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Description
The Sokar Pattern Stormbird is a super-heavy, dedicated Legiones Astartes attack lander and is one of the many variants of the Stormbird that date back to the Great Crusade era. It served as an orbital assault craft and a firebase that can land a Space Marine strike force.

It features all-around gun turrets and armor plating comparable to main battle tanks and Void Shield generators, which can extend to protect disembarking troops and vehicles. Multiple thruster units ensure the Sokar will stay airworthy even if several engines are damaged.

History

Stormbird is a catch-all term that refers to a series of super-heavy attack landers used by the Legiones Astartes as their primary means of deploying forces into combat. Stormbirds also served in air support and general planetary transport roles during the Great Crusade in the early 31st Millennia.

Unlike the latter spacecraft, the Stormbird series is based on an incomplete STC (Standard Template Construct) design and comprises multiple classes and patterns of super-heavy flyers.

All Stormbirds are larger than the currently used Thunderhawk dropship, making them less agile in flight. Some Stormbird classes, such as the Warhawk IV, could carry up to 100 Space Marines or an equivalent in vehicles or cargo. This is far larger than the Thunderhawk’s carrying capacity. Some Stormbirds had missiles or bombs slung under both wings, while other classes included powerful ballistic cannons mounted on its nose.

The Stormbirds originated on Terra as the Warhawk and Nephoros-class assault transports used by the Yndonesic Bloc for use against the Panpac Empire during the Unification Wars on Terra. The Emperor later adapted them for His early Space Marine Legions, replacing the aging Skylance gunships used earlier.

The Stormbird was void-capable as well as versatile in atmospheric flight. During the Great Crusade, many venerable Legions, such as the Lunar Templars and the Dusk Raiders, made every effort to keep the old, heavy-duty machines in service. They had been delivering Legionaries into war before the beginning of the Great Crusade.

With the end of the Great Crusade, the smaller Thunderhawk and Thunderhawk Transporter superseded the Stormbirds. This resulted from the Space Marine Legions focusing on smaller maneuver units instead of mass assaults.

Only the smaller Sokar pattern Stormbird, the immediate predecessor of the Thunderhawk dropship, is still mass-produced for Legion service.

In the 11th Legion’s doctrines, a battle company goes into combat in either two to four Sokar pattern Stormbirds or four to seven Thunderhawks.

Uses
The following is a list of known uses for the various Stormbird classes:

Void and Atmospheric Transportation of Troops and Cargo - The Stormbird can transport infantry, vehicles, combat walkers, cargo, and essential individuals from starship to starship or a planet’s surface.
Void and Atmospheric Assault Transport - The Stormbird could land forces into the launch bays, onto the outer hulls of enemy starships, or land forces on a planetary surface while under fire.
Ground Force Fire Support - The Stormbird could use its weapon systems to support Imperial ground forces during combat, including during an extraction.
Assault Bomber - The Stormbird could be outfitted with Macro-bombs for surface bombardment and orbital uplinks to call down a barrage from orbiting starships.
Bastion or Firebase - The Stormbird, once landed, could use its various weapon systems to protect disembarking forces and provide additional firepower against enemy forces near the landing zone. Some Stormbirds could divert unused engine power to extend their Void Shields outwards to provide additional protection to ground forces.
Medicae Duty - Some Stormbirds were converted to be used as medical craft and were outfitted with medical equipment such as gurneys, medicae machines, and many other medical tools. This craft had armored bucket seats that lined the craft’s fuselage where Apothecaries and other medicae personnel sat during flight.
Funerary Duty - Some Stormbirds were used for funerary duty, scouring the battlefield for fallen Astartes to return their bodies to the bosom of their Legion.
Personal Transport - A Stormbird was the preferred mode of transportation during the Great Crusade, as its imposing size would ensure all eyes were upon it as it landed. These crafts were used to transport the Primarchs, some even possessing personalized spacecraft with symbolic heraldry or special upgrades or weapons.

