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Bloodlords - Warband Badge: The Bloodlords warband's badge is not listed in current Imperial records. |
Bloodstone - Bloodstone: A bloodstone is a type of blood-red gemstone native to the world of Baal that was used by the Blood Angels to decorate their wargear and other equipment. The gems are carefully extracted by hand from the deep caves of the Cruor Mountain on Baal. |
Bloodstone (Drukhari) - Bloodstone (Drukhari): A Bloodstone is a powerful Drukhari weapon often mounted on an Incubus' Tormentor Helm. A Bloodstone is created from a broken Craftworld Aeldari Exarch's Spirit Stone that was claimed by the Incubus after they slew their target. When unleashed with a mental command, a Bloodstone can boil an enemy's blood with a pulse of potent psychic energy. |
Bloodthirster - Bloodthirster: A Bloodthirster, also called a "Fist of Khorne," a "Guardian of the Throne," and a "Blooded One," is the Greater Daemon of Khorne, and each is a manifestation of the unreasoning rage and savagery of total war.It is said that there are no more powerful masters of battle in the entire galaxy than the Greater Daemons of the Blood God and that none may stand before them. They are the very essence of brutality, every blow ever struck and life ever taken in anger distilled into a single, towering form of iron and sinew.As the living embodiments of war, rage and murder, Bloodthirsters represent the bloodiest side of warfare and are renowned as the greatest warriors amongst Daemonkind. Only the boldest and most heroic of mortal champions would even stand the slimmest chance of survival in combat with a Bloodthirster, and an even smaller chance of victory.In appearance, Bloodthirsters are the embodiments of fear and terror long-expressed in the ancient Terran legends of Daemons that hungered for the souls of Mankind. Most of these creatures stand nearly ten metres tall, whilst the mightiest of their kind are the size of a Scout Titan. Their skin is the deep red of encrusted blood. Their gore-flecked hides are covered in crimson fur the colour of spilt blood and their eyes are milky white without visible iris or pupil.Their feet are cloven and the ground burns at their passing. Their bodies are impossibly muscled and covered in iron-tipped barbs. From their backs sprout a pair of gigantic, membranous, bat-like wings, enabling them to soar over the battlefield before diving into the fiercest and bloodiest areas of battle, striking at will.Most hideous of all are their faces, which are bestial, almost canine, the visage of Khorne's most favoured beings in the universe. Their snarling maws are filled with fangs the size of mortal swords. |
Bloodthirster - Role: Bloodthirsters wear ancient, ornamented armour. Sections of their armour are adorned with the glowing skull Mark of Khorne as a sign of his blessing.The panoply of this armour is ruddy bronze or iron black, upon which the glowing-red runes of Khorne are proof against the most fearsome of psychic attacks, a fact that strikes utter horror into the hearts of the most accomplished of battle-psykers.A Bloodthirster's armour is also proof against the ranged weapons of the cowardly that would dare attempt to strike them down from a distance rather than engaging in righteous close combat.As well as their razor-sharp claws, the Greater Daemons of Khorne are known to carry two primary weapons which epitomise murder. The first is a massive daemonic battleaxe which is the iconic weapon of Khorne, forged in the heat of the rage of the Lord of War and imbued with the essence of caged Greater Daemons.The keen-edged blade is at least the height of a Space Marine, and its haft several times longer. Perhaps the most powerful weapons ever created, these gigantic battleaxes can cleave an armoured main battle tank in half. These fearful weapons not only destroy a foe's physical body, but often consume their souls as well as an offering to the Blood God.The second weapon a Bloodthirster carries is a long barbed whip which is capable of dealing death at range. Since Bloodthirsters are obsessed with spreading death and destruction, the use of such a weapon enables them to strike down a distant foe with the shattering power of their deafening bellow.Though not as satisfying as cleaving apart a foe with a sweep of their axe, they do allow a Bloodthirster to reach and destroy even the fastest and most agile of their foes.But the Bloodthirsters of Khorne are not simply mindless berserker engines of war. They are the generals and ultimate champions of the daemonic legions of the Blood God.Countless Lesser Daemons march beneath them in unstoppable assaults against the enemies of their master and his chosen mortal servants. Bloodthirsters are masters of every tactic that leads to the spilling of blood. They eschew stealth and guile as the coward's way and direct their forces towards the total defeat of their enemies with stunning brutality. Against such a combination of rage and leadership, none can stand.There are eight distinct hosts of Bloodthirsters among the daemonic legions of Khorne, but it would be a fatal error to believe that even the lowest ranked -- the Bloodthirsters of the eighth host -- are in some way lesser warriors than their kin, or that they pose a reduced threat.In truth, only those versed in daemonic lore have any notion that varied ranks of Bloodthirster exist, for all seem equally terrifying and destructive to the mortals who feel their ire upon the battlefield.Nonetheless, each of the eight ranks of Bloodthirster possess their own lethal skills, armaments and title. Those of the eighth host, for example, are known as Bloodthirsters of Unfettered Fury. These monstrous beings are skilled if unsubtle generals and, armed with their infamous combination of axe and whip, are most often seen commanding Khorne's daemonic legions in their attacks on realspace.By comparison, those of the sixth rank, known as Bloodthirsters of Insensate Rage, are berserk destroyers who wield immense axes as tall as a fortress gate. Nothing can stand before such terrors on the battlefield, and the Daemons of Khorne are drawn instinctively on in the wake of their furnace-hot fury.The infamous Bloodthirsters of the third host, meanwhile, are known as the Wrath of Khorne. These beings are fire-breathing braggarts, hunters after glory who delight in humbling the mightiest heroes of the foe and butchering them in the name of their bloody lord. |
Bloodthirster - Bloodthirster of Unfettered Fury: The most numerous of the Lord of Skull's Greater Daemons are the Bloodthirsters of Unfettered Fury. In one fist, these colossal, sulphur-wreathed fiends carry a massive Axe of Khorne, which can carve a battle-tank in two with a single swing.In its other hand, the Bloodthirster wields a vicious Lash of Khorne.Immense whips studded with brass spikes, these weapons slice through the air with a thunderous crack, breaking necks, entangling limbs, or driving on the Bloodletters and Flesh Hounds around them. |
