vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Manachean Commonwealth - Military Forces: As a sizable and technologically advanced domain, the Manachean Commonwealth could muster a very large military force for its own defence. This strength was again concentrated around the two major star systems of the sub-sector, the Commonwealth itself and the naval base located at Port Maw. Both were in their own right strongholds of military might that could resist major incursions of xenos. It is likely that if the enemy had not been of the Astartes, the Traitor rampage would have been stopped at Manachea. In fact, few regions outside the heartland of the Segmentum Solar could claim to be as well-protected as the Manachean Commonwealth.At the dawn of the 31st Millennium, the Commonwealth was a bulwark of military might, charged with the protection of much of the Segmenta surrounding it and constituting undoubtedly the single most powerful faction inside the Coronid Deeps. As a standard peacekeeping and rapid response force, Port Maw and the Manachea System could field no less than ninety-three Solar Auxilia Cohorts, which amount to a notional strength of some 3,860,000 fully armed, equipped and disciplined fighters equipped to the highest standards of the Imperium's human soldiery. As Solar Auxilia, they were trained and experienced both in void combat and planetary defence operations and represented a significant military force, even set against the might of the fearful Legiones Astartes. Amongst these Solar Auxilia Cohort also figured some elite formations such as the 905th Cohort, the Ash Scorpions, recruited from the savage world of Lethe.Alongside this elite army, the worlds of the Manachean Commonwealth were also intended to raise their own planetary defence militia. In truth, the Commonwealth emergency defence planning had been specially designed to quickly raise, equip and muster tens of million of militiamen in extremis. Such was the strength and accuracy of this planning that even the full mobilisation of the militia would have no effect on the massive industrial output of the sub-sector. The continued productivity of its citizens had also empowered the Commonwealth to stockpile a considerable quantity of war materiél, making the Commonwealth's troops one of the very best-equipped fighting forces in the entire Imperium. In the case of more serious menaces, the Commonwealth could also count on the limited presence of some members of the Legiones Astartes, the Imperial Fists garrison of Bastion Kvet on Manachea Lux. While refusing to submit themselves to the authority of a "mere" human commander, the Imperial Fists had doubtlessly heavily improved Manachea's defences, despatching several advisors to training regiments and lending their expertise in countersiege warfare to the Commonwealth's authorities as to better improve existing fortifications and tactical doctrines in case of attack.
Manachean Commonwealth - Notable Military Formations: 204th Solar Auxilia Cohort - A notable Solar Auxilia Cohort raised from the Manachean Commonwealth.891st Solar Auxilia Cohort - Like the more famous 905th, the 891st Cohort had been recruited from the Feral World of Lethe, but did not participate in the Manachean War. Instead, the 891st Cohort would find much glory in the defence of the beleaguered Imperial Forge World of Mezoa, most notoriously holding the line at the Tertial-05 bastion during the Third Siege of Mezoa.905th Solar Auxilia Cohort (the "Ash Scorpions") - Veterans of a dozen ferocious war zones, the discipline of battle had turned these infamous Feral Worlders into a lethally effective fighting force. Raised from the fearsome tribal warriors of Lethe, the 905th Cohort was known for its aggression and dedication, and earned numerous battle honours in pacification wars across the Coronid Deeps before its final, glorious sacrifice during the Treachery at Port Maw.6629th Solar Auxilia Cohort - The 6629th Cohort would fight in defence of Hive Illum and muster a brave last stand defending the Commonwealth's seat of power, the Palace of Light. The 6629th Veletarii units had retained their Volkite Weapons and these would prove far deadlier against Traitor Legiones Astartes than standard las-weaponry.6633rd Solar Auxilia Cohort - The 6633rd was one of many Cohorts deployed at Manachea that fought in the eleven-day Battle of Hive Ilium. Anticipating the need to conduct expeditionary warfare against xenos remnants across the region, these units were founded according to the Solar template and were granted the right to bear the blue and yellow livery of the Ultima Segmentum Armada Imperialis.
Manachean Commonwealth - Manachean Appearance: The troops raised from the Manachea System typically wear the Commonwealth's livery, which consists of blue and yellow hues that are hallmarks of the Ultima Segmentum's Armada Imperialis. As a badge of origin, the Solar Auxilia Cohorts and Armada-detachments drawn from the Commonwealth bear the brazen Bull of Manachea, except for those units that distinguished themselves to the degree that they were attributed their own heraldry. For the many armoured Cohorts and sub-cohorts the Commonwealth maintained, each vehicle's flanks was adorned with coloured stripes in the colours of the Commonwealth alongside the utilitaran grey-white drab commonly worn by vehicles attached to the Solar Auxilia.Due to the extreme interaction between the Solar Auxilia Cohorts drawn from Manachea and those fleet elements stationed at Port Maw, it was fairly common to see units of the Port Maw Exercitus or the Ultima Segmentum Armada, such as the elite 233rd Reconnaissance Wing, bear the blue and yellow stripes of the Manachean Commonwealth on the fuselage of their aircraft.
Manachean Commonwealth - Notable Wargear: Triumph - Solar Ryza Pattern Leman Russ Battle Tank. The Triumph was a dedicated support engine permenantly attached to the elite 204th Veletaris Corps. The Solar Pattern does not indicate, as other names would suggest, its place of manufacture, but a specialised variant of the more common Leman Russ main battle tank designed to meet the requirements to serve alongside Solar Auxilia Cohorts in void-warfare.Tribune Sula - Solar Akuria Pattern Stormblade Super-Heavy Tank. The Tribune Sula was the command vehicle of the 23rd Armoured Cohort of the 109th Armoured Corps. It was a veteran vehicle that had been profoundly modified to serve as a mobile command post for a Solar Auxilia tank commander befitting of its rank.
