The Hellkite is the controversial fusion of the technologies that produced the Rhino personal troop carrier and the Land Speeder anti-gravity skimmer. Much like the Land Speeder Storm, the Hellkite was built to rapidly transport squads over terrain that would prove difficult if not impassable to the tracked vehicles of the Adeptus Astartes, or too treacherous to safely utilize drop pods or Thunderhawks. Unlike the Storm, which was designed to covertly insert a small squad of scout-initiates, the Hellkite was designed to carry a full ten-man squad of power-armored battle brothers where they were needed.
Despite its design the Hellkite is not a planetary lander, and is actually deployed on-ground with most of the Chapter’s armory, though it is capable of intra-atmospheric insertions via Thunderhawk Transporter. The Azure Blades maintains a small wing of these hybrid vehicles, much to the dismay of more conservative Magi of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Given the fact that the Hellkite was based on a modified Rhino Chassis, it is no surprise then that it features many of the systems available to the Rhino, and is also capable of using weapons available to its variants. In particular it could be fitted with Predator side sponsons; depending on the mission parameters, it can be armed either with Godwyn-pattern heavy bolters or Stormbringer lascannons. However, when armed in this manner the Hellkite forfeits its troop-carrying capacity.
Hellkite Assault Carrier – 130 points
| Front | Side | Rear | WS | BS | S | I | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 11 | 10 | n/a | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Unit Composition: One Hellkite Assault Carrier.
Type: Vehicle (Fast, Skimmer).
Crew: 2 Space Marines.
Wargear: Twin-Linked heavy bolter, searchlight.
Transport Capacity: Up to ten Space Marines. May not transport models equipped with bikes, or models in Terminator Armor.
Special Rules: Deep Strike, Power of the Machine Spirit.
Heavy Support: The Hellkite Assault Carrier is a Heavy Support Choice for an Azure Blades army.
Options:
Replace twin-linked heavy bolter with:
- twin-linked lascannon +35 points
- typhoon missile launcher +25 points
Lose Transport capacity, but gain use of following side sponsons:
- heavy bolters +30 points
- lascannons +50 points
Can take any of the following:
- extra armor + 15 points
- a hunter-killer missile +10 points
Midnight Equinox 