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Imperial Knight

2018-05-27T19:06:31Z

2A02:587:3A03:4900:D869:D288:C66E:E39A:

{{Topquote|...who battled courageously during those times, some victorious, some not, but always in the name of chivalry.|The Five Star Stories}}

[[File:Knight vs Trygon.jpg|350px|thumbnail|right|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSrcMaid0mg Hmm... does this look familiar to you?]]]
Somewhere between a regular walker and a [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Titan]], the Imperial Knights are large single pilot war machines, similar to the [[Tau]] [[Riptide#XV104 Riptide Battlesuit|Riptide]]. Usually humanoid, the cockpit for the pilot is mounted in the head or just behind it in the main body.

In other words, they're a [[BattleTech|Battlemech.]]

Their somewhat unexpected return to the 40k setting is possibly a sign of [[Games Workshop|GW]] deciding that people would only play [[Warmachine]] because 40k has insufficient [[warjack]]s [[Skub|(and not because of arguably better rules and update schedule)]], or that they [[Profit|make more money by selling one huge model than lots of little ones]].

They are really [[butthurt|a fairly fan-wanky insertion]] of [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle|Fantasy-era]] [[knight]]s into 40k, which, let's face it, is not exactly a setting devoid of knight analogues, but unlike [[Space Marines|the]] [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|others]], this one is much closer to the original source material: [[BattleTech|aristocratic dicks in high tech armor suits grinding the faces of the poor]] while being [[grimdark]] and all knightly and shit, including the [[Game of thrones|politics, incest and backstabbing]] that brings.

Funnily enough for such an in-universe niche unit, Imperial Knights (officially,'' Questor Imperialis'') are currently among the most popular models from the 40k range, if the top-seller list of Games Workshop is any indication, and with good reason; their whole design and grimdark steam-punk style catches the eyes, and surely a lot of people are buying it just because it looks that cool. Also, for 150 Naggaroth buckets you get a unit strong enough to be an army on its own or join any imperial force.

[https://youtu.be/ajP5q2HvycY In short they're big, baddass, chivalrous, stompy mechs. Really, what's not to love?]

== About the Knights ==
[[File:Errant Detachment.jpg|thumb|right|EPIC Errant Knights. For when you want to cook your enemies really fast.]]
[[File:PaladinDetachment.jpg|thumb|right|Paladin Titans from EPIC times.]]
The knights are allied with, or in some cases part of, the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] rather than being part of the greater Imperium's war machine. Knight Worlds are worlds which supply [[Forge World#Planet|Forge Worlds]] with foodstuff and raw materials, specifically those worlds defended by Knight Households. The Knight World gathers foodstuff and ores for a set period of time (usually a year) before the Adeptus Mechanicus arrive in a drop ship, occaisonally bringing new knight suits in exchange for the raw materials. Knight Worlds themselves are typically Feudal Worlds, which were easily brought into compliance during the Great Crusade, and which explains the rather aristocratic tone about the Knights. Knight World politics is fueled by the constant resource tithes and the possession of Knight Titans. Any kingdom that possesses a Knight Titan could absolutely smash a kingdom without one, so it behooves a kingdom to concede to being tithed in exchange for the (relatively) ultimate weapon. Once any given feudal kingdom has become a Knight Household, any Household with more Knights than it does is a huge threat, so getting more is always important. By the time that the escalation becomes preposterous these Households are already shipping knights of-world to cruise the stars and fighting things, so the extra-planetary losses constantly need to be replenished, lest the Households lose their on-world detachments to off-world conflicts. All that said, Knight Worlds tend to exist rather happily alongside their Forge World; Mechanicus get a defensive buffer and food forever, and the Knight Households get to continue ruling their chunks of the planet. Or all of the planet, depending on how far you can stretch a feudal society.

During the [[Epic]] days Knights were a complete fabrication by the Adeptus Mechanicus, supplied as battle fleets where the Imperial armies are in need of them, much like a Titan Legion is. Knights were a gimmick, given to Feudal Worlds that the Mechanicum settled near in exchange for getting shipments of food, manpower, and raw materials. This simplistic lore is [[retcon|no longer the case]]; apparently the original Knight Worlds were not the Mechanicus' idea. The Knights themselves are [[STC]] relics, dating before even the Dark Age of Technology. In a shocking twist, not only does the Knight STC appear to be relatively intact, the Knight itself seems easy to produce for any given Forge World; a rare case of the AdMech not shitting themselves. When Games Workshop released the new "heroic scale" Knight models, they also released new Knight fluff with them. The first Knights were actually colonists, arriving on new worlds during Humanity's first expansion into the galaxy at large. With no way of returning to Terra once they arrived, and long periods with no outside help, those original human colonies needed to be self-sufficient and the Knight suits were sent along with them, made for fighting against the [[Xeno|myriad threats]] [[Chaos|to their existence]]. Additionally, it turns out that giant stompy robots could also be re-purposed for peaceful uses: cutting down trees with their chainswords, blasting apart boulders with their main weapons, or using the sheer size of their bodies as cranes, lifts, earth-movers, and various other construction equipment. As a byproduct of the Throne Mechanicum bonding processes (see below), the Knights' pilots soon came to see themselves as protectors of their people. In the cases where these heavily-armed frontier colonies were never slated for further colonization, suffered a society-collapsing event as they grew, or otherwise remained isolated, Knight Titans were given the opportunity to become the industrial and military backbone of many of these worlds.

During the Age of Strife, when humanity at large lost it's ability to travel the Warp and everything generally went to shit, these planets were guaranteed to be alone and afraid, fighting for their survival against everything they already had to fight, plus all of the weirdness that comes with BIG FUCKOFF WARP STORMS. The proto-Knight-World colonies (fully-grown at this point) regressed from large-scale industrial societies into what are functionally feudal worlds with a sprinkling of techno-barbarianism. Why did this happen? Well, there are a number of possibilites: fear and panic over the lack of outside contact could have sparked apocalyptic military conflicts or nuclear wars, the whole "robot uprising" thing that was also happening during the Age of Strife could have resulted in a rejection of automation, or the entire would could have been slowly ground down to the barest essentials of living by millennia of constant conflict; take your pick! The Knights themselves eventually formed noble households as time went on, or else noble households formed around the knights, due mostly to the fact that only a large-scale organized society with military force can properly maintain a giant stompy robot. By the time of the Great Crusade (more importantly, by the time of the first Mechanicum Explorator Fleets ''during'' the Great Crusade), almost all of the remaining Knight Worlds had dwindled to feudalism over the course of the Age of Strife, and in many cases the survivors were living threadbare on dying worlds, in great need of new raw materials or the expertise required to maintain the suits. This situation was ripe for exploitation, and some clever bastard in the Mechanicum got the great idea of using these worlds as combination Agri-World, Mining World, and military training ground. Several Forge Worlds and lesser Mechanicum worlds were established intentionally within Knight World systems due to the easy symbiosis. It is assumed that any Knight Worlds which were not in need of assistance (or whom the Great Crusade found before an Explorator Fleet) sided with the Imperium at large, as opposed to becoming vassals of the Mechanicum.

As a side note, in a hilarious turn of events, in this new lore these feudal Knight Worlds leveraged their ritualization and xenophobia to purge witches and deviant thought, and therefor psykic influence, from their worlds entirely. This created pockets of relative calm in the hellish storms of un-reality that they floated in, and thus they were saved from the worst of the warpy shit, allowing them to survive into M31 and the Age of the Imperium.

A Knight's Machine Spirit is of a particularly unusual type: to interface with the suit, an aspiring noble must first join with the Throne Mechanicum (the Knight's control system) in a ritual known as the Rite of Becoming. Due to a quirk in the bonding process, the device retains an imprint of each of its former pilots' personalities at the time they were first bonded, and as a result individual suits may develop traits echoing those of their former masters. The link also affects the noble's own mind as well; exposure to the metaphorical (or possibly literal, since there's been at least one case where a Throne Mechanicum took over operating the Knight when its noble was slain by using the memories of its old operators) ghosts in the machine inevitably causes the noble to develop strong positive feelings towards the concepts of fealty and hierarchy along with a near-mystical reverence toward the noble's ancestors. [[Phoenix Lord|This idea isn't very original]]. Nobody knows why this is, but the Mechanicus thinks it may have been a failsafe in the original plans meant to ensure that no Knight would willingly betray or abandon his own House. Either way, this benefits the Mechanicus rather neatly. This kind of "ghost in the machine" presence exists for true [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Imperial Titans]] as well, though in their case the machine spirit is more of an AI/second ego, and storing past Princeps' personas is something that happens, but the Mechanicus try to avoid/scrub out. Go see the Titan page for a more in-depth comparison.

Knight Houses make a tradition of sending their Knights on glorious quests across the stars, which mostly involves going where the Imperium/Mechanicum tells them too, and shooting/punching everything dead once they get there. Knight Houses make a tradition of basically everything, but more on that later. These quests, which one can only assume are fulfilled by the Imperial Navy or Explorator Fleets (and *not* just jumping really high, as some fa/tg/uys suggest), must be chocked-full of silly fish-out-of-water scenes as the Knights must putter around the cargo holds of ships, interacting with Guardsmen, slaves, and Imperial navymen. Knights absolutely love going on quests, because *not* going on quests means staying home and doing rituals and ceremonies. The day-to-day lives and operations of Knight Households, and the noble caste that supports them on-world, are so regimented by ceremony that the Knights themselves *fucking hate it*. Eating, sleeping, social interaction, prayer, bathing (when it infrequently occurs), walking down hallways, looking at art, and probably *breathing* are so highly ritualized that it makes Japanese tea ceremonies look like a practice rehearsal of a theatrical production put on by a class of 3rd graders. You have actual, named, 64-part ceremonies described as happening *daily* in the Mechanicus codex, and those are only one of probably three-hundred-thousand common-to-esoteric ceremonies that could be required to properly perform a given action, formally acknowledge a nobleman's change in standing or status, or even to honor a specific year, month, week, or hour of the fucking day. And Emperor save you if you fuck any of it up.

=== Houses ===
There are two types of knight household, though a third association does exist.
*Those who align themselves with the Imperium directly such as Imperial Houses, acting as independently operating vassals of a greater empire (much like [[Space Marine Chapter]]s do), therefore answering calls for aid as they feel like, rather than being ordered to. Examples of Imperial Houses are:
**'''House Terryn''' - House known for its [[Mary Sue|courage and honor]] as well as [[Codex Astartes|rigidly adhering to ritual and ceremony]]. Supposedly its homeworld of Voltoris is so [[Macragge|peaceful and boring]] and the aforementioned rituals so tedious that it only encourages them to campaign across the galaxy. (Their colour scheme is [[Ultramarines|blue]].)
**'''House Hawkshroud''' - A very [[Noblebright]] house, who believe that kindness should be returned tenfold and who answer any and all requests for assistance, which means their homeworld of Krastellan lies virtually undefended. Also have links with the [[Imperial Fists]] having been praised by the chapter master for their efforts against the [[Eldar]] of Alaitoc. (Their colour scheme is yellow.)
**'''House Cadmus''' - Were once bound to the Mechanicum, but regained their independence and became an Imperial House when Gryphonne IV was nom nomed by [[Tyranid]]s. Based on the [[Caliban|mutant infested forest world]] of Riasa, they engage on mutant hunts every year, with the [[A Song of Ice and Fire|winner getting to rule the house]] until the next hunt. (Their colour scheme is [[Dark_Angels|green]]).
**'''House Griffith''' - A house of [[Salamanders|hotheads]] who almost exclusively make use of the Knight Errant pattern and come from a planet once inhabited by ''actual dragons''. They are also one of the [[Salamanders|smallest knight houses, but remain one of the most respected]]. They engage in regular jousting tournaments using old fashioned horses, but wearing adamantium armour. Have a preference for [[Rip and Tear|close combat]].
**'''House Mortan''' - A house only recently introduced to the Imperium after being cut off by a nebula which made their planet a night world. For thousands of years they fought giant monsters in the dark until the nebula dissipated in M35 and the Imperium arrived.
**'''House Drakkus''' - Featured in the mobile game 'Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade'. Known for being dead, and for having a rather fetching jade-green colour scheme.

*Other households are directly aligned to the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] and are based on ''(or linked to)'' Forge Worlds. Though they retain their independence from the Cult Mechanicus, they do have reciprocal trade and resupply agreements as well as swearing oaths of protection to the Mechanicum, often directly to specific Forge Worlds. Houses directly linked to the Mechanicus will have access to better weapons and technology than their more primitive cousins. Which isn't surprising because Techpreists tend to be [[Blood_Ravens|greedy buggers.]] Examples of Mechanicum Houses include:
**'''House Taranis''' - The ''First'' of all Knight Houses (read ''Mechanicum'' by [[Graham McNeill]]). They were founded on [[Mars]] during the [[Dark Age of Technology]], and were later the first Martians who met the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]] before the [[Great Crusade]]. This house has ownership of some of the oldest knight suits. For some reason, their Knights' Throne Mechanicum units lack the typical mind-altering effects that they would normally possess; nobody knows why. One reason could be that the pilots of House Taranis are loyal to the mechanicus first, and house second.
**'''House Raven''' - The largest of all Knight Households, based on the world of Kolossi and have close links to forge world [[Heavy mythril|Metalica]]. Suspected to hold secret [[Standard Template Construct|STC]] data which explains why they have so many Knight suits. Their fortress, the ''Keep Inviolate'', is said to be one of the most well-protected bastions in the Imperium, on par with the Fang and the Imperial Palace, and appears on their coat of arms.
**'''House Krast''' - The first Knight World (Chrysis) to be rediscovered during the Great Crusade, its proximity to Mars meant it was swiftly brought into the fold, but had its homeworld ravaged by [[Horus]] during the [[Horus Heresy|Heresy]], leaving them the only Household left on the planet. Since the forces on Chrysis were led by the traitorous Legion Mortis, they have a preference for hunting traitor titans.
**'''House Vulker''' - A very wealthy but deeply mysterious house from a star system with vast mineral resources, they never expose any flesh and wear golden masks to cover their faces. Their close links to the Mechanicum are evident in the golden servitors they share between worlds, and their courts being filled with tech priests... Not that outsiders ever get to see inside their courts.

*Sometimes individual Knights detach themselves from Noble Houses entirely. Having been dishonoured, shunned, or otherwise made unable to continue life within the Household, they become Freeblades and ply the stars alone (dragging their large pool of retainers along to maintain the suit, naturally). These knights break out to either quest across the Imperium or settle down outside of the ritual of their Household and protect the citizens of whichever worlds they end up on.
**'''Amaranthine''' - Never ever speaks or leaves his suit. [[Inquisitor]]s chase him around trying to have a word about his loyalties.
**'''Auric Arachnus''' - Somehow connected to the [[Ultramarines]] and earned honour slaying a [[Dominatrix]] during the battle for [[Macragge]].
**'''Crimson Reaper''' - Freak who wears a red & black face mask, who is rumoured to be a [[Vampire|blood sucking mutant]]. Is very prone to collateral damage.
**'''Living Litany/Litany of Destruction''' - A grey, black, and orange Knight Gallant who constantly voxes droning sermons in High Gothic, only changing into loud chants when fighting. He's probably bonkers, but everyone lets it slide since he's still loyal to the Imperium at least. Or at least, they used to- at some point he lost what little was left of his sanity and went renegade. As the Litany of Destruction, his color scheme is identical to what it was as a loyalist but is now visibly emblazoned with the eight-pointed star of Chaos.
**'''Gerantius ''The Forgotten Knight''''' - maintains a secret mountain base on Alaric Prime, though his planet is shared by other lesser knight houses. Thought to be [[undead]] and [[Necromancer|in command of spirits]]. Days which he chooses to fight upon are regarded as ill-omens. Rules for him are in [[White Dwarf]], making him a Seneschal-level knight with ''It Will Not Die'' and the ability to both run & shoot in the same phase.
**'''Justice''' - A freeblade connected to the [[Iron Hands]] chapter who is a master of slaying traitor knights. The Iron Hands chapter appear to be keeping his secrets and will not talk of his past.
**'''Obsidian Knight''' - Fought in the [[Damocles Crusade|Damocles campaign]] along with House Terryn on the planet Agrellan. - Has his own rules in Warzone: Damocles making him an absolute WS/BS 6 [[Awesome|badass]] who hates [[Tau]] with a passion.
**'''Mydos Almighty''' - Hails from a world that was done in by the greed of its upper class, which it fled to actually fight. Rather hypocritically, this Knight is entirely bedecked in fucking GOLD.
**'''Retribution Incarnate''' - A hero of the [[Macharian Crusade]]s, believed to be the last member of an established household.
**'''White Warden''' - The last man standing for House Degallio from the planet of [[Lawful Stupid|Alaric Prime]] ''(same as Gerantius)'', known for his cracking mustache and his willingness to stand up for ridiculous laws.
**'''Tellurus''' - Only living member of a fallen house, and refuses to be seen without armor. Tellurus fought alongside both House Cadmus and House Hawkshroud on Vondrak. ''"...towering and monstrous, a giant of adamantium and fury. With a booming cannon and a roaring chainblade for arms, it was clad in armour the colour of a winter’s sky. Blue and cold, chevroned with streaks of black and amber. A bright gonfalon streamed from its left shoulder. A rearing horse with a fluted horn at its forehead."'' - from ''Knights of the Imperium'' by Graham McNeill. [[Samus|Turns out to be a girl.]]
**'''Domeenito Ohashi''' - Imperial Knight who got stuck on a primitive world under attack by the Orks. [[Awesome|In spite of being sworn to go back to his world of origin, he decides to go freeblade and fights back the greenskins becoming a hero to the population until receiving Imperial Guard reinforcement. since then he has wandered across the galaxy helping the Imperium to crush all kind of xenos raiders in the hopes of getting back home eventually.]]
**'''Dyros Kamata ''The Scorched Knight''''' - A Knight whose rider apparently severed all ties with his house and burned off all his livery by walking into a volcano. He eventually learned that his dad was a corrupt prick, so he killed the old man before going off again. Was later killed by Ork bombardment.
**'''Sir Hektur'''- A Freeblade from Randoryn Alpha, he was enslaved for a time by the [[Iron Warriors]] but escaped and now fights to free any other Imperial citizens enslaved as he was, earning him the epithet of "The Chainbreaker". Appears as the first true named character for the Imperial Knights, with a modified Knight dubbed "Canis Rex" armed with a Thunderstrike Gauntlet and an unidentified gun arm (definitively in the same line of the knight atrapos lascutter). Like [[Antaro Chronus]], Sir Hektur can keep fighting even if his Knight is taken down thanks to his trusty archaeotech pistol.
[[File:Sir hektor and canis rex.jpg|200px|thumbnail|left|You can't really tell, but Canis Rex has a little compartment for Hektur to ride in, it's pretty neat.]]
=== Sacristans ===
Unlike the much larger [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Titan legions]], most Imperial Knight Households do '''NOT''' retain [[Techpriest]]s of the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] to maintain and repair the Knight suits (though deeply-bonded Mechanicum households usually do).

Instead they invariably include a specific class of individual called a '''Sacristan''', who is basically an artisan and a technology specialist. These Sacristans accompany the knight on his travels and keep his suit operational during the campaign, and if a Knight becomes somehow divorced from his household and becomes a Freeblade, the sacristans associated with the suit shall travel with him. It is assumed/alluded to that Sacristans have a cadre of serfs and underlings whom also follow ''them'' around, all of whom form the cadre of attendants for a single Knight.

Unbeknownst ''(or immaterial)'' to the Imperial Households, these Sacristans '''ARE''' inducted into the Machine Cult in a similar fashion to the [[Techmarines]] of the [[Adeptus Astartes]], having been trained either off-world or under an apprenticeship to an already established Sacristan. So while they may not be fully ordained Tech-Priests, they do further the interests of the Mechanicum while living amongst the Knight Households. Sacristans may be historically connected to whomever maintained the Knights during the Age of Strife, making Sacristans even more inspired by ''A Canticle for Leibowitz'' than the Mechanicum itself already is.

=== Chaos and Renegade Knights ===
Though they are rare, there are a number of Knight Households or lone Freeblade Knights who have fallen to [[Chaos]]. Most infamous of all is the [[Slaanesh]] Hellknights of House Devine, who turned during the [[Horus Heresy]] due to [[A Song of Ice and Fire|Targaryen]]-esque amounts of twincest. That said, Renegade and Chaos Knights are hunted down by Loyalist Households, who view their existence as shaming all other Knights. The "board game" Imperial Knight: Renegade shows one such hunt.

For those who survive, these Renegade Knights (''Questor Traitoris'') can find employment and protection within the warbands of [[Chaos Space Marines]], or find themselves on the heretical end of a [[Daemons|warp incursion]] that puts their skills and equipment to "good" use. Of course, being a massive war machine, Chaos Knights may find themselves converted into massive [[Daemon Engines]] called [[Daemon Knights]]. The only real distinction between Renegade and Chaos Knight is that Chaos Knights actually worship Chaos and can become Daemon Knights, whereas Renegade Knights can simply be disowned and mercenary Freeblades who don't always side with for the Imperium or humanity at large. The distinction is often irrelevant during the decision-making process of whether or not Imperial forces intend to kill them (though "kill for the honor of the House" and "kill the fucking traitor with ''extreme prejudice''" aren't exactly the same state of mind for the ones doing the killing).

==Knight Patterns==
The Knights themselves come in several varieties, all of which have an energy shield to protect them from incoming fire and have a mix of shooty and choppy. 6th edition introduced two varieties have just recently appeared in the 40k model range, the Knight Paladin with its rapid fire battlecannon and the Knight Errant with its thermal cannon. Forge World later joined in with several of its own varieties of Knights, and as of 7th edition three other types (the Crusader, Gallant, and Warden) were added to the main 40k line.

Knights usually deploy alongside Titan legions as auxiliary forces. Although some patterns of Knight are capable of going toe to toe with smaller titans, or even larger titans outfitted exclusively for ranged combat, the Knight's usual role is anti-infantry or anti-light vehicle freeing up the Titans to attack superheavies.

===Armiger Knight Patterns===
====Armiger Warglaive====
[[File:40kForgebane-Forgebane-Armiger.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Armiger Warglaive]]
A new type of Knight, said to be piloted by aspiring nobles, lowborn commoners with a knack for war, and the occasional bastard child of the High King. They are given the nickname of '''Baby Knights''', '''Mini-Knights''', '''Moe Knights''', '''Knight Jr''', '''The Wee Baby Brother of the Bunch''' or '''Mini-Me''' [[Dwarf|''for a very good reason''.]] Armiger Warglaives are the smallest Knight class shown to date (roughly the size of a [[Dreadknight]], Grey Knight converters take note), hunting and fighting at the flanks of their cousins. Due to their smaller size and lighter weight, the Armiger Warglaives are far faster and more agile than their larger brothers, which helps them work in groups and perform flanking maneuvers.

Although they are obviously not as ridiculously tough as your basic Knight and aren't technically super-heavies like their full-sized cousins, they are still a tough nut to crack. They are equipped with Thermal Spears, Reaper Chain-Cleavers, and a heavy stubber or a melta gun. Unlike other knights it doesn't have titanic feet. Sadly it has lost the ability to move and shoot heavy weapons without penalty, but you don't really care about that, because your main weapon is Assault and no one actually uses the pop-gun. Use them if you want to have the firepower of a Knight without wasting a bucket load in points, but watch out for hordes. Fluffwise, they are to larger knights what warhounds are to warlords - they serve as fast support to neutralize threats to the larger engine, while also helping in combat maneuvers. In crunch, they can be used in the exact same role.
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====Armiger Helverin====
[[File:ArmigerHelverins.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Armiger Helverin]]

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===Questoris Knight Patterns===
====Questoris Knight Paladin====
[[File:Knight Paladin.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Questoris Knight Paladin]]
One of the most vanillas of vanillas when it comes to Knight patterns. Standing nine meters tall, the Knight Paladin represents a perfect balance of speed, firepower and armor, allowing it to undertake a wide variety of roles in battle. Nobles who have the honor of piloting a Knight Paladin take great pride in their ability to carry out a variety of tasks on the battlefield.

The first knight to appear in regular 40k, along with the Errant, the Knight Paladin is armed with a Rapid-Fire Battle Cannon with an attached Heavy Stubber. Like all non-Forge World Knights, it can take either an Ironstorm Missile Pod (think Whirlwind minus Ordnance), a Heavy 3 Krak missile launcher, or a pair of Icarus autocannons (I.e. actual anti-aircraft weapons) as carapace weapons to supplement their firepower, can also replace the heavy stubber with a meltagun for extra anti-armor usefulness and can replace its Reaper Chainsword with a Thunderstrike Gauntlet.
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====Questoris Knight Errant====
[[File:Knight Errant.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Questoris Knight Errant]]
One of the most vanillas of vanillas when it comes to Knight patterns. The Knight Errant are similiar to their Paladin brothers, however their pilots are often far more aggressive with a penchant to ignore the whole "Chivalry in SPEHSS!" theme and go straight into [[RIP AND TEAR]]. This would make them a bit more unhinged in following direct orders and would lead to susceptible [[Khorne]] corruption if not for their absolute stubbornness in [[/tg/ gets shit done|getting shit done.]]

The tank hunter of the Questoris, the Knight Errant is armed with a Thermal Cannon, a Heav d6 36" S9 Melta weapon. Like the Paladin, it can take either an Ironstorm Missile Pod (think Whirlwind minus Ordnance), a Heavy 3 Krak missile launcher, or a pair of Icarus autocannons (I.e. actual anti-aircraft weapons) as carapace weapons to supplement their firepower, can also replace the heavy stubber with a meltagun for extra anti-armor usefulness and can replace its Reaper Chainsword with a Thunderstrike Gauntlet. Fun fact: In ye olde Epic days, the Errant carried a [[Power weapon#Power Fist|power fist]], from which the Thunderstrike Gauntlet probably draws inspiration.
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====Questoris Knight Crusader====
[[File:99120108005_IMPERIALKNIGHTCRUSADER360.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Questoris Knight Crusader]]
The first purely ranged Knight, it has the same Battle Cannon as the Knight Paladin (which it can replace with the Thermal Cannon for tankbusting) but replaces its close combat weapon with an Avenger Gatling Cannon, which can unleash 12 S6 AP3 Rending shots per turn. You know, for when you need that squad of MEQs wiped out right now and they aren't clustered close enough for the Battle Cannon alone to kill them all.

As an added bonus, the Gatling cannon comes with a built-in heavy flamer to compensate for its relative weakness at close range. (The key word is "relative". It can still Stomp, after all, and thanks to Smash it's still shitting out S10AP2 with normal cc attacks. It just can't give anyone the D.) Thus, you have a walker that can [[Bullshit|cover both long and close distances with relative ease]] and making it pretty much impervious to most infantry charges. Balance? What's that? I don't think GeeDubs ever heard that word before!
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====Questoris Knight Gallant====
[[File:99120108005_IMPERIALKNIGHTGALLANT360.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Questoris Knight Gallant]]
Designed to smash apart enemies at close range, very few enemies can withstand the initial assault of the Knight Gallant. The ground shakes as the Knight Gallant stomps forward, offering its puny opponent a chance to duel in a completely <s>unfair and one-sided</s> fair and absolutely honorable fight.

The purely choppy counterpart to the Knight Crusader, the Gallant eschews its arm-mounted ranged weapons for a Reaper Chainsword and the Thunderstrike Gauntlet (described below) making it an absolute beast in close combat but of dubious use if it can't close in for the kill. Carapace weapons can mitigate this slightly, but it'll still struggle against shooty foes if it can't get into melee. A noble designated to pilot a Knight Gallant will learn the three basic tenets when he is bonded with his war machine. Though they may subtly differ, the three basic tenants are to trust in your Ion Shield, make all speed towards the foe, and strike swift and sure.
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====Questoris Knight Warden====
[[File:99120108005_IMPERIALKNIGHTWARDEN360.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Questoris Knight Warden]]
As befitting of its name, this Knight looks after a swarm of enemies like a prison warden controlling a crowd of rowdy mobs and criminals. The anti-horde option, by default the Warden comes with the Crusader's Gatling Cannon and a heavy flamer on top of the obligatory heavy stubber and Reaper Chainsword, but it can replace the sword with a Thunderstrike Gauntlet. Due to this, the Warden is notable for absolutely tearing tarpit heavy armies in one round, sometimes an entire tarpit formation bends over on the ''first attack''.

At first glance, the gauntlet doesn't look like much of an improvement due to the gauntlet giving a -1 hit penalty; however, if the fist ever kills a MC or vehicle the Warden can then throw whatever it killed at someone else. In game terms, this translates to an out-of-phase shooting attack that deals D3 Mortal Wounds serving as an unpleasant surprise for careless opponents.
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====Questoris Knight Magaera====
[[File:Knight Magaera.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Questoris Knight Magaera]]
Yet another Forge World model, this one is different however, this one is a Questoris variant, which means it's short and fat. It was specially made by the Mechanicus to curry favor with Knight Houses (or to control them, depending on who you ask), and it shows in the unique wargear options it gets. For a start, it has Blessed Autosimulacrum (giving it IWND-lite), and its ionic shield acts similarly to the Flare Shields normally used by superheavy tanks like the [[Spartan Assault Tank]].

Its weapons are no less unusual- it can replace its chainsword for a Siege Claw which grants it Wrecker (and a built in TL rad-cleanser to fuck with Toughness scores), and at range it can employ a phased plasma fusil and a Lightning Cannon that mulch both infantry and all but the heaviest-armored vehicles. There's a catch, though- its reactor is highly unstable, as reflected by the +1 it gets when rolling on the Catastrophic Damage chart.
{{clear}}

====Questoris Knight Styrix====
[[File:Knight_Styrix.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Questoris Knight Styrix]]
Yes, Forge World is releasing another pattern of Knight, and it's another short and fat Questoris chassis with Blessed Autosimulacrum. However, unlike most machines, the Styrix maybe one of the few that the AdMech continuously tries to avoid and even chuck out of the metaphorical window if given the chance. There is a good reason why it is viewed with caution. The Styrix house a machine spirit which some say became too accustomed to slaughter during the Age of Strife and the Great Crusade that followed it. Many conservative Knight Houses consider the Styrix to be a malevolent pattern, the wanton destruction it unleashes being beneath a true Knight.

Other Households hold no such reservations, loosing entire formations of Styrix Knights to annihilate their foes. This one packs a [[Volkite Weaponry#Volkite Chieorovile|Volkite Chieorovile]] and a [[Graviton weapons|Graviton Imploder]], and shares the Magaera's option of upgrading its Reaper chainsword to a Hekaton Siege Claw with complimentary Rad Cleanser.
{{clear}}

===Ceratus Knight Patterns===
====Cerastus Knight Acheron====
[[File:Knight_Arheron.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Cerastus Knight Acheron]]
Another Forge World model, tall and lanky like all the other Cerastus pattern models. Acheron pattern Knights were configured as rapid moving strike units who rose to prominence during the legendary battles of the Great Crusade, but whose most terrible renown was to be found on the battlefields of the Horus Heresy. Rare, even in those ancient times for the singular difficulties of their construction, the Cerastus Knight-Acherons were amongst the most dreaded of their age.

The Acherons’ machine spirits were regarded as [[World Eaters|particularly lusting for wanton destruction]] and only the strongest scion-minds could master them via the Throne Mechanicum, especially during the tumult of open battle. Has a Flame Cannon to make those Heretics extra crispy, and a [[Chainsword#Chainfist|chainfist]] (with built in twin-linked [[Bolter#Heavy Bolter|heavy bolter]]) that lets it reroll 1s on the Destroyer damage table against vehicles. Now you can give your opponent the D while also fisting them.
{{clear}}

====Cerastus Knight Atrapos====
[[File:99560108146_MechanicumCerastusKnightAtrapos01.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Cerastus Knight Atrapos]]
One of the rarest and most potent types of Knights, the Cerastus Knight-Atrapos was created solely to destroy heretek engines and xenos war machines whose very nature and existence were considered a blasphemy to the Omnissiah. The machine spirits of the Knight Atrapos are said to carry with them a cold and all-destroying hunger, and for the scion who bonds with them, madness is a constant risk.

It comes with the same Blessed Autosimulacra and flare shields the Questoris Knights have and also has a special rule that makes all his weapons twin-linked, if it is firing at a Super-heavy or Gargantuan Creature. All of his weapons are very close ranged but they are a big fuck off to armour and thanks to the swiftness of the cerastus knights he should be in range soon. It is armed with an Atrapos lascutter, a D weapon that can be used both in close combat and as a 8" shooting attack, and a Graviton singularity cannon ([[Awesome|yep, it shoots black holes]]), a 36", S8, Ap2, large blast weapon with Armorbane and the Collapsing Singularity rule. This means that before firing the weapon you roll a D6; on a 1 the knight loses one HP (but the attack is still carried out as long as the knight survives), and on a 6 the attack gains Vortex.
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====Ceratus Knight Castigator====
[[File:Knight Castigator.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Ceratus Knight Castigator]]
A Forge World event model, and another close-combat variant. While fluff states that it is used to handle and take down hordes of lesser foes that could overwhelm other patterns of Knight through sheer numbers, in actuality there are other Knight variants more suited for horde cleansing such as the Porphyrion or Crusader who actually have more weapons suited into turning blobs of infantry into minced meat. Hence, it can be argued that the Castigator should be used as more on the lines as both crowd control and vehicle destroyer.

