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I'm not playing the TT game but I was on a fluff-finding mission going through the Heresy Era Ruleset-PDF and I've got some questions I was hoping to get answers for.

First I noticed there are no squadrons of tanks but they're all attached to Space Marine-squads. Is this because all Space Marine-tanks are essentially transports in WH40K? Just there to make the squad more mobile and give it more firepower? Though I suppose squads and their tanks can move seperatly what's the link fluff-wise and gameplay-wise in the TT game? This might be true for the Space Marines but I've got some good references the Imperial Guard have tank-squads at-least.

Another thing that I noticed was that the Dreadnoughts lacked designation like squad-number. I mean sure they probably would be too clumsy to work with a squad of small marines, but don't you still need to keep track of them somehow? Or is it some military-thing that you don't put numbers on individuals? Like a squad of tanks would have a number but a single tank in a company would not?

Rhinos(APC) and Razorbacks(IFV) will be attached to squads to increase their manoeuvrability. This is the background and gameplay reason.

Other Space Marine tanks are used as support vehicles as they lack the armour for stand up fights. They aren't directly attached to a squad and cannot deploy in a squadron. The Imperial Guard are famed for tank heavy armies and can deploy their tanks in squadrons of 3.

Dreadnoughts contain a single pilot who is mortally wounded and has his life sustained by the dreadnoughts life support systems. The dreadnoughts are not attached to a particular squad and they usually don't have numbered markings as they are treated like a very big heavily armoured person so they get a name not a number e.g. Bjorn the fell-handed of the Space Wolves chapter

Dreadnoughts are venerated brothers that have suffered mortal wounds. they fight as their own unit in support of their brothers and use their own name as their designation. Honored Brother Invictus for example.


Rhinos and Razorbacks are transports assigned on a per squads basis.


Predator, Vindicator, and Whirlwinds are support tanks that have specific roles.


Landraiders are transports for commanders and Terminator squads. they also provide heavy firepower.

Thanks! It's good to know

Exactly what was said above!!

 purplefood wrote:
Rhinos(APC) and Razorbacks(IFV) will be attached to squads to increase their manoeuvrability. This is the background and gameplay reason.

Other Space Marine tanks are used as support vehicles as they lack the armour for stand up fights. They aren't directly attached to a squad and cannot deploy in a squadron. The Imperial Guard are famed for tank heavy armies and can deploy their tanks in squadrons of 3.

Dreadnoughts contain a single pilot who is mortally wounded and has his life sustained by the dreadnoughts life support systems. The dreadnoughts are not attached to a particular squad and they usually don't have numbered markings as they are treated like a very big heavily armoured person so they get a name not a number e.g. Bjorn the fell-handed of the Space Wolves chapter

Not quite true. Yes rhinos and Razorbacks are dedicated transport attached to the various Company/squad. Apparently driven by other tactical marines, supposedly taken from the reserve company and therefore proficient with the battle mantra.

Other armour is held in the Chapter armoury, these ARE put into squadrons as needed ( Apocalypse formations.) These are also issued to companies / strike forces as directed by the Company Master / Master of the forge.
Before each battle the company markings will be painted on its hull. They also have vehicle designations on the hull. these vary from chapter to chapter with either the number of the vehicle I.E 4 =4th predator destructor in the armoury or a name, normally the commanders name or a designation such as Rightful vengeance. (Imperial Armour 2)

Land Raiders are both used as transport and as mobile fire bases, again attached ad hoc as mission dictates. Some are kept as personal transports for command squads.

Flyers are also held in the armoury and issued on a mission to mission basis.

Dreads will be named after the hero interned and have a company number or designation.

This is of course always open to interpretation as each chapter varies in its make up and at the end of the day its up to you what you do
Back in the old days, each type of tank had its own special marking. predators where a fanged lightning bolt. whirlwinds were some thing else