Cyclops War Machine

The Tyranids may have beaten our Dorfs. But they did so with great cost...and a hundred dead Hierophants.

Ah yes, the Cyclops War Machine (Not to be confused with the mythical Cyclops or the Cyclops Demolition Vehicle), the most phallic looking vehicle of the mighty Squats. While many may joke on being a giant overcompensator for the Dorfs, its power is fearsome indeed. The Cyclops was a Squat vehicle designed in 985.M39. The Squat Cyclops was a massive, juggernaut war machine based on the Colossus chassis, mounting a heavy, destructive weapon known as a Hellfury Cannon.

The Hellfury Cannon is a modified starship weapon that operates on similar principles to that of a Lance. Energised by a massive plasma reactor, the Hellfury emits a massive stream of phased particles that energetically react with one another, increasing in destructive potential until the beam is one of pure energy, capable of destroying almost any target. A continuous, forward-firing beam, the Hellfury blast strikes into a target, potentially overloading void shields one after another, smashing open layers of armor plate and finally penetrating the interior. The beam can theoretically operate for as long as power can be supplied, but in practice there is a risk of overload that runs higher the longer the Hellfury is activated, and the tougher the target. The Hellfury is therefore deactivated once a certain danger threshold is reached. regardless of the status of the target. However, the Hellfury is so devastating against ground opponents that the initial shot is often enough to permanently remove the target from the field.

History

The first Cyclops was created by Warlord Harkrund (sometimes known as Harkrund the Insane) of the League of Grindel during a clash with the League of Thor over exploration rights to the newly rediscovered Lost Stronghold of Dargon. The League of Grindel was heavily outnumbered in the ensuing military actions and suffered in particular due to the superior numbers of Leviathan and Colossus war machines employed against them. A high-powered anti-armor weapon was needed, and in a leap of engineering logic, Harkrund ordered that a new experimental starship weapon - the Hellfury cannon - be mounted onto a Colossus chassis.

The first Cyclops, Harkrund's Fury, was an instant success, annihilating a Colossus and a Leviathan in its first battle. More were constructed, and the League of Grindel took the initiative. However, the League of Thor was able to replicate the design after a few months, leading to the destruction of several strongholds belonging to both Leagues by the fearsome Hellfury cannon.

The war between the Leagues was eventually halted by the invasion of Ork Warlord Grunhag the Flayer, forcing both Leagues to truce and fight together against the Orkoid foe.

Weaponry

Hell hath no fury once this is deployed raping your Titans whole.

The Cyclops was designed to be a superior anti-armor or strongpoint-destroying vehicle. The Colossus hull was essentially rebuilt around the Hellfury cannon, and getting this ultimate Titan-killing weapon into position is the main purpose of the vehicle. However, the Cyclops' armament was comprehensively packed out with other varieties of weaponry. Two other forward-fixed guns complement the Hellfury; these powerful Melta Cannons could be deployed against enemy armour that is not worth a Hellfury blast. A rapid-firing Battle Cannon was mounted on a turret atop the vehicle, providing all-round firepower. Six fearsome Doomstorm missiles are racked at the rear of the vehicle, whose plasma warheads can obliterate armor and packed ranks of infantry with ease. And finally, there are several pintle-mounted bolters placed at fighting galleries around the exterior of the vehicles' superstructure.

Such a military investment has a high degree of protection; metres-thick armour plate covers all points of the vehicle, with there being no particularly weaker parts of the armour. 5 banks of void shields are also operated, powered by the immense plasma reactor that is also needed to run the Hellfury cannon. Lastly, the Cyclops possesses a sophisticated fire-control system that allows most weapons to be rapidly fired at the same time even whilst the vehicle is moving.