Bloodthirster - Bloodthirster of Insensate Rage: Bloodthirsters of Insensate Rage are the most mindlessly savage of their kind. The fires of Khorne's forge fill their chests, stoking their fury to a state of apoplexy that renders them utterly incoherent with anger.So great is their ire-fuelled strength that these Daemons are able to heft immense brass axes as tall as a fortress gate, and the cohorts of Khorne are driven into a frenzy in the wake of their furnace-hot fury. The arrival of such an entity on the battlefield heralds the coming of the end. |
Bloodthirster - Wrath of Khorne Bloodthirster: Soaring through the skies on vast, leathery wings, Wrath of Khorne Bloodthirsters scour the battlefield for their prey.These arrogant huntsmen are charged by Khorne with a sacred duty -- humbling the mightiest heroes of the foe and butchering them in the name of the Lord of Battle.Breathing jets of hellfire, wielding a Bloodflail and monstrous Axe of Khorne, there is no greater champion of war. |
Bloodthirster - Notable Bloodthirsters: An'ggrath the Unbound - An'ggrath is the greatest of the Bloodthirsters and the most favoured servant of the Blood God Khorne. He was most recently banished from the material realm during the Siege of Vraks in 830.M41.Skarbrand the Exiled One - Once the greatest of Khorne's generals, the mightiest of all Bloodthirsters, until an act of betrayal saw him cast out due to the machinations of Tzeentch, the Lord of Change, and he was exiled from the service of Khorne.Anarkh'ad'nron - Anarkh'ad'nron is a Bloodthirster who is part of a daemonic host comprised of followers of all four Chaos Gods. Leading a cohort of bestial Bloodletters, he followed his master, a Herald of Khorne known as Deathrender, in a campaign of slaughter and mayhem.An'kha'arak - A Bloodthirster who led a Chaos incursion on the Imperial world of Toreus in 579.M41 which he conquered and ruled for 300 Terran years as a Daemon World before he was drawn back into the Empyrean.Ax'akhan - A Bloodthirster who himself is one of eight Bloodthirsters who serve beneath Ghalh'kra the Infernus. His subordinate, the Bloodthirster Khulzar, commanded one of Khorne's daemonic Blood Legions that included amongst its eight cohorts the infamous Doom Court that took part in the Blood Crusade, and during the war for the Attila System entered battle upon the Fortress World of Alexandrum.Bellanoth - Bellanoth was a Greater Daemon of Khorne who was sealed within the Damnation Cache on the world of Pythos after the Horus Heresy. He was released by the Forces of Chaos in the latter 41st Millennium and was soon banished afterwards by the Catachan Jungle Fighters.Ghalh'kra - Ghalh'kra the Infernus is the commander of one of the Blood God's daemonic armies, the overlord of Ax'akhan and eight other Bloodthirster generals under Ax'akhan who command their own Blood Legions.Gore Lord - The Gore Lord is a Bloodthirster who leads a mixed host of daemonic entities who serve both Khorne and Slaanesh primarily in an unusual daemonic alliance that is known as the Brazen Host.Ka'bandha - One of the greatest of the Bloodthirsters, and the eternal foe of the Blood Angels Space Marines and all their Successor Chapters.Ka'jagga'nath, the Unbound, Lord of the Bloodtide - Ka'jagga'nath was originally imprisoned in a stasis-reliquary within the Basilica of St. Mariel on the Imperial world of Van Horne. He was accidentally released during renovations, taking one of the labourers as his Daemonhost. He would proceed to unleash a tide of gore and within a matter of solar days he had corrupted the entirety of the planet to the service of the Blood God. Ka'jagga'nath was finally defeated by the Grey Knights' 4th Brotherhood. Their purity overcame the blood tide and they were able to banish the Greater Daemon's soul back into the Empyrean.Khan'zhar the Red - Khan'zhar led the Red Legions of Khornate Daemons against the Fortress World of Cadia during the climax of Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41.Kar'voth - Kar'voth is a Bloodthirster who encountered Kaldor Draigo, the Supreme Grand Master of the Grey Knights, who had been physically cast into the Realm of Chaos and doomed to walk its myriad paths. Atop the Blood Falls, where the acrid ichor of Khorne's fallen champions tumbled endlessly into the void, Draigo slew Kar'voth in single combat.Kha Ak-Lash Kha-Aksha, the Usurper - Kha Ak-Lash Kha Aksha is infamous among daemons for attempting to turn against its own Chaos God. For this affront, the Usurper was punished severely by Khorne, imprisoned within a mighty axe of Warp-forged metal which the Blood God cast out from the Warp and into realspace. This ancient and feared weapon became known as the Axe of Kha-Aksha and is currently in the possession of one of the many mutants on the Gloaming World of Messia's night side.Khulzhar - Khulzhar is a Bloodthirster of Unfettered Fury, one of eight Bloodthirster generals who command eight daemonic Blood Legions under the control of the Bloodthirster commander Ax'akhan, who himself is one of eight Bloodthirsters who command forces that comprise the overall daemonic army of Ghalh'kra the Infernus. Khulzhar led one of the many daemonic legions that took part in the Blood Crusade, and during the war for the Attila System, took personal command of the Herald of Khorne Un'grath the Undefeated's cohort -- the feared Doom Court.Storm Prince - The Storm Prince was a Bloodthirster trapped beneath the frozen surface of the world of Acheron, lost in the Warp for centuries. When the Blood Ravens Space Marines, the Eldar of Craftworld Biel-Tan and the Orks led by Warboss Gorgutz all come to Acheron in search of the legendary aretfact known as the Spear of Khaine, the use of the weapon awakens the Daemon. Only by combining their forces in an uneasy alliance were the three factions able to defeat the Storm Prince and prevent him from unleashing a rampage across the galaxy in the name of the Blood God.Vangash'hagash, the Ever-Bloody - Vangash'hagash is a Bloodthirster and lord of the Daemon World of Kathalon within the Eye of Terror, where the daemonic legions of Khorne and Tzeentch have fought each other for control for millennia. |
Bloody Path - Bloody Path: The Bloody Path is a warband of Chaos Space Marines that splintered from the World Eaters Traitor Legion. Most recently, during the 13th Black Crusade, this warband fought alongside the monstrous Butcherhorde, a conglomeration of multiple World Eaters warbands led by the infamous Khârn the Betrayer, who led them in the slaughter of the Imperial world of Amethal in the Diamor System against the valiant defence of the Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter. |
