Warhammer 40k Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Warhammer 40k Wiki
DG Land Raider Spartan Istvaan III

A Spartan Assault Tank of the Death Guard Legion during the Istvaan III Atrocity

The Spartan Assault Tank, sometimes referred to as the Land Raider Spartan, is a heavy-assault transport that was originally used by the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, and later by the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes that still possess them in their armoury.

The Spartan is a massive vehicle, and is one of the largest ground vehicles ever used by the Space Marines, smaller only than their ancient super-heavy vehicles such as the Mastodon, Fellblade, and Falchion. The Spartan also has the largest carrying capacity of all non-super-heavy vehicles, with the ability to carry 25 Power Armoured Space Marines or 12 Astartes in Terminator Armour.

The Spartan is an extremely durable and completely sealed assault transport armed with heavy weapons and possessed of a high transport capacity, but the true genius of the Spartan is that the greater proportion of its interior space is given over to carrying capacity, and yet the vehicle's engine and drive system still allows it to travel at speeds much higher than that of similar-sized transports, such as the Gorgon used by the Imperial Army and the Astartes' own Mastodon.

The Spartan Assault Tank was used by most, if not all of the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, and after the Legions were broken down into Chapters during the Second Founding many of the newly-formed Space Marine units retained several of these vehicles in their armouries. It is unknown if the Adeptus Mechanicus is able to build new Spartan Assault Tanks in the late 41st Millennium or if the technology has been lost like so much else from the Great Crusade era.

History[]

The Spartan Assault Tank was designed by the Mechanicum of Mars for the Space Marine Legions as a way to carry their Terminators into combat. This was because the Land Raider Proteus, the only Land Raider the Space Marine Legions had access to early in the Great Crusade, was unable to carry the bulk of Terminators and a way to carry these highly-effective warriors quickly into combat was needed.

One tale says that the Spartan was designed specifically so that an Astartes strike force could cross a region ablaze with raging plasma fires, referred to as the Ring of Death. The Space Marines amassed their Terminators and used the first Spartans to carry them across this region, losing all but a fraction of the Terminator Squads. The sacrifice proved not in vain though as the battle was eventually won, and a new war machine was born in its aftermath.

Armament[]

SpartanAssaultTank01

A Spartan Assault Tank of the Death Guard Legion during the Great Crusade

The Spartan Assault Tank is heavily-armed with powerful weaponry, and is more than capable of defending itself from an attack. The Spartan is a powerful war machine in its own right, as it is fully capable of destroying entire squads of enemy infantry or tanks with its heavy weapons. The Spartan is armed with two sponson-mounted Quad-Lascannons, one on each side of the tank, and a single, hull-mounted, forward-firing twin-linked Heavy Bolter. The tank's Quad-Lascannons are able to make quick work of most armoured vehicles, and its twin-linked Heavy Bolters are used to provide covering fire for disembarking troops.

The Spartan can replace its Quad-Lascannons for Laser Destroyer Arrays, which are useful against both enemy heavy armour and infantry. The Spartan is also always equipped with both a Searchlight and Smoke Launchers, but can also be equipped with a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, an auxiliary drive system that can be used if the vehicle's main drive system is damaged or destroyed, a Flare Shield, an extra layer of armoured ceramite for increased protection at the cost of speed, and a dozer blade for clearing debris and mines.

The tank can also be outfitted with a Pintle-mounted weapon, such as a Storm Bolter, a Heavy Flamer, or a Multi-Melta. During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, the Spartan Assault Tank could have been armed with other weapons such as a Combi-Bolter, another Combi-weapon, or a Havoc Missile Launcher. The Spartan can also have Frag Assault Launchers attached to its front, on either side of the front debarkation ramp, to blast the targeted area with shrapnel before its cargo of troops disembark.

Like all Land Raiders and their variants, the Spartan Assault Tank is equipped with a powerful Machine Spirit (artificial intelligence), which is capable of taking control of the vehicle and its weapons if the crew is killed or otherwise unable to operate the vehicle.

