A Deimos Whirlwind Scorpius outfitted with a Scorpius Multi-Launcher.
The Scorpius Multi-Launcher was an experimental prototype missile launcher system that was originally designed to replace the standard Whirlwind Multiple Missile Launcher used by the various Whirlwind tanks of the Legiones Astartes.
The Scorpius Multi-Launcher was still undergoing battlefield testing at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, and was only fielded on Deimos Whirlwind Scorpius artillery tanks.
The weapon system was created at the request of the Space Wolves Legion to aid in the campaign against the fortified bastion-cities of the xenos Ghassulian Sub-realms. The Scorpius fought alongside the Legion's Predator tanks and proved itself well-suited to high-intensity operations. It was quickly approved for service across the entire Legiones Astartes.
The Scorpius Multi-Launcher used a rotary-style, drum-fed munitions system that was capable of more rapid fire than its predecessor and the rocket munitions used by the launcher system were designed to concentrate their force in a more confined area, greatly increasing their destructive potential. The rockets used implosive warheads that are devastating to armoured infantry and light vehicles.
In the 41st Millennium the ability to manufacture this intricate launcher system and its ammunition has been all but lost, relegating any surviving Deimos Whirlwind Scorpius tanks to all but forgotten relics. However, when called upon, these ancient vehicles remain a potent weapon of war.
Sources[]
- The Horus Heresy - Book Two: Massacre (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 51, 202
- The Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 28, 99
- The Horus Heresy - Book Five: Tempest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 101
- Imperial Armour Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes (8th Edition), pg. 43
- The Horus Heresy: Legiones Astartes - Age of Darkness Army List, pp. 80