Bloody Path - Notable Campaigns: Diamor Campaign (999.M41) - The Diamor Campaign took place during Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade within the Diamor System. Initially led by the Chaos Lord Kranon the Relentless, his Renegade Chapter, known as the Crimson Slaughter, spearheaded the attack on the Imperial world of Amethal on behalf of Abaddon in order to obtain something the Despoiler desired. Due to the madness and unpredictability of Kranon, the execution of the invasion instead fell upon the Black Legion's Chaos Lord Xorphas. The Bloody Path would later join the monstrous Butcherhorde alliance, comprised of a coalition of multiple World Eaters warbands and led by the infamous Khârn the Betrayer. This Khornate host descended upon Amethal with but a single goal -- to take the heads of the most worthy and mightiest of the heroes of the defending Blood Angels. The resultant slaughter weakened the barrier between the Immaterium and the material realm to such an extent that the Blood Angels were forced to call for aid from the daemon-hunting Grey Knights Chapter. |
Bloody Path - Warband Colours: The Bloody Path warband primarily wears mahogany (reddish-brown) colours, the colour of dried blood, on their battle-plate trimmed in brass, which denotes their allegiance to the Blood God Khorne. They also wear black gauntlets. Having waged a standard century-long war against the Orks of WAAAGH! Killstomp, the Bloody Path proclaim their victories with tassels the green of Ork flesh. |
Bloody Path - Warband Badge: The Bloody Path warband's icon is reminiscent of their original Legion icon -- a world being devoured by a monstrous black maw, centred on a field of reddish-orange. |
Bluddflagg - Bluddflagg: Bluddflagg, also known as Kaptin Bluddflagg, is an infamous Ork Freebooter Captain who has commanded his Ork pirate crew across the Korianis Sector in a savage display of destruction.He plundered the Aurelia Sub-sector for an unknown period of time during the Third Aurelian Crusade. Unlike most Ork Warbosses, Bluddflagg is not entirely motivated by the desire for a bigger WAAAGH!, but also by loot. This drove him to become a successful Freebooter, and provided him with the unusual ability for an Ork of choosing only those fights which he sees as the most profitable. |
Bluddflagg - History: Note: The details of Bluddflagg 's biography depend on which campaign is played in Dawn of War II - Retribution, and which faction proves victorious. The following is only the storyline of the Ork campaign.As indicated by Inquisitor Adrastia, before the events of the Third Aurelian Crusade, Kaptin Bluddflagg had made a name for himself as both a tool of and a threat to the petty Imperial nobles of the sector, gladly offering his services to the highest bidder (and, in some cases, attacking both target and employer).At the start of the Third Aurelian Crusade, Bluddflagg's voidship had crashed upon the jungle-covered Feral World of Typhon in the Ladon Swamplands. His head aching, the captain and his first mate had barely roused themselves when they were set upon by Craftworld Aeldari. Believing them to be responsible for the destruction of their ship, the Orks sought to hunt the Aeldari down, while also keeping his eyes open for any other surviving members of his crew.Upon tearing a nearby Craftworld Aeldari patrol apart, the captain found "young master Spookums." Giving him a rousing kick, the captain found his fellow officer alive, though he was injured slightly and in possession of poor equipment. After chewing him out for getting "duff'd by panzee gits", the captain had Spookums upgrade his armour to prepare for the rest of what would decidely be a long adventure...and just in time, as an Aeldari ambush quickly assaulted the gathered Orks.After defeating the Craftworld Aeldari, the Orks continued their trek through the jungle, acquiring a small handful of bases to call in extra troops (and bringing the local Orks under Bluddflagg's command), while simultaneously killing Aeldari and wrecking their defences, before finally confronting the Aeldari leader -- their commander, the Autarch Kayleth of Craftworld Alaitoc. While she put up what the Greenskins considered a decent fight, she and her Craftworld Aeldari were ultimately slaughtered by the Orks. However, before dying, she hinted that darker times lay ahead for Typhon and the rest of the sub-sector.In truth, the problems had only just begun for the Orks. They soon found themselves surrounded by forces under the command of an Inquisitor from the Ordo Hereticus -- Adrastia. She came to the Greenskins with a business proposition -- help hunt down the rouge Space Marine known as Chapter Master Azariah Kyras of the Blood Ravens (thus preventing the destruction of the entire sub-sector) and, in exchange, she would grant the Ork Freebooter three Imperial Guard regiments and a combat area of his choosing to fight them, no strings attached. The deal was almost set, but Bluddflagg demanded one more thing -- the Inquisitor's hat, which he was quite fond of. The Inquisitor, unimpressed, refused; the deal was broken, but as the Inquisitor left, she made it clear that the Aeldari were not the ones to blame for the captain's ship crashing on Typhon. Bluddflagg quickly figured that the humans were responsible and took up the contract, promising that the Inquisitor would rue the day she had heard his name.Returning to their base and reuniting with Brikkfist, Mister Nailbrain tried to calm his leader's bloodlust. Killing Space Marines was no easy task and a Chapter Master was the worst of the lot. Knowing all too well that the Inquisitor could not be trusted, Bluddflagg came to the realization that they were all in the same boat and that the coming days would be fraught with peril, confusion and trials unending.Back on Typhon, in the Ladon Temple Ruins, a band of Imperial Guard had abandoned all hope in the Emperor and had fallen to the corruption of Chaos. While Bluddflagg cared little for the allegiance of humans one way or the other, he did have a problem with the Guardsmen, for they were blocking the pathway to his telly-portas. With them gone, the plundering would go much more swiftly and new planets for conquest would soon be accessed by the Greenskin pirates..At the Temple Ruins, the Orks were quick to encounter the Traitor Guard and just as quick to kill them. Heading due south, the Orks found that these particular Guardsmen possessed potent firepower. An Imperial Baneblade by the name of Beamblade soon set upon them, forcing the Orks into a retreat. Unfortunately, in the confusion, Nailbrain was knocked out and the path to reach him was destroyed by the super-heavy tank. Unwilling to leave one of his officers behind, Bluddflagg turned to save him, destroying some targeting Cogitators which sent the Traitor Guardsmen's turrets into a haywire frenzy that ended with their deaths.But this was not the case for Beamblade or its crazed driver, who proved unrelenting in his hunt for the Orks. To stay alive, the Greenskin pirates had to keep moving. Thankfully, reinforcements were soon found nearby in the ruins. Of course, the Traitor Guard were not fully defeated and possessed a large force of Sentinels. But Bluddflagg and his crew proved capable of destroying them and avoiding another devastating assault by the super-heavy tank.Fortunes improved for the Orks upon discovering an abandoned Ork Banner, which would bring many more Greenskin pirates to Bluddflagg's crew. Unfortunately, the sudden return of Beamblade unleashed yet another assault upon the Ork pirates at the hands of the Traitor Guard. However, the super-heavy tank's driver failed to realise that he had situated the tank near some Imperial turrets that could easily be re-wired. Slipping around the massive Imperial vehicle while his Orks kept it busy, the Bluddflagg and his Boyz wrecked one final Cogitator, turning the turrets against the tank and finally ending its threat.The Ork's telly-porta was soon up and running; unfortunately, there was a lack of test subjects, so the officers had to test it out. Thankfully, it worked -- no limbs were lost, no damage was incurred and no deaths were required to get it operational once more. Even better, the telly-portas would allow the Greenskins to move from Typhon to a new target for pillaging and fighting -- the Desert World of Calderis. However, an intercepted transmission from a group of Space Marines made it clear the local settlements were to be razed. Seeing no sense in destruction without reward, Bluddflagg took it upon himself to stop the Space Marines from destroying the population of Calderis -- so he could rob it blind.Venturing through the Aurelian Sub-sector, Bluddflagg and his crew eventually made their way to additional telly-portas across the region and happily battled other Traitor Guardsmen, Orks of the Bad Moons klan, Loyalist Space Marines and Chaos Space Marines, Bluddflagg and his crew searched for Azariah Kyras across the sub-sector until they eventually discovered him on Typhon. Before getting to him, though, Bluddflagg was ambushed by the Craftworld Aeldari of Alaitoc, who failed to kill him and had their Seer Council eliminated.When he finally found Kyras, Bluddflagg learned that the Aeldari he had just killed were stopping the Imperial Inquisition fleet from performing an Exterminatus upon Typhon, but now that they were gone, the Imperial warships entered orbit and started the process of destroying the planet. Bluddflagg and his crew made their way across ruined Typhon, battling daemons, rival Orks and feral Tyranids, defeating a powerful Chaos Champion, and finally managing to escape the planet via a tellyporta, which sent him and his crew to the Space Hulk known as the Judgment of Carrion.Impressed by the sheer size of the Space Hulk, Bluddflagg decided to make it his new Kill Kroozer to leave the sub-sector, but decided to defeat Kyras first before he had a chance to harm it. Fighting his way through Tyranids and Orks under the command of a crazed Mekboy simply refered as Mad Mek, Bluddflagg found a Labour Engine in the Space Hulk which contained valuable loot for him. Deducing that Kyras would be at the exterminated planet of Cyrene due to it being a place which "dey already dakkad before", Bluddflagg and his crew got their hands on a powerful Battlewagon and defeated Kyras' remaining forces. However, the corrupted Chapter Master would then start his ascension to become a Daemon Prince, and if not stopped in time, would sacrifice the entire sub-sector to Khorne.Bluddflagg's Freebooterz charged through Kyras' battlefield, fighting the legions of Chaos and witnessing the death of Gabriel Angelos from a "propa smakk." Bluddflagg and his Boyz eventually battled the Daemon Prince himself, weakening him enough for Kyras to be knocked down by the Greenskins' assault. Bluddflagg then ordered a Rok bombardment, with destroyed Kyras and saved the entire Sub-sector Aurelia. After the defeat of Chaos' forces in the sub-sector, Bluddflagg went after Adrastia, but instead of killing her, he merely tossed her aside -- after taking her hat for his own. Bluddflagg and his crew chose to make the Judgment of Carrion their new Kroozer, which soon tellyported away to assault the Freebooterz's next ripe target. |
Bluddflagg - Crew: No Ork pirate is complete without a crew of bloodthirsty, crazed and dangerous Boyz at his beck and call. Bluddflagg was no exception to this rule. Apart from the multitude of unnamed Orks in his command, he did possess a few officers:Mista Nailbrain (First Mate and Mekboy)Spookums (Cabin Boy)Brikkfist (Nob) |
Bluddflagg - Wargear: Uge' ChoppaShoota (Kustom) |
Blue Scribes - Blue Scribes: The Blue Scribes, also known as the "Azure Arcanologists," the "Wandering Wizardkin" and "Tzeentch's Quaestors," are a pair of Blue Horrors named P'tarix and Xirat'p, created by their master, the Great Conspirator Tzeentch, to travel throughout the dimensions of reality to find and record every known spell and scrap of forbidden knowledge.They seek to recover these items, for contained within them is the essence of the power that Tzeentch lost many millennia ago when he was supreme amongst all of the other Dark Gods. If the Blue Scribes' quest ever proves successful, Tzeentch will regain his position as the most powerful being in all of Creation. |
Blue Scribes - History: There was a time when Tzeentch ruled supreme over the Warp, his powers vastly superior to those of any of his brothers (or so maintain his followers). In their envy and arrogance, the other Dark Gods set aside their differences and joined forces to overthrow the Architect of Fate. Territories too vast and maddening to comprehend were devastated in the cataclysmic conflict that followed.During the final battle, with defeat seeming inevitable, Tzeentch cast a great conjuration upon himself, crystallising his thoughts and body even as he was lifted up from his perch and hurled against the Endless Mountains. Upon impact, his mighty form was shattered into ten thousand pieces.Each of these shards contained a tiny fragment of the Arch-Sorcerer's essence -- a single spell or word of change -- and flung as they were across every corner of space and time, Tzeentch's power was irremediably weakened. The legends of many intelligent races suggest this momentous event marked the beginning of the use of psychic sorcery in realspace.After his defeat, Tzeentch created the two Blue Scribes, the Blue Horrors P'tarix and Xirat'p, and tasked them with retrieving every single shard of his former being by travelling through the many dimensions of Creation to find and record every one of his lost spells.To aid them, Tzeentch gave the Scribes one of his flying Discs, both for speed and to carry the huge amount of parchment and ink that the two require for their quest.Not by chance has Tzeentch chosen two lowly Blue Horrors for such an important task. The Great Schemer, as always, was wary of what a rival daemon could do if it ever gained such a terrible power as would be granted were all the missing elements of his essence to be recovered.With their limited intelligence, and their being eternally in conflict with one another, the wandering P'tarix and Xirat'p will never constitute a problem for long.Tzeentch bestowed the extra intelligence of the Scribes with safeguards against betrayal; P'tarix can transcribe the syllables of magic spells into profane Chaos runes and glyphs, but cannot read his own writings. Xirat'p can read his brother's scrawls, but cannot understand them.Because of this, Xirat'p is able to cast spells by reading from P'tarix's writings, but cannot predict which spell he is going to cast; thus, the Blue Scribes create havoc in combat as they unleash a barrage of random psychic effects on any who threaten them.Since then, the Blue Scribes have appeared across the Warp, throughout time, and in the remotest corners of the galaxy as they search for lost grimoires or skilled practitioners of sorcery to interrogate. Their peregrinations often lead the Blue Scribes to the battlefields of realspace, where the two invariably end up aiding the side which has Tzeentch's favour, whether the recipients of this largesse know it or not.P'tarix siphons the power of enemy psykers to learn and catalogue their secrets whilst Xirat'p unleashes a sorcerous barrage by reading from the huge collection of scrolls they have collected through the millennia, always arguing with his twin about which spell to use next. If a foe happens to get close enough to strike them in melee, the Blue Horrors will begin to blame each other for allowing such a terrible situation to occur, all the while keeping their attackers at bay with petulant stabs of their quills.On the rare occasions they best a foe in such a way at close quarters, inevitable arguments begin about which of the pair was more heroic. Should the Blue Scribes' improvised weapons prove ineffective, however -- as they usually do -- they will hastily make their escape upon their Disc of Tzeentch, careening off in search of easier wins.It is fortunate for the mortal races of the galaxy that the pair are almost constantly interrupted in their quest by the conflicts of Tzeentch's enemies and by each other, for if they ever complete their mission, Tzeentch will regain his supremacy and once more rule over all Creation. |
Blue Scribes - Wargear: Sharp quillsImprovised bladesDisc of Tzeentch (Dedicated transport) |
Blue Scribes - Sources: Codex: Chaos Daemons (8th Edition), pp. 47, 92Codex: Chaos Daemons - Daemonic Incursion Edition (7th Edition), pg. 43Codex: Chaos Daemons (6th Edition), pg. 43Codex: Chaos Daemons (4th Edition), pg. 53Games Workshop Online Catalogue - Lords & Heroes: The Blue Scribes |
Blueblood (Anthology Short Story) - Blueblood (Anthology Short Story): Blueblood is a short story published in the Gaunt's Ghosts series that was originally part of an anthology. Blueblood was published as part of the Sabbat Worlds anthology in October 2010, and was later re-published as a stand-alone e-book. |
Blueblood (Anthology Short Story) - Synopsis: As the war in the Sabbat Worlds drags on, the Volpone Bluebloods -- an elite Astra Militarum unit known as much for their aristocratic disdain as their fury in battle -- find themselves encamped with several other regiments. Sabotage and mysterious deaths signal a Chaos taint in the camp, and the Bluebloods investigate. They must overcome their distaste for the primitive warriors around them and band together to find the source of the corruption before it damns them all. |
Boarding Shield - Boarding Shield: A Boarding Shield is a large tower shield comprised of ceramite and plasteel, which contains a small field generator similar to that utilised in the smaller wrist-mounted Combat Shield. These bulky shields are favoured by Space Marine assault units for protection.During the confined close quarter fighting of void combat boarding operations, Boarding Shields allows these assault units to absorb the sustained incoming enemy fire that normally accompanies the first breach in a voidship's hull.Boarding Shields were also employed by Space Marines during siege operations following the first breach in the defenses of a static fortification, when the heavy intensity of incoming enemy fire at close quarters created a combat environment similar to that of a voidship boarding action.The Boarding Shield was most often used during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy by the Space Marine Legions' Breacher Siege Squads. |
Boarding Shield - Sources: The Horus Heresy Book One: Betrayal (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 70, 72, 112, 132, 204, 236The Horus Heresy Book Two: Massacre (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 76, 99, 122The Horus Heresy Book Three: Extermination (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 69, 88, 269The Horus Heresy Book Five: Tempest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 84, 86, 89, 110Forge World - Legion MK III Breacher Squad |
Bodt - Bodt: The world of Bodt was the former fief world and Legiones Astartes training ground of the savage World Eaters Traitor Legion during the Great Crusade and early years of the Horus Heresy in the 30th and early 31st Millennia.Only a few short standard years following the Drop Site Massacre of Isstvan V in 008.M31, Bodt was attacked by an allied independent Loyalist force from the Shattered Legions, led by the infamous Iron Lord Autek Mor, leader of the Iron Hands Legion's notorious Morragul Clan Company, the so-called "Red Talons."After a savage battle, Mor was believed to have entered the subterranean macro-vaults of the city of Tredecimmia before scouring every trace of life from the surface. Bodt's supply line of initiates for the traitorous XIIth Legion was permanently severed as a result. |
