Flare Shield

A Flare Shield was a piece of highly-specialised equipment that is was used by the Mechanicum of Mars during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, it was described as a directional electromagnetic flux field generator, similar in function to Imperial Void Shields. Flare Shields were only truly understood by the Mechanicum's highest Adepts, and the technology was believed to be a product from the Dark Age of Technology that originated from a source best left forgotten. Flare Shields lack the defensive power of the much larger Void Shields that are used by Titans, yet are capable of deflecting or dispersing glancing or diffuse impacts and shrapnel, they can also reduce the potency of more focused strikes. The main advantage that Flare Shields have over the larger Void Shields is that they can be mounted on much smaller vehicles, so long as the vehicle is equipped with rapid cycling reactors of sufficient power. Flare Shields are found on Mechanicum vehicles such as the Jocasta pattern Grav-attack vehicle and certain classes of Knight walkers, they are also found on vehicles used by other Imperial factions such as the Spartan Assault Tank, Malcador Heavy Tank, Thunderhawk Gunship, and Thunderhawk Transporter of the Legiones Astartes. It is unknown if the Adeptus Mechanicus is able to producing Flare Shield technology in the late 41st Millennium or if the technology has been lost like so much else from the Great Crusade era.