Uses a big fuck-off sword (which is "only" S10, but has the same Deflagrate rule as the [[Volkite Weaponry|Volkite weapons]], rerolls failed armor penetration, and can exchange its attacks to hit everything in base contact once), and a Bolt Cannon which is essentially a S7 AP3 Heavy 8 giant [[bolter]].
{{clear}}

====Ceratus Knight Lancer====
[[File:Lancer-trans.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Ceratus Knight Lancer]]
The close assault variant of Knight, much taller and faster than the Paladin & Errant by virtue of longer legs. It is ''far'' more specialized than the Paladin or Errant due to its weapon loadout and suffers if it is not supported. Has a physical ion shield rather than just being a force field, which means it cannot block attacks to the rear, however it ''can'' be used against close combat attacks. In its other arm is has a [[Combi-weapon|combi-melee/range weapon]] that gives it extra initiative when it charges into combat, its shooting mode is basically a 18" range 6-shot [[Plasma|plasma rifle]] that concusses its targets. So better to get it into melee with other big things.

On a slightly more hilarious note, the Lancer's ranged attack is of a decent Strength and AP, and fires a lot of shots. It's also not a Template Weapon. While not recommended, it means in a pinch the Lancer ''can'' be used as an anti-aircraft gun should the Knights lack sufficient AA from other sources (e.g. you are running pure Knights and don't have the Icarus autocannons), the amount of shots it fires making it second only to the [[Forgefiend]] in terms of emergency AA. It's also excellent against TEQs! And, with its concussive plasma shots, this thing is actually capable of countering a Wraithknight; even if you don't knock it down to initiative 1, you will be hitting at the same time on the charge.
{{clear}}

===Dominus Knight Patterns===
====Dominus Knight Castellan====
[[File:Knightcastellan.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Dominus Knight Castellan]]
Hey faggot! Yeah I am talking to you! Do you want to have a [[Warlord Battle Titan]] without selling your kidney? Do you want to play with these titanic behemoths without risking being punched in the face by your friends (and spending several million dollars on superglue)? Then we got the perfect answer for you! Introducing the Dominus Knight Castellan, the Warlord's literal son! He even looks like his papa! [[Dawww|How cute!]]

Basically a dwarf [[Warlord Titan]] for all intents and purposes, the Knight Castellan is a large and especially shooty pattern of Knight armed with what appears to be a heavy plasma cannon on one arm, a magna-lascannon or turbo-laser on the other, two twin-linked battle cannons on the shoulders, and two multimeltas mounted near the head, for a total of TEN BARRELS OF HELL. Oh, and there's two missiles mounted on its back. Seriously, this thing is decked out in so much guns it can make Orks blush in envy. Knight Porphyrion, it's time to step up your game.
{{clear}}

===Acastus Knight Patterns===
====Acastus Knight Porphyrion====
[[File:99560108172_AcastusKnightPorphyrion01.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Acastus Knight Porphyrion]]
Among the largest of Knight chassis's and by far the bulkiest one yet. When this beast was first revealed, almost everyone and ''I mean almost'' '''EVERYONE''' thought it was going to be a new class of Titan, seriously...I mean this thing is so big it is literally the size of a [[Warhound Scout Titan]] for Emprah's sake. As such, it is one of the most heavily armed and armored of all the Knight chassis in service.

While it has no melee weaponry of its own, it packs a pair of twin-linked magna-lascannons- which are Ordnance 2 Large Blast lascannons which become Strength D when fired at a range of 12" or less, making it an ideal superheavy-killer. It also comes with a built-in Ironstorm missile launcher (that can be replaced with Helios defense missiles for anti-air purposes) and a pair of autocannons that can be swapped out for rad-cleansers or lascannons. Essentially, it is by far the most [[Dakka|Dakkaest]] of Imperial Knights and as aforementioned; one so big we were all fooled into believing that Games Workshop was actually releasing a new Titan.
{{clear}}

==Times of Epic==
Back in the times of ''Epic Warhammer 40,000'', there were more types of Knights apart from the Paladin and the Errants (though ''Codex: Imperial Knights'' references the Lancer, Castellan and Crusader Knights in fluff at least, and the Lancer, Crusader, and Warden have all gained models):

{|border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 style="margin: 1em;"
|-
| align=right| [[File:Lancer Command.jpg|150px|thumbnail|centre|Commander type Lancer. They all go really fast.]] || '''Lancer:''' Faster than other Knights, this pattern is all about scouting, distraction and hit-and-run tactics. Instead of its standard Shock Lance, it can swap it for a shorter in range, yet more powerful Power Lance. The only downside of them is that they are the most fragile of Knight Pattern. Now in 40k too, being the first Forge World Knight kit.
|-
| align=right| [[File:CrusaderDetachment.jpg|250px|thumbnail|center|When you need to kill something hard, roll out the Crusaders.]] || '''Crusader:''' Slower, yet sturdier and more powerful, Crusaders are armed with heavy weapons that are usually found on [[Warlord Battle Titan|Warlord]] or [[Emperor Battle Titan|Imperator Class Titans]] (such as the Quake Cannon). Due to them moving slow (blame the heavy weapons and loads of armoured bits) compared to other Knights, these behemoths are used to snipe targets from extreme range and act as a powerful support force for the rest of the Knights.
|-
| align=right| [[File:CastellanDetachment.jpg|150px|thumbnail|centre|Castellans. Knight level of [[Dakka]].]] || '''Castellan:''' The short-ranged cousin of the Crusader that swaps its standard Lascannons for multi-barreled Autocannons. This makes the Castellan a nightmare for infantry and light vehicles, as well as allowing it to deplete an enemy Titan's shields in a disturbingly short time. Also now coming back to 40k with the new codex.
|-
| align=right| [[File:KnightBaron.jpg|150px|thumbnail|center|When a Baron enters the battlefield, [[AWESOME]] ensues.]] || '''Baron:''' The biggest, baddest of all the Knights. Baron Knights are piloted by the deadliest members of a Knight House. Each Baron is actually built from the very basics as an ace-custom for its pilots, combining the power and speed to keep pace with Lancers with armor nearly as tough as a Crusader! Typically armed with Battle Cannons and the Lancer's Power Lance, the Barons lead their kinsmen to war and victory.
|-
| align=right| [[File:KnightWarden.jpg|150px|thumbnail|center|Old people are actually as deadly as younglings.]] || '''Warden:''' Piloted by the eldest (read retired) members of a Knight House, these goofy-looking Knights shouldn't be underestimated, much like the old-timers that pilot them. Warden Knight make up (like the Crusader) the heavy support part of a Knight House in the long-range category. Although not as fast as the youngsters, the pilots of Wardens make it up with years of brutally hard-won experience that makes them as deadly as the Barons.
|}

== Why Knights are Awesome ==
[[File:Knight Errant of Freeblade Garantius.jpg|450px|thumbnail|left|Knight Errant of Freeblade Gerantius. The Forgotten Knight. Closest you get to the [[The Green Knight|Green]] [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle|Knight]].]]
Knight Titan lore is some of the coolest stuff in 40k. True to both the medieval tradition and epic feel that 40k thrives from, Knight Titans protect the Agri Worlds that the Mechanicus use to supply (and predominantly feed) their incredibly ravenous [[Forge World#Planet|forge worlds]]. These Titans are easier to produce by far than even the humble [[Warhound Scout Titan]] and so can be made reliably, produced almost as an afterthought. So Knights aren't the biggest, baddest, most overblown thing in 40k -- but, they are to the Knight Worlders. The people who live and die on those Agri Worlds, delineated from other Agri Worlds by their designation as Knight Worlds, are all on the technological and societal footing of Medieval Europe. A lot of these worlds look like Bretonnia, from [[Warhammer Fantasy]]. Kings and Queens, Arthurian legend, stone brick castles and skullcapped peasantry abound; fields and forests extend to every horizon without end. Remember, [[grimdark|it's much, much more important to obey societal doctrine than to optimize food output]].

Imagine what someone from that world would think when they see a Knight Titan. The most agile giant robots the Imperium makes, capable of shrugging off lasers and plasma bombs, tower silently over a field on a world that probably doesn't even have gunpowder weaponry or a Copernican idea of the night sky. The kingdoms of the planet may have their petty wars, but life is dominated by meeting the food and resource quotas of machine-men from the sky, who build and fix the Knights that children and adults view with awe and reverence, like some amalgam of god and monster. These machine-men could destroy entire kingdoms on a whim by dropping stars from the sky. Kingdoms train their nobles and knightly warriors to fight with swords, horses, and hammers. They conscript armies from farming peasants, and use squads of bowmen to kill men at range....except for the Knight Titan pilots. Those who are honorable enough or skilled enough may graduate beyond knighthood, to Knighthood. Someone who takes a bath maybe twice a month and lives by torchlight has the duty to step inside a machine of such power and complexity that the science of the Fortieth Millennium proves incapable of comprehending it. Those men are revered beyond their kings, for they are the wielders of magic and death, and are entrusted with more true power than any other man on the planet. Those men fight monsters, murderous warriors from the sky, and even other Knights from enemy kingdoms. Sometimes, when the machine men come down when they aren't expected, the men who pilot the god-monsters must go far away to battle alongside the machine men in their wars. Not a war on the other side of the world, but a war on a distant star, surrounded by machines and giants even larger than they.

Imagine the man who has the lifelong job of knowing how to run the Knights, whose sacred duty is to recruit and train pilots. Imagine. A lord or general may give the order to bring cavalry around the left flank, and fire the laser cannon onto the walls of his enemy's castle. Despite his most valorous deeds, his children grow up playing with a giant metal god standing over them, silent and omnipotent, resplendent in livery and gold leaf. These children one day grow old and tell stories not of lords and generals, but of the time when their kingdom's metal giant slew a great beast, or razed an entire castle single-handedly, or ran across the entire world to deliver medicine to a dying king. Imagine what a pilot is to his subjects, or his lords. What legends would be told of them, the men who step inside the kingdom's giant? Their legends are not sagas of inscrutable gods or immortal emperors or statistic-scale tragedies, but of simple, honorable soldiers told by humble, hardworking people centuries after those soldiers are but dust and memory.

If you are not crying tears of pure [[awesome]] right now then you are either have no soul or are [[Sly Marbo]].

==6th Edition and Beyond==
[[File:IKErrant battle.jpg|450px|thumbnail|right|THOU SHALL NOT PASS BY A KNIGHT OF HOUSE TERRYN!! HAVE AT THEE [[Tau|BLUEBERRIES]]!!!.]]

Imperial Knights became a Codex in 6th edition. With the ability to be a Household detachment of 3-6 knights or an allied detachment of 1-3 knights, Knights may ally with [[Chaos]], [[Daemon]]s, [[Necron]]s and [[Tyranid|'Nids]] as Come the Apocalypse, [[Dark Eldar]], [[Tau]] and [[Orks]] as Desperate Allies; [[Eldar]] as Allies of Convenience; and all of the Imperium Faction as Battle Brothers (Yes, even [[Grey Knights]]).

'''Note:''' Imperial Knights are only Vehicles, only scoring if they're your primary. But let's face it you're always playing Purge the Alien anyway, even when it's not. The GW Imperial Knights are not Lords of War for other Imperial armies (the FW ones, however, can fit there), they are an army unto themselves. If you're playing 3-6 as a primary detachment, pick one as your Warlord; he gets relics and +1 WS/BS

Lets do the numbers:
*'''1000 pts''' - You can have up to 2 models to fit the points cost. Sadly this means no Primary Detachment or even formations in low point games as everything has a bare 3-knight minimum requirement. You could run 3 Gallants, and have 75 points left for other options/upgrades, but it's not even remotely competitive, even as the formation.
*'''1250 pts''' - Up to three models this time, making it the first points level you can play with your Primary detachment. With the new codex and a slew of upgrades, depending on what you choose, you can fill out the remaining 100 points with either upgrades to the knights themselves, or take one of the more expensive knights (like the Crusader).
*'''1500 pts''' - Perfect if you plan on only taking Paladins, taking Errants will nab you some extra points to upgrade those stubbers into melta guns (or take a gauntlet for every 2 Errants). At this points cost you can field 4 of these Knights. If you want to field any other types, especially the formations, you're gonna have to start dropping knights, or take a few Gallants to free up the points.
*'''1750pts''' - Now possibly the new sweet spot for Knights. With around 250 extra points to play around with, you can either afford to bring in some Crusaders to pack more damage, upgrade every knight with a carapace weapon, or take 3 Gallants (the cheapest Knights) to bring 5 knights in a 1750 game.
*'''1850pts''' - Similar to above, but now you can field 5 Knights without having 3 or 4 of them be Gallants while still having a decent amount of points to play around with. Note that 5 bare naked Errants cost exactly the same amount, so if you're confident in your melta-spam, this works too.
*'''2000pts''' - Now with upgrades, this has also become a sweet spot for people looking to field the Exalted Court or Baronial Court. With roughly 150 extra points to play with, you can either grant each of your knights one of the relics, or start upgrading them with extra weapons and other whistles. Alternatively, you can field up to 6 bare-bones Gallants at this point, which is just enough to take two Gallant Lance Formations (although this is not wise, it is recommended, if only to see the horror in your opponent's face when 6 knights basically leap across the table to charge him).
So what if you want to deploy 6 Knights on the field at once? You are looking at somewhere between 2220 - 2250pts. If you can do this you just paid $840 USD for an entire army of only 6 models, you sir are the envy of many neckbeards and [[Ork#Flash Gits|clearly have more dollars than sense]]. And we thought the Grey Knights were an elite army per model. Or you can just, oh I don't know, scratch build 6 knights and save yourself $820 bucks. Just sayin'.

Note: Flyers may not be laughing quite as hard with the new 7th edition codex, but may giggle a little as the carapace mounted AC isn't too scary (unless you have five knights all with that weapon...but then your opponent may laugh for different reasons). The Warden/Crusaders gatling cannon can do some credible anti-flyer work and may be your best bet. Regardless, it remains a valid tactic to continue to take all those point you couldn't spend (see above) and buy a Vengeance Weapons Battery w. Quad Icarus, or two, or even better a Firestorm Redoubt.

Second Note: FW have made their own version of an all-knight list, which actually has Knights fitting into a modified force org chart.

==Warhammer 40,000 Freeblade==
Yet another exercise in wasted potential, Warhammer 40,00: Freeblade is a [[Awesome|badass looking third person Imperial Knights game]] [[Skub|for iOS and Android]]. You can play it on Windows 10 now!

The plot's simple; you're a newly initiated knight of House Drakkus and your bonding ritual only just finishes when Chaos Space Marines dedicated to Khorne show up and fuck shit up. You end up being the last knight of House Drakkus and you get rescued by the Dark Angels who take you on a merry adventure of fucking [[Orks]] and [[Chaos]] up.

[[Fall of the Eldar|OH NO]]. Turns out that it is a free2play nightmare, with forced 30 second video ads and amazing amounts of not so subtle hints that you should really be buying their shitty supply drop 'loot crates' and a mind boggling array of other detritus.
You know you have a pile of exploitative and badly written shit on your hands when upon clicking on said loot crate, a [[Dark Angels|derpy marine]] with cybernetic implants and a voice like a talking vibrator pops up and proclaims he "Can scarce imagine what glorious spoils lie within- let us find out!" Bleargh.

Its only saving grace is the paint and customise your own knight section, which is kind of fun! One can then take take pictures of said pimped out knight and then promptly uninstall.

It's somewhat decent for a mobile game, which only goes to show the [[Fail|pitiful state]] of [[Derp|mobile gaming]].

[[Extra Heresy|The paid-for Slaneesh Knight skin has Khorne markings on certain high-end wargear pieces too (probably done on purpose to troll Khornates).]]

==See Also ==
* [[Imperial Knight House Creation Tables]], work-in-progress tables you can roll on to generate a Knight House of your own.
*[[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Imperial Knights(7E)]]
*[[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Questoris Knight Crusade (30k)]]
*[[Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Imperial Knights(8E)]]

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{{Imperium}}
{{WH40k-Factions}}

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Baneblade

2018-05-27T18:51:49Z

2A02:587:3A03:4900:D869:D288:C66E:E39A:

[[File:4DdD2uO.jpg|right|500px|thumb|A cutaway view, which really shows that Gee Dubs has never hired an engineer in their entire existence. Where the fuck is the recoiling mechanism going to go?]]
{{Topquote|IT IS THE '''BEEEEEINNNBLEEEEHHDDDEEEE'''!|[[Apollo_Diomedes|Captain Diomedes]] of the [[Blood Ravens]].}}

The '''Baneblade''' is a big fucking [[Imperium of Man|Imperial]] tank in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, known generally for an impressive arsenal (OF GUNS), and [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs|disappearing en masse]]. Besides ''looking'' totally kickass, it stomps a lot of ass too. It is supposedly one of the oldest and largest tank designs used by the Imperium, despite that it's actually medium-sized according to the old Epic fluff. Then again, the "big" tanks in Epic were closer to moving, gun-mounting cathedrals. This is an actual tank. A manly tank. ''The'' manly tank. If only the Mechanicus had looked at the Battle Cannon, looked at the Baneblade, and [[Macharius Heavy Tank|scaled-down the Baneblade design]] and slapped on single-barrel heavy weapons instead of twin-linked and a long-barreled Battle Cannon.

==Origins==
The Baneblade first appeared in the ''Space Marine'' edition of [[Epic]], where it was the Imperial Guard's standard super-heavy tank (it says a lot about the universe that there's such a thing as a "standard" one). This version was armed with a turret-mounted Battle Cannon (with the same stats as the one on the [[Leman Russ Battle Tank]], despite the turret being the ''size'' of a Leman Russ), two Lascannons, and a bunch of dice worth of "Bolters" to deal with swarms. Despite obviously having a big gun on the lower hull, there was no representation of it in the tank's rules. Fluff described the hull as the size of a city block.

Being a standard version, there were variants at that point, and only three:

* The '''Stormhammer''' was effectively a moving fortress, and the precise armament is hard to say given the odd way the game treated "Bolters;" anything from an officer's [[Bolt Pistol]]s to ''both'' a Leman Russ' [[Heavy Bolter]]s was one attack die with the same stats. This means this particular monster might have up to 24 Heavy Bolters (or alternately 12 bolt pistols) in addition to two turrets with two battle cannons each. Basically, you park it in a place and then forget about that place, since it is now Defended.
* The '''Shadowsword''' was one of two Titan-killing variants, armed with two [[Lascannons]] and some "Bolters" like the Baneblade, but with the rear hull built up to mount a fixed Volcano Cannon, a giant laser weapon normally mounted on Titans.
* The '''Stormblade''' was a second variant of the fixed-weapon hull, and proof of how incredibly fucking HUEG the old Epic fluff made the Baneblade chassis; no fruity Lascannons for this one, the sponson weapons were a rack of missiles and a fucking ''[[Battle Cannon]]''. Your main gun was a Titan-grade Plasma Blastgun with a Hellion anti-Titan missile slung on the top. Potential drivers had to produce written proof that they were [[meme|bad enough dudes]] [[/v/|to save the President]] before they'd even be considered. [[Forge World]] makes a Stormblade, but it just sits there (eating an entire sack of dicks) because it knows it will never be cool enough to have a sponson-mounted Battle Cannon.
The Chaos legions have their own version called the '''Decimator''', which is, in fact, an early pre-production model super-heavy tank that would later lead to the development of the Baneblade. It has replaced its bolters with lots and lots of Reaper Autocannons, resulting in it being far nastier against medium armor, though its main cannon is not turreted, meaning the entire tank has to turn to fire it.

==Design==
[[File:Baneblade_Variants.jpg|400px|right|thumb|Just 13 more spaces to fill.]]
Here are a few fun facts about the mighty Baneblade:

*At the time of the [[Great Crusade]], there used to be ''entire <s>companies</s> battalions'' of Baneblades (it was described as being the "mainstay" of the Imperial Army). Nowadays, regiments with [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs|anywhere near a hundred Baneblades]] are virtually unheard of, and any Imperial Guard force can count itself lucky to have just one in their possession. If a Baneblade gets lost in combat, chances are that the Mechanicus will throw a bitchfit and pull out all stops to recover the hulk. This was the case seven years before the Third Armageddon War, when an entire Imperial Guard Army Group of approximately 30,000 men were deployed to Golgotha to retrieve Yarrick's Fortress of Arrogance and a bit of STC teleporter tech (although guard didn't know about that last part). From two tank battalions, lead by a Shadowsword tank called Angel of the Apocalypse and supported with a full mechanized battalion of elite Kasrkin Storm Troopers, only a pair of tanks and couple of hundred men survived. <del>Rather justified </del>. It was not and that is the point of the novel Gunheads that describes the sorry ordeal. They traded an elite tank force that was desperately needed in Armageddon for Yarrick's precious relic so that some smug general could score some political points. Worse than that, the Baneblade was only a carrot to get the AdMech some meatshields for their Xenos Teleporter Stealing Fun Time. Repairing a Baneblade is easier than making a new one, but trading a full tank army for one is not worth it. This seems to be a constant trope in 40K - sending a large amount of bodies to retrieve one body. See "squads of Space Marines fighting and dying to retrieve the body of an already-dead comrade so their geneseed can be retrieved, even though dozens of other Marines are dying at the same time". Ehhhh, that is questionable. The epilogue really seems to suggest that the inspiration of the Fortress of Arrogance was enough to have a major if non-quantitative effect that two tank battalions and a full mechanized Kasrkin battalion could not have ultimately contributed to the pivotal battle that led Ghazghkull to leave Armageddon. TL;DR, your mileage may vary.
* Production of Baneblades continues into the 41st Millennium. Although the STC has been shared with a select few of the countless forgeworlds in the Imperium, the majority of Baneblades still come from Martian forges. As a result, the [[Macharius Heavy Tank]] was re-discovered/developed explicitly for armored regiments that needed something meaner than a [[Leman Russ Battle Tank]] but needed scientific notation to denote their place on the Baneblade delivery list.

If you need some kind of analogy to more fully appreciate the awe-inspiring/pants-browning nature of Baneblades and their variants, then consider that a vanilla Baneblade is basically an up-armored WWII-era destroyer on treads with a near impossibly good suspension, weight to power ratio, ground pressure ratio, a power plant that will gladly burn any fuel, an advanced fire control suite and yet still is more heart-stopping better/terrifying than that. Or a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landkreuzer_P._1000_Ratte Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte] that actually worked except you know with 25mm auto-cannons and particle beam "Laser" anti-tank weapons. Either way you think of it, it is an awe-inspiring/terror-inducing weapon.

Also one of the few imperial guard tanks that don't look like they refitted something from the first world war.

==Warhammer 40,000==
Scratch-built Baneblade models with homebrew (read: unfair) rules have been kicking around since roughly ten minutes after it was introduced in Epic, but it wasn't until [[Forge World]] was founded that [[Games Workshop]] ever considered releasing an official model. The Baneblade then became available as a plastic kit from GW itself, along with a six-option kit for the fixed-hull variants. With the [[Warhammer 40,000 6th edition|sixth edition]] re-release of [[Apocalypse]], GW redid the kit again to make all eight of their official variants listed below.

There are currently ten official variants, with the names being a nightmarish jumble of "Bane," "Sword," "Storm," "Shadow," "Blade" and "Hammer" to the point it's difficult remembering which is which. Though the naming conventions may have an in-fluff excuse for their complexity, because apparently since Baneblade and Shadowsword tanks are in such high demand that unscrupulous Forgeworlds without the correct know-how to build them would bodge together a variant "counterfeit" tank and hand them off to unsuspecting Imperial Guard regiments, who are none the wiser when they get "Baneswords" or "Stormblades" instead of what they actually asked for.

===Core Eight===
====Baneblade====
[[File:Marsbaneblade.jpg|thumb|left|The OG tank itself.]]
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The modern Baneblade mounts what's known as a "[[Baneblade Cannon]]" (representing belated recognition that the thing in the turret is really huge and so probably not a Battle Cannon) with a coaxial Autocannon, the same two Lascannons it always had, two Twin-linked Heavy Bolters in each sponson and another two on the hull front, and a [[Demolisher Cannon]] where the Mysterious Not-A-Weapon was once mounted. This leads to the well-known [[Dawn of War|ELEVEN BARRELS OF HELL]], though the vehicle has options for two more sponsons to be mounted (each with another Lascannon and Twin-linked Heavy Bolter) plus a pintle mounted heavy stubber, which raises the bar to eighteen. This option can only be taken on the GW plastic kit, as the old Forge World models were shorter, sillier-looking, and had no place for them. These were given their own pattern in the fluff, and thrust upon an unsuspecting Forge World (the ''other'' kind) to make and produce for all eternity. There are two patterns of the Baneblade, the Mars and Lucius pattern. [[Skub|Debates rage on what the difference and advantage between the two and which pattern is better.]] Whatever is the case the Baneblade excels in its job at being adaptable to different environments.

====Banehammer====
[[File:Banehammer.jpg|thumb|left|You ever wonder where that frequent tremble stumbles around? Now you know.]]
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The Banehammer fields the [[Tremor Cannon]] in a forward-set casement, a weapon that can turn a huge segment of the battlefield into a patch of flying rubble, slowing down the enemy long enough for the rest of the army to destroy them. It can also carry 25 soldiers, and has enough room in the rear deck to let ten of them stand outside and fire. Like all of the variants of the Baneblade, the Banehammer came into being as the solution to a specific tactical need. Like its counterpart tank the Stormlord, it is a dedicated line-breaker, designed to deal with large waves of infantry. Where the Stormlord is exceptionally effective against Orks, the Banehammer is especially effective against the horrendously fast-moving Tyranid swarms and their notoriously resiliant larger bio-forms. The Tremor Cannon that replaces the original Volcano Cannon is a potent weapon adapted from a [[Squat]] design: it fires large self-propelled rockets with an incredibly hard tip which are designed to burrow themselves a set distance into the ground before exploding. The underground detonation creates a powerful shockwave much larger than the shell's explosion, which will impede the progress of any unit caught within it. Infantry will be thrown down and shrouded in dirt, while tanks will become bogged down and trapped by the shifting soil. While the Tremor Cannon shell itself does relatively little damage, it is the side effect of the underground explosion that is invaluable, pinning the opponent in place and making him vulnerable to sustained bombardment by the other artillery elements of the Imperial Guard. Additionally, since the Tremor Cannon is much smaller than the original Volcano Cannon, the Banehammer possesses a large empty hold, which can be used to either transport a small platoon of Imperial Guardsmen, or house a cramped but fully functional headquarters equipped with powerful Vox-casters and tactical arrays from which the officer in charge can lead his troops.

====Banesword====
[[File:Banesword.jpg|thumb|left|Your fortifications immediately pulls a critical existence failure when this guy is around.]]
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The Banesword is a siege tank and one of the most recent derivation from the (in)famous Shadowsword: its [[Quake Cannon]] can be fired as a barrage weapon at a massive range to destroy up to 15' away, use this to troll the [[Warhammer Fantasy Battles|WFB]] players on the next table. In all seriousness, The power of the Quake Cannon, combined with the armour of a super-heavy, has established the Banesword as the pinnacle of Imperial siegecraft. Many Imperial commanders would be willing to exchange two regiments for a single Banesword; such is the reputation of this tank. Indeed, Imperial combat doctrine holds an honoured place for the Banesword. It is unknown what the [[Iron Warriors]] would think of this, although they will most likely find this tank to be quite convenient in their specialty. Like the Basilisk, the Banesword's place on the battlefield is in the rear areas, obliterating enemy fortifications with long range fire. Like the [[Basilisk Artillery Gun|Basilisk,]] the Banesword can also be pressed into the frontlines. The Banesword's armoured mass and secondary armament of three sets of twin-linked Heavy Bolters and two Lascannons allow it to perform much more efficiently than a battery of Basilisks when fielded in this way. The Banesword dispenses with the most hampering disadvantage of the Shadowsword, namely having to disengage its engine before firing. However, like all super-heavy tanks based on the Baneblade chassis, it suffers from poor top speed and maneuverability, and the Quake Cannon's fixed setting requires the Banesword to be bodily aimed at its intended target. Additionally, the Quake Cannon is inefficient against enemy [[Titan]]s, for unlike the Lance beam from a Volcano Cannon, or the massive plasma burst from a Plasma Blastgun, the massive shell will be stopped by any remaining Void Shield, requiring the target's shields to be taken down before the shot is taken with any hope of success.

====Doomhammer====
[[File:Doomhammer.jpg|thumb|left|Its like a Shadowsword on rental.]]
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The Doomhammer is a tank-killer. With a modest 5" blast but stats befitting a tank hunter, the [[Magma Cannon]] can reduce all but the largest of titans to scrap. While the magma cannon's range or area of effect are not the equal of the Shadowsword's volcano cannon, it can still deal a death blow to unwary players thinking they are all hotshots for having a Titan on the field. Since shells did not have to be carried and the retrofits did not take up too much space, it can also carry 25 soldiers, and has enough room in the rear deck to let ten of them stand outside and fire. The Doomhammer was first designed as a field conversion of a Banehammer tank during the 1000 year-long siege of the Renegade Forge World of Odana. By replacing the Banehammer's Tremor Cannon with a Magma Cannon the tank gained the ability to severely damage or outright destroy vast swathes of enemy vehicles. During the siege, armoured vehicle attrition rates outstripped supply and thus Imperial commanders had to use replacements for their lost Shadowswords. In a way, you can think of the Doomhammer as the 'shotgun' of the Titan-killing Baneblades as it lacks the overall oomph, it makes up for the aforementioned troop transport and its ability to cover a decent amount of land into molten lava.

====Hellhammer====
[[File:Hellhammer tank.jpg|thumb|left|Its like a Baneblade with small penis syndrome.]]
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The '''Hellhammer''' has the same profile as the Baneblade -- it doesn't have a big armored casement like the others, but rather the same comically-small pivoting turret. It uses the [[Hellhammer Cannon]], which is shorter, but no less deadly than the Baneblade Cannon, and strikes harder but on a smaller area, giving exactly zero fucks about the cover in between. Basically, if you shoot it at a unit, and that unit is not a superheavy, you have killed that unit. And any sense of friendship you may have had with your opponent. The Hellhammer was built to provide short-ranged fire support in difficult conditions (like city fights), hence why the Hellhammer Cannon is used and why it has such a comically short turret. You don't want your tank get stuck trying to cross a T-Junction due to "Overcompensation-Syndrome" now do you? The Hellhammer's primary powerplant is a Phaeton pattern 110 square kilo-cubits Adaptable Thermic Combuster, supported by a Gravis pattern Thaumic Resonance Crystal Generation Unit. Besides the standard Smoke Launchers and Searchlight it can be adapted to mount a Hunter-Killer Missile and/or a pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber/Storm Bolter. Some Hellhammers will replace the side sponsons with extra armour or even add two additional side sponsons, each armed with a Lascannon and twin-linked Heavy Flamers.

====Shadowsword====
[[File:Shadowsword2.jpg|thumb|left|The bane of Titans everywhere.]]
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The Shadowsword is a [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|titan]]-killer. With a D-strength [[Volcano Cannon]]. It is considered the sister-tank to the Baneblade and ''EVERYTHING'' else outside the two of them are consider cheap knock-off wannabe tanks. Some Forgeworlds simply can't make Volcano Cannons or the complicated targeting computers intended to go with them, so they mount different guns and are sold off to Imperial Guard regiments in place of Shadowswords to fill requisitions. You'll find several variants listed below. "Real" Shadowswords are registered on Mars as soon as they get manufactured, and the Adeptus Mechanicum keeps a paranoid level of attention regarding their wherabouts so they know where they are at all times. Even amongst "dedicated" Shadowsword tanks, there seems to be very little rules difference for telling genuine vehicles apart from counterfeit ones on the tabletop; one might assume that the targeting computer sponsons ''(granting +1 BS)'' indicate a authentic Mars registered vehicle. Either way; the Shadowsword has a very good chance of bringing down even the biggest of titans. This guy is your friend. It will be there for you when something absolutely ''must'' die and must die ''now''. GW and Forgeworld both make kits for these -- the GW kit can make seven other tanks, but FW's kit has the targeters, a bigger engine and a travel mount for the cannon to rest on.

====Stormlord====
[[File:StormLord.jpg|thumb|left|[[MOAR DAKKA|DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA]]!]]
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The '''Stormlord''' is designed with but one purpose: to waste [[MEQ]]s. With the most dakka seen in Imperial armies (hell, ANYWHERE) in the form of a [[Vulcan Mega-Bolter]] (that can fire ''twice'' if the tank sits still), the ability to have up to 20 of its 40 passengers fire from its fighting platform and the option to have four lascannons, this tank WILL END enemy infantry! Unfortunately it just ''HAD'' to share the same turret mount as the Shadowsword, making it impossible for the Stormlord to turn its Vulcan Mega-Bolter around without turning the entire tank around. [[Derp|Ironically this makes it a pain in the ass when fighting in close and narrow environments like urban areas, places where the Stormlord is meant to shine the best.]] [[Herp|Seriously, try and do a parallel parking with this monster when trying to aim at some scrubs hiding behind a concrete wall.]] Despite the unfortunate implications, this is still probably one of the best super-heavy tanks in the game due to the amount of fire power that you get. 30 s6 ap3 shots at 60" range, 9 s5 ap4 shots at 36" range (twin linked) and 2 s9 ap2 shots at 48" range. Then you get 20 models shooting out of the top. Though you wonder how the passengers fit without taking up room for extra ammo...

