Editing Baneblade (section)

===Core Eight===

====Baneblade====

[[File:Marsbaneblade.jpg|thumb|left|The OG tank itself, in its original Forgeworld resin form.]]

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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 [[Lascannon]]s it always had, a Twin-linked [[Heavy Bolter]]s 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]] or [[Storm Bolter]], 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. According to the excellent books <i>Baneblade</i> and <i>Shadowsword</i> by Guy Haley, Honoured Lieutenant Bannick remarks that the Mars-pattern is more sophisticated and less cramped than the Lucius-pattern. In either case the Baneblade excels in its job of being adaptable to any tactical situation.

====Banehammer====

[[File:Banehammer.jpg|thumb|left|You ever wonder where that frequent tremble in the ground comes from? Now you know.]]

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The Banehammer fields the [[Tremor Cannon]] in a forward-set casemate, a weapon that can turn a huge segment of the battlefield into a maelstrom of flying debris, slowing down the enemy long enough for the rest of the army to destroy them. 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 resilient 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 quite a bit of damage on its own, it is the side effect of the underground explosion that is invaluable, pinning the opponent in place and making him vulnerable to sustained shooting from other Guard units (in 8th, a unit hit by this weapon halves its movement and cannot Advance in the next turn). Additionally, since the Tremor Cannon is much smaller than the original Volcano Cannon, the Banehammer possesses a large empty hold capable of carrying 25 soldiers, and has enough room in the rear deck to let ten of them stand up and shoot out of the vehicle. By carrying its own "short" platoon of Guardsmen the Banehammer ensures that it is never without infantry support. Alternatively, it can 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, making into an assault gun and IFV or Command Vehicle hybrid.

====Banesword====

[[File:Banesword.jpg|thumb|left|Your fortifications immediately pull a critical existence failure when this guy is around.]]

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The Banesword is a relatively recent variant of the (in)famous Shadowsword that performs as a siege tank to the Banehammer's assault gun: its [[Quake Cannon]] can destroy a target up to 140" away, which makes it one of the longest-ranged weapons in the game. 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 an entire regiment 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 their spirit animal. Like the [[Basilisk Artillery Gun|Basilisk]], the Banesword's place on the battlefield is in the rear areas, obliterating enemy fortifications with long range fire. However, the Banesword can also be pressed into the frontlines. The Banesword's armoured mass and secondary armament of three sets of twin-linked [[Heavy Bolter]]s and two [[Lascannon]]s 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 mediocre top speed and maneuverability, and the Quake Cannon's fixed setting requires the Banesword to be aimed directly 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 Void Shields, 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, except totally not.]]

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The Doomhammer is a tank-killer that uses its [[Magma Cannon]] to reduce all but the largest of war-engines to scrap, especially when employed at short range. While the Shadowsword's volcano cannon is still preferable when facing actual Titans, especially at extreme distances, the Magma Cannon can deal a death blow to unwary players thinking they are hotshots for having smaller units with the Titanic keyword on the field. Since shells do not have to be carried and the main gun's mechanisms take up less space, it can also carry 25 soldiers, and has enough room in the rear deck to let ten of them shoot out of the vehicle. 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: while the Magma Cannon lacks the extreme range and outright power of other weapons such as the Volcano Cannon, at close distances it can still turn almost any target into a sizzling puddle of slag. Compared to the Shadowsword it is arguably much better suited for fighting more conventional, non-Titanic units as a regular tank destroyer IFV hybrid.

====Hellhammer====

[[File:Hellhammer tank.jpg|thumb|left|It's like a Baneblade that just emerged from a cold shower.]]

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The '''Hellhammer''' has the same profile as the Baneblade in that it has an actual turret and not a casemate-mounted main gun. However it uses the comical [[Hellhammer Cannon]], which is shorter but strikes harder than a Baneblade's Baneblade Cannon, giving exactly zero fucks about the cover in between. Basically, compared to a Baneblade's battlecannon the Hellhammer Cannon has one more point of strength, one more point of AP, and it ignores cover, but it also has half the range. 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 to get stuck while 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. (TLDR: Mechanicus techno-magic that sounds cool.) Like all Baneblade variants, it has Smoke Launchers and can be adapted to mount a [[Hunter-Killer Missile]] and/or a pintle-mounted [[Heavy Stubber]]/[[Storm Bolter]]. Because they tend to fight at such short ranges Hellhammers greatly benefit from having two sets of sponsons, especially if at least one pair is armed with twin-linked Heavy Flamers. The Hellhammer's advantage over the assault gun Baneblade variants is that it has a turret rather than a fixed casemate.

