Warhammer 40k Wiki
Register
Warhammer 40k Wiki
No edit summary
No edit summary
(24 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[File:Falchion4l.jpg|thumb|400px|A Falchion of the Sons of Horus Legion]]
+
[[File:Falchion4l.jpg|thumb|250px|A Falchion of the [[Sons of Horus]] [[Legion]] during the [[Great Crusade]]]]
  +
The '''Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer''', or simply the '''Falchion''', was a super-heavy tank destroyer used by the [[Space Marine Legions]], and in limited numbers by the [[Imperial Army]] and [[Mechanicum]], during the time of the [[Great Crusade]] and the [[Horus Heresy]] in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia.
The '''Falchion''', also known as 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 super-heavy 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 Mechanicus bulk lifters. These war-machines could even be used as [[Titan]] killers, and were widely deployed 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.
 
  +
[[File:Falchion01.jpg|thumb|250px|A Falchion belonging to the [[Thousand Sons]] [[Space Marine]] [[Legion]] during the [[Great Crusade]]]]
 
  +
Along with its sister super-heavy tanks, the [[Fellblade]] and the [[Glaive]], the Falchion was one of the most powerful and most feared weapons used during this time.
It is believed by Imperial scholars that after the 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 used 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 by them as Decimator super-heavy tanks.
 
  +
  +
==History==
  +
[[File:FalchionUltramarines0000.png|thumb|250px|An ancient pict-capture of an [[Ultramarines]] [[Legion]] Falchion during combat]]
  +
The Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer was developed long before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy. In these ancient times the Space Marines of the [[Adeptus Astartes]] operated very differently than in the 41st Millennium, fighting on an unimaginable scale in wars with tens or even hundreds of thousands of elite warriors deployed who could conquer entire planets in mere days, or even hours.
  +
  +
These massive armies of the ''[[Legiones Astartes]]'' were given the very best technology constructed by the [[Mechanicum]], and one of the greatest of their works of war was the super-heavy tank destroyer known as the Falchion. 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. As such its prey was not the enemy [[Titan]]s it would alter see such extensive combat against.
  +
  +
As the Great Crusade expanded ever outward, the Expeditionary Fleets encountered a staggering array of foes, some of whom were of a truly gargantuan scale. The formless overlord beings of the Psiom Reach were so massive they could crush entire armies with their bulk, but they were set to ravening flame by the touch of the [[Ultramarines]]'s Falchions formidable twin-linked [[Volcano Cannon]]s. When the gravity-defying mountain-fortresses of the Thulos Deeps rejected Compliance, a company of [[Iron Hands]] Falchions burned them and their occupants from the skies, scattering all to rubble such that no stone was left standing upon another.
  +
  +
These massive tanks, armed with their massive forward-firing twin-linked Volcano Cannons, 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 deployed 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 Astartes Legions were broken down into the smaller, one thousand-man [[Chapters]] during the [[Second Founding]], their vehicles were removed from their main armouries and spread amongst their Successor Chapters. Once the Horus Heresy ended the ability to construct Falchions, like so many other great works of human technology and engineering were eventually lost, the remaining Falchions dwindling in supply until eventually only ever being used in the most dire of circumstances.
  +
  +
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 and 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.
  +
  +
However there exist rumours of some of these machines surviving amongst the armies of the [[Forces of Chaos]], as warped, twisted, and tainted nightmares touched by the foul powers of the Warp and the "blessings" of the [[Chaos Gods]]. The Forces of Chaos still make limited use of Falchions and Fellblades that are blessed by [[Chaos Undivided]] in the 41st Millennium.
   
