From Lexicanum

Ambiguous Term? This article is about Space Marine Dreadnoughts. For other uses of Dreadnought, see Dreadnought (disambiguation).

The Space Marine Dreadnought is a massive war-machine piloted by an honoured Space Marine hero whose body has been ravaged in battle.

Contents 1 Overview 1.1 Armament 1.2 Variants 1.3 Chapter specific Variants 2 Notable Dreadnoughts 3 Images 4 Sources

Overview

A Space Marine Dreadnought is a large, walking tank which carries both powerful guns and lethal close combat weaponry, armoured to withstand all but the most powerful of enemy firepower and often relied on by Space Marine forces to tear an opening in enemy defenses. Each Dreadnought contains a living being, permanently interfaced with the machine through a form of mind impulse unit. Dreadnoughts are surprisingly agile, able to walk and balance with the ease of a living creature.

The pilots within Dreadnoughts are Marines who have suffered mortal wounds in battle, maimed and crippled beyond recovery - instead of being mercifully killed, the greatest heroes are instead given what is considered an honour of continuing to serve the Emperor past their normal life. Once interred within the Dreadnought, the Marine cannot leave the metal womb and is destined for a life of endless battle until destroyed. Some are so ancient their memories may extend back to the founding of their chapter and its earliest history. For this reason they are revered not just as powerful warriors but also as ageless forebears and living embodiments of battles fought long ago. If a dreadnought is destroyed, the Space Marines will fight to retrieve the armoured shell so that the occupant can be returned to the chapter's mausoleum for the long deserved final rest.⁵

Dreadnought machines themselves are ancient, the oldest dating back tens of thousands of years to the Age of Strife. Because the art of constructing them has been almost lost, Dreadnoughts are revered as rare machines.^2-p131/132

Dreadnoughts are armoured with ceramite and adamantium, their muscles are formed of electro-fibre bundles and magna-coils.^1-p32 They are usually armed with weapons to suit a particular role, such as destroying other heavy armoured vehicles.

Although a Dreadnought can be damaged and disabled, it can survive unless the actual armoured tomb containing the occupant's form is destroyed.^2-p132 When not fighting, the Chapter's Techmarines will allow the fallen heroes to sleep away the centuries, until once more they are called to battle.^{3b 8}

Armament

Dreadnoughts can be armed with a wide range of weaponry, both ranged and close combat. These include either one or two Dreadnought Close Combat Weapons, usually in the form of power claws, or twin-linked versions of autocannons, lascannons, heavy bolters or individual multi-meltas, plasma cannons or assault cannons. Built into the combat weapons is often either a storm bolter or heavy flamer and one entire arm may be replaced with a missile launcher⁵

Variants

• Venerable Dreadnought ^{4-p32 5-p65}
• Siege Dreadnought ^6-p11
• Ironclad Dreadnought (reinforced front armour) ^5-p65
• "Hellfire" Dreadnought ¹²

Chapter specific Variants

• Furioso Dreadnought - Blood Angels and successors ^7-p12
• Mortis Dreadnought - Dark Angels and successors ^2-p137,142
• Grey Knights Dreadnought

Notable Dreadnoughts

• Bjorn the Fell-Handed of the Space Wolves ^3d
• Brother Serverus of the Ultramarines ^3d
• Brother Damos of the Angels Porphyr ^3d
• Huron-Fal of the Death Guard (Pre-Heresy) ¹¹
• Ancient Rylanor of the Emperor's Children (Pre-Heresy) ¹¹

Images

2nd edition	3rd and 4th Edition	5th Edition	Ultramarines Forge World Variant	Dark Angels Forge World Variant

Sources

• ¹:Dark Millennium 2nd Edition expansion rulebook, p32/33
• ²:Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition, p131-142
• ³:Index Astartes I: Warriors of Old
• ^3a:Warriors of Old: Centuries of War
• ^3b:Warriors of Old: The Old Ones
• ^3c:Warriors of Old: The Art of Death
• ^3d:Warriors of Old: Death Unleashed
• ⁴:Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), p32
• ⁵:Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), p65
• ⁶:Imperial Armour Update 2006, p11
• ⁷:Codex: Blood Angels (4th Edition), p12
• ⁸:Damnation Crusade (Comic)
• ⁹:Warhammer 40,000: Compendium, p63/p64
• ¹¹:Flight of the Eisenstein (Novel)
• ¹² Dawn of War
• ¹³ Warhammer 40,000 squad command

Space Marine Vehicles

Rhino Chassis	Rhino • Damocles Command Rhino • Razorback • Vindicator • Whirlwind • Predator Annihilator • Predator Destructor • Baal Predator • Sabre Tank Hunter
Land Raider Chassis	Land Raider • Land Raider Crusader • Land Raider Redeemer • Land Raider Helios • Land Raider Prometheus • Land Raider Ares • Land Raider Terminus Ultra • Hellfire Land Raider • Land Raider Spartan
Dreadnought Chassis	Dreadnought • Furioso Pattern • Mortis Pattern • Ironclad Dreadnought • Siege Dreadnought • Venerable Dreadnought • Grey Knights Dreadnought
Land Speeder Chassis	Land Speeder • Land Speeder Tornado • Land Speeder Typhoon • Land Speeder Tempest • Land Speeder Storm