Manachean Commonwealth - Sources: The Horus Heresy - Book Four: Conquest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 10-11, 36-54, 72-73, 86-89, 189
Manask System - Manask System: The Manask System was a star system in the Segmentum Tempestus settled by the Ebon Sentinels Space Marine Chapter on the world of the same name. Pressed by extreme losses, the Ebon Sentinels ultimately turned to the service of Chaos and became a Renegade Chapter of Chaos Space Marines.They were purged from existence by the action of the Grey Knights during the Battle of Manask who secretly came to the Manask System in the wake of the Torchbearer Fleet Conqueror's Forge.
Manask System - System Primary: Sereid's Lantern - Sereid's Lantern is the name of the Manask System's star.
Manask System - Worlds: The following worlds orbit Sereid's Lantern as their primary, listed from the closest orbit to the furthest.Manask (Chapter planet) - Manask was the homeworld of the Ebon Sentinels Chapter.Ta'rond - Ta'rond was an Imperial orbital weapons platform that orbited Manask.Forghost - Forghost was Manask's orbital dockyard, where the Ebon Sentinels maintained their Chapter fleet.Vengla (Dead World) - Vengla had served as the prison for a potent Greater Daemon of Chaos for at least a million standard years. It was the influence of this entity that pushed the Ebon Sentinels over the edge in their despair at their declining numbers to embrace the dark power of the Warp. The daemonic presence here was purged by the Grey Knights during a banishment ritual enacted at the Battle of Manask.Ffion's Chorus - Ffion's Chorus was the name given to the void station that circled in the outer regions of the system that served as its astropathic relay.
Mandeville Point - Mandeville Point: Before a starship outfitted with an Imperial Warp-Drive can enter the Immaterium, it must first travel at sublight speed to a star system's so-called Mandeville Point.This is the closest distance that a voidship can safely enter or exit Warpspace from its origin or to its destination system, respectively.The origin of the name for this point is unknown, as it stretches back into the Age of Technology when Mankind's first interstellar civilisation developed the Warp-Drive, allowing Humanity to achieve regular FTL travel.
Mandiblaster - Mandiblaster: A Mandiblaster, also known as the Scorpion's Sting, is a close-range Craftworld Aeldari weapon attached to either side of an Asuryani Aspect Warrior's helmet.Mandiblaster-equipped helmets are worn by all members of the Striking Scorpion Aspect Shrine, as well as some Autarchs, and its name comes from the fact that the weapon visually resembles the mandibles of an arachnid.Activated by a psychic pick-up on the interior of the helmet, Mandiblasters fire a hail of micro-needles at an intended target. The needles themselves do not cause much damage on their own, but act as a short-range conductor for a highly charged laser beam.The laser will instantly overheat and vaporise the needles where the resulting plasma produced by this vaporisation reaction will damage the target further, inflicting painful burns.Mandiblasters can only be used at extremely short range and are by design conceived to disorient and incapacitate the target just before the Aeldari warrior engages in close quarters.In itself, the Mandiblaster has virtually no killing power, but when used with the right timing, it will allow an Aeldari warrior to immediately follow up with a killing melee blow to finish off the foe.
Mandiblaster - Scorpion's Bite: The Striking Scorpion Phoenix Lord Karandras possesses a more archaic and powerful type of Mandiblaster known as the Scorpion's Bite on his helmet.Unlike more mundane Mandiblasters, the Scorpion' Bite is a full-fledged laser weapon capable of striking down a foe before he has even reached combat.
Mandrake - Mandrake: A Mandrake is a foul humanoid creature who was once one of the Drukhari of Commorragh that lurk within the darkest corners of the Webway's labyrinthine confines. Its name is a translation into Imperial Low Gothic of a word in the Aeldari Lexicon.The Mandrakes can be found in Aelindrach, a region of Commorragh. Literally fallen into shadow, it is one of the several districts of Commorragh that exists in more than one dimension at once. In Aelindrach, shadows thicken and writhe as living things, flowing into one another and attempting to capture those that venture into the district.It is in Aelindrach that Mandrakes and Shaderavens make their lairs. Rumour has it that somewhere in Aelindrach lies a portal to a world where shade-daemons exist who can freeze the soul with but a touch.This vile breed of their species is secretly feared even by other Drukhari, for a Mandrake can pull itself into any region of space-time through another being's shadow, emerging with a sibilant hiss to sink its frigid claws and teeth into flesh.Their ebony skins writhe with blasphemous runes and their faces shift and flow, one moment a featureless mask, the next parting to reveal a maw filled with sharpened teeth. Mandrakes exist both in realspace and a cursed shadow world that may be a part of the Immaterium. To fight them is to combat a living shadow.