 
==Armament==
 
==Armament==
  +
The Falchion was used as a super-heavy tank destroyer, and as such it lacks some of the features of the [[Fellblade]] such as 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 armed with a full-sized twin-linked [[Volcano Cannon]], a weapon that is usually mounted on [[Titan|Imperial Titans]]. This is one of the most powerful vehicle-mounted, anti-tank weapons in the Imperium's arsenal and it requires such an investment in resources to construct just a single example that its use was limited to the ''Legiones Astartes''.
[[File:Chaos_Falchion.jpg|thumb|250px|A [[Chaos]] Decimator variant Falchion]]
 
  +
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 [[Titan|Imperial Titan]], but the the tank can also be equipped with other Titan-grade weapons, including [[Turbo-Laser Destructor|Turbo Laser]] and [[Inferno Cannon]]s. The Falchion is also armed with sponson-mounted weapons, usually [[Twin-linked|twin-linked]] [[Heavy Bolter]]s or [[Lascannons]]. The Chaos Decimator variant of the Falchion is armed with sponson-mounted [[twin-linked]] [[Autocannon]]s in place of the standard twin-linked Heavy Bolters. The Falchion can also be outfitted with [[Pintle Mount|pintle-mounted]] weapons, a [[Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher]], extra armour plating, a searchlight, and smoke launchers.
 
  +
Even then, the Falchion was so rare that most Legions maintained but a handful, reserved for use against the largest of enemy war machines. The Falchion is also armed with two sets of sponson-mounted Quad-[[Lascannon]]s, and could be outfitted with [[Smoke Launcher]]s, [[Searchlight]]s, an auxiliary drive system, [[Extra Armour Plating]], and a [[Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher]]. The vehicle was normally crewed by experienced [[Chapter Serf|Legion Serfs]], however they could be replaced with superior Astartes crewmen if needed.
  +
  +
==Unit Composition==
  +
*'''1 Relic Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer (41st Millennium Only)'''
  +
*'''1 Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer (31st Millennium Only)'''
  +
  +
==Wargear==
  +
A Relic Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer is armed and equipped with:
  +
*'''[[Twin-linked]] [[Volcano Cannon]]s'''
  +
*'''[[Twin-linked]] [[Heavy Bolter]]s'''
  +
*'''Two [[Quad Lascannon]]s'''
  +
*'''[[Smoke Launcher]]s'''
  +
*'''[[Machine Spirit]]'''
  +
*'''Crushing Tracks''' - The Falchion can crush smaller vehicles under its behemoth weight.
  +
  +
A Relic Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer may replace its two sets of sponson-mounted [[Quad Lascannon]]s with the following sponson-mounted weapons:
  +
*'''2 [[Laser Destroyer Array]]s'''
  +
  +
A Relic Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer may replace its set of hull-mounted [[twin-linked]] [[Heavy Bolter]]s with the following sponson-mounted weapon:
  +
*'''[[Twin-linked]] [[Heavy Flamer]]s'''
  +
  +
A Relic Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer may take one of the following pintle-mounted weapons:
  +
*'''[[Storm Bolter]]'''
  +
*'''[[Heavy Bolter]]'''
  +
*'''[[Heavy Flamer]]'''
  +
*'''[[Multi-Melta]]'''
  +
  +
===Horus Heresy Wargear===
  +
During the [[Great Crusade]] and [[Horus Heresy]] the Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyers of the [[Legiones Astartes]] featured different loadout options than those still found during the 41st Millennium.
  +
  +
A standard Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer is armed and equipped with:
  +
*'''[[Twin-linked]] [[Volcano Cannon]]s'''
  +
*'''[[Twin-linked]] [[Heavy Bolter]]s'''
  +
*'''Two [[Quad Lascannon]]s'''
  +
*'''[[Smoke Launcher]]s'''
  +
*'''[[Machine Spirit]] (artificial intelligence)'''
  +
*'''Crushing Tracks''' - The Falchion can crush smaller vehicles under its behemoth weight.
  +
  +
A Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer may upgrade its [[twin-linked]] [[Volcano Cannon]]s with the following:
  +
*'''[[Neutron Wave Capacitor]]'''
  +
  +
A Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer may take one of the following pintle-mounted weapons:
  +
*'''[[Twin-linked]] [[Bolter]]s (Combi-Bolter)'''
  +
*'''[[Combi-Weapon]]'''
  +
*'''[[Heavy Bolter]]'''
  +
*'''[[Heavy Flamer]]'''
  +
*'''[[Multi-Melta]]'''
  +
*'''[[Havoc Missile Launcher]]'''
  +
  +
Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyers may also have a variety of vehicle equipment such as:
  +
*'''[[Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher]]'''
  +
*'''[[Armoured Ceramite Plating]]'''
  +
*'''[[Auxiliary Drive System]]'''
  +
  +
Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyers may also be upgraded with:
  +
*'''Space Marine Legion Crew''' - Replaces the vehicle's human crew with Legiones Astartes Space Marines
   
 
==Known Falchions==
 
==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.
 
