Caestus Assault Ram

The Caestus Assault Ram is one of several types of assault rams used by the Imperium of Man, assault rams are used for boarding actions during void battles and are capable of quickly placing boarding parties directly into enemy spaceships. The Caestus Assault Ram is the common assault ram used by the Adeptus Astartes, this is mostly due to the crafts high speed and phenomenal durability, which makes it highly prized by many Space Marine Chapters. The Caestus Assault Ram is smaller than the Thunderhawk gunship but is larger than the Shark-class Boarding Torpedo, allowing more Space Marines to be safely deployed into enemy spaceships. The craft can safely transport up to 10 fully armoured Space Marines into combat, wearing either Power Armour, Artificer Armour, or Terminator Armour. The Caestus was originally designed for ship-to-ship boarding actions in the void of space, yet the revolutionary anti-grav plates discovered by the Technoarcheologist Arkhan Land enabled the craft to be fitted with high powered anti-gravitic plating, allowing it to be used in high-velocity orbital operations, as well as operate as a heavy battle skimmer once to reaches the ground and deploys it cargo of Space Marines. The Caestus is a common sight on-board the ship of fleet-based Chapters, who spend much of their time fighting against enemy starships, boarding Space Hulks, or attacking space stations or asteroid bases.

Construction
The Caestus Assault Ram, like most other assault rams used in ship-to-ship boarding actions during void combat was designed for one purpose: to cross the void of space between to ships at extreme speed and collide directly with the enemy vessel, the vehicle would completely puncture through the enemy hull and burrow into its structure, where it would unleash its payload of Astartes warriors to wreak havoc inside of the enemy vessel. These missions are highly dangerous, as a single hit from an enemy heavy starship weapon can completely destroy most small craft, something that the Astartes cannot tolerate as they will be unable to retrieve the geneseed of the fallen. The Caestus is designed as one of the most well-armoured assault rams in the Imperium, yet it sacrifices little of it speed. The craft's front, which will come bear the most of the enemy's fire, is heavily armoured and protected with a heavy superstructure that is buttressed by inertial recoil compensation systems. These systems include a near-unique "misericordia" system that is designed to interlock with Space Marine Power Armour or Terminator Armour, protecting a full squad complement aboard from any impact short of those that would destroy the craft itself. These systems combined with the crafts high speed and extremely durable armour allow the Caestus to deliver a full squad of Space Marines right into the bowels of an enemy starship without causality. With the anti-gravitic plates the craft is also capable of directly deploying Astartes into the heart of a battle and then lend heavy support as a heavily-armoured skimmer.

Armament
The Caestus Assault Ram is equipped with a forward-firing heavy melta weapon known as a Magna-Melta, this weapon is used to weaken the hull armour of an enemy ship or fortification wall before the craft's armoured prow crashes through the weakened area, creating a breach in which its complement of Space marines can immediately deploy and advance. While being used as a heavy skimmer during ground combat the weapon is extremely effective in close-range against enemy tanks and bunkers. Many Space Marine Chapter also equip their Caestus Assault Rams with twin-linked Firefury Missile Launchers, one launcher on each of its stabiliser wings, these weapons fire all of their missiles at once, completely saturating the area with a massive amout of firepower, allowing the ship to touchdown and deploy its cargo before the enemy can retaliate. The Caestus Assault Ram can be upgraded with several enhancements, including Frag Assault Launchers, and a Teleport Homer. When a Caestus Assault Ram is upgraded with a Teleport Homer the craft can allow for additional farces to be teleported to its location, which can greatly speed up the process of taking over or destroying an enemy starship or teleporting Terminators into a breach created during a ground conflict.

Dragonfire Assault Wing
First recorded in the Libris Apollon as being first created during the later years of the Great Crusade, the Dragonfire attack pattern relied on the combined use of three Caestus' Magna-Melta weapons, and the skill of their crews to fly these craft tightly together and firing their weapons in precise timings to create large breaches in enemy hulls and fortifications, few obstacles can stand before the fury of this attack pattern.

Known Users of the Caestus Assault Ram

 * Salamanders - The Salamanders Space Marine Chapter used several Caestus Assault Rams during the Badab War against the Secessionist Forces of the Tyrant of Badab, Lufgt Huron.
 * Minotaurs - The Minotaurs Space Marine Chapter used several Caestus Assault Rams during the Badab War against the Secessionist Forces of the Tyrant of Badab.
 * Astral Claws - The Astral Claws Space Marine Chapter used several Caestus Assault Rams during the Badab War against the Imperium.
 * Star Phantoms - The Star Phantoms Space Marine Chapter used several Caestus Assault Rams during the Badab War against the Secessionist Forces of the Tyrant of Badab.
 * Exorcists - The Exorcists Space Marine Chapter used several Caestus Assault Rams during the Badab War against the Secessionist Forces of the Tyrant of Badab.
 * Space Wolves - The Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter used several Caestus Assault Rams during the Defense of Betalis III against the forces of Craftworld Mymeara.

Known Caestus Assault Rams

 * Sapphire Claw - The Sapphire Claw is a Caestus Assault Ram of the Astral Claws Space Marine Chapter that is attached to the Battle Barge Seraph of Judgement.
 * Burning Angel - The Buring Angel is a Caestus Assault Ram of the Exorcists Space Marine Chapter that is attached to the Battle Barge Redeemer.
 * Amaranth Fang - The Amaranth Fang is a Caestus Assault Ram of the Salamanders Space Marine Chapter that fought during the Battle of Shaprais.
 * Spectre of Death - The Spectre of Death was a Caestus Assault Ram of the Star Phantoms Space Marine Chapter that was destroyed during the Battle for the Palace of Thorns during the Fall of Badab.
 * Gore Dagger - The Gore Dagger was a Caestus Assault Ram of the Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter that was destroyed during the Battle for the Karina Nebula during the Defense of the Imperial Mining World of Betalis III from the forces of Craftworld Mymeara.

Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications
Technical specifications for this vehicle have not been released by the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Also See

 * Imperial Vehicles

Gallery
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