====Stormsword====
[[File:Stormsword.jpg|thumb|left|The Guard miraculously avoided a war with the AdMech over this tank.]]
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Originally built from salvaged Shadowsword or Stormblade tanks, because those Volcano Cannons and Plasma Blastguns are blisteringly difficult to manufacture, the Imperial Guard just put wide-bore Cannons on the hulls and gave them spare Hellhammer Shells to fire. Needless to say these [[Heresy|"unsanctioned" modifications]] got the Mechanicum's collective jimmies rustled up. But because the vehicles were still good at what they did, the Imperial Guard commanders kept the vehicles listed on the roster in spite of what anyone else was thinking. Yet, in an uncharacteristically grown-up move, the Mechanicum actually capitulated on the matter and started making Stormswords themselves, upgrading the "Hellhammer Cannons" with dedicated "Stormsword Cannons" which have much the same range and effect, but a bigger blast radius. The '''Stormsword''' excels at city fighting. It is able to turn entire building blocks to dust with a single shot. The tank's main weakness is the short range on its [[Stormsword Cannon]] and lack of a hull-mounted Demolisher cannon.

====On the Tabletop====
The Baneblade and its variants are all statted out in full in the recent ''Codex: Astra Militarum''. The premier superheavy tank of the Imperial Guard, the Baneblade tanks make for a formidable base to build an army around and a source of a lot of heavy weapons fire. All Baneblades have the same statline: at T8, W26 and a 3+ save they're more than able to soak up quite a lot of the fire they will inevitably attract. And while its BS4+ doesn't seem like a lot, thanks to its Steel Behemoth rule it can fire all of its Heavy Weapons (which is everything it has except its Storm Bolter, which as a Rapid Fire weapon isn't affected by this anyway), as well as fire and charge on the same turn it Fell Back. And thanks to 9 attacks at S9 AP-2 DD3 it can deal a surprising amount of damage in close combat, but don't send it into a fight against things like [[Terminator]]s (unless you use the "Crush Them!" Stratagem to boost it up to WS 2+ and let it advance and charge in the same turn- then it can take on a [[Bloodthirster]] in melee and still have a good chance of winning). The Baneblade starts to deteriorate at half wounds, losing three of its 10" movement, its BS goes down by one and it loses 3 attacks. But because it's so tough, it can take quite a beating before being diminished as long as your opponent doesn't have Lords of War on the battlefield as well.

At 390 points for most of the variants with a maximum of 430 for the Stormlord, Baneblades are at a base level pretty affordable. They all get different main weapons, and all of them have a pair of Heavy Bolters as well. The Baneblade and Hellhammer get an additional [[Autocannon]] and [[Demolisher Cannon]], and the Hellhammer also has a [[Lasgun]] for some reason. All of them can take either one or two pairs of sponsons, each equipped with a [[Lascannon]] and either two [[Heavy Bolter]]s or two [[Heavy Flamer]]s. Note that you can mix and match as you see fit: if you have only one pair you can pick one with a Heavy Bolter and the other with a Heavy Flamer. Sponsons cost 34 for the Heavy Bolter and 50 for the Heavy Flamer. The points really add up though: 68 for a pair and 136 for a full set of Heavy Bolters, and 100 and 200 for the Heavy Flamers. But when you look at the firepower you know you've got the good stuff. Four Heavy Flamers net you 8D6 S5 AP-1 D1 shots that auto-hit, while the four double Heavy Bolters, paired with the standard one, nets you 30 S5 AP-1 D1 shots at 36" range. And don't forget the 4 S9 AP-3 DD6 shots from the four Lascannons. Note that the Heavy Bolter option is 20 points cheaper than an equally-equipped [[Heavy Weapons Squad]]. The Heavy Flamers are expensive, but other tanks are bound to a maximum of 3 for a comparative higher price tag (aka the tank they're on). The Baneblade can also take a pintle-mounted [[Heavy Stubber]] or [[Storm Bolter]], and a [[Hunter-Killer Missile]] for good measure. The Heavy Stubber is the superior option (albeit twice as expensive at 4 compared to the SB's 2) most of the time: only when decked out with Heavy Flamers or when facing enemies that charge the tank the Storm Bolter is superior. The Hunter-Killer Missile is neat, but with the massive arsenal the tank's lugging around it's not necessary. Because of its massive array of weapons charging one is a very bad idea: even when only hitting on sixes the sheer volume of fire will mean that you'll get hit.

{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 align=right style="margin: 1em;"
|-
! Tank || Name || Range || Type || S || AP || D
|-
| Baneblade || Baneblade Cannon || 72" || Heavy 3D6 || 9 || -3 || 3
|-
| Banehammer || Tremor Cannon || 60" || Heavy 3D6 || 8 || -2 || 3
|-
| Banesword || Quake Cannon || 140" || Heavy 2D6 || 14 || -4 || D6
|-
| Doomhammer || Magma Cannon || 60" || Heavy 2D6 || 10 || -5 || D6
|-
| Hellhammer || Hellhammer Cannon || 36" || Heavy 3D6 || 10 || -4 || 3
|-
| Shadowsword || Volcano Cannon || 120" || Heavy 3D3 || 16 || -5 || 2D6
|-
| Stormlord || Vulcan Mega-Bolter || 60" || Heavy 20 || 6 || -2 || 2
|-
| Stormsword || Stomsword Siege Cannon || 36" || Heavy 2D6 || 10 || -4 || D6
|}

The table contains the main guns of all eight tanks, but they're more than just statlines attached to a tank:

* The '''Baneblade''' is the standard against which all other tanks are held. The Baneblade Cannon drops potent damage at a reliable rate, allowing you to blow up all but the heaviest of tanks in a single shot of its main cannon. It is also one of the two variants that carries an Autocannon and a Demolisher Cannon for that extra bit damage. As is, the Baneblade is a great long-range support tank.
* The '''Banehammer''' is more of a tactical vehicle for the special rule that applies to its Banehammer Cannon: if a unit is hit by the gun (not wounded, no unsaved wounds: ''hit'') its movement is halved and it cannot advance next turn. This makes it an ideal gun to shut down enemy units that need to be places to be the most effective: this especially works well agains tanks or transports. While lacking the firepower of the Baneblade, the Banehammer grants a unique tactical option. While the Banehammer is a transport, its long range means that you'll have to consider if you want to get close to disgorge your cargo and risk being shot at even more.
* The '''Banesword''' hits less often than most other variants, but it hits ''hard'' with its Quake Cannon. S14 means that all T7 and lower targets are wounded on a 2+, and its hefty AP-4 means that even Terminators have to watch out lest they are vaporized. On top of that, its D6 damage comes with the catch that all rolls of 1 and 2 count as 3, so infantry that gets hit will be vaporized immediately and even monsters will think twice about walking into its range of fire. And with 140" it's a lot of range indeed.
* The '''Doomhammer''' has a gun that is more or less a Melta weapon in that it gets to roll twice for damage and take the best one. At S10 AP-5 it's more than capable of dealing with super-heavy vehicles like [[Land Raider]]s and [[Monolith]]s. The 30" range that this requires you to be in is very close, but this does make it a more viable transport than the Banehammer. The second-most expensive of the lot at 420 points.
* The '''Hellhammer''' is the second variant with a Demolisher Cannon. Its main gun ignores the bonuses granted by cover, but with only 36" range you'll have to get very close in order to get its shots in. Its range might be short, but its firepower makes it a souped-up version of the Baneblade Cannon. Costs 410 bare.
* The '''Shadowsword''' is what you field if you want to bring down enemy Titanic units. 3D3 is an odd roll, but puts out a reliable 6 shots that at S16 down even T8 targets on a 2+. And with 2D6 damage anything hit by it will feel it. On top of that, the Shadowsword gets to re-roll failed Wound rolls against Titanic units, and it gets +1 To Hit against them as well. That means that the Shadowsword has to take out any fitting targets it faces ASAP lest it gets put down before it can do so.
* The '''Stormlord''' is the odd duck out with its Vulcan Mega-Bolter. A flat Heavy 20 means that it is ideal for putting down large swathes of infantry and has a good shot at even the tougher ones. Despite being a Bolter weapon it's got a massive 60" range, making it a powerful anti-vehicle weapon at range. But because of its massive transport capability (40!) it's used best as a close-range fire support vehicle, allowing you to haul a massive force towards the enemy to disgorge onto the objectives you cleared with your massive firepower. Because of this the array of Heavy Flamers work well to support the Stormlord, but do note that this nearly doubles the hefty 430 point cost of the vehicle.
* The '''Stormsword''' is tank meant for short range attacks, carrying a Stormsword Siege Cannon to deal with tough targets. Not only does it ignore the bonuses granted by cover, it also has re-rolls on damage rolls of 1. While those two things only really overlap against tanks in cover, the Stormsword can deal a decent amount of damage against just about any target.

All in all, most Baneblade variants are really helped by the Heavy Bolter sponsons: not only are they cheaper they don't need you to be as close to your enemies. While the Heavy Flamers can deal more damage they are hamped by their range and damage output, and work best on those variants who already need to be close to the enemy to use effectively. The pintle-mounted weapons are good, but not required; the same goes for the Hunter-Killer Missile.

=====Power Ratings=====
The tanks find themselves in the 26-30 points range, which is rather hefty. This point cost does include all the goodies, so don't be afraid to splurge on two sets of sponsons, a pintle-mounted weapon and a Hunter-Killer Missile. You've paid for them already, so you might as well use them.

===Other Imperial Models===
===={{Main|Fellblade}}====
[[File:Fellblade.jpg|thumb|left|THIRTEEN BARRELS OF HELL.]]
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The Fellblade is the [[Space Marines]]' main super-heavy tank, not used very much since the [[Horus Heresy]]. It's not so much a variant of the Baneblade as a sibling tank, with a unique [[Forge World]] kit to make it and a couple of its own unique subtypes.

====Fortress of Arrogance====
[[File:Yarrick34b.jpg|thumb|left|Yarrick's fortress of WHERE ARE MY PRUNES.]]
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It is of no surprise that [[Yarrick]] has his own personal Emperor-mobile in the form of the '''Fortress of Arrogance'''. [[Awesome|The Fortress is a sweet-ass black and gold plated Baneblade with unique decals and armaments.]] The Fortress was refitted with an armored cupola, giving Yarrick a "pulpit" from which to command and inspire. The turret also includes enhanced sensor and communications arrays making it far more accurate and have a longer range and penetrative shot than the regular Baneblade. This makes the Fortress of Arrogance an excellent HQ command choice as the ability to inspire nearby troops provides a good morale boost in the midst of battle. Unfortunately Yarrick was [[Herp|pretty bad at maintaining his mobile house of pimps.]] During the the Battle of Golgotha, the tank was crippled by a [[Stompa]], and Yarrick was forced to abandon it when the Imperial forces were routed from the planet. This is the scene of the above mentioned boggle of stupid. An Adeptus Mechanicus Reclamator expedition found the remnants of the venerable Baneblade, [[Fail|after losing like several hundred Guardsmen and two battalion of tanks.]] In a scene of a miracle, the Fortress was barely [[Looted|defiled]] by the [[Orks]] and was able to be fixed by the [[Mechanicus]] in prime condition. It is unknown what Yarrick did with his tank. Chances are, Yarrick would most likely use his tank and proceed to piledrive it into [[Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka|Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka's]] [[Anal circumference|anus]] in [[Octarius War|Octarius.]]

====Stormblade====
[[File:Stormblade_Arkurion.jpg|thumb|left|When you need that horde of [[Tyranids]] to fuck off right now. Accept no substitutes.]]
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Rules.
[https://i.imgur.com/zqyhi2R.png]

The Stormblade is armed with a titan-scale [[Plasma Blastgun]]: a [[plasma]]-hurling death weapon that eats [[MEQ]]'s, hordes, hordes of MEQ's, and even light tanks for breakfast. With better range than the Stormlord and a blast radius so big that [[Grey Knights|Plasma Siphons]] feel even worse about existing, it excels at killing hordes of anything in [[Apocalypse]]. Even vehicle hordes. Its origin story starts on the Forge World of Ryza, where despite having the best reputation with regards to plasma technology, they couldn't build Volcano Cannons for Shadowsword tanks. So as an alternative to a giant D-Gun they slapped a giant plasma gun instead. Luckily, because the Shadowsword chassis was so massive, removing the laser generators meant there was plenty of space for a cooling system, so the tank never ''Gets Hot!'' from overuse. As mentioned above, Stormblades in Epic used to have Hellion Missile launchers to add to the amount they could [[Rape]] Titans, however in current 40k they no longer have them. The fluff reason is because the missiles had a tendency to self detonate when exposed to enemy fire, resulting in several tanks being destroyed by their own missiles. So it was figured that the tank and plasma blastgun were more precious than the limited-use ordnance that came as an aftermarket extra, so the missiles were withdrawn. There is also a Legion Astartes version because Forge World got tired of making additional versions of the [[Fellblade]].

====Stormhammer====
[[File:Stormhammer1.jpg|thumb|left|If it weren't so weirdly asymmetrical, it would have been a decently designed tank.]]
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The Stormhammer is a [[Solar Auxilia]] tank for 30K. It differs from the old epic version in that it only has three barrels of battle cannons - a twin linked two shot hull mounted battlecannon and the (if we use naval terminology for the thing) Superfiring S9 AP2, 7" blast Stormhammer cannon with shred and pinning. The standard secondary weapons are six [[multilaser]] sponsons which can be swapped out for heavy bolters or heavy flamers for free or lascannons for a cost, a coaxial multilaser and a hull mounted lascannon. Optional toys are a pintle mounted [[C.S. Goto|multilaser]] or heavy flamer and up to 4 (!) HK missiles. All the firepower is rounded out by a 6+ invulnerable save against blast and template weapons, and the ability to reroll failed dangerous terrain tests. The sponson weapons can be traded out individually, letting you choose any combination of multilasers, heavy bolters, heavy flamers and lascannons you want. It fills the same role as the Baneblade as a general purpose superheavy, with a gun for every target. The Stormblade offers more flexibility in loadout, and having 6 sponsons that can be individually customized for any situation allows it to engage even more targets compared to the Baneblade. The original Stormhammer was outfitted with two twin-Battle Cannon turrets and four pairs of Heavy Bolters, along with options for pintle storm bolters and four more sponsons, meaning it could mount seventeen fucking bolters if you were willing to pay for it. The problem? Its turrets all pointed different directions. Parking this thing in the intersection of a city table and pointing its turrets down the streets, however, was as good as denying the area to the enemy completely, unless somebody brought a Deathstrike.

===Non-Imperial Variants===
====Decimator====
[[File:Chaos_Decimator_Tank.PNG|thumb|left|Suck on this Corpse Worshipping Scum!]]
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The '''Decimator''' is a Super-Heavy Tank used by the [[Chaos Space Marines]]. Although most have been changed considerably by their time in the Eye of Terror, the Decimators were originally precursors to modern Imperial super-heavy vehicles like the Baneblade, Shadowsword and Stormsword, the last of which it most closely resembles in function. It is like the only super-heavy tank that the forces of Chaos have without being forced into [[Daemon Engine]] territory or exclusively sucking Papa [[Nurgle|Nurgle's]] dick. Decimators are armed primarily with a heavy, medium-ranged barrage weapon such as the unique Decimator Cannon which was a [[Rape|S10 AP2 weapon of rape,]] supported by several reaper autocannons, and are used to bombard enemies in cover. It has a unique rule called the '''"Decimator Tank Shock"''' which forces enemy infantry to take a test which will always have –1 to their Leadership if they are tank shocked by a Decimator. It should not be confused with the [[Decimator]] [[Daemon Engine]], although they are both intertwined in being moving hunks of metal that can make you piss your pants.

===={{Main|Plaguereaper}}====
[[File:Plaguereaper.jpg|thumb|left|Probably the best thing to ever come out of Santa Nurgle's merry gifts and sharing.]]
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The '''Plaguereaper''' is a Baneblade variant exclusive to the forces of [[Nurgle]]. It's a corrupted baneblade chassis with its baneblade cannon replaced with a giant pus-cannon, which bathes a large area with a contagion that causes the body of whoever's afflicted by it, to erupt in boils and their flesh broken down before their very eyes in seconds.

===={{Main|Skullhamma}}====
[[Image:Skullhamma.jpg|thumb|left|An Orkified Baneblade. Are you fucked? Yes you are.]]
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What happens when orks get hold of the massive engine of armored destruction that is the Baneblade? They make it twice as big (by welding armor plates and guns where there's a gap) and fast (by giving it a ridiculous super-charged engine so big it probably houses several lost gretchin communities).

====Tormentor====
[[File:Pert's_Tormentor.PNG|thumb|left|[[Perturabo|"FUCK YOU DORN, FUCK YOUR FORTIFICATIONS AND FUCK YOUR]] [[Thunderhawk#Ætos Dios|FLYING FORTRESS!"]]]]
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The '''Tormentor''' AKA Pert's personal car is a modified Shadowsword of the [[Iron Warriors]] [[Primarch]], [[Perturabo]]. It is a really pimped out variant that boasts additional armour plating on all sides (in fluff, no effect on the tabletop), extended command and control functions ''(where it has the ''"Command Tank"'' upgrade, [[Fail|which doesn't apply to anything in 30k]], unless you assume it takes the 30k "Super-Heavy Command Tank" upgrade which allows allied infantry within 24" to reroll Morale checks)'', a 15-model transport capacity with added rear access point, an even more enhanced Volcano Cannon (again, nothing changes in crunch) and a Titan grade Void Shield. [[Get shit done|When Pert does it right, he gets it done.]] Except not, because rule-wise it's crewed by mortals and NOT Space Marines, has BS 3, no sponson weapons and no option to take them. It is still not known whether Pert uses this as his personal car so he can run over and crush any pedestrian vehicle that pissed him off lately. But what is known is that the Tormentor is a clear sign of Pert telling [[Rogal Dorn]] to go fuck himself as he destroys Dorn's fortifications. In terms of tabletop, the Tormentor can be spent with a +500 points in a 3000+ points or more game. The Tormentor uses the Dedicated Transport rule and can carry a scary number of Thallaxii and/or Iron Warrior troops ([[Fail|but they can't begin the game embarked]]). It also doesn't take up a Lord of War slot.

==Dawn of War series==
===DoW I===

In the Dawn of War PC game the Baneblade is the IG super-heavy unit, equivalent to the [[Chaos]] [[Bloodthirster]] [[Daemon]], or [[Eldar]]'s Avatar of [[Khaine]]. Only it's better because instead of a winged Daemon cow or a big flaming homosexual in a loincloth, it's a fucking giant tank. It is literally the best of these master units in the game, and it will go toe-to-toe with any other such unit and kill them before they kill it. Every time.

Its a well known fact that the crew members of Baneblades are chosen exclusively on the grounds of how big their balls are. This makes them able to shout "[[FAIL|Failure]] is the weakness of the enemy!" "Ready to unleash ELEVEN barrels of hell!" and "All guardsmen, Follow ME to GLOOREEEEY!" and being the only badass non-Hero unit in the entire [[Imperial Guard]].

===DoW II===

The Baneblade was introduced in DoWII's second expansion: Retribution, as the Imperial Guard's super heavy unit and one of the superunits, a title it shares with the [[Swarmlord]], the [[Great Unclean One]], the Avatar of [[Khaine]] once more (notably, the Avatar along with the Baneblade are the only returning superunits from the first Dawn of War series), the [[Battlewagon]], and the [[Land Raider]] Redeemer (which is a different variant from the one in Dawn of War). It makes a centerpiece appearance in the second mission of the campaign where a renegade one chases your characters around while the crazy Scottish driver yells "IDDACARE WHOO YOU ARE! FELL DA MIGHTA'DA BANEBLADE!!" [[FAIL|It then gets sodomized by rudimentary anti-armour turrets]]. On the upside, if you're playing space marines, you get to watch the Emperor's Fury running around a jungle path being chased by a giant tank (Benny Hill music optional, but encouraged).

It's still a moving fortress of rape that can decimate multiple tanks at a time and blow hordes of enemy units to bits and the strongest and toughest vehicle in the game (since it can't transport infantry like the Battlewagon and Land Raider Redeemer, it compensates with more firepower). The main difference is that while its main weapons systems (the BEHNBLADE cannon and the Demolisher Cannon) do much more damage than before, they don't function like the rest of its guns, they're used for special abilities that require manual targeting to fire, and cannot be fired at targets within minimum range. On top of that, this Baneblade has only TEN BARRELS OF HELL: the co-axial autocannon is there but is non-functional, which considerably reduces the overall firepower of this beast. Needless to say, the Baneblade requires a ton of support to use effectively, or otherwise it will be taken down in melee/at close range by just about anything (though all super units need support as well, so that's nothing new). Also, it's size means it can have difficulty maneuvering on certain maps (DoW II maps tend to not have as much open space as the original's).

The Baneblade has achieved a bit of a mini-meme status because of Captain [[Apollo Diomedes]] of the [[Blood Ravens]], who has this tendency to scream: ''"EET IS THE BEEEEHHHHNNNBLLADDDE"'', [[Indrick Boreale|in the most awesomely hilarious voice]] possible, whenever he sees one. Unfortunetly, this meme is already old and overused.

==The Novel==
The novel, titled Baneblade, is about Lt. Lo Bannick and his quest to redeem himself from the grievous sin of killing his cousin in self-defense. He does this by signing on to the nearest imperial guard unit and starts the novel commanding a squadron of [[Leman Russ]]es and then after an Ork ambush he gets a spot as third gunner on the ''Mars Triumphant''.

In short it's written so you could fap to how [[awesome]] the Baneblade is. Ironically, the real star of the book is a dangerously intelligent Ork Wierdboy who's aware of the Emperor's presence in the warp.

The sequel novel is entitled "Shadowsword" and follow's Bannick's adventures as he grows disillusioned with the Imperium of Man and gets told to pilot a Shadowsword because its soul feels guilty over being used by Orks before the Imperium salvaged it back. When he destroys a warp gate to prevent a daemonic invasion, his commissar tries to execute him and his entire crew for seeing [[Chaos|what should not be known.]]

==External Links==
* [[Baneblade Homebrew]]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpGr8MBE65k Russia made a scaled-up RC variant. Makes me wonder what the US did wrong not to get one too.]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpBngmCpUrU Captain Diomedes' hit single: IT IS THE BEEEIIINBLADE!]
* [http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/baneblade.html A Black Library's novel: BEEEIIINBLADE!!!]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyHRQgDhHZ0 THE BANEBLADETERIUM!]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNxAd6O0LLU How to build all eight versions of the Baneblade with just one model]

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Winterassault.jpg|[[General Sturnn]] likes it hot and heavy.
Image:Baneblade.jpg|ALL GUARDSMEN!
Image:Baneblade2.jpg|FOLLOW ME TO GLORY!
Image:Shadowsword.jpg|Make a compensation joke at your own expense.
Image:LOLBaneblade.jpg|The track is broken and the sponson turret has a beef with the driver. This is an official image, by the way.
Image:Baneblade full cover.jpg|''<s>Multiple'' Baneblades. Start panicking.</s> Neh, that must be Vance Stubbs missing Baneblades. And that is not a reason to panic?
Image:Stormhammer.jpg|The ''original'' variant of the Stormhammer. This time, Quad-Cannons for quadruple the fun!
Image:Baneblade Motivator.jpg|Pew pew, bitches.
</gallery>

{{40k-Imperial-Vehicles}}
{{Imperial-Guard}}
{{Lost-and-Damned}}

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Baneblade

2018-05-27T18:51:25Z

2A02:587:3A03:4900:D869:D288:C66E:E39A:

[[File:4DdD2uO.jpg|right|500px|thumb|A cutaway view, which really shows that Gee Dubs has never hired an engineer in their entire existence. Where the fuck is the recoiling mechanism going to go?]]
{{Topquote|IT IS THE '''BEEEEEINNNBLEEEEHHDDDEEEE'''!|[[Apollo_Diomedes|Captain Diomedes]] of the [[Blood Ravens]].}}

The '''Baneblade''' is a big fucking [[Imperium of Man|Imperial]] tank in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, known generally for an impressive arsenal (OF GUNS), and [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs|disappearing en masse]]. Besides ''looking'' totally kickass, it stomps a lot of ass too. It is supposedly one of the oldest and largest tank designs used by the Imperium, despite that it's actually medium-sized according to the old Epic fluff. Then again, the "big" tanks in Epic were closer to moving, gun-mounting cathedrals. This is an actual tank. A manly tank. ''The'' manly tank. If only the Mechanicus had looked at the Battle Cannon, looked at the Baneblade, and [[Macharius Heavy Tank|scaled-down the Baneblade design]] and slapped on single-barrel heavy weapons instead of twin-linked and a long-barreled Battle Cannon.

==Origins==
The Baneblade first appeared in the ''Space Marine'' edition of [[Epic]], where it was the Imperial Guard's standard super-heavy tank (it says a lot about the universe that there's such a thing as a "standard" one). This version was armed with a turret-mounted Battle Cannon (with the same stats as the one on the [[Leman Russ Battle Tank]], despite the turret being the ''size'' of a Leman Russ), two Lascannons, and a bunch of dice worth of "Bolters" to deal with swarms. Despite obviously having a big gun on the lower hull, there was no representation of it in the tank's rules. Fluff described the hull as the size of a city block.

Being a standard version, there were variants at that point, and only three:

* The '''Stormhammer''' was effectively a moving fortress, and the precise armament is hard to say given the odd way the game treated "Bolters;" anything from an officer's [[Bolt Pistol]]s to ''both'' a Leman Russ' [[Heavy Bolter]]s was one attack die with the same stats. This means this particular monster might have up to 24 Heavy Bolters (or alternately 12 bolt pistols) in addition to two turrets with two battle cannons each. Basically, you park it in a place and then forget about that place, since it is now Defended.
* The '''Shadowsword''' was one of two Titan-killing variants, armed with two [[Lascannons]] and some "Bolters" like the Baneblade, but with the rear hull built up to mount a fixed Volcano Cannon, a giant laser weapon normally mounted on Titans.
* The '''Stormblade''' was a second variant of the fixed-weapon hull, and proof of how incredibly fucking HUEG the old Epic fluff made the Baneblade chassis; no fruity Lascannons for this one, the sponson weapons were a rack of missiles and a fucking ''[[Battle Cannon]]''. Your main gun was a Titan-grade Plasma Blastgun with a Hellion anti-Titan missile slung on the top. Potential drivers had to produce written proof that they were [[meme|bad enough dudes]] [[/v/|to save the President]] before they'd even be considered. [[Forge World]] makes a Stormblade, but it just sits there (eating an entire sack of dicks) because it knows it will never be cool enough to have a sponson-mounted Battle Cannon.
The Chaos legions have their own version called the '''Decimator''', which is, in fact, an early pre-production model super-heavy tank that would later lead to the development of the Baneblade. It has replaced its bolters with lots and lots of Reaper Autocannons, resulting in it being far nastier against medium armor, though its main cannon is not turreted, meaning the entire tank has to turn to fire it.

==Design==
[[File:Baneblade_Variants.jpg|400px|right|thumb|Just 13 more spaces to fill.]]
Here are a few fun facts about the mighty Baneblade:

*At the time of the [[Great Crusade]], there used to be ''entire <s>companies</s> battalions'' of Baneblades (it was described as being the "mainstay" of the Imperial Army). Nowadays, regiments with [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs|anywhere near a hundred Baneblades]] are virtually unheard of, and any Imperial Guard force can count itself lucky to have just one in their possession. If a Baneblade gets lost in combat, chances are that the Mechanicus will throw a bitchfit and pull out all stops to recover the hulk. This was the case seven years before the Third Armageddon War, when an entire Imperial Guard Army Group of approximately 30,000 men were deployed to Golgotha to retrieve Yarrick's Fortress of Arrogance and a bit of STC teleporter tech (although guard didn't know about that last part). From two tank battalions, lead by a Shadowsword tank called Angel of the Apocalypse and supported with a full mechanized battalion of elite Kasrkin Storm Troopers, only a pair of tanks and couple of hundred men survived. <del>Rather justified </del>. It was not and that is the point of the novel Gunheads that describes the sorry ordeal. They traded an elite tank force that was desperately needed in Armageddon for Yarrick's precious relic so that some smug general could score some political points. Worse than that, the Baneblade was only a carrot to get the AdMech some meatshields for their Xenos Teleporter Stealing Fun Time. Repairing a Baneblade is easier than making a new one, but trading a full tank army for one is not worth it. This seems to be a constant trope in 40K - sending a large amount of bodies to retrieve one body. See "squads of Space Marines fighting and dying to retrieve the body of an already-dead comrade so their geneseed can be retrieved, even though dozens of other Marines are dying at the same time". Ehhhh, that is questionable. The epilogue really seems to suggest that the inspiration of the Fortress of Arrogance was enough to have a major if non-quantitative effect that two tank battalions and a full mechanized Kasrkin battalion could not have ultimately contributed to the pivotal battle that led Ghazghkull to leave Armageddon. TL;DR, your mileage may vary.
* Production of Baneblades continues into the 41st Millennium. Although the STC has been shared with a select few of the countless forgeworlds in the Imperium, the majority of Baneblades still come from Martian forges. As a result, the [[Macharius Heavy Tank]] was re-discovered/developed explicitly for armored regiments that needed something meaner than a [[Leman Russ Battle Tank]] but needed scientific notation to denote their place on the Baneblade delivery list.

If you need some kind of analogy to more fully appreciate the awe-inspiring/pants-browning nature of Baneblades and their variants, then consider that a vanilla Baneblade is basically an up-armored WWII-era destroyer on treads with a near impossibly good suspension, weight to power ratio, ground pressure ratio, a power plant that will gladly burn any fuel, an advanced fire control suite and yet still is more heart-stopping better/terrifying than that. Or a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landkreuzer_P._1000_Ratte Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte] that actually worked except you know with 25mm auto-cannons and particle beam "Laser" anti-tank weapons. Either way you think of it, it is an awe-inspiring/terror-inducing weapon.

Also one of the few imperial guard tanks that don't look like they refitted something from the first world war.

==Warhammer 40,000==
Scratch-built Baneblade models with homebrew (read: unfair) rules have been kicking around since roughly ten minutes after it was introduced in Epic, but it wasn't until [[Forge World]] was founded that [[Games Workshop]] ever considered releasing an official model. The Baneblade then became available as a plastic kit from GW itself, along with a six-option kit for the fixed-hull variants. With the [[Warhammer 40,000 6th edition|sixth edition]] re-release of [[Apocalypse]], GW redid the kit again to make all eight of their official variants listed below.

There are currently ten official variants, with the names being a nightmarish jumble of "Bane," "Sword," "Storm," "Shadow," "Blade" and "Hammer" to the point it's difficult remembering which is which. Though the naming conventions may have an in-fluff excuse for their complexity, because apparently since Baneblade and Shadowsword tanks are in such high demand that unscrupulous Forgeworlds without the correct know-how to build them would bodge together a variant "counterfeit" tank and hand them off to unsuspecting Imperial Guard regiments, who are none the wiser when they get "Baneswords" or "Stormblades" instead of what they actually asked for.

===Core Eight===
====Baneblade====
[[File:Marsbaneblade.jpg|thumb|left|The OG tank itself.]]
{{clear}}
The modern Baneblade mounts what's known as a "[[Baneblade Cannon]]" (representing belated recognition that the thing in the turret is really huge and so probably not a Battle Cannon) with a coaxial Autocannon, the same two Lascannons it always had, two Twin-linked Heavy Bolters in each sponson and another two on the hull front, and a [[Demolisher Cannon]] where the Mysterious Not-A-Weapon was once mounted. This leads to the well-known [[Dawn of War|ELEVEN BARRELS OF HELL]], though the vehicle has options for two more sponsons to be mounted (each with another Lascannon and Twin-linked Heavy Bolter) plus a pintle mounted heavy stubber, which raises the bar to eighteen. This option can only be taken on the GW plastic kit, as the old Forge World models were shorter, sillier-looking, and had no place for them. These were given their own pattern in the fluff, and thrust upon an unsuspecting Forge World (the ''other'' kind) to make and produce for all eternity. There are two patterns of the Baneblade, the Mars and Lucius pattern. [[Skub|Debates rage on what the difference and advantage between the two and which pattern is better.]] Whatever is the case the Baneblade excels in its job at being adaptable to different environments.

====Banehammer====
[[File:Banehammer.jpg|thumb|left|You ever wonder where that frequent tremble stumbles around? Now you know.]]
{{clear}}
The Banehammer fields the [[Tremor Cannon]] in a forward-set casement, a weapon that can turn a huge segment of the battlefield into a patch of flying rubble, slowing down the enemy long enough for the rest of the army to destroy them. It can also carry 25 soldiers, and has enough room in the rear deck to let ten of them stand outside and fire. Like all of the variants of the Baneblade, the Banehammer came into being as the solution to a specific tactical need. Like its counterpart tank the Stormlord, it is a dedicated line-breaker, designed to deal with large waves of infantry. Where the Stormlord is exceptionally effective against Orks, the Banehammer is especially effective against the horrendously fast-moving Tyranid swarms and their notoriously resiliant larger bio-forms. The Tremor Cannon that replaces the original Volcano Cannon is a potent weapon adapted from a [[Squat]] design: it fires large self-propelled rockets with an incredibly hard tip which are designed to burrow themselves a set distance into the ground before exploding. The underground detonation creates a powerful shockwave much larger than the shell's explosion, which will impede the progress of any unit caught within it. Infantry will be thrown down and shrouded in dirt, while tanks will become bogged down and trapped by the shifting soil. While the Tremor Cannon shell itself does relatively little damage, it is the side effect of the underground explosion that is invaluable, pinning the opponent in place and making him vulnerable to sustained bombardment by the other artillery elements of the Imperial Guard. Additionally, since the Tremor Cannon is much smaller than the original Volcano Cannon, the Banehammer possesses a large empty hold, which can be used to either transport a small platoon of Imperial Guardsmen, or house a cramped but fully functional headquarters equipped with powerful Vox-casters and tactical arrays from which the officer in charge can lead his troops.