====Shadowsword====

[[File:Shadowsword2.jpg|thumb|left|Causing Titan crews to wake up in a cold sweat for 10,000 years.]]

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The Shadowsword is a titan-killer. No, that's not quite true; it is THE titan-killer, against which all other titan-killers are judged. It is considered to be the sister-tank to the Baneblade and ALL other variants outside of it and the Baneblade are considered knock-off wannabes to one extent or another. Some Forgeworlds simply can't make [[Volcano Cannon]]s or the complicated targeting computers intended to go with them, so they mount different weapons instead, which you can see in the sub-variants listed in this section; these are then sold off to Imperial Guard regiments in place of Shadowswords to fill requisitions. "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. Regardless of which Forge World produced it, a genuine Shadowsword has a very good chance of crippling or even destroying a Titan in a single shot; smaller targets like Knights are at risk of being completely vaporized. This guy is your friend. It will be there for you when something absolutely ''must'' die and must die ''now''.

====Stormlord====

[[File:StormLord.jpg|thumb|left|[[A-10 Warthog|BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT]]]]

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The '''Stormlord''' is designed with but one purpose: to waste [[MEQ]]s. With the most dakka seen in Imperial armies to date (you can still have more though) in the form of a [[Vulcan Mega-Bolter]], the ability to have up to 20 of its 40 passengers fire from its fighting platform (each heavy weapons team counts as 2 models, so tack on another ten heavy bolters) and the option to have up to ten Heavy Bolters (technically 5 twin heavy bolters, but yes), this tank WILL END enemy infantry! Unfortunately the main gun has the same casemate-mounted setup as the Shadowsword, making it impossible for the Stormlord to turn its Vulcan Mega-Bolter around without turning the entire tank around. [[Derp|In theory this would be 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. Thankfully 8th Edition does not use weapon arcs, so this is not an issue.]] As of 8th Edition this is probably one of the best super-heavy, anti-infantry tanks in the game due to the amount of firepower that you get. The Mega-Bolter alone gives you 20 s6 ap-2 shots at 60" range. If you take four sponsons, throw in another 30 s5 ap-1 shots at 36" range, and 4 s9 ap-3 shots at 48" range from the lascannon mounted on each sponson. Just for shits and giggles it also has two side-mounted [[Heavy Stubber]]s, and let's face it, you're probably going to give it a third [[Heavy Stubber]] for the pintle mount too, because why wouldn't you? Then, on top of all of that, you get 20 models shooting out of the top, too. As an added bonus, the Mega-Bolter does 2 wounds per hit, meaning that this is an ideal weapon for dealing with smug Primaris players. In short, even if you roll very poorly you're virtually guaranteed to take out at least one MEQ squad a turn, while horde armies like Orks and Tyranids will just get mown down like chaff. The full IFV to the Banehammer and Doomhammer's assault gun/tank destroyer hybrids.

This is about as close to ENUF DAKKA as you can get.

====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 [[Volcano Cannon]]s and [[Plasma Blastgun]]s 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 Cannon]]s" 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. The Stormsword Cannon is almost identical to the Hellhammer's main weapon, but the Stormsword cannon also has the benefit of re-rolling 1's to wound. That being said, the Stormsword doesn't really have anything to recommend it except for cost; lacking both the flexibility and wizzbang firepower of some of the other variants, it is nevertheless the cheapest member of the Baneblade/Shadowsword family by a noticeable margin. It is essentially a cheaper alternative for the expensive models giving a turretless Hellhammer with a bit more power in its shells, making it a full assault gun to the Banehammer's IFV hybrid.

