The Deimos Predator Infernus, also known as the Predator Infernus, is a variant of the standard Deimos Predator Destructor main battle tank used by the Space Marine Legions and after the Second Founding by the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. The Deimos Predator Infernus is an ancient and revered design that dates back to the time of the Emperor of Mankind's Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium where it was used by the Space Marine Legions as they conquered the galaxy.
The Deimos Predator design differs from other Predator variants in that its turret and sponson-mounts are eloquently curved to the point that they are almost circular. When first introduced into the forces of the Space Marine Legions, the Deimos Predator Infernus made use of more advanced internal systems and support for technologies that are now lost to the Imperium and to most currently extant versions of this vehicle.
Each and every Deimos Predator was Artificer-crafted by the finest machine-wrights of the great forge-complexes of Mars. The Deimos Predator Infernus is no longer manufactured on a large scale, or at all, as it has been almost entirely replaced by the Mars Pattern Predator which is utilised exclusively by the Adeptus Astartes. However, these vehicles still survive in the Armoury of many Chapters, revered as both relics of the long-forgotten past and as symbols of a Chapter's ancient heritage.
History[]
The Deimos Predator Infernus variant dates back to the Great Crusade where it was fielded by the Space Marine Legions as a relatively common vehicle in support of the Legions' ground infantry. The design is sited in ancient data sources that speculate that the Predator Infernus was an attempt to replicate the Baal Predator Standard Template Construct (STC), stubbornly held by the Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters, and the same conjectural sources imply the superiority of this latter design in terms of speed, armour and armament.
The Predator Infernus has now largely been replaced by the Land Raider Redeemer in many Chapters, although several such as the Crimson Fists, Fire Lords and Subjugators, among others, still value its close-range firepower when combating such xenos hordes as Orks, and in particular it is seeing a resurgence in use amongst those Chapters confronting the Tyranid menace.
Armament[]
The Deimos Predator Infernus replaces the standard Deimos Predator's turret-mounted Autocannon, known as a Predator Autocannon, with a turret-mounted Flamestorm Cannon. The Flamestorm Cannon is a massive, vehicle-sized Flamer. The Predator Infernus was fielded in large numbers by the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade, although by the 41st Millennium it has been mostly replaced in many Chapters with the more heavily armoured Land Raider Redeemer.
It is not recorded in available records if the Infernus variant is exclusive to the Deimos Pattern Predator or if any other Predator pattern, such as the Mars Pattern Mark IVb, which is the most common Predator pattern used in the 41st Millennium, is capable of utilising the Infernus variant's weapons load-out. The Deimos Predator Infernus can also be armed with a turret-mounted Magna-Melta in place of its Flamestorm Cannon. The Megna-Melta is a powerful Melta Weapon that makes use of a miniature fusion reaction to produce a blast of intense, searing heat that is capable of reducing armoured targets to charred scraps of molten slag.
The Deimos Predator Infernus, as with all Predator tanks, can be armed with up to two sponson-mounted weapons including Heavy Bolters, Heavy Flamers, or Lascannons. The tank can be equipped with a variety of Pintle-mounted weaponry, including a Combi-bolter or other Combi-weapon, a Heavy Flamer, a Heavy Bolter, or a Havoc Missile Launcher. The vehicle can also be outfitted with a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, a Dozer Blade, an Auxiliary Drive System, Extra Armour Plating, Armoured Ceramite Plating, or a Machine Spirit (Artificial Intelligence). All Deimos Predator Executioners are equipped with Smoke Launchers and a Searchlight.
It is unknown if the relic Predator Infernus tanks used by Chapters in the 41st Millennium are able to make use of these ancient weapons and upgrades from the time of the Great Crusade, or even if the Infernus variant now in use makes use of the original Deimos Predator chassis or the new Mars Predator chassis as it is unspecified in current Imperial records if the Mars Pattern Predator is capable of making use of the Infernus variant's weapons load-out.
Unit Composition[]
- 1 Relic Deimos Predator Infernus (41st Millennium Only)
- 1-3 Legion Deimos Predators Infernus (31st Millennium Only)
Wargear[]
A Relic Deimos Predator Infernus is armed and equipped with:
- Flamestorm Cannon (Infernus Cannon)
A Relic Deimos Predator Infernus may replace its turret-mounted Flamestorm Cannon with one of the following weapons:
A Relic Deimos Predator Infernus may take one of the following sets of sponson-mounted weapons:
A Relic Deimos Predator Infernus may take one of the following pintle-mounted weapons:
Relic Deimos Predators Infernus may also have a variety of vehicle equipment such as:
Horus Heresy Wargear[]
During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras the Deimos Predators of the Legiones Astartes featured different weapon loadout options than those still found during the 41st Millennium.
A standard Legion Deimos Predator Infernus is armed and equipped with:
A Legion Deimos Predator Infernus may replace its turret-mounted Flamestorm Cannon with the following weapon:
A Legion Deimos Predator Infernus may take one of the following sets of sponson-mounted weapons:
A Legion Deimos Predator Infernus may take one of the following pintle-mounted weapons:
- Twin-linked Bolters (Combi-Bolter)
Legion Deimos Predators Infernus may also have a variety of vehicle equipment such as:
- Auxiliary Drive System
- Machine Spirit (Artificial Intelligence)
When in a squadron of three, one Legion Predator Infernus could be upgraded to the following:
- Squadron Command Tank
Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications[]
Vehicle Name: | Deimos Predator Infernus | Main Armament: | Single Turret-mounted Flamestorm Cannon |
---|---|---|---|
Forge World of Origin: | Deimos (Mars' Moon) (No Longer Constructed at this Forge World, Imprint Held Elsewhere) | Secondary Armament: | 2 Sponson-mounted Heavy Bolters |
Known Patterns: | Deimos | Traverse: | 360 degrees |
Crew: | 1 Driver, 1 Gunner | Elevation: | -15 to 28 degrees |
Powerplant: | Quad Mark IV Adaptable Thermic Combustor Reactor | Main Ammunition: | Unknown |
Weight: | 42 tonnes | Secondary Ammunition: | 1100 Rounds |
Length: | 6.6 metres | Armour: | |
Width: | 6.0 metres with sponsons | ||
Height: | 4.4 metres | Superstructure: | 65 millimetres |
Ground Clearance: | 0.44 metres | Hull: | 55 millimetres |
Max Speed On-Road: | 70 kilometres per hour | Gun Mantlet: | 65 millimetres |
Max Speed Off-Road: | 58 kilometres per hour | Vehicle Designation: | Unknown |
Transport Capacity: | N/A | Firing Ports: | N/A |
Access Points: | N/A | Turret: | N/A |
See Also[]
Sources[]
- Imperial Armour Volume Two, Second Edition - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes, pp. 24, 74-75
- Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pg. 154
- Imperial Armour Volume Thirteen - War Machines of the Lost & The Damned, pp. 31-33
- Imperial Armour Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes (8th Edition), pg. 7
- The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal (Forge World Series) By Alan Bligh, pg. 217
- The Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 176
- The Horus Heresy: Legiones Astartes - Age of Darkness Army List pg. 63
- Forge World Webstore - Deimos Predator Infernus