Unit Composition[]

  • 1 Relic Spartan Assault Tank (41st Millennium Only)
  • 1 Legion Spartan Assault Tank (31st Millennium Only)

Wargear[]

A Relic Spartan Assault Tank is armed and equipped with:

A Relic Spartan Assault Tank may replace its sponson-mounted Quad Lascannons with the following weapons:

A Relic Spartan Assault Tank may replace its set of hull-mounted, twin-linked Heavy Bolters with one of the following weapons:

A Relic Spartan Assault Tank may take one of the following pintle-mounted weapons:

Horus Heresy Wargear[]

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

A standard Legion Spartan Assault Tank is armed and equipped with:

A Legion Spartan Assault Tank may replace its sponson-mounted Quad Lascannons with the following weapons:

A Legion Spartan Assault Tank may replace its set of hull-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters with the following weapons:

A Legion Spartan Assault Tank may take one of the following pintle-mounted weapons:

Legion Spartan Assault Tank may also have a variety of vehicle equipment such as:

Variants[]

The Spartan Assault Tank has several different variants, including the following:

  • Typhon Heavy Siege Tank - The Typhon Heavy Siege Tank is a variant of the Spartan Assault Tank that was designed to be used during sieges and is equipped with a powerful siege weapon known as the Dreadhammer Siege Cannon. The Typhon was developed by the Mechanicum during the Great Crusade in response to a request by the Primarch of the Iron Warriors Legion, Perturabo, for an Astartes vehicle that could quickly deploy heavy, fortress-breaking firepower to the front lines, so that no time would be lost waiting for the Imperial Army's slow artillery batteries.
  • Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer - The Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer was a rare experimental variant of the Spartan Assault Tank. The Cerberus was designed by the Mechanicum to use the massive internal space of the Spartan's chassis to mount a Neutron Laser Projector, a more powerful and unstable variant of the Neutron Laser Cannon that would later be used by the Astartes' Sabre Tank Hunters and the Valdor Tank Hunters of the Imperial Army. It is believed that the Neutron Laser Battery was scaled down to create the smaller, and more stable, Neutron Laser Cannon. As the Cerberus was used to field-test the first Neutron-based weaponry, they were not as widely mass-produced as the other Spartan variants.
  • Land Raider Phobos - Although the Land Raider Phobos does not use the Spartan's chassis, many of the design features of the Spartan, and the older Land Raider Proteus, would be incorporated into the the first Land Raider that could transport Terminators. Sometime during the latter half of the Great Crusade the Mechanicum developed the Land Raider Phobos as the primary replacement for the Land Raider Proteus. The Land Raider Phobos takes the best of both the Land Raider Proteus and the Spartan Assault Tank's designs. As a testament to the robust nature of this design, the Land Raider Phobos is still used by every single Space Marine Chapter after nearly 10,000 standard years, and has even spawned many common variants of its own.
  • Chaos Spartan Assault Tank - The Spartan Assault Tank was used on both sides of the Horus Heresy, and after the death of Horus at the hands of the Emperor the surviving Traitor Primarchs and their Legions fled Imperial space, most to the Eye of Terror. These Legions took their Spartan Assault Tanks with them, where they would be corrupted and twisted by the malign powers of the Warp. Spartan Assault Tanks used by the Traitor Legions are armed with weaponry no longer used by the Imperium, such as Reaper Autocannons, Havoc Missile Launchers, and Pintle-mounted Combi-Weapons. The vehicle's crew may even be permanently fused to the vehicle itself, or the tank may be controlled by Daemons.

Known Users of the Spartan Assault Tank[]

The following are the known users of the Spartan Assault Tank:

  • Space Marine Legions - The Spartan Assault Tank was used by most, if not all, of the original Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. Some Legions, such as the Death Guard and the Sons of Horus, made especially extensive use of the Spartan tank.
  • Second Founding Chapters - When the Space Marine Legions were broken up into 1,000 man Chapters during the Second Founding any Spartan Assault Tanks that survived the Horus Heresy and the Great Scouring were divided up and given to these newly formed Chapters. It is unknown if the present day Adeptus Mechanicus is able to build new Spartans or if the technology has been lost.
  • Chaos Space Marine Legions - After the death of Horus Lupercal at the end of the Horus Heresy, the nine Traitor Legions either fled to the Eye of Terror or into uncharted space, taking any surviving Spartans with them. Chaos Spartan Assault Tanks are corrupted and twisted by their exposure to the Warp, yet this has not negatively affected the vehicle's performance or capacity for destruction in any way.

Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications[]

Spartan Assault Tank
Vehicle Name: Spartan Assault Tank Main Armament: 2 Sponson-mounted Quad-Lascannons
Forge World of Origin: Anvilus XI Secondary Armament: Hull-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters
Known Patterns: I - VI Traverse: 180 degrees
Crew: One Driver, One Gunner Elevation: -32 to 55 degrees
Powerplant: Antomantic Core with Auxiliary Reactor Main Ammunition: Unlimited; cell power feed
Weight: 165 tonnes Secondary Ammunition: 800 Rounds
Length: 10 metres Armour:
Width: 6.1 metres w/ Sponsons
Height: 5 metres Superstructure: 95 millimetres
Ground Clearance: 0.5 metres Hull: 95 millimetres
Max Speed On-Road: 45 kilometres per hour Gun Mantlet: N/A
Max Speed Off-Road: 38 kilometres per hour Vehicle Designation: Unknown
Transport Capacity: 25 Space Marines or 12 Terminators Firing Ports: Unknown
Access Points: 1 Front Assault Ramp, 2 Side Doors Turret: N/A

See Also[]

Sources[]

  • The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 24-25, 32-33, 54, 57, 125, 135, 222
  • The Horus Heresy - Book Two: Massacre (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 101
  • The Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 98-99, 135, 146-147, 173, 182, 252
  • The Horus Heresy - Book Four: Conquest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 32-33
  • The Horus Heresy - Book Five: Tempest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 102-103
  • The Horus Heresy - Book Six: Retribution (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 100-101
  • The Horus Heresy - Book Seven: Inferno (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 49, 65
  • The Horus Heresy: Legiones Astartes - Age of Darkness Army List, pg. 70
  • Imperial Armour Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes (8th Edition), pg. 17
  • Imperial Armour Volume Two (Second Edition) - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes, pp. 24, 116-119
  • Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pp. 54-55, 156
  • White Dwarf 119 (UK), "Spartan: Land Raider Variant for Terminator Transport", pp. 60-64

Gallery[]

Space Marine Forces
Chapter Command Chapter Master ā€¢ Master of the Keep ā€¢ Master of Sanctity ā€¢ Chief Librarian ā€¢ Master of the Apothecarion ā€¢ Master of the Forge ā€¢ Master of the Watch ā€¢ Master of the Fleet ā€¢ Master of the Arsenal ā€¢ Master of the Marches ā€¢ Master of the Rites ā€¢ Master of Relics ā€¢ Chief Victualler ā€¢ Lord Executioner ā€¢ Master of Recruits ā€¢ Master of Reconnaissance ā€¢ Master of the Signal ā€¢ Chapter Ancient ā€¢ Primaris Ancient ā€¢ Chapter Champion ā€¢ Honour Guard
Company Command Command Squad ā€¢ Reclusiam Command Squad ā€¢ Captain ā€¢ Primaris Captain ā€¢ Lieutenant ā€¢ Primaris Lieutenant ā€¢ Company Ancient ā€¢ Company Champion
Specialists Librarian (Epistolary ā€¢ Codicier ā€¢ Lexicanium ā€¢ Primaris Librarian ā€¢ Vanguard Librarian) ā€¢ Chaplain (Reclusiarch ā€¢ Primaris Chaplain ā€¢ Judiciar) ā€¢ Apothecary (Primaris Apothecary ā€¢ Apothecary Biologis ā€¢ Helix Adept) ā€¢ Techmarine
Veteran Squads Veteran Marines (Sternguard Veteran ā€¢ Vanguard Veteran ā€¢ Veteran Intercessor ā€¢ Veteran Assault Intercessor ā€¢ Bladeguard Veteran) ā€¢ Terminator Squad ā€¢ Terminator Assault Squad
Battleline Squads Tactical Squad ā€¢ Intercessor Squad (Heavy Intercessor Squad) ā€¢ Infiltrator Squad
Close Support Squads Assault Squad ā€¢ Assault Intercessor Squad ā€¢ Jump Pack Intercessor Squad ā€¢ Inceptor Squad ā€¢ Reiver Squad ā€¢ Incursor Squad ā€¢ Suppressor Squad ā€¢ Bike Squad ā€¢ Outrider Squad ā€¢ Centurion Assault Squad
Fire Support Squads Aggressor Squad ā€¢ Desolation Squad ā€¢ Devastator Squad ā€¢ Hellblaster Squad ā€¢ Eradicator Squad ā€¢ Eliminator Squad ā€¢ Infernus Squad ā€¢ Centurion Devastator Squad
Neophyte Squads Scout Squad ā€¢ Scout Bike Squad
Light Vehicles Assault Bike ā€¢ Attack Bike ā€¢ Scout Bike ā€¢ Raider Pattern Combat Bike ā€¢ Invader ATV ā€¢ Land Speeder (Land Speeder Storm ā€¢ Land Speeder Tempest ā€¢ Land Speeder Tornado ā€¢ Land Speeder Typhoon ā€¢ Land Speeder Vengeance ā€¢ Land Speeder Proteus ā€¢ Darkshroud) ā€¢ Storm Speeder (Storm Speeder Hailstrike ā€¢ Storm Speeder Hammerstrike ā€¢ Storm Speeder Thunderstrike)
Combat Walkers Dreadnought (Castraferrum Dreadnought ā€¢ Siege Dreadnought ā€¢ Hellfire Dreadnought ā€¢ Ironclad Dreadnought ā€¢ Venerable Dreadnought ā€¢ Mortis Dreadnought ā€¢ Chaplain Dreadnought ā€¢ Librarian Dreadnought ā€¢ Furioso Dreadnought ā€¢ Death Company Dreadnought ā€¢ Redemptor Dreadnought (Brutalis Dreadnought ā€¢ Ballistus Dreadnought) ā€¢ Wulfen Dreadnought ā€¢ Doomglaive Dreadnought) ā€¢ Nemesis Dreadknight ā€¢ Invictor Tactical Warsuit
Armoured Personnel Carriers Rhino ā€¢ Razorback ā€¢ Damocles Command Rhino ā€¢ Rhino Primaris ā€¢ Rhino Advancer ā€¢ Impulsor
Main Battle Tanks Predator Destructor (Predator Annihilator ā€¢ Baal Predator) ā€¢ Land Raider (Land Raider Phobos ā€¢ Land Raider Crusader ā€¢ Land Raider Redeemer ā€¢ Land Raider Achilles ā€¢ Land Raider Prometheus ā€¢ Land Raider Terminus Ultra ā€¢ Land Raider Ares ā€¢ Land Raider Excelsior ā€¢ Land Raider Wrath of Mjalnar ā€¢ Land Raider Angel Infernus ā€¢ Land Raider Solemnus Aggressor ā€¢ Land Raider Anvilarum) ā€¢ Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyer ā€¢ Repulsor ā€¢ Repulsor Executioner ā€¢ Gladiator (Gladiator Reaper ā€¢ Gladiator Valiant ā€¢ Gladiator Lancer) ā€¢ Astraeus
Artillery Whirlwind ā€¢ Vindicator ā€¢ Stalker ā€¢ Hunter ā€¢ Whirlwind Hyperios ā€¢ Land Raider Helios ā€¢ Thunderfire Cannon ā€¢ Firestrike Servo-turret