Bodt - History: The world of Bodt was one of the oldest fief worlds of the XIIth Legion -- the ferocious World Eaters.It was the planet's singular honour to serve as the mustering ground upon which the Primarch Angron was to assume command of his own Legion as well as the numerous auxilia and allied forces of the 13th Expeditionary Fleet, the so-called "Bloody 13th," including the largest recorded gathering of the Numen Gun Clans, massed scout maniples of the Legio Audax and numerous other forces drawn from the most bloody-handed of the myriad hosts of Mankind.When the XIIth Legion's lost primarch, Angron, was finally found upon the world of Nuceria, he swiftly took charge of his Legion, originally called the War Hounds. On the world of his youth Angron had led a force in rebellion known as the Eaters of Cities for its members' wrath and violence. Now his Legion would become the Eaters of Worlds.To his Astartes, the mutilated, reeking, wrathful figure that now stalked among them as their master swiftly became a kind of savage messiah; a greater warrior than any had known, an exemplar of a brutal ideal of honour and combat that sang to their souls.Angron became to them their first master; displacing for many the loyalty they had once only given their Emperor. He became their judge, their general and a conqueror whose banner they would follow into the depths of hell.Taking charge of his Legion on the mustering grounds of Bodt, Angron swiftly worked many changes on his forces, his "World Eaters" as they were now known. In this he seems to have been given a surprisingly free hand for a newly invested primarch -- not for Angron a period of shadowing one of his brothers while he grew into command, or even time spent in his new-found father's company. Instead, he was given license to take full command of his host from the start, and with bellicose energy he prepared it for war.When Angron and the massed armies of the "Bloody" 13th Expeditionary Fleet marched off to make war upon the enemies of Humanity, he left behind a world dedicated to maintaining and supplying the age of war to come. Bodt had been transformed from an arid, volcanic world to a planetary mustering ground that was host to entire cities of barracks, extensive subterranean macro silos and continent-spanning weapons testing ranges.Throughout the second century of the Great Crusade, Bodt, and in particular the capital city of Tredecimmia's muster ground, served as a crucial centre of power and might for the World Eaters. Legion Aspirants inducted from the worlds conquered by the World Eaters were sent there to begin the implantation and indoctrination process that would see the strongest of their numbers transformed into post-human Astartes, and the world hosted a large detachment of the XIIth Legion's Apothecarion to that end.The Numen Gun Clans and other cultures from which the auxilia forces attached to the 13th Expeditionary Fleet were recruited were likewise mustered and equipped for war at Tredecimmia, and the Legio Audax established a forward base there to serve its Scout Titan maniples.At length, the gun clan auxilias took root upon Bodt in their own right when a large population born of the indentured feral warrior-tribes became established in the wastes about Tredecimmia. These soon contributed their own sons and daughters to the musters that fuelled the 13th Expeditionary Fleet as it conquered the void at the leading edge of the Great Crusade.As more World Eaters aspirants were processed at Tredecimmia, the Legion began to recruit directly from the gun clans and in time the practice arose of would-be World Eaters from the gun clans being pitched into battle with those in the latter stages of Legion training.These contests became sprawling battles fought with whetted blade and live ammunition, battles which only the very strongest gun-clanners would survive to be accepted into the ranks of the World Eaters Legion's Aspirants.A bitter co-dependence arose between the World Eaters and the waste-dwelling clanners, the two factions bloody rivals who yet relied upon one another for their very existence.By the close of the second century of the Great Crusade, Bodt was barely recognisable as the planet upon which Angron had taken charge of his Legion, and the same was true of the World Eaters themselves. Always a tectonically unstable planet, the Legion's unleashing of all manner of macro-scale weaponry across the surface in relentless, some said reckless, live-fire battle exercises had rent the very crust asunder in places so that it was a rare day indeed when the sub-sonic growl of shifting plates did not roll across the wastes.The shallow seas were turned black and toxic. The arid lands, which were once host to thinly-spread yet stubborn flora and fauna, were by then devoid of almost all life and the planet-wide cadmium sub-strata was exposed to the tortured atmosphere. Only the very strongest of the wasteland-dwelling clanners could survive in the poisoned lands, making the periodic battle-trials their only possible escape and one which few indeed lived long enough to partake in.Throughout its history, Bodt's primary city, Tredecimmia, proved a vital asset to the XIIth Legion, and as such it was heavily fortified with an extensive network of defence emplacements and subterranean bunkers. The weapons silos used to equip newly-inducted Aspirants came to house not just conventional armaments, but other weapons and devices the World Eaters had claimed as prizes of war from those they had vanquished during their conquest of the outer dark.Technologies considered too dangerous to exist and proscribed by ancient writ were secreted away in the deepest vaults beneath Tredecimmia, weapons which in all likelihood Terra believed destroyed or had no knowledge of at all.These ancient and forbidden technologies, though ostensibly wards of the XIIth Legion, were to be tended to by a singular order of the Priesthood of Mars. It was during the conquest of the Golgothan Wastes that the World Eaters had formed a mutual compact with the so-called Crimson Priests of Sarum, a Mechanicum domain Angron had delivered from the predations of the debased stellar empire of the Brotherhood of Ruin.Following their liberation from their ancient rivals, the Crimson Priests had pledged Angron their co-allegiance, some said over and above the fealty they owed to distant Mars. The Crimson Priests went wherever the World Eaters went, and thus it came to pass that the induction-forges and weapons silos of Tredecimmia were tended exclusively by this ill-starred sect and their flesh-bonded Adsecularis Covenants. |
Bodt - Horus Heresy: Such was the state of the XIIth Legion fief world at the dawn of the great heresy, but it was a state soon to alter once more. In the aftermath of the Isstvan V slaughter, an event that Bodt's masters only learned of after the fact, a delegation of senior World Eaters Apothecaries, aided and advised by peers from the Emperor's Children and Word Bearers Legions, arrived there unannounced. They quickly assumed command of the induction facilities and instigated a series of revisions to the Legion's recruitment practices.It was long-established that the XIIth Legion's gene-seed implantation protocols sat at the extreme end of the spectrum of tolerance. There had been many calls from Terra and from other Legions to rein in these practices, but in the aftermath of the Drop Site Massacre and with the arrival of the new overlord cadre, all restraints were removed.It was said that the raw fuel for the new processes had been harvested from the blood-soaked killing fields of the Urgall Depression, ritually gathered up by the sons of Lorgar and alchemically-rendered down by the fell genius of the Emperor's Children. It was to the World Eaters Apothecaries that the final duty of implantation would fall, and