*'''''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.
+
*'''''Eightfold Lance''''' - The ''Eightfold Lance'' was a Falchion that belonged to the [[Word Bearers]] Space Marine Legion during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. 
  +
[[File:SoH_Falchion_Spr_Hvy_Tank_Destroyer.jpg|thumb|250px|''Zarathutrax'', [[Sons of Horus]] 28th Armoured Assault Company ("The Back Breakers")]]
  +
*'''''Zarathutrax''''' - The ''Zarathutrax'' was a Falchion of that belonged to the [[Sons of Horus]] [[Legion]] during the [[Horus Heresy]]. Part of the Legion's 28th Armoured Assault Company, the ''Zarathutrax'' first saw combat during the attack on Hive Ilium of [[Manachea]] after being built specifically for the [[Warmaster]]'s Legion by an unknown [[Dark Mechanicum]] [[Forge World]]. The vehicle features the Eye and Half Cog symbol, which saw extensive use amongst the Dark Mechanicum elements that operated directly under the command of Warmaster Horus, isolated from influence of [[Kelbor Hal]] and the Traitor Martian Synod of [[Mars]].
   
 
==Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications==
 
==Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications==
  +
{| align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="width: 500px; height: 500px;"
The exact original technical specifications for this vehicle have been lost by the Imperium.
 
  +
|+'''Falchion'''
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Vehicle Name:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Main Armament:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|Fixed Hull-mounted twin-linked Volcano Cannon
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Forge World of Origin:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|[[Mars]]/Tigrus
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Secondary Armament:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|2 sets of sponson-mounted Quad-[[Lascannons]]
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Known Patterns:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|Unknown
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Traverse:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|2 degrees
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Crew:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|Commander, Driver & 2 Gunners
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Elevation:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"| -2 to 12 degrees
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Powerplant:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|Uncodified Atomantic plasma hybrid-reactor
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Main Ammunition:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|Unlimited from Generator
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Weight:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|approx. 302 tonnes
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Secondary Ammunition:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|Unlimited feed cell
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Length:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|approx. 12.5 metres
  +
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;"|Armour:
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Width:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|8.2 metres with sponsoons
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Height:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|5.8 metres
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Superstructure:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|130 mm
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Ground Clearance:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|1.5 metres
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Hull:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|120 mm
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Max Speed On-Road:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|approx. 32 kph
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Turret:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|120 mm
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Max Speed Off-Road:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|approx. 20 kph
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Gun Mantlet:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|120 mm
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Transport Capacity:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|N/A
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Firing Ports:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|N/A
  +
|-
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Access Points:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|2 Side Doors, Top Hatch
  +
! style="text-align: center;"|Vehicle Designation:
  +
| style="text-align: center;"|Undesignated
  +
|}
   
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
Line 19: Line 164:
 
*'''[[Glaive]]'''
 
*'''[[Glaive]]'''
 
*'''[[Imperial Vehicles]]'''
 
*'''[[Imperial Vehicles]]'''
  +
  +
==Canon Conflict==
  +
[[File:DG_Falchion.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Death Guard]] [[Legion]] Mammoth Tank, ''Mordant''.]]
  +
The Falchion was first pictured in The Horus Heresy: Collected Visions Artbook and the Horus Heresy Card Game as a Legion heavy tank known as the "Mammoth Tank" and looked very similar to the [[Shadowsword]].
  +
  +
When Forge World began re-imagining the older content for their Horus Heresy line of models the Mammoth was renamed the Falchion, and its armament was changed to differentiate it from the Shadowsword as they were also used by the Astartes Legions. It is unknown if an actual modern Mammoth tank will ever be created.
   
