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Imperial Guard is well known for its mass numbers of infantry, and also known for its ability to use excessive tanks and pie plates to defeat their enemies. Upon these tanks are super heavy vehicles, one of the most famous being the Baneblade. The Baneblade, as all guard players know, has MANY variants. All a little bit different in their abilities, that when combined, cover the entire gamet of scenarios and fire powers.

My Guard army is expanding and it is nearing the time for me to aquire such a complex piece of machinery(plastic chunk) My question is: To other guard players, what Baneblade variant is the best suited for tabletop use in an apocalypse game?

Note: I know that all variants have their own strength and weaknesses, but which one do you favor?\

Thank you for your help and input - Panzy

I think what type of army you play has a lot to do with what tank would supplement it best. That said, you hear a lot about the basic baneblade being a very well-rounded kit and from the rules I've seen for it I believe it. I personally prefer the stormlord/shadowsword kit, mainly because you can build up to 6? variants as opposed to the 2 with the regular baneblade (magnets required mind you). Each tank plays its role pretty well and in addition to what you bring I think terrain set up also plays a great role in how effective your tank will be.

In a city fight I would go with the stormlord or stormsword for sure (preferably the stormsword to negate cover). In those scenarios the short range isn't such a liability since there is so much intervening terrain that you can move up the board and get possible cover. On a more barren board I'd say anything with a longer range like the shadowsword or banesword. If you are running gunline I'd say banesword because it is ordinance barrage and can sit in back with the rest of your artillary out of sight and barrage the enemy to smithereens. If you like running mechanized infantry I'd shoot for the stormlord, banehammer, or doomhammer as they have transport capacities and you can stick power blobs in them. Not only that but you can assault out of them as they are treated as open-topped concerning disembarking troops.

That is my understanding of each tank. Most of what I've said here is basically theory hammer since I don't play a ton of apocalypse games, but that is how I would use each variant and in terms of rules it makes sense. Gonna be playing an apoc game soon and plan to take the stormsword out for the first time. Definitely looking forward to that, it is just a sexy looking tank with a sexy 10" (no cover) blast, lol. I've fielded the stormlord against nids before to great success, it didn't move much. Just kinda sat there and spit out death. Once the nids closed in I jumped out 30 guardsmen to frfsrf. Hordes just melt before that kind of combined punishment.

Well, those are my 2cents, hope they helped!

This picture is the correct answer.



The Stormhammer.

Vanilla baneblade with extra sponsons. Preferably two of them.
DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA BOOM.

Basic Baneblade is hard to beat for flexibility and firepower.

Stormsword looks cool with a Str 10 AP 1 10" diameter blast for its main gun. Its range is very short, but the blast and AP really help it look nice,

I'm a big fan of the 4 sponson baneblade

The basic Baneblade is the 'best'. It's got an impressive array of firepower, especially if you give it the extra sponsons, giving it 5 twin linked heavy bolters, 4 lascannons, demolisher cannon and baneblade cannon with coaxial autocannon (for the lulz, I guess, since whatever the baneblade cannon hits likely won't be there to take a few autocannon rounds). I'm probably forgetting some as well.

The varients specialise it to particular roles, like killing super heavies, killing hordes of GEQs, killing hordes of MEQs, cityfighting, etc.

But, they lose out when they specialise. They sacrifice weight of firepower for that specialised firepower. The Baneblade fits into any army and its range of weaponsaugment any army. Also, for its points cost, it's a bargain.

Alexzandvar wrote:This picture is the correct answer.



The Stormhammer.

Datz alota Dakka!

Grey Templar wrote:

Alexzandvar wrote:This picture is the correct answer.



The Stormhammer.

Datz alota Dakka!

The best part is the manned .50 cal at the top, just in case.

Shadowsword for me.

If you are going to be playing lots of Apoc you are more than likely going to be facing other Super Heavies and the SS is built to counter these.
120 inch range D weapon, with a good size blast template should you need to take out mass troops/formations too.
2 lascannon sponsons which for an extra 100 can be upgraded to give you a total of 4 and command tank.

