A Plaguereaper of Nurgle, also known as a Chaos Plaguereaper or more simply as a Plaguereaper, is a Chaos-corrupted variant of the Baneblade super-heavy main battle tank used by the Imperium of Mankind's Imperial Guard.
The Plaguereaper is used by the forces of Chaos affiliated with Nurgle, the Chaos God of plague, decay and corruption. The Plaguereaper has been distorted beyond all recognition by the "gifts" bestowed upon it by Nurgle, and has been transformed into a gurgling, fortress surrounded by a cloud of pestilence and disease.
The vehicle features large vats of virulent slime distilled from rotting, plague-ridden corpses mounted on its sides. These large vats are used to feed the tank's main weapon, a massive Pus Cannon. The weapon is connected to the corpse vats via large bulging pipes which fill the weapon will a horrendous concoction of disgusting toxic and corrosive slime.
Armament[]
The Plaguereaper is armed with a large turret-mounted weapon of corruption known as a Pus Cannon in place of the Mega Battle Cannon and coaxial Autocannon used on the standard Baneblade. The Pus Cannon is connected to the vehicle's large vats of rotting and diseased corpses from which it draws its toxic ammunition.
The Pus Cannon fires a stream of highly toxic, infected and corrosive slime that is used to douse swaths of enemy infantry, ensuring them a horrific death. The victims of the Pus Cannon's slime find their skin instantly erupting in weeping, pus-filled boils and their flesh eaten away from within. Any enemy forces that foolishly try to assault the stinking behemoth in close combat will find that the vehicle's internal spaces and external cracks are infested with hordes of Nurglings, the tiny Lesser Daemons of the Plague God.
Nurglings will engage any forces that come near to the Plaguereaper. The enemies killed or captured by Chaos forces using a Plaguereaper will have their corpses added to the vehicle's plague vats, ensuring a steady stream of foul corrupted fluids to be used as ammunition.
The Plaguereaper, being a corrupted Baneblade, still has use of its other standard weapon systems, which include a hull-mounted Demolisher Cannon and a set of twin-linked Heavy Bolters, two sets of sponson-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters, and two top sponson-mounted Lascannons. The vehicle can also be armed with a Pintle-mounted twin-linked Bolter (Combi-bolter) or a Combi-flamer, a Havoc Missile Launcher, a Searchlight, and Smoke Launchers.
If a Plaguereaper is destroyed by enemy forces, the vehicle's vats of infected slime will rupture and spray their contents onto anyone nearby. If the Plaguereaper itself takes enough damage in combat, its corrupted form may explode in a catastrophic explosion, spreading its toxic and infectious gifts of Nurgle even further into the enemy forces.
All Nurgle-aligned forces and daemons caught by the attack of the Pus Cannon as it fires upon the enemy or within the radius of the tank's explosive demise will be immune to the effects and will actually enjoy bathing in the new toxins and diseases sacred to their lord.
Known Plaguereapers[]
The following is a list of known Plaguereapers that have been deployed by the forces of Chaos:
- Bastion of Filth - Bastion of Filth is a Plaguereaper of the Nurgle-aligned Death Guard Traitor Legion which took part in the 9th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler.
- Nurgle's Pustulant Son - Nurgle's Pustulant Son is a Plaguereaper of the Nurgle-aligned Death Guard Traitor Legion which took part in the 9th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler.
- Poxichordia - Poxichordia is a Plaguereaper of the Nurgle-aligned Death Guard Traitor Legion which took part in the 9th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler.
- Mellifluous Volvulus - Mellifluous Volvulus is a Plaguereaper of the Nurgle-aligned Death Guard Traitor Legion which took part in the 9th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler.
Ordo Malleus Departmento Analyticus Data[]
The technical specifications of this vehicle are currently unknown to the savants of the Imperium.
Also See[]
Sources[]
- Warhammer 40,000: Apocalypse (6th Edition) (2013), pg. 172