====On the Tabletop====

The Baneblade and its variants are all profiled in the 8th Edition ''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 370 points for most of the variants with a maximum of 410 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 48 for the Heavy Flamer. The points really add up though: 68 for a pair and 136 for a full set of Heavy Bolters, and 96 and 192 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 (especially now that they are at the same price as a Storm Bolter as of Chapter Approved 2018) 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 || Abilities
|-
| Baneblade || Baneblade Cannon || 72" || Heavy 3D6 || 9 || -3 || 3 || N/A
|-
| Banehammer || Tremor Cannon || 60" || Heavy 3D6 || 8 || -2 || 3 || Anyone hit by the cannon must halve their movement and cannot advance.
|-
| Banesword || Quake Cannon || 140" || Heavy 2D6 || 14 || -4 || D6 || Damage rolls of 1-2 are 3 instead.
|-
| Doomhammer || Magma Cannon || 60" || Heavy 2D6 || 10 || -5 || D6 || If within half range, roll 2d6 and drop the lowest for damage.
|-
| Hellhammer || Hellhammer Cannon || 36" || Heavy 3D6 || 10 || -4 || 3 || Ignores cover.
|-
| Shadowsword || Volcano Cannon || 120" || Heavy 3D3 || 16 || -5 || 2D6 || Reroll failed wound rolls against {{W40kKeyword|TITANIC}} units.
|-
| Stormlord || Vulcan Mega-Bolter || 60" || Heavy 20 || 6 || -2 || 2 || N/A
|-
| Stormsword || Stomsword Siege Cannon || 36" || Heavy 2D6 || 10 || -4 || D6 || Ignores cover, and rerolls damage rolls of 1.
|}

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. Chapter Approved 2018 has seen its cost cut to 400 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 chance of damaging tougher targets as well. 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 increases by 50% the hefty 410 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 hampered 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.

Not to invalidate all of the above, but if Baneblades are so damn shooty, why doesn't anyone take them? Well, they're just too damn expensive points-wise, and have suffered quite a bit from the lack of real Guard updates.

The heyday of the Baneblade and its variants was in early 8th, when the Guard was strongest. Cheap artillery and tanks but even cheaper bodies in the form of Conscripts made Unbreakable by Commissars [[Blam|instilling Discipline]] meant that Baneblades were often the least of someone's problems. Eventually, though, the introduction of the 8th edition Knights codex shifted a ton of lists to deal with superheavies in melee, which was one of the easiest ways to deal with a Baneblade: yes, it was the '''only''' vehicle in the Guard codex that could be in melee and shoot, but keeping it tarpitted would at least ensure it was tied up with the guys around, especially if you managed to encircle it entirely and not give it a way out (such as with assault squads). Also, so long as you wounded a Baneblade enough, its lackluster guard BS+ of 4+ meant that once it took enough damage, or by stacking enough to-hit penalties on it (such as if you had to fight certain [[Crimson Hunter|speedy eldar Exarchs]]) it would become absolutely impossible to hit anything.


9th edition didn't do it much better, because superheavy detachments, besides being expensive points-wise, now also cost CP; while they made superheavy auxiliaries free in 2022, the points cost of the damn things still mean that filling your detachment with more Leman Russes (which have the same damn Toughness and Armor now) would almost always be better. T8 26 W and a 2+ save is ''vicious'', but there are now [[Railgun|quite]] [[Imperial Knights|a]] [[Necrons|few]] [[Exocrine|units]] in the game that can at least wound it enough times to drastically lower its efficiency.

Two years into 9th and the guard codex ''still isn't out,'' so theyve benefited from several balance "updates," like Armor of Contempt to reduce incoming AP and the ability to autowound on 6s, but as mentioned above, these changes also made it much more worth it to take more tanks than just one big one. ( ironically mirroring IRL tank history). One can only hope that they buff the Baneblade and its variants with stats actually ''worth'' the superheavy title, like improved Toughness or resistance to degrading. Rumors that GW will release a new T9 superheavy named the [[Rogal Dorn Battle Tank|Rogal Dorn]] (very original) that sits between the Russ and Baneblade can at least give Guard players hope that the Baneblade will at least be updated, but those remain just rumors.


=====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.