Whilst Loki is correct the vanilla BB is a jack of all trades with decent firepower, it wont kill SHs as effectively and if the rest of your Apoc force is well balanced, you can use that to go after the rank and files whilst the SS knock out those pesky Stompas or Revenants.

It will depend however on what you think your local games setup will be. Apoc city fight? Everyone with other super heavies or none at all? lots of terrain or little? etc etc.

I'm full with Ratius on this one.

The Shadowsword is awesome at killing anything durable, and the regular baneblade is the best one for killing regular units. I have found all other baneblade to be rather weak. I have faced up to nine different variants of baneblade in a single game, and none except those two really made a huge impact.

Ratius wrote:Whilst Loki is correct the vanilla BB is a jack of all trades with decent firepower, it wont kill SHs as effectively and if the rest of your Apoc force is well balanced, you can use that to go after the rank and files whilst the SS knock out those pesky Stompas or Revenants.

'Best' is generally touted for its ability to slot into a 'take all comers' list.

The problem is, how many super heavies are you planning on fighting? If you're facing only one, then the Stormsword is rendered pretty useless for the rest of the game. Sure it's gun is powerful against non super heavies, but it's only one shot per turn. And something like a Stompa isn't exactly hard to kill with conventional weaponry. The Stormsword is really there for outlier games where you're facing things like Reavers, which only comes into play in huge games.

The Baneblade fits in in an sized Apocalypse game, against any opponent, and kills things dead. In general, the best of the baneblade 'chassis'. Others specialise better, but aren't the best.

My heart tells me to say Stormblade, because that thing is balls out awesome, but it's the Baneblade.

I'm adoring the Banesword, ATM.

10" blast of Marine killing goodness.

If you're facing only one, then the Stormsword is rendered pretty useless for the rest of the game.

I was talking about the Shadowsword though. I dont think its rendered useless after it pops the enemies super heavy since it has a D weapon 5" template, which is relatively small in apoc terms but will still utterly fry anything it hits. D weapons ignore cover saves iirc and Ap2 is death to anything in the game.
Its also got potentially 4 LCs for popping lighter vehicles or MCs.

Stormblade

Not familiar with this guy, whats its armament/speciality?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
But yes tbh, the OP needs to give us a little more info on his local gaming scene.

I have a shadowsword and enjoy fielding it, even if it is the only super heavy present. It destroys all that it shoots at, and draws enough fire to let the rest of the army move up.

That said, I really want a vanilla baneblade with extra sponsons. It is good at everything and bad at nothing, so it is probably safely the 'best' variant.

-cgmckenzie

Stormblade is on the shadowsword chassis. It has a plasma blast gun, my favorite, it has two modes; one str ten ten inch, or two str eight seven inch. It also looks the coolest by far. I have eight super heavies and it is my favorite.

Is its datasheet only in the Apoc books? I couldnt find it on the GW site.

Ratius wrote:Is its datasheet only in the Apoc books? I couldnt find it on the GW site.

yes it is in Imperial armor apocalypse 2. (btw if your a guard player you want this book.)

Im liking the Baneblade, however the Stormlord kit can be made into many different varriants if magnetized correctly, I believe this will be my choice. HOWEVER

What do 'D' weapons do? I believe it had something to do with Titans and Void shields.

I believe the Baneblade has 3 Structure points, does this mean it can only be penetrated 3 times? The description in the book makes no sence to me.

Super Heavies have their own Vehicle damage chart different from normal vehicles. Its in the appoc rule book.

I believe the damage results are,

1: Weapon Crew stunned. Opposing player chooses a weapon, it may not fire next turn.

2: Drive Crew Stunned: Vehicle may not move next turn.

3: Weapon damaged: Opposing player chooses a weapon, it may not be fired until repaired.

4: Drive Damaged: Vehicle speed reduced by 3", multiple rolls are cumulative. If its movement is reduced to 0 it may no longer move until repaired.

5: Lose a Structure point.

6: Chain Reaction. Lose a structure point and roll again on the chart.


