain again by Raguel the Sufferer who died as well, only to be preserved again against his wished by renegade Mechanicum adept Deltrian and resurrected by Talos before the Night Lords' battle against the Eldar of Craftworld Ulthwé on Tsagualsa.⁹