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Holy Weapons of War: Terminator Armor LORE

By Juan Lopez | July 15th, 2017 | Categories: Lore, Space Marines, Warhammer 40k Articles & News

grey knights

The rarity and cost to maintain makes Terminator armor reserved for the elite troops from the veteran Space Marine chapters.

Via our good friends at Lexicanum

Terminator Armour or Tactical Dreadnought Armour is the toughest and most powerful form of personal armor humanity has ever developed, used in Terminator units. The scarcity and expense to maintain Terminator suits means they are available only to the elite troops from the veteran companies of the Space Marine Chapters. Like power armor, Terminator suits have an outer shell of ceramite-bonded plates powered by electrically-motivated fibre bundles.

Plates of heavy plasteel further armour the ceramite sections, especially on the front of the suit. This extra armoring provides a level of protection that is far superior to normal Marine armor; not even a Krak missile will penetrate the suit’s breastplate. It also contributes to the immense weight of the suit, making the wearer less maneuverable and slower. External adamantium ribs help support this weight, while the inclusion of suspensors help the suit carry heavier support weapons.

Deathwing Terminator H&S

On the left shoulder of every Terminator suit is displayed the Crux Terminatus badge – those worn by Terminator captains are said to contain a piece of the Terminator Armour the Emperor wore when he fought Horus during the final battle of the Horus Heresy. Like normal power armor, Terminator armor is fully enclosed with life-support functions, and includes an array of sensors including radiation monitors, biological detectors and self-diagnostic scanners.

Terminator Armour also incorporates many more auxiliary systems than normal Marine power armor, including motion sensors and threat detectors. The armor’s sensorium, based upon tendril sensors, links directly into the wearer’s own awareness. The sensorium allows the wearer to use a vast number of scanners and detectors without conscious thought. Sensoriums can also be linked together, allowing every squad member to see exactly the same view of the battle as his comrades, though often only the Sergeant’s suit will broadcast pict-signals.

Terminator armor is also notable for incorporating a Teleport homer in each suit. This technology allows the squad to overcome their suits’ lack of maneuverability by placing them directly in the enemy’s midst, though the process is dangerous and sometimes inaccurate. In other cases, Terminator squads will be transported into battle by Drop Pods or Land Raiders.

40k fight terminator

Due to the massive strength its fiber bundles and advanced servo-motors afford the wearer, weapons normally too heavy to be considered man-portable can be used without impeding performance. Heavy flamers and assault cannons can be wielded as easily as a normal man would a handle a lasgun or boltgun. Terminator Armour has its own integrated weaponry: a storm bolter and a power fist.

The Storm Bolter is a multi-chambered, short-barreled development of the trusty standard bolter already used by the Astartes. It shoots at a faster rate than the original weapon, allowing it to lay down a curtain of fire. It is also quite short, partly because it is built into the exo-armor, making it an ideal close combat weapon. Such a combination in a single weapon has proven useful, to say the least. The power fist is already standard issue in many Chapters, and needs little work to adapt it to exo-armor.

Heavier weapons include the heavy flamer, the assault cannon, Grenade Harness, and the cyclone missile launcher. Normally one squad member will be designated as fire support and carry one of these weapons. Some Terminator squads, designated specifically for close-quarter combat, while eschew any ranged weapons in favor of either Lightning Claws or a combination of Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield.

Learn more about Terminator Armor

About the Author: Juan Lopez