Mandrake - History: The true origins of the Mandrakes remain shrouded in time and secrecy. Some Aeldari savants claim that the Mandrakes are descended from those of their species inhabiting the Webway who before the Fall of the Aeldari engaged in heinous acts of lust with daemonic entities of the Warp when the lost Aeldari Empire was at its most decadent.Others hold that the living shadows are descended from a forbidden Aeldari pleasure cult that found its own way to escape the devastation of the Fall, fleeing into a nightmare dimension of shadow within the Immaterium and reemerging as something no longer quite natural. Young Drukhari call the Mandrakes "creepers" and whisper that they crawl from one shadow to another and can emerge from one's reflection into the real universe.They believe that the Mandrakes are the absence of light given life, and in that they may very well be right. Such theories do not seem so far-fetched when one examines the Mandrakes' appearance.Their flesh is night-black and seems to absorb rather than reflect light, their featureless faces shift like rancid oil while their hair is the color of splintered bone. Surrounding them is an aura of darkness and cold that saps the strength from all those with the misfortune to be standing nearby.Often the first sign of an imminent Mandrake attack will be the sudden onset of freezing temperatures, flash freezing all the moisture out of the very air. The shapes set into their flesh are Aeldari sigils of destruction that pulse with a venomous green brilliance when the Mandrake feeds upon the terror and pain of its victims.Mandrakes possess the ability to channel these stolen life energies, shaping blasts of blue-white cold fire known as Baleblasts that emerge from their taloned hands to freeze their foes in place. When they finally fall upon their terrified prey, they use not only the natural weapons of claw and fang, but also hideous, sickle-shaped blades similar to the surgical tools beloved of the Haemonculi.
Mandrake - Role: Like all the inhabitants of the Dark City, the Mandrakes thrive on the infliction of pain and terror on other living things. As a result of their unsurpassed abilities at stealth, many Drukhari Archons have sought to hire the Mandrakes' services for a realspace raid by his or her Kabal.The Mandrakes normally ask for a share of any slaves taken as their payment, but sometimes for reasons unknown, they will ask for something far more arcane, such as a heartbeat, a true name or a voice.Such requests are rarely denied, for the Mandrakes' only clothing is a patchwork garment created from the flayed skins of those who have betrayed them. They are infamous for their ability to track down any quarry and they are able to manifest anywhere in the universe that shadows gather.
Mandrake - Nightfiend: Sometimes, a Mandrake of particular age and power will join a Drukhari raid and will lead others of its kind in the taking of slaves or in pursuit of one of its more esoteric desires. These hideous creatures are called Nightfiends among the Drukhari and they may possess many powers of shadow that remain unknown even to the denizens of Commorragh.
Mandrake - Notable Mandrakes: Kheradruakh, the Decapitator - A four-armed, hollow-eyed haunter of Commorragh’s depths, the Mandrake known as the Decapitator is a figure of stark terror to all. The walls of his lair are lined with hundreds if not thousands of skulls, claimed from victims on battlefields all across the galaxy. What Kheradruakh wants with this collection of macabre trophies is anyone’s guess. Yet all are fastidiously arranged, staring with non-existent eyes at a single point in space directly above the Decapitator’s dais, and the air almost hums with a building sense of forbidden power about to break through the veil.Skarwael - A skilled void pilot and a killer almost without peer, Skarwael was a Drukhari Mandrake attached to the Chaos hunting party sent by the warlord Enok Innokenti to kill the reincarnated Imperial Saint Sabbat on the world of Herodor. Alongside a trio of loxatl mercenaries, the cult leader Pater Sin and his thrall-psykers, a Blood Pact sniper and a bio-engineered warrior known as Karess, Skarwael infiltrated the Imperial defence of Herodor with the aim of killing the Beati and thus breaking the resolve of the entire Sabbat Worlds Crusade. Skarwael fought his way through many Imperial Guardsmen and almost reached the Beati. Instead, he found himself in the sights of an even greater predator. Skarwael met his death at the hands of Scout Leader Mkoll of the Tanith First-And-Only.
Mandrake - Wargear: Baleblast - Mandrakes can channel the life energies stolen from their prey into blasts of freezing flame, wreathing their victims in spectral fires that burn through flesh and soul alike.Close Combat Weapon (Usually an evil-looking blade or sickle-sword of unknown manufacture)
Mandrake - Sources: Codex: Dark Eldar (4th Edition), pg. 8Codex: Dark Eldar (5th Edition), pp. 10, 33Codex: Dark Eldar (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), "Blades for Hire"Only War: Enemies of the Imperium (RPG), pg. 92Sabbat Martyr (Novel) by Dan Abnett, Chs. 7, 9, 10
Manta - Manta: The Manta, more formally known as the Manta Missile Destroyer, is a super-heavy T'au voidcraft that is also the T'au Empire's closest equivalent to the Imperium of Man's Titans and Ork Gargants. It is well-armoured for use in frontline combat and can deliver massive amounts of firepower to the battlefield to help support T'au ground forces during a frontal assault against entrenched enemy positions. The Manta also features a large transport capacity that allows it to carry entire Hunter Cadres to and from engagements.The Manta is the smallest interstellar-capable voidcraft of the T'au, and serves a vital role in carrying out the current and future expansions of the T'au Empire. Straddling the functional roles of both an attack craft and a full starship, these small voidcraft are useful in a variety of roles. In the void they are used to attack enemy starships and are a match for entire squadrons of Imperial starfighters, while during planetary assaults they function as dropships and heavy fire support for T'au ground forces.
