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ArcusStrikeTank03

A Sicaran Arcus Strike Tank of the Blood Angels Legion

The Sicaran Arcus Strike Tank, also known as the Acrus Strike Tank or the Sicaran Arcus is a variant of the standard Sicaran Battle Tank. The Sicaran Battle Tank was an Imperial main battle tank and one of the most advanced armoured vehicles used by the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia.

The Sicaran Arcus variant is one of the more unusual tanks that was available to the Space Marine Legions during the final days of the Great Crusade, along with several other Sicaran variants. Similar to the malevolent Dreadclaw Drop Pod and the sinister Cerastus Knight-Atrapos, the Arcus Strike Tank has a shadowed past, viewed by the Mechanicum for reasons unknown as a slight against the Omnissiah.

As a result, the current Adepts of the Machine God refuse to produce or repair these vehicles and without their ministrations, these advanced support platforms have degenerated, their advanced armaments replaced with more common rotary launchers and the stocks of its rare warheads having dwindled away.

The Arcus variant of the Sicaran is a fast strike tank, replacing the standard Sicaran's twin-linked set of the highly sophisticated Herakles Pattern Accelerator Autocannons with a set of twin-linked Arcus Launchers or a set of twin-linked Rotary Missile Launchers.

History[]

The Arcus Strike Tank was originally part of a program once initiated by the Primarch of the Ultramarines Legion, Roboute Guilliman, who sought to grant a Legion strike force access to highly specialised weapon systems without the need to employ numerous vehicles for each role.

The Sicaran hull was chosen to mount the newly developed Arcus Launcher, which was capable of deploying with a wide range of warheads, each crafted to fulfil a distinct tactical niche during combat. The Arcus was intended to become the cornerstone of a new tactical doctrine the Master of Ultramar had begun to formulate, allowing small Legiones Astartes forces to operate without extensive support and in smaller numbers than during the Great Crusade.

Despite production of the Arcus being limited to a few prototype vehicles at the onset of the Horus Heresy, and the doctrinal issues that kept it out of production on most major Forge Worlds, a number of Legion homeworlds produced small numbers of this variant. Of particular note is the inclusion of the Neutron-flux Warheads, a Terran development dating back to the years prior to Terra's alliance with Mars. This weapon saturates the silica stratum of the Cybernetica Cortex employed by Mechanicum Automata with xenon, causing terminal cascade failures in those systems. The continued production of these weapons is believed to be the cause of the Mechanicum's refusal to sanction the Arcus Pattern and its belief that the variant was heretical, and its inevitable downfall.

In the 41st Millennium[]

The Arcus Strike Tank, like the base Sicaran and its myriad variants are now a long-forgotten part of the Imperium's distant past. These vehicles are only found now deep within the relic chambers of those few Adeptus Astartes Chapters that are lucky enough to have them at all. Its Machine Spirit (artificial intelligence) slumbers fitfully in the relic chambers where it is kept, and when awoken appears haunted by the dire events of the Horus Heresy.

The Sicaran Arcus is possessed of some of the most advanced and therefore ill-understood machine systems, and it is the subject of deep-rooted awe and superstition, even amongst the most venerable Masters of the Forge. Even when held in stasis, the Sicaran Arcus must be ministered to constantly by its overseers, never less than a score of servo-lectors combining their efforts to ensure the machine's continued rest, as should the Sicaran awake before being called, its Machine Spirit is prone to behave in an unpredictable manner.

When the Arcus is used by the Space Marine Chapters that retain examples of this rare pattern in the 41st Millennium, it can be found racing forwards to saturate a target area with incendiary devices of a more commonplace provenance and using its renowned speed to escape unscathed, enabling them to clear otherwise redoubtable bunkers and fortresses with brutal efficiency.

Armament[]

ArcusLauncher01

The original Arcus Launcher of the Sicaran Arcus Strike Tank

The Arcus Strike Tank was one of the most advanced support platforms available to the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade, however without the support of the ancient Mechanicum to produce and repair the vehicle's Arcus Launchers they were eventually replaced with more common Rotary Missile Launchers.