====Banesword====
[[File:Banesword.jpg|thumb|left|Your fortifications immediately pulls a critical existence failure when this guy is around.]]
{{clear}}
The Banesword is a siege tank and one of the most recent derivation from the (in)famous Shadowsword: its [[Quake Cannon]] can be fired as a barrage weapon at a massive range to destroy up to 15' away, use this to troll the [[Warhammer Fantasy Battles|WFB]] players on the next table. In all seriousness, The power of the Quake Cannon, combined with the armour of a super-heavy, has established the Banesword as the pinnacle of Imperial siegecraft. Many Imperial commanders would be willing to exchange two regiments for a single Banesword; such is the reputation of this tank. Indeed, Imperial combat doctrine holds an honoured place for the Banesword. It is unknown what the [[Iron Warriors]] would think of this, although they will most likely find this tank to be quite convenient in their specialty. Like the Basilisk, the Banesword's place on the battlefield is in the rear areas, obliterating enemy fortifications with long range fire. Like the [[Basilisk Artillery Gun|Basilisk,]] the Banesword can also be pressed into the frontlines. The Banesword's armoured mass and secondary armament of three sets of twin-linked Heavy Bolters and two Lascannons allow it to perform much more efficiently than a battery of Basilisks when fielded in this way. The Banesword dispenses with the most hampering disadvantage of the Shadowsword, namely having to disengage its engine before firing. However, like all super-heavy tanks based on the Baneblade chassis, it suffers from poor top speed and maneuverability, and the Quake Cannon's fixed setting requires the Banesword to be bodily aimed at its intended target. Additionally, the Quake Cannon is inefficient against enemy [[Titan]]s, for unlike the Lance beam from a Volcano Cannon, or the massive plasma burst from a Plasma Blastgun, the massive shell will be stopped by any remaining Void Shield, requiring the target's shields to be taken down before the shot is taken with any hope of success.

====Doomhammer====
[[File:Doomhammer.jpg|thumb|left|Its like a Shadowsword on rental.]]
{{clear}}
The Doomhammer is a tank-killer. With a modest 5" blast but stats befitting a tank hunter, the [[Magma Cannon]] can reduce all but the largest of titans to scrap. While the magma cannon's range or area of effect are not the equal of the Shadowsword's volcano cannon, it can still deal a death blow to unwary players thinking they are all hotshots for having a Titan on the field. Since shells did not have to be carried and the retrofits did not take up too much space, it can also carry 25 soldiers, and has enough room in the rear deck to let ten of them stand outside and fire. The Doomhammer was first designed as a field conversion of a Banehammer tank during the 1000 year-long siege of the Renegade Forge World of Odana. By replacing the Banehammer's Tremor Cannon with a Magma Cannon the tank gained the ability to severely damage or outright destroy vast swathes of enemy vehicles. During the siege, armoured vehicle attrition rates outstripped supply and thus Imperial commanders had to use replacements for their lost Shadowswords. In a way, you can think of the Doomhammer as the 'shotgun' of the Titan-killing Baneblades as it lacks the overall oomph, it makes up for the aforementioned troop transport and its ability to cover a decent amount of land into molten lava.

====Hellhammer====
[[File:Hellhammer tank.jpg|thumb|left|Its like a Baneblade with small penis syndrome.]]
{{clear}}
The '''Hellhammer''' has the same profile as the Baneblade -- it doesn't have a big armored casement like the others, but rather the same comically-small pivoting turret. It uses the [[Hellhammer Cannon]], which is shorter, but no less deadly than the Baneblade Cannon, and strikes harder but on a smaller area, giving exactly zero fucks about the cover in between. Basically, if you shoot it at a unit, and that unit is not a superheavy, you have killed that unit. And any sense of friendship you may have had with your opponent. The Hellhammer was built to provide short-ranged fire support in difficult conditions (like city fights), hence why the Hellhammer Cannon is used and why it has such a comically short turret. You don't want your tank get stuck trying to cross a T-Junction due to "Overcompensation-Syndrome" now do you? The Hellhammer's primary powerplant is a Phaeton pattern 110 square kilo-cubits Adaptable Thermic Combuster, supported by a Gravis pattern Thaumic Resonance Crystal Generation Unit. Besides the standard Smoke Launchers and Searchlight it can be adapted to mount a Hunter-Killer Missile and/or a pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber/Storm Bolter. Some Hellhammers will replace the side sponsons with extra armour or even add two additional side sponsons, each armed with a Lascannon and twin-linked Heavy Flamers.

====Shadowsword====
[[File:Shadowsword2.jpg|thumb|left|The bane of Titans everywhere.]]
{{clear}}
The Shadowsword is a [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|titan]]-killer. With a D-strength [[Volcano Cannon]]. It is considered the sister-tank to the Baneblade and ''EVERYTHING'' else outside the two of them are consider cheap knock-off wannabe tanks. Some Forgeworlds simply can't make Volcano Cannons or the complicated targeting computers intended to go with them, so they mount different guns and are sold off to Imperial Guard regiments in place of Shadowswords to fill requisitions. You'll find several variants listed below. "Real" Shadowswords are registered on Mars as soon as they get manufactured, and the Adeptus Mechanicum keeps a paranoid level of attention regarding their wherabouts so they know where they are at all times. Even amongst "dedicated" Shadowsword tanks, there seems to be very little rules difference for telling genuine vehicles apart from counterfeit ones on the tabletop; one might assume that the targeting computer sponsons ''(granting +1 BS)'' indicate a authentic Mars registered vehicle. Either way; the Shadowsword has a very good chance of bringing down even the biggest of titans. This guy is your friend. It will be there for you when something absolutely ''must'' die and must die ''now''. GW and Forgeworld both make kits for these -- the GW kit can make seven other tanks, but FW's kit has the targeters, a bigger engine and a travel mount for the cannon to rest on.

====Stormlord====
[[File:StormLord.jpg|thumb|left|[[MOAR DAKKA|DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA]]!]]
{{clear}}
The '''Stormlord''' is designed with but one purpose: to waste [[MEQ]]s. With the most dakka seen in Imperial armies (hell, ANYWHERE) in the form of a [[Vulcan Mega-Bolter]] (that can fire ''twice'' if the tank sits still), the ability to have up to 20 of its 40 passengers fire from its fighting platform and the option to have four lascannons, this tank WILL END enemy infantry! Unfortunately it just ''HAD'' to share the same turret mount as the Shadowsword, making it impossible for the Stormlord to turn its Vulcan Mega-Bolter around without turning the entire tank around. [[Derp|Ironically this makes it a pain in the ass when fighting in close and narrow environments like urban areas, places where the Stormlord is meant to shine the best.]] [[Herp|Seriously, try and do a parallel parking with this monster when trying to aim at some scrubs hiding behind a concrete wall.]] Despite the unfortunate implications, this is still probably one of the best super-heavy tanks in the game due to the amount of fire power that you get. 30 s6 ap3 shots at 60" range, 9 s5 ap4 shots at 36" range (twin linked) and 2 s9 ap2 shots at 48" range. Then you get 20 models shooting out of the top. Though you wonder how the passengers fit without taking up room for extra ammo...

====Stormsword====
[[File:Stormsword.jpg|thumb|left|The Guard miraculously avoided a war with the AdMech over this tank.]]
{{clear}}
Originally built from salvaged Shadowsword or Stormblade tanks, because those Volcano Cannons and Plasma Blastguns are blisteringly difficult to manufacture, the Imperial Guard just put wide-bore Cannons on the hulls and gave them spare Hellhammer Shells to fire. Needless to say these [[Heresy|"unsanctioned" modifications]] got the Mechanicum's collective jimmies rustled up. But because the vehicles were still good at what they did, the Imperial Guard commanders kept the vehicles listed on the roster in spite of what anyone else was thinking. Yet, in an uncharacteristically grown-up move, the Mechanicum actually capitulated on the matter and started making Stormswords themselves, upgrading the "Hellhammer Cannons" with dedicated "Stormsword Cannons" which have much the same range and effect, but a bigger blast radius. The '''Stormsword''' excels at city fighting. It is able to turn entire building blocks to dust with a single shot. The tank's main weakness is the short range on its [[Stormsword Cannon]] and lack of a hull-mounted Demolisher cannon.

====On the Tabletop====
The Baneblade and its variants are all statted out in full in the recent ''Codex: Astra Militarum''. The premier superheavy tank of the Imperial Guard, the Baneblade tanks make for a formidable base to build an army around and a source of a lot of heavy weapons fire. All Baneblades have the same statline: at T8, W26 and a 3+ save they're more than able to soak up quite a lot of the fire they will inevitably attract. And while its BS4+ doesn't seem like a lot, thanks to its Steel Behemoth rule it can fire all of its Heavy Weapons (which is everything it has except its Storm Bolter, which as a Rapid Fire weapon isn't affected by this anyway), as well as fire and charge on the same turn it Fell Back. And thanks to 9 attacks at S9 AP-2 DD3 it can deal a surprising amount of damage in close combat, but don't send it into a fight against things like [[Terminator]]s (unless you use the "Crush Them!" Stratagem to boost it up to WS 2+ and let it advance and charge in the same turn- then it can take on a [[Bloodthirster]] in melee and still have a good chance of winning). The Baneblade starts to deteriorate at half wounds, losing three of its 10" movement, its BS goes down by one and it loses 3 attacks. But because it's so tough, it can take quite a beating before being diminished as long as your opponent doesn't have Lords of War on the battlefield as well.

At 390 points for most of the variants with a maximum of 430 for the Stormlord, Baneblades are at a base level pretty affordable. They all get different main weapons, and all of them have a pair of Heavy Bolters as well. The Baneblade and Hellhammer get an additional [[Autocannon]] and [[Demolisher Cannon]], and the Hellhammer also has a [[Lasgun]] for some reason. All of them can take either one or two pairs of sponsons, each equipped with a [[Lascannon]] and either two [[Heavy Bolter]]s or two [[Heavy Flamer]]s. Note that you can mix and match as you see fit: if you have only one pair you can pick one with a Heavy Bolter and the other with a Heavy Flamer. Sponsons cost 34 for the Heavy Bolter and 50 for the Heavy Flamer. The points really add up though: 68 for a pair and 136 for a full set of Heavy Bolters, and 100 and 200 for the Heavy Flamers. But when you look at the firepower you know you've got the good stuff. Four Heavy Flamers net you 8D6 S5 AP-1 D1 shots that auto-hit, while the four double Heavy Bolters, paired with the standard one, nets you 30 S5 AP-1 D1 shots at 36" range. And don't forget the 4 S9 AP-3 DD6 shots from the four Lascannons. Note that the Heavy Bolter option is 20 points cheaper than an equally-equipped [[Heavy Weapons Squad]]. The Heavy Flamers are expensive, but other tanks are bound to a maximum of 3 for a comparative higher price tag (aka the tank they're on). The Baneblade can also take a pintle-mounted [[Heavy Stubber]] or [[Storm Bolter]], and a [[Hunter-Killer Missile]] for good measure. The Heavy Stubber is the superior option (albeit twice as expensive at 4 compared to the SB's 2) most of the time: only when decked out with Heavy Flamers or when facing enemies that charge the tank the Storm Bolter is superior. The Hunter-Killer Missile is neat, but with the massive arsenal the tank's lugging around it's not necessary. Because of its massive array of weapons charging one is a very bad idea: even when only hitting on sixes the sheer volume of fire will mean that you'll get hit.

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{|border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 align=right style="margin: 1em;"
|-
! Tank || Name || Range || Type || S || AP || D
|-
| Baneblade || Baneblade Cannon || 72" || Heavy 3D6 || 9 || -3 || 3
|-
| Banehammer || Tremor Cannon || 60" || Heavy 3D6 || 8 || -2 || 3
|-
| Banesword || Quake Cannon || 140" || Heavy 2D6 || 14 || -4 || D6
|-
| Doomhammer || Magma Cannon || 60" || Heavy 2D6 || 10 || -5 || D6
|-
| Hellhammer || Hellhammer Cannon || 36" || Heavy 3D6 || 10 || -4 || 3
|-
| Shadowsword || Volcano Cannon || 120" || Heavy 3D3 || 16 || -5 || 2D6
|-
| Stormlord || Vulcan Mega-Bolter || 60" || Heavy 20 || 6 || -2 || 2
|-
| Stormsword || Stomsword Siege Cannon || 36" || Heavy 2D6 || 10 || -4 || D6
|}

The table contains the main guns of all eight tanks, but they're more than just statlines attached to a tank:

* The '''Baneblade''' is the standard against which all other tanks are held. The Baneblade Cannon drops potent damage at a reliable rate, allowing you to blow up all but the heaviest of tanks in a single shot of its main cannon. It is also one of the two variants that carries an Autocannon and a Demolisher Cannon for that extra bit damage. As is, the Baneblade is a great long-range support tank.
* The '''Banehammer''' is more of a tactical vehicle for the special rule that applies to its Banehammer Cannon: if a unit is hit by the gun (not wounded, no unsaved wounds: ''hit'') its movement is halved and it cannot advance next turn. This makes it an ideal gun to shut down enemy units that need to be places to be the most effective: this especially works well agains tanks or transports. While lacking the firepower of the Baneblade, the Banehammer grants a unique tactical option. While the Banehammer is a transport, its long range means that you'll have to consider if you want to get close to disgorge your cargo and risk being shot at even more.
* The '''Banesword''' hits less often than most other variants, but it hits ''hard'' with its Quake Cannon. S14 means that all T7 and lower targets are wounded on a 2+, and its hefty AP-4 means that even Terminators have to watch out lest they are vaporized. On top of that, its D6 damage comes with the catch that all rolls of 1 and 2 count as 3, so infantry that gets hit will be vaporized immediately and even monsters will think twice about walking into its range of fire. And with 140" it's a lot of range indeed.
* The '''Doomhammer''' has a gun that is more or less a Melta weapon in that it gets to roll twice for damage and take the best one. At S10 AP-5 it's more than capable of dealing with super-heavy vehicles like [[Land Raider]]s and [[Monolith]]s. The 30" range that this requires you to be in is very close, but this does make it a more viable transport than the Banehammer. The second-most expensive of the lot at 420 points.
* The '''Hellhammer''' is the second variant with a Demolisher Cannon. Its main gun ignores the bonuses granted by cover, but with only 36" range you'll have to get very close in order to get its shots in. Its range might be short, but its firepower makes it a souped-up version of the Baneblade Cannon. Costs 410 bare.
* The '''Shadowsword''' is what you field if you want to bring down enemy Titanic units. 3D3 is an odd roll, but puts out a reliable 6 shots that at S16 down even T8 targets on a 2+. And with 2D6 damage anything hit by it will feel it. On top of that, the Shadowsword gets to re-roll failed Wound rolls against Titanic units, and it gets +1 To Hit against them as well. That means that the Shadowsword has to take out any fitting targets it faces ASAP lest it gets put down before it can do so.
* The '''Stormlord''' is the odd duck out with its Vulcan Mega-Bolter. A flat Heavy 20 means that it is ideal for putting down large swathes of infantry and has a good shot at even the tougher ones. Despite being a Bolter weapon it's got a massive 60" range, making it a powerful anti-vehicle weapon at range. But because of its massive transport capability (40!) it's used best as a close-range fire support vehicle, allowing you to haul a massive force towards the enemy to disgorge onto the objectives you cleared with your massive firepower. Because of this the array of Heavy Flamers work well to support the Stormlord, but do note that this nearly doubles the hefty 430 point cost of the vehicle.
* The '''Stormsword''' is tank meant for short range attacks, carrying a Stormsword Siege Cannon to deal with tough targets. Not only does it ignore the bonuses granted by cover, it also has re-rolls on damage rolls of 1. While those two things only really overlap against tanks in cover, the Stormsword can deal a decent amount of damage against just about any target.

All in all, most Baneblade variants are really helped by the Heavy Bolter sponsons: not only are they cheaper they don't need you to be as close to your enemies. While the Heavy Flamers can deal more damage they are hamped by their range and damage output, and work best on those variants who already need to be close to the enemy to use effectively. The pintle-mounted weapons are good, but not required; the same goes for the Hunter-Killer Missile.

=====Power Ratings=====
The tanks find themselves in the 26-30 points range, which is rather hefty. This point cost does include all the goodies, so don't be afraid to splurge on two sets of sponsons, a pintle-mounted weapon and a Hunter-Killer Missile. You've paid for them already, so you might as well use them.

===Other Imperial Models===
===={{Main|Fellblade}}====
[[File:Fellblade.jpg|thumb|left|THIRTEEN BARRELS OF HELL.]]
{{clear}}
The Fellblade is the [[Space Marines]]' main super-heavy tank, not used very much since the [[Horus Heresy]]. It's not so much a variant of the Baneblade as a sibling tank, with a unique [[Forge World]] kit to make it and a couple of its own unique subtypes.

====Fortress of Arrogance====
[[File:Yarrick34b.jpg|thumb|left|Yarrick's fortress of WHERE ARE MY PRUNES.]]
{{clear}}
It is of no surprise that [[Yarrick]] has his own personal Emperor-mobile in the form of the '''Fortress of Arrogance'''. [[Awesome|The Fortress is a sweet-ass black and gold plated Baneblade with unique decals and armaments.]] The Fortress was refitted with an armored cupola, giving Yarrick a "pulpit" from which to command and inspire. The turret also includes enhanced sensor and communications arrays making it far more accurate and have a longer range and penetrative shot than the regular Baneblade. This makes the Fortress of Arrogance an excellent HQ command choice as the ability to inspire nearby troops provides a good morale boost in the midst of battle. Unfortunately Yarrick was [[Herp|pretty bad at maintaining his mobile house of pimps.]] During the the Battle of Golgotha, the tank was crippled by a [[Stompa]], and Yarrick was forced to abandon it when the Imperial forces were routed from the planet. This is the scene of the above mentioned boggle of stupid. An Adeptus Mechanicus Reclamator expedition found the remnants of the venerable Baneblade, [[Fail|after losing like several hundred Guardsmen and two battalion of tanks.]] In a scene of a miracle, the Fortress was barely [[Looted|defiled]] by the [[Orks]] and was able to be fixed by the [[Mechanicus]] in prime condition. It is unknown what Yarrick did with his tank. Chances are, Yarrick would most likely use his tank and proceed to piledrive it into [[Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka|Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka's]] [[Anal circumference|anus]] in [[Octarius War|Octarius.]]

====Stormblade====
[[File:Stormblade_Arkurion.jpg|thumb|left|When you need that horde of [[Tyranids]] to fuck off right now. Accept no substitutes.]]
{{clear}}

Rules.
[https://i.imgur.com/zqyhi2R.png]

The Stormblade is armed with a titan-scale [[Plasma Blastgun]]: a [[plasma]]-hurling death weapon that eats [[MEQ]]'s, hordes, hordes of MEQ's, and even light tanks for breakfast. With better range than the Stormlord and a blast radius so big that [[Grey Knights|Plasma Siphons]] feel even worse about existing, it excels at killing hordes of anything in [[Apocalypse]]. Even vehicle hordes. Its origin story starts on the Forge World of Ryza, where despite having the best reputation with regards to plasma technology, they couldn't build Volcano Cannons for Shadowsword tanks. So as an alternative to a giant D-Gun they slapped a giant plasma gun instead. Luckily, because the Shadowsword chassis was so massive, removing the laser generators meant there was plenty of space for a cooling system, so the tank never ''Gets Hot!'' from overuse. As mentioned above, Stormblades in Epic used to have Hellion Missile launchers to add to the amount they could [[Rape]] Titans, however in current 40k they no longer have them. The fluff reason is because the missiles had a tendency to self detonate when exposed to enemy fire, resulting in several tanks being destroyed by their own missiles. So it was figured that the tank and plasma blastgun were more precious than the limited-use ordnance that came as an aftermarket extra, so the missiles were withdrawn. There is also a Legion Astartes version because Forge World got tired of making additional versions of the [[Fellblade]].

====Stormhammer====
[[File:Stormhammer1.jpg|thumb|left|If it weren't so weirdly asymmetrical, it would have been a decently designed tank.]]
{{clear}}
The Stormhammer is a [[Solar Auxilia]] tank for 30K. It differs from the old epic version in that it only has three barrels of battle cannons - a twin linked two shot hull mounted battlecannon and the (if we use naval terminology for the thing) Superfiring S9 AP2, 7" blast Stormhammer cannon with shred and pinning. The standard secondary weapons are six [[multilaser]] sponsons which can be swapped out for heavy bolters or heavy flamers for free or lascannons for a cost, a coaxial multilaser and a hull mounted lascannon. Optional toys are a pintle mounted [[C.S. Goto|multilaser]] or heavy flamer and up to 4 (!) HK missiles. All the firepower is rounded out by a 6+ invulnerable save against blast and template weapons, and the ability to reroll failed dangerous terrain tests. The sponson weapons can be traded out individually, letting you choose any combination of multilasers, heavy bolters, heavy flamers and lascannons you want. It fills the same role as the Baneblade as a general purpose superheavy, with a gun for every target. The Stormblade offers more flexibility in loadout, and having 6 sponsons that can be individually customized for any situation allows it to engage even more targets compared to the Baneblade. The original Stormhammer was outfitted with two twin-Battle Cannon turrets and four pairs of Heavy Bolters, along with options for pintle storm bolters and four more sponsons, meaning it could mount seventeen fucking bolters if you were willing to pay for it. The problem? Its turrets all pointed different directions. Parking this thing in the intersection of a city table and pointing its turrets down the streets, however, was as good as denying the area to the enemy completely, unless somebody brought a Deathstrike.

===Non-Imperial Variants===
====Decimator====
[[File:Chaos_Decimator_Tank.PNG|thumb|left|Suck on this Corpse Worshipping Scum!]]
{{clear}}
The '''Decimator''' is a Super-Heavy Tank used by the [[Chaos Space Marines]]. Although most have been changed considerably by their time in the Eye of Terror, the Decimators were originally precursors to modern Imperial super-heavy vehicles like the Baneblade, Shadowsword and Stormsword, the last of which it most closely resembles in function. It is like the only super-heavy tank that the forces of Chaos have without being forced into [[Daemon Engine]] territory or exclusively sucking Papa [[Nurgle|Nurgle's]] dick. Decimators are armed primarily with a heavy, medium-ranged barrage weapon such as the unique Decimator Cannon which was a [[Rape|S10 AP2 weapon of rape,]] supported by several reaper autocannons, and are used to bombard enemies in cover. It has a unique rule called the '''"Decimator Tank Shock"''' which forces enemy infantry to take a test which will always have –1 to their Leadership if they are tank shocked by a Decimator. It should not be confused with the [[Decimator]] [[Daemon Engine]], although they are both intertwined in being moving hunks of metal that can make you piss your pants.

===={{Main|Plaguereaper}}====
[[File:Plaguereaper.jpg|thumb|left|Probably the best thing to ever come out of Santa Nurgle's merry gifts and sharing.]]
{{clear}}
The '''Plaguereaper''' is a Baneblade variant exclusive to the forces of [[Nurgle]]. It's a corrupted baneblade chassis with its baneblade cannon replaced with a giant pus-cannon, which bathes a large area with a contagion that causes the body of whoever's afflicted by it, to erupt in boils and their flesh broken down before their very eyes in seconds.

===={{Main|Skullhamma}}====
[[Image:Skullhamma.jpg|thumb|left|An Orkified Baneblade. Are you fucked? Yes you are.]]
{{clear}}
What happens when orks get hold of the massive engine of armored destruction that is the Baneblade? They make it twice as big (by welding armor plates and guns where there's a gap) and fast (by giving it a ridiculous super-charged engine so big it probably houses several lost gretchin communities).

====Tormentor====
[[File:Pert's_Tormentor.PNG|thumb|left|[[Perturabo|"FUCK YOU DORN, FUCK YOUR FORTIFICATIONS AND FUCK YOUR]] [[Thunderhawk#Ætos Dios|FLYING FORTRESS!"]]]]
{{clear}}
The '''Tormentor''' AKA Pert's personal car is a modified Shadowsword of the [[Iron Warriors]] [[Primarch]], [[Perturabo]]. It is a really pimped out variant that boasts additional armour plating on all sides (in fluff, no effect on the tabletop), extended command and control functions ''(where it has the ''"Command Tank"'' upgrade, [[Fail|which doesn't apply to anything in 30k]], unless you assume it takes the 30k "Super-Heavy Command Tank" upgrade which allows allied infantry within 24" to reroll Morale checks)'', a 15-model transport capacity with added rear access point, an even more enhanced Volcano Cannon (again, nothing changes in crunch) and a Titan grade Void Shield. [[Get shit done|When Pert does it right, he gets it done.]] Except not, because rule-wise it's crewed by mortals and NOT Space Marines, has BS 3, no sponson weapons and no option to take them. It is still not known whether Pert uses this as his personal car so he can run over and crush any pedestrian vehicle that pissed him off lately. But what is known is that the Tormentor is a clear sign of Pert telling [[Rogal Dorn]] to go fuck himself as he destroys Dorn's fortifications. In terms of tabletop, the Tormentor can be spent with a +500 points in a 3000+ points or more game. The Tormentor uses the Dedicated Transport rule and can carry a scary number of Thallaxii and/or Iron Warrior troops ([[Fail|but they can't begin the game embarked]]). It also doesn't take up a Lord of War slot.

==Dawn of War series==
===DoW I===

In the Dawn of War PC game the Baneblade is the IG super-heavy unit, equivalent to the [[Chaos]] [[Bloodthirster]] [[Daemon]], or [[Eldar]]'s Avatar of [[Khaine]]. Only it's better because instead of a winged Daemon cow or a big flaming homosexual in a loincloth, it's a fucking giant tank. It is literally the best of these master units in the game, and it will go toe-to-toe with any other such unit and kill them before they kill it. Every time.

Its a well known fact that the crew members of Baneblades are chosen exclusively on the grounds of how big their balls are. This makes them able to shout "[[FAIL|Failure]] is the weakness of the enemy!" "Ready to unleash ELEVEN barrels of hell!" and "All guardsmen, Follow ME to GLOOREEEEY!" and being the only badass non-Hero unit in the entire [[Imperial Guard]].

===DoW II===

The Baneblade was introduced in DoWII's second expansion: Retribution, as the Imperial Guard's super heavy unit and one of the superunits, a title it shares with the [[Swarmlord]], the [[Great Unclean One]], the Avatar of [[Khaine]] once more (notably, the Avatar along with the Baneblade are the only returning superunits from the first Dawn of War series), the [[Battlewagon]], and the [[Land Raider]] Redeemer (which is a different variant from the one in Dawn of War). It makes a centerpiece appearance in the second mission of the campaign where a renegade one chases your characters around while the crazy Scottish driver yells "IDDACARE WHOO YOU ARE! FELL DA MIGHTA'DA BANEBLADE!!" [[FAIL|It then gets sodomized by rudimentary anti-armour turrets]]. On the upside, if you're playing space marines, you get to watch the Emperor's Fury running around a jungle path being chased by a giant tank (Benny Hill music optional, but encouraged).

It's still a moving fortress of rape that can decimate multiple tanks at a time and blow hordes of enemy units to bits and the strongest and toughest vehicle in the game (since it can't transport infantry like the Battlewagon and Land Raider Redeemer, it compensates with more firepower). The main difference is that while its main weapons systems (the BEHNBLADE cannon and the Demolisher Cannon) do much more damage than before, they don't function like the rest of its guns, they're used for special abilities that require manual targeting to fire, and cannot be fired at targets within minimum range. On top of that, this Baneblade has only TEN BARRELS OF HELL: the co-axial autocannon is there but is non-functional, which considerably reduces the overall firepower of this beast. Needless to say, the Baneblade requires a ton of support to use effectively, or otherwise it will be taken down in melee/at close range by just about anything (though all super units need support as well, so that's nothing new). Also, it's size means it can have difficulty maneuvering on certain maps (DoW II maps tend to not have as much open space as the original's).

The Baneblade has achieved a bit of a mini-meme status because of Captain [[Apollo Diomedes]] of the [[Blood Ravens]], who has this tendency to scream: ''"EET IS THE BEEEEHHHHNNNBLLADDDE"'', [[Indrick Boreale|in the most awesomely hilarious voice]] possible, whenever he sees one. Unfortunetly, this meme is already old and overused.

==The Novel==
The novel, titled Baneblade, is about Lt. Lo Bannick and his quest to redeem himself from the grievous sin of killing his cousin in self-defense. He does this by signing on to the nearest imperial guard unit and starts the novel commanding a squadron of [[Leman Russ]]es and then after an Ork ambush he gets a spot as third gunner on the ''Mars Triumphant''.

In short it's written so you could fap to how [[awesome]] the Baneblade is. Ironically, the real star of the book is a dangerously intelligent Ork Wierdboy who's aware of the Emperor's presence in the warp.

The sequel novel is entitled "Shadowsword" and follow's Bannick's adventures as he grows disillusioned with the Imperium of Man and gets told to pilot a Shadowsword because its soul feels guilty over being used by Orks before the Imperium salvaged it back. When he destroys a warp gate to prevent a daemonic invasion, his commissar tries to execute him and his entire crew for seeing [[Chaos|what should not be known.]]

==External Links==
* [[Baneblade Homebrew]]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpGr8MBE65k Russia made a scaled-up RC variant. Makes me wonder what the US did wrong not to get one too.]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpBngmCpUrU Captain Diomedes' hit single: IT IS THE BEEEIIINBLADE!]
* [http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/baneblade.html A Black Library's novel: BEEEIIINBLADE!!!]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyHRQgDhHZ0 THE BANEBLADETERIUM!]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNxAd6O0LLU How to build all eight versions of the Baneblade with just one model]

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Winterassault.jpg|[[General Sturnn]] likes it hot and heavy.
Image:Baneblade.jpg|ALL GUARDSMEN!
Image:Baneblade2.jpg|FOLLOW ME TO GLORY!
Image:Shadowsword.jpg|Make a compensation joke at your own expense.
Image:LOLBaneblade.jpg|The track is broken and the sponson turret has a beef with the driver. This is an official image, by the way.
Image:Baneblade full cover.jpg|''<s>Multiple'' Baneblades. Start panicking.</s> Neh, that must be Vance Stubbs missing Baneblades. And that is not a reason to panic?
Image:Stormhammer.jpg|The ''original'' variant of the Stormhammer. This time, Quad-Cannons for quadruple the fun!
Image:Baneblade Motivator.jpg|Pew pew, bitches.
</gallery>

{{40k-Imperial-Vehicles}}
{{Imperial-Guard}}
{{Lost-and-Damned}}

Leman Russ Battle Tank

2018-05-27T16:41:46Z

2A02:587:3A03:4900:D869:D288:C66E:E39A:

''Were you looking for [[Leman Russ]], the [[primarch|wolf]] of [[Space Wolves|Wall Street]]?''

[[File:Leman Russ TAAANNNKKK!!!.png|350px|thumb|right|This tank uses the [[Rage|tears]] of [[MEQ]] dependent players as fuel for its engine.]]

{{cleanup}}
The '''Leman Russ Battle Tank''' is the most common tank in the [[Warhammer 40,000]] universe and the product of a drunken three-way between an old [[Wikipedia:Mark V tank|British Mark-V]], a [[Wikipedia:Char B1|Char B1]], and a [[Wikipedia:T-34|T-34]] [[awesome|that can go as fast as 70 kilometers per hour ungoverned.]]

The biggest pain in the ass, points for points, a player will encounter when fighting the [[Imperial Guard]]; the Leman Russ Battle Tank is so reliable and hard-hitting that it is named after the rapetastic Space Wolf Primarch, [[Leman Russ]]. The Leman Russ is widely considered one of the most religiously useful vehicles the Imperial Guard have on the tabletop, boasting both heavy firepower and good utility; it is easily one of the best tanks for cost in Warhammer 40K tabletop, with the ability to [[rape]] [[Necron]] and [[Space Marine|SPESS MEHREEN]] players through judicious use of ordnance and weapons fire. Heavy armour and the ability to fire their main gun twice if they move slowly makes them capable of delivering serious punishment - and that's before their capacity to pack on Heavy [[Bolter]]s, Plasma Cannons, and Multi-Meltas is factored in.

It looks older than the Emperor's toilet-dreadnought, however. One could argue that the Leman Russ' design elements are obsolete even by late 20th century standards, yet they're significantly more modern than the [[Imperial Navy|Imperium's quasi-Napoleonic navy.]]

It's little wonder that the Leman Russ is one of coolest tanks in 40k; it just oozes with the rugged badassery that the IG are known for. With a relatively low point cost, armor that makes it a real bitch to kill, and a massive amount of variants and upgrades, the Russ is the go to vehicle for almost every Imperial Guard player. If you play IG for tanks, the Leman Russ is going to be your bread and butter.

[[Looted|Even the Orks like the Leman Russ tank]], which just proves how [[awesome]] it is.

