Sky Killer formations are also always attended to by their own Adeptus Mechanicus support chantry, which blesses the machines with sacred unguents of the Omnissiah and athremetic prayers of destruction and purity both appeasing the Machine Spirit of the vehicles and allowing them to better target their enemies, whilst also granting their weapon systems an additional resistance to damage from enemy fire.
Each Sky Killer formation consists of two to five Praetors armed only with Pilum warheads, one of which is designated a command vehicle. As the wars of the Southern Sabre Arm of the Segmentum Tempestus continued and the armoured regiments that had helped topple Eyerippa's empire were redeployed, the use of the formation quickly spread. Under the direction and ministration of the Adeptus Mechanicus, dedicated Praetor units were used to systematically destroy the Ork Fighta-Bommer wings and Kill-koptas, neutralising their threat.
The weapon takes up the space the Crassus uses to transport its precious cargo of soldiers, and its missiles are fully capable of engaging both land and air targets. The weapon is capable of firing several types of missiles distinguished by their use of different warheads, such as the Foehammer, Firestorm, and Pilum. The weapon is a sophisticated, multiple heavy missile launcher akin to the Whirlwind Missile Launcher of the Space Marine Whirlwind tank and Helios Pattern Land Raiders, although it is much larger and more powerful. The Praetor is named after the main weapons system it deploys, known as the Praetor Heavy Assault Launcher. 4 Adeptus Mechanicus Technical SpecificationsĪ Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher of the 8th Cadian Vengeance Company.3 Known Users of the Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher.While the Praetor's sophisticated systems and relatively high materiel cost makes it unlikely to replace or supplant the existing Imperial designs for mobile rocket artillery pieces, its durability and sheer versatility have already ensured it a valued place amongst those Imperial Guard units facing the most deadly adversaries of the Imperium. However, due to the vehicle's complexity, it has not been as widely distributed as the more basic Crassus assault transport. Since its introduction, this Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher has spread swiftly through the ranks of the Imperial Guard's front-line regiments, especially those currently deployed in the Segmentum Tempestus. The design for the Praetor Heavy Assault Launcher actually predates the introduction of the Crassus and it is believed that the last time the Praetor saw widespread use by the armed forces of Imperium was against the Land-Leviathans deployed by the Tellarite Rebellion forces who had forged a pocket-empire in their little corner of the galaxy during the dark years of the Nova Terra Interregnum.Ī Praetor with its Heavy Assault Launcher in the firing position.Īfter the re-discovery of the STC data for the Crassus, the manufactora of Zhao-Arkkad introduced a new mobile platform for the Praetor weapon based on the Crassus chassis that transformed the Heavy Assault Launcher into a form of mobile rocket artillery. The Standard Template Construct (STC) data for the Crassus, Praetor, and Dominus were found deep within the vaults of this Forge World. The Praetor, the Crassus and the Dominus Heavy Siege Bombard are all designs recovered from the recently re-conquered and re-consecrated Forge World of Zhao-Arkhad. The Praetor is a modified variant of the Crassus Armoured Assault Transport, and is named after the unique weapon it mounts known as the Praetor Heavy Assault Launcher. The Praetor, also known as the Prator Armoured Assault Launcher, is an armoured assault missile launcher used by the Astra Militarum for direct infantry fire support. Three Praetor Armoured Assault Launchers fire a missile barrage at the enemy on Betalis III Colonel Zandus, XIV Kathargo Armoured Regiment " When Ork blood falls like rain from the sky then shall I be satisfied."