Titans

[Brother Warchild]

Librarium Article

TITANS

Imperial Titans
The first Titans were built during the Age of Strife on Mars, as a way for the then-new Adeptus Mechanicus to effectively fight on the irradiated surface. They were later sent with the fleets that established the first Forge Worlds, leading to the creation of the Titan Legions - armed forces made up entirely of Titans specific to that forge world. In the background they are described as standing between 15 and 40 m (about 50 to 130 ft) tall. There are a variety of classes that a Titan falls under.

Due to their high standing, all Titans are important enough to be given their own High Gothic names when built. This is represented in published materials by giving each one a two-word Latin name, always some venerated title or concept. Examples include Aquila Ignis, Regalis Annihilatus, Vitas Falco, Imperius Eradicus, Imperius Belladon, Apocalyptus Credo, Imperius Brontos, Imperius Excelsior, Dies Irae, Imperius Augusta, and Imperius Dominatus. Similarly, the loss of a Titan is considered tragic and mourned by the Forge World that produced it.

Imperial Titans are unique in the sense that their computer mind-cores are sentient, albeit in a highly-erratic manner. This is in contrast with the usually non sentient "machine spirits" or onboard computer systems found in many other imperial war machines like tanks and armored vehicles. In the "Titan" comic, the newly connected Princeps was formally greeted by Imperius Dictatio inside its mental landscape; there was also Laudator Magnificat, which was forcibly reactivated after falling in combat. This proved disastrous: the mind-core had suffered severe psychological trauma from its "death", and began attacking everything in sight in its mindless rage.

Most Imperial Titans are roughly humanoid, but with thick lower legs, a hunched head, and an oversized torso. Forward-oriented main weapons mount directly into where the arms would be, and additional weapons are often found on the chassis. These configurations (called patterns) vary, and most Titans are built on these precepts. However the actual design of the chassis can vary greatly, so only the absolutely basic features (such as leg joints and weapon hardpoints) are constant. This is most evident in the Warhound class of titans (the Lucius pattern looks more geometric and broader than the Mars Pattern, which is more rounded and dog-like).


Imperial Titan Classes

Warhound
Warhound Titans are the scouts or flanking elements of a Titan force. Appearance-wise, the Warhound differs the most from other Imperial Titans; anthropomorphic canine-like overall structure, reverse-jointed legs; and direct shoulder weapon mounts. They are lightly-armed and armored for Titans, although still fearsome compared to more standard combat vehicles. Due to this, they are the only ones to be normally deployed in packs of at least two members, as compared to the larger Titans which usually operate alone.

The Warhound is the only Imperial Titan that has received an official model kit from Forge World in the Warhammer 40,000 scale. Available in several patterns, classes and choice of weapons, they stand over 10 inches tall when assembled, and are 15 meters (49 feet) tall in 'real life'. In the early 1990s, Mike Biasi Studios was given the license to create various Titans in the same scale, including a Warhound, a Reaver and various Eldar titans. These were later reproduced by Armorcast and Epicast.

Imperial Armour and the new 'Apocalypse' gives rules on the Warhound Titan, and have similar points to the Big Mek Stompa. On the battlefield, the Warhound has been proven to be very effective, with the new rules meaning that the Double-barrelled Turbo Laser being able to destroy Super-heavy enemies with ease.


Reaver
The Reaver Titan is a medium-sized Titan and the smaller of the two Battle-class Titans. They are considerably more durable than Warhounds, and are able to take roughly twice the amount of damage of a Warhound (according to the game rules). This extra durability is probably due to the unusual placement of the plasma generator on the back of the main carapace, where in most titans the generator is located in the core of the Titan, hence the term "energy core." This placement ensures that the titan can take more frontal damage than other titans of the same approximate class, but is at a severe disadvantage when in cluttered environments (cities or canyons). They stand just under twice the height of a Warhound - approximately 30 metres (98.5 feet).

The Reaver is described as an older design than the Warlord.