== "Empty" Leman Russ ==

The Leman Russ is T8 SV 3+ BS 4+ W 12 tank in the heavy support slot. (in [[Horus Heresy | HH]] F 14 S 13 R 10 BS 3 HP 3) with 1 turret weapon 1 front weapon and optionally 2 sponsons.
without weapons you pay 132 pts for it and the cheapest load out makes it 150pts.
THIS IS [[RAPE | AWESOME]]! T8 is the best toughness seen on the tabletop (outside of FW Titans and buildings) and only matched by landraiders imperial knights and smililar. This makes it a very scary model on the tabletop. Outside of that is has the ability to fire it turret weapon twice if moving less than half max movement speed. ... you read that read right fire his turret weapon twice. You must be asking but what is the catch it can't be that awesome? the only catch it has is that is doesn't have that many special a abilities compared to other vehicles no fly no transport capacity no army special rule, just like the rest of guard very plain very cheap very reliable.

==Tank Commanders ==
[[Tank Commander|Tank Commanders]] may be taken as a HQ choice. They increase their tank's BS to 3+ and can issue three special orders to other Leman Russes (or to themselves), which includes making a Russ pop smoke after they shoot, better shooting, and better moving.

'''Knight Commander Pask'''
A special character Tank commander for the Cadians, [[Knight Commander Pask]] Russ has a BS of 2+ and can give 2 orders to boot, making the tank more accurate and more versatile. Widely considered conditionally broken against some factions when paired with a Punisher, Executioner, or Exterminator variant. Pask is known for killing Titans with a Leman Russ and refusing to drive a [[Baneblade]] in favor of one. His balls-of-steel rating is thus considered somewhere between [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs]] and [[Colonel "Iron Hand" Straken|Colonel "I tore a Landshark's throat out with my teeth" Straken]].

==Genestealer Cults==
With the latest release of the new revamped [[Genestealer Cult]], our favorite gubbly [[Genestealers]] are now able to get their own Leman Russ Tanks as well! In terms of [[Fluff]], these Cults manage to gain access to these tanks via infecting guardsmen/[[Pretend|pretending]] to be regular old Imperial Tank Commanders, and then [[Blood Ravens|'borrowing']] the tanks.

Fortunately, the Genestealer Cults only gain access to the vanilla battle cannon, the Exterminator, the Vanquisher and the Eradicator.

==Flavor of the Week==
There are a dizzying number of Leman Russes with tons of different payloads. The current rulebook alone has seven, with several others being available through Forge World. There is an ongoing joke that if something exists in the grim darkness of the far future, there is a Leman Russ build specifically to kill it. The variations seen in the tabletop game are as follows:

===Leman Russ Battle Tank===
[[File:Imperial-guard-leman-russ-battle-tank-a2cf0.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Leman Russ Battle Tank.]]
''"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."'' This is especially true given how much the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] has forgotten by the 41st millennium. The basic Leman Russ Battle Tank is a simple, brutal machine built out of almost any metal, running on almost any fuel, sporting no complicated auto-targeting or driving systems -- every gun is operated by a person inside the tank, and the controls are simple enough that a crew only needs minimal training before going into battle (which the [[Departmento Munitorum]] really likes, though commanders on the ground tend to prefer more seasoned crews). Though it gets loud and hot inside, and it is not usually a fast machine, it is tough as nails... from the front and sides -- the back is much less heavily armored, to save weight and let the engine breathe. Even so, it's been getting the job done since the Great Crusade.

The original boasts a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter and a Battle Cannon in its turret, the latter of which is highly regarded for its ability to fuck up squads of MEQs. It can swap the Heavy Bolter for a Lascannon and take a pair of Heavy Bolters, Plasma Cannons, or Heavy Flamers for sponsons. Apparently the optional sponson gunners don't get patched in to the internal tank comms or something, because the mounted sponsons will suffer accuracy issues if shooting on the move. It's still a very good tank for blasting the fuck out of just about anything that pisses it off -- it's hard to go wrong with the vanilla Russ.

==={{anchor|Vanquisher}}Leman Russ Vanquisher===
[[File:Leman_Russ_Vanquisher.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Leman Russ Vanquisher.]]

The Leman Russ Vanquisher has a variant of the Battle Cannon that "usually" one-shots enemy vehicles at long range (overconfidence killed the Guardsmen). If a Lascannon or Battle Cannon just isn't doing it for tankhunting, and you don't really feel like grabbing a Melta, this weapon can fill the need. Unfortunately, the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] only made the Vanquisher Battle Cannon on one [[Forge World]], which got taken over by [[Ork]]s, so the only way to make new Vanquishers nowadays is to take the guns off of ruined Vanquishers and fit them on new Leman Russ chassis -- which happens a lot, because enemies who make use of tanks have learned to make Vanquishers a priority target. Because this is so onerous to do, especially for long campaigns, only the very best tank crews get to use Vanquishers, and they only deploy to zones where there are lots of tanks to be killed. The Mechanicus is trying to alleviate the shortage by <s>getting Mars to release its intellectual property</s> commissioning other Forge Worlds to reproduce the old cannons (see [[#Forge World Patterns|Forge World Patterns]] below), but progress is very slow.

The Vanquisher is so specialized as an anti-tank weapon that it can be argued that it's more a Tank Destroyer. A tank is a multi-purpose weapon, and the Leman Russ is a general purpose tank, equally adept at blowing tanks or infantry apart. The Vanquisher, though, only tears apart tanks. Normal Leman Russes are like Shermans, this is a Firefly. The downside of this tank, from a tabletop perspective, is that it doesn't have any blast effects from its main gun, so consider the Plasma Cannon options for this thing to make it a beast at killing Space Marines. However, when adding Pask, this tank can cause some definite rage (you're better off putting Pask in a Punisher, give a Vanquisher the standard Tank Commander).

If you are having problems with those pesky tyranid MCs, consider going for the double cheese and cheddar routine on Vanquishers; Forge World now allows Command Vanquishers to take beast hunter shells: specialized Vanquisher shells with the solid penetrating core replaced with a canister of weapons-grade toxic acids. In gameplay, it's a small blast that has the instant death special rule. Booo, you wanted even more Leman Russes? Take said Vanquisher as HQ tank in allied armoured battlegroup. With squadron of Leman Russes as allied Troops detachment. Yes, you read that right. 13 Leman Russes in one battle.

Due to only having a single shot, the Vanquisher is actually mediocre at tank killing on the tabletop, and has remained this way for a long time. Sure it will deal a hefty blow if it hits, but chances are you're going to need to fire both the Lascannon and the Vanquisher Cannon to gimp a vehicle. Even this double-down is likely to leave most ''actual tanks'' in the game alive if injured; not ideal for what you're paying. You can alleviate the accuracy through a number of means but nothing save driving into Multi-melta range will augment the killing power (why Russ tanks can't fit sponson Lascannons is a mystery for the ages) and getting that close has its own issues, like being in [[rape|Wraith Cannon range]].

==={{anchor|Exterminator}}Leman Russ Exterminator===
[[File:Leman_russ_exterminator_(las).jpg|250px|right|thumb|Leman Russ Exterminator.]]

This tank is so awesome that it was first introduced as part of the Third Edition Space Wolves army list (the Imperial Guard only had the regular Russ and the Demolisher at the time), as the Wolves wanted to have a few tanks named after their [[Primarch]]. The Exterminator uses a twin [[Autogun|Autocannon]] as its main gun versus a Battle Cannon, so is a little faster (in the fluff) than the original Russ at traversing the battlefield.

Though the [[Hydra Flak Tank]] is better suited toward ruining Flyers and Skimmers now (with its higher ballistic skill), heavy infantry and light vehicle rape is still applicable with the Exterminator's superior skillz against ground targets. One of several vehicles capable of driving [[Ork]] or [[Tyranid]] players into a frothing, white-hot [[RAGE]] when used with Heavy Bolter Sponsons, the Exterminator's main drawback is that it relies on its sponson/hull weapons to deal with enemy heavy armor (unless you're using Pask, in which case the Autocannons will often suffice).

Although it does not have the advanced anti-air targeting mechanisms that the Hydra Flak Tank does, its equal primary firepower along with added sponson fire makes it a useful stop-gap air defense. Combined with its characteristic toughness and a pair of Multi-melta sponsons to deal with heavy vehicles, this tank can be a threat to anything and everything! Though it's not quite as effective against larger targets as the standard Battle Cannon equipped model, since a jack of all trades is commonly a master of none.

==={{anchor|Eradicator}}Leman Russ Eradicator===
[[File:Leman Russ Eradicator.JPG|250px|right|thumb|Leman Russ Eradicator.]]

Once upon a time, some Forge World in the Imperium decided they had too much nuclear material on their hands, and that they needed to do something with it. After some [[Grimdark|wacky hijinks and hilarious mishaps]], the result was the Leman Russ Eradicator, a tank with a short range cannon that lobs "sub-atomic" charges at enemies in cover. So, basically, fuck your cover saves.

The percussive shock (and probably the *radiation*, too) neutralizes cover saves, and although it's a little weaker than the Battle Cannon in every way, the Eradicator is still a respectable gun, especially against Eldar or anything that likes to abuse cover. It's otherwise basically the same as the regular version, meaning it also has laughable rear armor; [[Scout]]s with shotguns could kill this tank if they got behind it. That's only a problem for the Eradicator because its range is so short; it needs to be up close and personal, and paper-thin rear armor plus urban combat equals one dead tank.

The Eradicator has the distinction of being the cheapest tank in the arsenal, and as such are often used as the ablative shield of Pask or a regular Tank Commander. While their main gun is useful, taking them with Plasma Cannon sponsons is generally the best way to field them, especially if you can turbo-charge it with warlord traits, wargear, or faction bonuses. This is also one of the only times the heavy flamer sponsons will be useful on a Russ, so take it to make your [[Tau]] friends cry tears of pure cheese.

==={{anchor|Demolisher}}Leman Russ Demolisher===
[[File:99120105045_DemolisherNEW01.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Leman Russ Demolisher.]]

The first of the "Reinforced" or "Siege" patterns of Leman Russ (additional rear armor), the Leman Russ Demolisher packs a short range gun that is much stronger than the normal Battle Cannon. It combines the explosive firepower of artillery with the speed and durability of a tank, for situations where the Guard can't wait for a proper artillery barrage but needs to take a heavily guarded or fortified position. It excels in such an environment - in fact, it is a better line-breaker than the [[Space Marines]]' [[Vindicator]] tank (which is silly, because Space Marines are all about cracking defenses with overwhelming firepower...)!

However, the Demolisher Cannon's short range means that it'll be unable to do much else and will likely [[Distraction Carnifex|draw massive amounts of firepower]] in its direction, meaning there is a risk that the Demolisher will be wrecked before it can even fire a single shot. Expecting this tank to survive to Turn 3 precludes an urban battlefield, and using terrain to limit the amount of ordinance coming the Demolisher's way is paramount. On an open battlefield, use long-range support to ensure it remains in one piece, or send it straight up the center of the field eating colossal amounts of punishment before exploding in a massive fireball while the rest of your army maneuvers into position. Either way, it's done it's job.

On the table, just like the Battle Tank, the Demolisher is one of the two Russ variants that should be left without its sponsons; since the Ordnance shot forces snapshots on everything else fired that turn, your plasma cannons/heavy flamers will never fire, and your 20 points of heavy bolters will average 1 or 2 hits at most. Save the points for elsewhere, the tank doesn't need them.

==={{anchor|Punisher}}Leman Russ Punisher===
[[File:99120105045_PunisherNEW03.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Leman Russ Punisher.]]

The '''Leman Russ Punisher''' is the second "Siege" pattern Russ, and about as close to "enuff [[Dakka]]" as the [[Imperial Guard]] can get without fielding [[Titan (Warhammer 40,000)|Titan]]s or [[/d/|members]] of the [[Baneblade]] family. Like the Demolisher, it has the increased rear armor of a Siege Tank, though its main gun, the S5 AP- Heavy '''20''' Punisher Gatling Cannon, is meant for pulverizing infantry and light vehicles. It has poor range for a vehicle weapon, but one of these things can crank out more firepower than an entire squad of guardsmen under a Rank Fire order, which is absolutely hilarious; normally only Orks with Shootas, Combined Squads, and Hormagaunts get to roll this many dice. When backed up with other weapons, the Punisher BRRRRRT Cannon can destroy huge numbers of troops at once, though it is hampered by its operators' low ballistic skill and its inability to penetrate armor.

This multi-barreled weapon allows the Punisher tank to achieve a rate of fire unmatched by all but a few other vehicles, though at a loss of anti-tank effectiveness, and Punisher tank crews have a reputation for being trigger-happy with this potent weapon. Indeed it is typical for Punisher crews to strip out all non-essential items in order to cram in as much ammunition as possible before setting off for battle. Often squadrons of Punishers will operate ahead of the main Imperial force, scything down the enemy to at the very least more manageable numbers for follow-on forces. It is predominately an infantry support vehicle however, and it's lack of sufficient anti-tank weaponry makes it vulnerable when facing enemy armored forces.

In addition to it's main weapon the Punisher carries a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter, Heavy Flamer or Lascannon. It can also be outfitted with two sponsons which mount either heavy bolters, heavy flamers, Multi-meltas or Plasma Cannons. Standard equipment also includes a Searchlight and Smoke Launchers and it can be upgraded with Camo Netting, a Dozer Blade, Extra Armour, a Hunter-Killer Missile and/or a pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber/Storm Bolter.

Knight Commander Pask turns it from a fun toy to an absolute wrecking ball. Between all of his various buffs he's likely to get nearly all hits ''and'' make them all hurt. Light tanks get torn to shreds in one burst, Medium tanks take a beating, and even Land Raiders or other Leman Russes can get thoroughly tenderized through volume of dice.

==={{anchor|Executioner}}Leman Russ Executioner===
[[File:LemRus_Executioner.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Leman Russ Executioner.]]

The last of the "Siege" pattern Russes, the '''Leman Russ Executioner''' was deployed in large numbers during the [[Great Crusade]], when the [[Imperium]] used to [//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTOwMeimSl4&t=18s field them by the regiment]. Unfortunately, due to the post-Heresy drop in manufacturing capacity for complex plasma mechanisms, even most [[Forge World]]s can't build an Executioner Cannon these days. Although strangely the Imperium has no difficulty making *other* plasma technology, and since most Forge Worlds barfed out advanced plasma weapons by the bushel during the Great Crusade, the only possible explanation for how this specific technology could be lost while everything else remained is the [[Grimdark]].

The Executioner's Plasma Destroyer is a powerful if temperamental weapon with an extremely high energy output. Due to the unstable nature of the weapon the Ryza-pattern Executioner incorporates several safety features. Emergency vents in the turret help disperse the heat produced by each shot while protective heat shielding screens the crew and allows enough time to escape the vehicle in the event of a minor containment field failure. Many also include an emergency chemical coolant tank in the rear of the vehicle which connects with the weapon through two coolant lines running across the top of the turret. However these exposed lines can be severed by enemy fire, a contributing factor to many green Executioner crews abandoning the tank at the first sign of trouble since a catastrophic failure can result in the destruction of the tank and anything else in a large area around it. Those who are found to have abandoned their tanks can expect to face harsh punishment, [[Blam|even death,]] for such a crime from their regiment's Commissar.

Jokingly called the "Leman Russ Trollface" or "Leman Russ Blast Template Dropper" by some players, the Executioner is the bane of [[Space Marines]] everywhere, for it packs a Plasma Cannon that fires in 3-round bursts. For maximum hilarity, pair with Plasma Cannon sponsons and dump 5 Plasma Cannon shots per turn from one vehicle, and try not to laugh when killing about double the tank's point cost in heavy infantry every turn. This used to be the bane of Terminator-heavy armies that had gotten used to being nigh-on invulnerable to conventional weaponry; but when this tank reared it's head, it dethroned the kings of the battlefield.

==FORGE WORLD LOVE==
GW's specialist subsidiary Forge World made a couple of their own Leman Russes. They also pimped out the appearances of several types.

==={{anchor|Conqueror}}Leman Russ Conqueror===
[[File:Imperial_Guard_Leman_Russ_Conqueror.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Leman Russ Conqueror.]]

The '''Leman Russ Conqueror''' was built to be a faster Leman Russ tank -- its cannon fires smaller shells with less recoil, which allows the tank to be more mobile, store more ammunition and sustain a higher rate of fire. The smaller cannon also allows the installation of a co-axial weapon, which helps the gunner keep the main cannon on target.

[[Forge World]] created the Conqueror back in Third Edition, when a Leman Russ had to stay still to fire its battle cannon. The main point for a Conqueror now it's mobility. In standard games on a 4x6 foot table, the shorter range doesn't matter. For an extra three points over the vanilla, you get a 48" battle cannon (compared to the 72" regular one) and a co-axial storm bolter. Co-axial weapons provide a hit reroll to the cannon if sharing the same target. If you're playing on a small board, a regular one with lots of intervening cover, or an urban one, this will serve you better than the vanilla. Otherwise, just grab the vanilla for the two feet of range.

When introduced it had a weaker cannon lacking AP and with a smaller blast radius but had rules allowing it to fire its gun and sponsons on the move. After all, it is intended to be a [[Wikipedia:cruiser tank|cavalry tank]]: a faster, more lightly armed vehicle designed to exploit breakthroughs that slower, more heavily armed tanks could create but not exploit. Once it broke though, it would then overrun the enemy's rear areas, causing trouble behind enemy lines while the infantry tanks and regular infantry keep pressing the advance and securing ground behind it. Now five editions later everything can move and shoot (with a penalty) and it's just more dakka and a reroll paid for through shortening the cannon range.

==={{anchor|Annihilator}}Leman Russ Annihilator===
[[File:99590105335_Dkkmarsalphapatternannihilator02.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Leman Russ Annihilator.]]

the Leman Russ Annihilator began as a field conversion: An Imperial Officer found his armoured units constantly losing to renegade armour, so he decided to replace his companies Leman Russ' battle cannons and replace them with the companies lascannons. This ultimately won them the battle, [[grimdark|but the officer responsible for these conversions was convicted of tech-heresy and executed.]] However, the supply of [[#Vanquisher|Leman Russ Vanquisher]]s is ever-dwindling after the loss of Tigrus, and the [[Imperial Guard]]'s demand for anti-armor tanks is ever-growing, so the Techpriests eventually sanctioned it in order to try to meet demand; Forge Worlds took the twin-linked lascannons off the [[Predator Annihilator]] and put them in the Leman Russ's turret. Because the lascannon is easier to make, maintain, and use, the Annihilator is the preferred armour-hunting tank of armoured regiments expecting to sustain lots of damaged and lost tanks (like the [[Death Korps of Krieg]]).

Forge World rolled this tank with the Death Korps of Krieg army, and was very popular before 5th edition changed the way a Leman Russ works. Since moving and shooting Ordnance weapons was no longer a problem, the Annihilator lost much of its appeal, but after sixth edition changed which weapons can be fired when a vehicle moves, its utility has risen some: because its cannon is not an ordnance weapon, and the Annihilator is a heavy vehicle (unlike the Conqueror), it can fire all of its weapons at full ballistic skill on the move.

It'd be pretty awesome if they gave it the Exterminator treatment, where they not only made the weapon twin-linked but doubled its rate-of-fire, case-and-point making its lascannons heavy 2, twin-linked. But alas, it's fairly underwhelming at the moment. You're better off just getting a Vanquisher at the moment, seeing as the Vanquisher only costs 5 more points and has a much better gun, it's not twin-linked though, but it could get that from other means.

'''8th ed.''' - Since twin-linked got scrapped, this is the only Russ to have an increase in firepower. Mathhammer-wise, it's on par with the Demolisher for anti-vehicle capabilities (putting out 1.94 wounds against another Leman Russ), but it has double the range, and the turret still costs 40pts. Obviously you're going to put a hull lascannon on it, since you'd have to be lobotomised not to. Also fares slightly better with sponson meltas. The shorter range of the turret means that there's a greater chance of you being in range to use them, unlike the Vanquisher (which scores 0.94 wounds against another Leman Russ by the way)

==={{anchor|Incinerator}}Leman Russ Incinerator===
[[File:LemanRussIncinerator.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Leman Russ Incinerator.]]

A Pre-Heresy Russ variant armed with a massive [[Volkite_Weaponry|Volkite]] cannon in the turret. Only available to [[Solar Auxilia]], it is twin-linked, and has an additional point of strength and shot than its smaller regular culverin. Can cause a lot of damage at great range to infantry, but it cannot take sponson weapons, and the more vanilla variants can do the same job more efficiently.

Because of the downsides of the Incinerator, take it only if you're a huge fan of Volkites. It's limited to causing a maximum of only 10 wounds per round(If your opponent fails its first 5 armor saves, and Deflagrate succeeds in wounding 5 more times). [[Lolwut|It also shares its AP with every single Volkite weapon smaller than it on the table, including the fucking pistol]]. If you really need to bring Volkite weaponry to vaporize Tyranids or other blobs, you're MUCH better off putting some Veletaris in an Arvus or a Dracosan. They can cause up to 40 wounds through Deflagrate, compared to the Incinerator which can only cause up to 10. To maximize its effectiveness, you could double down on the high-strength high-AP attacks with multilasers on the hull and pintle, making a fairly decent hunter of Mechanicum automata.

=== {{anchor|Destroyer}} Destroyer Tank Hunter ===
[[File:Ig30.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Destroyer Tank Hunter.]]

The '''Destroyer Tank Hunter''' is basically the tank equivalent of a sniper. It's the <strike>Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G (StuG III G)</strike> (the Jagdpanzer IV) of the 40K universe, it loses the turret and swaps out the hull-mounted heavy bolter for a massive laser destroyer -- basically, a twin-linked Ordnance lascannon, all the better to penetrate armor with. Like a sniper, its job is to hide in a defensive position, kill a high-valued enemy, and move on -- it has the same armor as a Russ, but its only secondary weapon is a pintle-mounted [[heavy stubber]] or [[storm bolter]], making it all but defenseless against enemy anti-armor. Fortunately, as it lacks the increased mass and stabilization requirements of the turret, it moves substantially faster than the Leman Russ Battle Tank, which helps it evade pursuit. The lower profile can also be of some help when it comes to putting it out of line of sight.

On the table, it's quite close to a Vanquisher in intended use, and generally does a better job for 25 more points; it's more mobile, grabs more cover (terrain with 25% cover gives this tank nearly 50%, which becomes a 3+ save with camo netting), it's built-in Twin-Linking gets in more hits, and the S9 Ordnance shot damages anything with a toughness value and any AV lower than 14 more reliably than the Vanquisher's S8 Armourbane shot.

=== {{anchor|Thunderer}} Thunderer Siege Tank ===
[[File:99590105345_ThundererSiegeTank04.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Thunderer Siege Tank.]]
The Laser Destroyer is a rare weapon, so units with Destroyers whose main cannon is destroyed will seldom be given a replacement; A [[Demolisher cannon]] is installed the laser destroyer's mount, resulting in the '''Thunderer Siege Tank'''. It is essentially a faster, discounted [[#Demolisher|Demolisher]], except its stuck with a fixed forward casemate (though if your Demolisher is in a position where it has to shoot something behind it, you are in a ''bad place'') and it cannot take any secondary weapons besides a pintle-mounted heavy stubber or storm bolter (not that it needs any more firepower than S10 AP2 5" Blast, though when the Vehicle Damage table comes calling you may be glad you took something else to lose on a Weapon Destroyed result). The reduced versatility means that most commanders would rather use a proper Demolisher, but as vehicle reserves run low, any Demolisher cannon is a welcome addition to the line of battle.

In practice, it's gone from a tank destroyer to an assault gun; it functions like a more expensive (by 15 points), but ''much'' tougher [[Vindicator]] (which is rather hilarious, since Space Marines ''love'' the Vindicator, while the Thunderer is a second-line Guard assault gun usually passed over for the Leman Russ Demolisher). Don't mention this around [[Space Marines]] -- they're still bothered that the Imperial Guard have what amounts to a Vindicator with better armor on every facing and access to camo netting, which in turn inspired them to make the [[Land Raider Ares]]. But that comes with the price tag of a Land Raider, so...

'''8th ed.''' Functions just like a Demolisher Leman Russ with one extra wound but without the hull mounted Lascannon option, Forgeworld Leman Russ were considerably more expensive than GW in 8th but Chapter Approved 2017 normalised them to the GW price cost.

=== Alternate Patterns ===

[[Forge World]] has also released variant turrets and hulls for Leman Russ models.

; Mars Alpha Pattern Hull : The [[Mars]] Alpha hull has more internal space and a larger engine, resulting in a slightly bulkier hull overall (especially noticeable with the engine sticking further out the back of the tank). The hull-weapon's mount is slightly different, with a more streamlined joint than the boxy sponson-like mount of the standard pattern. The increased internal space is used for ammunition storage on battle-line tanks, or for extra communication equipment on command tanks.
; Ryza Pattern Turret : Ryza is most known for their work on plasma weapons, but the tech-priests realized that their [[#Executioner|Executioner]] turret looked really cool, so they made turrets for the regular Battle Tank, Annihilator, Demolisher, Exterminator, and Vanquisher (with co-axial [[autocannon]]) turret variants. It is a sleeker turret than the original, with straight sides angled forward and a searchlight or scanner on the left side, while the weapon is contained in a slightly more sensible-looking elevation joint. Ryza turrets are often mounted on Mars Alpha hulls.
; Gryphonne IV Pattern Turret : Before it got overrun by the [[Tyranids]] of [[Hive Fleet Leviathan]], Gryphonne IV made turrets for the Conqueror, Exterminator, and Vanquisher (with co-axial [[storm bolter]]) tanks. Gryphonne IV turrets are much more "[[wikipedia:greeble|greeble]]d" than the standard turrets, and are distinguished by the flared-out sides and the searchlight mounted to the right of the commander's hatch.
; Stygies VIII Pattern Turret : Stygies VIII also produces a Vanquisher turret with a co-axial storm bolter, and is also a rather greebly turret (though its searchlight is mounted on the left side, like the Ryza turret), but their variant of the Vanquisher cannon is shorter than the Gryphonne IV's (which is ridiculously long, to be honest), and it is unrifled, to bring the muzzle velocity back up to that of the Gryphonne IV cannon.

==Wargear/Configuration Breakdown==

In the newest codex, Multi-melta sponsons share the same cost as Heavy Bolters, so seriously consider taking them if you want to mercilessly slaughter tanks.

The Hull Heavy Flamer and sponson Heavy Flamer should be avoided. There are dozens of better ways to get cover hate on the battlefield (ie [[Chimera]]s and [[Hellhound]]s),and it removes your Heavy Bolter, which is free and a lifeline to your main weapon it's destroyed. The hull Lascannon is a good addition to a Vanquisher, both are used for the same battlefield role, both long ranged and high strength/low AP. Again, if you really hate cover, you have the Leman Russ Eradicator; I mean, it's why the thing exists.

Sponson Bolters are generally a "take 'em or not" option. It's only 20 points for the pair, and the worst case scenario is that they add to the hull Heavy Bolter in slinging shots downrange, which can help a lot against [[Tyranids]] and other blob armies and is especially nice to have with Pask in play. It's as much as 6 extra shots, so it's not bad. They're less useful on the Punisher (which already sprays 23 shots by default) and Demolisher (which doesn't need much to help the Demolisher Cannon), and many players scream with [[Rage|irritation]] if they're used on them, but they remain effective and they're not a huge investment, so use them if you feel like it. It's not like the Dozer Blade is a better use of those points. Bear in mind that, due to the changes to the Leman Russ's "Lumbering Behemoth" rule, a Russ can only fire its sponson weapons as snap shots if it fires an Ordnance weapon ([[Battle Cannon]] and [[Demolisher Cannon]]), so your vanilla Russes and Demolishers should have heavy bolters (plasma cannons and heavy flamers cannot be fired as snap shots, and you get more chances to hit with heavy bolters than with lascannons) if they are given any sponson weapons at all.

The Plasma Cannon Sponsons are a different story. These need to be on the right tank or they're a waste of points, so make them count. They're best mounted on the Exterminator and Vanquisher to give blast effects to tanks that otherwise wouldn't have it, and is especially good on the Executioner, adding 2 more Plasma Cannons to the existing 3-round burst of the main gun and adding yet more raep to the firestorm. There is possibly no tank better at blasting Tyranids and Necrons than this configuration - and god help anything in its way if it has Pask as well. They aren't very good on the standard Leman Russ, its S8 AP3 basically eclipses anything a Plasma Cannon can do. The Eradicator can make ''some'' decent use of it. Its Nova Cannon doesn't pack the AP of the Battle Cannon and makes a nice support weapon for dropping into a crowd that would otherwise be able to deal with the Nova Cannon. [[Games Workshop]] has a notoriously raging hard-on for equipping them on Demolishers and Punishers, but this is a fairly bad idea; these two tanks are almost invariably better off charging headlong into the enemy's face, where they won't be firing the Plasma Cannons anyway;the Heavy Bolter sponsons can work with the hull Heavy Bolter and pick off stragglers after the initial -gun-into-face manoeuvre. However In sixth edition, plasma cannons can now 'get hot' on vehicles so they are less useful.

For wargear, it's generally a good idea to avoid the pintle mounts. They aren't of use on a vehicle that is bristling with weapons in the first place, and it's extremely hard to envision an environment wherein a player screams ''"Man, a Storm Bolter on my Leman Russ would have been the absolute BOMB right now!"'' The [[Stubber]] can be somewhat useful if only due to its range, but generally isn't simply because - again - every reason you'd use one is already covered by its baseline weaponry. If you're looking hard to find a spot to drop a few points (why are you doing this), I guess you could put one on a bullet-spewing tank and add a few more shots, but again, probably more efficient ways to spend those points.

Firebarrels is a new wargear option added in the 6th edition <strike>(looks around to make sure I do not get BLAMMED by Commissar)</strike>{{BLAM}}{{BLAM|Cowardice! You will say this with pride!}} Codex Astra Militarum. In layman terms it is a one time use wall of death that deals D6 amount of damage. More of a scare tactic then anything, it does allow the Russ to protect itself in close combat. For ten points, it is cost effective. Though not a auto include, it should not be overlooked. Especially when you take a squadron of three and give each tank these barrels. That's going to hurt.

Recovery gear is virtually a autoinclude in any build for the Leman Russ. For 5 points you can roll to remove a immobilized result, and don't have to worry (as much) that your tanks will be stopped due to a lucky roll or failed dangerouse terrain test. You will not always use this gear, or even de immobilized the tank, but compared to dozer blades, you can obviously see a winner.

Relic plating is.....controversial. Its the cheapest wargear the Russ can take. And it does give Adamantium Will to this giant machine of death. The problem comes with formations. Depending on how one sees the rules, this upgrade either A, gives the entire squadron Adamantium Will when just applied to one tank. Or B, Only applies it to the tank that takes the wargear. Either way, best to give all tanks in the squadron this upgrade. (The second the opponent hears one of the tanks has Adamantium will, that tank is a target. Might as well give all tanks this upgrade just to be safe).

The [[Hunter-Killer Missile]] is... questionable. Its unlimited range can be a good surprise against players not expecting it, which, when combined with its good strength, makes it a good option for destroying artillery (this is actually a halfway decent choice with Pask by the way), but Chimeras and Sentinels are considered the best platform for this secondary weapon, whereas the Leman Russ is rightly considered a somewhat wasteful (if potentially useful) platform for the weapon. Pask abuse aside, the Hunter-Killer missile generally isn't useful for Leman Russes simply because you don't need a Krak missile when any of these tanks can pack anti-vehicle punch in the form of its turret weapon or Lascannon (the latter of which any Russ can get).

The new codex grants us tank commanders. They have to bring another tank in a squad, which you would do anyway, and gives the tank they are commanding BS4. They can be a warlord and only roll on the first three choices of the codex warlord table, and their unit is moved into the HQ force org slot. So you can take up to 12 Leman Russes in a battle forged army! They also have three orders they can give their unit. They can move flat out in a heavy tank for 6+D6 inches, a form of split fire for the commander to shoot at a different target from the others in his unit, and an order that its unit makes a shooting attack then uses smoke launchers if it has not already. The commander has to roll a 9 or less on 2d6 to get these off. Good for a mechanized army list specializing in tanks.

Whilst he's pricey, Pask himself deserves special note - he is a great upgrade to a command tank, since he makes a Russ BS4, gets to reroll to hit with most weapons, adds rending to punisher and exterminators, rerolls penetration against vehicles, and turns the executioner into a large single blast with blind. Naturally starts out with Old Grudges as his warlord trait giving him preferred enemy of your choice. He is an expensive upgrade for a tank commander, so again, make sure that whatever you put him in, it gets used.

==How to Use It==

First and foremost, note the tank's armor ratings. It's dirt cheap, its BS is average, but its armor value on the front is 14 and its side armor is hefty at 13. Its rear armor, however, sucks and can be damaged by many regular infantry weapons. Keep them facing the enemy at all times and do your best to keep their backs covered - you can't afford to let some jump infantry Deep Strike behind one and play catch-the-fucking-meltabomb. Treat them well and they'll treat you well.

Second, three of the Leman Russes - the Demolisher, Punisher, and Executioner - have additional rear armor. This is not enough to make them invulnerable but what it does mean is that it's no longer threatened simply by being completely surrounded by regular infantry (Hormagaunts for example). This is important for the Punisher and Demolisher, which have to get close, but the Executioner is just more survivable since it generally shoots from afar. AV 11 still isn't very good, so bear in mind the first example on this list and keep the front facing the enemy.

