Mammoth-class Land Train

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I like trains.

Land Trains are war machines composed of an engine and several weapons-mounted cars. Like virtually every kind of train, the Land Train is a train that goes on land, meaning this mighty piece of rolling killage has one of the stupidest, most redundant names in the grimderp universe. One of the most notable patterns is the Mammoth-class Land Train as shown here. They were built and maintained by the Squat's Engineers Guild, a group which provided the best weapons used in the Squat armies.

Each Land Train has an individual name which pertains to its past exploits or the Stronghold it originates from, examples include the Hammer of Bruggen, Pride of Imbach and Gotrek's Anvil. The colors of a Land Train reflect both the Strongholds traditional color scheme and the colors of the Engineers Lodge in the Stronghold. Stylized ancestor masks are used as common form of decoration along with Squat runes and complex, intertwining designs.

  • Length: 137-139m standard configuration; 236-238m full configuration
  • Mass: 18-30 kilotonnes; approx
  • Crew: 400-1,000 crew; approx
  • Acceleration: 100-140kph; approx

History[edit]

The war machines have their origins in the vast multi-tracked machines which the Squats used to tow powered track-cars of ore, food and other supplies across the harsh, rocky, inhospitable terrain separating the vast Strongholds of their Homeworld planets. The trains were armored to endure the earthquakes, meteor showers and violent storms wracking their planets. Such defenses allowed the trains to easily withstand most enemy fire.

Land Trains were later used by the Squats as mobile fortresses, the cars mounting a variety of destructive weapons. Land Trains finally return after three decades of absence in Godblight where the horny-ass preacher, Matthieus literally drove one directly in the Death Guard's rectum. Whether this means the Squats somehow participated in the Plague Wars is unknown, but it was one hell of a wild ride...literally...

Civilian Use[edit]

The Squats are crafty and adaptable bunch and their creations are no different. Just as how they can use a Land Train for war, such a vehicle of its size can be retrofitted for civilian business. To this day, Land Trains are still used for more peaceful activities. Their vast tracks enable them to reach and supply mines beyond the daunting continental shelves and the seas of dust, the quasi-liquid pulverised rock that makes the soil of most of the Homeworlds.

Accidents are common, and Land Trains can sink without a trace if they venture into the ebb and flow of deep dust.

The dust itself often contains a significant amount of ore, ranging from iron to chromium compounds, silica or tiny mineral crystals, and is mined by factory Land Trains whose engines are equipped with massive scoops and whose track-cars are filled with ore. One of such areas, the Iron Sea of Grindel, is the greatest source of ferrous ore in all of the Homeworlds.

Weaponry[edit]

A Land Train comprises a huge, armored engine which tows behind it a number of smaller tracked 'carriages' called Battlecars. The Land Train engine mounts two heavy battlecannons and a monstrously destructive Doomsday Cannon as well as numerous bolters. The Battlecars are split into a few variations:

The Mortar Battlecars mount a large barrage weapon called a Siege Mortar. The Siege Mortar fires heavy shells capable of bursting apart heavy tanks or destroying buildings. The Siege Mortar is also found on the Imperial Bombard but the Land Train benefits for having a higher rate of fire.

The next variation is called the Dragon Battlecars which carries a large, heavy flamer which is useful for clearing out tunnels, caves, buildings and entrenchments and bathing swathes of infantry in Prometheum.

The next Battlecar is the Berserker Battlecars which have a crenelated battlement and an autocannon mounted in a turret, as well as numerous firing slits. It is called that because it carries a unit of Squat Berserkers.

The last one is the Bomb Battlecars which carries a single large missile armed with a high yield rad-bomb (A nuke basically). It is a one shot weapon, but like the Deathstrike Missile Launcher, it only needs one shot to annihilate an entire army.

In Citadel Journal #14, there was three more specialized Battlecar variants. These are:

The Fire Shield Battlecars which as its name implies, holds little weaponry. It mounts only one autocannon and an array of bolters, but its main use is that it's filled with additional void shield generators giving the Land Train further protection.

The second type is the Skyhammer Battlecars, which provides protection from enemy flyers. As such, it mounts a technologically advanced missile system, which is able to lock-on to enemy aircraft with relative ease.

The last variant is the Iron Eagle Battlecars which makes the Land Train a Helicopter Landing Dock on land. As its namesake implies, it hosts a Iron Eagle Gyrocopter which can be used to spot for the Land Train. The Gyrocopter maintains a constant data-ink with the Land Train's fire control centers so when the Land Train fires its weapons, it can make the attack using the Iron Eagle's line of sight if it wishes.

It is also protected by two Void Shields, if one of the Battlecars is destroyed the Squat player is allowed to give the two halves of the Train separate orders as each Battlecar is an independently functioning vehicle. Meaning that the Land Train can split into separate pieces only to rejoin later on.

Forces of the Squats/Leagues
Command: Brôkhyr Iron-Master - Einhyr Champion - Guildmaster
Kâhl - Living Ancestor (Grimnyr) - Squat Warlord - Votann
Troops: Brôkhyr Thunderkyn - Brotherhood Heavy Weapons Team
COG - Commissar - Chthonian Beserks - Hearthguard
Hearthkyn Warrior - Hearthkyn Salvager - Ironkin
Mole Mortar Team - Tech Priest - Theyn
Vehicles: Cyclops War Machine - Colossus War Machine
Land Train - Leviathan - Magna-Coil Bike - Rhino
Squat Bike - Squat Trike - Tunneling Transport Vehicles
Hekaton Land Fortress - Sagitaur ATV
Flyers &
Bombers:
Iron Eagle Gyrocopter
Overlord Armoured Airship
Artillery: Heavy Quad-Launcher
Thunder-Fire Cannon
Heavy
Ordinance:
Goliath Mega-Cannon
Spacecraft: Automated Barge Drone - Automated Bombing Drone
Automated Fighting Drone


Vessels of the Leagues of Votann
Spaceships
Battleships Stronghold
Cruisers Bastion
Landships
War Machines Colossus War Machine
Cyclops War Machine
Mobile Commands Leviathan
Armored Trains Land Train
Airships
Rigid Airships Overlord Armoured Airship