The weapons mounted are variable; they can mount some of the more powerful Battle Titan weapons, although Scout Titan weapons are more common. Most of the patterns carry Multiple Rocket Launchers on their carapace mounting. Unlike Warhounds they can take close-combat weapons, which are extremely effective in Titan-scale mêlée battles. However, it is suggested that Reavers are becoming increasingly rare, and it is possible that the secrets to their manufacture have been lost (a common fate for Imperial technologies). For these reasons, Reavers usually perform fire support, avoiding direct combat.

The Mars Pattern's carapace mounts a Multiple Rocket Launcher and Turbo-Laser Destructors on each arm. The Lucius Pattern's carapace bears a Rocket Launcher, with the arms carrying a Volcano Cannon and Gatling Blaster. There is also a fire support variant of the Lucius, with Multiple Rocket Launchers on all three mounts.[

Warlord
An Imperial Warlord Class Titan from the original Adeptus Titanicus boxed setWarlord Titans are the larger and more powerful class of Battle Titans, the other being the smaller Reaver. They appear to be the most common class in use, and many Forge Worlds field their own patterns.

They are approximately 50% larger than the aging Reaver class, putting its height at around 45 meters. The Warlord Titan is also able to withstand considerably more damage. They have four Battle Titan weaponry hardpoints on the shoulders and arms, allowing a great variety of configurations. While Scout-class weapon batteries can be mounted, Warlords usually mount Battle-class weaponry. There is even a specialist class, the rare Psi-Titans, where psychic weaponry is added.

The Mars Pattern mounts two Turbo-Laser Destructors on its carapace, with a Volcano Cannon and Gatling Blaster on the arms. A special variant carries a close combat Powerfist and Gatling Blaster on its arms, plus Vortex missile and Rocket Launchers on the caparace.


Emperor
The superheavy Emperor Titans are subdivided into two classes, the Imperator and Warmonger. Of these, the Imperator is a more general-purpose assault platform, whereas the Warmonger is a dedicated fire-support unit with advanced fire control and targeting systems. Both are extremely powerful. They are loaded to the brim with pre-installed weapons, and their mounts can handle Titan weapons too big for even the other classes (they do not carry any of the close-combat weapons, as their sole focus is on extreme firepower). Emperor Titans are very rare, and can crush many weaker war engines. This class of titan has legs so large they house a full company of troops for defence and assault assistance.

More than a war machine, these tremendous titans are also icons of worship to the Imperial Cult; the most noteworthy feature of an Emperor titan is the fortified castle structure that occupies its entire upper half. These cathedrals sport ornate features like spired towers and stained glass windows. The "building" is heavily armed, and more than capable of contributing to combat. Due to the structure's prominent position on the titan's back and shoulders, the Titan's head is hunched more than usual on the otherwise humanoid body, almost level with the arm weaponry.

Imperial Knights
Knights are smaller than Titans though built on the same principle, and are also related to Sentinels. They can be seen as one-man mini-Titans. Unlike Imperial Titans, Knights use high-capacity energy cells rather than plasma reactors. Knights also benefit from power fields, which provide the same protection as Titans' void shields though they cannot be replenished in the course of a battle.

They are the product of feudal agri-worlds within the Imperium and are, like the Sentinels, in imitation of machines built by the Eldar - "Eldar Knights". While Sentinels herd sauropoda, Knights defend them from predators.

Three types - the Warden, Paladin and Lancer. The Wardens are defensive; armed with long range heavy weapons and well protected. The Paladin are fitted with a ranged weapon and a close combat weapon. The Lancer has only a single major ranged weapon but is speedier than the other types.

The range was reworked in look and rules to "Paladin", "Errant" and "Lancer" types with the "Baron" as a superior command unit.