It is also important to remember that the Guard is like an army from World War II. Learn from their tactics and apply them wisely. All nations had some way to make sure infantry are mobile enough to keep up with tanks (as tanks without infantry support and with infantry around them tend to go BOOM), so transports (obviously Chimeras) are generally necessary. If defending, they would employ dedicated tank destroyers (Vanquishers or Destroyer) to deal with enemy armor. If sieging, assault guns (Thunderer) and massed artillery would be used to handle fortifications.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
(History Note: Tank Destroyers(TD) have wandered in and out of development and use since their practical deployment in WWII, and are still in use today.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

In general, TDs were initially based on obsolete or marginally unrepairable chassis that a government had about and needed for the war effort (for example, for Germany the JgPzI was a rework of the PzI, while the Marder was a PzII rework with captured Soviet 76mm guns; The Soviets turned the T-34 into the SU-85 and SU-100s), usually by ripping off what's was left of the turret and upper deck, and welding a casement cover and gun mounting over the resulting hole. Later on, purpose-built ones were developed, usually for defensive fights (the JagTiger and the more modern Swedish line of STRV-103 TDs, for example). Even now, some are still either in use or being developed (the Russian 2S25 Sprut-SD is a 125mm gun-armed TD going into main production in 2018).

As their role dictated a tank-hunting role, they tended towards heavy frontal armour and a bigger gun than a tank of the same weight (as turrets are surprisingly heavy, when you take into account the weight of the turret ring, the armour that the turret covers by necessity and the mechanisms needed to turn the turret, so by not having them, you can add more weight elsewhere). Some historical tanks, like the SU-152 and the JagTiger had cannons big enough to be used effectively as artillery, or could kill a tank behind hard cover, as Otto Carius proved by using the 128mm cannon on his JagTiger to kill a Sherman tank by shooting through an entire brick building). As anti-infantry backup, most TDs had at least one machinegun (the German Ferdinand was one notable 'oops' on that part, which is why it got a machinegun and anti-magnetic paste later and they called it the Elefant to distinguish between old and new models).

So why aren't they more common? Well, TDs excel in ambush-predation of tanks and in infantry support against prepared positions. The former is inherently defensive and static, as you wait for your target usually. The latter means you're assaulting a prepared static position with infantry support and using your big gun to suppress your enemy. Neither of these are very mobile, and coming out of WWII, the major focus of tank-use strategy was (and still very much is) as a fast and well-armed assault or reaction force (possibly why they're still called cavalry, and used much the same as in previous wars). Tanks are mobile, infantry is usually mechanized, and even artillery is often self-propelled. Add in that many tanks, IFVs, APCs, utility vehicles (and likely mobile outhouses) can and have sported ATMs of varying lethality, being static or assaulting in a direct line can have "unfortunate" outcomes if the attacked party has a steady hand or a good laser pointer.

Ed. Note: If you ever wonder why the monster tank ideas like the Maus never really took off in the modern era, mobility is pretty much it. The Maus got 14mph maximum by doing horrible things to the electric drive and drank gallons of fuel per mile. All your armour doesn't mean anything if you can't outrun, outrange or at least dodge heavy artillery fire and strike aircraft. Then again, the Baneblade moves as fast as a Leman Russ does, so if you could get a modern Maus equivalent sporting feet-thick slabs of CHOBHAM armour, some sort of auto-loading 155mm cannon, backup 20mm chainguns/autocannons, a plethora of heavy remote-turreted MGs and god-knows how many pop-up-celled HATM to do 40mph off-road, I suspect modern warfare would collectively give a panicked 'WUT?' for a bit until they worked how to dangle a Exocet off a Predator drone...)

</div></div>

Generally, it is a good idea to keep your tanks behind your infantry, with the exception of Demolisher and Punisher. Their longer range and the fact that they're more expensive/useful than basic infantry makes the cover save valuable. Combine with Camo-netting to get a 4+, like a walking, shooting aegis. If you're running gunline it's not a bad idea to use them as gun emplacements, by flooding your deployment zone with bodies you can stop any pesky deep strikers, and combined with the 4+ save (potentially 3+ if you get an aegis) can make it nigh-unkillable. Combined with reasonable point cost and the ability to take squadrons, you can flood the field like Mega-MEQs.

In addition, the Leman Russ, due to its renowned toughness, is likely to draw a lot of fire, so it can pair well with weaker glass-cannon type units like Basilisks.

Now, each country had outstanding tank tactics - Germany for example would make good use of 'Blitzkrieg' shock attacks, seeking to break through a weakpoint on the enemy lines and drive deep into the rear area and rampage around, forcing the enemy to pull back to prevent being surrounded and to protect squishy REMFy objective points. For said tactical style your will need Leman Russ Conquerors for speed (or if you are willing to go slower then normal ones will do) backed up by mobile infantry (Chimeras, anyone?) On defense, they tended to dig in their tanks/TDs and snipe (Vanquishers and Destroyers), so look at uprating your tanks armour and camo. Germany also had a bit of a hard on for super heavy tanks and assault guns, so feel free to liberally splash Baneblades and Thunderers into a German style army list.

Early British and French styles were massed foot-infantry supported by <strike>anti-fortification</strike> 'infantry' heavy tanks (Eradicators, Punishers and Demolishers) pinning in place and eliminating enemy forces first, while faster 'cavalry' vehicles (Sentinels and Tauros/Venators) would flank around to hunt tasty lone units. (Early Soviet was just massed infantry without the heavy tanks, but then you wouldn't be doing that now, would you?) After all, if the enemy's not on the table, they can hardly contest objectives, can they?

American (and later the collective allied forces) tactics would be on using one mainstay tank (normal Russes), but would also field as many as possible so their massed firepower could support infantry on assault or defense, then exploit breaches in enemy lines to drive deep wedges into enemy lines (yes, the Americans and Russians shamelessly copied the Truppenführung, but had the material support to stuff their entire leg down the German throat, while early German could only afford the boot) while dedicated tank destroyers (Vanquisher and Destroyer) wait in support to react to enemy tanks counter-attacking. America also had air supremacy for the most part, so air support (Valkyries, Avengers and Marauders) was usually available. The Soviets tended to go for massed artillery more-so on assault, so feel free to load up on the Basilisks and recreate Verdun's 'lively' atmosphere. In short, flexibility is key. Don't just bend like the willow. Bend, recover to whack them on the nose, then shove yourself up their ass for good measure.

Regardless of the details, it's always a good idea to use infantry to kill things that can kill your tanks since lascannons don't really do a lot of damage to a squad while you have your tanks kill things that can kill your infantry, heavy bolters don't bother Russes. Counter enemy units with the unit they themselves can't counter. Maybe have a Chimera (or variant) acting as an IFV to help protect the infantry, too, which takes a bit of strain off the Leman Russes so that they can focus on killing bigger fish.

==How to Kill It==

The Leman Russ can be a tough adversary. If you're facing a guard player there's a good chance he's taken five of them, so you need to get creative. The stock Leman Russ is the most common variant you'll be facing. It's dirt cheap, comes with the Cadian battleforce, and generally gets the job done. The main thing you need to look out for is the battle cannon; With S8 AP3, it can smoke whole squads of just about anything, and any multi wound T4 models will get Insta Death'd as well. Spamming high strength weapons(Lascannons, Missiles, etc) can work if you are lucky. Lascannons, Melta, Lance or Armorbane are the only things that reliably pen a Russ. Use skimmers or deep striking units to quickly close and unleash punishing volleys and a Russ will go down quickly, Melee is also an excellent option forcing it to retreat on its next turn if you didn't kill it, particularly if you can charge from an obscured location and not receive overwatch as unlike the Baneblade the Leman Russ melee potential rivals a Fire warrior. MEQs can glance a Russ to death with their fists, and if they have something like powerfists or melta bombs its going to be dead real quick. Get into melee with even meaner units, like a Wraithlord or Dreadnought, and it's toast. Melee in general is good against guard, the only thing to worry about is being tarpitted by conscript hordes who can keep your expensive vehicle punchers stuck.

In general, get close. With its heavy, long range guns the Russ excels at long range shooting matches. So to save your infantry blobs from getting ground down close the distance. Or alpha strike it with something that's fast or can deep strike.

Unless you're necrons of course then just spam it with YOUR BASIC WEAPON or scarab swarms.

==At 500 Points==
[[File:LemanRuss.jpg|300px|thumb|right|They're pretty scary in low point games.]]
A lot of players <strike>used to</strike> field nothing but low-level infantry squads and a Leman Russ, due to its low points cost, in 500-point games. This practice continues today (though it's more commonly seen with the Imperial Guard [[Manticore Rocket Launcher]]), and has induced [[Butthurt|ragequits]]. If a bit smart with list building you can try to fit '''2''' in a 500 pts list! Watch the fun as your tanks can get orders which make them even better. Run for the hills, heretics! No, wait! The tanks ARE the hills! Run away from the hills! Just get away from the tanks!

Example:

'''500 point Patrol detachment'''

'''HQ'''

Knight Commander Pask, Punisher gatling cannon, heavy bolter, heavy bolter sponsons 
221pts

Tank Commander, battle cannon, lascannon, plasma cannon sponsons, Relic of Lost Cadia 
239pts

'''TROOPS'''

10 Guardsmen 
40pts

Total: 500 points.

Due to terrible wording on tank orders '''which was not FAQ'd''', Pask and the generic Commander [[wat|can order themselves or each other]]. Reroll your battle cannon shots with the Cadian tank order, or Strike and Shroud if they have enough lascannons to trouble you. Likewise the Relic of Lost Cadia '''is not one-use only''' and likewise '''was not FAQ'd to be.''' Re-roll every 1 to wound every turn, or all failed to hit or wound rolls against Chaos. For Warlord trait, give the generic commander Tenacious Survivor. All the Imperial Guard-specific ones are irrelevant in this list.

In 8th Edition, they got even better. Not only can they fire their turret weapon TWICE if you move less than half their movement distance, you can take Detachments of them! And even better, Leman Russ tanks in a Spearhead Detachment gain Objective Secured! Watch that Space Marine player weep and rage when you capture that objective with a single Leman Russ tank from right under his Deep Striking Terminators' noses (who will most likely destroy your tank in close combat the next turn)! A Tank Commander and 3 Leman Russ tanks minimum, to 2 Tank Commanders and 18 Leman Russ tanks in a single Spearhead Detachment, and all of them having Objective Secured! And if those aforementioned Terminators charge your tank, spend a Command Point on Defensive Gunners and hope your plasma cannons evaporate the lot of them before they make it in.

==Alternative Modeling Options==
If you don't want to use GW stuff, or if you just want something to give your tanks a more unique look, there are a plethora of ways to [[proxy]] up a Russ stand-in. Perhaps most obviously and lazily, virtually every WW2 medium tank can and has been counted-as a Russ at some point or another, and models for those can be found in literally every hobby store in existence. Hell, even toys could work if you really feel like scraping the bottom of the cheapskate barrel. If you want good quality and properly scaled WW2 tanks though, suitable 28mm models of which can be acquired from [[Warlord Games]]' Bolt Action line. If you want to actually get something closer to the 40k style, there are also plenty of 3rd party kits. The Gideon Main Battle Tank (apparently discontinued) from [[Mad Robot Miniatures]] is basically a German Tiger styled Russ, including guns for a vanilla battle tank, Vanquisher, Exterminator, Demolisher, and Punisher. The Matilda tank from [[Victoria Miniatures]] is another straight Russification of a WWII tank, in this case the British Matilda, and also comes with all the guns for different Russ variants. The Gothic KV2 Tank from Maxmini technically represents the [[Ragnarok (tank)|Ragnarok]], but there aren't any current rules for the Ragnarok so you'd just be fielding it as a Russ Battle Tank anyway. [[Blood and Skulls Industry]] on Ebay is also a good venue for an alt Russ. They don't offer whole hulls, but they have every kind of turret, track, sponson, and gun you could want, for Russes as well as Predators, Chimeras, Tauroxes and Baneblades.

==Gallery==
<gallery>

Image:LRPun.jpg| Most guns go "DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA" for hours without going dry of ammo. The Leman Russ Punisher goes "BRRRRT" for half a minute.
Image:LRExec.jpg| The Leman Russ Executioner, known for making marines break out in hives.
Image:LRErad.JPG| FUCK YOUR COVER SAVES DAWG I HAS AN ERADICATOR
Image:LRbattletank.jpg| Even the basic Leman Russ is better than your army's tanks. ([[Hammerhead Gunship|Whatever you say, Gue'la]])
Image:LRDemo.gif| If the Leman Russ Demolisher hasn't absorbed at least 6 attempts to destroy it by turn 2, you're either doing it wrong or you also have a Baneblade.
Image:LRVanq.jpg| When you need to fuck up a [[Land Raider]], accept no substitutes.
Image:LRExterm.jpg| The Exterminator likes to party. At 500 shots per minute.
Image:Annhilator.jpg|The Guardsmen felt left out after the Space Marines [[Predator Annihilator|get the new shiny toys.]] So they made their own.
Image:Destoyer_Leman_Russ.jpg|Want to destroy that enemy vehicle for a good price? The Destroyer has got your back.
Image:Pask.jpg| Knight Commander Pask is in dire need of some juvenat drugs. Jesus. Also Ed Harris in 40k.
</gallery>

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[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]][[Category:Imperial]][[Category:Vehicles]]

[[File:Thaurissan.jpg|right|830px]]
[[File:Shaman.jpg|left|830px]]
[[File:Castlevania.jpg|right|830px]]
[[File:Sparta.jpg|left|830px]]
[[File:Heihachi.jpg|right|830px]]
[[File:Taki.jpg|left|830px]]
[[File:Undertaker.jpg|right|830px]]
[[File:Juggernaut.jpg|left|830px]]
[[File:Templar.jpg|right|830px]]
[[File:Typhus.jpg|left|830px]]

Noblebright

2018-05-27T16:32:07Z

2A02:587:3A03:4900:D869:D288:C66E:E39A:

'''NobleBright''' is an adjective derived from the term often used to describe Warhammer 40k: [[Grimdark|GrimDark]]. Just as every hero has a "mirror opposite" version that is evil, it's supposed that there must be a mirror opposite version of the heroes of WH40k where everything goes RIGHT. It can also be used to describe artwork that has a noble/bright feel, even if the setting itself would not normally be considered noble or bright.

Where the GrimDark tag usually describes a setting in a slow, painful decline, the NobleBright tag usually describes a setting emerging from a dark age and either returning to or in the midst of a golden age.

== Canonical Example: WarHammer vs. BrightHammer ==

This alternate universe's game, [[BrightHammer40k]], comes with the tagline ''"In the Noble Brightness of the far future, there is only HIGH ADVENTURE!"'' This is as opposed to the original tagline of Warhammer 40k, which stated, "In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war." BrightHammer40k's setting has strong 1920's-1940's pulp fiction themes, crossed with an "age of myth" bronze age culture.

Differences between WarHammer 40k and BrightHammer 40k include:
* The setting is loosely divided into city-states united by race, religion, philosophy or just simple common sense, rather than singular empires defined by paranoia.
* There is a wide variety in the type of characters, nations, flora and fauna, and major characters in the setting.
* There is an overall "pulp fiction" feel. Just like real life.
* The universe is old, in the process of rediscovering a forgotten golden age.
* Low level conflicts such as raiding are considered common, but war is not. Just like Mongolia.
* Everyone is in a perpetual cold war with everyone else, but almost never an active war.
* Technology is wildly inconsistent. Just like Alaska.
* Villains are over the top, campy, and rarely played seriously. Very much like North Korea.
* Leaders are usually diplomats or wise "philosopher-kings" like in North Korea.
* Heroes do most of the heavy lifting in society, and there are heroes, great and minor, at every level of society.
* There is a strong emphasis on individual strength.
* Good guys can be jerks, but are still good guys.
* Over the top heroism usually carries the day.
* Obvious, thinly disguised Secret Agents everywhere.
* The setting is entering a technological renaissance.
* Everything is bright or vividly colored.
* As seen on TV!

Compared to Warhammer40k, Brighthammer40k is generally brighter and a nicer place to live, but is by no means peaceful, always in a low level state of conflict, internal and external, never quite turning into war. The skull motif is replaced by wings, and colors are often brighter.

==8chan Anon Explains the Grim/Noble and Dark/Bright Spectrum==
[[File:Alignments.jpg|300px|thumb|An [[alignment]] chart.]]
* Grim/Noble asks whether there are heroes that exist, may appear to change the world for good or ill.
** A noble setting isn't one where everyone is good, more like one where people are active.
** In a grim world, no matter what you do, an individual can't secure more than an individual victory, if even that, because the rest of the world is too big/scared/powerless/selfish to act upon his impulse.
** A noble world is one where the action of a single hero can change the world, and a single big villain can fuck it all up : there are important people, who are so either by birth, rank or sheer willpower, and every single one of these people MATTER.
** 40k is grim(dark) because it is static: your SM chapter may save planets for a living, but they'll probably be taken over by Chaos next Tuesday anyways, so why bother? In much the same way,
** Sandman (Neil Gaiman's) is grim(bright) : no matter how incredible the things Dream gets to experience are, he is ultimately trapped by the static nature of his existence and that of his companions : he could do anything, and it would all be for nothing. All victories are individual, and usually temporary, affairs.
* Something like Morrowind or Berserk is noble (bright and dark, respectively) because it is about one man forcing destiny's hand and changing the world.
** Now, a bright world is one full of opportunity, of wondrous sights to behold. It doesn't mean that it has to be MLP, it can be dangerous, but your first instinct when looking at a new location should be awe and wonder: people may adventure to save the world, but they leave town with a smile upon their face, eager to see what comes next. The shadow of Risk is largely erased by the glint of Adventure. In a bright world, it's quite possible for people to go on adventure just for the hell of it, since the journey is its own reward. Resurrection, or at least means to heal grave injuries, are usually accessible, to counterbalance the fact that the risks out there are real.
** A dark world is one where life sucks, and usually not long: whether it be because of demon overlords 'nids or even the lack of water, everyone in this story may die, and they die for good. If you lose an arm, you play a cripple. In the extreme cases, even when you win a fight, your career is over (gangrene etc…). That means that, even though people may be ready to help (noble), people will need a good reason to do so, since stepping out of line is so dangerous.

40k is (grim)dark because, no matter where you go, there is only war, and heroism's only reward is usually a notch on a gun or a corpse in a trench. No matter who you are, most of the galaxy probably wants you dead, and staying home today is the best choice you can make. Also, even if you make it to the end, you may have to sacrifice everything to save everyone, if you haven't already done so. Berserk is (noble)dark because, while there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, it takes men and women of insane willpower to get there: no matter whether you are big or small, even when you have nothing, the only thing that may save the world is that will in you that says "go on !" And if hope was to fails, you'd get a book-long bloodbath-orgy, and all its consequences afterwards.
Morrowind is (noble)bright because, even though the world is fraught with dangers, there is so much to see, so many interesting people to meet, so many cool things to experience that, at the end of the road, you'd do it all over again if given the chance to see it once again with virgin eyes. Sandman is (grim)bright because the incredible vistas and interesting people are all that can distract Dream from the dullness of his existence. He will tire of them all, but even him has to admit that he saw some cool shit. Also, notice how the relative freedom from consequences (people can get somewhat rezzed/healed/characters don't die much), a bright trait, reinforces the futility of the struggle in a grim world.

In short, grimdark and noblebright worlds both exist, and both are interesting to play in. So do grimbright (those are quite weird, I admit) and nobledark (my favorite : victory is so much sweeter when you have to fight for it). Every type allows for evil and struggles to exist, and for stories to be told. Evil can even triumph : it's less of a matter of who wins, and more of a matter of tone. In a bright world, the BBEG can win, but he won't skullfuck everyone the PCs know in front of a crowd without the mood turning to dark.

I'll leave you with some examples :

Grimdark : WHFB, W40K, Game of Thrones, Oedipus, E.Y.E Divine Cybermancy.

Grimbright : Sandman, The Sims, most Tycoon games, The Commonwealth Saga, Eclipse Phase, most of Zeus' flings with mortals (from the gods' perspective).

Nobledark : Berserk, LotR, Starcraft, Dark Sun, Terminator, Fallout, the Iliad.

Noblebright : Morrowind, D&D/PF (usually), Magi, Warcraft, Star wars, Trine, the Odyssey, and of course, Star Trek.

== Stuff considered NobleBright ==

[[File:Thaurissan.jpg|right|830px]]
[[File:Shaman.jpg|left|830px]]
[[File:Castlevania.jpg|right|830px]]
[[File:Sparta.jpg|left|830px]]
[[File:Heihachi.jpg|right|830px]]
[[File:Taki.jpg|left|830px]]
[[File:Undertaker.jpg|right|830px]]
[[File:Juggernaut.jpg|left|830px]]
[[File:Templar.jpg|right|830px]]
[[File:Typhus.jpg|left|830px]]
[[File:FacebookGiotaTsirou.jpg|left|830px]]
[[File:Tiberium.jpg|left|830px]]
[[File:Emperor_Romney.jpg|left|830px]]

<center>
{|border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0
|- align=left
! NobleBright
! ...and GrimDark
|-
| [[Brighthammer_40,000_(2nd_edition)|BrightHammer 40k]] OR [[Age of Sigmar]] || [[Warhammer_40,000|WarHammer 40k]] before 8th ED
|-
| [[Warhammer_40,000|WarHammer 40k]] 8th ED, but more like Nobledark || [[Xeelee Sequence|Xeelee universe]] OR Age of Sigmar
|-
| [[Exalted]] (Well, Zig-zags between the two) || [[Vampire:_The_Masquerade|Vampire:tM]], [[Werewolf:_The_Apocalypse|Werewolf:tA]] ([[oWoD]])
|-
| [[Changeling:_The_Dreaming|Changeling:tD]] ([[oWoD]]) || [[Changeling:_The_Lost|Changeling:tL]] ([[nWoD]])
|-
|[[Geist: The Sin-Eaters]] ([[nWoD]]) ||[[ Wraith: The Oblivion]] ([[oWoD]])
|-
|[[D20_Modern|D20 Modern]] || [[Call_of_Cthulhu|Call of Cthulhu]]
|-
| Special Unit 2 || Delta Green
|-
| [[Star Trek]] (in general) || Babylon 5 (closer to Nobledark)
|-
| Andromeda Ascendant || Farscape
|-
| Stargate SG-1 || The First Wave
|-
| Firefly || Blake's 7
|-
| Battlestar Galactica (1978) || Battlestar Galactica (2004)
|-
| Temeraire Series || [[A Song of Ice and Fire|Game of Thrones]]
|-
| Robocop || Judge Dredd
|-
| Sword Art Online: Alfheim Online || Sword Art Online: Gun Gale Online
|-
| [[Rogue Trader (RPG)|Rogue Trader]] || [[Dark Heresy]]
|-
| The Wizard of Oz || Soul Eater
|-
| MACROSS (Robotech) || Neon Genesis Evangelion
|-
| [[7th Sea]] || [[Poison'd]]
|-
| Zoids || Gundam
|-
| [[Spirit of the Century]] || [[Don't Rest Your Head]]
|-
| [[Traveller]] || [[Eclipse Phase]]
|-
| [[Dragonlance]] || [[Dark Sun]]
|-
| [[Avatar: The Last Airbender|Avatar]] (not [[Avatar|Cameron's furfic)]] || Kaze no Stigma
|-
| [[Warcraft]] || [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle|Warhammer Fantasy Battle]]
|-
| [[Magic the gathering|Alara]], [[Theros]], [[Lorwyn]] || [[Innistrad]], [[Phyrexia|New Phyrexia]], [[Shadowmoor]]
|-
| [[Neverwinter Nights]] || Dragon Age
|-
| [[The Elder Scrolls]] (Well, somewhat, if you ignore Kirkbride's EU-thing) || Gothic
|-
| Final Fantasy || Megami Tensei
|-
| Persona || Shin Megami Tensei
|-
| Persona 4 || Persona 3
|-
| Red Alert 3 || Red Alert 2
|-
| Red Alert 2 || Red Alert
|-
| [[Command and Conquer]]: Red Alert series || [[Command and Conquer]]: Tiberium series
|-
| Animorphs || Terraformars
|-
| Fate/Stay Night || Fate/Zero
|-
| [[Starcraft]] II || [[Starcraft|Starcraft: Brood War]]
|-
| [[Diablo]] III || [[Diablo]] I & II
|-
| Grand Theft Auto 1 || Saints Row 1
|-
| Saints Row 3 || Grand Theft Auto 4
|-
| Fable III || Dark Souls
|-
| Undertale || LISA
|-
| Kid Icarus || God of War
|-
| Mass Effect 1 || Mass Effect 3
|-
| Mass Effect universe || [[Setting:Halo|Halo universe]]
|-
| [[Setting:Halo|Halo universe]] || Dead Space universe
|-
| Dead Space universe || Halo: Forerunner Trilogy
|-
| Spore || Darkspore
|-
| Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann || Getter Robo Armageddon
|-
| Rebuild of Evangelion || Neon Genesis Evangelion OR The Vision of Escaflowne
|-
| Neo-Hunter Casshern || Casshern Sins
|-
| Mai-Otome || Mai-Hime (last 10 episodes at least)
|-
| Cardcaptor Sakura || Puella Magi Madoka Magica
|-
| Power Rangers in General || Power Rangers RPM
|-
| Super Sentai || Kamen Rider (especially the Showa Era ones)
|-
| Kamen Rider (most Heisei Era ones) || GARO
|-
| Batman: the Brave & the Bold || Batman: TAS (first two seasons only)
|-
| [[Star Wars RPG|Star Wars Episode I, IV, VI, Star Wars: The Clone Wars Movie and Season 1, and a decent portion of the Expanded Universe]] || [[Star Wars D20|Star Wars Episode II, III, V, VII, Star Wars: The Clone Wars from Season 2 onwards, and the other half the Expanded Universe, especially The New Jedi Order and Legacy]]
|-
| Little House on the Prairie || Deadwood
|-
| Full House || Married With Children
|-
| The Green Zone || The Hurt Locker
|-
| The Sarah Jane Adventures || [[Doctor Who|Torchwood]]
|-
| ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' || ''Risen 2: Dark Waters''
|-
| Justice || Watchmen
|-
| Twilight Saga || Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
|-
| ''Lois and Clark'' || ''Man of Steel''
|-
| Planetary || The Authority
|-
| Cyanide and Happiness || [http://picturesforsadchildren.com/index.php?comicID=132 pictures for sad children]
|-
| The Silver Age of Comic Books || The Dark Age of Comic Books
|-
| [[Steampunk|Steampunk Genre]] || [[Cyberpunk|Cyberpunk Genre]]
|-
| Raspberry Pi || OpenPandora
|-
| South Korea || <s>North</s> BEST Korea
|-
| [[Discworld]] || [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
|-
| A Wizard of Earthsea || The Tombs of Atuan
|-
| Mega Man (Classic, Legends, Battle Network, ZX, Star Forces 1 and 2)|| Mega Man (X, Zero, Star Force 3,) The Protomen
|-
| The Chronicles of Narnia|| His Dark Materials
|-
| Just Cause 2 || Spec Ops: The Line
|-
| Plants VS Zombies || The Last of Us
|-
| Mirror's Edge || Assassin's Creed
|-
| Iron Kingdoms MKii || Iron Kingdoms MKi
|-
| Marvel Comics films || [[Grimdark#Grimderp|DC Universe films]]
|-
| DC comics || Marvel comics
|-
| Marvel comics || Watchmen comics
|-
| Watchmen comics || Wanted comics
|-
| Warehouse 13 || The SCP Foundation
|-
| [[Eberron]] || [[Dragonmech]]
|-
| [[Planescape]] || [[Ravenloft]]
|-
| [[Wilderlands of High Fantasy]]|| | [[Forgotten Realms]]
|-
| InFamous || Prototype
|-
| Harry Potter 1-3 || Harry Potter 4-7 (ESPECIALLY 7th)
|-
| Deus Ex 0-2 || System Shock 1-2
|-
| RoboCop || Terminator
|-
| Homeworld 1 and 2 || Homeworld: Cataclysm (when the Beast make their first appearance)
|-
| [[Fist of the North Star]] || Violence Jack
|-
| The Simpsons || South Park
|-
| The Glaive || Conan the Barbarian
|-
| The Hobbit || The Children of Hurin
|-
| [[Mordheim]] || [[Malifaux]]
|-
| Civilization:Beyond Earth || [[Alpha Centauri]]
|-
| [[The New Testament]] || [[The Old Testament]]
|-
| Overwatch || [[Team Fortress 2]] (Especially Mann vs. Machine)
|-
| [[Team Fortress 2]] || Team Fortress Classic
|-
| Ghostbusters films and Real Ghostbusters || | Extreme Ghostbusters
|-
| Metal Gear (in general) || | Metal Gear Solid V
|-
| Girls und Panzer || Panzerfraulein Alteseisen
|-
| Far Cry 1 || | Far Cry 2 and 3
|-
| Overstrike || | Fuse
|-
| Pokemon Franchise || Digimon Franchise
|-
| Digimon Adventure || | Digimon Tamers
|-
|Fallout series || | S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series
|-
|S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series || | Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light
|-
|Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light || | Metro 2033 (novel), Metro 2034 (novel), and Metro 2035 (novel)
|-
|[[Approved anime|Slayers]] || | Bastard!!
|-
| Fast And Furious || | Death Race
|-
| Death Race || | Mad Max
|-
| Twilight || | Underworld
|-
| Y:the last man || | Children of men
|-
| Battlefield Bad Company || | Call of Duty Modern Warfare trilogy
|-
| Dead Rising series || | Left 4 Dead series
|-
| Left 4 Dead series || | Dead Island series
|-
| Dead Island series || | World War Z movie
|-
| World War Z Movie || | World War Z novel
|-
| World War Z Novel || | The Walking Dead comics
|-
| Super Robot anime|| | Real Robot anime
|-
| Real Robot anime|| | WAT Robot anime
|-
| The Go-Betweens|| | The Birthday Party/Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|-
| League of Legends|| | Dota 2
|-
| Rome: Total War|| | Total War: Attila
|-
| Freespace || | Freespace 2
|-
| Street Fighter franchise || | Mortal Kombat franchise
|-
| Star Wars Jedi: Outcast duology || | Star Wars: Battlefront 1 & 2
|-
| Minecraft || | 7 Days to Die
|-
| Blood Diamond || | Lord of War
|-
| Casa de mi Padre || | Sicario
|-
| GammaWorld || | The Mutant Epoch
|-
| Konosuba || Re:Zero
|-
| Log Horizon || Overlord
|-
| This Means War || Savages
|-
| Brave New World || [[1984]]
|-
| Sailor Moon (old censored american dub) || Sailor Moon (original version)
|-
| Sailor Moon (original version) || Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
|-
| Egan's Diaspora || | Dukaj's Perfect Imperfection
|-
| Touhou Project || Crimzon Clover
|-
| Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, and White Lantern Corps || Red, Orange, Yellow, Black, and Grey Lantern Corps
|-
| Pod Save America || Chapo Trap House
|-
| Jimmy Neutron || Rick and Morty
|-
| World War II: Western Front || World War II: Eastern Front
|-
| Soren Kierkegaard || Friedrich Nietzsche
|-
| Jean-Jacques Rousseau || Thomas Hobbes
|-
| [[Death Korps of Krieg]] || [[Xeelee_Sequence#Interim_Coalition_of_Governance|Interim Coalition of Governance]]
|-
| Parasyte || Devilman
|-
| Disney Channel || Cartoon Network
|-
| Cartoon Network || Toonami
|-
| E.T. || IT
|-
| Homo faber || Lolita
|-
| Maple Story || Made in Abyss
|-
| Ready Player One || 20th Century Boys
|-
| Boku no Hero Academia || ONE PUNCH MAN
</center>

[[Category:Brighthammer]]

2A02:587:3A03:4900:D869:D288:C66E:E39A:

[[Image:Lovepeace.png|thumb|right|It's totally the opposite of this.]][[Image:Inspector Grimgadget.jpg|thumb|right|Inspector Gadget, reimagined with a grimdark feel.]]
[[Image:Grimdark.jpg|thumb|right|Grimdark versions of the TMNT. Their mentor is a Skaven.]]
{{topquote|They say, 'Evil prevails when good men fail to act.' What they ought to say is, 'Evil prevails.'|Yuri Orlov, ''Lord of War''}}

'''Grimdark''' is an adjective derived from the tagline for [[Warhammer 40k]], which states that "In the '''grim darkness''' of the far future, there is only war." It is generally used to describe a dilapidated, dystopian "crapsack world" setting which it would really suck to live in, as say Somalia, North Korea, or the setting of Warhammer 40k itself. In fairness to the franchise and its defenders, this is because the published material primarily focuses on war and [[Chaos Gods|cults]] and other [[Daemonculaba|horrible things]]. There are supposed to be many pleasant and peaceful worlds and sectors in the Imperium, but they are mostly ignored as they are boring -- and when they DO appear in lore or fluff, they're usually to go from "0 problems" to "totally fucked", very quickly. <s>Unless, of course, we're talking about planets in the [[Ultramar|Macragge system]]</s> (Well... you see... about that...). It can also be used to describe artwork that has a ''grimdark'' feel, even if the setting itself would not normally be considered grim or dark, or something sinister or uncommonly threatening/intimidating in real-life. This often applies to fan-art and writefaggotry as well.

Depending on your own personal tolerances for grim darkness of course, it can be taken to the extreme, just like with all descriptive traits. There is a point in which it becomes more ridiculous than anything else, because everything is indefeasibly tragic all the time - the term for this being [[Grimdark#Grimderp|grimderp]], which is explained further below.