Transport Capacity
The Sokar Pattern Stormbird has a cavernous transport bay that can hold up to 50 Space Marines. The spacecraft can also carry up to 5 Dreadnoughts of any type; Jump Pack-equipped infantry; Rapier batteries; Space Marine Assault Bikes or Jetbikes; a Rhino APC; or a mixed force of all the above. Sokar's turrets protected the craft's sides and its large rear ramp for disembarking infantry.

Armament

The Stormbird has a standard armament that includes five ball turret-mounted twin-linked Lascannons, two on each side of the spacecraft, and three hull-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters. The twin-linked Lascannons can be replaced with Quad Heavy Bolters depending on the needs of a particular mission. Under its wings, the craft can also carry up to six missiles, which can be replaced with either a single Macro-bomb Cluster payload or an array of advanced targeting sensors. The Sokar serves as a targeting relay for orbital strike craft, enabling precise strikes from the edge of space to support assault operations. It is also equipped with dense armored ceramite plating. It is further protected by a series of Void Shield generators, which it can extend to protect disembarking troops and war machines.
Wargear

A standard Legion Sokar-pattern Stormbird is armed and equipped with:

4 twin-linked Lascannons

2 twin-linked Heavy Bolters (Wing-mounted)

1 twin-linked Heavy Bolters (Rear Hull-mounted)

6 Dreadstrike Missiles

Armoured Ceramite Plating

Machine Spirit (artificial intelligence)

2 Void Shields

A Legion Sokar Pattern Stormbird may replace all six of its Dreadstrike Missiles with the following:

Macro-bomb Cluster Payload

A Legion Sokar Pattern Stormbird may replace any of its ball turret-mounted twin-linked Lascannons for the following:

Quad Heavy Bolters

A Legion Sokar Pattern Stormbird may be upgraded with the following abilities:

Orbital Strike - The Sokar carries additional wing-mounted ordnance of prodigious firepower in addition to its defensive turrets, and can also be equipped to serve as a targeting relay for orbital strike craft, allowing shatteringly precise strikes from the edge of space in close support of its assault operations.

model by bigbe57

Description
The Sokar Pattern Stormbird is a super-heavy, dedicated Legiones Astartes attack lander and is one of the many variants of the Stormbird that date back to the Great Crusade era. It served as an orbital assault craft and a firebase that can land a Space Marine strike force.

It features all-around gun turrets and armor plating comparable to main battle tanks and Void Shield generators, which can extend to protect disembarking troops and vehicles. Multiple thruster units ensure the Sokar will stay airworthy even if several engines are damaged.

History

Stormbird is a catch-all term that refers to a series of super-heavy attack landers used by the Legiones Astartes as their primary means of deploying forces into combat. Stormbirds also served in air support and general planetary transport roles during the Great Crusade in the early 31st Millennia.

Unlike the latter spacecraft, the Stormbird series is based on an incomplete STC (Standard Template Construct) design and comprises multiple classes and patterns of super-heavy flyers.

All Stormbirds are larger than the currently used Thunderhawk dropship, making them less agile in flight. Some Stormbird classes, such as the Warhawk IV, could carry up to 100 Space Marines or an equivalent in vehicles or cargo. This is far larger than the Thunderhawk’s carrying capacity. Some Stormbirds had missiles or bombs slung under both wings, while other classes included powerful ballistic cannons mounted on its nose.

The Stormbirds originated on Terra as the Warhawk and Nephoros-class assault transports used by the Yndonesic Bloc for use against the Panpac Empire during the Unification Wars on Terra. The Emperor later adapted them for His early Space Marine Legions, replacing the aging Skylance gunships used earlier.

The Stormbird was void-capable as well as versatile in atmospheric flight. During the Great Crusade, many venerable Legions, such as the Lunar Templars and the Dusk Raiders, made every effort to keep the old, heavy-duty machines in service. They had been delivering Legionaries into war before the beginning of the Great Crusade.

With the end of the Great Crusade, the smaller Thunderhawk and Thunderhawk Transporter superseded the Stormbirds. This resulted from the Space Marine Legions focusing on smaller maneuver units instead of mass assaults.

