Lucifer-Pattern Dreadnought

Among the items found in short supply when civil war broke out were typically manufactured Dreadnought shells, requiring complex components that were not necessarily accessible. The common solution to this was a resurgence in use of the Contemptor-Cortus. Where either Astartes lacked the time necessary to construct these, or did not wish to entrust the mind of skilled advisors or tacticians to the mental instabilities a Cortus incurred, far older solutions were looked to.

The Lucifer pattern Dreadnought was one of the earliest models of dreadnought used by His Legions. Though they served effectively for decades they would be superseded by the Contemptor pattern. Those that were not lost in battle had their occupants transferred to newer variants. In time they became the equivalent to museum pieces or were buried in logistical paperwork at the back of supply depots.

Quartermasters would find that some still bore their weapons from the early years of the Great Crusade, such as power mauls and volkite devices. Beyond this though, the nature of its primitive reactor prevented any other energy weapons than those specifically tuned to its vagaries to be equipped. Fortunately there was a plethora of more mundane weapons available. In addition the Lucifer’s small size saw it equipped with refractor fields rather than the atomantic shielding standardised for many of their larger cousins; one its few advantages over them.

When deployed, Lucifer Dreadnoughts usually consisted of a single Talon, if even that, forced to group together by their inadequacies. Despite this, the fact that several could be assigned to a single Drop Pod lead to these remnants being an unwelcome surprise for many. Against infantry who expected to focus fire upon a single target, their coordinated tactics were capable of tearing the opposition to shreds.

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