Manta - History: During the Taros Campaign, Mantas were mainly used to transport Hunter Cadres and their heavy equipment across the planet and into the deserts of Taros to assault and slow the Imperial advance. In this way, Mantas were used to position T'au troops for counter-attacks against Imperial forces and stood ready to quickly extract T'au forces after an engagement. The T'au fleet of Mantas allowed for superior strategic mobility against the less air-mobile forces of the Astra Militarum and allowed for the outnumbered T'au Hunter Cadres to face the Imperial Guard on equal terms by bringing superior force to bear in localised counter-attacks and defensive engagements.Mantas have been used in almost every large-scale military campaign and engagement of the T'au Empire, including the Damocles Gulf Crusade where the voidcraft proved critical in supplying the mobility and firepower necessary to repel the Imperial invaders.
Manta - Tactical Role: Mantas are designed to support T'au Hunter Cadres in various military operations, whether in aiding their deployment or providing heavy airborne fire support as they hover menacingly over a battlefield. Mantas can operate close to the ground as either a flyer or a skimmer; although when operating so close to the surface, they expend enormous energy reserves to maintain their anti-gravitic propulsion fields. Because of this energy cost, Mantas are not capable of rapid manoeuvring once they are committed to ground combat.In the initial stages of a planetary invasion campaign, Mantas will be used to transport T'au forces and supplies from starships at anchor in orbit to the planet's surface. Once this stage of a campaign is complete, Mantas are essential support vehicles that transport T'au forces to and from battlezones where its large size, array of heavy weaponry and strong armour allows for Hunter Cadres to be transported safely. The few times a Manta requires extra protection while it transports troops, a squadron of Barracudas will commonly act as an escort by protecting the Manta from enemy interceptors. Mantas are not usually utilised in battle, as the loss of even a single one of these spacecraft can be catastrophic for a T'au planetary assault.When a Manta actively participates in battle, the use of the Fire Caste doctrine of "Mont'ka" or "the Killing Blow" requires the precise application of overwhelming force to destroy the enemy. In this tactical scheme, Mantas are used to force a direct spear-thrust into the heart of enemy forces. Often dropping directly from high altitude and straight down onto a target chosen for its strategic importance, the task of the Manta and the T'au force within it is to destroy the target utterly.In these sudden and dramatic attacks, the Manta's heavy firepower is combined with the element of surprise to change the course of a battle. To ensure victory, a Manta will carry a specially chosen strike force for deployment directly into the teeth of the enemy. It is the strike force's task to engage and destroy any opposition on the ground at close quarters with the application of overwhelming firepower.Mantas are also used to counter enemy super-heavy vehicles and combat walkers such as Titans as they are one of the few T'au assets capable of facing down and destroying such potent weapon systems. The Manta's distinctive silhouette is rightly feared by the enemies of the T'au Empire as much as it bolsters the morale of T'au forces when it appears.In space, a Manta fulfils the role of a heavy attack craft where it is a match for whole squadrons of Imperial starfighters. Mantas can also be configured to perform void-based bombing missions against enemy capital ships. However, Mantas have a limited interstellar capability and often need to be transported by larger T'au voidcraft, such as Protector and Custodian-class starships, between star systems. Mantas can also dock at the Air Caste's orbital stations which circle many important T'au Sept worlds.
Manta - Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications: Serial Number:85673-908461Main Armament:2 Heavy Railguns, 2 triple-Ion Cannon batteriesDesignation:Super-Heavy DropshipVehicle Codename:MantaSecondary Armament:16 Drone Controlled Burst Cannons, 10 Seeker MissilesVehicle Type:Shuttle/Ground AttackCrew:8Traverse:0°Weight:382 tonnes (empty)Elevation:+0° to -0°Length:32 metresAmmunition:UnknownWidth:52 metresArmour Type:Nano-Crystalline Alloy, Composition Unknown to the Adeptus MechanicusHeight:8 metresMax Recorded Speed:2600 kilometres per hour at 5000 feet; cruising speed 1600 kilometres per hourSummary:Also a small Warp-capable spacecraft
Manta - Canon Conflict: The Manta was said to possess a T'au Ether Drive allowing it to make shallow "dives" into the Warp to transit short interstellar distances. The Ether Drive was later ret-conned out of existence by Games Workshop for the T'au Empire in 6th Edition, which possessed no Warp-based technologies and instead relied upon the ZFR Horizon Accelerator Engine to transit interstellar distances at relativistic but still sub-light speeds.
Manta - Trivia: The Manta was the largest model produced by Forge World, weighing a record 12.5 kilograms without troops or vehicles inside. It was 63 centimetres long and possessed a wingspan of 83 centimetres. The model was also six times larger than a Thunderhawk. It was also the most expensive model produced by Forge World when first released, costing £960.