Imperial Titan Weaponry and Defences
The weaponry carried by Titans are usually dedicated to certain tasks. Some are for targeting high-priority and well-armoured enemies, such as fortresses or armoured divisions, others are particularly effective against legions of troops and laying down devastating artillery barrages. Titan weapons are divided into two rough categories:

Scout Titan Weapons are weapons normally fitted to light Titans such as the Warhound. Rarely found on the largest Titans, and usually of short range, these are designed to destroy light to medium vehicles quickly, and to deal with huge masses of troops. Below are some examples of such weapons:

Inferno Cannon - An upgraded version of the flamers mounted on vehicles, the triple-barrel Inferno Cannon is immensely devastating in close quarters against infantry and light vehicles, particularly those in hiding.
Plasma Blastgun - The lightest plasma-based Titan weapon, and one of the most powerful that can be mounted on the Warhound. Although it possesses a relatively slow rate of fire, and only medium ranged, it can badly damage well-armoured vehicles, Scout Titans, and devastate infantry squads by the means of having two different modes of operation, depending upon the nature of the target.
Turbo Laser-Destructor - A Titan-scale laser weapon, mainly used for anti-tank/anti-titan support. Very destructive compared to most vehicle and infantry-level laser weapons. More powerful than the Plasma Blastgun, as well as having a moderately longer-range, this weapon is well suited for sublimating small or heavily armored infantry units just as easily as it can pierce the thick, iron hides of all types of armored tanks. In games terms, it is also the only Destroyer weapon that a Scout Titan may carry. Although it can be fitted on a Scout Titan, the Turbo-Laser Destructor is more commonly found on the larger Battle Titans, who are much better prepared to deal with the constant threat of armored vehicles.
Vulcan Mega-Bolter - A Titan-scale bolter weapon, comprising of two large-calibre Gatling gun-style assemblies. Able to tear through infantry and light vehicles with ease by producing a volley of massive fire.
Battle Titan Weapons have more destructive and longer-ranged weapons mounted commonly on Reaver and Warlord Titans. Most are designed to destroy other Titans, engage enemy detachments, or bring devastation to fortifications.

Close combat weapon - although they do not provide ranged firepower, this category of weapons is horrendously effective against enemy war engines and Titans - that is, if the Titan can get close enough. They can only be mounted on the Titan's arms; which rules out the Warhound. In Epic Space marine, close combat weapons included the powerfist, laser burner and chainfist.
Gatling Blaster - A larger projectile weapon commonly found on battle Titans. It is a rapid-fire weapon like the Vulcan Mega-Bolter, but instead fires 150mm shells, powerful enough to inflict damage upon superheavily-armoured targets.
Hellstorm Cannon - The Hellstorm Cannon is a huge, five-barrelled, directed-energy weapon that can completely decimate an entire city (perhaps even more) in just one cataclysmic salvo. In addition, the central structural hub around which the weapon barrels are mounted can itself be converted to mount a Gatling Blaster.
Melta Cannon - An upsized melta (fusion) weapon mounted on Warlord Titans. Notably short-ranged, but incredibly effective at penetrating armour and destroying Titans.
Multiple Rocket Launcher - Long range artillery which unleashes heavy barrages to suppress and devastate enemies. And because it is mounted on a Titan, it is much less vulnerable to air and fast attacks than dedicated artillery companies.
Quake Cannon - A very, very large artillery piece that is of a more massive caliber than any other artillery weapon in the game.
Volcano Cannon - Powered directly from the Titan's plasma reactor, the Volcano Cannon has extreme range and is very effective at penetrating armour, making it used primarily against war engines and other Titans. A favoured weapon of the Warlord and certain Reaver patterns.
Plasma Destructor - This is the largest and heaviest plasma weapon in the entire game. The Plasma Annihilator can demolish any fortification with ease, can destroy other titans and can slaughter infantry in mass numbers because of its immense size and power. It takes enormous amounts of energy directly from the titan's reactor and takes a long time to cool down.
Warlord titans can carry one missile pod on one shoulder hard-point, and while Warmonger and Imperator classes can carry them it is a rare sight.

Apocalypse Missile Launcher - This weapon is the equivalent of the Multiple Rocket Launcher, however it is more common mounted on the carapace of a Warlord then the multiple missile launcher.
Vortex Missile - This missile creates a warp vortex (a controlled black hole to a hostile space inimical to all matter), which destroys tanks and infantry instantly. Vortex missiles can either collapse on themselves or move, meaning massive damage can be caused even if the missile does not hit the enemy directly. The same technology is used in the man portable vortex grenades.
Titan Warp Missile - Titan Warp missiles ignore void shields, which makes them very effective in Titan vs. Titan engagements.

A number of other weapons and add-ons for Titans have been described. Among them are the "Corvus" assault pod and "Deathstrike Cannon".

Titan Defences
Imperial Titans become increasingly well-armoured as their size increases. They also have 'Void Shield' generators to augment existing protection, which are able to absorb destructive energy on the Titan's behalf, although there is a limit to how much they can handle. They are directly controlled by the Princeps and can be left running after having absorbed dangerous amounts of energy to allow for extra protection. This, however, has a high chance of permanently damaging the generator.

Void Shields always come in sets to maximize the likelihood of at least one remaining up after a barrage, and larger Titans may have as many as six or more fields. They cannot, however, defend against everything. They cannot, for instance, block non-ranged weapons (eg Titan-scale mêlée combat) and special technology like the "Titan Warp missile", which bypasses normal defences by travelling through the Immaterium.It is also theoretically possible for a huge amount of small-arms fire to bring down a shield, giving infantry some ability to attack them.

Emperor-class Titans are also commonly equipped with point-defence weapons to protect themselves against infantry and aircraft that cannot be targeted with larger-scale weaponry. Carapace-mounted multilasers are often employed in this respect, as are more exotic weapons for dealing with aircraft.


Imperial Titan Construction
Very little is known about the methods used in the construction of Imperial Titans. It is known that many Forge Worlds are capable of producing their own Titans (and some have their own patterns and legions). Of these Forge Worlds, it is known that Mars and Lucius have their own patterns (these patterns are provided as model kits by Forge World), and it is likely that other large Forge Worlds such as Ryza and the recently destroyed Gryphonne IV do/did as well.


Imperial Titan Crew
The 'Captain' of a Titan is called the Princeps, a rare individual in that he can retain his sanity after connecting with the 'Machine Spirit' of the Titan. The Princeps controls the Titan by means of a mental link device. Using this, the Princeps merges his/her consciousness with the Titan's sentient machine spirit. After doing so, he/she can guide its movements and weapons as though it were an extension of his/her body, and provides a greatly heightened perception of the battlefield. It requires a strong will to maintain this connection, and Titans can go out of control on rampages of destruction should the Princeps fail to maintain dominance.

There has also been noted rare instances where a Princeps has died while connected to the Titan, thus creating a ghost of themselves that remains inside the Titan's 'machine spirit'. This is often referred to as a "ghost in the link".

The Princeps is located in the head, along with several system controllers called Moderati. The number of moderati depends on the size of the Titan, and their duties are relegated to monitoring and maintaining weapons, as well as keeping track of "Auspex" (a radar-like device) readings.

Further crew includes engineers (Techpriests) for repair work and blessings, and cyborg-like organisms (servitors) set on the more mundane tasks like manipulation of controls and monitoring of Auspecies. Some of the largest Titans also have armed forces on board in case an enemy attempts to board and take control of, or destroy the Titan.




Chaos Titans
During the Horus Heresy, half of the Adeptus Mechanicus, including several hundred Titan Legions, turned to Chaos, taking their mighty war machines with them. Chaos Titans are usually similar to their Imperial counterparts, but their long exposure to the warping influence of Chaos has changed many of them. In some cases, the crew has merged with their machine, making it impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins. Other crews have given themselves and their weapons over to one of the four great powers of Chaos.

The most infamous of these monster war machines was the Imperator-class Dies Irae (literally 'Day of Wrath') which stormed the battlements of the Emperor's palace during the siege of Terra. It was eventually destroyed 10,000 years later, during an Iron Warriors campaign against the Imperial citadel of Hydra Cordatus, where the Dies Irae engaged in battle with an entire demi-legion of twelve Imperial Titans, destroying almost all of them before finally being stopped by the Warlord Titan Honoris Causa.


Feral Titan
Feral Titans are twisted versions of the Imperial Warhound Titan. The Chaos Warhound Titan has been given an official model from Forgeworld.


Ravager Titan
Ravager Titans are the Chaos versions of the Imperial Reaver Titan.


Chaos Warlord Titans
The Warlord class titan has four different versions depending on which power of Chaos the titan is aligned with. Even though there are different versions of the warped Warlord Titan, the rules for Epic Armageddon only list the most commonly sighted one, the Banelord Titan.

The Banelord Titan is dedicated to the Chaos God Khorne with a long tail ending in a large cannon, another cannon protruding from the daemonic head's mouth, and three special weapons; a Havoc Missile Rack, Hellstrike Cannon and Doomfist. This is the most common Chaos Warlord Titan.
The Plaguelord Titan is dedicated to the Chaos God Nurgle.
The Painlord Titan is dedicated to the Chaos God Slaanesh.
The Warplord Titan is dedicated to the Chaos God Tzeentch.

Chaos Imperator Titans
Abominatus was another special class of Chaos Titan, which was created by the fusing of a Khorne greater daemon and an Imperator Titan. The Caligula came out recently as a titan competition winner: it is also a chaos Imperator titan and is similarly aligned with the blood god.


Ork Gargants
The Ork equivalent of a titan is called a Gargant. Gargants are as much idols of the savage Ork gods, Gork and Mork, as they are engines of destruction. Big Meks receive a divine vision of sorts from Gork (or possibly Mork), and set out to bring that vision to life in the artistic medium of thick armor plates, smoke-belching engines, and lots and lots of very large guns. This quickly spreads amongst other Big Meks in the area, and soon Gargants spring up all over the place. The construction of Gargants is one of the typical signs of an impending WAAAGH! from an Ork-held system.

In an Ork warband, there can exist Gargants and Gargant-like warmachines all the way from one gretchin (small, greenskinned goblinoid creatures closely related to orks) Killa Kans to the vast armoured behemoths of the Mega-Gargants. From smallest to largest, the most typical machines of these type include:


Stompas
Stompas are not war engines nor Titans proper but rather large armoured fighting vehicles built as roughly Ork-shaped effigies. They are armed with both long- and short-range weaponry and are used in the same manner as heavy tanks.
Supa-Stompas are significantly more powerful than regular Stompas, and count as war engines. They can mount two of the weapons that are carried on the larger Gargants and can be seen as equivalent to a War Hound titan

Gargants
Gargants and Great Gargants are the archetypal Ork Titans. They are massive constructions broad and squat compared to an Imperial Titan. They are fitted with many batteries of guns and also tend to have at least one mega-weapon. They are roughly equivalent to Reaver and Warlord Titans, respectively.


Mega-Gargant
The Mega-Gargant is a very rare super-large gargant on a par in size with the Imperator and Warmonger Titans, though not as powerful. It carries a large number and variety of weapons including the mega-dropper. The Mega Gargant was introduced alongside the Imperator Titan in the Titan legions box set; two plastic models being included to give the Imperator a challenge. Unlike the other Gargants which shuffle on their short legs the Mega Gargant is a tracked vehicle.


Big Mek Stompas/Gargants
Often a big mek will not be satisfied with the production of battlewagons, and will create his own Stompa or Gargant. These titan-like monstrosities mount the latest mek weaponry, such as the 'Lifta-droppa'. The size of the Stompa or Gargant depends on how much influence the Mek has, how much raw materials there are, and who they are 'constructing' with. Occasionally, two Meks may work together, their love of tinkering, developments, or if they are both working for a tougher Ork, usually resulting in a Gargant.


Construction
Ork Gargants are an extremely varied lot, no two ever being alike. Thanks to the frenzied imaginations of the Mekboyz building them, Ork weapons tend to be haphazard, unreliable and noisy. When they work, however, they can inflict gruesome damage. Gargants are commonly equipped with at least one close-combat weapon, because charging in and bashing heads is considered to be a very "Orky" thing to do.

For defence, Gargants have power fields which are the equivalent to an Imperial Titan Void shield. However while Gargants tend to have more power fields, they cannot regenerate these during the battle.

