Hunter Multi-Launcher Vehicle
The Space Marine Hunter is a multi-launcher missile anti-aircraft vehicle based on a Rhino, which is able to deliver a lot of hurt to all those pesky jetbikes zooming around overhead. Basically a version of the good old Whirlwind built to take out aircraft, it is based on STC data older than most of the Whirlwind versions. The model started life in Epic, but only got Warhammer 40,000 rules as part of the Space Marines' 6th edition codex and model wave.
For ages, the Astartes tried to make a dedicated anti-aircraft vehicle out of Whirlwinds with little success and although they had made some (thoroughly mediocre, seriously who thought that one AA krak missile per tank was worth it?) progress with the Hyperios pattern, when the Hunter came along, most of them said "fuck this" and went all out over the Hunter. It helps the Hunter's launch cannon looks really cool and it won't be long before some neckbeards start using it in conversions with their favourite Dreadnought.
Just to make things nice and grimdarky for the new tank, the skyspear missiles it fires are guided by the interred remains of chapter serfs or failed initiates whose brains are hard-wired into the skyspear's targeting arrays, effectively making them servitors. Although as a slight saving grace, most of said servitors were made from failed/almost dead initiates who cannot be repurposed as chapter serfs. But on the other hand, there is also a rather disturbing note that serfs who wish to accompany their chapter into the field of battle can also "volunteer" to be hard-wired into the Hunter to serve as the skyspear's target servitor. Which, of course, leads directly to the question of why they would want to do it anyway, but certainly the amount they go through must mean life expectancy for a serf in most chapters has to be shockingly low, and the chance of a nice old grave a distant dream next to the needs of the chapter for a CORPSE MISSILE!
Here's a delightful thought. One Hunter tank of the Iron Hands is known for its missiles to swing back around and smash into targets that have already been brought down. This is said to be due to its rage filled Machine Spirit, but just think of how many loyal serfs have been wasted like this.
Here’s an even better thought: these weapons and systems are all STC designs. As in, this is how it was made and used during the Dark Age. Or more likely they used an AI for the job, and we all know how Imperium deals with that issue.
