Throughout the Warhammer 40,000 universe, there are factions of vast armies that fight each other in a never-ending war across the galaxy. While the Imperium of Man is often spearheaded by deadly space marines, even they get mortally injured.
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But only in death does duty end for a space marine. This is where the giant, deadly, and always stalwart dreadnoughts come into play. Whether it’s for chaos, or the Imperium, you might begin to wonder just what a dreadnought is.
What Are Dreadnoughts?
A dreadnought is an armored element of the space marine or chaos space marine forces that is large, bipedal, and hosts various powerful weapons. Notably, they are piloted by the nearly-dead body of a space marine.
This space marine is housed in the central sarcophagus the dreadnought is built around. From there, the various hookups connect the coffin to the dreadnought’s limbs and weapons, allowing it to fight.
How Are Dreadnoughts Made?
The technical aspects of making dreadnoughts was guarded heavily by the adeptus mechanicus, much like many of the advanced tech of the Imperium. Sadly, it was lost during the horus heresy, which makes dreadnoughts relics and highly regarded.
The chaos Helbrute, a dreadnought piloted by a daemon, also seems to be a risky and costly thing to create, which limits the number of them seen in battle as well.
The key to making a dreadnought is an injured space marine. They must be injured near-death, due to the fact that simple lost limbs can usually be replaced with cybernetics.
This injured space marine is taken into one of the dreadnought coffins, the remnants of their body stabilized, and hooked up to the machine’s various sensors.
Dreadnoughts In Battle
Dreadnoughts are a formidable force to come across in a fight. They are walking tanks that can use squad-based and vehicle-based weaponry easily and single-handedly. They’re often used as anti-armor or as a backup to a normal space marine squad.
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Due to the lifesaving effects of the dreadnought’s sarcophagus, many dreadnoughts are incredibly old, making them often regarded as elders in many space marine chapters. With such a long history of battle, combined with their weaponry, they can change the tide of battle easily.
What Do Dreadnoughts Do When They Aren’t Fighting?
Dreadnoughts are cumbersome, and piloting one is taxing, especially for a critically wounded space marine. When they aren’t being piloted, the sarcophagus is removed and the marine is put into stasis sleep.
This can last for hundreds of years, as dreadnoughts are only fielded when a sizable threat is found, due to their power and cost.
These long stretches of sleep can make the dreadnoughts irritable, disconnected, and amnesiac from time to time.
What Weapons Do Dreadnoughts Use?
Dreadnoughts are practically squads in their own right. Weapons like heavy bolters, las-cannons, and other artillery pieces can be attached to the arms of the dreadnought. Not to mention cannons and anti-air weapons that tanks could use.
In addition, smoke-launchers, mortars, and rockets can sometimes be affixed to their back. For close-quarters, meltas, power fists, flamers, and similar weapons can also be attached.
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