Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnought

The Contemptor-Mortis Class Dreadnought, also known as the Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnought, was a variant of the standard Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, specifically the original Contemptor Prime model. The Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought is an ancient Imperial cybernetic combat walker used by the Space Marine Legions in the days of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, 10,000 Terran years before the present day. Like the current patterns of Dreadnoughts now in service, the Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought served as a cybernetic sarcophagus for an Astartes who had been so badly wounded in battle that his only chance for continued service to the Emperor lay in being interred within the cybernetic sarcophagus of a Dreadnought. The Contemptor Dreadnought, like much of the technology developed at the dawn of the Imperium of Man, is larger and more powerful than its standard pattern counterparts. This pattern of Dreadnought was once a key part of the earliest Space Marine Legion forces raised on Terra in the 31st Millennium to initiate the Great Crusade. Such relics are sometimes recovered as archeotech by the Imperium in the 41st Millennium and then used to supplement the forces of the present-day Space Marine Chapters.

History
In the time of the Great Crusade, Dreadnought combat walkers primarily served as heavy assault units and highly mobile weapons support platforms for the Space Marine Legions. They were highly valued for their ability to endure under very heavy enemy fire and to operate in locations and theatres where traditional combat support vehicles would be impractical or downright impossible to use. The Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnought used the more advanced Contemptor chassis as a potent carrier of heavy weapons. It was able to target and destroy the foe at close range and was also outfitted with an advanced Helical Targeting Array that allowed it to provide a Space Marine spearhead force with close anti-air support when needed. During the last years of the Great Crusade, the Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnought was widely used by both the Dark Angels and Iron Warriors Legions, although it was used to some extent by all of the Astartes Legions during this era. Ten millennia later, there remain several Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnoughts that are still operational. They are revered both as potent relics of the Imperium's Golden Age and as powerful weapons by those few Space Marine Chapters lucky enough to still possess them.

Armament
The Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnought differs from the standard pattern Contemptor Dreadnought only in being outfitted with two ranged-weapons arms as a standard weapon load-out along with the integration of a Helical Targeting Array that allows the Dreadnought to unleash its heavy weapons as dedicated anti-aircraft support. The standard load-out of the Contemptor-Mortis was two sets of twin-linked Heavy Bolters, along with Smoke Launchers and a Searchlight. The walker's Heavy Bolters could be replaced with several different weapons, including a set of twin-linked Autocannons, a set of twin-linked Lascannons, a set of Multi-Meltas or a set of Kheres pattern Assault Cannons. The Contemptor-Mortis could also be outfitted with Extra Armour Plating and a Carapace-mounted Havoc Missile Launcher. In the 41st Millennium the Contemptor-Mortis can be equipped with a Carapace-mounted Cyclone Missile Launcher instead of the Havoc Missile Launcher.

The Mortis Dreadnought was the Castraferrum Pattern Dreadnought's version of the Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnought, although this version lacked the Helical Targeting Array that allowed the Contemptor-Mortis to engage in enemy aircraft, along with being built upon the less advanced Castraferrum chassis.

Unit Composition

 * 1 Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnought

Wargear
A standard Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnought is armed and equipped with:
 * Two sets of twin-linked ​Heavy Bolters
 * Smoke Launchers
 * ​Searchlight
 * ​Atomantic Shielding
 * ​Helical Targeting Array

Any Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnought may replace their twin-linked Heavy Bolters with any of these options:
 * Two sets of ​Multi-Meltas
 * Two sets of twin-linked ​Autocannons
 * Two sets of twin-linked ​Lascannons
 * Two sets of ​Kheres Pattern Assault Cannons

Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnoughts may also have a variety of vehicle equipment such as:
 * Extra Armour Plating 
 * Havoc Missile Launcher
 * Cyclone Missile Launcher (41st Millennium Only)

Gallery
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