Karkinos Volik Artillery Walker

## Karkinos Volik Artillery Walker("Volik" for short.)

### **Secondary Armament**

2 sponson-mounted Cognis Autocannons or Heavy Bolters or Heavy Flamers or Hot-shot Volley Guns or Multi-Meltas or Plasma Cannons or Twin-Linked Cognis Heavy Stubbers

## Armour

### **Hull**

60 millimetres

The **Karkinos Volik Artillery Walker** is the standard self-propelled artillery piece used by Mezoan Skitarii legions and other imperial forces. Though possessing a lesser range than the more common Basilisk, the Volik is much more adept at navigating and stabilizing itself in hazardous or rough terrain, such as swamps, lava flows and rubble.

## History

During the height of the great crusade, the feral Ork populations long kept on the surface of Mezoa to train their military forces suddenly became much more numerous and aggressive. This event oddly enough coincided with the Ullanor Crusade on the other side of the Galaxy, and has been hypothesized to be the result of waves of WAAAGH! Energies emanating from that great war, this theory was further corroborated by a similar event occurring in M32 during the War of the Beast. During this time of near planet-wide conflict, the Mezoan Skitarii developed a need for artillery support, and so Basilisk tanks were sent down from Mezoa’s orbital manufactories to provide this support. However the Basilisks proved inept at crawling across Mezoa’s rugged terrain, and no less than fifteen incidents were recorded of Basilisk artillery barrages breaking apart Mezoa’s thin crust and causing entire cohorts to be swallowed by orange-hot waves of magma. Seeing the Basilisk would not do, the most skilled and experienced of Mezoa’s Magi, including multiple Pentarchs and even one of the Norn-Queens, set about manipulating the design of the long-used Karkinos Metakom to fit an Earthshaker Cannon. This effort lasted years, however the discovery of a design lost in Mezoa’s ancient data-vaults and a breakthrough by the Magi resulted in the Karkinos Volik, capable of not only mounting the Earthshaker Cannon but also the Medusa Siege Gun. Ever since then the Volik has been a mainstay of Mezoa’s Skitarii Legions, and has seen service in nearly every campaign the Mezoans have fought.

## Armament

The Karkinos Volik’s main armament is a hull-mounted Earthshaker Cannon or Medusa Siege Gun, due to the Volik’s enclosed weapon platform it is slightly restricted in range, however it’s automatic reloading system allows it to fire more quickly. Like all military vehicles that use the Karkinos chassis, the Volik possesses two sponson side-turrets capable of mounting aCognis Autocannon, Heavy Bolter, Heavy Flamer, Hot-shot Volley Gun, Multi-Melta, Plasma Cannon or Twin-Linked Cognis Heavy Stubber each. Due to the positioning of the Volik’s main gun and the energy and space required to keep the vehicle stable while firing and to hold the shells, the Volik cannot mount the frontal gun blister sometimes found on other military Karkinos variants.

## Battlefield Role

The Karkinos Volik is often used in a similar manner to the Basilisk or Medusa Siege Tank, firing great stuttering barrages of explosive shells on both fixed and mobile enemy positions and elements, often right before a great charge.

## Formations

### Karkinos Volik Earthshaker Cohort

2-15 Karkinos Voilks equipped with Earthshaker Cannons, used for long-range artillery support.

### Karkinos Volik Medusa Cohort

2-15 Karkinos Voilks equipped with Medusa Siege Guns, used for short-range artillery support.

## Known Users of the Karkinos Volik

*Feel free to add to this list*

* Skitarii forces of Forgeworld Mezoa