The Centaur is a small, armoured utility vehicle that is used in a wide variety of battlefield roles. The Centaur is a common sight both within the armies of the Astra Militarum and those Planetary Defence Forces with sufficient technological knowledge to build them. The Centaur can serve as an Imperial Guard Command Squad transport, a communications vehicle, and a supply vehicle, but is most commonly used as an artillery tow vehicle during prolonged sieges of fixed enemy emplacements.
The vehicle has a normal crew complement of only two -- a driver and a gunner -- but can be crewed by just one in special circumstances. A Centaur can carry up to five passengers in its open-topped crew compartment. Its notoriously robust and powerful engine can run even on low-grade promethium or any type of fossil fuel.
While the Centaur can be used for a large number of logistical purposes on the battlefield, it is most commonly deployed as an artillery tow vehicle. The Centaur's powerful V6-engine allows it to easily pull smaller artillery pieces such as the Heavy Mortar Cannon and the Quad Cannon, even over the broken landscape of an Imperial battlefield. While the Centaur can also tow the much heavier Earthshaker Cannon and Medusa Siege Gun on flat terrain, it lacks the power to fulfill this role on the battlefield.
When not towing artillery pieces, the Centaur is counted amongst the fastest vehicles of the Astra Militarium. Reaching an impressive top speed of 70 kilometres per hour off-road, the Centaur can also be assigned to serve as a transport to a squad of Imperial Guard Grenadiers.
In this configuration, the vehicle is usually modified by the addition of Extra Armour Plating to protect its crew and passengers from enemy fire. The Centaur is generally well appreciated by its crew, not the least because passengers in a Centaur can attach the heavy or special weapons they possess to a mount on the vehicle's front, adding their own firepower to that of the vehicle.
Armament[]
The Centaur is armed with only a single Pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber, but can mount any heavy or special weapons its passengers are carrying. The vehicle can also be upgraded with Camouflage Netting, Extra Armour Plating, a Mine Sweeper, a Dozer Blade, rough terrain modifications, a Searchlight, track guards, and a Smoke Launcher.
Known Regiments That Make Use of Centaurs[]
- The Death Korps of Krieg - Used thousands of Centaurs during the Siege of Vraks and the Orphean War.
Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications[]
Vehicle Name: | Centaur | Main Armament: | Heavy Stubber |
---|---|---|---|
Forge World of Origin: | Vanaheim | Secondary Armament: | N/A |
Known Patterns: | I - XIV | Traverse: | 160 degrees |
Crew: | 1 Driver, 1 Gunner | Elevation: | -22 to 45 degrees |
Powerplant: | Vulcanor 8 Twin Coupled Multi-Fuel | Main Ammunition: | 300 Rounds |
Weight: | 6.2 Tonnes | Secondary Ammunition: | N/A |
Length: | 4.1 metres | Armour: | |
Width: | 3.0 metres | ||
Height: | 2.3 metres | Superstructure: | 80 millimetres |
Ground Clearance: | 0.4 metres | Hull: | 50 millimetres |
Max Speed On-Road: | 110 kilometres per hour | Gun Mantlet: | N/A |
Max Speed Off-Road: | 70 kilometres per hour | Vehicle Designation: | 5657-436-0671-CN71 |
Transport Capacity: | 5 Soldiers | Firing Ports: | N/A |
Access Points: | N/A | Turret: | N/A |
Sources[]
- Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks - Part One, pp. 109-111
- Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part Two
- Imperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks - Part Three
- Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard (Second Edition), pp. 9, 75-79, 258, 267
- Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pg. 194
- Titanicus (Novel) by Dan Abnett