Hydra

The preeminent AA vehicle for mankind since the age of the great crusade, the humble Hydra is a cheap and effective anti-air tank that mounts four heavy weapons in an anti-air mount. Dozens of patterns of wildly varying sophistication and cost have been used over the millennia. Using the versatile chimera chassis and simply adding the AA mount to the roof, all but the poorest of Forge Worlds could produce them in large numbers. While not as effective as missile-based anti-air batteries, Hydras are simple to produce, cheap to make, and most importantly use very simple munitions. This allows them to be deployed in far higher numbers, and with far less logistical strain than missile-based anti-air weapons. While intended for anti-air, they are often moderately effective against ground targets through sheer volume of fire, though their light armor makes them poorly suited for intense combat.

### Hydra Flak Tank

The basic hydra used by Imperium of Man for tens of thousands of years, it is quite possibly one of the most widespread vehicles in existence. Using four Anti-Air auto-cannons and moderately advanced targeting systems, it is one of the most cost-effective sources of anti-air firepower known to man. Many patterns are capable of using flak shells to allow them to damage aircraft with even near misses, though some of the lesser patterns are incapable of using such munitions. Relying more on sheer volume of fire than precision it is well suited to engaging vast numbers of lesser aircraft, such as the huge swarms often deployed by orks, though it often struggles against heavy and super-heavy aircraft, such as Landers and Thunderhawks. While its weapons have issues depressing enough to hit ground targets, should it find a hill or maintain its distance, it can reap a heavy toll on lightly armoured infantry.

### Asgard pattern Hydra

The specific Hydra flak tank pattern in use by the Trust, the Asgard pattern is notably more advanced than all other known flak tank patterns. Incorporating advanced Dark age targeting systems, and a degree of individual traverse on all barrels, it is surprisingly accurate for such rapid fire weapons and has a machine spirit advanced enough to adjust the bursting distance of its flak shells on the fly. While notably more accurate than most, it still relies more on rate of fire than precision to engage targets and is little more effective against heavily armoured flyers than traditional Hydra flak tanks.

### Lernaean pattern Hydra

A Hydra variant that replaces the autocannons with a quad mounting of las-cannons. This notably shift the tank's preferred targets. The Lernaean Hydra takes full advantage of its new weapons far greater speed and incorporates an even more advanced targeting system than the Asgard pattern flak tank, ensuring that every shot counts. The greater penetration of its weapon allows the Lernaean far greater effectiveness against heavier targets such as Landers that flak tanks often struggle against. However, the lower rate of fire makes it notably less effective against swarms of light aircraft.

### Sky Sweeper pattern Hydra

An extremely advanced Hydra pattern, the Sky Sweeper is designed to provide close-in Anti-Air support for elite units. Using an advanced generator it is able to power an advanced suite of electronics, as well as four mounted Anti-Air Neutron Repeaters. The Sky Sweeper carries very advanced targeting systems and sensors, as well as an ability to network its targeting system with allied units. When deployed in large formations typically some will replace some of their targeting cogitators with additional sensors to supplement their allies'. A unit of Sky Sweepers can turn the air into a deadly maze of sweeping death, with the briefest of sweeps shearing away entire wings in a shower of molten metal. Against Super-Heavy fliers, they can bring all four Neutron Repeaters to bear, swiftly melting through all but the toughest of armor. While immensely effective, Sky Sweeper Hydras are far less cost-effective than more affordable Hydra patterns. As such, they tend to be limited to situations where force concentration is more important than overall numbers. While not intended to engage ground targets, the sheer lethality of their armament makes them moderately effective in a fire support role against infantry and medium tanks.

### Sky Piercer pattern Hydra

An extremely advanced Hydra pattern, the SkyPpiercer is designed to provide close-in Anti-Air support for elite units. Using an advanced generator it is able to power an advanced suite of electronics, as well as four mounted Anti-Air Neutron Cannons. Using a near-identical suite of targeters and sensors to the Sky Sweeper, including an ability to cross-network between patterns, the Sky Piercer is intended to engage and destroy super heavy aircraft. Similar to the Lernaean, the Sky piercer has a relatively low rate of fire. However, unlike the Lernaean, the Sky Piercer can to a large degree compensate for this with raw power. Against lighter aircraft the Sky Piercer can set its neutron blasts to detonate at set distances, creating a lethal thermal bloom able to literally melt most nearby aircraft. However, its true prey is super heavy aircraft. Using an immensely accurate and staggeringly potent weapon few aircraft short of a Lander can survive a direct hit. A common tactic is for a pair to work together against a single target, with one using detonating blasts to create immense turbulence to disrupt evasive measures, allowing the second tank to achieve four clean hits. Much like the Sky sweeper, the Sky Piercer is not cost-effective for general-purpose anti-air duty, however, it does have a niche. Small squads of Sky Piercers are often used to engage super heavy aircraft as they are one of the most effective mobile means of doing so known to the Imperial Trust.