The Banehammer is a super-heavy tank of the Astra Militarum, a Baneblade variant that swaps the iconic battle cannon for a Tremor Cannon designed to shatter enemy formations. It’s the Imperium’s answer to a screaming horde charging your lines: don’t outshoot them, just make the ground unlivable.
What the Banehammer is
Take a Baneblade, pull out the battle cannon, and drop in a Tremor Cannon. That’s the Banehammer in a nutshell. It’s a super-heavy vehicle, so it’s huge, heavily armoured, and built on the same chassis family as the Baneblade, Hellhammer, and Shadowsword.
Nobody’s quite sure when it was first built or where. The records are thin, and the Imperium being the Imperium, that’s not unusual. What is clear is that it’s been used heavily, especially during the recent Tyrannic Wars, where stopping massed Tyranid swarms is the whole point.
How the Tremor Cannon works
The Tremor Cannon doesn’t fire a normal shell. Its projectile buries itself in the ground first, then detonates after travelling some distance. When it goes off, it releases a massive shock wave that liquefies the surrounding earth.
That turns solid ground into a sucking bog. Infantry and vehicles caught in the blast zone have to crawl through it or risk being swallowed. It’s less about killing outright and more about breaking momentum, which is exactly what you want when a horde is bearing down on your position.
Why it matters on the tabletop and in lore
The Banehammer fills a niche the Baneblade doesn’t. Where the Baneblade is a generalist, the Banehammer is a crowd-control specialist. Imperial commanders use it to halt massed enemy advances, not to duel other tanks.
It’s also a transport, which catches people off guard. It can carry 25 units and has 10 firing ports, so it doubles as a mobile bunker for infantry. One access point is open-topped, so troops can pile in and out quickly.
Key specifications
The numbers below come from the Lexicanum’s datasheet. Some fields, like crew, weight, and powerplant, are marked unknown, which is typical for super-heavy vehicles in Imperial records.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Main armament | Tremor Cannon |
| Secondary armament | 2 Lascannons, twin-linked Heavy Bolter, 2 twin-linked Heavy Bolters or Heavy Flamers |
| Length | 13.5m |
| Width | 8.4m |
| Height | 6.3m |
| Max speed (road) | 25 kph |
| Max speed (off-road) | 18 kph |
| Transport capacity | 25 units |
| Firing ports | 10 |
| Access points | 1 open-topped |
Notable Banehammers
Two named Banehammers show up in the sources. The Bringer of Cataclysms served with the Vostroyan 41st Super-Heavy Armoured Regiment. The Wrath Beyond Reason is mentioned in Escalation. Neither gets much detail, but they’re nice reminders that these machines aren’t anonymous in-universe.
Key facts
- The Banehammer is a super-heavy Astra Militarum vehicle, a variant of the Baneblade.
- Its main weapon is the Tremor Cannon, which liquefies ground to slow enemy advances.
- It’s used primarily to halt massed enemy assaults, especially during the Tyrannic Wars.
- It can transport 25 units and has 10 firing ports.
- Named examples include the Bringer of Cataclysms and the Wrath Beyond Reason.
FAQ
Is the Banehammer a Baneblade variant?
Yes. It’s built on the Baneblade chassis and replaces the Baneblade’s battle cannon with a Tremor Cannon. It shares the super-heavy classification and the general silhouette.
What does the Tremor Cannon actually do?
It fires a projectile that buries itself before detonating, creating a shock wave that liquefies the ground. Infantry and vehicles caught in the area have to crawl through the muck, which slows them down dramatically.
Can the Banehammer carry troops?
Yes. It has a transport capacity of 25 units and 10 firing ports, plus one open-topped access point. That makes it useful as a mobile bunker as well as a gun platform.