Manta - Sources: Aeronautica Imperialis, pp. 114-116Battlefleet Gothic Armada - To Unite the Stars: T'au Vessels, pg. 98Codex: T'au (3rd Edition), pg. 15Imperial Armour Aeronautica, pg. 62Imperial Armour Apocalypse, pp. 76, 85Imperial Armour Apocalypse (2nd Edition), pp. 78, 88Imperial Armour Apocalypse (2013), pp. 126-127Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign, pp. 208-211, 213-214, 282, 287Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign (Second Edition), pp. 194-197
Manticore - Manticore: The Manticore, also known as the Manticore Rocket Launcher, is a self-propelled rocket artillery piece used by the Astra Militarum that is based on a variant of the Chimera armoured personnel carrier chassis. A formidable weapon, the Manticore is capable of firing devastating barrages over incredible ranges. Though not as commonly seen on the battlefield as the Basilisk or the Earthshaker Cannon, the Manticore's versatility gives it a distinct advantage over other artillery. Named for the ferocious creature from ancient Terran mythology, the Manticore is armed with 4 long-range artillery rockets capable of firing a variety of different warheads, such as high explosive fragmentation warheads, oxy-phosphor incendiary warheads, air gas warheads to high altitude and surface-to-air interceptor missiles, providing it with an antiaircraft capability. But the most common type remains the deadly Storm Eagle Rockets, the signature payload of these ancient siege vehicles. The standard pattern of the Manticore is produced on the Forge World of Stygies VIII, while the rare pattern of Manticore that makes use of primarily incendiary Manticore Missiles is manufactured on the Forge World of Graia.The Manticore Rocket Launcher is an ancient siege engine that dates back to the earliest days of the Imperium of Man. Once, these potent self-propelled artillery pieces mounted a variety of devastating warheads. Over time, as Forge Worlds have fallen and humanity's technological lore has been lost behind the veil of mythology, the Manticore's versatility has lessened. Though some variants still exist in far-flung corners of the Imperium, it is now the Departmento Munitorum standard for Manticores to go into battle bearing four mighty Storm Eagle Rockets. These munitions are by far the most powerful remaining Manticore armament, and are more than capable of causing unsustainable levels of damage to any foe.Though its potency is undeniable, the Manticore is an ancient machine and prone to exhibiting considerable technological eccentricities. To reload a Manticore requires several solar hours of careful, uninterrupted ministration by a crew of Tech-priests and specialist Servitors. This process absolutely cannot be undertaken in the field, rendering the vehicle's ammunition reserve finite. This is coupled with the fact that the sheer antiquity of the surviving Manticores has rendered their Machine Spirits truculent and temperamental. If prevailing conditions are not to the rocket launcher's liking or its systems are treated without due delicacy, the Manticore has been known to malfunction in a most wilful manner. Storm Eagle Rockets deviate wildly off-course, fall uselessly out of the air, or simply ignore the depression of launch runes with curmudgeonly indifference. A Manticore crew will commonly bow to their machine before and after combat, humbly entreating its permission to discharge its weapons and then thanking it for delivering the Emperor's wrath. During battle they maintain a near-constant mantra of prayer and obeisance with the aim of mollifying their armoured steed, yet operational difficulties are still commonplace.
Manticore - Regiments Known to Use Manticores: 22nd Krieg Armoured Regiment - The 22nd Krieg Armoured Regiment made extensive use of Manticores during the Barbarius Campaign.122nd Cadian Armoured Regiment - The 122nd Cadian Armoured Regiment used the Manticore during the Zhai-Khan Upising.31st Cadian Armoured Regiment - The 31st Cadian Armoured Regiment unleashed its Manticores during the campaign on Levilnor IV.58th Valhallan Armoured Regiment - The 58th Valhallan Armoured Regiment deployed its Manticores during Rogue Trader Milos Baral's exploration force to the Prath-Veil Sub-sector.14th Phyressian Armoured Regiment146th Catachan Jungle Fighters Regiment, The "Red Cobras" - The Red Corbras deployed their Manticores in the equatorial jungles of Yarant III.17th Tallarn Armoured Regiment
Manticore - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Manticore Rocket LauncherVehicle Name:ManticoreMain Armament:4 Storm Eagle Rockets or Manticore MissilesForge World of Origin:Mars, Stygies VIII, M'Khand, Voss, Estaban III, Triplex Phall, Phaeton, Vanaheim, Lucius, Gryphonne IVSecondary Armament:Hull-mounted Heavy BolterKnown Patterns:I - XIITraverse:360 degreesCrew:1 Commander, 1 Driver, 1 Gunner, 1 LoaderElevation:0 to 45 degreesPowerplant:Vulcanor 16 Twin-Coupled Multi-BurnMain Ammunition:4 MissilesWeight:38 TonnesSecondary Ammunition:300 RoundsLength:5.29 metresArmour:Width:3.78 metresHeight:3.29 metresSuperstructure:100 millimetresGround Clearance:0.45 metresHull:100 millimetresMax Speed On-Road:60 kilometres per hourGun Mantlet:N/AMax Speed Off-Road:45 kilometres per hourVehicle Designation:0427-941-3043-MA3Transport Capacity:N/AFiring Ports:N/AAccess Points:N/ATurret:N/A
Manticore - Also See: Vehicles of the Imperial Guard
Manticore - Sources: Codex: Astra Militarum (8th Edition), pp. 48, 112Codex: Astra Militarum (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), "Manticores," "Heavy Support-Manticore"Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, pp. 177-182Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard (Second Edition), pp. 9, 180-185, 267Imperial Armour Aeronautica, pg. 22Aeronautica Imperialis (Rulebook), pg. 24Imperial Armour, pp. 60-63Imperial Armour Apocalypse II, pg. 7Imperial Guard (5th Edition), pg. 54White Dwarf 366 (UK), pg. 5Only War: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 285Dawn of War II - Retribution (PC Game)
