Fire Raptor

The Fire Raptor Gunship, also known simply as the Fire Raptor, is a specialised variant of the Storm Eagle Gunship and was first used by the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade. The Fire Raptor replaces the storage capacity of the Storm Eagle to maximize ammunition stowage in order to feed the voracious appetite of its numerous weapon systems. The Fire Raptor is usually deployed as heavy support for landing Astartes transports, such as the Thunderhawk Gunship, and during Drop Pod assaults.

The Fire Raptor Gunship is no longer a common sight within the armouries of the Astartes and has largely vanished from the machine canon of the Adeptus Mechanicus for many thousands of years. In the 41st Millennium the Fire Raptor Gunship is slowly being fielded in increasing numbers across countless war zones, suggesting that an as-yet unidentified Adeptus Mechanicus Forge World or Adeptus Astartes Chapter Forge that has come into possession of a complete Standard Template Construct (STC) imprint. A small number of far older Fire Raptors, some dating back to the Great Crusade, are known to exist within the armouries of a very small number of Chapters, precious relics of the lost age of glory that was so cruelly curtailed when the galaxy was consumed by the raging fires of the Horus Heresy. These craft are only ever used during the most dire of circumstances, as they are true relics and are greatly revered by their Chapter. Only the sanctioned blessings of a senior officer, such as an Interrogator-Chaplain, Reclusiarch, Master of the Forge, or a Rune Priest can give the order to endanger one of these ancient relics. The Fire Raptor is also found in small numbers within the armouries of the Chaos Space Marine Legions and Renegade Space Marine Chapters, some being relics from the Horus Heresy, and others being captured or scavenged from the battlefield. Many times these ancient vehicles will remain hidden away within a Chaos armoury until a Warpsmith allows it to be used in combat.

Armament
The Fire Raptor Gunship carries a formidable range of heavy weaponry, most destructive of which is its nose-mounted twin-linked Avenger Bolt Cannons. The craft is also armed with two waist-mounted ball turrets, each manually operated by a Space Marine gunner, allowing them to engage targets independently of the vehicle’s main weapons. These weapons can include Quad Heavy Bolters, twin-linked Autocannons, or if the Fire Raptor comes from the dark armouries of the Chaos Space Marines it may be armed with a Reaper Battery. The craft is also armed with four wing-mounted Hellstrike Missiles, or if it is a Blood Angel's craft it can be armed with Revelation-class Warhead Battery. The Fire Raptor Gunship is also equipped with a Machine Spirit and extra armour plating. A Chaos Fire Raptor Gunship can have its Machine Spirit replaced with a slaved Warp Daemon.

Variants
The Fire Raptor Gunship is known to have at least one variant:
 * Fire Raptor Destroyer - The Fire Raptor Destroyer is a variant of the Fire Raptor Gunship. There is no information listed in Imperial records about the differences between the Destroyer variant and the standard Fire Raptor Gunship.

Gallery
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