the result was hideous indeed.Using the raw material of the gun-clanners, the Apothecaries created a new generation of recruits. Where the process of creating a warrior of the Legiones Astartes should have ordinarily been painstakingly undertaken over a period of standard years, this new generation was brought into being in only solar months.The process was shockingly wasteful and while many aspirants simply perished in the bio-vats, many more underwent catastrophic biological destabilisation, necessitating the purging of the implantation chambers by fire and radiation. Those few who survived fell far short of the trans-human ideal the Emperor had intended for the Legiones Astartes.Even for the World Eaters, these were monsters made flesh, their bodies swollen by forbidden processes and their brains flooded with burning autonomic stimulators that, in conjunction with the so-called "Butcher's Nails" cortex implants that were standard throughout the Legion, induced a permanent state of hyper-aggression.Furthermore, the flash-indoctrination protocols to which each aspirant was subjected invested him with the stolen memories of a hundred thousand kills, a flickering montage of other warriors' lives and deaths cycling through their consciousness in an eternal loop.From the moment each awoke from the gene-vats, the new Initiate believed himself a red-handed champion and a veteran of countless wars. His only desire was to shed blood -- his enemies' or his own -- in the name of his Primarch. |
Bodt - Assault on Tredecimmia: In the middle of 008.M31, the Traitor Legion fief world of Bodt fell under the baleful gaze of an orphaned subject of the betrayed and slain Primarch Ferrus Manus, albeit one whose heritage perhaps bore more in common with the masters of the World Eaters fief world than that of his own sire. That warrior was Autek Mor, Iron Father of the Morragul Clan of the Iron Hands Legion.It was Autek Mor and his flagship, the Red Talon, that was one of the first Iron Hands vessels that arrived in the Istvaan System amid the titanic void battle that had erupted between the Loyalist and Traitor fleets. Mor ordered his vessel to attack in a desperate attempt to reach the planet's surface and was only driven off after sustaining massive damage, fleeing the system dogged by murderous pursuit.Even as the Imperium reeled, Autek Mor would begin his own war, one fought beyond the sight and the staying hand of the War Council on Terra. As the war ground on, Autek Mor's force was swelled by other Loyalist factions, including remnants of the Imperial Fists Legion and the Agathon Solar Auxilia who had opposed the Warmaster Horus during the Manachean War.But it was not just allies that Mor amassed as he fought on, but enemies too, for he made a point of taking prisoner key Traitor officers and administrators from each world he struck at.It was from these captives that Mor learned of the status of the nearby World Eaters fief world of Bodt, and his suspicions were confirmed when the Imperial Fists communicated that they had encountered and engaged a number of Traitor Dark Mechanicum conveyance vessels plying the Warp-lanes linking Sarum and Bodt.Mor surmised that the World Eaters' subject world was not only intact, but building towards some role in the war that had yet to be fully revealed or realised. This made the fief a high value target indeed, and one which Mor now had a force strong enough to engage. Doing so would be an escalation beyond Mor's existing strategy of allowing a world to fall to a Traitor assault before launching a massive counter-attack, but for several reasons the operation was judged worth undertaking.Primarily, it was known to the Loyalists that the muster world had once hosted a sizable stockpile of Legiones Astartes war materiel, which, if it was still present, should be denied to the Traitor cause at all costs. Secondly, the records indicated that the planet served as a recruiting world for the XIIth Legion and so might still be host to a large and as yet uncommitted Legion reserve whose neutralisation would serve the Loyalists' war effort well.Autek Mor's first deed in the assault on Tredecimmia was as symbolic as it was practical. As the Red Talon fleet speared towards Bodt it came upon its lone moon, a body possessed of a far-ranging and sharply elliptical orbit. At that point in its transit, the satellite was closing on Bodt, affording Mor a singular opportunity. The Iron Father ordered that the moon be violently shunted but a fraction of a degree from its course using what remained of the Red Talon 's stocks of high-yield void ordnance.As a result, instead of passing Bodt at half a million kilometres, the satellite was set upon a course that would strike the planet within hours with apocalyptic force far in excess of any weapon of mass destruction in the Red Talon 's arsenal. While the World Eaters and their allies would no doubt be thrown into a state of some disarray by the spectacle of the flaming moon, Mor knew that it would take a far greater effort to render them incapable of standing against the next phase of his assault.The Iron Father ordered the launch of a massive orbital drop. Halting such a drop was almost certainly impossible, but the sheer weight of fire sent up by the surviving defence batteries took a fearsome toll. Even if a dozen Drop Pods crashed and burned, two dozen more set down in their immediate wake, and by the end of the fourth solar hour of the assault, Iron Hands and Imperial Fists Legionaries were pressing outwards from the burning drop zones, bringing overwhelming fire to bear upon the defenders.The fury of Mor's ground assault was magnified by a simultaneous sub-orbital strike of staggering proportions. To the south of the inner sea, Tredecimmia star port, as well as a number of unidentified Mechanicum facilities further east, came under simultaneous Drop Pod assault.The star port was attacked by a large Iron Hands force, which drew upon itself a large force of World Eaters whose reported ferocity, even for this most notoriously savage of Legions, was the first evidence of the unsanctioned implantation protocols the Worlds Eaters had subjected themselves to.The wastes surrounding the unidentified Mechanicum facility were the scene of the largest single drop conducted during the assault on Tredecimmia, where elements of the 1522nd Cohort of the Agathon Solar Auxilia established a blocking line so that whatever machine horrors the Traitor Mechanicum might have spawned there would be interdicted if they attempted to deploy.The assault on the silos is known to have begun in the fifth solar hour of the operation and represented the greatest moment of risk for the attackers. With the bulk of the defenders of the macro silos swarming eastwards to give battle to the Iron Hands heavy units deployed there, Autek Mor was then able to commit to the true objective of the entire