Warhammer 40K Astra Militarum Baneblade

^{review by Sebi}

"Releasing eleven barrels of HELL! All guardsmen, FOLLOW ME TO GLORY!"

-1st Kronus Regiment "Liberators" Baneblade tank commander on his external vox-caster

Lore 

The Baneblade is a super heavy style tank adopted by the Astra Militarum for major battlefield operations. Taking a minimum of 10 men and a nuclear powerplant to see combat, the heavy tank quickly becomes a moving fortress on the battlefield. Being such a formidable combat vehicle has its benefits when leading the charge for guardsmen. For starters the Baneblade's vox communications system allows the company commander to increase the morale of their troops while in the heat of battle. Being able to communicate with other tanks and coordinate assaults using mechanized infantry and artillery can create unwinnable situations for the enemies of mankind. 

The Baneblade was created on Mars during the great crusade in the tens of thousands. Now that their numbers have diminished, the Tech Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus refurbish and collaborate with other Forge Worlds to learn the secrets and maintenance needed to keep enough in condition for combat. 

“The Lords of the Red Planet hold the Mars class vehicle as the inalienable iteration of the Machine God's vision and it galled them greatly that certain other Forge Worlds produced their own patterns.”

-Codex Astartes 

While the Baneblade tries to be the biggest and baddest thing on the battlefield, sometimes other anti-tank and dedicated anti-armor can penetrate its steel walls. Due to the Baneblade's size and slow movement, it is essential that it goes into battle with support. There are officially 9 variations for the Baneblade, all with their own specialties to try and mediate risks they may face. Inside the cramped interior of the Baneblade, troops can find comfort in the amenities and safety the tank brings to a battalion. 

Model

There are 9 total variants in which one can build a Baneblade. For this review, I thought it would be best to build the treads and base of the Baneblade body and then build two alternating midsections that could be magnetized to meet all the variants it can be fielded as. The variants are as follows:

The main chassis is not too difficult to build as the kit for the Baneblade comes with some pretty massive pieces of plastic. It took about an hour to complete both treads and build the connecting body of the tank. Below is a look at how it all came together. 

After completing the base, I worked on the two separate turrets for the build. I was debating on how to magnetize the barrels when I realized that the kit came with room to place the magnets so I didn’t even have to drill!

After magnetized and gluing down the essential bits, the Tank ended up looking ready to siege!

Gameplay and Conclusion

On the tabletop, taking down a Baneblade is no small feat. With 23 wounds and toughness 13, even lascannons will have to roll 5’s to hit this impenetrable fortress. Nothing says “come at me” more than starting the game with a Baneblade set on a course to the center objective. The problem with the Baneblade does not come from its 11 guns or its crazy stats line. The problem is terrain. With its size and speed, the Baneblade will be lucky to make it halfway up the board. When positioning the tank, you need to focus on future turns and where you will be able to push the enemy to where your Baneblade can see them. 11 guns are only good when you can see your target. If you are able to keep the enemy in sight and take over the battlefield center, the Baneblade will get the job done. At the end of the day, if you want a big tank that can shoot hard and take a lot of aggro, the Baneblade is the right fit for any Guard list. If you want a smaller and more agile list, you may want to pick up a Leman Russ or Rogal Dorn instead.

The Baneblade is available now from our webstore.