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Come tech adept and study of the mighty Baneblade superheavy tank, that crushes all of the Emperor’s foes beneath its inexorable tracks.

The Baneblade is the first super-heavy tank utilized by the Imperial Guard and is among the largest and oldest tanks utilized by the Imperium. These huge machines usually function the command automobiles for whole regiments or spearhead armored assaults, organized into their very own super-heavy corporations. Such is the facility of a Baneblade that nothing in need of one other warfare engine, akin to a Titan, would dare to face one in single fight.

Baneblade History

The Baneblade is among the many oldest armored automobiles nonetheless in use by the Imperial Guard, based mostly on uncommon Standard Template Construct expertise relationship again to the Dark Age of Technology. It is believed that whole divisions of Baneblades as soon as served the Emperor of Mankind in his Great Crusade, however by the forty first Millennium an Imperial Guard regiment is taken into account lucky if it has a single firm of Baneblades, and lots of should make due with just one. The STC knowledge essential to create an unique Baneblade, together with the various superior techniques distinctive to its development, is a closely-guarded secret restricted to Mars — from which most true Baneblades originate – and some different favoured Forge Worlds. Baneblades constructed on these worlds will probably be logged and registered with Mars, with their very own id quantity and title, and all info pertaining to their whereabouts and crew are often reported to their place of origination.^{As properly, as a result of nature of such a main asset, the Adeptus Mechanicus shares accountability with the Imperial Guard for choosing the crewmembers of a Baneblade.}

The foremost Forge Worlds that produce Baneblades are — Mars, Lucius ^{and Estaban VII}

Baneblade Design

Armament

The super-heavy tank’s major weapon is its turret-mounted Baneblade Cannon, a large ten-metre-long battle cannon able to launching rocket-assisted shells at targets many kilometers away. ^{Such is the facility of this cannon that its large recoil can rock the large tank again on its tracks and produces a deafening roar contained in the tank despite the layers of armor and acoustic dampening materials. The cannon’s double-sleeve development permits for venting ports round its muzzle for exhaust gases to flee, stopping a harmful build-up which may injury the weapon. The co-axial Autocannon offers extra firepower however is extra usually used to fireside magnesium ranging rounds for the Baneblade’s foremost cannon. The first gunner, stationed within the gunnery deck contained in the turret, controls each weapons and goals by way of the secondary scope situated subsequent to the first scopes atop the turret. The first loader can also be stationed contained in the turret, loading every of the metre-long shells into the breach and manning any pintle-mounted weapons. A small locker throughout the turret accommodates as much as half a dozen shells whereas an enclosed shell elevator provides extra photographs from the journal.}

The Baneblade’s secondary weapon is its hull-mounted demolisher cannon. Of sturdier development with a shorter, wider-mouthed barrel, the demolisher additionally fires rocket-assisted shells and makes use of the identical technique as the primary cannon to vent exhaust gases. A bolstered mount permits the Baneblade to advance whereas firing the Demolisher. ^{Demolisher shells can simply shatter ferrocrete and even liquify smooth targets with their shockwaves alone. The second gunner, situated within the tank’s ahead compartment, is in control of aiming and firing the demolisher cannon by way of auger sights whereas a rail sled from the journal feeds shells into the weapon.}

The Baneblade’s tertiary weapons encompass hull-mounted twin-linked heavy bolters, which might be fired by the motive force when vital, and two aspect sponsons, each with a twin-linked heavy bolter and a lascannon. Each of the side-mounted heavy bolters has a restricted 90° angle of fireplace although the lascannons, mounted on turrets atop the sponsons, have a bigger vary of 270°. The third gunner remotely controls these weapons from his station on the command deck, assisted by the third loader, however certainly any of the Baneblade’s many weapons might be remotely aimed and fired from this station. Ammunition for the heavy bolters are provided by autoloaders which draw from 4,000-round hoppers every. If the autoloaders jam or malfunction, the third loader has to filter out and refill your complete system via the sponson entry hatch situated exterior the tank, a harmful process in the midst of fight. The lascannons draw power instantly from the powerplant, but when their shunts burn out from overuse these too should be changed, although the cabling for these are situated within the decrease deck.