 
==Sources==
 
==Sources==
  +
*''Imperial Armour Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes'' (8th Edition), pg. 21
*''Epic Armageddon Black Legion Army List'', pg. 16
 
 
*''The Horus Heresy: Collected Visions'' (Background Book), pg. 287
 
*''The Horus Heresy: Collected Visions'' (Background Book), pg. 287
  +
*''The Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 241
*''White Dwarf'' 120 (UK), pp. 8-13
 
  +
*''The Horus Heresy - Book Four: Conquest'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 15, 150-151, 226-227
  +
*''The Horus Heresy - Book Five: Tempest'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 36-37, 80, 114-115
  +
*''The Horus Heresy - Book Six: Retribution'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 150-151
  +
*''The Horus Heresy: Legiones Astartes - Age of Darkness Army List'', pg. 84
  +
*''The Horus Heresy: Model Masterclass - Vol. 1'', pp. 24-45
 
*''White Dwarf'' 120 (UK), "Epic Battles - War Machines!", pg. 8
 
*''Deliverance Lost'' (Novel) by Gav Thorpe, pg. 420
 
*''Deliverance Lost'' (Novel) by Gav Thorpe, pg. 420
*[http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/News/falchion.html ''Forge World - Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank'']
+
*[https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-US/Legion-Falchion-Super-Heavy-Tank-Destroyer ''Forge World - Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank'']
   
 
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
 
<gallery widths="200" spacing="small" position="center">
 
<gallery widths="200" spacing="small" position="center">
  +
Falchion4l.jpg|A Falchion super-heavy tank destroyer of the [[Sons of Horus]] [[Legion]]
falchion.jpg|An ancient illistration of a Falchion during combat
 
  +
falchion1l.jpg|A [[Sons of Horus]] [[Legion]] Falchion (right-rear view)
  +
falchion2l.jpg|A [[Sons of Horus]] [[Legion]] Falchion (rear view)
  +
WB Falchion.jpg|An ancient pict-capture of a [[Word Bearers]] [[Legion]] Falchion, ''Eightfold Lance'', one of a handful of "Titan-killer" super-heavy tanks deployed to [[Calth]]
 
falchion.jpg|An ancient [[Remembrancer]] illustration of a Falchion in combat during the [[Great Crusade]]
  +
FalchionImperialFists00.jpg|A Falchion of the [[Imperial Fists]] [[Legion]], front-side view
  +
FalchionImperialFists01.jpg|A Falchion of the [[Imperial Fists]] [[Legion]], top view
  +
FalchionImperialFists02.jpg|A Falchion of the [[Imperial Fists]] [[Legion]], side view
  +
Falchion0000.png|A Falchion of the [[Imperial Fists]] [[Legion]] as seen from the front
  +
Falchion0001.png|A Falchion of the [[Imperial Fists]] [[Legion]] as seen from the right-side
  +
Falchion0002.png|A Falchion of the [[Imperial Fists]] [[Legion]] as seen from above
  +
Falchion0003.png|An ancient pict-capture of a ''Legiones Astartes'' Falchion during the [[Horus Heresy]]
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  +
  +
{{Space Marine Forces}}
  +
  +
  +
[[es:Cazatanques Superpesado Falchion]]
 
[[Category:F]]
 
[[Category:F]]
[[Category:Imperial Vehicles]]
+
[[Category:Chaos]]
[[Category:Space Marines]]
 
[[Category:Space Marine Vehicles]]
 
 
[[Category:Chaos Space Marines]]
 
[[Category:Chaos Space Marines]]
 
[[Category:Chaos Vehicles]]
 
[[Category:Chaos Vehicles]]
[[Category:Imperial Tanks]]
 
 
[[Category:Imperial Heavy Tanks]]
 
[[Category:Imperial Heavy Tanks]]
 
[[Category:Imperial Tanks]]
  +
[[Category:Imperial Vehicles]]
 
[[Category:Imperium]]
 
[[Category:Imperium]]
 
[[Category:Space Marines]]
 
[[Category:Space Marine Vehicles]]
 
[[Category:Tanks]]
 
[[Category:Tanks]]
 
[[Category:Vehicles]]
 
[[Category:Vehicles]]
[[Category:Chaos]]
 

Revision as of 01:58, 16 March 2019

Falchion4l

A Falchion of the Sons of Horus Legion during the Great Crusade

The Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer, or simply the Falchion, was a super-heavy tank destroyer used by the Space Marine Legions, and in limited numbers by the Imperial Army and Mechanicum, during the time of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia.

