Sabre Tank Hunter

A Sabre Tank Hunter of the Thousand Sons Space Marines Legion armed with a Neutron Laser Cannon

The Sabre Tank Hunter was an anti-armour variant of the Rhino that was developed and used sometime shortly before or during the Horus Heresy in the 31st Millennium. During this time large tank formations were very common amongst the Space Marine Legions that fought on both sides of that interstellar civil war and so too was the need to combat them. The Sabre Tank Hunter was designed for just such a purpose. The Sabre was armed with a powerful anti-armour weapon known as the Laser Destroyer. This powerful laser weapon gave the Sabre the ability to engage and destroy enemy armoured vehicles at range. The tank was developed in much the same way as the Vindicator Siege Tank, and it is unclear in Imperial records which design was developed first. In any event, it proved remarkably efficient in its role. Like the Vindicator, it was modified to carry a massive weapon in a limited-traverse mount on a heavily-armoured Rhino chassis. While Imperial records are incomplete, it is believed that the Sabre is largely responsible for the dismantling of the massed armour formations once used by the Astartes and the Land Raider being assigned exclusively to Space Marine forces rather than also being employed by the Imperial Guard after the Heresy. Once the Horus Heresy ended, the use of the Sabre began to decline and many of the newly-formed Space Marine Chapters were not provided with any of these vehicles at all, and instead were given Land Raiders and Predators to perform all their anti-armour needs. In addition, the Adeptus Mechanicus' capability to manufacture the Laser Destroyer was nearly lost and only a few Forge Worlds are still capable of building them. Some Forge Worlds began to equip the Sabre with the more common Vanquisher Cannon, and while this allowed the Sabre to keep its role as a powerful tank-hunter, the Vanquisher Cannon was much too heavy for the Rhino chassis to carry, and the ammunition too large for its cramped interior. In the 41st Millennium, the ability to produce Sabres is limited to a handful of Forge Worlds and its complex construction limits the number that can be produced per year. For this reason, many Space Marine Chapters treasure the few that they have and employ them only in situations where their specialised abilities can be utilised to maximum effect. The Vanquisher-armed version of the Sabre is the most common variant, but the Laser Destroyer version can still be seen amongst those few Chapters with the technical know-how to maintain them. The Aurora Space Marine Chapter is known to use both versions and it is speculated that they have enough Sabres in their Armoury to outfit an entire squadron. If true, the Aurora Chapter would have a considerable advantage against any other mechanised formation.

Armament

A Sabre Tank Hunter of the Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter, armed with a Neutron Laser Cannon

The Sabre Tank Hunter is equipped with a powerful Laser Destroyer that is mounted on the front hull and is off-set to the left side of the vehicle to provide increased stability and reduce the overall silhouette of the vehicle for enemy targetting sensors. The tank can also be equipped with a Siege Shield, much like the Vindicator, which gives it forwards protection from enemy attack. The Sabre can also be outfitted with a Vanquisher Cannon, but due to the weight of the weapon and its large shells, it is often too troublesome to be used effectively. There are some Sabres equipped with a Neutron Laser Cannon that is powerful enough to destroy its targets on the molecular level, but this weapon is now only equipped on the Imperial Guard's Valdor Tank Hunter and is extremely difficult to manufacture with the Imperium's current technology base. The Sabre can also be outfitted with a dozerblade if it lacks a Siege Shield, extra armour plating, a Pintle-mounted Storm Bolter, a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, improved communications equipment, a searchlight, and smoke launchers.

Known Users of the Sabre Tank Hunter

• Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter
• Aurora Space Marine Chapter
• Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter
• Thousand Sons Traitor Legion

Notable Deployments of the Sabre Tank Hunter

• Dark Angels - Sometime after the end of the Horus Heresy, the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter had retaken a city from a combined force of Ork Freebooterz and Chaos Renegades, only to be pushed back by Greenskin reinforcements. The Dark Angels fell back over a massive bridge spanning a mile-wide crack in the planetary crust called the Black Gorge. The bridge itself was built out of Adamantium, forged during the Dark Age of Technology, and could not be destroyed. The Dark Angels set up a single squadron of Sabres at a cliff overlooking the bridge, and allowed the Orks to cross much of the bridge before the Sabres began to fire. The sabres destroyed the lead vehicles which blocked off the bridge's front. With the Ork column halted, the Sabres began firing at the column's rear, destroyed several vehicles and blocked their foes' retreat. They then began to slaughter the entire Ork column.

Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications

Sabre Tank Hunter

Vehicle Name:	Sabre	Main Armament:	Laser Destroyer
Forge World of Origin:	Unknown	Secondary Armament:	N/A
Known Patterns:	Unknown	Traverse:	Unknown
Crew:	Unknown	Elevation:	Unknown
Powerplant:	Quad MkII Adaptable Thermic Combustor Reactor	Main Ammunition:	Unknown
Weight:	Unknown	Secondary Ammunition:	N/A
Length:	Unknown	Armour:
Width:	4.5 metres
Height:	3.6 metres	Superstructure:	Unknown
Ground Clearance:	0.44 metres	Hull:	Unknown
Max Speed On-Road:	Unknown	Gun Mantlet:	Unknown
Max Speed Off-Road:	Unknown	Vehicle Designation:	Unknown
Transport Capacity:	N/A	Firing Ports:	Unknown
Access Points:	N/A	Turret:	Unknown

Also See

• Imperial Vehicles

Sources

• White Dwarf 120 (UK), p. 8

Gallery

A Sabre Tank Hunter based on the Rhino Mark I chassis, armed with a Vanquisher Cannon

A Sabre Tank Hunter belonging to the Imperial Fists Space Marine Chapter armed with a Laser Destroyer

A Horus Heresy-era Sabre Tank Hunter that was used by the Imperial Army; it is equipped with a Laser Destroyer, a Siege Shield, extra armour plating, and a pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber