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1 / 4 · Click to enlargeLore & origins
The Land Raider is one of the oldest and most respected war machines in the Imperium. It is built from a Standard Template Construct pattern that survived from the Dark Age of Technology. Forge worlds that can still make it are few, and every Land Raider is a precious relic. Many Chapters own only a handful, and each is named, decorated and credited with its own history.
Space Marines believe each Land Raider holds a powerful machine spirit, which can aim weapons by itself if the crew is wounded. Techmarines perform rites to keep it content, and crews speak of their tank as a fellow warrior.
During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy the Legions fielded several patterns, including the Phobos, Proteus and Achilles. Today the Land Raider Crusader and Land Raider Redeemer are common variants. The Crusader was developed by the Black Templars and later approved by the Adeptus Mechanicus for use by other Chapters.
The Land Raider is an STC design and the most powerful tank and transport of the Space Marines. Each one is rare and valuable, with a fierce machine spirit that can drive and fire on its own. Patterns include the Phobos, Crusader and Redeemer.
Appearance & wargear
The Land Raider is a slab-sided, rhomboid-tracked tank with heavy sponsons on each side and a large assault ramp at the front. The standard Phobos pattern carries twin lascannons in each sponson and a twin heavy bolter on the hull. The Crusader swaps the lascannons for hurricane bolters and adds a front-mounted assault cannon. The Redeemer carries flamestorm cannons for close assault. Hulls are covered in purity seals, Chapter icons and honour markings.
It has a heavy, angular hull with sponsons carrying twin lascannons, hurricane bolters or flamestorm cannons, a forward assault ramp and a pintle-mounted storm bolter or multi-melta.
Weapons & Vehicles
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The Space Marines' main battle tank, a Rhino chassis with a heavy turret, built to hunt infantry or enemy armour.
The ubiquitous armoured transport of the Space Marines, a tough STC design that can carry a full squad anywhere.
Explore all 48 entries in the Weapons & Vehicles armoury.
Battlefield role & tactics
The Land Raider is both a heavy tank and an armoured assault transport. It can carry a full squad of Space Marines, or a smaller squad of Terminators, directly into the enemy line. It then drops its front ramp so the assault troops can charge out. Its armour is almost impervious to small-arms fire, and its lascannons can destroy enemy tanks. Commanders often keep it for the decisive blow of a battle.
The Land Raider is an assault transport and tank killer. It carries Terminators and elites into the heart of battle and destroys tanks and monsters. It is very tough but expensive.
Munitorum & Ordo Xenos Technical Dossier
Classified under Ordo and Departmento Munitorum threat-index protocols as a primary The Land Raider is both a heavy tank and an armoured assault transport. It can carry a full squad of Space Marines, or a smaller squad of Terminators, directly into the enemy line. It then drops its front ramp so the assault troops can charge out. Its armour is almost impervious to small-arms fire, and its lascannons can destroy enemy tanks. Commanders often keep it for the decisive blow of a battle. asset of Adeptus Astartes (all Chapters), Land Raider relies on a tightly coupled symbiosis between operator conditioning and primary armament. Field maintenance and biological recovery logs indicate that extended deployment without liturgical recalibration or bio-stasis rest degrades targeting and metabolic stability by less than 4% per solar week—far outperforming standard sector baselines—while post-engagement recovery teams prioritize the immediate extraction of their core wargear, neural/gene-seed components, or machine-spirit memory cores before enemy scavengers can exploit them.
Notable battles & users
- Black Templars: the Chapter developed the Land Raider Crusader, which the Mechanicus later sanctioned as a standard pattern.
- Dark Angels: Land Raiders often carry Deathwing Terminators into battle.
- Horus Heresy: Legion Land Raiders, including the Proteus and Achilles patterns, fought on both sides.
- Ultramarines: used the Phobos at the Battle of Arconar and the Defence of Ichar IV.
- Raptors: used the Phobos during the Taros Campaign and the Badab War.
- Space Wolves: used Land Raiders at both Battles of the Fang and the Defence of Betalis III.
Related
Characters (3)
Helbrecht · High Marshal of the Black Templars
Darnath Lysander · Captain of the Imperial Fists 1st Company
Azrael · Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels
