Title: “War Without Honour: The Rise and Fall of the Baneblade”
Welcome back to our multi-part series on the pantheon of Warhammer 40,000 lore. Today, we’re diving into the epoch of the Great Crusade, specifically focusing on the imposing and awe-inspiring Baneblade tanks.
In the early days of the Great Crusade, the Imperial Army was a fearsome force, its ranks bristling with advanced war machines that made it a terror on the battlefield. But as time passed, these sophisticated machines faded into history. They were replaced by the simpler machinery of the Astra Militarum, easier to manufacture, operate, and maintain.
The Mechanicum, responsible for building these massive war machines, found their production slowed by an increased religious fervor. Even the relatively straightforward Leman Russ Battle Tank was produced in numbers far below what the Imperial Army needed. Yet, it was during these dark times that the Baneblade tanks truly proved their worth.
In a conflict known as the “War Without Honour”, Imperial forces faced the ancient Eldari and Necrons, whose technology remained a profound mystery even to the Mechanicum. The Neis Dynasty of the Necrons, in particular, launched an attack on the Imperial Factory worlds, collectively referred to as the Three-Fold Angle.
This is where the Baneblades shone. They turned the tide, their sheer armored might tipping the scales in favor of the Imperium’s defenders on Angle Tertius – at least for a time.
In retaliation, the Necrons unleashed three shards of the C’tan known as The Deceiver. This plunge into illusory warfare led to the decisive annihilation of the Baneblades, breaking the Cadian resistance and allowing the Necrons to claim the Three-Fold Angle for themselves.
By the 36th Millennium, the construction of a single Baneblade was a year-long process, a testament to the religious fervor that had gripped the Mechanicum. Every part was installed with prayers, every mechanism anointed with sacred machine oil. A full year spent crafting one tank, from the welding and riveting of initial components to the final activation procedure.
This slow production speed led to a shortage of heavy tanks in the Astra Militarum, despite the Mechanicum’s immense production capabilities. Yet, every Baneblade produced and sanctified in accordance with the rituals of the Mechanicum bore a unique identification and name, their deeds and battles meticulously chronicled in parchment volumes kept in the archives of Mars.
Such was the reverence for these mighty machines that even the slightest deviation from the sanctification process would render the tank nameless and illegal in the eyes of the Mechanicum.
These tanks were produced across dozens of forge worlds, with the greatest number constructed on Mars. Colonel Vor Aram Lanik, a seasoned tank commander, noted that Martian tanks were of superior quality, boasting superior electronics and reliability compared to their counterparts.
In rare instances, Baneblades were even constructed aboard starships bristling with the finest technology. Lanik himself was privileged to command one such tank, the Cortan Honor, which served with the Seventh Paragoni Super Heavy Tank Company. Despite its unconventional birthplace, the Cortan Honor was nearly identical in appearance to its Mars-born brethren.
The legacy of the Baneblade is not simply a tale of war and destruction. It’s a testament to the fervor and faith of the Mechanicum, the undying spirit of the Astra Militarum, and the relentless march of time in the grim darkness of the 41st Millennium. Join us next time as we continue to explore the rich tapestry of Warhammer 40,000 lore.
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