Storm Eagle - Variants: Darkwing Pattern Storm Eagle - A rare and precious variant utilised exclusively by the Raven Guard Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras of the 30th and early 31st Millennia. This variant Storm Eagle pattern was fitted with a range of highly prized and barely understood systems, from its rad-shrouded armour to its quantum field repellors. These additional systems required a higher degree of maintenance and some interior space was sacrificed to make room for them, meaning the vessel had a slightly reduced troop-carrying capacity. Given that the Darkwing pattern was often utilised to insert small units of elite warriors such as the Mor Deythan deep into enemy-held territory, this was no great loss. Each Chapter within the XIX Legion maintained a stock of these highly-prized gunships. It is not known if the Raven Guard still utilises this rare pattern of Storm Eagle in the late 41st Millennium.Nighthawk Pattern Storm Eagle - The Nighthawk Pattern is a specialised variant of the Storm Eagle that was developed at the dawn of the 31st Millennium by the illustrious Sabik Wayland, an Iron Father of the Iron Hands Legion. The Nighthawk Pattern was equipped with a multi-spectrum camouflage field which greatly increased the vessel's stealth capacities. The Nighthawk Pattern was also noted to be far more agile than the average Storm Eagle and was equipped with decoy launchers able to confuse incoming missiles. The Nighthawk Pattern was still undergoing tests at the time of the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, its construction plans having not been sanctioned by the ancient Mechanicum for mass-production. In fact, the only Nighthawk Pattern known to have effectively flown was Wayland's own personal gunship which undoubtedly proved its efficiency on the many covert missions led by Wayland and the valiant crew of the strike cruiser Sisypheum. If and to what extent the Nighthawk Pattern was indeed commissioned for regular duty remains unclear.Roc Pattern Storm Eagle - A variant of the standard pattern Storm Eagle is the Roc Pattern Storm Eagle, which is intended to serve as a dedicated tank-destroyer. Although outwardly indistinguishable from the standard pattern of the aircraft, the Roc Pattern Storm Eagle forgoes a proportion of its transport capacity for added specialized anti-armour munitions and on-board fuel reserves for its attitudinal thrusters to enhance its ability to carry out ground attacks. The Roc Pattern Storm Eagle's Vengeance Launcher is loaded with ROC warheads, which are warheads containing sub-munition packs that shower their target with multiple armour-piercing rockets.Fire Raptor Gunship - The Fire Raptor Gunship is a specialised variant of the standard Storm Eagle design that was widely used during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy by every Astartes Legion. This variant is configured to maximise ammunition stowage in order to feed the voracious appetite of its numerous weapons. It does this, unfortunately, by sacrificing its interior transport capacity. Although the Standard Template Construct (STC) designs required for the Fire Raptor's construction were lost some time after the Horus Heresy, new Fire Raptors are now being fielded in increasing numbers across the countless war zones of the late 41st Millennium, suggesting that an as-yet unidentified Adeptus Mechanicus Forge World or Adeptus Astartes Chapter Forge has come into possession of a complete STC imprint.