Accipitrine-Pattern Dreadnought

The Accipitrine-Pattern Dreadnought was originally a modification enacted by the Sky Reavers Legion upon some of their more enthusiastic Contemptor Dreadnoughts. Reactor modifications to provide additional power were combined with a thruster array in order to boost the Dreadnought’s speed to unpredictable levels. The first large scale deployment of these succeeded in utterly breaking the enemy. The cost was any semblance of cohesion amongst the mortal auxiliaries as they tried to avoid the wildly careening and occasionally exploding warframes.

Later, the Accipitrine would draw the attention of the XIth. Finding potential in a unit that suited their rapid assault doctrines, the Tempest Reavers subjected the design to significant revisions and testing before deploying it in larger numbers themselves. From here the newly dubbed Accipitrine was adopted across the Legions. Though it was lighter in armour than a typical Contemptor, it provided valuable hitting power and resilience to jump formations. The Sky Reavers remained one of its most supportive proponents, though they retained a significant number of the original Accipitrine ‘Cortus’ model.

Astartes sealed within the Sarcophagi of Accipitrine Contemptors tend either towards atypical aggression, using their speed to close with the enemy in as short a period as possible, or what can only be described as skittishness. Talons of the former were a terrifying sight, hurling themselves at their targets at unnerving speeds to crush and mangle their way through those standing in their path. Individuals of the latter proved near impossible to pin down, striking hard and fast before disengaging and suddenly burning their thrusters to pull away from the site of their attack. [[Category:A]]