Vehicles named after the other Primarchs (and other heroes)?

[Evil Eye]

A thought occurred to me recently; given that the primary battle tank and heavy tank of the Imperium are named the Leman Russ and Rogal Dorn respectively, and at a stretch it could be argued that the Deathwatch Corvus Blackstar is named after the Raven Guard Primarch, would it not make sense that the other (Loyalist) Primarchs would get vehicles named after them? And that's to say nothing of other famous Imperial figures (see the Malcador, Valdor and Macharius)!

 

Well, I figured it could be fun, so I decided to come up with a few ideas for vehicles named after the remaining 6 Primarchs!

 

Sanguinius Fighter-Bomber:

 

Unlike most fighting machines named after heroes and saints, the Sanguinius is an aircraft rather than a terrestrial vehicle. Fairly modern by Imperial standards, the STC being recovered in M38 and entering service in early M39, the Sanguinius is a truly remarkable aeroplane, and a very rare example of a vehicle used by both the Space Marines and the Imperial Navy due to its astoundingly good design. Slightly larger than a Thunderbolt yet far faster and more manoeuvrable, the Sanguinius is a highly adaptable platform that can be outfitted as an air superiority fighter, a ground attack craft or a full-on bomber depending on requirements. Most are strictly atmospheric aircraft, though some Astartes-exclusive patterns are capable of limited space flight. Whilst Space Marine examples are invariably better-built and fit with more advanced weapons and control systems, the basic avionics and construction of the Sanguinius is largely the same between Imperial Navy and Astartes aircraft; the base design is just that good. The main reason the Sanguinius is not more widespread is due to the cost of construction- whilst the STC is complete and it is not especially difficult to manufacture, the design requires rare materials and alloys, and the construction relies on quite precise fabrication that is beyond the ken of many forge worlds.

 

Lion El'Jonson Cruiser Tank:

 

An obscure vehicle shrouded in controversy, the Lion El'Jonson was recovered shortly after the Heresy. About the same size as a Leman Russ but faster and more lightly armoured, the El'Jonson is equipped with the "abolisher cannon" (a weapon functionally very similar to the conqueror cannon), with a co-axial multi-laser. The tank's performance is quite impressive, and it has a decent service record, but can be unreliable without constant maintenance due to its extremely complicated drivetrain and temperamental machine spirit. For reasons that have since been lost to time, there was a brief but fierce debate as to the proper name of the tank; to this day, whilst it is officially known as the Lion El'Jonson, many regiments refer to it as the Nemean instead. It is largely relegated to ceremonial use due to its reliability problems, but with the correct servicing can be a formidable battlefield asset.

 

Roboute Guilliman Heavy Tank:

 

The Roboute Guilliman STC had the misfortune of being recovered around the same time as the Rogal Dorn, and is unfortunately in every way an inferior tank. Whilst boasting significant armament in the form of three independent battle cannon turrets, twin-linked heavy bolter sponsons and a twin-linked lascannon in the hull, the tank is incredibly heavy and hilariously slow. In addition the fire control system, being at once over-engineered and yet hopelessly inadequate, makes the already daunting prospect of commanding a triple-turreted tank borderline impossible. It is speculated the STC may have been incomplete, frankensteined from multiple sources or even sabotaged, but the end result is a woefully poor vehicle that mostly gathers dust in reserve supplies.

 

Vulkan Engineering Vehicle:

 

Combining the roles of the Atlas and Trojan into an all-purpose engineering tank, the Vulkan is a well-liked and reliable vehicle capable of being equipped for a variety of tasks. Often used in the civilian sector for construction, the Vulkan is nonetheless a mainstay of the Imperial Guard, though it rarely sees any frontline action as its weapons are defensive first and foremost.

 

Ferrus Manus Forge-Crawler:

 

Used predominantly by the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Ferrus Manus is a truly gargantuan vehicle many times the size of a Land Raider. The only thing these behemoths share from vehicle to vehicle is the base chassis; no two Forge-Crawlers are the same. Designed as everything from mining vehicles to mobile manufactorums, each Manus is a work of engineering art whose inner mechanisms are carefully guarded secrets.

 

Jaghatai Khan Motor Car:

 

Exclusively a civilian vehicle with no combat utility, the Jaghatai Khan is nonetheless an excellent automobile, and beloved by Imperial top brass for its stylish good looks, comfortable furnishings and impressive performance. Extremely expensive and built exclusively to order, few will ever get to see one, let alone drive one. Some are used as staff cars by Imperial Guard generals, but these are rare and considered somewhat extravagant by many more down-to-earth officers.

 

 

I have more ideas, but for now over to you!

[Lathe Biosas]

It seems like the Ferrus-Mannus should have a common design flaw.... an exposed cockpit that is relatively unarmoured. 

 

 

[kabaakaba]

Robout should be command center... Or paper sorting machine

[Griefbringer]

Regarding Vulkan, there are also two titan weapons worth mentioning: Vulcan mega-blaster and Volcano cannon.

 

Then there is the Heresy era Vulcan Self-propelled Gun, which gets briefly mentioned in White Dwarf around 1989 with little information. This might have been e.g. a variant of Shadowsword (whose main armament has later been known as Volcano cannon).

 

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For more hypothetical Primarch-named vehicles, I could see pre-Heresy forge world starting to produce Angron Combi-Harvester for export to near-by agriworlds, as well as a top-class gold-plated Fulgrim Limousine manufactured in very limited numbers, intended as gifts for the self-respecting planetary governors and other high dignitaries. Both of these would get quickly re-named after the onset of Heresy (with traitor agri-workers also re-purposing their harvesters into more military use).

 

Should I also mention the highly experimental Alpharius Hive-World Public Transport System, infamous for its totally incomprehensible line-maps and schedules. Only two incomplete systems were ever built, and their complete destruction in orbital bombardments during heresy was generally considered an improvement by the surviving hive dwellers.