Predator

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This article is about the Space Marine Tank; for the Space Marine Chapter, see Predator Legion.

Predator Tank^[2b]

The Predator is a battle tank employed by the Space Marines. It is a more heavily armed and armoured version of the Rhino personnel carrier. There are two major patterns of Predator, the Destructor and the Annihilator, primarily distinguished by their specific weaponry. The Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters employ the assault-oriented Baal Predator.

Construction of Predators remains restricted to a Chapter's Armoury or allied Forge World, with most Chapters fielding between twenty to thirty of all types.^[1a] However, some Chapters are known to contain several hundred battle tanks, though that number includes Land Raiders as well.^[4]

History

Schematic of a Predator Destructor

The Predator was first fielded during the Dark Age of Technology. During this age the Predator was instrumental in establishing Mankind’s dominance upon an untold number of worlds. It is theorised by those with access to the sealed archives that the Predator template was developed in response to Mankind’s earliest contacts with the Ork race. Where the Rhino had served Mankind well in previous conflicts with lesser races, the brutal, close quarters method of warfare favoured by the newly discovered Orks required different tactics altogether. The Predator was an ideal weapon against the Orks, who had few weapons that could penetrate its upgraded armour, and whose own armour offered no protection whatsoever against the tank’s reliable autocannon and heavy bolter armament.^[5]

The Predators originally employed by the Emperor’s forces were only slightly different to those employed today, and it is a testimony to functionality of the original design that it has changed so little over the course of ten thousand years. The first Predators were equipped with a small passenger-carrying capacity, but during the prolonged campaigns of the Great Crusade it became obvious that this meager facility was of less importance than the ability to carry greater amounts of ammunition, especially if the vehicle in question was to be fitted with side sponsons. By the time of the Great Crusade, a great number of Standard Template Constructs had been lost, and it was another five millennia before the template for the Razorback, a vehicle dedicated to the role of infantry fighting vehicle, was discovered. In the meantime, Imperial tactics sacrificed transport capacity for firepower, fielding Predators as light support vehicles alongside the Rhino APC.^[5]

Some Tech-Priests claim that one of the more exotic and unusual weapons of the Predator was a Graviton Cannon, though there are no examples of it existing in the M41 and the ability to re-create it remains unknown to this day.^[8a]

Predator Destructor

The Predator Destructor is the original model of Predator battle tanks, with its origins dating back to the Dark Age of Technology. The Predator was built in direct response to the threat of Orks, which were proving difficult for humanity to handle. Its combination of heavier armour and weaponry allowed the Predator to withstand Orkish attacks and easily destroy their vehicles. Soon the Predator became the standard fighting vehicle for all of humanity's armies, and would remain in that position throughout the Great Crusade, where its small troop carrying capacity would be replaced with space for more ammunition.^[1a] Eventually, similar to the Rhino it was based off of, the Predator Destructor would be restricted to use by the Space Marines only.^{[Needs Citation]}

Armament

The main turret armament on the common Mars-pattern MarkIV-b Predator Destructor is the Syrtis pattern Autocannon, which is constructed with an automatic ammunition feed, muzzle flash suppressor and discharge extractor. The weapon is aimed by the vehicle commander/gunner through a multi-spectral remote targeting surveyor and accuracy talisman.^[1a] It fires explosive ammunition, each round larger than a Space Marine's fist, which easily chew through heavily-armoured infantry and light vehicles.^[2a]

The side sponsons can mount a variety of weapon though the most common - either Heavy Bolters for close defense or Lascannons for additional anti-tank firepower. The sponson weapons are remotely controlled from the turret and aimed through similar surveyors.^[1a]

Some Tech-Priests speculate that once the main auto-loading ammunition feeds were more efficient and able to cycle rounds at a faster rate than the Predator's systems of M41. Even if it is likely true, the older pattern of autoloader is thought to be long lost, though extant examples are still hidden somewhere and waited for the technology hunters to find them.^[8a]

Armour

Protection for the Predator Destructor comes from three layers of armouring. The first, a bonded ceramite/adamantine alloy, gives the Predator protection equivalent to five times its width in conventional steel whilst being lighter. This is followed by a reinforcing thermoplas with a mesh of sub-dermal energy dissipation fibre for protection against radiation. The outer layer is a non-metallic acrylic identification sheath. In all, this armour corresponds over the 200mm of 'standard' steel on the front of Predator.^[1a]

The defence of the Predator can be additionally reinforced with layers of Extra Armour.^[7]

Predator with Extra Armour (Reinforced)

Equipment

Smoke Launchers and a Searchlight are standard options on a Predator Destructor. It may be further upgraded with Dozer Blades, Extra Armour, a Hunter-killer Missile, and a Pintle-mounted Stormbolter.^[1f]

Technical Information

Vehicle Name:	Predator Destructor^[8b]	Main Armament:	Autocannon
Forge World of Origin:	Mars	Secondary Armament:	Sponson-mounted Heavy Bolters
Known Patterns:	I-XII	Traverse:	360°
Crew:	Driver, Gunner	Elevation:	From -15° to 28°
Powerplant:	Quad MkII Adaptable Thermic Combustor Reactor	Main Ammunition:	120 rounds
Weight:	44 tonnes	Secondary Ammunition:	1100 rounds
Length:	6.6m
Width:	6.0m (with sponsons)	Armour
Height:	4.4m	Armour
Ground Clearance:	0.44m	Superstructure:	65mm
Fording Depth:	{{{Fording Depth}}}	Hull:	55mm
Max Speed - on road	68kph	Gun Mantlet	65mm
Max Speed - off road:	50kph	Vehicle Designation:	0120-766-0723-RH812/819
Transport Capacity:	None	Firing Ports:	n/a
Access Points:	n/a	Turret:	65mm

Named Predator Destructor

Avenger — of the Marauders Chapter. Was part of the Thracian Response Forse^[1c]
Belsarius Fury — of the Blood Angels. Took part in the Third War for Armageddon where it was destroyed during the defence of Hades Five.^[1c]
Harbinger of Death — of the Aurora Chapter. Fought against Chaos cultists during the Goru Heresy.^[1c]

Patterns

Phaeton Pattern Mk.IIIb/c: Older variant based on Mk.I Rhino chassis. Distinctive square turret mounted on the forward hull as opposed to center.^[1d]
Mars Pattern Mk.IVb: Most common pattern of Predator Destructor.^[1a]
Mk.IVc Pattern^[6]
Baal Pattern Predator
Deimos Pattern Predator

Dark Angels Mk.IIIc Pattern Predator^[1e]
Ultramarines Mk.IIIc Pattern Predator
Chaos Space Marines Mk.IIIc Pattern Predator^[9]

Predator Annihilator

Ultramarines Predator Annihilator

The Predator Annihilator is the second and latter of the two major patterns, though its introduction was not without controversy. According to the Liber Armorum the model did not appear until M36 — when it first appeared during the Skarath Crusade.^[1a]

The Adeptus Mechanicus was suitably infuriated at the Space Wolves' blasphemous alteration to a holy STC design, however their success could not be denied. While the Space Wolves continued to field Predator Annihilators, the Tech-priests examined the design, debated its sanctity in councils and ran extensive trials. Two hundred years later, it was found that the modified tank was not only acceptable to the Machine God, but that the Predator was intentionally designed to accept such a retrofit.^[1b] The Predator Annihilator has since found its way into the Armouries of many other Space Marine Chapters and therefore seeing increasing use close to it's cousin.^[1h]