Only the smaller Sokar pattern Stormbird, the immediate predecessor of the Thunderhawk dropship, is still mass-produced for Legion service.

In the 11th Legion’s doctrines, a battle company goes into combat in either two to four Sokar pattern Stormbirds or four to seven Thunderhawks.

Uses
The following is a list of known uses for the various Stormbird classes:

Void and Atmospheric Transportation of Troops and Cargo - The Stormbird can transport infantry, vehicles, combat walkers, cargo, and essential individuals from starship to starship or a planet’s surface.
Void and Atmospheric Assault Transport - The Stormbird could land forces into the launch bays, onto the outer hulls of enemy starships, or land forces on a planetary surface while under fire.
Ground Force Fire Support - The Stormbird could use its weapon systems to support Imperial ground forces during combat, including during an extraction.
Assault Bomber - The Stormbird could be outfitted with Macro-bombs for surface bombardment and orbital uplinks to call down a barrage from orbiting starships.
Bastion or Firebase - The Stormbird, once landed, could use its various weapon systems to protect disembarking forces and provide additional firepower against enemy forces near the landing zone. Some Stormbirds could divert unused engine power to extend their Void Shields outwards to provide additional protection to ground forces.
Medicae Duty - Some Stormbirds were converted to be used as medical craft and were outfitted with medical equipment such as gurneys, medicae machines, and many other medical tools. This craft had armored bucket seats that lined the craft’s fuselage where Apothecaries and other medicae personnel sat during flight.
Funerary Duty - Some Stormbirds were used for funerary duty, scouring the battlefield for fallen Astartes to return their bodies to the bosom of their Legion.
Personal Transport - A Stormbird was the preferred mode of transportation during the Great Crusade, as its imposing size would ensure all eyes were upon it as it landed. These crafts were used to transport the Primarchs, some even possessing personalized spacecraft with symbolic heraldry or special upgrades or weapons.

Transport Capacity
The Sokar Pattern Stormbird has a cavernous transport bay that can hold up to 50 Space Marines. The spacecraft can also carry up to 5 Dreadnoughts of any type; Jump Pack-equipped infantry; Rapier batteries; Space Marine Assault Bikes or Jetbikes; a Rhino APC; or a mixed force of all the above. Sokar's turrets protected the craft's sides and its large rear ramp for disembarking infantry.

Armament

The Stormbird has a standard armament that includes five ball turret-mounted twin-linked Lascannons, two on each side of the spacecraft, and three hull-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters. The twin-linked Lascannons can be replaced with Quad Heavy Bolters depending on the needs of a particular mission. Under its wings, the craft can also carry up to six missiles, which can be replaced with either a single Macro-bomb Cluster payload or an array of advanced targeting sensors. The Sokar serves as a targeting relay for orbital strike craft, enabling precise strikes from the edge of space to support assault operations. It is also equipped with dense armored ceramite plating. It is further protected by a series of Void Shield generators, which it can extend to protect disembarking troops and war machines.
Wargear

A standard Legion Sokar-pattern Stormbird is armed and equipped with:

4 twin-linked Lascannons

2 twin-linked Heavy Bolters (Wing-mounted)

1 twin-linked Heavy Bolters (Rear Hull-mounted)

6 Dreadstrike Missiles

Armoured Ceramite Plating

Machine Spirit (artificial intelligence)

2 Void Shields

A Legion Sokar Pattern Stormbird may replace all six of its Dreadstrike Missiles with the following:

Macro-bomb Cluster Payload

A Legion Sokar Pattern Stormbird may replace any of its ball turret-mounted twin-linked Lascannons for the following:

Quad Heavy Bolters

A Legion Sokar Pattern Stormbird may be upgraded with the following abilities:

Orbital Strike - The Sokar carries additional wing-mounted ordnance of prodigious firepower in addition to its defensive turrets, and can also be equipped to serve as a targeting relay for orbital strike craft, allowing shatteringly precise strikes from the edge of space in close support of its assault operations.

model by bigbe57