Orks do not rely on auto-systems to the same extent as other races, and Gargants carry a large crew of both Orks and Gretchins. The crew is led by a Kaptin, who relays orders through a body of officers. A speaking-tube is the preferred method of communication within a Gargant. Each officer is in charge of one section of the Gargant, be it a weapon, the magazine, the engine room, or any other chambers. Under the officer is a crew of Orks and Gretchins who carry out the orders passed down to them. Repair crews are composed of Gretchins, whose smaller build suits them to crawling through cramped spaces armed with wrenches and oily rags.

Compared to Imperial Titans, Gargants have weaker armour and comparatively shorter-ranged weaponry. However, Gargants are extremely difficult to destroy due to their dense (albeit crude) construction. While Gargants do not suffer from potentially fatal plasma reactor meltdowns, they are particularly vulnerable to fires and magazine explosions.


Eldar Titans
Eldar Titans are quick and nimble machines of war. They are thinly armored but despite their frailty, Eldar Titans can pack a mean punch, and can move about the battlefield with frightening speed, thanks to their jump jets.

Instead of void shields or power fields used by other races' titans, the Eldar rely upon advanced holographic field generators which in conjunction with speed make their titans extremely difficult to target. However, holo-fields do not actually deflect enemy firepower, so Eldar titans are even more vulnerable should they suffer hits. Eldar titans are also unlike those of other races in that they are powered by spirits of their race contained in a core of psycho-reactive material called wraithbone, which is a material also used in the construction of the titan's carapace due to it's very light weight. The pilots of the machines link psychically with the spirits in this core - rather like the princeps of an Imperial titan linking it's machine spirit - allowing the Eldar pilot to control the titan like an extension of his body. The spirits, however, enhance the skills of the pilot as well as the Eldar's already incredible reflexes and reaction times.

There are three types of Eldar titans:

The Revenant is a relatively light warmachine, roughly equivalent to an Imperial Warhound, though much more agile. They are best suited for lightning-fast raids on enemy lines, using their speed to retreat before a counter-offensive can be mounted. A model of this titan has been created by Forge World. It can come armed with either Pulsars or Sonic Lances. Like Imperial Warhound titans, Revenant titans are often deployed in pairs. The pilots of these pairs are usually siblings, their blood ties psychically linking them together for thought-speed communication during combat.
The Phantom is a more massive warmachine capable of taking on its Imperial equivalents. What makes Phantom titans distinctive from those of lesser races is their crew. In addition to the living, the souls and memories of ancient Eldar warriors are maintained in the wraithbone matrix of the Titan.
The Warlock is a refinement of the Phantom. Its wraithbone core hosts the spirits of late Seers and Warlocks, focusing their power into a near-unstoppable engine of destruction.

Tyranid Bio-Titans
Bio-Titans are more than exceptionally large Tyranid biomorphs, they are on par with the Titans of other races. Bio-Titans are deployed in the final stages of the assimilation of a planet into the hive-fleets biomass.

While their supersized bio-weaponry is potent, Bio-Titans are feared mainly for their extreme effectiveness in close combat against enemy Titans and war engines. They are also considerably faster than Titans of other races; as a result Bio-Titans often charge towards the enemy. Their ripper tentacles can neutralize enemy Titan close combat weapons, while monstrous claws will make short work of Titan hulls.

Examples of Tyranid Bio-Titans include the Vituperator, the terrifying Hierophant and the even more monstrous Hydraphant. They are roughly equivalent to the Imperial Warhound, Reaver, and Warlord Titans, respectively.

Regular Tyranid biomorphs (not war engines, let alone titans) include the tank-sized burrowing Trygon and the winged Harridan (a war engine but not considered a Titan). The Heirodule was used as the name of the smaller Bio-Titan (the Hierophant was the larger titan)

A specialist breed of bio-titan is the Dominatrix, a powerful Hive node that can use its malign intellect to command the hordes of lessers around itself with ghastly efficiency. In the hierarchy of Tyranids, they are the Supreme Commanders of the battlefield and second only to the shipbound Norn-Queens themselves.


Sources
Epic
Adeptus Titanicus
HH Novels
Lexicanum
Wikipedia