A Librarian Dreadnought of the Blood Angels Chapter
A Librarian Dreadnought is a variant of the Furioso Dreadnought combat walker used by the Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter and their Successor Chapters. Dreadnoughts are cybernetic combat walkers that house the mortal remains of a fallen Space Marine hero so that he may continue fighting for the Emperor and his Chapter even after his body has been fatally crippled. Librarian Dreadnoughts differ from standard Imperial Dreadnoughts in that their occupants are Astartes Librarians that have been crippled in combat.
Librarians are the psykers of the Adeptus Astartes who survive a Chapter's rigorous screening and training process and learn to bend the powers of the Warp to their will for the benefit of their fellow Battle-Brothers and in service to the Imperium and the Emperor of Mankind. These Dreadnoughts are perhaps the most fearsome of all the Dreadnought variants, as they combine the Librarian's psychic might with the unyielding cybernetic body of a Dreadnought. Librarian Dreadnoughts have the ability to call upon the same psyker powers that they and many of their fellow Astartes Librarians would call upon during combat.
Armament[]
A Librarian Dreadnought of the Blood Angels Chapter
Librarian Dreadnoughts are armed as Furioso Pattern Dreadnoughts in that their armament always consists of two Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon arms. Librarian Dreadnoughts are the only known Dreadnought variant that makes use of Dreadnought Force Weapons, which are larger, Dreadnought-sized versions of the Force Weapons used by Librarian Astartes. Force Weapons are advanced, psychically-attuned close combat weapons that are only effective in the hands of a psyker. Force Weapons effectively act as deadly, psychic extensions or amplifiers of the wielder's own Empyrean-spawned powers.
They are designed to allow a psyker to channel deadly Warp energies into their victim, acting as a conduit between the wielder's mind and the flesh of his target. Large alien monstrosities and daemons that are resilient to conventional weapons can be slain outright by a single wound from a Force Weapon, as their bodies and minds are destroyed by the unearthly powers of the Immaterium. The most common known Dreadnought Force Weapon wielded by Librarian Dreadnoughts is the Dreadnought Force Halberd, although there may be other types used.
The other Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon used by Librarian Dreadnoughts is usually a Bloodfist or a Blood Talon close-combat weapon. These weapons are also outfitted with either an under-slung Storm Bolter, Meltagun, or Heavy Flamer. A Librarian Dreadnought is also outfitted with an in-built Psychic Hood for its former Librarian occupant, to better protect him from other psychic assaults.
Deathwatch Service[]
It is nearly unheard of for Blood Angels Librarian Dreadnoughts to serve in the Deathwatch. This has only occurred under nearly unique circumstances, notably when a Librarian has fallen while standing the Long Watch and a sarcophagus has been available in which to inter his ruined remains. Most Battle-Brothers who fall in such a manner are of course returned to their Chapters, but on a handful of extremely rare occasions the Librarian has insisted he remain at the Watch Fortress, his wishes expressed not through burned and bloodied lips, but through mind speech communicated directly to his brethren.
The spirits of such warriors are invariably so indomitable and mighty that not even the Watch Commander would gainsay their wishes, and the wounded hero is interred with a Dreadnought so that he may continue to stand his Vigil until it is over and his remains may be returned to his homeworld. Some choose to remain long after their Vigil is completed and their Apocryphon Oath discharged, slumbering for centuries on end within the stasis-sealed vaults at the heart of the Watch Station until such times as they are required to fight once more.
Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications[]
| Vehicle Name: | Librarian Dreadnought | Main Armament: | 2 Arm-mounted Dreadnought Close Combat Weapons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forge World of Origin: | Baal | Secondary Armament: | Built-In Weapons (varies) |
| Known Patterns: | Unknown | Traverse: | 360 degrees |
| Crew: | 1 Pilot | Elevation: | -90 to 90 degrees |
| Powerplant: | Thermic Reactor | Main Ammunition: | Unlimited |
| Weight: | 12 Tonnes (approx) | Secondary Ammunition: | Unknown (varies) |
| Length: | 2.2 metres | Armour: | |
| Width: | 3.4 metres | ||
| Height: | 3.7 metres | Superstructure: | 75 millimetres |
| Ground Clearance: | N/A | Hull: | 75 millimetres |
| Max Speed On-Road: | 10 kilometres per hour (approx) | Gun Mantlet: | N/A |
| Max Speed Off-Road: | 5 kilometres per hour (approx) | Vehicle Designation: | Unknown |
| Transport Capacity: | N/A | Firing Ports: | N/A |
| Access Points: | N/A | Turret: | N/A |
See Also[]
Sources[]
- Codex Adeptus Astartes - Blood Angels (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 102-103
- Codex: Blood Angels (5th Edition), pg. 29
- Deathwatch: First Founding (RPG), pp. 39-40