Baneblade Super Heavy Tank

These models of the Imperial Guard Baneblade super heavy tank were on display at Warhammer World.

The Baneblade super heavy tank is the standard super heavy for the Imperial Guard. It’s huge and the design is one of the oldest in service with the armed forces of the Imperium. It is one of the Standard Template Construct (STC) designs that ensures that  Forge Worlds across the galaxy are able to easily manufacture the tanks to a consistent design.  The size means a large crew, ten in all. They are often used as command vehicles by Imperial Guard commanders.

With a range of armaments, a Baneblade is less of a tank and more of a tracked fortress. An unmistakable icon of the Imperium’s armoured supremacy, a single one of these super-heavy war engines can serve as the mailed fist of an Imperial Guard offensive, or as the unassailable lynchpin of even the most desperate of defences.

The Baneblade was originally an Epic design, but was then available as a modelling project in White Dwarf. Forge World produced a resin version for many years. In 2007 a plastic version of the tank was made available. We shouldn’t forget the 1/6th scale version that Forge World showcased at Games Day 2006.

Initially I wasn’t a fan, I thought it was too big, but over the years I have come to like the concept.

Achilles-Alpha pattern Land Raider

Minotaurs Achilles-Alpha pattern Land Raider on display at Warhammer World.

Achilles-Alpha pattern Land Raider
Achilles-Alpha pattern Land Raider

I quite like the up-armoured appearance of this pattern of Land Raider, and the weaponry looks quite formidable. I can imagine this being used to clear barricades in the ruins of an Imperial City.

The Achilles-Alpha pattern Land Raider is the most durable vehicle currently in the service of the Legiones Astartes. These vehicles shrug off weapon strikes that would cripple other battle tanks, and are proof against even the most toxic environment. The weaponry of these vehicles is formidable, featuring an advanced quad launcher and powerful volkite batteries.

This Achilles-Alpha pattern Land Raider is from the Minotaurs Space Marine Chapter. The Minotaurs is a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter whose true origins and genetic lineage remain unknown. The Space Marine formation by this name at large in the Imperium today appears to bear little resemblance to accounts of its past.

Avenger Strike Fighter

Avenger Strike Fighter

The Avenger Strike Fighter is used for high-speed low level ground attack missions. This makes it ideal for attacking armoured vehicle formations and high-value strategic assets such as munitions dumps. Compared to other Imperial Navy aircraft of its size, it is equipped with more weapons and munitions.

Avenger Strike Fighter

This Avenger Strike Fighter was in the displays at Warhammer World.

Land Raider MkIIb

The Land Raider MkIIb is probably my favourite Land Raider variant. I do have one of them in my collection. I knew that if I was going to get a Land Raider it would have to be the Forgeworld MkIIB Land Raider. I did get one in the end at GamesDay 2006. Sadly it was recently retired from the range. I wrote up some reflections on my MkIIB Land Raider, on the current state of the painting and what I needed to do next. In the end I went down a different route.

This one was on display at Warhammer World.

The standard Land Raider, also known as the Land Raider Phobos, is an Imperial main battle tank and troop transport which serves as the “armoured fist of the Space Marines.” It is one of the most resilient and iconic armoured vehicles in the galaxy. The Mark IIb Land Raider Phobos is one of the earliest marks of the standard pattern of Land Raider, and it still bears similarities to both the Land Raider Proteus and the Spartan Assault Tank that served as the models for the design. The Mark IIb Land Raider Phobos is the only pattern of the standard Land Raider Phobos that uses the older armoured sponsons, as they do not allow the weapons they hold to fully rotate. This pattern of Land Raider is mostly extinct, however, some Chapters may still possess one or two as treasured relics of their ancient past.

Of course the Mark IIb reflects the Epic 40000 version of the Land Raider from the late 1990s.

Trojan Support Vehicle

The Trojan is a workhorse used by Imperial Guard armoured regiments as a towing vehicle for artillery platforms and as an armoured ammunition carrier, ferrying extra ammunition to the platforms once in position. Each Trojan is equipped with a crane to lift heavy crates of ammunition from it’s hold.

Leman Russ Main Battle Tank

Across the Imperium the Leman Russ Main Battle Tank is the core of the armoured forces of the Astra Militarum. The tank is named after the Space Wolves Primarch, Leman Russ and the tank itself is used by the Space Wolves.

This is an unsophisticated armoured vehicle, its strengths are reliability and simplicity.

There are many variants of the Leman Russ main weaponry, which provides the Imperial Guard with the range of options when facing diverse enemies.

The Leman Russ hull is also used as a platform on a wide range of other armoured vehicles.

Corvus Blackstar

This Corvus Blackstar was on display at Warhammer World.

Though the Corvus Blackstar bear a resemblance to other Imperial aircraft, the reality is that underneath is a wealth of advanced technologies that make it the ideal vehicle for transporting Deathwatch Kill Teams on their missions.

It has been optimised for hunting xenos targets, it is more agile than similar craft and carries a range of heavy weaponry to attack with. Carrying a Deathwatch Kill Team straight into battle and drops them directly into the fight.

I did think at one time, that this might make a nice transport for my Inquisitorial Stormtroopers.

Space Wolves

These vehicles and dreadnoughts of the Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter were on display at Warhammer World.

The Invictor Tactical Warsuit is a stripped-back variant on the Redemptor Dreadnought frame. Instead of a revenant hero in a sarcophagus, this combat walker is piloted by a live Primaris Space Marine. They are deployed in every capacity, from armoured escort duties to close-range siege breaking and urban monster-hunts.

The Stormfang Gunship is designed to dominate the skies while furiously blasting apart all who would oppose the Sons of Russ.

Redemptor Dreadnoughts are giant, powerful war machines that are used by the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines of the Imperium of Man.

They are larger and more heavily armed than traditional Dreadnoughts, and they are equipped with a variety of advanced technologies that allow them to operate with surprising dexterity and speed, even though their pilots are entombed in cybernetic sarcophagi.

Space Wolves Predator Tank, the Predator is based on the Rhino chassis.

Provisionally Prepared on the workbench

A few weeks back I wrote about Provisionally Prepared, a Warhammer Commemorative Series miniature, or limited edition as we use to call them. When it sells out, they won’t make any more. It’s a lovely little diorama and it features two halflings, sorry abhuman Ratlings, hiding behind some ruins. One is a sniper and preparing to shoot, the other is preparing lunch.

I liked it, so pre-ordered it from my FLGS. What I had forgotten about, or more likely I hadn’t pre-ordered anything in a while, is that Games Workshop have moved to a two week pre-order window. I thought it was a week, so I went to my FLGS last week to pick it up. Of course they didn’t have it,  so I picked something else up instead.

This week I went back and picked up Provisionally Prepared. It’s a little box with a single sprue. When (and if) I paint this up, I will be painting the two Ratlings separately to the scenic base.

 

Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter

These vehicles of the Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter were on display at Warhammer World.

The Vindicator is an Imperial siege tank based on the Rhino chassis used by many Space Marine Chapters that boasts the most powerful weapon of its type in the Adeptus Astartes’ standard armoury, the Demolisher Cannon.

The Baal Predator is a specialised variant of the Predator design. The Baals weapon load-out is far more closely suited to the close range fire fights favoured by the Blood Angels, employing twin-assault cannons to shred enemy formations.

Earlier model version of the Baal Predator.

The Whirlwind is an Imperial artillery support vehicle based upon the Rhino armoured personnel carrier  chassis that is primarily used by the Space Marine Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes.

The Land Raider Redeemer is a variant of the Land Raider Crusader, which itself is a variant of the standard Land Raider used by the many Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes to provide short-range, anti-infantry assault support during urban offensives. The Land Raider Redeemer replaces the Land Raider Crusader’s weapons with the dreaded sponson-mounted Flamestorm Cannons. These massive flame-based weapons send burning sheets of promethium into the thick of the foe, purging even well-defended bunker complexes in solar seconds. This enables the Redeemer to be highly effective against infantry during grueling and dangerous urban combat.

The standard Land Raider, also known as the Land Raider Phobos, is an Imperial main battle tank and troop transport which serves as the “armoured fist of the Space Marines.”

The Repulsor is an Imperial anti-gravitic main battle tank intended to provide armoured support for the Primaris Space Marines of many different Chapters.

When the cannons of the Gladiator Reaper spin to full pitch, the droning makes the teeth of all nearby itch with the intensity of vibrations. Within seconds, thousands of spent casing pour over the battle tank’s armoured hide as enemies are erased from existence by the storm of fire.