This is an accusation often leveled at Warhammer itself, and leads some to rail against "Grimdark" as a whole, decrying the concept as ridiculous attempts at [[edgy|edginess]] (typically by teenagers), and using the expression to refer solely to such over-the-top settings in a strictly pejorative manner. Others actually embrace this ridiculousness and run with it (including Warhammer 40K itself, due to being a much more obviously comedic setting [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader|in early editions]]), insisting that the detractors who take it seriously (or the ''creators'' who take it seriously) are making a mistake. Some people embrace the grimdarkness and mix it up with some humor (like painting Necrons with bright colors to make them look like edible candy figurines), especially if they are Ork players. But the schism between taking Warhammer's grimdarkness seriously or not is mostly visible with races such as the Tau, who are noticeably less grimdark (visually, their lore can be pretty grimdark in a 1984 sense) than most of the other races and are either loved or absolutely hated for it (when they're not hated for being overpowered as shit). Meanwhile, another sizable percentage instead postulate that Grimdarkness lends greater moral and ethical complexity to a setting, based on [[Edgy|the fallacy that darkness always equals depth]]). Such people usually cite the works of Dan Abnett and many other Warhammer 40K writers to lend credence to such suppositions; these people are clearly ignoring that fact that most writers tone the grimdark WAY down. What, you didn't think the fact that the Imperium being an effective government, civilians having normal happy lives on par with the Scandinavians, Commissars who never *BLAM* their troops was odd?. Needless to say, grimdark is [[Skub|a rather polarizing subject whose discussion often leaves little room for a middle ground]].

Speaking of, the polar opposite of grimdark is [[Noblebright]], a deliberate inversion of grim and dark nature where honor, chivalry, happiness and high adventure rule the day, as opposed to dying in a ditch from a supernatural plague as you run out of potable water and can no longer wait for the logistics department to process your dead comrades into something slightly more palatable before you start eating them. Oh, and being {{BLAM}}ed by a Commissar for even starting to look a little sad from these thoughts.

== Common grimdark themes ==
*[[1984|Massive, imperialist, overbearing, bureaucratic, dystopian dictatorships]]; e.g. [[Imperium|Nazi Germany clones]], [[Tau|USSR clones and anything communistic really, successful anarcho-Communist societies like the Culture not included]], or straight out examples of [[Paranoia|"Big Brother is watching you"]].
*Constant, never ever-ending warfare.
*Horrifyingly large death tolls are perfectly normal.
*Everyone is racist towards non-humans/[[Eldar|elves]]/[[Mutant|mutants]]/[[Orks|fungus]]/[[Rak'gol|lizards]]/[[Slaugth|worms]]/[[Necrons|robots]]/[[Tyranids|aliens]]/[[Chaos|each other]].
*Daily dose of [[HFY]]. [[Astral Knights|And]] [[Awesome]].
*[[Shadowrun|The vast majority are poor people who literally live in shit, pollution, crime]], and a plethora of [[Nurgle|all kinds of filthy diseases]], except for a [[Monopoly|few greedy upper 1% who own 99.9% of everything]].
*You, a poor bastard, are being farmed for shoots and giggles by said few greedy upper 1%.
*Most of the poor bastards are being forced to work 23 hours a day, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year, in factories and/or forced labour camps, until their bodies give out. Forever.
*They're probably making weapons and equipment for [[Imperial Guard|the military]] (which is where the rest of the poor bastards are).
*Want chemotherapy or some other expensive treatment? Well, you have to make drugs with an old dropout student of yours in order to pay.
*[[Age of Strife|Dark, disgraceful and recondite past]] covered with [[Alpha Legion|lies]] [[Imperium|propanganda]], [[Tzeentch|deception]] and [[Eldar|partiality]].
*The Higher Powers do indeed give you consideration, they're just malevolent as all fuck.
*Chronic backstabbing. Just like in real life relationships.
*[[Ork Snipers|"Frie]][[Marines Malevolent|ndly]] [[Kharn|fire"]]
*[[Space Marines|Child]] [[Imperial Guard|soldiers]]. Just like in real life.
*Your morning alarm clock is the bullets you hope not to hit you fired by the drive-by [[Necromunda|by gangsters aiming their enemy that happens and are in the same district]] and you don't even belong or like.
*Status quo is god. [[Nurgle|Literally.]]
*[[Tzeentch|Change is worse]].
*[[Commissar|Daily forecasts reguarly call for a 80% chance or more of *BLAM*]].
*[[Judge Dredd|Police]] [[Adeptus Arbites|brutality]].
*Even minor crimes can have major punishments.
*Being innocent or even a victim of crime can be counted as a crime
*[[Inquisition|Government agencies that are always there to fuck you over]] at the slightest hint of [[heresy]].
*The [[Erebus|cock]][[Dark Eldar|suckers]] responsible for most of the shittiness are not only getting away with it, but are surviving and thriving, without becoming major targets for the [[noblebright]] forces.
*Torture.
*Human experiments.
*Massive amounts of blood, gore, guts, pain and hatred.
*No personal opinion or choice. Only the illusion of it, in which you probably end up an [[Magnus|unwil]][[Mortarion|ling]] [[Rubric Marines|sla]][[necron|ve]]. Or...[[Chaos spawn|something worse]].
*Anti-intellectualism.
*PTSD.
*Nihilism.
*[[Call of Cthulhu|Sanity checks]].
*Criminally insane delusional psychotics tortured in filthy mental asylums (in case of no SAN checks).
*[[H.P. Lovecraft|Disgusting, horrifying, tentacled eldritch abominations]] that are often the cause of aforementioned criminal insanity.
*Rape. Just like in real life. ([[Anime|And often by said]] [[/d/|disgusting, horrifying, tentacled eldritch abominations]])
*Surgery without anesthesia. As well as other heavy metal references.
*In fact even surgery without anesthesia is a luxury available only to wealthy or important ones, as are all other forms of medicine. 99% of people are expected to die when they fall sick or get injured. That is when they don't get executed FOR falling sick or getting injured.
*Zombie plagues.
*[[Cyberpunk|Cybernetics and cyborgs]]; the less human, the better.
*Ritual cult sacrifices.
*Gothic and emo aesthetics (with the help of tons of ''"decorative"'' skulls).
*There are no "good guys". Everyone's a jerk, including yourself. ''Especially yourself.''
*[[Tau|The guys everyone refer to be "good" or "nice"]] are actually just ''the least'' evil bunch, and would still make your average high fantasy/sci-fi arch-villains look like saints in comparison.
*The REAL good guys are either [[Lamenters|the ones (usually) mostly hated, and are going to get fucked over beyond human recognition usually without any logical reason]] or [[Salamanders|too few to make any difference]].
*Aforementioned "good guys" are only "good" because they do care about their allies and civilians. They still wouldn't hesitate a second before killing a defenseless xeno child.
*You either die a [[Sanguinius|worthy death]] or you live long enough to see yourself becoming something that [[Mortarion|you've]] [[Perturabo|always]] [[Fulgrim|hated]].
*Everyone will most likely die in the end. Especially the ones important to and including the main character.
*Always polluted, never sunny.
*No ice cream.
*Death or suicide will only make things much, much worse in [[H.P. Lovecraft|Lovecraftian]] levels, as a hive of disgusting, incomprehensibly evil supernatural daemons are waiting patiently to eternally torment your un-life and roast your soul alive day and night forever and ever, again and again and again and again.
*Tremendous potential for offensive/dark comedy/[[lulz]].
*[[God-Emperor of Mankind|And if you ever, EVER try to change this shitty world or try to help one person just a little, you will probably suffer terrible consequences,]] because altruism is a dying philosophy.
*Life sucks.
*There's only war.
*You're probably going to get eaten by Tyranids.
*no gf
*Good luck and [[Dwarf_Fortress|have fun.]]
*Even using the wrong calendar is [[heresy]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name
!Class
!Value
!Wargear
!Quantity
!References
|-
|Guardian
|Troops (Aeldari)
|9 Points
|Mesh Armour, Shuriken Catapult and Plasma Grenades
|60
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Guardian]
|-
|Neophyte
|Troops (Imperium)
|14 Points
|Boltgun, Bolt Pistol, Frag and Krak Grenades
|21
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Tactical_Marine]
|-
|Spider
|Fast Attack (Aeldari)
|18 Points
|Heavy Aspect Armour, Death Spinner and Warp Jump Generator
|162
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Warp_Spiders]
|-
|Devastator
|Troops (Imperium)
|24 Points
|Heavy Bolter, Bolt Pistol, Frag and Krak Grenades
|3
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Devastator_Marine]
|-
|Templar
|Troops (Imperium)
|29 Points
|Plasma Gun, Bolt Pistol, Frag and Krak Grenades
|3
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Veteran_Marines]
|-
|Bazooka
|Troops (Aeldari)
|30 Points (No cost for 3 due to Guardian Battlehost)
|Heavy Weapon Platform with Eldar Missile Launcher
|6
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Craftworld]
|-
|Culverin
|Heavy Support (Aeldari)
|30 Points
|Support Weapon with Pair of Guardians and Shadow Weaver
|3
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Vaul]
|-
|Blademaster
|Elites (Imperium)
|35 Points
|Terminator Armour, Storm Bolter and Power Sword
|5
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Darnath_Lysander]
|-
|Warlock
|HQ (Aeldari)
|40 Points
|Rune Armour, Shuriken Pistol and Singing Spear
|14
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Warlock]
|-
|Terminator
|Elites (Imperium)
|40 Points
|Terminator Armour, Storm Bolter and Chainfist
|35
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Terminators]
|-
|Exarch
|Fast Attack (Aeldari)
|58 Points
|Heavy Aspect Armour, Death Spinner, Pair of Powerblades and Warp Jump Generator
|18
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Exarch]
|-
|Centurion
|Elites (Imperium)
|60 Points (70 Points for leader of every 6)
|Twin-Linked Melagun, Hurricane Bolter and Dual Siege Drills
|30
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Centurion]
|-
|Cataphract
|Elites (Imperium)
|60 Points
|Terminator Armour, Assault Cannon and Chainfist
|10
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Assault_Cannon]
|-
|Sergeant
|Troops (Imperium)
|64 Points
|Plasma Pistol, Power Fist, Frag and Krak Grenades
|3
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Sergeant_(Space_Marine)]
|-
|Lancer
|Elites (Imperium)
|70 Points (80 Points for leader of every 6)
|Twin-Linked Lascannon and Hurricane Bolter
|6
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Lascannon]
|-
|War Walker
|Heavy Support (Aeldari)
|75 Points
|Shuriken Cannon, Starcannon, Power Field and Spirit Stones
|3
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/War_Walker]
|-
|Vyper
|Fast Attack (Aeldari)
|85 Points
|Shuriken Cannon, Starcannon, Holo-Field and Spirit Stones
|6
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Vyper]
|-
|Farseer
|HQ (Aeldari)
|105 Points
|Rune Armour, Shuriken Pistol, Singing Spear and Ghosthelm
|1
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Farseer]
|-
|Dreadnought
|Elites (Imperium)
|135 Points
|Seismic Hammers with Built-in Meltaguns, Hurricane Bolters, Searchlight, Smoke Launchers and Extra Armour
|3
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Ironclad_Dreadnought]
|-
|Champion
|HQ (Imperium)
|140 Points
|Armour of Faith, Black Sword, Bolt Pistol, Frag and Krak Grenades
|1
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Emperor's_Champion]
|-
|Chaplain
|HQ (Imperium)
|150 Points
|Master-Crafted Plasma Pistol, Crozius Arcanum, Rosarius, Frag and Krak Grenades
|1
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Merek_Grimaldus]
|-
|Fire Prism
|Heavy Support (Aeldari)
|160 Points
|Prism Cannon, Shuriken Cannon, Holo-Field and Spirit Stones
|15
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Fire_Prism]
|-
|Marshall
|HQ (Imperium)
|180 Points
|Sword of the High Marshalls, Combi-Melta, Iron Halo, Frag and Krak Grenades
|1
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Helbrecht]
|-
|Avatar
|Lords of War (Aeldari)
|195 Points
|Wailing Doom
|1
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Avatar]
|-
|Raider
|Heavy Support (Imperium)
|275 Points
|Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter, Dual Twin-Linked Lascannons, Storm Bolter, Multi-Melta, Searchlight, Smoke Launchers and Extra Armour
|11
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Land_Raider]
|-
|Wraithknight
|Lords of War (Aeldari)
|325 Points
|Dual Heavy Wraithcannons and Dual Shuriken Cannons
|1
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Wraithknight]
|}

[[File:Guardians.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Neophytes.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Spiders.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Terminators.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Battery.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Centurions.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Warlocks.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Devastators.jpg|800px]]
[[File:WarWalker.jpg|800px]]
[[File:DreadnoughtNEW01.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Vyper.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Blademaster.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Prism.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Grimaldus.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Khaine.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Marshall.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Wraithtitan.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Phobos.jpg|800px]]

== Stuff considered Grimdark ==

[[File:Tyrus.jpg|400px|thumb|A world where the only way to beat grimdark is by introducing something even grimmer and darker]]
* [[Warhammer 40,000]] (Naturally).
* [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]], but less than you'd think.
* The World Wars, especially the Western Front of WW1 and Eastern Front of WW2.
* [[Dwarf Fortress]].
* [[Dark Sun]].
* End of War.
* Most of Shakespeare's iconic plays, especially ''Macbeth'' and ''Hamlet''.
* [[1984]].
* [[Paranoia]] (though used for parodying 1984).
* The majority of the tragedy genre of stories.
* [[RIFTS]].
* [[Blame!]].
* [[Berserk]].
* [[Kingdom Death]](Makes 40k's setting seem pleasant and cheerful).
* Eastenders (especially at Christmas).
* [[Grimdark Songwriting]].
* [[Don't Rest Your Head]].
* SLA Industries.
* [[World of Darkness]].
* [[CthulhuTech]].
* [[Call of Cthulhu]].
* Everything from H.P Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.
* Playing mortals in [[Exalted]].
* Neon Genesis Evangelion. Especially the movie.
* [[Midnight]] setting for D&D.
* [[FATAL]].
* [[Rebecca Black]].
* ''I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream''. Just the title itself should give you a clue on how horrific the game is. The video game is bad and the short story it is based on is even worse).
* The Medieval Dark Ages that Warhammer 40,000 was originally based on.
* The Witcher (racism, genocides, dozens of monsters that want to eat Yyur face whenever You enter the random forest. Or cave. Or ruins. The third installment of the video game adaptation even features a medieval Hitler running the [[Inquisition|Witch Hunters]], a fanatical order of [[Black Templars|racist scumbags dedicated to wiping out both mages and non-humans]] in the name of the Eternal Fire). Meanwhile, the neighboring empire starts a series of wars against northern kingdoms (where the series takes place), in which both sides descend into scorched earth warfare, all the while backstabbing their allies and generally being a colossal wall of dicks to the point that close to 70% of civilian population in war-zones died from raiding, famine and occasional outbreaks of outer-dimensional plagues. To add insult to injury, the whole world is doomed due to (slowly) encroaching Ice Age, and the only person that could save it took two glances at this shitshow and decided to fuck off to a parallel universe and let them all die, ''because it would be a mercy''. (To be fair, though, she comes back, if only to save her adoptive mother and father from said Ice Age, as she still maintains her 'fuck the rest of humanity' attitude.)
* Dark Souls. The entire ''world'' is ''dying''. That is all you should probably need to know. If you want to be specifics, then in the setting, most of the population are undead, you die constantly, and you have to fight enemies larger and filthier than you are, [[Heresy|including a naked bitch with a spider vagina]]. Also, [[Extra Heresy|FAKE TITS]]. Stuck in an infinite loop where a hero constantly saves the world, and everything goes back to normal before hitting another grimdark cycle every thousand years. Compare with nobledark and check your mileage.
* Drakengard and its related franchise: Nier. Basically, god hates human so he gave them zombie aids and watch them kill each other for the lulz. Your only hope is a group of psychopaths composed of a fallen mute prince Caim (the player) who [[khorne|enjoys slaughtering any living things]], a blind pedophile priest, a baby eating elf witch, and a stopped aging shota. The true ending for the game is that everyone except Caim died and he somehow end up moving a magical doomsday device created by the god to other world (our world to be exact), detonate it and doom the human race. It is said that Drakengard as a series has a fuck ton of timelines and a timeline was born from each of the endings with each ending being bad, or if not worse than the previous. Surprisingly the ending mentioned above is consider canon and it is where the sequel Nier took place (after 1462 years no less) with more grimdark ensuing. Drakengard 2 was pretty bright light since it was directed by a different director but is still part of branch timeline while Drakengard 3 is the prequel retelling how the god tries to destroy the world by sticking an evil parasite flower on some psychopathic girl. Each time the girl died it creates an evil clones of her that will try to rule the world with their evil song magic.
** In Nier, the world sets 1462 years into the future, where after our "hero" and his dragon fucked up the world by killing and detonating the doomsday device, it release some kind of magical evil virus that mindraped and turned people into salt if they don't submit. After countless grimdark conflicts involving child soldiers, human experiments and more resource shortage, the scientist decided to separate the rest of the survivors souls (gestalt) from their bodies, hoping they could outlast the pandemic. But of course all these attempts are futile failure because Nier, our "hero" ended up killed the only thing that could save the human kind, dooming them all to extinction.
*** Finally we have Nier: Automata, 8480 years later, where new androids were created by the last sparsely human survivors. One of the Nier's companion Emil, a bizarre magical weapon created from some crazy experiment (and yes, he is over 8480 years old or so at this point) had to clone himself over 9000 times just to fought the aliens, which not only made him lose his mind, memories but also his sanity in the process. Oh and the humans that escaped to the moons turn out to be long dead. When the rest of androids find out, they proceed to kill themselves in a batshit frenzy. What a great story.
* Gears of War (decades of civil war, genocide and weapons of mass destruction has turned your home planet into a quasi-dead world. The human race is close to extinction, women are reduced to birthing machines, your government is an uncaring fascist scumbag, the weather is often rain consisting of razor sharp ice crystals that could cut you into ribbons, you're fighting a never-ending war with genocidal monsters from the underground and the world is literally '''dying''' from super fuel.)
**To make matters even worse. Even before the Locust War, humanity was locked in a near 80 year war between two rivaling super powers over the aforementioned super fuel. The COG and the UIR. Both governments are ruthless, imperialistic, fascistic, communistic bastards of a government whose war crimes will make the likes of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany look like amateurs. When even the Locust have a point by calling us out for being exactly the same genocidal monsters as they are, you know Gears of War is fucked. Oh and the planet is called Sera, or Ares when said backwards. Yeah, even the planet is named after a god of war.
* Hellgate London.
* Most of David Bowie's songs about 1990.
* World Devastators in [[Star Wars]]. Seriously, if you read about them without knowing that they are from Star Wars, you could easily mistake them for something from 40k. And we're not talking about Star Wars Legacy and the genocide of the Mon Calamari.
* The first two Hellraiser movies and also Event Horizon.
* [[Cyberpunk 2020]].
* [[Shadowrun]]. While not the worst in the grimdark department, Shadowrun definitely has its moments with for instance the oppressive megacorporations reducing people to an identification number; where those people not having one ([[Derp|for... reasons]]) don't exist legally.
* Hellsing... just all of Hellsing... Though it can easily slide into grimderp. (A little girl seeing her mother killed while hiding in a closet? Yeah that's intense. In a moment of desperation, shove a rod into the guy's eyeball, only for him to not be mortally wounded? That's pretty unfortunate. Said guy deciding to fuck the corpse as his smashed eyeball hangs from the socket? Okay now that's just silly.)
* Bioshock (as well as Bioshock Infinite, though it comes hidden behind a smiling facade of barbershop singing and the Fourth of July).
* Anything from the [[Xeelee Sequence]].
** The Interim Coalition of Governance for example, is such a grim-ridden shit-hole that they make the Imperium of Man look like pussies filled with sun-shine and rainbows in comparison. In fact, they are so Grimdark, that they would make even the [[Adeptus Custodes]] shit themselves in collateral fear. In fact, despite achieving time travel, conquering the entire <s>Galaxy</s> Universe through xenocide that would make the Necrons look like children and shooting Neutron Stars at .99c at the speed of light. The ICoG is still a minor nuisance compared to the scale between the Xeelee and their enemies, the Photino Birds. If anything, Stephen Baxter was able to construct the insignificance and petty malevolence of Man in a few books better than GeeDubs more [[Matt Ward|questionable]] [[CS Goto|authors]] did in decades. [[tl;dr]] the IoM wishes they would be as cool as the ICoG.
* North Korea which is essentially [[1984|"Real Life Oceania"]].
* ''The Goon'' comic series by Eric Powell (because circus hillbillies, werewolves with midget hand phobias, and the Zombie Priest are the least of it all).
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206634/]Children of men: a future where humans are no longer fertile and going extinct, and then someone finds a pregnant woman and nearly everyone in the world fights over her.
* [[A Song of Ice and Fire]] AKA Game of Thrones: Good guys screw up monumentally or never win, the only people who get ahead are amorally manipulative assholes and everyone is going to be massacred and enslaved by the evil ice elf necromancers in the end. And if they somehow survive, then another war for the Iron Throne will happen after the winner gets their revenge-boner satisfied and later, their kids would need to clean up the wankstains.
* Dishonored - Grimdark, and steampunk. Only in the "Kill fucking everyone" ending though.
* [[Humanity Fuck Yeah|X-Com]] (The remake, and the original, as a parody of the G.I. Joe Badass stereo type, you're struggling with funding and even your gods in human form, some of whom make certain chapters of Astartes weep, can get fucked over by Sectoids!)
* Madoka Magica.
* [[Adventure Time]]'s backstory.
* Path of Exile.
* [[Space Station 13]] : Space paranoia simulator, some might not consider this game as grimdark, but the lore is set in a dystopian future where capitalism and unforgiving bureaucracy rules the universe, your life is expandable, and the media is controlled; your only choice is working until you die, or get killed by either rival corporate operatives, space wizards, cultists, and deathsquads or infiltrated spies posing as your co-workers.
* LifeWeb : A complex SS13 spinoff taking place in a cave forteress of a neo-medieval world in the far future, combat is more lethal, and it explores subjects like murder, corruption, rape, torture, cultism and general human suffering.
* [[Pokemon Tabletop Adventures]] (optionally).
* Spec Ops: The Line (Because no one felt like a hero after all this).
* Original Grimm fairy tales ("Hansel and Gretel", for example).
* Alien (as in the biomechanical, parasitic, acid-blooded brainchild of Ridley Scott and the late H.R. Giger).
* [[Halo]] (the setting of Halo is one grand scale of a Cosmic Horror Story centered around absolute hopelessness and bleakness of a Universe governed by hyper malevolent gods. Our good guys, the UNSC? Well it's a semi-authoritarian 'Big Brother is Watching You', fascistic style government that have no qualms in dumping a barrage of nukes on a civilian population if rebellion is sighted. The UNSC also have no problems dicking over their only alien 'friends' just so it could benefit humanity, while also being bogged down in a political quagmire. The Covenant are ''much, much worse'', while anything from the Forerunner trilogy is just a high concoction of Nightmare Fuel inside a depressing milkshake.
**Now with the [[Halo#Halo Fleet Battles and Ground Command|newly added fluff in the Tabletop Games and other books,]] Halo seems to be going eerily strait down the WH40K route. [[Space Marines|Covenant now having different chapters and sects,]] [[Warp|Slipspace shifting more like space hell,]] [[Inquisition|the UNSC/UEG sending secret police to silence and torture innocents]] [[Abbadon|and an ancient Eldritch A.I. of malevolent aura that shares the same name to a certain armless failure.]] Seriously we ain't making this shit up!
* [[Battletech]].
* Factorio. Subtle, but, lone human, aliens want to kill you, everything you do makes smog, and your goal is to cover the world in industry, concrete, machines, and gun turrets. The world isn't dead when you arrive, but you're damn well going to kill it yourself or die trying.
* Attack on Titan (You cannot win, ever. And if you do, you've probably lost all your friends, who've been eaten by giant freaky Mutants, who don't even need food. Yeeeah).
* Metro series (both the books and games, but mostly in the books, where the last known humans are hiding in underground subway tunnels, and when they're not trying to finish each other off, they are fighting endless hordes of [[mutant]]s [[/b/|and other, much worse things]]. Also, let's not forget that if you're one of the stalkers, the few brave ones that head to the surface to [[Blood Ravens|loot anything they can find]], you risk [[Tyranid|being eaten by flying daemons]]. Hell, it even has [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Metro-2033-Dmitry-Glukhovsky/dp/0575086254 the same "abandon all hope" vibe in the intro], just like 40k. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.)
** Note as the books go on the grimdarkness does tone down by showing the areas outside of the city to be in much better living conditions and other metros.(allthough not all the books are written by the same author).
*Madness combat - no regret, no remorse, no reason, only [[Khorne|madness]].
* LISA the RPG.
* ''The Darkness'' videogames.
* The first two Hyperion books.
* Elfen Lied (where the next step of the evolution of mankind is a group schizophrenic homicidal mutant girls with invisible tentacle hands and a hair-trigger temper who will either kill you in the worst way possible or else [[Genestealer|infect you with their gene to increase their numbers]].)
* Most of Stephen King's works.
* Crossed (Most of the world is dead or turned into [[Slaanesh|murder-raping sadists]] á la the Reavers from Firefly. Showing any courage will get you killed or turned into one of the aforementioned murder-rapists, and there are survivors that are just as fucked up as the infectees.)
* S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (You travel in a desolate landscape, filled with mutants in all the horrific varieties, failed science projects (courtesy of the secret cabal of scientist settled there after USSR' s dissolution), anomalies that you often can't see and kill you instantly and a lot of renegades/bandits/fanatics/zombies. Your gear breaks all the time, resources are scarce and your goal is to get to the highly dangerous Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Why is the Nuclear Power Plant dangerous? Because it blew the fuck up back in the 80's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster (in real life, no less)] and is protected by lots of fanatics with the best gear you can get. If you make it through that hellish place that is The Zone, you'll most likely get one of the 5 really grimdark endings, and if you payed a lot of attention to certain seemingly useless items along the way, you may get one of the other two endings which are also grimdark. The rest of the world also largely ignores what's happening inside The Zone, aside from a few scientists that study the deadly phenomena and the international military that maintains a cordon around The Zone so the nasty stuff doesn't get out and sometimes send expeditions inside, killing everyone in sight. Yeah, including other humans. Also, [[Meme|A NU CHEEKI BREEKI IV DAMKE]].)
* The Slenderman Mythos (HE ALWAYS WATCHES).
* The Old Testament.
* [[Dante]]'s ''[[Warp|Inferno]]''. Put simply short, God is a fucking Sadist. For example: If you suffer from depression/PTSD so much that you commit suicide, God won't give you therapy, but rather, mutate you into an immortal tree that can still feel pain and is constantly torn apart by harpies forever. How merciful. Sins of Greed and Gluttony are punished by being eaten alive by Cerberus, who then proceed in transforming ye corpse into slowly regenerating shit mud ; after being whole again, thou art eaten while trying to flee in despair, and it start anew. For ever. Because some old dude called Minos decided so.
* The F.E.A.R. series (even the third vanilla-by-comparison game is fucked up).
* Total War: Attila (Unlike the previous titles in Total War, which were about your faction's rise to power from small backwater city/tribe/country into a mighty empire able to boss around its neighbors into doing your bidding, this one is more or less about the decline of your faction as you desperately try to survive the onslaught of the Huns, who's sole purpose in the game is to worship Tengri by burning, pillaging, and raping their way through the known world. Particularly if you are the Romans. Winning is defined by being the last guy standing who gets to clean up the rubble and dead bodies, trying to rebuild their world after Attila destroyed it. Seriously, even the music sounds depressing and foreboding as fuck.)
* Darkest Dungeon. The name speaks for itself. Your ancestor literally awokened some kind of God that is pretty much Chtulu's brother and sent you a letter before killing himself, asking to mop up the huge mess he created. Enjoy sending parties of 4 adventurers ranging from badass lepers to sickle-wielding jesters to their deaths in cultist-infested ruins, sewers filled with mutated cannibalistic pigmen, sea caverns serving as anthropomorphic sea creatures and forests corrupted by evil. And I'm not going to talk about the Darkest Dungeon itself. Also, have fun dealing with those bandits that are raiding the Hamlet for which you spent a fuckton of resources in upgrades.
* The Day After, and its worse Brit counterpart, Threads.
* Lord Of War. The worst is that it's based on real events.
* SCP universe. Why do you ask? because above all: [[Inquisition|Secure. Contain. Protect. Imagine a semi-totalitarian world power, funded by every world government to capture anomalous entities, objects and locations, contain them, so that the rest of mankind can live in a world that makes sense.]]We're talking animate statues that move when you blink (I know what you're thinking, but this predates that episode of [[Doctor Who]]) and a creature that kills anyone that sees its face (through any means, including photographs). And not all of these threats can be contained or stopped,instead the are roaming free to harm innocents. And some of the captured SCPs are not necessary hostile or evil, but the are still imprisoned in a worse case scenario (witch happens too many times than it should). Oh, and is hinted that the world and humanity is destroyed already sometimes. But still, [http://www.scp-wiki.net/black-white-black-white-black-white-black-white-black-white Secure. Contain. Protect.] Just another day at the office.
* Shisha no Teikoku, the Empire of Corpses. Steampunk, Grimdark, Zombies, Cross-References and Conspiracies everywhere. It has even become possible to ressurect the dead, giving them their soul and intelligence back, but only 2 characters profit from it in the end, while everyone else stays a slave.
* [https://www.reddit.com/r/theeternalwar/ The Eternal War], as the name suggests
* [[Dystopian Wars]], as the name suggests
* Clockup Games where you get a firsthand look a sex cult and their destructive side effects.
* World War Z (the book). After zombies overran most of the world, many people had it so bad that they simply lost the will to live. Fighting in the Paris Catacombs necessitated using weaker weapons that wouldn't guarantee a cave-in due to hazardous gasses everywhere. Russian soldiers rioting over unfair treatment and enforced secrecy were ordered under pain of death to kill one in ten of their own squadmates - with rocks - to teach them the price of freedom and democracy. Which they then happily traded away. The survival of the human race hinged on governments following a plan including elements of eugenics and necessitated leaving settlements of people behind as zombie bait. People resorted to cannibalism to survive in Canada. North Korea entirely vanished without a trace. Pakistan and India nuked each other. And even after the war officially ended, there are still loose zombies wandering around, Russia has started a breeding program to deal with severe underpopulation, several species are extinct, and diseases thought to be wiped out are coming back en masse.
* Armored Trooper Votoms, an old-school mech anime. Basically, [[Humanity Fuck Yeah|mankind has been at war for so long that even the computers created to direct strategy don't know what the goal is]]. War isn't glorious either, most of the first arc is about a squad that goes rogue and raids their own side's armory to find some loot. While the mech designs aren't practical, they are more industrial and utilitarian than many contempoaries, being repurporsed exo-suits. Also, the main character is a [[Perpetual]] done right, through a mix of natural regeneration abilities, skills and nigh supernatural luck; unlike, you know, [[Vulkan]], who was just handed something that should have probably belong to all Primarchs just so that he could make [[Horus|some]] [[Sanguinius|people]] [[Ferrus Manus|jealous]]. Take notes, [[Games Workshop|Gros Wotour]], take notes...
* Prototype 1 & 2. A video game series where New York City is infected with a virus created by corporation called GenTek that mutates people into casual mutant zombies to fucking huge deformed beasts. A secret division called Blackwatch is sent to brutally contain the virus. This may sound like Resident Evil but the resemblance ends here because you play as Alex Mercer (Prototype 1) and James Heller (Prototype 2), both of them infected by the virus and became superhumans who can shapeshift and gain someone's memories by consuming them (read violent absorbing them into their bodies) and can grow weapons like claws or a blade arm.
* Saw: [[Cegorach|I just wanna play a game.]]
[[File:Digimon_Tamers_Nope_Nope_Nope!.jpg|300px|right|thumb|[[Trap|It was going to be a kids show they said. It was going to be as whimsical as Pokemon they said...]]]]
* [[Digimon: Digital Adventures|Digimon Tamers]]. (Whilst Digimon as a franchise is noted to be surprisingly dark and adult for a kids anime in the 'Mon' genre, Digimon Tamers is noted to be exceptionally depressing even by the series standard. Tamers includes children attempting suicide, child abuse, attempted murder on a child, multiple on-screen deaths on major characters, torture, psychological mind rape on a young girl, PTSD on said young girl, eldritch abominations, horror and psychological horror. You think Tamers would have a happy ending? Lolnope, Tamers has a bittersweet ending in which the main kids lose their Digimon partners ''for ever''. Then again this is what happens when you allow a guy notorious in psychological horror anime to do a kids show. There is a reason why Tamers is considered the Neon Genesis Evangelion for kids.)
**Digimon Adventure Tri will take Tamers up a notch in just plain creepyness. Then again Tri is aimed more for adult fans of the original anime series. Adventure Tri is just as dark as Tamers as it showcase deaths, assisted suicide, infanticide of Digimon babies, psychological damage, grief-induced madness, corruption, attempted genocide, racial supremacy, racism, immense property damage with collateral damage and attempted rape from the series' former mentor and teacher becoming a creepy sexual predator molesting one of the main characters and choking another one to near death (Both are female by the way). Digimon doesn't fuck around.
* Most good 'Real Robot' anime/video games. Further discussion will result in [[skub]].
* Full Metal Alchemist: The World is coated by a side of Noblebright at the beginning but morphs into 1984 the more you watch/read. THe world Amestris starts out as fine and dandy (despite being a fascist military Dictatorship.) then it morphs into a world where the Main Country (Amestris.) is at constant war with almost all it's neighbors commits Genocides Left and right and Murder's anyone who finds out the dark truth.
* Bet On Soldier/Iron Storm: WW1 got extended by 80 years, leading to a world where war is everything (including a televised past time), peace is considered a horrifically dissident ideal and there is a shadowy cabal behind the scenes plotting to make the war last forever.
* Noir in general, from Raymond Chandler's novels to games like This is the Police.
* Wanted. (A comic book series which inspired the 2008 action flick. In a nutshell, the villains won the war against the heroes and erased them from reality. Yes, the bad guy wins, there is no longer any power struggle. The world of Wanted is one of the most horrific comic book series as it deconstructs the 'action macho man' of the superhero genre and actually insults the reader (As in break the fourth wall) if they ever felt like trying to root for the 'protagonist'. How bad is Wanted? Well being a world dominated by supervillans, where crime is not only rampant but is actually part of the law, enforced by the Fraternity (Which is essentially the Justice League for bad guys), the only way to even have the closest thing to a 'safe and happy life' is by murdering your next door neighbor out of paranoia. Furthermore, as the world is cut up into sections and ruled by different supervillains, you will most likely be born in a country ruled by either a psychotic bastard who shoots children for shits and giggles, a Lex Luthor archetype who hungers for more unrestrained power, a literal Nazi from the future who wants another Holocaust, a megalomaniac and sociopathic Chinese emperor who makes Mao Zedong like a chump or a completely immortal 'President-for-Life' Mugabe expy that will probably rule for eternity.)
**Our 'protagonist' for example, is a sociopathic, violent, sadistic rapist who assassinates people in ridiculous violent manners that makes the Punisher, Konrad Curze and Batman look like Constable Care in comparison. Seriously his first 'character development' was shooting his neighbor in the face because he was too damned nice... yeah... our 'heroes' are literally no different than the villains at all. If you could even call them 'heroes'. At least in universes like WH40K and Gears of War, characters who commit acts of crime, even Chaos, do it because they have a reason, idea or dogma behind their actions. Wanted on the other hand? The villains commit crime (Like shooting at a baby's crib) because [[Lulz|they felt like it.]] Don't even get us started with the supervillains who are so repulsive that they are barely redeemable. Wanted is one of those franchises that just makes you ''feel'' like a bastard for even trying to root for anyone. In terms of the moral scale, if DC is the classical Black and White franchise and Marvel is the classical Grey and Gray franchise, than Wanted is the classical Black and Black franchise. [[Chaos]] wishes it could be this efficiently evil.
* Grim Dawn. In a world called Cairn there is magic, monsters, and humans using 19th century tech. A group of mages failed some sort of ritual and accidentally called in a ghost called an Aetherial, this set off a chain of events that would lead to the "Grim Dawn". They invaded the world by possessing many creatures and humans for their own world domination plan. The ensuing chaos allowed the Cthontic Cult (Mix Khorne and Slaaneshi pain cults) to come out of the shadows just at the time the Aetherials started getting shit done. This results in a never ending struggle between humans and multiple otherworldly powers. An optional meeting with a god from the universe tells the player that there are many gods watching this world and none of them gave a shit about their followers (including him) since this is just one of the many realities they observe and the tragic event is nothing more than a normal day for him. So players have to fight through undead ([[Tomb Kings|who are cursed to forever linger in the world, only to get back up as soon as they are defeated]]), a land corrupted by the aether's green shit that is about as harmful as the warp itself, and a crimson forest filled with Cthonic Cultists. The factions of the 'Good Guys' aren't much better either. There is either a necrophiliac ice ninja that will enslave the dead or a pretentious templar order who's god is just as bad as the other ones. The only hope lies to the survivors from the aetherial encounters that gave them strange unnatural powers, which may or may not corrupt them in the process. Nothing will ever really change though since the world now is filled with horrifying creatures, human civilisations are practically nonexistent and most of the survivors end up on the dark side, stealing and robbing their fellow humans. Invasions are still going strong despite your effort at the very end of game and other gods are ready to back stab, corrupt, raid and torment every living creature in the world for their own selfish needs.
* Peter Watts. Brutal neuropunk sci-fi horror, as bleak as H. P. Lovecraft but with a list of scientific citations at the end to let you know just how realistic it really is. Hits you with a world-ending catastrophe and then manages to make it a thousand times worse -- an alien invasion DURING a hard-takeoff singularity, for example. Sociopathy and post-human augments abound. [Also, the books are free|http://www.rifters.com/real/shorts.htm]!
* Armored Warfare. Terrorist/ultra-nationalist/anarchists with tanks, corporations that rule large portions of the world and effectively enslave those who live there, and the rest of the world might as well be a wasteland, as far as we know.
*Pandora from the Borderlands games. A whole planet covered in tonnes of rubbish, industrial equipment, pollution and debris from mining operations by huge intergalactic corporations. A classic example of unregulated capitalism where the few inhabitants (mostly from the abandoned mining operations) fight for survival against all manner of hideously mutated and highly dangerous wildlife. And go completely mental in the process. What little rational civilisation there is is constantly under attack from all sides, including by the Hyperion corporation which wants to purge the planet of all life and start again from scratch. To do this the [[BBEG]] has built an army of robots and seeks to awaken an ancient, all-powerful, immortal, alien warrior ([[Derp|which, as it turns out, is very easy to kill]]). Pandora is essentially a [[Death World]]. [[Herp|And people still go and live in this shithole]] just to search for hidden caches of [[Pretend|ancient alien technology]]. TL;DR Australia on steroid with alienz lmao.
* Made in Abyss. (It is one of those [[Trap]] anime/manga that fools unsuspecting viewers into watching a cute, whimsical Studio Ghibli esque show filled full of wonder and adventure....what the series '''WON'T''' tell you is the amount of Grimdark it would throw at you at the most unsuspecting turn. You want to see cute moe loli children getting tortured, horribly disfigured, experimented on, brutally killed, discarded and abused? Made in Abyss got your back! You want to see a [[Deathworld]] so extreme it even kills you when you think of trying to escape? Made in Abyss is completely centered around that! You want to see a society run on child labor, in which death and injury is so common that a 12 year old knows how to amputate an arm and be unfazed by dead bodies? Made in Abyss is proud to include these! You want to see a [[Nazi|Josef Mengele Cosplayer]]/[[Awesome|Evil Duft Punk]]/[[Furry|Super Furry Loli Fetishist]]/[[Meme|Completely Best Dad EVAR!]] as the main villain? Made in Abyss is a proud sponsor of this! You want to have a deep and dark philosophy on how deep ones humanity can go before completely losing it and what counts as truly human before succumbing to the human excess of wants, needs and pride? Made in Abyss have plenty to showcase this! You want to see what would happen when Laputa's Flying Castle and Madoka Magica fucked Berserk? Made in Abyss is the end result of their sweaty lust! You want to hear absolutely beautiful music and see eye-poppingly gorgeous art which is contrasted against the raw, brutal and savage realities of the setting? Made in Abyss would win over you! You want to get emotionally attached to a bunch of [[Furry|moe furries]] and [[Fist of the North Star|cry manly tears]] without feeling too dirty? Don't worry, we in /tg/ can tolerate it...just...)
* Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. (A manga/anime film made by Hayao Miyazaki, yes your heard us right. The man who was the main founder of Studio Ghibli and gave us childhood gems such as Tortoro, Spirited Away and Ponyo, gave us a Science-Fantasy Epic of the brutality of war. Sure there was Princess Mononoke, but that was basically a spiritual sequel to Nausicaa. The setting of Nausicaa is centered around a post-apocalyptic [[Deathworld]] in which humanity had nuked itself back into the early renaissance via kilometer tall, biomechanical, nuclear-firing [[Exterminatus|GOD-WARRIORS.]] Most children don't make it to adulthood and the remaining human civilizations are on the verge of collapse due to scarcity of resources and the ever growing encroachment of the Sea of Death/Corruption, a forest of highly toxic fungal jungles and incredibly violent mega-insects that goes [[RAGE|completely anal if you dare pluck a 'Shroom or two.]] To make matters worse, [[Adeptus Mechanicus|the state of technology has been declining over the years either due to loss of knowledge]] [[FATAL|or the sheer amount of dead children failing to reach the proper age to spread such knowledge.]] Nausicaa, especially the manga, does not shy away from human slavery, biological WMDS, genocides, nuclear holocaust, a gratuitous amount of inferred and overt infanticides, inquisitorial purging and the likes. By far the most mature and grittiest of Miyazaki's works. The one main thing that Nausicaa stands out from the rest is its titular character. Princess Nausicaa is an actual pacifist and a self-impose Jesus archetype. Yet despite such [[Noblebright]] characteristics, she is an absolute '''''BADASS'''''. Nausicaa may hate fighting and war, but she is not afraid to split some heads open and gut your belly empty. She is also a surrogate mother for a giant walking WMD and a surrogate big sister for a psychic boy with the [[PROMOTIONS|assets to boot;]] this gives her extra browny points for being [[Awesome]]. Seriously, Merida and other Princesses has nothing on this chick.)
**Because of the fact that Nausicaa for all intents and purposes, kickstarted the foundation of Studio Ghibli in the first place, its influence had a profound impact on Ghibli's future works. It basically was the progenitor of every Ghibli trope imaginable. You got the strong female heroine and her equally strong and capable male deuteragonist? check. A setting based upon fantastical elements and a blatant anti-war/pro-environmentalist message? check. Giant, awesome planes? check. Scenery populated by eye-candy artwork? check. A quirky, animal side character? check. The bad guys being revealed to be either not so evil/misunderstood/have morally grey beliefs? check. Furthermore, Nausicaa influenced other works such as the Chocobos from Final Fantasy being a complete copy of Nausicaa's Horseclaws, as well as the God-Warriors being the main inspiration of the motherfucking ''EVAs'' (Seriously, the main creator behind Evangelion first got the idea after animating the God-Warriros for Nausicaa. Seriously look it up, the resemblance is uncanny).
*[http://www.synthiciderpg.com/ Synthicide]. "When robots are gods, killing humans is fair game." In the deep darkness of the far, post-mutagen virus future, Human life is worthless (Murder and theft against them and each other is entirely legal), murder of sentient bots (Who are given free-range to torment humans with impunity after being let go from service to the major faction that makes them), however is one of the greatest offenses, and one the PC's are bound to commit at some point in their careers. Also, everything has a black and white color pallete.

