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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 military forces of the ancient 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 later 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' 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 Master ā€¢ Master of the Keep ā€¢ Master of Sanctity ā€¢ Chief Librarian ā€¢ Master of the Apothecarion ā€¢ Master of the Forge ā€¢ Master of the Watch ā€¢ Master of the Fleet ā€¢ Master of the Arsenal ā€¢ Master of the Marches ā€¢ Master of the Rites ā€¢ Master of Relics ā€¢ Chief Victualler ā€¢ Lord Executioner ā€¢ Master of Recruits ā€¢ Master of Reconnaissance ā€¢ Master of the Signal ā€¢ Chapter Ancient ā€¢ Primaris Ancient ā€¢ Chapter Champion ā€¢ Honour Guard
Company Command Command Squad ā€¢ Reclusiam Command Squad ā€¢ Captain ā€¢ Primaris Captain ā€¢ Lieutenant ā€¢ Primaris Lieutenant ā€¢ Company Ancient ā€¢ Company Champion
Specialists Librarian (Epistolary ā€¢ Codicier ā€¢ Lexicanium ā€¢ Primaris Librarian ā€¢ Vanguard Librarian) ā€¢ Chaplain (Reclusiarch ā€¢ Primaris Chaplain ā€¢ Judiciar) ā€¢ Apothecary (Primaris Apothecary ā€¢ Apothecary Biologis ā€¢ Helix Adept) ā€¢ Techmarine
Veteran Squads Veteran Marines (Sternguard Veteran ā€¢ Vanguard Veteran ā€¢ Veteran Intercessor ā€¢ Veteran Assault Intercessor ā€¢ Bladeguard Veteran) ā€¢ Terminator Squad ā€¢ Terminator Assault Squad
Battleline Squads Tactical Squad ā€¢ Intercessor Squad (Heavy Intercessor Squad) ā€¢ Infiltrator Squad
Close Support Squads Assault Squad ā€¢ Assault Intercessor Squad ā€¢ Jump Pack Intercessor Squad ā€¢ Inceptor Squad ā€¢ Reiver Squad ā€¢ Incursor Squad ā€¢ Suppressor Squad ā€¢ Bike Squad ā€¢ Outrider Squad ā€¢ Centurion Assault Squad
Fire Support Squads Aggressor Squad ā€¢ Desolation Squad ā€¢ Devastator Squad ā€¢ Hellblaster Squad ā€¢ Eradicator Squad ā€¢ Eliminator Squad ā€¢ Infernus Squad ā€¢ Centurion Devastator Squad
Neophyte Squads Scout Squad ā€¢ Scout Bike Squad
Light Vehicles Assault Bike ā€¢ Attack Bike ā€¢ Scout Bike ā€¢ Raider Pattern Combat Bike ā€¢ Invader ATV ā€¢ Land Speeder (Land Speeder Storm ā€¢ Land Speeder Tempest ā€¢ Land Speeder Tornado ā€¢ Land Speeder Typhoon ā€¢ Land Speeder Vengeance ā€¢ Land Speeder Proteus ā€¢ Darkshroud) ā€¢ Storm Speeder (Storm Speeder Hailstrike ā€¢ Storm Speeder Hammerstrike ā€¢ Storm Speeder Thunderstrike)
Combat Walkers Dreadnought (Castraferrum Dreadnought ā€¢ Siege Dreadnought ā€¢ Hellfire Dreadnought ā€¢ Ironclad Dreadnought ā€¢ Venerable Dreadnought ā€¢ Mortis Dreadnought ā€¢ Chaplain Dreadnought ā€¢ Librarian Dreadnought ā€¢ Furioso Dreadnought ā€¢ Death Company Dreadnought ā€¢ Redemptor Dreadnought (Brutalis Dreadnought ā€¢ Ballistus Dreadnought) ā€¢ Wulfen Dreadnought ā€¢ Doomglaive Dreadnought) ā€¢ Nemesis Dreadknight ā€¢ Invictor Tactical Warsuit
Armoured Personnel Carriers Rhino ā€¢ Razorback ā€¢ Damocles Command Rhino ā€¢ Rhino Primaris ā€¢ Rhino Advancer ā€¢ Impulsor
Main Battle Tanks Predator Destructor (Predator Annihilator ā€¢ Baal Predator) ā€¢ Land Raider (Land Raider Phobos ā€¢ Land Raider Crusader ā€¢ Land Raider Redeemer ā€¢ Land Raider Achilles ā€¢ Land Raider Prometheus ā€¢ Land Raider Terminus Ultra ā€¢ Land Raider Ares ā€¢ Land Raider Excelsior ā€¢ Land Raider Wrath of Mjalnar ā€¢ Land Raider Angel Infernus ā€¢ Land Raider Solemnus Aggressor ā€¢ Land Raider Anvilarum) ā€¢ Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyer ā€¢ Repulsor ā€¢ Repulsor Executioner ā€¢ Gladiator (Gladiator Reaper ā€¢ Gladiator Valiant ā€¢ Gladiator Lancer) ā€¢ Astraeus
Artillery Whirlwind ā€¢ Vindicator ā€¢ Stalker ā€¢ Hunter ā€¢ Whirlwind Hyperios ā€¢ Land Raider Helios ā€¢ Thunderfire Cannon ā€¢ Firestrike Servo-turret
Aircraft/Air-Deployed Stormtalon ā€¢ Thunderhawk ā€¢ Thunderhawk Transporter ā€¢ Shadowhawk ā€¢ Stormraven ā€¢ Storm Eagle ā€¢ Fire Raptor ā€¢ Stormhawk Interceptor ā€¢ Caestus Assault Ram ā€¢ Dark Talon ā€¢ Nephilim Jetfighter ā€¢ Stormfang ā€¢ Stormwolf ā€¢ Corvus Blackstar ā€¢ Overlord ā€¢ Drop Pod ā€¢ Hammerfall Bunker
Rare, Relic or Retired Vehicles Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought ā€¢ Deredeo Pattern Dreadnought ā€¢ Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer ā€¢ Leviathan Dreadnought ā€¢ Javelin Attack Speeder ā€¢ Jetbike ā€¢ Deimos Predator ā€¢ Deimos Rhino ā€¢ Sabre Tank Hunter ā€¢ Land Raider Proteus ā€¢ Kratos Heavy Assault Tank ā€¢ Mark IIb Land Raider Phobos ā€¢ Malcador Assault Tank (Malcador Annihilator) ā€¢ Sicaran Battle Tank ā€¢ Sicaran Venator ā€¢ Sicaran Punisher Assault Tank ā€¢ Sicaran Arcus Strike Tank ā€¢ Sicaran Omega Tank Destroyer ā€¢ Spartan Assault Tank ā€¢ Typhon Heavy Siege Tank ā€¢ Fellblade ā€¢ Falchion ā€¢ Mastodon ā€¢ Deimos Whirlwind Scorpius ā€¢ Xiphon Pattern Interceptor ā€¢ Stormbird ā€¢ Kharybdis Assault Claw
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