Manticore Platform - Manticore Platform: The Manticore Platform is an Imperial weapons platform that is used by the Imperial Guard for anti-air defence and as a siege weapon. The Manticore Platform is equipped with a rotating turret armed with either four Manticore Missiles or Storm Eagle Rockets for siege operations or four heat-seeking Sky Eagle Rockets for anti-air defence. When armed for air defence, the Manticore Platform is usually used by the Imperial Guard as a static weapons emplacement, usually placed in close proximity to Imperial artillery formations in order to protect them from enemy aircraft. They are also placed next to important static targets, such as bridges, command posts and airfields. When the Manticore Platform is used for siege warfare, the platform is placed on the besieging attacker's forward positions where it can unleash powerful, long-range volleys of ordinance against a target with great speed. A battery of Manticore Platforms is capable of saturating fire zones, collapsing Void Shields, and shattering armoured structures.The Manticore Platform, much like the Earthshaker Cannon and Hydra Flak Platforms, makes use of the common Phaeton Pattern Imperial weapons platform that is comprised of four stabiliser legs. These legs can fold up and motorised tracks can be attached so that the platform, and its mounted weapon, can be towed into place. These platforms are usually towed by larger Imperial support vehicles such as Trojans, as smaller support vehicles, such as the Centaur, are not powerful enough to tow the weight of the platform and its weapon. Each Manticore Platform is crewed by several specially trained Imperial Guard soldiers, usually a commander, a gunner, and several loaders. The crew will ride in the Trojan assigned to their platform when it is moved. Manticore Platforms must also be continuously tended to by a group of the artillery battery's attendant Tech-priests to ensure the Machine Spirit that governs the platform's temperamental weapons system is never offended, which can lead to its weapons veering off-target, failing to detonate, or even exploding before being fired.Manticore Platforms are usually deployed to the field in groups consisting of three platforms, their crews, and three Trojan utility vehicles to tow them. The reloading process of the Manticore Platform is a time-consuming process that involves many attendant Tech-priests and other specilised equipment. After the platform fires its volley of missiles or rockets, it must be protected while the reloading process takes place. It is unrecorded in Imperial records how the platform's new missiles and rockets are delivered to the field, although it more than likely involves one of the many types of unnamed Imperial heavy truck and trailer supply vehicles.
Manticore Platform - Armament: The Manticore Platform is usually armed with four Manticore Missiles. These missiles are guided solid-fuel rockets capable of speeds of up to 300 metres per second once airborne. The standard Manticore Missile is armed with a high-explosive warhead capable of causing tremendous damage to enemy armoured vehicles and structures, although it is also capable of being outfitted with oxy-phospor incendiary warheads, making it a devastating anti-infantry weapon. The Manticore Platform can also be armed with heat-seeking Sky Eagle Rockets which allow Manticore Platforms to be used as an effective anti-air platform in place of the more common Hydra Flak Platform The platform can also be armed with heat-seeking Storm Eagle Rockets, which are similar to Manticore Missiles but lack the guidance systems.  Storm Eagle Rockets can be fired into enemy positions and formations where the heat-seeking warhead will be drawn to important enemy structures containing heat-producing equipment such as power generators, communications equipment, and enemy vehicle engines. The Manticore Platform has no other weapons, although the platform's crew are all armed with Laspistols and Lasguns to defend themselves, and the platform, from enemy ground attack. The platform can be covered in camouflage netting to better conceal it from the enemy.
Manticore Platform - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Phaeton Pattern Manticore PlatformVehicle Name:Manticore PlatformMain Armament:Manticore MissilesForge World of Origin:PhaetonSecondary Armament:N/AKnown Patterns:UnknownTraverse:360 degreesCrew:1 Commander, 1 Gunner, 2-3 LoadersElevation:UnknownPowerplant:N/AMain Ammunition:4 MissilesWeight:22 Tonnes (approx.)Secondary Ammunition:N/ALength:8.60 metres (approx.)Armour:Width:11.60 metres (approx.)Height:3.90 metres (approx.)Superstructure:N/AGround Clearance:N/AHull:N/AMax Speed On-Road:N/AGun Mantlet:N/AMax Speed Off-Road:N/AVehicle Designation:UnknownTransport Capacity:N/AFiring Ports:N/AAccess Points:N/ATurret:N/A
Manticore Platform - Also See: Imperial VehiclesManticore
Manticore Platform - Sources: Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, pp. 184, 189, 190, 269Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard (Second Edition), pp. 186-187, 191, 193, 267Imperial Armour Apocalypse II, pg. 18Imperial Armour Aeronautica, pg. 23Aeronautica Imperialis (Rulebook), pg. 24
Mantis Warriors - Badab War: During the Badab War, the Mantis Warriors sided with their fellow Maelstrom Warders, the Renegade Astral Claws and the Lamenters, as well as the Executioners Chapter which owed a boon to the Astral Claws.Each answered Lufgt Huron's call to defend what they viewed as the traditional autonomy and political prerogatives of the Adeptus Astartes from encroachment by the Administratum and the deeply distrusted Inquisition by seceding from the Imperium.The first recorded involvement by Loyalist Space Marines in the conflict against the Mantis Warriors came in 904.M41, after the Fire Hawks' starship Red Harbinger was attacked and captured by the Mantis Warriors.In 907.M41, as Badab was being besieged by the Loyalists, two Chapters were drafted to also investigate the worlds occupied by the Mantis Warriors and the Executioners. In 912.M41 the rebellion was defeated and the Astral Claws were nearly destroyed.The Mantis Warriors, who recognised that they had been duped by the Chaos-corrupted Lufgt Huron into aiding his rebellion against the Imperium and that they were not defending the traditional autonomy of the Adeptus Astartes as they had believed, were granted the Emperor's forgiveness for their part in the conflict, and sent on a 100-year-long penitence crusade, though they were stripped of their Chapter homeworld and all other possessions in the Endymion Cluster.The Mantis Warriors' surviving Chapter Master, Khoisan Neotera, was stripped of his honour and armour, and imprisoned in the Imperial prison known as the Penitentiacon in isolation for the rest of his life.As part of this penitent crusade, the Mantis Warriors' goods and chattels within the Endymion Cluster were forfeited to the Fire Hawks Chapter in perpetuity.Before departing the Maelstrom Zone for good, the Carcharodons Chapter fleet returned to the Endymion Cluster. There, with the agreement of the Fire Hawks, they struck at the Tranquility System, whose worlds were once the primary recruiting and training grounds of the Mantis Warriors.From these worlds they harvested an entire generation of recruits to renew their own losses, forcing those they selected to fight to the death to prove their worth in order to survive as Carcharodons neophytes.Thus paid in blood, the Carcharodons fleet departed, the last known sighting of them made by an Explorator augury-beacon, which marked them tacking course through the Warp, ascending above the galactic plane and into the blackness of the outer void once more.With the loss of their homeworld of Ootheca and their primary recruitment worlds in the Endymion Cluster and forbidden for the duration of their penitent crusade to recruit any neophytes, the Mantis Warriors found themselves critically short of personnel due to heavy attrition at the end of the 41st Millennium.
