Contemptor-Incaendius Dreadnought

The Contemptor-Incaendius Dreadnought was a unique sub-class of Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought utilised exclusively by the Blood Angels Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras during the 30th And 31st Millennia. What set this type of Contemptor Dreadnought from its peers was its use of an external Incaendius Booster Pack secured to its back that allowed it to be utilised as an elite heavy assault unit in heavily contested drop zones. This enabled the Blood Angels to employ them from low orbit or make a one-off leap right into the heart of their enemy's ranks. It is not known if the Blood Angels Chapter still maintain any examples of this ancient relic class of dreadnought within their Chapter's armoury.

Background
The Contemptor-Incaendius Dreadnought was a sub-class of the Contemptor Dreadnought chassis manufactured only within the Mechanicum enclave that clung to the irradiated surface of Baal's first moon, under ancient treaty with the great Forge World of Anvillus. Similar in most respects to the widely used Contemptor chassis, the Incaendius differed in one key aspect: the external Incaendius Booster Pack secured to its back. This volatile, single-burn magneto-plasma engine was powerful enough to decelerate the Dreadnought in a fall from low orbit or to propel it in a shallow leap at significant velocity despite the bulk of its armour and ceramite endoskeleton. It served the Blood Angels Legion as a shock assault unit of unparalleled ferocity, for the half-dead warrior entombed within suffered none of the disorientation such tactics inflicted on the living.

Most commonly, such vehicles were armed with weapons designed for battle at close ranges, with Flamers and the so-called Talons of Perdition being preferred, though some had been known to employ prototype Iliastus Pattern Assault Cannon. These weapons were well-suited to the Dreadnought's role, which was to secure a heavily contested drop zone for the Blood Angels' infantry that followed on its heels. Those enemies that survived the impact of its arrival were given no opportunity to fortify their position or to fall back in good order.

Unit Composition

 * 1 Contemptor-Incaendius Dreadnought

Wargear

 * 2 Talons of Perdition w/inbuilt Heavy Flamers
 * Smoke Launchers
 * Searchlight
 * Atomantic Shielding
 * Armoured Cermite
 * Incaendius Booster Pack

Optional Wargear
A Contemptor-Incaendius may replace any heave flamer with one of the following:
 * Meltagun
 * Iliastus Pattern Assault Cannon

A Contemptor-Incaendius may replace either of its Talons of Perdition with the following:
 * Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon - This does not change any in-built heavy flamers, meltaguns or Iliastus pattern assault cannon.
 * Extra Armour