Crew: 5 (1 commander, 1 gunner, 1 Comms Operator, 1 tech adept, 1 driver)
Known Patterns/Subvarrients: I-IV (A-D)
Armament:
Main Armament:140mm Autoloading 'Reaction Cannon' (20-30 rounds)
Secondary Armament:Co-Axial Mars Pattern Autocannon (500-1500 rounds), Pintle mounted Storm Bolter or Heavy Stubber (1000-5000 rounds), 4 Hunter-Killer AT-Missile launchers (up to 14 missiles stored plus loaded missiles)
Mobility:
Max Speed:50 km/h
Traverse: 360 degrees
Elevation:-10 to 28 degrees
Powerplant:MR800 V24 "Vermillion Superior" Multi-Fuel engine
Dimensions:
Weight:230 Tonnes
Height:6.3 metres
Width:6.4 metres
Length:13.5 metres
Ground clearance:1.2 metres
Armour:
Superstructure: 150/150/150mm Faramite Composite
Hull: 150/50/50mm Faramite Composite
Gun Mantlet: 100mm Adamantium Plate
Turret: 200/200/200mm Faramite Composite
Lore: The Banelord represents the final evolution of a long history of ambush tank destroyers: combining high mobility with utterly devastating firepower.
The Banelord was a Super Heavy tank design produced by Forge World Griffith for the Terrarian System Protectorate in the Tempestus Segmentum. The world of Terraria and its 11 colonies were always exceptionally independent from the wider Imperial bureaucracy and administration; but loyally paid the Imperial Tithe and offered exceptional trade and military service to the Imperium in exchange for the Imperial Navy's continued protection of the colonies against large external threats.
This request for a Super Heavy tank destroyer capable of defeating opposing superheavy vehicles and titans was not entirely unusual or unwarranted of a request either. Terraria had their own patterns of the common Sentinel Scout Walker, Chimera AFV and Leman Russ Battle Tank; and the threat posed of chaos attacks had steadily increased with the appearance of traitor titans on the colonial Industrial World of Obysia. The demon-possessed Super-Heavy walkers required heavy orbital bombardment to defeat on the field. A solution that was messy, and often cost the Terrarian Guard elements heavily in lives and equipment as well as damage to the infrastructure of Obysia that took many decades to repair fully; so their request was heeded when the nearby forgeworld of Griffith received it. Keen to keep the traitor god machines at bay as long as possible.
The Banelord was the final product of this request. The hull was stripped down of aproxamelty 33% of its hull armour compared to the standard Baneblade, and had its sponsons removed to further cut down weight and make the vehicle easier to conceal. To further reduce weight, faramite composites were used in the forging of the Super heavy armour as opposed to the more traditional heavy faramite plates. This armour, while equally as effective, was much more costly and time consuming to produce; resulting in very low initial production figures. The relatively lightweight chassis was then fitted with the most powerful engine the Griffith forges had, the Vermillion Superior V24 Multi-Fuel engine, allowing the over 200 tonne tank to propel itself at up to 50 km/h consistently; an extremely uncommon degree of flexibility for a Super Heavy.
But the most extreme change was by far in the tank's armament. The Demolisher Cannon of the Baneblade was completely removed, seen as impractical for its purpose by both the Terrarian Guard and the Adeptus Mechanicus. And the 152mm Mega Battle Cannon was replaced with a 140mm long barreled smoothbore 'Reaction Cannon' that fired high-density Transuranium Flechette rounds at extreme velocities. The flechettes however were highly radioactive, and contained unstable Uranium and Plutonium isotopes in its core. This core, once they impacted a target, would trigger a small but violent nuclear reaction causing an explosive chain reaction in the target area. Even the mightiest titans could not withstand a volley of such projectiles, as the nuclear detonations rapidly overload voidshileds and atomise armour protection. The Banelord also possess several Hunter Killer Missile launchers, with an arsenal of missiles to reload them, allowing the Banelord to destroy multiple armoured opponents in very short order from long range.
The Terrarian Guard are able to maneuver the relatively mobile superheavies into concealed firing positions and take apart enemy super heavy elements from a great distance away, at minimal risk to themselves and their own assets. The tank was practically immune to the return fire from lesser tanks and AT weapons if spotted or could quickly relocate if larger Super Heavy weapons were brought to bear on them. Then resume the lethal rain of nuclear shells and AT missiles from a new vantage point.
To protect the crew from the radiation produced by its unique ammunition, the loading process and resupply of the tank are entirely automated. Thick lead blast shields hiding the automatic loading assembly from the crew compartment, and servitor-operated cranes used to load fresh shells into the tanks shell storage. This loading system having the added benefit of reducing the required number of crew members and increasing rate of fire to an impressive 6 rounds per minute, compared to a skilled baneblade crew's ability to fire 4 rounds per minute from the Mega Battle Cannon and 3 from the demolisher cannon (reducing as battle fatigue sets in).
However, unlike many other Super Heavies, in close quarters the Banelord requires a heavy escort. Lacking the sponsons or close range firepower necessary to protect itself against massed opponents, although the tank is not defenceless: armed with a co-axial 30mm autocannon and pintel Heavy Stubber or Storm Bolter. Although this protection pales in comparison to the brawling battlefortress that is the Baneblade, it is a minor price to pay for the ability to decimate superheavy formations and tank companies from extreme range.
Referred to as a 'Heavy Destroyer' by the Terrarian Guard, very few outside of the Terrarian protectorate have seen a Banelord. This being due to its very limited production, allowing for only forgeworld Griffith and its surrounding systems to effectively adopt the vehicle. But on those occasions when a Guard regiment is lucky enough to have a Super Heavy Terrarian Auxiliary Detachment, the presence of the Banelord is always felt against the tanks and titans of the enemy which swiftly cease being a battlefield threat wherever the Banelord goes.
Ironically, the Banelord shares a name with one its primary forms of prey: a class of heavy chaos titan. Whether this is on purpose or mere coincidence however is not known.