If a super heavy is reduced to 0 Structure points you roll on the Super Heavy explosion chart. Its in there somwhere too(don't remember what it is)



Weapons with StrD have the Destroyer special rule. These weapons automatically wound/Penetrate what they hit, cause Instant Death, and Cover Saves can never be taken against them. They also give +1 on the vehicle damage chart(super heavy and normal)

Super Heavies can repair Drive Damaged and Weapon Destroyed. you roll a dice for every Structure point the vehicle has left, on a 5+(IIRC) you may repair a damage result.

Maybe wrong place for this, but does AP1 still add +1 on the super-heavy damage chart?

Yes, and its cumulative with the Destroyer special rule.

So StrD thats also Ap1 gets +2 on the chart.

These bonuses also apply if you roll a Chain Reaction and roll again. 1 lucky Melta shot can take out a Reaver Titan. I've even seen Warlords go down to lone Melta gunners making a suicide run.

I suddenly believe ill need 3 Baneblade variants, haha. Normal bane, anti titan, and the one w/ vulcan mega bolter that carries 25 men.

40, and 20 can fire from its firing platform.

My favorite is the Stormblade, but it's just the look. I have not played an apoc-game yet.

The one with the Vulcan Mega Bolters. I don't know why, but the thought of those VMBs waying laste to fields of noobs makes me happy.

And yes, I said waying laste. Laying waste isn't silly enough.

I like the idea behind the Banehammer



A standard battle cannon with a bigger temple that creates earthquake zones!

Grey Templar wrote:3: Weapon damaged: Opposing player chooses a weapon, it may not be fired until repaired.

4: Drive Damaged: Vehicle speed reduced by 3", multiple rolls are cumulative. If its movement is reduced to 0 it may no longer move until repaired.

I'd like to point out that "may not fire" and "may not move" are identical to weapon destroyed and immobilized for regular vehicles. A mechanic character (tech marine, big mek, etc) can negate those results. The can not negate drive damage results though, you have to wait before the engine completely stops. Safety first!

Grey Templar wrote:Yes, and its cumulative with the Destroyer special rule.

So StrD thats also Ap1 gets +2 on the chart.

These bonuses also apply if you roll a Chain Reaction and roll again. 1 lucky Melta shot can take out a Reaver Titan. I've even seen Warlords go down to lone Melta gunners making a suicide run.

Klaw Stompas get +4 to their damage chart when charging a vehicle. +1 from destroyer hit and +3 from simply being a klawstompa
Have yet to see anything survive getting pummeld by 7 klawstompa attacks.

McNinja wrote:The one with the Vulcan Mega Bolters. I don't know why, but the thought of those VMBs waying laste to fields of noobs makes me happy.

And yes, I said waying laste. Laying waste isn't silly enough.

Yeah, that thing doesn't do nothing. Even charged up it constantly fails to take down even a single mob of boyz. It is an open-topped transport though, so I guess you could fill it up with heavy weapon teams or something. Otherwise, bad main gun is bad.

Ratius wrote:

If you're facing only one, then the Stormsword is rendered pretty useless for the rest of the game.

I was talking about the Shadowsword though. I dont think its rendered useless after it pops the enemies super heavy since it has a D weapon 5" template, which is relatively small in apoc terms but will still utterly fry anything it hits. D weapons ignore cover saves iirc and Ap2 is death to anything in the game.
Its also got potentially 4 LCs for popping lighter vehicles or MCs.

Yeah, I meant the one with the Volcano cannon as well. I just don't see a one shot 5" template and a couple of lascannons as effective in Apocalypse once the enemy superheavies are down. Sure it's S D and will annihilate whatever it touches, but that's still not doing much unless there's a few squadrons of Land Raiders lying around. It's a one trick pony which doesn't scale well once its trick is done.

Ratius wrote:

Stormblade

Not familiar with this guy, whats its armament/speciality?

The beast with the plasma blastgun. It's not S D, but it can throw out one S10, AP 2 10" shot or two S8 AP2 7" shots per turn. Great for anti MEQ and TEQ and regular vehicles and still manages to have great punch against super heavies. Still though, not the all rounder beast that the Baneblade is.