Variations on this customary embody some Baneblades with a second set of aspect sponsons, whereas others might have them eliminated instead of much more aspect armor plating.

Armor

Wrapped in layers of Ceramite and Plasteel the Baneblade is among the many most well-protected automobiles employed by the Imperial Guard; certainly it could survive numerous weapon impacts which would cut back most different tanks to molten slag. ^{Not even stable slugs fired by the dreaded Railguns mounted on T’au Hammerhead skimmer-tanks will penetrate the Baneblade’s frontal glacis, although a trio of simultaneous impacts can tear off one of many aspect compartments and trigger spalling fragments throughout the inside. The frontal armor is even robust sufficient to face up to a number of seconds of fireplace from a Turbo Laser earlier than the beam melts its manner by way of. Against some weapons although the Baneblade isn’t any match, as even a single shot from the Shadowsword‘s Volcano Cannon is able to atomising this huge tank. When vital the Baneblade can also be geared up with Smoke Launchers to supply a cloud of blinding smoke.}

Command & Control

Many and various are the traditional applied sciences which go into producing a real Baneblade, making it extra superior than most different Imperial Guard automobiles. Besides its Searchlight the tank is full of auspex gear, akin to seismic sensors, ^{with a mess of augur lenses ringing the tank’s outer hull. Targeting arrays and two periscopes atop the tank’s turret enable the commander a clearer view of the battlefield because of their prodigious top. In addition the commander can look out by way of any of his gunner’s scopes and designate targets for them, assisted by the tank’s logic engines in finding an enemy’s weak factors. Short- and long-range vox tools permits for communication wherever as much as orbiting satellites, whereas particular pulse-laser comms techniques permits the Baneblade to share knowledge with different super-heavy tanks to type a logic engine community; common automobiles retrofitted with these techniques can even take part.All of the knowledge the Baneblade receives from these many sources are mixed and displayed on the three-dimensional map chart situated behind the commander’s station. Here an correct map of the tank’s environment in addition to all pleasant and enemy contacts are displayed, permitting the commander to plan out his operations.[}

Engine

The Baneblade is powered by a massive multi-fuel powerplant, located in the rear of the tank, which produces the enormous amount of energy necessary for the tank to function. Like powerplants found in the Leman Russ or Chimera vehicles it is capable of running on any type of fuel. When the tank is stopped the powerplant is normally left running and ready to go, however it also must undergo full maintenance and service check every six months during which it is completely shut down. The frequency of these stops increases depending on the type of fuel used or the battlefield conditions, and it is quite common to undergo one prior to a major engagement or long patrol. In cases when the powerplant is cold a battery supply allows for limited functionality of the tank’s systems: for example the heavy bolters can still be used as normal while the lascannons will be good for only a few shots.

Variants

A number of different super-heavy tanks are based on the Baneblade’s chassis.

“Counterfeit” Baneblades

The monopoly Mars and a select few Forge Worlds have on the Baneblade’s STC data, combined with the never-ending need for these behemoth machines, has led to the development of ‘counterfeit’ Baneblades. Officially categorized by the Adeptus Mechanicus as second-generation Baneblades, these are produced by Forge Worlds eager to secure large military contracts but who do not have the complete STC data necessary to produce a true Baneblade. Such Baneblades might use normal Battle Cannon ammunition in place of special rocket-assist rounds, or have a normal Battle Cannon in place of the Demolisher. They might also have inferior armor bracing or engine performance or less advanced comms arrays and logic engines.

~For the Emperor!

Dad, Gamer, Publisher, Pilot, Texan. All games all the time since junior-high.
I started BoLS Interactive in 2006. I’m a lifelong tabletop & RPG gaming enthusiast, and internet publisher working to entertain and inform my readers every day.
I’ve been playing RPGs and Tabletop Games since the 1970s. I’m been playing and covering Warhammer and Warhammer 40K for over 35 years.

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