Along with its sister super-heavy tanks, the Fellblade and the Glaive, the Falchion was one of the most powerful and most feared weapons used during this time.

History

FalchionUltramarines0000

An ancient pict-capture of an Ultramarines Legion Falchion during combat

The Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer was developed long before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy. In these ancient times the Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes operated very differently than in the 41st Millennium, fighting on an unimaginable scale in wars with tens or even hundreds of thousands of elite warriors deployed who could conquer entire planets in mere days, or even hours.

These massive armies of the Legiones Astartes were given the very best technology constructed by the Mechanicum, and one of the greatest of their works of war was the super-heavy tank destroyer known as the Falchion. 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. As such its prey was not the enemy Titans it would alter see such extensive combat against.

As the Great Crusade expanded ever outward, the Expeditionary Fleets encountered a staggering array of foes, some of whom were of a truly gargantuan scale. The formless overlord beings of the Psiom Reach were so massive they could crush entire armies with their bulk, but they were set to ravening flame by the touch of the Ultramarines's Falchions formidable twin-linked Volcano Cannons. When the gravity-defying mountain-fortresses of the Thulos Deeps rejected Compliance, a company of Iron Hands Falchions burned them and their occupants from the skies, scattering all to rubble such that no stone was left standing upon another.

These massive tanks, armed with their massive forward-firing twin-linked Volcano Cannons, 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 deployed 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 Astartes Legions were broken down into the smaller, one thousand-man Chapters during the Second Founding, their vehicles were removed from their main armouries and spread amongst their Successor Chapters. Once the Horus Heresy ended the ability to construct Falchions, like so many other great works of human technology and engineering were eventually lost, the remaining Falchions dwindling in supply until eventually only ever being used in the most dire of circumstances.

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 and 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.

However there exist rumours of some of these machines surviving amongst the armies of the Forces of Chaos, as warped, twisted, and tainted nightmares touched by the foul powers of the Warp and the "blessings" of the Chaos Gods. The Forces of Chaos still make limited use of Falchions and Fellblades that are blessed by Chaos Undivided in the 41st Millennium.

Armament

The Falchion was used as a super-heavy tank destroyer, and as such it lacks some of the features of the Fellblade such as 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 armed with a full-sized twin-linked Volcano Cannon, a weapon that is usually mounted on Imperial Titans. This is one of the most powerful vehicle-mounted, anti-tank weapons in the Imperium's arsenal and it requires such an investment in resources to construct just a single example that its use was limited to the Legiones Astartes.

Even then, the Falchion was so rare that most Legions maintained but a handful, reserved for use against the largest of enemy war machines. The Falchion is also armed with two sets of sponson-mounted Quad-Lascannons, and could be outfitted with Smoke Launchers, Searchlights, an auxiliary drive system, Extra Armour Plating, and a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher. The vehicle was normally crewed by experienced Legion Serfs, however they could be replaced with superior Astartes crewmen if needed.

Unit Composition

  • 1 Relic Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer (41st Millennium Only)
  • 1 Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer (31st Millennium Only)

Wargear

A Relic Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer is armed and equipped with:

A Relic Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer may replace its two sets of sponson-mounted Quad Lascannons with the following sponson-mounted weapons:

A Relic Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer may replace its set of hull-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters with the following sponson-mounted weapon:

A Relic Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer may take one of the following pintle-mounted weapons:

Horus Heresy Wargear

During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy the Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyers of the Legiones Astartes featured different loadout options than those still found during the 41st Millennium.

