Dreadnought - Variants: The Castraferrum Pattern Dreadnought can be equipped with a wide variety of weapons and equipment other than its standard load-outs. Many times these load-outs have their own designation and are intended for different battlefield roles. All known variants of the Castraferrum Pattern Dreadnought are as follows:The Assault Dreadnought replaces the standard Dreadnought's ranged weapon with another Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon. These Dreadnought variants are an uncommon sight within many Space Marine Chapters due to the fact that removing the Dreadnought's ranged weapon arm means it forfeits its ability to engage ranged targets. This, when combined with the Dreadnought's relatively low ground speed means the Dreadnought will be very vulnerable to enemy ranged fire. These types of Dreadnoughts are used by Space Marine Chapters that favour Drop Pod assaults, such as the Blood Ravens Chapter, dropping the Dreadnought directly into the enemy's position where they can do the most damage. The term Assault Dreadnought is not a common name, instead most Assault Dreadnoughts have no special designation.The Hellfire Dreadnought replaces the standard Dreadnought's Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon with a Missile Launcher, trading its close combat ability for long-range, anti-vehicle firepower. The advantage of the Dreadnought's Missile Launcher over its Space Marine equivalent is that it is capable of moving at full speed whilst still laying down a barrage of missiles. Hellfire Dreadnoughts are usually referred to as Fire Support Dreadnoughts, or in many cases are given no special designation. The Hellfire Dreadnought's Missile Launcher carries up to 8 Krak Missiles that are capable of causing severe damage to enemy vehicles, and unlike the Missile Launchers carried by Space Marine infantry, the Dreadnought is fully capable of firing accurately whilst moving. The Hellfire Dreadnought is capable of replacing the twin-linked Autocannon with most Dreadnought ranged weapons, such as a set of twin-linked Lascannons. A sub-variant of the Hellfire Dreadnought, known as the Firewind Dreadnought is armed with a set of twin-linked Heavy Bolters.The Siege Dreadnought is designed exclusively for assaults against fortified positions. Some Space Marine Chapters have equipped their armoured Dreadnought Battle-Brothers to siege fortresses and lead their assaults upon other fortified enemy emplacements. They are equipped with either an Inferno Cannon or a Flamestorm Cannon for clearing out enemy infantry from bunkers and an Assault Drill arm for grinding through Ferrocrete in only a matter of seconds. This arm also usually includes a built-in Heavy Flamer so that once a hole has been drilled, the Dreadnought can pour super-heated Promethium into a bunker or pill box complex. Siege Dreadnoughts are specialised units and are only deployed when a Chapter needs to break through a stubborn static defence line or during close quarters street-to-street fighting within a city or town. A Siege Dreadnought's standard weapons loadout includes an Inferno Cannon, an Assault Drill with built-in Heavy Flamer, Smoke Launchers, a Searchlight and reinforced Ceramite Armour. In some cases the Inferno Cannon can be replaced with a Multi-melta, and two Hunter-Killer Missile Launchers can be attached using external sponsons to the Dreadnought's carapace.The Ironclad Dreadnought is a standard Castraferrum Pattern Dreadnought that has been optimised specifically for close combat. It possesses reinforced Ceramite plating on the front of its shell and can be equipped with multiple different weapons intended to aid in melee combat. Ironclad Dreadnoughts are usually armed with a Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon with an under-slung Storm Bolter, Heavy Flamer, or Meltagun, and a Seismic Hammer. These Dreadnoughts can also be armed with a Hurricane Bolter or a Dreadnought Chainfist which is nothing less than a Dreadnought-sized Chainfist. They can also be equipped with up to two Hunter-Killer Missile Launchers and the specialised Ironclad Assault Launcher that fires different types of grenades. These Dreadnoughts are used by many Astartes Chapters for close-combat situations and during sieges, although it is not as effective as the Siege Dreadnought.The Mortis Dreadnought is a variant of the standard Imperial Dreadnought and is most commonly found the armouries of the Dark Angels Chapter and their Unforgiven Successor Chapters. The Mortis Pattern differs from all other Dreadnought variants, except for the Hellfire Dreadnought, that makes use of two long-range weapon arms. These Dreadnoughts make use of two sets of long-range weapons that are always the same, these weapons include sets of twin-linked Lascannons, twin-linked Autocannons, twin-linked Heavy Bolters, or two Missile Launchers. The Mortis Dreadnought is capable of laying down a tremendous amount of firepower upon a target, and since the Dreadnought's body is such a stable firing platform it can continue moving while firing accurately.