Malcador Assault Tank - Armament: The Malcador was designed to fill the role of a main battle tank for the Imperial Guard, though the Malcador pattern is somewhat larger and heavier than the Leman Russ pattern that replaced it as the standard tank of the Guard. The Malcador has considerable durability as a result of its sheer bulk and the heavy layers of armoured plating that it is wrapped in. It is well-armed for its size with a Battle Cannon mounted in a limited-traverse turret embrasure. This main weapon is supplemented by a hull and two additional sponson heavy weapons mounts and a hull-mount that can carry attached Heavy Stubbers, Heavy Bolters, Lascannons or Autocannons. The Malcador does possess some limitations, however, especially when compared to the lighter but more versatile Leman Russ Tank. The overall shape of the tank reduces the traversing range of its sponson and hull weapons, producing a limited arc of fire due to its heavy armour plating and reinforced weapons mounts. Its immobile main turret can also prove to be a problem in a chaotic engagement where the lines of battle interpenetrate and the foe's infantry or armour units can take advantage of the Malcador's limited firing arc. Experienced commanders minimize these problems by combining other armour variants and infantry support with their squadrons of Malcadors. The Malcador tank could be outfitted with a variety of upgrades and attachments, such as Camouflage Netting, Extra Armour Plating, an improved communications system, a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, a mine sweeper, a Pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber, rough terrain modifications, track guards, a Searchlight, and Smoke Launchers.However, the tank has another major problem, the vulnerability of its engine. The Malcador's main engine plant, a thermic combustor design that is a variant for military use of a common pattern used in industrial and agricultural machinery across the human-settled galaxy, is underpowered in relation to the Malcador's sheer size and mass. This reduces its performance and provides very poor fuel efficiency. This problem has often plagued the Malcador and its variants and has been the primary reason why this pattern of heavy tank has been relegated to second-line status amongst the Imperial military forces.During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy the Malcador was used by both the Imperial Army and the Space Marine Legions as a main battle tank until it was replaced in service by more powerful vehicles such as the Land Raider Proteus. The Malcadors of these eras featured many features that have been lost to the Imperium over the subsequent millennia, the most notable being the full understanding of the vehicle's engine and drive system, for during the earliest eras of Imperial history, the Malcador was lauded for its formidable battle speed, a feature that has been lost, for many Imperial commanders now see the Malcador as unreliable at best. The Malcador was also once capable of being outfitted with Flare Shield technology, which is now lost or forgotten by the Imperium. Flare Shields were similar to present-day Imperial Void Shield technology, but were effective on a smaller scale. It is unknown if this technology is still in use in parts of the Imperium in the late 41st Millennium or if it has been lost over the millennia like so much else from that era.During these ancient times it was also common practise to equip Malcadors with an additional layer of ceramite plating, for added protection against enemy fire. The tank was also capable of mounting a wide variety of Pintle-mounted weapons such as twin-linked Bolters, certain Combi-Weapons, a Heavy Flamer or a Heavy Stubber. When the Malcador was in service to the Space Marine Legions they were usually crewed by the Legion's auxiliary mortal personnel, but they could also be crewed by the Space Marines themselves. The Malcador was also regularly fielded as a command vehicle.