A standard Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer is armed and equipped with:

A Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer may upgrade its twin-linked Volcano Cannons with the following:

  • Neutron Wave Capacitor

A Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer may take one of the following pintle-mounted weapons:

Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyers may also have a variety of vehicle equipment such as:

Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyers may also be upgraded with:

  • Space Marine Legion Crew - Replaces the vehicle's human crew with Legiones Astartes Space Marines

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.
  • Eightfold Lance - The Eightfold Lance was a Falchion that belonged to the Word Bearers Space Marine Legion during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. 
SoH Falchion Spr Hvy Tank Destroyer

Zarathutrax, Sons of Horus 28th Armoured Assault Company ("The Back Breakers")

  • Zarathutrax - The Zarathutrax was a Falchion of that belonged to the Sons of Horus Legion during the Horus Heresy. Part of the Legion's 28th Armoured Assault Company, the Zarathutrax first saw combat during the attack on Hive Ilium of Manachea after being built specifically for the Warmaster's Legion by an unknown Dark Mechanicum Forge World. The vehicle features the Eye and Half Cog symbol, which saw extensive use amongst the Dark Mechanicum elements that operated directly under the command of Warmaster Horus, isolated from influence of Kelbor Hal and the Traitor Martian Synod of Mars.

Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications

Falchion
Vehicle Name: Falchion Super-Heavy Tank Destroyer Main Armament: Fixed Hull-mounted twin-linked Volcano Cannon
Forge World of Origin: Mars/Tigrus Secondary Armament: 2 sets of sponson-mounted Quad-Lascannons
Known Patterns: Unknown Traverse: 2 degrees
Crew: Commander, Driver & 2 Gunners Elevation: -2 to 12 degrees
Powerplant: Uncodified Atomantic plasma hybrid-reactor Main Ammunition: Unlimited from Generator
Weight: approx. 302 tonnes Secondary Ammunition: Unlimited feed cell
Length: approx. 12.5 metres Armour:
Width: 8.2 metres with sponsoons
Height: 5.8 metres Superstructure: 130 mm
Ground Clearance: 1.5 metres Hull: 120 mm
Max Speed On-Road: approx. 32 kph Turret: 120 mm
Max Speed Off-Road: approx. 20 kph Gun Mantlet: 120 mm
Transport Capacity: N/A Firing Ports: N/A
Access Points: 2 Side Doors, Top Hatch Vehicle Designation: Undesignated

See Also

Canon Conflict

DG Falchion

The Death Guard Legion Mammoth Tank, Mordant.

The Falchion was first pictured in The Horus Heresy: Collected Visions Artbook and the Horus Heresy Card Game as a Legion heavy tank known as the "Mammoth Tank" and looked very similar to the Shadowsword.

When Forge World began re-imagining the older content for their Horus Heresy line of models the Mammoth was renamed the Falchion, and its armament was changed to differentiate it from the Shadowsword as they were also used by the Astartes Legions. It is unknown if an actual modern Mammoth tank will ever be created.

Sources

  • Imperial Armour Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes (8th Edition), pg. 21
  • The Horus Heresy: Collected Visions (Background Book), pg. 287
  • The Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 241
  • The Horus Heresy - Book Four: Conquest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 15, 150-151, 226-227
  • The Horus Heresy - Book Five: Tempest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 36-37, 80, 114-115
  • The Horus Heresy - Book Six: Retribution (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 150-151
  • The Horus Heresy: Legiones Astartes - Age of Darkness Army List, pg. 84
  • The Horus Heresy: Model Masterclass - Vol. 1, pp. 24-45
  • White Dwarf 120 (UK), "Epic Battles - War Machines!", pg. 8
  • Deliverance Lost (Novel) by Gav Thorpe, pg. 420
  • Forge World - Legion Falchion Super-Heavy Tank