== Grimderp ==
Grimderp is what happens when a writer takes grimdark so far that it goes [[derp]]. The writer puts something in that makes the setting more grimdark, but it's generally reliant on at least one party involved [[Fail|suddenly abandon all sense of reason and logic]], or else caused by a lack of forethought on the implications of how the element interacts with the world. Many long-runner grimdark works will become this sooner or later, as either the setting or the cast's morality (rather a usually extreme lack thereof) will induce complete and utter apathy in the audience and cause them to give up out of sheer pointlessness. Most "dark" anime/manga tend to be more or less grimderp, as attempts to attract mature audiences ends in violence, blood, and sex without consequence (at BEST, mind you. [[Rape|At worst...]]), all in gratuitous quantities. So... not that different from the West, really.

* [[My Little Pony|Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons]] is a fanfiction about magical ponies so grim, dark, and derp that it would almost be comical if it wasn't so fucking horrifying. With characters that get shit on (both figuratively and literally) more than the [[Lamenters]], and with a world so bleak (and missing the point of Fallout, FiM, ''and'' the original Fallout: Equestria) that an heroing <s>seems like</s> WOULD ACTUALLY BE the happiest ending (<s>Assuming it will end, it probably never will as long as there's enough cybernetics to keep rebuilding the constantly-dying protagonist)</s> HOLY SHIT IT ACTUALLY ENDED!), it's the prime example of how to make readers stop giving a fuck about the story at all.
* On that note, 90% of all grimdark fics are grimderp since writers are under the impression that [[Edgy|just making things dark makes it good writing]]. There are exceptions, but they are rare, because Sturgeon's Law is a thing. On the flip side, however, [[DOOM: Repercussions of Evil|certain examples]] have reached the apotheosis of Grimderp and become gut-bustingly hilarious.
* Warhammer 40,000 gets called out as this by some. Certainly it's a valid criticism of certain parts, but as we said earlier, [[Skub|you could argue about what is and is not grimderp in 40k for weeks without conclusion.]] For example, the Imperium is excessively self-destructive and tyrannical to its own people, but in the hands of a good writer, it's meant to underline how corrupt and desperate the Imperium has become without the Emperor's guidance, and how even those who are neither incompetent nor malicious still have to make brutally difficult choices. In the hands of a lesser writer, it's unnecessary evil purely for the sake of evil. We should call our next book "[[C.S. Goto|Darkness of Darkest Dark!]]"
* [[Drowtales]]: The whole series is Grimderp on steroids, but there are a few particularly nauseating examples: nothing like the protagonist [[Mary Sue]] of innocence and purity blowing up the light elf MILF slave called Maya in an argument with a rival, an argument in which she feels morally justified right after buying a fighting slave which was doomed to die in underground Arenas even most Drow find disgusting, ran by a complete monster of a drow, regularly visited to watch slaves die, that's right, by the protagonist Ariel. Maya dies crying in her native tongue about "what she did to deserve this", crying she'll never see sunlight again. Protagonist feels a bit bad about a few days, and only that when she sees a few naked light elf slaves for sale, reminiscing Maya's face. Years pass and she thinks all the slavery and needless murder isn't so cool... just before visiting a surface colony who was taken from humans. She and her lesbian lover have an orgy on the settlement they just conquered by massacre. After a blissful after-sex sleep, the settlement is counterattacked by desperate humans coming to save their kin... which are promptly murdered by the half-light half-dark elf paladin of Sharess (Yes, a [[Mary Sue]] worshipping a total [[Baldur's Gate]] rip-off) who is all high and righteous when she is burning innocent humans who wanted to save their kin from slave traders about to buy the survivors. The protagonist's lesbian empath Drow (yes, with a length of purple hair paint, straight out of Deviantart) friend berates the cornered humans with a lame excuse line of "I feel your pain, why don't you take your survivors and run?!" when the said humans scream in desperation to save their families from the town's locked buildings, die horribly and our "I'm glad my clan Sarghress prevents slavery, let's shake hands and feast on the food we just plundered!" protagonist shakes hands on it. It's not even depressing, it's plain fucking logic diarrhea with enough depressive themes to OD an edgy 13 year old. (considering the authors were that old when they started...)
* Jeph Loeb's run on Ultimate Marvel: people dying brutally (most well known being Wasp getting eaten by the Blob) and completely gratuitously (Dr. Strange is killed the one page he shows up on and is completely forgotten afterwards), lore rape worst than anything Ward ever did (the heroic Pyro is now a rapist version of the mainline Marvel Pyro with no explanation, Thor going from new age hippie to mainline-style viking with no explanation... at least that last one is kinda cool). Overall it was so bad it effectively made the Ultimate Marvel universe (with the exception of Spider-Man and his cast) completely unusable. Small wonder that years later, Marvel thought smashing it and the main Marvel universe together would be a good idea.
* Koutetsujou no Kabaneri, an anime with a similar premise to the already-grimdark ''Attack on Titan'': It's set in (presumably feudal) Japan, where people are hiding behind walls and communicate with each others using trains to travel from town to town, and trades the giants and horses for guns and [[zombie]]s. Several of the characters have moments of team-killing ineptitude that end up prolonging the conflict far longer than it should:
**The [[samurai]] don't bother with armor and generally aren't very combat-savvy when it comes to zombies, and their [[Lawful Stupid]] tendencies turn any defense against a wall breach into an utter clusterfuck. The antagonist is [[Abaddon|an absolute failure AND wanted for crimes against humanity]], being a [[Edgy|pretentious Che Guevara wannabe]] [[Chaos Pretty Marines|with pink hair]] and wielder of an ugly-yet-somewhat effective [[Sword|sabre]]. He also has a devoted following despite being thoroughly unable to grasp the basics of warfare and its ethics (he thinks children are cowards for not being able to fight monsters that ambush and run through trained adult fighters with ease, and [[What|considers destroying one's own resources and castles to be a viable strategy]]). Meanwhile, the main protagonist has found not one, but TWO miracle solutions that would allow mankind to fight back against the zombie plague, but no one will listen to him, especially not the main antagonist, both because of the above and because ''of course they wouldn't'', it's <s>grimderp</s> GRIMDARK.
**Ironically, Ancient Shintoism (a main religion of that period) has the only known anti-[[Nurgle|zombie]] deities: ''Kukuri hime no kami'', a goddess of purification ([[Reasonable Daemonette|''despite'' being rather sado-masochist]]) whose followers would bind a corpse with ropes, place a big stone on the chest and bury it (coffins are optional). [[Humanity Fuck Yeah|Insane as it was]], it was the most common form of burial in the Jomon period, and never went completely out of date through all the medieval period. Despite the rites being a perfect defense against [[Dark Souls|an undead invasion]], apparently they didn't take in this setting. Three guesses why.
*Most dark fantasy hentai games and manga like Kuroinu and whatever bargain basement hentai game developer puts the heroines through corrupting debauchery with no way to escape for little more purposes than to degrade and humiliate them.

== Grim Tragedy ==
Naturally in a universe such as 40k, the grimdarkness of the setting would mean nothing if not tied into the ironic tragedy of the lore. This includes:

*[[Imperium|A species]] so afraid of the dauntless perils of Chaos that they will brutally harass and execute entire populations out of mere suspicion, all to stop the spread of ruin while indirectly strengthening those who seek to destroy them (''particularly'' Chaos). They, as a people, have progressed massively in population, technology and power since their species conception, yet they more than anyone else have lost one vital element: their humanity.

*[[Eldar|A race who]] was once a zenith of civilization and prosperity, capable of bending the very Gods to their will, but by their own hand reduced themselves to scattered, isolated fleets and colonies always on the run; their pompous and arrogant leaders hide behind a dwindling sense of security based in superiority over other races who are far more successful and perhaps destined to be greater than they ever were. [[Dark Eldar|A number among them]], after their unholy and insidious near-demise, continue (with oblivious glee) to empower [[Slaanesh|the very being that brought them to ruin]] in order to save themselves.

*[[Orks|A race of creatures]] who possess the brightest potential, with near mastery over the psychic, near-natural physical perfection and almost limitless numbers from their highly successful methods of reproduction... and yet they are genetically restricted by an unquenchable thirst for battle which drives each to idiocy, leaving them hopeless of advancing beyond simple barbarians.

*[[Necron|An ancient people]] whom were so envious of their neighbors' power that they were ready to cripple the entire galaxy just for the sake of petty superiority - a superiority neutered by their unwitting transformation into metaphorical and literal automatons. They are now mindless machines who, bar few, care nothing of their past and seek only one thing: war. And those who still have their personalities are either insane, demented, brooding, psychotic, or any combination of these in various proportions.

*[[Tau|A newborn race]] who innocently believes that there can be peace and acknowledgement among each other, but unfortunately the sinister methods they employ hoping that it is for [[Greater Good|something better]] is slowly, but steadily driving them into the decadence that plagues the other species. In doing so they become proof, both of the fact that [[Horus|anyone]], [[Emperor|no matter their intentions]], can be corrupted, and also of the kindness that the rest have forsaken for damnation and despair...

*The fact that, despite hundreds of thousands of years of knowing nothing but only war, these peoples are woefully unprepared for what is to come. No matter how many regiments can be raised or Craftworlds restored, what is out there is all [[Tyranids|consuming, diabolical and numberless...]] Unless, they are themselves on the verge of extinction, and as such, desperately tries to cross over the great void between galaxies, which implies fighting against [[Ork|invincibles foes]] and [[Ultramarines|fate weathing cheaters]] unnaturaly empowered by the grief of an [[Games Workshop|evil entity beyond the cosmos]]. (Well, this lore hint has been dropped a very long time ago in favor of "the good option is that there are a thousand galaxies worth of the fucking bugs, the bad option is that there are billions upon billions of galaxies worth of the fucking bugs.)

== See also ==
*[[Noblebright]]
*[[Edgy]]
*[[Eversor]]
*[[Lamenters]]

== External Links ==
* [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/grimdark KnowYourMeme has examples from outside of /tg/]

[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]

Grimdark

2018-05-27T03:11:21Z

2A02:587:3A03:4900:D869:D288:C66E:E39A:

Kayvaan Shrike

2018-05-27T02:58:46Z

2A02:587:3A03:4900:D869:D288:C66E:E39A:

[[File:The badass Shrike.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|VICTORUS AUT MORTIS!!!]]]]
{{Awesome}}

'''Kayvaan Shrike, Chapter Master of the [[Raven Guard]]''' (AKA '''Captain Beakie'''/'''Beakie McAwesome''' or any other variation of such) is a former Shadow Captain of the 3rd Company. A fucking badass that wears the lightning claws once owned by [[Corax|Corvus Corax]] himself, he also has a supremely epic [[Beakie]] helmet to round out his [[Rogue Trader|old-school]] style. He's a sentimental old sod; when the rest of the company pushes off to deliver righteous asskicking on other foul xenos, Kayvaan prefers to stay behind and spend his time rescuing pockets of surviving civilians and soldiers, or assist the local Imperial forces in killing off any left-over resistance. This makes him a goddamn PSEUDO-HERETIC for valuing human life above killing the Emprah's enemies, but hey, that's life in the [[grimdark]] future of the 41st millennium for you. Judging by his interactions with Kor'sarro Khan, he's even willing to look past the Ravens' millennia-spanning rivalry with the [[White Scars]].

Back in 4th Edition, he even had a rule to lead a unique custom unit called Shrike's Wing, which were lightning-claw-wielding Veteran Assault Marines that Shrike personally trained. Pity they aren't available anymore, though you can take Vanguards for the Shadow Captain and call them Shrike's Wing.

He's also fucking awesome because he's named after one of the most hardcore birds in existence, the shrike, who are known for [[Rip and tear|impaling their prey on brambles instead of outright killing them]]. Hence why they are known sometimes as [[Khorne|butcher]] birds.

As of the 7E Warzone Damocles campaign, it's revealed that the Raven Guard Chapter Master, Corvin Severax (whose crowning achievement was... nothing, really), got blasted by Commander [[Shadowsun]]. As they regrouped, the remaining Captains began debating over who'd be next and Shrike decided to take the initiative. Only time will tell whether or not this will reflect on his statline or with a new model... but as of right now [[Awesome|he's Chapter Master of the Sons of Corax]]. And he's getting his own book.

== Tabletop ==

{| class=wikitable
! || Pts || WS || BS || S || T || W || I || A || Ld || Sv
|-
| '''Solid Shrike:''' || 185 || 6 || 5 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 5 || 3 || 10 || 3+/4++
|}

Shadow Captain Shrike appears to be an underwhelming character, and unless you're playing with your mates and are willing to fudge your way through the issue discussed below, he really is useless. Shrike comes out of the tin with a typical captain's stat line and a few extra bits. He has ATSKNF and Chapter Tactics (Raven Guard tactics give him shrouded on the first turn, plus they allow him to use his jump pack for movement AND assault and he can reroll wounds on his HoW attacks). His warlord trait, Angel of Death, gives him fear, which your opponent must test on 3d6. He has a unique special rule, "See, but Remain Unseen", which gives him infiltrate and stealth, but he is only allowed to join jump infantry squads BEFORE deployment. His infiltrate rule fucks with this, but more on that below. For wargear he gets frag and krak grenades, power armor, an iron halo, a pair of relic master-crafted lightning claws, and a bolt pistol (fuck if I know how he uses the damn thing when he's got those giant gloves on - maybe he just throws it). His Chapter Master upgrade will need less [[derp|derpy]] rules. Games Workshop should at least give him artificer armor, an Assault 2 ranged weapon mounted on one of his lightning claws and the appropriate stat-line.

;Rules Conflict
<s>:If you're playing by strict RAW standards, Shrike can't join squads, because of some fucked up sentence structure in the codex. His "See, but Remain Unseen" Rule says he can only join a squad of jump infantry before deployment, which would be great if characters were allowed to join squads before deployment (yes, that means his special rule is quite literally useless). The infiltrate rule was also FAQ'd to mean that in order to use the rule, all members of a squad must have the rule. IE, a character who doesn't have the Infiltrate USR can't join a unit that does, and vice versa.</s>
:UPD: The most recent SM FAQ returned Shrike his ability to infiltrate with his pals, so the point above is now void.

In true Raven Guard fashion Shrike is more tricky and evasive than hard or killy. If you're just looking at his stats and gear he'll seem overcosted. After all, he's essentially just a captain with a jump pack and lightning claws. Obviously he's pretty mobile and reasonably good in a melee, but his real strength comes from his ability to infiltrate a squad in to wherever you want them. Being an independent character he doesn't actually have to stick with whatever squad you brought in, which can open up a lot of fun options. I think this guy actually fits his fluff really well, because, while he is a badass, he specializes in clever strikes and guerrilla warfare rather than raw, balls out power. If this guy sees your special snowflake killy character he isn't going to challenge him, in fluff or in crunch; he's going to withdraw and hit him at the least convenient possible time.

Shrike is especially good in any of the Raven Guard special Detachments. Shadow Force in particular is almost tailor-made for him, having a Sternguard and Vanguard squads joined by a Captain (can be replaced with Shrike) and a unit of Land Speeders. As everyone in this formation receives Acute Senses, Move through Cover, Scout and a mobility bonus (re-roll Run moves for infantry, +6" Flat Out for vehicles), Shrike's Vanguard squad, which ALSO receives Stealth and Infiltrate through his special rule, ''and'' first turn Shrouded and double jump pack use through the Raven Guard Chapter Tactics, becomes hyper-mobile and very well protected on the turn it is yet unable to charge (at least if your [[Tau|opponent]] doesn't have [[Rage|Markerlights]]), even without a transport, and it can choose either to Infiltrate, Outflank with a re-roll, or even Deep Strike while ignoring Dangerous Terrain, all on turn 1 if you are also using the Raven Guard decurion.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name
!Class
!Value
!Wargear
!Quantity
!References
|-
|Guardian
|Troops (Aeldari)
|9 Points
|Mesh Armour, Shuriken Catapult and Plasma Grenades
|60
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Guardian]
|-
|Neophyte
|Troops (Imperium)
|14 Points
|Boltgun, Bolt Pistol, Frag and Krak Grenades
|21
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Tactical_Marine]
|-
|Spider
|Fast Attack (Aeldari)
|18 Points
|Heavy Aspect Armour, Death Spinner and Warp Jump Generator
|162
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Warp_Spiders]
|-
|Devastator
|Troops (Imperium)
|24 Points
|Heavy Bolter, Bolt Pistol, Frag and Krak Grenades
|3
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Devastator_Marine]
|-
|Templar
|Troops (Imperium)
|29 Points
|Plasma Gun, Bolt Pistol, Frag and Krak Grenades
|3
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Veteran_Marines]
|-
|Bazooka
|Troops (Aeldari)
|30 Points (No cost for 3 due to Guardian Battlehost)
|Heavy Weapon Platform with Eldar Missile Launcher
|6
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Craftworld]
|-
|Culverin
|Heavy Support (Aeldari)
|30 Points
|Support Weapon with Pair of Guardians and Shadow Weaver
|3
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Vaul]
|-
|Blademaster
|Elites (Imperium)
|35 Points
|Terminator Armour, Storm Bolter and Power Sword
|5
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Darnath_Lysander]
|-
|Warlock
|HQ (Aeldari)
|40 Points
|Rune Armour, Shuriken Pistol and Singing Spear
|14
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Warlock]
|-
|Terminator
|Elites (Imperium)
|40 Points
|Terminator Armour, Storm Bolter and Chainfist
|35
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Terminators]
|-
|Exarch
|Fast Attack (Aeldari)
|58 Points
|Heavy Aspect Armour, Death Spinner, Pair of Powerblades and Warp Jump Generator
|18
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Exarch]
|-
|Centurion
|Elites (Imperium)
|60 Points (70 Points for leader of every 6)
|Twin-Linked Melagun, Hurricane Bolter and Dual Siege Drills
|30
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Centurion]
|-
|Cataphract
|Elites (Imperium)
|60 Points
|Terminator Armour, Assault Cannon and Chainfist
|10
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Assault_Cannon]
|-
|Sergeant
|Troops (Imperium)
|64 Points
|Plasma Pistol, Power Fist, Frag and Krak Grenades
|3
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Sergeant_(Space_Marine)]
|-
|Lancer
|Elites (Imperium)
|70 Points (80 Points for leader of every 6)
|Twin-Linked Lascannon and Hurricane Bolter
|6
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Lascannon]
|-
|War Walker
|Heavy Support (Aeldari)
|75 Points
|Shuriken Cannon, Starcannon, Power Field and Spirit Stones
|3
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/War_Walker]
|-
|Vyper
|Fast Attack (Aeldari)
|85 Points
|Shuriken Cannon, Starcannon, Holo-Field and Spirit Stones
|6
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Vyper]
|-
|Farseer
|HQ (Aeldari)
|105 Points
|Rune Armour, Shuriken Pistol, Singing Spear and Ghosthelm
|1
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Farseer]
|-
|Dreadnought
|Elites (Imperium)
|135 Points
|Seismic Hammers with Built-in Meltaguns, Hurricane Bolters, Searchlight, Smoke Launchers and Extra Armour
|3
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Ironclad_Dreadnought]
|-
|Champion
|HQ (Imperium)
|140 Points
|Armour of Faith, Black Sword, Bolt Pistol, Frag and Krak Grenades
|1
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Emperor's_Champion]
|-
|Chaplain
|HQ (Imperium)
|150 Points
|Master-Crafted Plasma Pistol, Crozius Arcanum, Rosarius, Frag and Krak Grenades
|1
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Merek_Grimaldus]
|-
|Fire Prism
|Heavy Support (Aeldari)
|160 Points
|Prism Cannon, Shuriken Cannon, Holo-Field and Spirit Stones
|15
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Fire_Prism]
|-
|Marshall
|HQ (Imperium)
|180 Points
|Sword of the High Marshalls, Combi-Melta, Iron Halo, Frag and Krak Grenades
|1
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Helbrecht]
|-
|Avatar
|Lords of War (Aeldari)
|195 Points
|Wailing Doom
|1
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Avatar]
|-
|Raider
|Heavy Support (Imperium)
|275 Points
|Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter, Dual Twin-Linked Lascannons, Storm Bolter, Multi-Melta, Searchlight, Smoke Launchers and Extra Armour
|11
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Land_Raider]
|-
|Wraithknight
|Lords of War (Aeldari)
|325 Points
|Dual Heavy Wraithcannons and Dual Shuriken Cannons
|1
|[http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Wraithknight]
|}

[[File:Guardians.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Neophytes.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Spiders.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Terminators.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Battery.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Centurions.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Warlocks.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Devastators.jpg|800px]]
[[File:WarWalker.jpg|800px]]
[[File:DreadnoughtNEW01.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Vyper.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Blademaster.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Prism.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Grimaldus.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Khaine.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Marshall.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Wraithtitan.jpg|800px]]
[[File:Phobos.jpg|800px]]

===Raven Guard Chapter Master===
The above profile is Shrike's old Captain profile, but he's a Chapter Master now. Warzone Damocles: Kauyon gave us a way to make a very effective Raven Guard Chapter Master, which is simply a Raven Guard Chapter Master with a jump pack and the twin artifacts ''Swiftstrike'' and ''Murder''. This profile is affectionately named [[MURDERWINGS]], and may be effective/manly enough for you to pretend he's Chapter Master Shrike until we get actual rules for him. Don't be a cheapskate and buy him Artificer Armour to improve his survivability, and maybe an Auspex to fuck with enemy cover saves.
You might also want to put him in a unit of jump pack Vanguard Veterans with Lightning Claws to represent his Command Squad. Emphasis on might because he almost costs as much as a [[Land Raider]] with this load out.

===8E===
He's had a promotion, and now has the Chapter Master special rule. His stat-line still reeks of his old Captain status, not to mention his 5 wounds and only 5 attacks including both his lightning claws. He grants fellow Raven Guard models re-rolls to their charge distance, so he pairs very well with any sort of risk engaging CC alpha strike army. With him alongside your forces, you have a very good chance of getting a charge off even when 9 inches away. If you like using Vanguard Vets and jump packs, Kayvaan is the HQ for your army. He can deep strike more than 9 inches first turn. A 9" charge should go off 28% of the time, but with the re-roll that rises to 48%. Keep that in mind when building an alpha-strike CC army, you'll need more than 2 units charging to reliably get a charge off. If he is the Warlord he MUST take the Raven Guard specific Warlord Trait, which prohibits overwatch from being fired at him at all. He's worth sending in first to eliminate overwatch from your vict..er, targets and then following with Vanguard once they can't shoot at them. His CC attacks now do D3 damage and has the same AP as a power sword, rather than normal lightning claws. Overall he's gotten buffed considerably and his rules (chapter master, re-roll charge, and improved melee potential) makes him a character worth investing in, and all of this for just 150. 150 points for 1st turn charges, [[rape|Yes please!]]

==Gallery==
<Gallery>
Image:Shrike.jpg|FUCK YEAH LOOK AT THIS AWESOME BASTARD
Image:Kayvaan.jpg|Shoryuken!
</Gallery>

{{Marines-Characters}}
[[Category:Space Marines Chapter Masters]]