The original Arcus Launchers were capable of deploying a wide range of warheads, each crafted to fulfil a distinct tactical niche during combat. Without the Mechanicum's continued support it is assumed that very few, if any original Arcus Launchers still exist in the 41st Millennium, and that any Arcus Strike Tanks that are still usable are all armed with Rotary Missile Launchers.

The Sicaran Arcus is also armed with a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter and two sponson-mounted weapons, which can be either Heavy Bolters or Lascannons. The vehicle can also be outfitted with a Pintle-mounted Weapon, a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, Extra Armour Plating, a Dozer Blade, an Auxiliary Drive System, Armoured Ceramite Plating, a Searchlight, or Smoke Launchers.

Unit Composition[]

  • 1 Relic Sicaran Arcus Strike Tank (41st Millennium Only)
  • 1 Legion Sicaran Arcus Strike Tank (31st Millennium Only)

Wargear[]

A standard Relic Sicaran Arcus is armed and equipped with:

A Relic Sicaran Arcus Strike Tank may also be armed with the following sponson weapons:

A Relic Sicaran Arcus may take one of the following pintle-mounted weapons:

Relic Sicaran Arcus Strike Tanks may also have vehicle equipment such as:

Horus Heresy Wargear[]

During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy the Sicaran Battle Tanks of the Legiones Astartes featured different weapons loadout options than those still found during the 41st Millennium.

A standard Legion Sicaran Arcus is armed and equipped with:

A Legion Sicaran Arcus Strike Tank may also be armed with the following sets of sponson weapons, two weapons per set:

A Legion Sicaran Arcus may take one of the following pintle-mounted weapons:

Legion Sicaran Arcus Strike Tanks may also have a variety of vehicle equipment such as:

A Legion Sicaran Arcus armed with an Arcus Launcher may also have a variety warheads such as:

Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications[]

Sicarian Arcus Strike Tank
Vehicle Name: Sicarian Arcus Strike Tank Main Armament: Turrent-mounted Arcus Launcher or Rotary Missile Launcher
Forge World of Origin: Unknown Secondary Armament: Hull-mounted Heavy Bolter, Sponson-mounted Lascannons
Known Patterns: Unknown Traverse: 360 degrees
Crew: 1 Driver, 1 Gunner Elevation: -8 to 8 degrees (Approx.)
Powerplant: Uncodified Open Core Plasma Ioniser Main Ammunition: Unknown
Weight: 65 Tonnes (Approx.) Secondary Ammunition: 1400 rounds (Heavy Bolter), Unlimited cell (Lascannon)
Length: 8.2 metres Armour:
Width: 7 metres
Height: 4.85 metres (Approx.) Superstructure: 80 millimetres
Ground Clearance: 0.32 metres Hull: 70 millimetres
Max Speed On-Road: 74 kilometres per hour (Approx.) Gun Mantlet: 80 millimetres
Max Speed Off-Road: 58 kilometres per hour (Approx.) Vehicle Designation: Unknown
Transport Capacity: None Firing Ports: None
Access Points: N/A Turret: 80 millimetres (Approx.)

Sources[]

Gallery[]

