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The ancient Stormhammer was the [[Mechanicum]]'s first adaptation of the Baneblade chassis specifically designed to counter large mobs of infantry, especially the innumerable waves of [[Ork]] [[Boy]]z encountered during the battles of the [[Ullanor Crusade]]. The Stormhammer sports two large independent turrets, each equipped with [[twin-linked]] [[Battle Cannon]]s. In addition, the Stormhammer possesses a secondary armament of between four and eight [[twin-linked]] [[Heavy Bolter]]s. If the situation warrants it, some of the Heavy Bolters can be swapped out for [[Heavy Flamer]]s or [[Lascannon]]s to augment the Stormhammer's tactical flexibility. |
The ancient Stormhammer was the [[Mechanicum]]'s first adaptation of the Baneblade chassis specifically designed to counter large mobs of infantry, especially the innumerable waves of [[Ork]] [[Boy]]z encountered during the battles of the [[Ullanor Crusade]]. The Stormhammer sports two large independent turrets, each equipped with [[twin-linked]] [[Battle Cannon]]s. In addition, the Stormhammer possesses a secondary armament of between four and eight [[twin-linked]] [[Heavy Bolter]]s. If the situation warrants it, some of the Heavy Bolters can be swapped out for [[Heavy Flamer]]s or [[Lascannon]]s to augment the Stormhammer's tactical flexibility. |
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| − | On the battlefield, the Stormhammer is a frontline super-heavy tank whose primary function is that of a line-breaker, obliterating enemy infantry at medium range. With |
+ | On the battlefield, the Stormhammer is a frontline super-heavy tank whose primary function is that of a line-breaker, obliterating enemy infantry at medium range. With its ability to turn up to twenty death spewing muzzles upon its target, the Stormhammer will make short work of any infantry or light vehicle caught in its field of fire. When equipped with Heavy Flamers, it can also function as an assault tank, flushing out enemy infantry before gunning it down. The massive Stormhammer's presence is also a potent morale bolster for the Imperial Guardsmen serving on the frontline. |
The Stormhammer does suffer from many drawbacks, however: like its parent the Baneblade, it is slow and ungainly, and even when equipped with Lascannons, it will perform poorly against enemy armour due to the short range of its weapons. Additionally, the twin-turret design is not as efficient as it could be, as neither turret has a 360° field of fire due to the presence of its twin. Lastly, the Stormhammer's main drawback lies in its very nature: the amount of retrofit work necessary to install a second turret on the Baneblade chassis is so colossal that the design was never favoured nor made a priority for Imperial production. In the late 41st Millenium, the production of the Stormhammer has almost been discontinued totally in favour of less efficient but much easier to produce patterns of super-heavy tank like the [[Stormlord]]. Those Stormhammers that remain in action are still revered and carefully maintained as relics by the [[Tech-priest]]s and [[Enginseer]]s of the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]], but few, if any, new Stormhammers are now produced. |
The Stormhammer does suffer from many drawbacks, however: like its parent the Baneblade, it is slow and ungainly, and even when equipped with Lascannons, it will perform poorly against enemy armour due to the short range of its weapons. Additionally, the twin-turret design is not as efficient as it could be, as neither turret has a 360° field of fire due to the presence of its twin. Lastly, the Stormhammer's main drawback lies in its very nature: the amount of retrofit work necessary to install a second turret on the Baneblade chassis is so colossal that the design was never favoured nor made a priority for Imperial production. In the late 41st Millenium, the production of the Stormhammer has almost been discontinued totally in favour of less efficient but much easier to produce patterns of super-heavy tank like the [[Stormlord]]. Those Stormhammers that remain in action are still revered and carefully maintained as relics by the [[Tech-priest]]s and [[Enginseer]]s of the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]], but few, if any, new Stormhammers are now produced. |
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Revision as of 07:55, 8 January 2013
A possible variant of the Stormhammer super-heavy tank armed with two turret-mounted twin-linked Battle Cannons
The Stormhammer is a super-heavy tank of the Imperial Guard and the rarest variant of the Baneblade super-heavy tank. Its design may possibly be based off of the ancient Fellblade super-heavy tank used in the 31st Millennium by the Space Marines during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. The Stormhammer is the most powerful tank ever deployed by the Imperium in terms of its pure firepower on the battlefield, and it is still the most heavily armed tank currently used by the Imperium of Man's armed forces during the 41st Millennium. As a result, the Stormhammer is the rarest of the Baneblade tank variants in use by the Imperial Guard.
The ancient Stormhammer was the Mechanicum's first adaptation of the Baneblade chassis specifically designed to counter large mobs of infantry, especially the innumerable waves of Ork Boyz encountered during the battles of the Ullanor Crusade. The Stormhammer sports two large independent turrets, each equipped with twin-linked Battle Cannons. In addition, the Stormhammer possesses a secondary armament of between four and eight twin-linked Heavy Bolters. If the situation warrants it, some of the Heavy Bolters can be swapped out for Heavy Flamers or Lascannons to augment the Stormhammer's tactical flexibility.
On the battlefield, the Stormhammer is a frontline super-heavy tank whose primary function is that of a line-breaker, obliterating enemy infantry at medium range. With its ability to turn up to twenty death spewing muzzles upon its target, the Stormhammer will make short work of any infantry or light vehicle caught in its field of fire. When equipped with Heavy Flamers, it can also function as an assault tank, flushing out enemy infantry before gunning it down. The massive Stormhammer's presence is also a potent morale bolster for the Imperial Guardsmen serving on the frontline.
The Stormhammer does suffer from many drawbacks, however: like its parent the Baneblade, it is slow and ungainly, and even when equipped with Lascannons, it will perform poorly against enemy armour due to the short range of its weapons. Additionally, the twin-turret design is not as efficient as it could be, as neither turret has a 360° field of fire due to the presence of its twin. Lastly, the Stormhammer's main drawback lies in its very nature: the amount of retrofit work necessary to install a second turret on the Baneblade chassis is so colossal that the design was never favoured nor made a priority for Imperial production. In the late 41st Millenium, the production of the Stormhammer has almost been discontinued totally in favour of less efficient but much easier to produce patterns of super-heavy tank like the Stormlord. Those Stormhammers that remain in action are still revered and carefully maintained as relics by the Tech-priests and Enginseers of the Adeptus Mechanicus, but few, if any, new Stormhammers are now produced.
Armament
The Stormhammer's armament has been described several different ways in the existing Imperial records. Whether these descriptions actually concern the same vehicle with different weapons configurations or represent unknown variants of the Stormhammer itself remains unclear. The Stormhammer has always been described as having a turret-mounted Twin-linked Battle Cannon as its main weapon, with 4 sponson-mounted Twin-linked Heavy Bolters as its secondary weapons. The tank has also been described as having an additional 4 top sponson-mounted Lascannons or Twin-linked Heavy Bolters. The vehicle has been depicted as having either a hull-mounted Twin-linked Demolisher Cannon, a hull-mounted Twin-linked Battle Cannon, or a hull-mounted second turret mount with a Twin-linked Battle Cannon. The tank can also have a pintle mounted weapon, and may be able to exchange some of its sponson Heavy Bolters with Heavy Flamers.
Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications
| Vehicle Name: | Stormhammer | Main Armament: | 1 Turret-mounted Twin-linked Battle Cannon, and 1 Secondary Turret-mounted Twin-linked Battle Cannon OR Hull-mounted Twin-linked Battle Cannon OR Hull-mounted Twin-linked Demolisher Cannon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forge World of Origin: | Unknown | Secondary Armament: | 4 Sponson-mounted Twin-linked Heavy Bolters, 4 Top Sponson-mounted Lascannons OR 4 Top Sponson-mounted Twin-linked Heavy Bolters |
| Known Patterns: | Unknown | Traverse: | 360 and 6 degrees |
| Crew: | Unknown | Elevation: | -2 to 28 degrees |
| Powerplant: | MR507 v18 Multi-Fuel | Main Ammunition: | Unknown |
| Weight: | 320 Tonnes | Secondary Ammunition: | Unknown |
| Length: | 13.5 metres | Armour: | |
| Width: | 8.4 metres | ||
| Height: | 6.3 metres | Superstructure: | 200 millimetres |
| Ground Clearance: | 1.2 metres | Hull: | 200 millimetres |
| Max Speed On-Road: | 25 kilometres per hour | Gun Mantlet: | 180 millimetres |
| Max Speed Off-Road: | 18 kilometres per hour | Vehicle Designation: | Unknown |
| Transport Capacity: | N/A | Firing Ports: | N/A |
| Access Points: | N/A | Turret: | Unknown |
Sources
- Codex Titanicus (2nd Edition), p. 55