Gallery

Space Marine Forces
Chapter Command Chapter MasterMaster of the KeepMaster of SanctityChief LibrarianMaster of the ApothecarionMaster of the ForgeMaster of the WatchMaster of the FleetMaster of the ArsenalMaster of the MarchesMaster of the RitesMaster of RelicsChief VictuallerLord ExecutionerMaster of RecruitsMaster of ReconnaissanceMaster of the SignalChapter AncientPrimaris AncientChapter ChampionHonour Guard
Company Command Command SquadReclusiam Command SquadCaptainPrimaris CaptainLieutenantPrimaris LieutenantCompany AncientCompany Champion
Specialists Librarian (EpistolaryCodicierLexicaniumPrimaris LibrarianVanguard Librarian) • Chaplain (ReclusiarchPrimaris ChaplainJudiciar) • Apothecary (Primaris ApothecaryApothecary BiologisHelix Adept) • Techmarine
Veteran Squads Veteran Marines (Sternguard VeteranVanguard VeteranVeteran IntercessorVeteran Assault IntercessorBladeguard Veteran) • Terminator SquadTerminator Assault Squad
Battleline Squads Tactical SquadIntercessor Squad (Heavy Intercessor Squad) • Infiltrator Squad
Close Support Squads Assault SquadAssault Intercessor SquadJump Pack Intercessor SquadInceptor SquadReiver SquadIncursor SquadSuppressor SquadBike SquadOutrider SquadCenturion Assault Squad
Fire Support Squads Aggressor SquadDesolation SquadDevastator SquadHellblaster SquadEradicator SquadEliminator SquadInfernus SquadCenturion Devastator Squad
Neophyte Squads Scout SquadScout Bike Squad
Light Vehicles Assault BikeAttack BikeScout BikeRaider Pattern Combat BikeInvader ATVLand Speeder (Land Speeder StormLand Speeder TempestLand Speeder TornadoLand Speeder TyphoonLand Speeder VengeanceLand Speeder ProteusDarkshroud) • Storm Speeder (Storm Speeder HailstrikeStorm Speeder HammerstrikeStorm Speeder Thunderstrike)
Combat Walkers Dreadnought (Castraferrum DreadnoughtSiege DreadnoughtHellfire DreadnoughtIronclad DreadnoughtVenerable DreadnoughtMortis DreadnoughtChaplain DreadnoughtLibrarian DreadnoughtFurioso DreadnoughtDeath Company DreadnoughtRedemptor Dreadnought (Brutalis DreadnoughtBallistus Dreadnought) • Wulfen DreadnoughtDoomglaive Dreadnought) • Nemesis DreadknightInvictor Tactical Warsuit
Armoured Personnel Carriers RhinoRazorbackDamocles Command RhinoRhino PrimarisRhino AdvancerImpulsor
Main Battle Tanks Predator Destructor (Predator AnnihilatorBaal Predator) • Land Raider (Land Raider PhobosLand Raider CrusaderLand Raider RedeemerLand Raider AchillesLand Raider PrometheusLand Raider Terminus UltraLand Raider AresLand Raider ExcelsiorLand Raider Wrath of MjalnarLand Raider Angel InfernusLand Raider Solemnus AggressorLand Raider Anvilarum) • Deimos Vindicator Laser DestroyerRepulsorRepulsor ExecutionerGladiator (Gladiator ReaperGladiator ValiantGladiator Lancer) • Astraeus
Artillery WhirlwindVindicatorStalkerHunterWhirlwind HyperiosLand Raider HeliosThunderfire CannonFirestrike Servo-turret
Aircraft/Air-Deployed StormtalonThunderhawkThunderhawk TransporterShadowhawkStormravenStorm EagleFire RaptorStormhawk InterceptorCaestus Assault RamDark TalonNephilim JetfighterStormfangStormwolfCorvus BlackstarOverlordDrop PodHammerfall Bunker
Rare, Relic or Retired Vehicles Contemptor Pattern DreadnoughtDeredeo Pattern DreadnoughtCerberus Heavy Tank DestroyerLeviathan DreadnoughtJavelin Attack SpeederJetbikeDeimos PredatorDeimos RhinoSabre Tank HunterLand Raider ProteusKratos Heavy Assault TankMark IIb Land Raider PhobosMalcador Assault Tank (Malcador Annihilator) • Sicaran Battle TankSicaran VenatorSicaran Punisher Assault TankSicaran Arcus Strike TankSicaran Omega Tank DestroyerSpartan Assault TankTyphon Heavy Siege TankFellbladeFalchionMastodonDeimos Whirlwind ScorpiusXiphon Pattern InterceptorStormbirdKharybdis Assault Claw