Mantis Warriors - Badab War Aftermath: Before the rebellion, the Mantis Warriors had an above-average induction rate into the Inquisition's Deathwatch, but since their disgrace only a handful of Mantis Warriors have been accepted.However, recent actions on the strategically-located world of Herodian IV against a splinter Tyranid hive fleet have allowed the Mantis Warriors to reclaim the Emperor's blessing and receive the Inquisition's grudging permission to begin to recruit neophytes once more, including Primaris Marines created by the Chapter after a visit from a Torchbearer fleet brought the requisite biomedical technology and Adeptus Mechanicus personnel.However, the Mantis Warriors still find themselves critically short of Astartes in the wake of that campaign, as due to their crimes, the Torchbearers provided only the Primaris creation technology, and no Greyshield reinforcements raised during the Ultima Founding as they did for other depleted Firstborn Chapters.Yet, such redemption may come too late and whether the Chapter will survive or not remains a real issue for the Mantis Warriors, who may yet find the name of their Chapter added to those in the Imperial Palace's Hallway of Heroes who have been destroyed while defending the Emperor's realm.Many Mantis Warriors believe that their Chapter is cursed and many outside the Chapter still regard them as Traitors despite their official pardon.They have been described as "a Chapter on the edge of the law, teetering on the brink of oblivion and approaching the borders of extinction, fighting desperately to regain its place amongst the chosen. They were not outlaws or Renegades, but they had no home in the Imperium of Man."
Mantis Warriors - Chapter Organisation: Unlike their progenitors, the White Scars, the Mantis Warriors Chapter's deployment and organisation conforms closely to the tenets of the Codex Astartes and adheres to the Codex's prescribed numbers and types of companies, command structures, types of officers and other common elements of standard Space Marine Chapter structure.In practice however, due to the Chapter's history of isolation from the rest of the Imperium and lack of advanced technological resources, the Mantis Warriors have often had to fight under-strength, particularly in terms of the use of heavy vehicles like Predators and Land Raiders, of which they possess very few.The almost continuous slow attrition of their forces has made it necessary to operate with less than a full complement of battle-brothers.This has led the Mantis Warriors over time to concentrate their resources and limited capacity on wargear which they can best support. This suits their style of warfare which is heavily dependent upon guerilla attacks, hit-and-run tactics and misdirection.At the point in their history when they were at their lowest ebb they were still able to field a considerable fleet of Thunderhawk gunships and other attack craft to ensure their mobility in battle.The Mantis Warriors have formed a specialised fighting unit within the Chapter, named the "Praying Mantidae," a cadre of warriors tasked with tracking down the Renegade Astral Claws (now called the Red Corsairs) that led the Mantis Warriors astray.These elite units are given additional training compared to "normal" Astartes. They are recognisable by the snake-like tattoos covering their bodies, extending high up on their necks.Mantis Warriors battle-brothers who are veterans of the Tranquility Campaign that ended the Badab War are formed into Sniper Squads known as "Tranquility Sniper Squads."These Space Marines are known widely across the Imperium for their use of the Sniper Rifle and their yellow and black tiger-striped armour which was originally used as camouflage in Tranquility II's desert environments, but is now a mark of distinction.
Mantis Warriors - Chapter Combat Doctrine: The Mantis Warriors' native character traits are further honed and enhanced when they become full battle-brothers through solar decades of combat experience in the field and the ferocity inherent in their progenitors' gene-seed.Unlike their White Scars forebears, their savage hearts are tempered by a streak of dark mysticism.The Mantis Warriors' focused power as a Chapter is like that of a sudden squall that comes and goes without warning, leaving only devastation in its wake.As noted, they are masters of the hit-and-run attack and will always seek to avoid combat through misdirection or guile until they have attained the maximum tactical advantage before unleashing the full fury of their assault.