Space Marine Forces
Chapter Command Chapter MasterMaster of the KeepMaster of SanctityChief LibrarianMaster of the ApothecarionMaster of the ForgeMaster of the WatchMaster of the FleetMaster of the ArsenalMaster of the MarchesMaster of the RitesMaster of RelicsChief VictuallerLord ExecutionerMaster of RecruitsMaster of ReconnaissanceMaster of the SignalChapter AncientPrimaris AncientChapter ChampionHonour Guard
Company Command Command SquadReclusiam Command SquadCaptainPrimaris CaptainLieutenantPrimaris LieutenantCompany AncientCompany Champion
Specialists Librarian (EpistolaryCodicierLexicaniumPrimaris LibrarianVanguard Librarian) • Chaplain (ReclusiarchPrimaris ChaplainJudiciar) • Apothecary (Primaris ApothecaryApothecary BiologisHelix Adept) • Techmarine
Veteran Squads Veteran Marines (Sternguard VeteranVanguard VeteranVeteran IntercessorVeteran Assault IntercessorBladeguard Veteran) • Terminator SquadTerminator Assault Squad
Battleline Squads Tactical SquadIntercessor Squad (Heavy Intercessor Squad) • Infiltrator Squad
Close Support Squads Assault SquadAssault Intercessor SquadJump Pack Intercessor SquadInceptor SquadReiver SquadIncursor SquadSuppressor SquadBike SquadOutrider SquadCenturion Assault Squad
Fire Support Squads Aggressor SquadDesolation SquadDevastator SquadHellblaster SquadEradicator SquadEliminator SquadInfernus SquadCenturion Devastator Squad
Neophyte Squads Scout SquadScout Bike Squad
Light Vehicles Assault BikeAttack BikeScout BikeRaider Pattern Combat BikeInvader ATVLand Speeder (Land Speeder StormLand Speeder TempestLand Speeder TornadoLand Speeder TyphoonLand Speeder VengeanceLand Speeder ProteusDarkshroud) • Storm Speeder (Storm Speeder HailstrikeStorm Speeder HammerstrikeStorm Speeder Thunderstrike)
Combat Walkers Dreadnought (Castraferrum DreadnoughtSiege DreadnoughtHellfire DreadnoughtIronclad DreadnoughtVenerable DreadnoughtMortis DreadnoughtChaplain DreadnoughtLibrarian DreadnoughtFurioso DreadnoughtDeath Company DreadnoughtRedemptor Dreadnought (Brutalis DreadnoughtBallistus Dreadnought) • Wulfen DreadnoughtDoomglaive Dreadnought) • Nemesis DreadknightInvictor Tactical Warsuit
Armoured Personnel Carriers RhinoRazorbackDamocles Command RhinoRhino PrimarisRhino AdvancerImpulsor
Main Battle Tanks Predator Destructor (Predator AnnihilatorBaal Predator) • Land Raider (Land Raider PhobosLand Raider CrusaderLand Raider RedeemerLand Raider AchillesLand Raider PrometheusLand Raider Terminus UltraLand Raider AresLand Raider ExcelsiorLand Raider Wrath of MjalnarLand Raider Angel InfernusLand Raider Solemnus AggressorLand Raider Anvilarum) • Deimos Vindicator Laser DestroyerRepulsorRepulsor ExecutionerGladiator (Gladiator ReaperGladiator ValiantGladiator Lancer) • Astraeus
Artillery WhirlwindVindicatorStalkerHunterWhirlwind HyperiosLand Raider HeliosThunderfire CannonFirestrike Servo-turret
Aircraft/Air-Deployed StormtalonThunderhawkThunderhawk TransporterShadowhawkStormravenStorm EagleFire RaptorStormhawk InterceptorCaestus Assault RamDark TalonNephilim JetfighterStormfangStormwolfCorvus BlackstarOverlordDrop PodHammerfall Bunker
Rare, Relic or Retired Vehicles Contemptor Pattern DreadnoughtDeredeo Pattern DreadnoughtCerberus Heavy Tank DestroyerLeviathan DreadnoughtJavelin Attack SpeederJetbikeDeimos PredatorDeimos RhinoSabre Tank HunterLand Raider ProteusKratos Heavy Assault TankMark IIb Land Raider PhobosMalcador Assault Tank (Malcador Annihilator) • Sicaran Battle TankSicaran VenatorSicaran Punisher Assault TankSicaran Arcus Strike TankSicaran Omega Tank DestroyerSpartan Assault TankTyphon Heavy Siege TankFellbladeFalchionMastodonDeimos Whirlwind ScorpiusXiphon Pattern InterceptorStormbirdKharybdis Assault Claw
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