Falchion Super Heavy Tank Destroyer
The Falchion Super Heavy Tank Destroyer, also known as the Mammoth, was a Super Heavy Tank of the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.[1]
Contents
Overview
History
The Falchion was developed during the first century of the Great Crusade by Technoarchaeologist Arginoss Krown. While similar in appearance to the Fellblade, it was made independently of it. Instead, it was an adaptation of the Shadowsword tank used by the Imperial Army to combat large Xenos-forms and super-heavy vehicles. They utilized the same Volcano Cannon seen on the Shadowsword, though during field testing with Astartes Expeditionary Fleets a number of problems emerged. The relentless pace of the Great Crusade combined with the complexity of its weaponry meant it was unavailable for deployment more often than they were available. The discovery of the STC for the Neutron-Wave Cannon during the later Crusade allowed for the design to be revised, and the Falchion subsequently saw widespread use in the Space Marine Legions against large enemy foes.[10]
During the Great Crusade, records of the Falchion devastating firepower were kept by the Ultramarines in their conquests of the formless overlord beings of the Psiom Reach, and from a company of Iron Hands to topple the mountain-fortresses of the Thulos Deeps.[1]
Over the course of the Horus Heresy the Falchion saw widespread use, often as a roving hunter-killer against super-heavy vehicles, Knights, and even Titans. However after the devastating conflict few remained.[10]
Design
The Falchion utilized a different base structure from other Space Marine Super-Heavy Vehicles. Due to the vast size of its primary weapon and its capacitors, the bulk of the tank was little more than a carriage system for its armament. Too large even for the turret system seen on other super-heavy vehicles, its weapon sat in a fixed forward position which gave the tank a lower profile. Unlike the earlier Shadowsword, the Falchion used the same Metaplas metallic alloy seen on the Fellblade. This lightened the vehicles weight and allowed it a high degree of flexibility.[10]
The Falchion also featured the same advanced gunner position seen in the Glaive, allowing its sponson weaponry to be operated from a position alongside the driver. The commander's position remained high up within the hull, with a cupola adjacent to its main weapon capacitors. While the doctrine of the Legions dictated that Falchion commanders should not spend extended periods observing directly from their cupola while firing, as the venting of excess energy from their Neutron Wave Cannon dispersed dangerous levels of heat and radiation, others such as the Iron Warriors and Iron Hands made no such concession.[10]
The primary weapon of the Falchion was initially two of the same Volcano Cannons seen on the Imperial Army's Shadowsword, but this proved problematic and cumbersome. Later, it was upgraded with twin Neutron Wave Cannons which was based off the Neutron Laser Projector. While its predecessors emitted a single beam of energy, the Neutron-Wave Cannon instead fired alternating pulses of neutrons through twin beams which bombards the target and disables electrical systems. While the crew was mostly protected against radiation from this weapon, they still nonetheless had reduced operational lifespans and often required bionic reconstruction when compared to others. Besides its primary weapon, it also mounted a pair of sponson weapons such as a pair of quad Heavy Bolters, Laser Destroyers, or Lascannons.[10]
Ascalon Super Heavy Tank
The Ascalon Super Heavy Tank is a variant of the Falchion, which is equipped with a Ascalon Inferno Gun. This Titan-sized weapon is capable of torching whole battalions of enemy infantry.[7]
Known Falchion Tanks
- Mordant — Used by the Death Guard at the Drop Site Massacre[2]
- Zarathruttrax — Used by the Sons of Horus during the Horus Heresy[3]
Images
Falchion Super Heavy Tank Destroyer[6]
Falchion Super Heavy Tank Destroyer[5]
Plastic Falchion for the Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness[9]
Epic-scale Iron Warriors Falchion for Legions Imperialis[8]
Death Guard Falchion Tank during the Horus Heresy[2]
See also
- Glaive - a similar tank pattern equipped with a Volkite Carronade
- Fellblade - a similar tank pattern equipped with an Accelerator Cannon
Trivia
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During its first incarnation, the Falchion utilized twin Volcano Cannons.[1] This was retconned in the 3rd edition of the Horus Heresy (Game) to have only been its first version, and its main armament was subsequently changed to the Neutron Wave Cannon.[10]
Sources
- 1: The Horus Heresy Book Three - Extermination, pg. 241
- 2: Collected Visions, pg. 287
- 3: The Horus Heresy: Legions - Shadow of the Warmaster: Sons of Horus Expansion Card Description
- 4: Liber Astartes, pg. 90
- 5: Forge World webstore: Falchion Super Heavy Tank (saved archive)
- 6: Forge World webstore: Legion Falchion Super Heavy Tank Destroyer (saved archive)
- 7: Warhammer Community: World Championships Preview – Rule the Legions Imperialis battlefield with super-heavy tanks and Saturnine Terminators (archived from the original 7 November 2025, last accessed 7 November 2025)
- 8: Warhammer Community: World Championships Preview – Rule the Legions Imperialis battlefield with super-heavy tanks and Saturnine Terminators (archived from the original 7 November 2025, last accessed 7 November 2025)
- 9: Warhammer Community saved page, original link: https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/f7bd1ghe/revealed-give-them-both-barrels-with-the-new-titan-hunting-falchion-tank/ (last accessed 9/3/2026)
- 10: Journal Tactica: Mailed Fist - Legiones Astartes Super-Heavy Tanks – pgs. 14-15