Aircraft/Air-Deployed Stormtalon ā€¢ Thunderhawk ā€¢ Thunderhawk Transporter ā€¢ Shadowhawk ā€¢ Stormraven ā€¢ Storm Eagle ā€¢ Fire Raptor ā€¢ Stormhawk Interceptor ā€¢ Caestus Assault Ram ā€¢ Dark Talon ā€¢ Nephilim Jetfighter ā€¢ Stormfang ā€¢ Stormwolf ā€¢ Corvus Blackstar ā€¢ Overlord ā€¢ Drop Pod ā€¢ Hammerfall Bunker
Rare, Relic or Retired Vehicles Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought ā€¢ Deredeo Pattern Dreadnought ā€¢ Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer ā€¢ Leviathan Dreadnought ā€¢ Javelin Attack Speeder ā€¢ Jetbike ā€¢ Deimos Predator ā€¢ Deimos Rhino ā€¢ Sabre Tank Hunter ā€¢ Land Raider Proteus ā€¢ Kratos Heavy Assault Tank ā€¢ Mark IIb Land Raider Phobos ā€¢ Malcador Assault Tank (Malcador Annihilator) ā€¢ Sicaran Battle Tank ā€¢ Sicaran Venator ā€¢ Sicaran Punisher Assault Tank ā€¢ Sicaran Arcus Strike Tank ā€¢ Sicaran Omega Tank Destroyer ā€¢ Spartan Assault Tank ā€¢ Typhon Heavy Siege Tank ā€¢ Fellblade ā€¢ Falchion ā€¢ Mastodon ā€¢ Deimos Whirlwind Scorpius ā€¢ Xiphon Pattern Interceptor ā€¢ Stormbird ā€¢ Kharybdis Assault Claw
Chaos Space Marine Forces
Command Chaos Lord ā€¢ Exalted Champion ā€¢ Chaos Champion ā€¢ Aspiring Champion ā€¢ Sorcerer Lord ā€¢ Daemon Prince ā€¢ Daemon Prince of Nurgle ā€¢ Daemon Prince of Tzeentch ā€¢ Death Guard Lord
Specialists Exalted Sorcerer ā€¢ Sorcerer ā€¢ Warpsmith ā€¢ Dark Apostle ā€¢ Master of Possession ā€¢ Master of Executions ā€¢ Lord Discordant ā€¢ Warsmith ā€¢ Death Guard Sorcerer ā€¢ Lord of Contagion ā€¢ Malignant Plaguecaster ā€¢ Plague Surgeon ā€¢ Tallyman ā€¢ Scarab Occult Sorcerer ā€¢ Scarab Occult Terminators
Troops Chaos Space Marines ā€¢ Havocs ā€¢ Chosen ā€¢ Chaos Terminators ā€¢ Possessed ā€¢ Greater Possessed ā€¢ Khorne Berzerkers ā€¢ Plague Marines ā€¢ Noise Marines ā€¢ Rubric Marines ā€¢ Obliterators ā€¢ Mutilators ā€¢ Chaos Spawn ā€¢ Fallen Angels ā€¢ Noxious Blightbringer ā€¢ Foul Blightspawn ā€¢ Biologus Putrifier ā€¢ Blightlord Terminators ā€¢ Deathshroud
Fast Attack Chaos Space Marine Bikers ā€¢ Chaos Space Marine Raptors ā€¢ Warp Talons
Chaos Dreadnoughts Helbrute ā€¢ Ferrum Infernus Dreadnought ā€¢ Chaos Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought ā€¢ Sonic Dreadnought ā€¢ Berserker Dreadnought ā€¢ Leviathan Dreadnought
Vehicles and Daemon Engines Chaos Rhino ā€¢ Chaos Predator ā€¢ Infernal Relic Predator ā€¢ Chaos Vindicator ā€¢ Chaos Land Raider ā€¢ Chaos Land Raider Proteus ā€¢ Infernal Relic Land Raider Achilles ā€¢ Land Raider Hades Diabolus ā€¢ Relic Sicaran Battle Tank ā€¢ Maulerfiend ā€¢ Forgefiend ā€¢ Defiler ā€¢ Brass Scorpion ā€¢ Blood Slaughterer ā€¢ Blight Drone ā€¢ Foetid Bloat-drone ā€¢ Kytan ā€¢ Plague Hulk ā€¢ Venomcrawler ā€¢ Myphitic Blight-hauler
Heavy Vehicles and Daemon Engines Spartan Assault Tank ā€¢ Fellblade ā€¢ Decimator ā€¢ Typhon Heavy Siege Tank ā€¢ Lord of Skulls ā€¢ Death Wheel ā€¢ Plaguereaper ā€¢ Plagueburst Crawler ā€¢ Silver Tower of Tzeentch
Aircraft Heldrake ā€¢ Stormbird ā€¢ Thunderhawk ā€¢ Chaos Storm Eagle ā€¢ Chaos Fire Raptor ā€¢ Hell Blade ā€¢ Hell Talon ā€¢ Harbinger ā€¢ Chaos Dreadclaw ā€¢ Kharybdis Assault Claw ā€¢ Fire Lord ā€¢ Doom Wing
Summoned Daemons Bloodletters ā€¢ Plaguebearers ā€¢ Horror of Tzeentch ā€¢ Daemonette ā€¢ Nurglings ā€¢ Beast of Nurgle ā€¢ Plague Drone ā€¢ Flamer ā€¢ Screamer
Lost and the Damned Chaos Cultists ā€¢ Poxwalkers ā€¢ Pestigor ā€¢ Plague Zombies ā€¢ Plague Ogryn ā€¢ Thrall Wizard ā€¢ Tzaangor ā€¢ Tzaangor Enlightened ā€¢ Tzaangor Shaman ā€¢ Dark Disciple
Champions Magnus the Red ā€¢ Mortarion ā€¢ Abaddon the Despoiler ā€¢ Kharn the Betrayer ā€¢ Typhus ā€¢ Ahriman ā€¢ Huron Blackheart ā€¢ Fabius Bile ā€¢ Cypher ā€¢ Haarken Worldclaimer ā€¢ Invocatus
Advertisement