Marauder Bomber
 This page is needs images. Help plz. |
The Marauder Bomber is the Imperial Navy's primary atmospheric heavy bomber. When a target is too small or too defended to destroy from orbit, but too far behind enemy lines to be reached by infantry or artillery, the Marauders get called in. Like other Imperial Navy aircraft, they can make an attack from an orbiting mother-ship, or from ground-based airstrips if space is too dangerous or the campaign starts to run long. They can deploy in support of infantry, but are most often turned loose into enemy territory to bomb whatever targets they happen to find there.
In appearance, the Marauder is basically every World War II bomber, but IN SPACE; it mounts a twin-linked lascannon turret in the nose and twin-linked heavy bolters in the dorsal and rear turrets for self-defense. Its four massive engines and fuel tanks give it intercontinental range, and it's so big that, in the rules, it's an Apocalypse-only super-heavy flyer.
Marauder Destroyer
The Imperial Navy developed the Destroyer variant of the Marauder during the Second War for Armageddon, as the Orks' air superiority meant that missions could only be flown at night and close to the ground. The twin-linked lascannons in the nose were replaced with six autocannons and an advanced ground-targeting system, the tail turret was equipped with twin-linked assault cannons instead of heavy bolters, and the bomb payload was reduced by half in order to gain the capacity to carry eight missiles. Though it lacked the payload to be a proper strategic bomber, the Marauder Destroyer was successful on Armageddon and elsewhere since then as a close air support bomber. It was so successful, in fact, that fluff says it is currently the Imperial Navy's primary bomber. So, basically, this variant of the vanilla Marauder has outstripped its parent design.
Marauder Vigilant
Only produced for Forge World's Aeronautica Imperialis game, the Marauder Vigilant replaces the dorsal turret and bomb bay with advanced surveillance and control systems.
Marauder Colossus
Another Aeronautica Imperialis-only variant, the Marauder Colossus loses the dorsal turret to accommodate the massive Colossus bunker-busting melta bomb.