A Ragnarok battle tank
The Ragnarok is a heavy main battle tank of the Astra Militarum that is mostly used by the Imperial Guard's siege regiments or when there are no Leman Russ battle tanks available.
The Ragnarok, much like the Siegfried light tank, was first developed by the regiments of the Death Korps of Krieg during the 500-year-long civil war that consumed Krieg out of necessity.
The Ragnarok was the largest and most impressive of the vehicles designed during that conflict and was intended to replace the many Leman Russ tanks that were lost by the Loyalist Krieg forces during their battle against the Traitors.
As the civil war on Krieg ground on and the forces on both sides were drawn into a desperate stalemate marked by bloody attrition, it became clear that the only way to win was through the possession of superior numbers.
The Ragnarok was designed not to be fast but to be able to cross the deadly terrain of no-mans-land and reach the enemy's lines. It was never intended to be used for long-range combat due to the pollution-choked atmosphere of Krieg limiting visibility, but to be easily and quickly built.
The Ragnarok's ease of construction allowed the Loyalists to build so many so quickly that they could crush the enemy with their sheer weight of numbers. The result of this slapdash process was an ugly, slab-sided vehicle that performed above expectations and was a major factor in the Loyalist forces winning the war for Krieg.
As a testament to its solid design and other redeeming qualities, the Ragnarok has been completely restored to service by the Siege Masters of Baran, who still use it to this day and affectionately call it the "Mark 1 Mobile Bunker."
Known Users of the Ragnarok[]
- Death Korps of Krieg - The original designers of the Ragnarok, the Astra Militarum's Death Korps of Krieg regiments created it and used it during their homeworld's 500-year-long civil war. As a result, the Death Korps still deploys it at times when other, more advanced Imperial tanks are not available.
- Astra Militarum Siege Regiments - The Ragnarok has made its way into the reserve forces of some Astra Militarum siege regiments since its creation.
- Baran Siege Masters - The Siege Masters of Baran, the Planetary Defence Forces of the world of Baran, have restored the Ragnarok to service and use it during their battles, affectionately referring to it as the "Mark 1 Mobile Bunker."
Armament[]
Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications[]
Technical Specifications for this vehicle are not available in existing Imperial records.
Trivia[]
The Ragnarok's overall appearance and role was heavily inspired by the Soviet Union's World War II-era Kliment Voroshilov 2 heavy line breaker tank, which sported a massive 152 millimetre howitzer in its oversized boxy turret.
See Also[]
Sources[]
- Epic Armageddon Swordwind supplement, pp. 32, 34-35
- Citadel Catalogue, Specialist Games 2009, pg. 21
Gallery[]
