Summary
The armies ofWarhammer 40,000are varied in design, but they’re all as cruel as they are efficient. The Imperium of Man and chaos forces alike often use both high-tech machinery and everyday soldiers in their military exploits.
On the machine side of their armies, none are as large or as impressive as the Titans. Ranging from metal walkers piloted by one person to mountain-sized behemoths that take entire armies to run efficiently, Titans are as varied as the armies that use them. While going up against any Titan is almost assuredly a quick death, they do have definite levels to how powerful they are.
7Knights
The smaller and more manageable entry in the list of Titans. The Imperium of Man and Chaos forces field Knights when they need some more mobile armor but don’t need the large-scale weapons of a fully-fledged Titan. They are run by one pilot but often need multiple dozen engineers and tech priests to keep them running. There are few of these war machines left in the service of the Imperium, but being a pilot of one is a noble path.
They are often handed down from one family member to the next aspart of a lineage. The pilots and overall houses have some say in which battlefield or campaign they wish to fight in. They are often powerful anti-armor forces and can be armed with various arm, shoulder, and even back-mounted weapons. Notable examples of this are large reaper chainswords, thermal spears, and even large stubbers. Despite adamantium armor and void shields, they aren’t as strong as some larger Titans due to their size.
6Warhound
The size of a small building, Warhound Titans are often used as heavy-scout units, but they also have plenty of strength to hold their own in engagements. They are the smallest of the “true” Titans, but small is a bit of a misnomer. They are usually only equipped with a pair of arm-mounted weapons, which are usually ranged, although ones sporting power claws and lances can be found.
The most striking thing about the Warhound Titan is the shape. Despite their two-legged gait, they are the least humanoid of the Titan classes. Knowing one of these, or more than likely a “pack” of them, was stalking across the battlefield like a giant metal animal is enough to strike fear into the heart of an infantry unit or tank crew.
5Reaver
One of the oldest forms of Titans in the Imperium’s arsenal. This also means it is one of the more prevalent ones you’d see in a chaos army as well. They are almost double the size of the Warhound Titans and have the hunched stature of most of the larger and humanoid Titans out there. Also, like the Warhound, they wield two arm mounted weapons that usually take the form of a ballistic, plasma, or laser ranged weapon.
They also have the advantage of having a chassis-mounted weapon on their shoulders. This is usually a large cannon or missile battery. The extra size and armaments mean more destructive power and allow the Titan to be a more potent foe on the battlefield, even able to hamper larger Titans, especially when in numbers.
4Warbringer
Warbringer Titans resemble Knights but with a much larger stature. Most Titans can move indiscriminately from medium-range to melee engagements with other Titans rather easily. The Warbringer Titans, though, try to engage at a distance. This makes them unique as they are often used as mobile artillery platforms.
Their arm weapons are often large, laser-based weapons, but meltas are also favored in case any armor gets too close. Their main weapon is settled on their back and usually takes the form of a quake cannon, which can level city blocks with just one massive shell. The maneuverability of their legs allows them to travel across battlefields and get angles on targets that wheeled or tracked artillery platforms wouldn’t be able to.
3Warlord
There’s a definite increase in the power level of the Titan classes when the Warlord class enters the fray. Sporting two arm-mounted weapons and two shoulder ones of considerable size as well, they can level structures and even large armored units with relative ease. At this size, they do begin to suffer in the way of mobility and speed. Oftentimes, it takes hundreds of support staff to get these units on the field, and their lumbering steps can often be felt from far off.
There are several different patterns of these Titans, as is with most of the classes, but each follows the same basic form. These are the smallest Titans that can wield Titan-class armaments like the large-scale volcano cannon or plasma destructors. Each of these weapons has enough destructive force to level entire battalions in moments.
2Warmaster
The Warmaster class Titan may seem like that of the Warbringer class at first glance. There are similarities in design, to be sure, but the Warmaster is often considered the next iteration in the technological advancements that brought the Warbringer to the Imperium’s military. The difference in armaments is the biggest change between the previous generations. The arm weapons are still there and are this Titan’s main weapons. It also sports shoulder-mounted cannons, which are settled in the large shoulder-pad-looking structures this Titan holds.
The addition of several anti-air cannons and mortars on the shoulders and knee-based las-cannons or machine guns make this Titan able to deal with enemy Titans, armor, air, and infantry all at once. These Titans are piloted by one princeps and a half-dozen or so moderati, as is normal with most Titans smaller than it too. However, the chaos versions can often be piloted by a singular daemon bound to the Titan’s form.
1Imperator
The largest Titan class by far. The Imperator Titans are walking armies. Most remarkably, these Titans have entire fortresses mounted on their hunched shoulders, increasing their destructive power and allowing them to potentially be mobile headquarters if the need arises. They are the rarest Titan in the Imperium’s military by far, as well as the forces of chaos, and seeing one on the battlefield is almost always a death sentence.
They hold multiple void shields of the same capacity used for space-faring ships. The staff it takes to run the Imperator class Titans can easily be in the hundreds, but most areMechanicus and servitors. Even at this size, a single princeps is fused to the machine spirit of the Titan and controls its movements. The arms this Titan wields can devastate entire armies, including the hellstorm cannon and plasma annihilator.
