Contemptor-Cortus Dreadnought

The Contemptor-Cortus Class Dreadnought, also known as the Contemptor-Cortus 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. It is unknown if any Contemptor-Cortus Class Dreadnought variants still exist in the modern day Imperium, or if the Space Marine Chapters that may have them would even know the difference between the Cortus and the standard variant Contemptor.

History
The Contemptor-Cortus Dreadnought was first created during the ancient Ullanor Crusade against the Orks, where they were used to replace the battlefield losses in Legion Dreadnoughts which had far outstripped supply. The Cortus Pattern was created from damaged or wrecked examples of the highly successful original Prime Contemptor pattern, and utilised many of the base components. However, many of the more sophisticated systems and sub-systems were replaced with robust - if less potent - replacement systems that could be more easily fabricated in the field by the Legions. The result was a war machine with its own unique strengths and combat characteristics, but also with a non-undeserved reputation for instability.

The Mechanicum however strongly disapproved of this ersatz design, and upon the conclusion of the Ullanor Campaign the Cortus Pattern was phased out almost entirely with surviving examples of the Cortus either being decommissioned or put into permanent slumber. Afterwards the production of new Contemptor-Primes and Castraferrum Dreadnoughts met the shortfall. The Cortus Pattern was well on its way to being nothing more than a footnote in the annals of the Legiones Astartes, eventually to be forgotten altogether. This would not come to pass however, shortly after the great triumph at Ullanor the Horus Heresy would set the galaxy ablaze, and the Contemptor-Cortus would see a resurrection in that grinding civil war. During the Hours Heresy many more Contemptor-Cortus Dreadnought strode into battle, either as newly constructed models or cannibalised from the remains of Primes or Mortis pattern Contemptors, salvaged from wreckage found from allover the galaxy.

Armament
The standard load-out found on a Contemptor-Cortus Class Dreadnought is a set of twin-linked Heavy Bolters attached to one arm and a massive Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon on the other with a built-in twin-linked Bolter. Smoke Launchers and a Searchlight complete the standard weapons load-out. A Contemptor Cortus' standard weapons complement can be replaced with a number of different weapons to suit different tactical needs, including a Multi-melta, a set of twin-linked Autocannons, a Plasma Cannon, a Kheres Pattern Assault Cannon, a set of twin-linked Lascannons, a power-leeching Heavy Conversion Beamer, and a Dreadnought Chainfist with a built-in twin-linked Bolter. A Contemptor Cortus can replace its built-in twin-linked Bolter with a Heavy Flamer, a Plasma Blaster or a Graviton Gun. It can also be outfitted with Extra Armour Plating and a carapace-mounted Havoc Missile Launcher. All Contemptor-Cortus Dreadnoughts are protected by an Atomantic Deflector, which generates a protective gravitic shield around the walker using an advanced Atomantic power core and which provides greater protection from both ranged and melee attacks for the walker. However, when damaged, the Atomantic power generator can overload and result in a devastating miniature atomic explosion which can badly damage nearby allied units.