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Rapier Armoured Carrier

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Light Hammer Rapier Carrier as used by pre heresy Emperor's Children

The Rapier Armoured Carrier or Rapier Laser Destroyer is a semi-automated[8] tracked weapons carrier used by the Imperium of Man, including the Imperial Guard, Adeptus Mechanicus and Space Marines. A potent anti-tank weapon, it mounts a powerful multi-barrelled laser cannon with which it shares its name. However Rapiers have also been seen wielding Graviton Cannons, quad Multi-Lasers, quad Mortars, and quad Heavy Bolters.[5]

History

Rapier with Graviton Cannon[6]
Rapier with quad Heavy Bolters[5]

In the early years of the Imperium's history the Rapier was a common weapons platform used by the Imperial Army at both the company and regimental level. Under ideal conditions each company would have a support squad with five Rapier carriers plus other weapons, while regiments had support companies of ten machines each, such as five Rapiers and five Mole Mortars, though attrition often accounted for fewer numbers of these weapons. Rapier crewmen wore the blue uniform of artillerymen, with yellow shoulder pads displaying their company insignia or red ones displaying their regimental insignia depending on their assignment.[1]

Over the millennia, however, the number and use of Rapiers declined due to difficulties in manufacturing these complex devices, and they have been largely supplanted by designs simpler to construct and easier to maintain. There still remain tens of thousands deployed throughout the Imperium, mostly in the hands of the Adeptus Mechanicus or those Planetary Defense Forces on worlds which still retain the capability to produce and maintain them. They are in more limited use by the Space Marines and Imperial Guard regiments.[3] Those Chapters which descend from the Imperial Fists and Iron Hands Legions are especially known users of Rapiers, and have even employed them for boarding assaults.[4]

Technical Information

The armoured carrier is built around the weapon system with which it has become synonymous, the Rapier Laser Destroyer. This multi-barrelled weapon achieves greater firepower than even a normal lascannon by focusing its four separate laser systems with precise accuracy on a single point. This is possible thanks to a weak machine spirit which can adjust the convergence of the beams depending on the target's range. However, the weapon system has tremendous power requirements, along with increased maintenance and heat build-up due to its moving parts and the close proximity of multiple laser chambers to each other.[3][4] Rapiers have also been seen mounted with Graviton Cannons, quad Multi-Lasers, quad Mortars, and quad Heavy Bolters[5] though as of the M41 the technology to manufacture Rapiers with Graviton Cannons seems all but lost.[7]

As it was initially designed for defending cities and fortresses the Rapier has limited mobility, enough to move into ambush positions and across rough terrain, and is often fielded in special batteries of one to three Rapiers used to break up enemy armour attacks. The system can move and fire at the same time thanks to an auto-drive and benefits from targeter equipment. Actual aiming and firing of the laser destroyer, however, is handled by the on-board machine spirit, making the Rapier a semi-independent system; its crew is necessary only for moving the weapon and operational mode selection.[1][3]

Vehicle Name: Rapier Laser Destroyer[3] Main Armament: 1 x Rapier Laser Destroyer
Forge World of Origin: Lucius Secondary Armament: N/A
Known Patterns: N/A Traverse: N/A
Crew: 1-3 Gunners Elevation: N/A
Powerplant: N/A Main Ammunition: 12 rounds from powerpack
Weight: 3.5 Tonnes Secondary Ammunition: N/A
Length: 2.6 M
Width: 1.8 M Armour
Height: 1.5 M
Ground Clearance: 0.3 m Superstructure: N/A
Fording Depth: Hull: 20 MM
Max Speed - on road 12 KPH Gun Mantlet N/A
Max Speed - off road: 8 KPH Vehicle Designation: N/A
Transport Capacity: N/A Firing Ports: Open Topped
Access Points: Open Topped Turret: N/A


Vehicle Name: Rapier Laser Destroyer[3] Main Armament: 1 x Rapier Laser Destroyer
Forge World of Origin: Graia Secondary Armament: N/A
Known Patterns: N/A Traverse: N/A
Crew: 1-3 Gunners Elevation: N/A
Powerplant: N/A Main Ammunition: 12 rounds from powerpack
Weight: 3.3 Tonnes Secondary Ammunition: N/A
Length: 2.6 M
Width: 1.8 M Armour
Height: 1.5 M
Ground Clearance: 0.3 m Superstructure: N/A
Fording Depth: Hull: 18 MM
Max Speed - on road 14 KPH Gun Mantlet N/A
Max Speed - off road: 9 KPH Vehicle Designation: N/A
Transport Capacity: N/A Firing Ports: Open Topped
Access Points: Open Topped Turret: N/A


Vehicle Name: Rapier Laser Destroyer[3] Main Armament: 1 x Rapier Laser Destroyer
Forge World of Origin: Voss Secondary Armament: N/A
Known Patterns: N/A Traverse: N/A
Crew: 1-3 Gunners Elevation: N/A
Powerplant: N/A Main Ammunition: 14 rounds from powerpack
Weight: 3 Tonnes Secondary Ammunition: N/A
Length: 2.6 M
Width: 1.8 M Armour
Height: 1.5 M
Ground Clearance: 0.3 m Superstructure: N/A
Fording Depth: Hull: 15 MM
Max Speed - on road 14 KPH Gun Mantlet N/A
Max Speed - off road: 10 KPH Vehicle Designation: N/A
Transport Capacity: N/A Firing Ports: Open Topped
Access Points: Open Topped Turret: N/A


Images

Sources