As well as a type of
arachnid, the Tarantula is a
heavy-support platform in the realm of
Warhammer 40000. There are two variations on the Tarantula, depending whether you are a fan of Warhammer 40000 or
Space Crusade.
In both games, the Tarantula consists of two heavy weapons mounted on a small platform, supported by four legs. Traditionally, the Tarantula also has a blast shield, but this is only in Space Crusade, where it is designed to be a mobile platform, and is operated by a single
Space Marine, whereas in Warhammer 40000, it has been developed into a stationary turret, incorporating its own
Machine Spirit, allowing it to attack
autonomously.
The weapon patterns also vary between versions. The traditional Space Crusade model is armed with two
lascannons, allowing it to make
mincemeat out of any
gretchin,
android, or
Dreadnought which comes your way, especially since it allows the user to split down the shots to attack three different targets, instead of just one.
In Warhammer 40000 however, there are many armaments for such a device, ranging from the traditional lascannons,
heavy bolters for anti-troop support, or
multi-meltas for an extra bit of anti-tank firepower.
No matter the variation of the Tarantula, it is and will remain a valuable tool of divine retribution in the far future, where there is only war.