baneblade

[tomsev]

So i found out today a guy in my gaming group just got a baneblade, should i be scared? Or should i just shunt up ndks and termies ans nuke it? Or is there another we got i could or should use?

[Frater Cornelius]

The amount of fear should depend on the type of the BB. But none of them are all that scary.  Allies Drop Pod Combi-Meltas and shunting NDK work just fine. Some variants murder TDA, but it is possible to kill one in your first turn.

Allied support is needed to to it reliably though.

[Brom MKIV]

The baneblade is good no doubt. Its gonna have a S9 ap2 apoc blast (10") and a vindis demolisher cannon plus a hb at a minimum.. and likely 2 more tlhb's and 2 las plus an autocannon all of which shoot at seperate targets. Ya I'd say its good. Theres worse things out there though like the hellhammer which replaces the 10" with a 7" blast but S10 ignores cover.. or the stormsword which has a 10" ignores cover but no demolisher. Just depends on which way he runs it. All variants I'm aware of sport 9 hull pts. Fellblades have a whopping 12. 

 

Either way though the thing is a very credible threat to multiple units at once and hard to get rid of since any player worth their salt taking one will have it wrapped in fodder to prevent assaults or shunting behind it. That coupled with the ability to ignore the damage chart means its always shooting and always moving 12" if it chooses. And tank shocking if needed.

 

I haven't played against every variant tbh but the ones I have faced were pretty powerful and challenging. Meltaguns aren't really worth much here honestly unless you bring them in late. You pretty much have to pull the bubble wrap away via assault pile-ins or kill it off while weathering the storm before you can do significant damage to the tank.

 

Also note that they have an attenuated version of stomp.. basically an additional tank shock that happens before moral checks. Its pretty friendly except when a 6 is rolled. Certain SH tanks get +1 to that roll making it 1/3 chance of removing what they hit iirc.

 

Also just from experience you will need to assault the things but remember they cannot be locked in combat. Its a rude awakening when one drives off, turns around and shoots the christ out your units (since theres no consolidation for combat with vehicles).

 

Thats what I got. 

 

Edit- I should add most of my experience comes against CSM and now renegades so their bubble wrap is a little better than the average variety.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Like most big shooty threats our psycannons can't kill, you just need to apply Dreadknight to the problem. Probably send two as insurance, in case you fail to rip all its HP off or it kills one on the approach. 

[Grand Master Iapetus]

The most reliable way to take one out seems to be through Assault in most cases.  Dreadknight(s) or Termies with Hammers (and Hammerhand) can make short work of them.  Regardless, even an uber-shooty army like Tau has to expend a good amount of shooting they could be focusing on other key units instead of the BaneBlade, which allows you to do more with those "other" key units.  

 

If you are the one taking the BaneBlade know that it is a huge points soak and that makes it challenging to bring to games with a sub 2000 points value.   

 

However, in Apocalypse or larger points values it can be a different story.  I have an Inquisitorial BaneBlade I bring to Apocalypse games, and it typically earns it's worth.  I always run it with a psychic unit with "Prescience" closeby, which makes up for the BS3 very nicely.  

 

The enemy either has to ignore you completely and suffer or spend a significant amount of important units to dispatch your BaneBlade.