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Dreadclaw

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Dreadclaws

Dreadclaws are Drop Pod-like transports used by the Space Marine Legions of old, and still used by the Chaos Space Marines.[3]


Overview

Dreadclaws are used to quickly deploy Traitor Marines onto a planet from orbit.[3][4b] The Dreadclaws themselves are deployed from cruisers or battleships. It is armed with the Deathwind weapon system, which upon landing, fires upon any nearby enemies supporting the Space Marines deployment. The Dreadclaws were designed for ship-to-ship combat as they are equipped with a spiked "maws" used to drill through hulls. Its design has been heavily corrupted from thousands of years exposed to Chaos and they are now used for a variety of roles from boarding ships to planetary assault.[3] The Dreadclaw is an all-purpose drop pod: it can either drop troops or a dreadnought. Unlike other types of drop pod, it can take off again after landing.[3][4a]

Multiple Dreadclaws are sometimes deployed in formations known as Dreadclaw Talons.[4b]

History

Prior to the Horus Heresy, Dreadclaws were considered to be pinnacle of assault boat technology. Ultimately, the Dreadclaws were dropped from service by the majority of Imperial forces by the end of the Great Heresy.[4a]

Over the course of the Horus Heresy, the Dreadclaw's advanced machine spirit began to develop dangerous tendencies, on occasion causing the deaths of its passengers, though in the dark times of the Heresy their use continued due to the desperation of Imperial commanders or their wanton lack of care for their troops.[3][4a] Despite the Adeptus Mechanicus revising the vehicle's machine spirit, a streak of accidents (including the famous incident aboard the Legate Peracles[3]) led to the majority of the Dreadclaws being jettisoned into space, and now only the Traitor Legions are known to use these dangerous, albeit advanced, vessels.[3][4a]

Known Patterns

Anvillus Pattern Dreadclaw

The Anvillus Pattern Dreadclaw was initially designed to insert Space Marine boarding forces onto enemy spaceships. As such they have minimal profile and a heavily armoured hull. The craft is mounted with a series of Melta cutters, originally to slice through the outer hull of a ship. Unlike some earlier boarding craft, the Dreadclaw is also a fully independent dropship capable of returning their cargo to friendly ships.[2]


Images


See also

Related Articles

Sources

Uncited


Legiones Astartes Fleet
Battleships GlorianaEmperorLunarInfernusDictatusOberonBattle BargeAbyss
Grand Cruisers AvengerVengeanceDominus
Battlecruisers Retribution Class
Heavy Cruisers InfernusIndrajit
Cruisers Strike CruiserHoplonPrometheanBulk Cruiser
Light Cruisers GladiusEclipseDauntlessTriton
Barques GulgorAttack Barque
Heavy Frigates Thunderbolt
Frigates GladiusSword
Destroyers HunterVenomTiamat
Corvettes Credo
Other Wrath HammerExcelsiorPythos
Fighters XiphonWrathLotusDeathbirdSwordstrikeLightning Crow
Bombers CorsairApisCastellan
Gunships StormbirdThunderhawkStorm EagleFire RaptorStormhawkSkylanceOrgus
Assault Boats CaestusPurgioHarbinger
Landing Craft & Transports Landing CraftAnhurDrop PodDreadclawKharybdisHawkwing


Chaos Space Marine Forces
Command Chaos LordExalted ChampionSorcerer LordDaemon PrinceDark Commune (Cult DemagogueMindwitchIconrachBlessed Blades)
Specialists Sorcerer (Balefire Acolyte) • WarpsmithDark ApostleMaster of PossessionMaster of ExecutionLord DiscordantWarsmithApothecaryInfernus Abomination
Troops Chaos Space MarinesHavocsChosenChaos TerminatorsPossessed (Greater PossessedAnointed) • Khorne BerzerkersPlague MarinesNoise MarinesRubric MarinesObliterators (Mutilators) • Dark DiscipleShrivetalonButcherCultists (Accursed MutantTorments) • Chaos SpawnFallen
Fast Attack BikersRaptorsWarp Talons
Chaos Dreadnoughts HelbruteFerrum Infernus DreadnoughtContemptor DreadnoughtSonic DreadnoughtBerserker DreadnoughtHellforged Leviathan DreadnoughtDeredeo Dreadnought
Vehicles & Daemon Engines RhinoPredatorInfernal Relic PredatorVindicatorLand RaiderLand Raider ProteusLand Raider AchillesLand Raider Hades DiabolusRelic SicaranSicaran VenatorMaulerfiendForgefiendDefilerBrass ScorpionBlood SlaughtererDecimatorBlight DroneKytanPlague HulkVenomcrawlerWhirlwind Scorpius
Heavy Vehicles SpartanFellbladeTyphonCerberusFalchionMastodonLord of SkullsDeath WheelPlaguereaperPlague Centurion
Aircraft HeldrakeStormbirdThunderhawkStorm EagleFire RaptorHell BladeHell TalonHarbingerDreadclawKharybdis
Summoned Greater DaemonsLesser DaemonsDaemonic Beasts
Special Characters Abaddon the DespoilerKharn the BetrayerTyphusAhrimanHuron BlackheartFabius BileCypherHaarken Worldclaimer