An ancient pict-capture of a Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyer of the Space Wolves Legion during the Scouring of Prospero
The Deimos Vindicator Tank Destroyer, also known as the Vindicator Laser Destroyer, was a variant of the standard Legiones Astartes Deimos Vindicator, an early pattern of Vindicator siege tank that was used by the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia.
Instead of the usual heavy-calibre Demolisher Cannon, this specialised variant instead utilised the powerful Laser Destroyer Array. This powerful weapon was an ancient variant of Lascannon technology, as the multi-barrelled Laser Destroyer fires a burst of short pulses microseconds apart, which have been designed to bore through the most resilient armour.
History[]
The first Vindicator Tank Destroyers were believed to have been created during the Great Crusade; however, they became much more common during the dark days of the Horus Heresy, and several Legions even took to fielding this variant as a mainline battle tank, proving itself on many occasions as an able tank hunter.
After millennia of brutal warfare across the galaxy, some examples of the Deimos Vindicator Tank Destroyer can still be found within the armouries of various Space Marine Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. As with most ancient vehicles from the Imperium's dark and distant past, the Vindicator Laser Destroyer continues to bring retribution to the enemies of Mankind, but only in the most dire of circumstances, where the risk of its destruction out-weighs the possible consequences.
Armament[]
An ancient pict-capture of an Ultramarines Legion Deimos Vindicator Destroyer during combat
The Deimos Pattern Vindicator Laser Destroyer is armed with a Laser Destroyer Array in place of the standard Demolisher Cannon. The Laser Destroyer Array is a powerful reactor-charged anti-armour Laser Weapon that uses multiple laser generators to fire blasts of coherent energy near-simultaneously, all focused on a single point.
The effect of this weapon is the capability to disintegrate even the densest armour plate in a series of overwhelmingly powerful impacts that hit just micro-seconds apart, allowing the weapon to vaporise an enemy tank in a single blazing volley. The vehicle's troop hold, which was converted to hold the massive Demolisher Shells used by the Demolisher Cannon, now holds the Laser Destroyer's Power Capacitor.
The Power Capacitor is a bulky reactor-charged power capacitor whose energy stores can be used to greatly increase the Laser Destroyer's rate of fire. Stability is required for this overcharged firing, however, and it is possible for the capacitor to overload the vehicle's energy grid with disastrous consequences.
During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy the Deimos Vindicator Destroyer was capable of being outfitted with a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, an Auxiliary Drive System, Extra Armour Plating, Armoured Ceramite Plating, an artificially-intelligent Machine Spirit, a Searchlight, and Smoke Launchers.
The vehicle could be armed with a Pintle-mounted Combi-Bolter, a twin-linked Bolter, a Combi-Weapon, a Heavy Bolter, a Heavy Flamer, a Multi-Melta, or a Havoc Missile Launcher.
The Deimos Vindicator Tank Destroyer could also serve as a Squadron Command Tank. In the 41st Millennium a Deimos Vindicator Tank Destroyer can be outfitted with a Siege Shield or Dozer Blade and a Pintle-mounted Storm Bolter.
Unit Composition[]
- 1 Relic Deimos Vindcator Laser Destroyer (41st Millennium Only)
- 1-3 Legion Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyers (31st Millennium Only)
Wargear[]
A Relic Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyer is armed and equipped with:
- Laser Destroyer Array (Laser Volley Cannon)
- Storm Bolter
- Smoke Launchers
Relic Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyers may also have a variety of vehicle equipment such as:
Horus Heresy Era Wargear[]
During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy the Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyers of the Legiones Astartes featured different load-out options than those still found during the 41st Millennium.
A standard Legion Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyer is armed and equipped with:
- Laser Destroyer Array
- Twin-linked Bolters (Combi-Bolter)
- Searchlight
- Smoke Launchers
A Legion Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyer may take one of the following additional pintle-mounted weapons:
- Twin-linked Bolters (Combi-Bolter)
- Combi-Weapon
- Heavy Bolter
- Heavy Flamer
- Multi-Melta
- Havoc Missile Launcher
Legion Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyers may also have a variety of vehicle equipment such as:
- Dozer Blade
- Mine Plough
- Extra Armour Plating
- Armoured Ceramite Plating
- Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher
- Auxiliary Drive System
- Machine Spirit (Artificial Intelligence)
When in a squadron of three, one Legion Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyer can be upgraded to the following:
- Squadron Command Tank
Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications[]
The Adeptus Mechanicus has not made the technical specifications of the Deimos Vindicator Tank Destroyer publicly available at this time.
Sources[]
- Imperial Armour Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes (8th Edition), pg. 8
- The Horus Heresy: Book One - Betrayal (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 221
- The Horus Heresy: Book Six - Retribution (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 53, 123, 186, 241
- The Horus Heresy - Book Seven: Inferno (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 198
- The Horus Heresy: Legiones Astartes - Crusade Army List (Forge World Series), pg. 57
- The Horus Heresy: Legiones Astartes - Age of Darkness Army List (Forge World Series), pg. 69
- Forge World Webstore - Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyer
- Forge World Webstore - Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyer Rules
Gallery[]
