Falchion

The Falchion, also known as the Mammoth Heavy Tank or the Shadowsword, and known to the Forces of Chaos as the Decimator, was a super-heavy tank destroyer used by the Space Marine Legions, and in limited numbers by the Imperial Army, during the time of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia. Along with its sister tank, the Fellblade, the Falchion was one of the most powerful and most feared weapons used during this time. In these ancient times the Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes operated very differently than in the 41st Millennium. The Space Marine Legions fought as front-line forces that used massive amounts of overwhelming firepower to achieve their goals, rather than making use of surgical strikes on enemy weak-points as the much smaller Space Marine forces of the present time prefer. During the Great Crusade, the Space Marines fought on an unimaginable scale, fighting wars with tens of thousands of elite warriors deployed who could conquer entire planets in mere days, or even hours. These massive armies of Astartes were given the very best technology constructed by the Adeptus Mechanicus, and one of the greatest of their works of war was the super-heavy tank destroyer known as the Falchion. These massive tanks, which were armed with a massive forward-firing weapon known as a Volcano Cannon, were capable of destroying even the most heavily armoured vehicles in short order. Due to the size of these vehicles, the only way they could be safely transported to a planet's surface was by Stormbird gunships or by Mechanicum bulk lifters. These war-machines could even be used as Titan killers, and were widely used during the Horus Heresy to fight enemy Titans. It is thought that some Space Marine Legions, such as the Iron Warriors, Ultramarines, and Imperial Fists, made extensive use of the Falchion, while others, like the Night Lords, White Scars, and the Raven Guard, who preferred hit and run tactics, may have eschewed their use altogether. During the Horus Heresy these tanks were used by Traitor and Loyalist forces alike.

It is believed by Imperial scholars that after the mighty Astartes Legions were broken down into the smaller, one thousand-man Chapters during the Second Founding, the Falchion and Fellblade were removed from their Armouries. These mighty machines, which were also used in limited numbers by the Imperial Army, were given completely and exclusively over to the newly formed Imperial Guard, to serve as their most powerful weapons, since the Space Marines were now to be used as surgical planetary assault forces rather than the reformed Imperium's front-line warriors. Once these machines were given exclusively to the Imperial Guard they lost their many names, and became known only as the Shadowsword. A minority of Imperial savants hold that there may have been some Space Marine forces that refused to give up their Falchions, and that there may still be some of these ancient machines hidden within existing Astartes Armouries to be unveiled when they are needed most. As for the Traitor Legions, after their defeat on Terra many were forced to quickly retreat from Imperial territory, and during the Great Scouring, many of the Traitor Falchions that had not been destroyed in battle were either abandoned or scuttled. In the ten thousand standard years since the Horus Heresy, many of these tanks that had survived amongst the Traitor Legions were lost to Chaotic in-fighting and disrepair. Although there exist rumours of several of these machines surviving amongst the Forces of Chaos, they are now warped, twisted, and tainted by the foul powers of the Warp and touched by the "blessings" of the Chaos Gods. The Forces of Chaos still make use of Falchions and Fellblades that are blessed by Chaos Undivided in the 41st Millennium, though these vehicles are designated as Decimator super-heavy tanks.

Armament
The Falchion was used as a super-heavy tank destroyer, and as such it lacks many of the features of the Fellblade. The Falchion does not have a turret-mounted main gun, instead its main weapon is fixed to the vehicle's forward hull, and is only capable of slight movements. The Falchion is most commonly armed with a full-sized Volcano Cannon, a weapon that is usually mounted on Imperial Titans, but the the tank can also be equipped with other Titan weapons, including Turbo Lasers, and Inferno Cannons. The Falchion is also armed with sponson-mounted weapons, usually Twin-linked Heavy Bolters or Lascannons. The Chaos Decimator variant is armed with sponson-mounted Twin-linked Reaper Autocannons in place of the standard Twin-linked Heavy Bolters. The Falchion can also be outfitted with Pintle-mounted weapons, a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, extra armour plating, a searchlight, and smoke launchers.

Known Falchions

 * Mordant - The Mordant was a Falchion that belonged to the Death Guard Space Marine Legion during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.
 * Eye of Magnus - The Eye of Magnus was a Falchion that belonged to the Thousand Sons Space Marine Legion during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.

Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications
The technical Specifications for this vehicle have been lost by the Imperium.

Also See

 * Imperial Vehicles