The Predator is the main battle tank employed by the Space Marines of the Imperium of Man and the Traitor Legions of the Chaos Space Marines. It is a more heavily armed and armoured version of the Rhino armoured personnel carrier. All Rhino and Predator variants are based off of designs originally created during the Dark Age of Technology, using Standard Template Construct (STC) database designs. The tanks can be constructed on Forge Worlds of the Adeptus Mechanicus or in a Space Marine Chapter's own forges, and afterwards they are sent to the Chapter's Armoury until they are needed.
Though comparatively light compared to the Imperial Guard's Leman Russ Battle Tank the Predator is far swifter, suiting the rapid assault tactics favoured by Adeptus Astartes. Furthermore thanks to their more expensive materials, advanced internal systems, artificer construction and superhuman operators, Predators can still outclass Leman Russ tanks in direct conflict.
A Space Marine Chapter will usually maintain around 20 to 30 Predators of all types at a time. The Master of the Forge is responsible for all the vehicles of a Chapter, and upon request will issue these vehicles where and to whom they are needed.
Deimos-pattern Predators are a design that predates the Great Crusade from the Dark Age of Technology. The secret of its construction has been lost to all but the master artificers of Mars itself, and many still in use by the Adeptus Astartes date back to the Great Crusade. Deimos-pattern Predators mount similar weaponry and so can be Destructor or Annihilator variants, but they are of such extreme build quality & resilience that it is virtually impossible to completely destroy one, and Deimos Predators are capable of shrugging off hits that would have stopped a regular Predator in its tracks.
Predator Destructor[]
The Predator Destructor is the most common variant of the Predator used by the Space Marines. It mounts in its turret a fearsome Syrtis-pattern Autocannon, a variant of the standard Autocannon with an automatic feed system that fires armour piercing, high explosive rounds (the sheer cost of which limits them to Astartes usage).
This makes the Syrtis-pattern far superior to the standard Autocannon. Against infantry the rapid-firing shells burst against them with relatively small but powerful explosions, while any vehicle that is penetrated by the shell (or shells) suffers much greater damage from the internal detonation.
| Predator Destructor | |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Name: Predator Destructor | Main Armament: Turret-mounted Syrtis-pattern Autocannon |
| Forge World of Origin: Mars | Secondary Armament: Sponson-mounted Heavy Bolters or Lascannons |
| Known Patterns: I - XII | Traverse: 360 degrees |
| Crew: 1 Driver, 1 Gunner | Elevation: -15 to 28 degrees |
| Powerplant: Quad Mark II Adaptable Thermic Combustor Reactor | Main Ammunition: 120 Rounds |
| Weight: 44 Tonnes | Secondary Ammunition: 1100 Rounds or Unlimited from battery |
| Length: 6.6 metres | |
| Width: 6.0 metres with sponsons | Armour: |
| Height: 4.4 metres | Superstructure: 65 millimetres |
| Ground Clearance: 0.44 metres | Hull: 55 millimetres |
| Max Speed On-Road: 68 kilometres per hour | Gun Mantlet: 65 millimetres |
| Max Speed Off-Road: 50 kilometres per hour | Vehicle Designation: 0120-766-0723-RH 812/819 |
| Transport Capacity: N/A | Firing Ports: N/A |
| Access Points: N/A | Turret: N/A |
Predator Annihilator[]
The Predator Annihilator is a variant of the basic Predator Destructor that replaces the tank's turret-mounted Autocannon with a set of Twin-linked Lascannons. The Lascannons allow the Predator Annihilator to effectively engage enemy armoured vehicles. This variant of the Predator was developed during the 36th Millennium by the Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter to use against overwhelming enemy armoured forces during the Skarath Crusade. After nearly 200 standard years of testing, the Adeptus Mechanicus gave the Machine God's blessing for the variant, and now most Space Marine Chapters field this powerful anti-armour vehicle.
| Predator Anihilator | |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Name: Predator Anihilator | Main Armament: Turret-mounted Twin-linked Lascannons |
| Forge World of Origin: Mars | Secondary Armament: Sponson-mounted Heavy Bolters or Lascannons |
| Known Patterns: II - XIV | Traverse: 360 degrees |
| Crew: 1 Driver, 1 Gunner | Elevation: -15 to 28 degrees |
| Powerplant: Quad Mark II Adaptable Thermic Combustor Reactor | Main Ammunition: Unlimited from battery |
| Weight: 44 Tonnes | Secondary Ammunition: 1100 Rounds or Unlimited from battery |
| Length: 6.6 metres | |
| Width: 6.0 | Armour: |
| Height: 4.4 metres | Superstructure: 65 millimetres |
| Ground Clearance: 0.44 metres | Hull: 55 millimetres |
| Max Speed On-Road: 68 kilometres per hour | Gun Mantlet: 65 millimetres |
| Max Speed Off-Road: 50 kilometres per hour | Vehicle Designation: 0120-766-0724-PR 116 |
| Transport Capacity: N/A | Firing Ports: N/A |
| Access Points: N/A | Turret: N/A |
Predator Tactics[]
+Firepower - main battle tank can destroy enemy vehicles, heroes, monster and other heavies. Not efficient against troops unless they are tightly packed.
+Durable - can withstand a few hits from Lascannon and/or Melta, hard to kill. Shrugs off most rockets and grenades.
Known Formations[]
Predator Assassin Squadron - A Predator Assassin Squadron is a formation that consists of between three and five Predator Destructor or Predator Annihilator tanks. These squadrons are tasked and outfitted with the optimum weapons configuration for the destruction of a preordained target. These formations are usually tasked with the destruction of a single enemy target above all others, and the crew of these vehicles would rather die than see their quarry escape their tank's wrath.
When to use[]
When assaulting a fixed position or serious targets such as Dreadnoughts, Daemons, etc. Too slow for pursuit, gets easily bogged down in dangerous terrain. Less disadvantaged in cities than Rhino (can in fact be used as a bunker-buster and to break strong points), but still is at danger from the lack of space to maneuver. Strongest at Advance & Open Terrain.