Stormsword

The Stormsword was originally a field workshop conversion of the Shadowsword. When a Shadowsword or Stormblade is knocked out, the salvaged chassis is rebuilt and new weapons are added to create the Stormsword, as troops have christened it. This is common practice with other vehicles, such as the Thunderer and many unique variants of other Imperial Guard vehicles. Whilst such conversions are 'unofficial' and frowned upon by the conservative upper echelons of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Imperial Guard commanders facing the enemy on the ground must take a more pragmatic view. Any vehicle that can fulfil a battlefield role can and will be utilised.

The Stormsword super-heavy tank is built specifically for sieges and street fighting. Whilst the Shadowsword excels at long range and the Baneblade is an 'all rounder' equally at home in the open fields or in street fighting, the Stormsword lends its weight and firepower to troops at close quarters. The main armament's restricted range leaves it dangerously exposed in open terrain and most commanders will only commit them to battle in the enviroment they were built for, in the heart of a city fight where the fighting is at its most intense and fierce, leading the attack, crunching through the rubble and smashing through walls.

Each massive siege cannon shell holds enough explosibe to flatten a building with a single shot. Gunners are taught to aim at the ground floor of the building, with the intention of causing the entire building above to collapse. The siege gun barrel has a restricted elevation, which reduces the weapon's maximum range. This is compensated for by the shell's integrak rocket propulsion system.

The Stormsword siege gun fires huge rocket-propelled siege shells, each weighing in excess of 180 kgs. Rather than firing a shell by conventional means, a Stormsword literally launches each shell. Exhaust vents on either side of the gun barrel allow the gas discharged by the rocket engine to escape during firing. The size of the shells limits the vehicle's ammunition racks to holding just twenty rounds. Due to the weight of each shell, the vehicle's loader is aided by an automated loading tray, which is hand cranked to move a shell into the barrel. This is a time consuming process and the Stormsword cannot maintain a high rate of fire.

In addition to the main gun, a Stormsword is also formidably equipped with secondary weapons for combat in the close confines of a city fight. Turret mounted heavy flamers are used to clear building and rubble of hidden enemy infantry, driving them into the open to become targets for the heavy bolters and supporting infantry.