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Ok, I was reading Escalation and looking the price of the Baneblade (170$ can.). In Escalation and the model, you can built:

Baneblade
Banehammer
Banesword
Doomhammer
Hellhammer
Shadowsword
Stormlord
Stormsword

Now a expensive model, I'm suck in modeling and don't have magnets (or too lazy to use it). I found some interesting, some less interesting and other is a big "wtf, what i can do with that".

Now which one to built or to use and why?

The 2 from the orginal kit (baneblade\hell hammer) are still the best IMO. Main reasons being they get a demolish cannon in addition to the main gun, and the main gun is on a turret with 360 degree arc of fire. The other 6 variants have hull mounted 45 degree arc, sometimes forcing you to expose side or rear armour to shoot your target. On top of that, those 2 main guns have the most useful stats IMO.

I used to prefer the baneblade for its longer range (72") but with the new Apoc book superheavies can move 12" and shoot everything, so the hell hammers limited range (36") isn't so bad any more. Plus the heavy flamer sponsons option is much more useful with the increased speed.

Get over your fear of magnets. Just do it. Watch some tutorials to educate yourself. It's actually really easy to do. Buy magnets and drill bits off eBay, it's that easy.

It's an expensive kit. Don't limit your options. That would be foolish.

The Shadowsword can pretty much interchangeable with 3-4 variants of the kit through a small bit of pinning of the various gun barrels. I'd personally go for the Baneblade kit though, but honestly you really should just magnetise the lot.

Shadowsword is the best unless you primarily face infantry/msu armies because it has a Destroyer weapon. Stormsword is also good because it has a large, strong ignores cover blast sufficient to clear out an ADL or similar, but it is weak against armies that only place a few very tough tanks on the field because the blast size is wasted. Banblade is a decent all-rounder but its utility depends on the amount of terrain you usually play with since it's big draw is range and it doesn't ignore cover with a main gun that is only strength 9 (doesn't sound that bad but you can't ID Centurions and similar which is very irritating), I personally feel Stormsword>Hellhammer but the latter does have a slight niche. The Stormlord is an ok bunker for a bunch of heavy weapons teams with 30 shots but pretty usless against heavy armour - will depend on your local meta. The rest aren't worth consideration.

I would say learn how to do basic magnetization and go with a Shadowsword/Stormsword. You have the two strongest variants there imo, and you've covered both bases - infantry-based lists and vehicle-based lists. Additionally, you have the utility of a Destroyer weapon. I don't think magnetising this should be too hard because it's mostly just a different main gun.

The entire central piece can be made to swap in and out without any magnetization, just a little cutting on the tabs that would otherwise go into the sides. That lets you swap out the entire assembly that switches between the Baneblade and shadowsword turret types. I've done this with both of mine.

Baneblade variants pay a large amount of points for the demo cannon and autocannon they mount. The Stormsword costs less and has a larger version of the hellhammer cannon, to the extent it's arguably a more points effective choice.

For pure effectiveness, the Shadowsword wins. It's the only pattern that mounts a Destroyer weapon. It wipes away Land Raiders, Leman Russes, and Monoliths without trouble, takes massive chunks out of Gargantuan MCs and enemy Superheavies, and can oneshot Eternal Warriors. It only lacks for targets if your opponent has nothing but incredibly low value models, but if they do, then your basic troops will be having a field day with lasguns or bolters.

I don't know why but I find the Stormlord and the Banehammer interesting as a troop carrier but i don't know if that can be useful. Thinking of swapping from Baneblade to a Banehammer with magnets or just not gluing the top of the tank is something that made the tank more good purchase than a waste of money,

I would go with baneblade if you want a fun super heavy that isnt over powered and will make your opponent angry. But if you just want to win and make your opponent angry then go for the shadowsword.

 GreyHamster wrote:
Baneblade variants pay a large amount of points for the demo cannon and autocannon they mount. The Stormsword costs less and has a larger version of the hellhammer cannon, to the extent it's arguably a more points effective choice.

I disagree. The hellhammer trades off 55 points and smaller blast (7" vs 10") but gains a demolisher cannon, an auto cannon and having the main gun turret mounted. The latter is quite relevant at keeping your rear armour protected and getting the sponson and hull weapons pointed where you want.