Games Workshop L/Astartes: Terminator Tartaros Squad

Product Information

Terminators are Space Marine Veterans who have earned the right to wear Tactical Dreadnought Armour, better known as Terminator Armour. They are their Chapter's greatest infantry assets, each essentially serving as a walking tank.

So scarce is Terminator Armour that sometimes an Aspiring Champion can only claim a suit for himself by killing the current wearer, whether in ritual combat or by more devious means. If you’re taking Tartaros Terminators I suggest going whole hog on the 10 man unit to get double Reaper Autocannons. Throw the Plasma Blaster onto the Sergeant and sprinkle in some Lightning Claws for a unit that can put out a ton of firepower on the drop in and deal some serious pain in close combat as well. If you remember to spread them out like I talked about above, and charge units on the periphery you’ll be set. Another key thing to remember is that not all the models in the unit need to shoot the same unit anymore. So you could fire 7 Combi-bolters at a unit of conscripts, dealing quite a bit of damage, and fire the Reaper Autocannons and Plasma Blaster at a more durable unit like light vehicles, dreadnoughts, other heavy infantry. Point for point the Tartaros Pattern terminators are probably the best deal in the Space Marine codex when it comes to Terminators. World Bearers, the less-than-illustrious but oh-so-illuminated 17th. This is another one of those odd things where it partially hinges on what you think of the aesthetics. On one hand, they were one of the original traitor legions, and fairly well equipped so Tartaros makes sense. More over, big broad plates means nice spots for scripture and special memorae pieces. But, they also end up having that 'baroque' look, and thus the trim and decorations of Cataphractii plate as well as something as simple as talons looking 'eeeeeevil' can make that a tempting prospect in some aesthetics as well. Like power armour, these suits were equipped with fibre-bundle synthetic muscles and imposed few movement restrictions upon the wearer despite their immense weight. But they were also too bulky, and their massive weight made running difficult despite built-in auto-balancers.Its creation was conceived at the same time as those suits. Little else is known about the Saturnine Pattern at this time save that few examples of this armour pattern are still known to exist.

I've already got 10 indomitus for the iron fourth, a squad of 5 justaerin for the SoH, and 5 cataphractii for the imperial fists. A Sons of Horus Legion Justaerin Veteran Marine during the Horus Heresy wearing singularly-modified Cataphractii Pattern Terminator Armour, armed with a Phobos Pattern Combi-Melta and an Artificer-wrought Power Axe based on the Carsoran Pattern.

Narrowing down the list

White Dwarf 303 (US), "Index Astartes: Deep Strike", "Crux Terminatus" & "Rise of the Marinies", pp. 18-23, 24-29, 30-35 The elite 1st Company of most Space Marine Chapters uses Terminator Armour extensively, and only those Astartes who earn the Crux Terminatus, a special badge of honour said to contain a fragment of the power armour worn by the Emperor of Mankind when he defeated Horus at the end of the Siege of Terra, are permitted to wear it. It is said that the Crux Terminatus behaves as a ward that augments the Terminator Armour itself, capable of turning aside blows that would threaten even a war engine. Almost all Space Marine Chapters maintain some suits of Terminator Armour and usually train their Veteran Astartes in their use, despite the armour's rarity. Terminator Armour is worn in very specific circumstances, such as when the close corridors of a hive city or space hulk need to be cleared. Newly-formed Space Marine Chapters often have difficulty obtaining large numbers of suits of this armour, especially because older, more prestigious Chapters have greater priority. White Dwarf 158 (US), "Return to Kalidus: Campaign for The Wolf Guard, Space Wolf Terminators", pp. 30-35

In the same manner as power armour, Terminator Armour contains its own independent power supply and fully enclosed life-support functions, though those incorporated in Terminator Armour are more powerful and longer-lasting. The first suits of Space Marine power armour were developed from this armour and were said to have been worn by the first Astartes of the early Space Marine Legions as they fought to unite the planets of the Sol System under the Emperor's control.

Conclusions

This latter configuration is usually employed when the enemy is likely to make use of weaponry that may defeat even the formidable armour of a Terminator. A Storm Shield contains a small power field generator that can protect a warrior in melee and is proof against even the most lethal close combat weapons.

These guys make for a very flexible alternative to a standard Terminator Squad. While combi-bolters and an autocannon can make for a very reliable fire-support unit, the real advantage these guys have over your standard Terminators is that they can perform sweeping advances. These Space Marines are mighty heroes whose legendary actions have become part of the Chapter's history, and it is every warrior's ambition to become one of their Chapter's elite. The 1st Company is invariably the most powerful company in the Chapter, as many of its warriors are trained to take to the field of battle wearing Terminator Armour. As the Chaos Space Marines succumbed to the powers of the Warp, much of the organisation and structure of their former Astartes Legion or Chapter has disappeared.

What is Terminator Armor?

The Warhammer Vault continues to grow as the lore sections from the Militarum Tempestus book are added, along with White Dwarf issues 342 and 343.