Warhammer 40K: Marine Stormbirds – Airborne Heavy Metal
Today we talk of the Astartes’ mighty predecessor to the Thunderhawk that carried the 20 Legions from Unification to the Great Crusade – the Stormbird.
The Stormbird dropship, was an assault and transport aircraft used by the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade It was the standard Marine heavy lander before the introduction of the smaller Thunderhawk pattern.
Stormbird Overview
The Stormbird was developed to replace the older Skylance gunships of the Unification Wars. It is capable of both void and atmospheric flight. The Stormbird was first manufactured on Terra, by the Yndonesic Bloc for use against the Panpacific tribes, during the end stages of the Unification Wars. The Stormbird could carry at least 50 fully armored marines into battles. Alternatively, it could carry up to 5 Dreadnoughts, including the mighty Leviathan. Jump-pack equipped infantry; Rapier batteries, bikes, jetbikes, a Rhino armored transport, or a mixed force could all be carried. The aircraft’s standard armament was four turret-mounted twin-linked lascannons, three twin-linked heavy bolters, and a complement of six dreadstrike missiles. It was also equipped with particularly dense composite armor plating. It is further protected by a series of void shield generators which it can extend to protect disembarking troops and war machines. Its shields allowed it to be impervious to all ground fire save Defense Lasers.
Imperial Fists disembarking from a Sokar pattern Stormbird.
Stormbird Use
They were in use throughout the Great Crusade. By the time of the Horus Heresy, most of the Legions had switched to the smaller, more agile, and common Thunderhawk. The Luna Wolves were one of the few Legions that deliberately kept Stormbirds in service. Their particular ships had carried them into battle since their Legion’s beginning. A Stormbird was piloted by two Marines sitting back-to-back, along with two hard-wired servitors. During the Heresy, Nathaniel Garro, former Captain of the Death Guard Legion, used a Stormbird to travel to various planets, on the orders of Malcador the Sigillite. Like Garro’s power armour, the ship bore no Legion insignia or colours, and was a uniform grey.
These ancient machines are now all but a legend by the final years of the 41st Millennium. No new examples of the Stormbird have been constructed in almost a millennia. Much of the technology that allows such a behemoth to function is no longer understood. However, some aging examples are still utilized by Chaos Space Marine forces such as the Word Bearers.
Stormbird in colors of the World Eaters
Horus Rising states that “They sat in two rows of three, wings extended” ; therefore it is possible that their wings can be folded or collapsed in some manner.
Sokar Stormbird (yellow), Thunderhawk (Grey), Storm Eagle (Red)
Sokar Pattern Stormbird
The Sokar Pattern, known as the Death Bird to the Imperial Army was a dedicated landing craft variant of the Stormbird, developed from Warhawk and Nephoros class assault craft. It was used by the Yndonesic Bloc during the Unification Wars and later adopted by the Imperium. The design was one of the larger craft used by the Imperium before the Horus Heresy.
Famed Stormbirds
The Space Wolves Primarch Leman Russ, used the Hugin during the Battle of Trisolian and he ensured the Stormbird was piloted by the best Space Wolves had to offer. It was not the Primarch’s personal transport, however, and the Hugin bore no markings that would make it out as such. This greatly aided Russ, as the Stormbird flew through the Battle’s maelstrom of dueling warships and deadly wreckage.
The Firebird was a heavily modified Stormbird which served as the personal transport for the Primarch Fulgrim during the Great Crusade. Launched from the Pride of the Emperor, the Firebird took part in the Cleansing of Laeran.
Earlier Pattern Stormbirds
Warhawk VI pattern – used by Yndonesic Bloc during the Unification Wars (against the Panpacific tribes) and by the Luna Wolves during the Great Crusade.
These images from very early in EPIC’s history in the 1990s are believed to be possible Stormbird Patterns.
~Stormbird vs Thunderhawk? You decide.