Mantis Warriors - Endymion Cluster: The Endymion Cluster, the stellar region given to the Mantis Warriors to guard as one of the Malestrom Warders, is a region of Imperial space composed of 20 planets (6 of which are of major importance in the region) that lies to the direct galactic east of Terra in the dangerous but resource-rich Maelstrom Zone of the Ultima Segmentum.The cluster is surrounded on all sides by unsettled Wilderness Space and has never proven to be politically or economically coherent enough to be accepted as a fully-organised Imperial sector since almost all of the Human-settled planets within the cluster are pre-industrial Feral and Feudal Worlds.The Endymion Cluster is located at an impressively dangerous astrographical position, with the horrors of the Maelstrom Warp rift behind it and the xenos-infested Golgothan Wastes between it and the Imperium's core worlds. Because of the cluster's proximity to the Maelstrom, it possesses few reliable Warp routes in or out of the cluster and what routes do exist are often plagued by Warp Storms or daemonic and xenos attacks.The Mantis Warriors served as the guardians of the cluster, having protected its people for thousands of Terran years, though rather than establishing their fortress-monastery on a single world, though they claimed the world of Ootheca as their formal Chapter planet, they preferred instead to found a clutch of small bastions and watch-holds across the entire region.Many of these bastions were cleverly hidden to better maximise the Chapter's penchant for guerilla assaults.However, the largest and most important base for the Mantis Warriors within the cluster was a region of the Death World of Tranquility III that the Chapter named the "Valley of the Nine Winds."This base was primarily used as a training ground for the Chapter's neophytes, most of whom were recruited from among the people of the Endymion Cluster, particularly the Desert World of Tranquility II, and full initiates.The Chapter's control over the Endymion Cluster has been vital not only to the protection of the people of these planets but has also provided an excellent forward operating area for the Chapter, which was tasked with cleansing the Golgothan Wastes and the Maelstrom Zone itself of the vicious daemonic and xenos threats which are far more dangerous than the odd Ork pirate or Human corsair.For their part, the people of the cluster's mostly primitive Feral and Feudal Worlds believe the Mantis Warriors to be the embodied spirits of warrior insects sent by the God-Emperor to protect them, and their loyalty to the Chapter runs bone-deep because of the countless times these Astartes saved the people of the cluster from the literal legions of hell, as well as the reality that most of the Mantis Warriors were recruited from their own tribes and cities.It was these people who during the Badab War would side so faithfully with their ancient protectors and kin, and they would pay a terrible price in blood when the Loyalists unleashed their final assault on the Mantis Warriors in the Tranquility Campaign.
Mantis Warriors - Chapter Beliefs: In character with their basic aloofness and desire for autonomy, the battle-brothers of the Mantis Warriors have an uncommon streak of individualism and self-reliance, for each one is born a survivor, a killer from the shadows, and the inheritor of a warrior lineage that descends from one of the Endymion Cluster's savage Death World tribes or warring feudal states.Each Mantis Warrior maintains his own wargear with a singular reverence, to a higher degree than in most other Space Marine Chapters. Individual weapons and suits of power armour are handed down from generation to generation.Every custodian will in turn add his own embellishments to such an extent that each weapon and suit of Power Armour becomes a treasured and storied relic in its own right.This level of individualism is further evidenced by a high degree of customisation in insignia, kill markings and other form of personal adornment. This includes prophetic sigils and warding prayers engraved onto their armour or written on Purity Seals.In the aftermath of the Badab War, one prevailing emotion has hung over the Chapter even after the end of its penitent crusade. Shame. There is still a feeling of shock and disbelief about how the Mantis Warriors allowed themselves to be blinded by their former Astral Claws allies and stray from the light of the Emperor, and they feel undeserving of forgiveness.To them, their rebellion was a crime that can never be fully atoned for, and their quest for redemption will never be at an end so long as their Chapter still exists.
Mantis Warriors - Chapter Gene-Seed: The gene-seed of the Mantis Warriors has developed a flaw or mutation over the millennia as the Preomnor gene-seed implant does not function properly.As such, when a Mantis Warrior sets himself into a certain frame of mind, the Prenomor gland secretes a potent neuro-toxin that permanently changes the Astartes' physiology; the Space Marine is overcome by a feeling of the need for forgiveness for his many sins and shortcomings and a dramatically increased reverence for the Emperor.This neuro-toxin alters the Space Marine's sense of space and time, increasing his neurological reaction rate to that only achieved in near-precognitive states by most psykers; it also increases his already superhuman strength to a great extent.To a mortal it would seem that the Astartes is simply stepping aside before anything happens.Unfortunately, this marvelous gift comes at a price: the physiological change is irreversible and the Astartes' sight becomes tunnelised to the point of no longer being able to notice anything in his field of view that is not a target or a foe.The Mantis Warriors call this state of mind the "battle-haze." Each Mantis Warriors company has a unit of battle-brothers who have given their all to the Emperor and in acts of such faith have entered the "battle-haze." These units are called "Mantis Religiosa."The battle-brother who discovered this genetic flaw was called Maetrus, a captain, who after organising the "Praying Mantidae" subsequently fell into the "battle-haze" whilst battling a company of Astral Claws in the wake of the Badab War after that Chapter went Renegade.
Mantis Warriors - Physical Appearance: All the Space Marines in this Chapter appear to have green eyes and long black hair, undoubtedly a phenotypic response to the Chapter's White Scars-derived gene-seed.The "Praying Mantidae" are recognisable by the snake-like tattoos that cover their body, extending high up on their necks.