operation.This phase is known to have been led by the Iron Father himself, attended by the iron-hard core of the Morragul Clan Company -- spearheaded by Autek Mor's elite Gorgon Terminator units, a technology he had personally been able to replicate, even as an exile of war. At last, Autek Mor stood upon the cusp of his objective. The burning moon looming in the tortured skies, Autek Mor ordered his warriors to form a ring of impenetrable steel about the entrance.With a curt order, he utterly forbade any of his warriors to follow in his wake, no matter what occurred either above or below. With that, he is said to have passed through the breached armoured portal and descended the steps into the stygian vaults below.In the final solar hours of the assault, the World Eaters fief world is known to have entered a new and still more savage phase, heralded by the burning moon as it drew so close that the entire upper atmosphere appeared to have been set alight. In the sixth solar hour the fighting reached a climax. During this period both sides suffered and inflicted a fearsome death toll. Though the entire world was evidently doomed, the invaders' objective in launching their attack, which had yet to be revealed, might now have failed.The exact nature of Autek Mor's ultimate objective is still debated amongst Imperial Strategio-savants, but whatever it was, the Iron Father had determined that it was worth the cost in blood and treasure the invaders were paying across Tredecimmia while the Iron Father was apart from his force in the vaults beneath the macro silos.Whatever Autek Mor was seeking in the subterranean vaults, his mission was clearly taking too long. As the burning moon waxed so large it now consumed the entire sky, the warriors fighting one another across the surface resigned themselves to their fate and redoubled their efforts to exact what vengeance they could before the end.As the doom of Bodt grew ever closer to hand, and the balance of death threatened to turn entirely against the Loyalists, Autek Mor finally emerged from the macro silos. In one hand he bore his ancient paragon blade, its edge jagged from scores of nicks, and in the other his Volkite Charger, its induction coils aglow like red hot coals.It was the object that Autek Mor held in the grip of his back-mounted servo-arm that gave witness to his true mission however -- a stasis casket, its flanks etched with the arcane sigils of the inner order of the Emperor's Terran gene-wrights, who under the guidance of the Master of Mankind had brought into being the primarchs and the entire Legiones Astartes.Autek Mor is known to have looked upon the destruction unleashed across Tredecimmia and spoken a single word of command. It was the order to withdraw and within moments it was enacted. Iron Hands and Imperial Fists units that had deployed by Drop Pod only solar hours before fell back to pre-arranged zones where the Storm Eagles and Thunderhawks of the orbital strike wings set down to carry them clear, the Fire Raptors and other gunships circling overhead and unleashing a storm of suppressive fire on the hordes of Traitors attempting to pursue.To the south, the Solar Auxilia forces are known to have fought a disciplined and bold withdrawal back to their own heavy landers, and while in places the frenzied enemy forces overtook them, the greater number were soon being ferried to their vessels in orbit.In the aftermath of the Loyalists' sudden withdrawal, the Traitors were bereft of foes, with the exception of those few who had been unable to depart and who resolved themselves to a bitterly fought last stand. In moments, the hordes turned their wrath upon their own and the battle lines were redrawn anew. At the last, the gun-clanners and the World Eaters fell upon one another, locked together in the mutual berserker fury of their final moments. Finally, the burning moon struck.The apocalypse was witnessed by thousands of Loyalists as their vessels sped clear, and etched into the data-stacks of countless logic engines. The moon impacted the surface and a tsunami of flaming matter rapidly rushed outwards to encircle the entire globe. The surface buckled as the moon impacted, the greater planetary mass literally swallowing the smaller satellite with horrifyingly slow grace.In moments, the atmosphere was aflame and the already unstable crust of Bodt was rent open by a thousand fractures, and volcanic eruptions exploded across the entire surface as the mantle below was swelled by the additional mass.By the time the moon was finally consumed, not a single living being survived on the surface, the entire population, Traitor Astartes, Sarum Mechanicum, Legio Titanicus and gun clan alike burned to ashes and cast to the fiery winds. |
Bogg Da Freeboota King - Bogg Da Freeboota King: Bogg Da Freeboota King is an Ork Freebooter whose fleets are located in the Shattered Stars region of the galactic core to the east of the borders of the space of the Urani-Surtr Regulates of the Leagues of Votann. Bogg commands a seemingly endless empire of ragtag Greenskin pirates whose fleets make constant raids into URSR space. |
Bohemond - Bohemond: Bohemond was the High Marshal of the Black Templars Chapter in the mid-32nd Millennium, and took part in the desperate battles against the massive Ork WAAAGH! of the Ork Warboss known as The Beast that threatened the Throneworld of Terra itself during the War of the Beast that took place in 544-546.M32. |
Bohemond - History: The Chapter Master of the Black Templars had a fell reputation as a headstrong and strong-willed commander. His Black Templars stood as a force apart from the rest of the Imperial Fists Successor Chapters. They claimed lineage from Rogal Dorn as did the rest, but they cleaved to their own code and practices. When the last surviving Imperial Fists from the disaster on Ardamantua, Captain Koorland, enacted the "Last Wall Protocol," Bohemond agreed to represent his Chapter. A council between the Successor Chapters was to be held in the Phall System.As the longest-serving Chapter Master of the Scions of Dorn Successor Chapters, he agreed to host the council meeting aboard the Battle Barge Abhorrence. Bohemond would later lead his Chapter in the attack by his fellow Scions of Dorn Successor Chapters against the greenskins' massive Attack Moon in orbit over Terra. In the battle's aftermath, a tense meeting was held between the Last Wall Chapter Masters and the Lord Commander of the Imperium, Udin Macht Udo. The outspoken High Marshal expressed his disdain for both the squabbling and weak-willed High Lords of Terra as well as the Lord Commander.After the world of Ullanor Prime was identified as where The Beast and his massive WAAAGH! originated from, Bohemond was one of the central leaders who advocated an Imperial counter-strike in order to kill The Beast and wipe out the Greenskins. He led his Chapter during the invasion of The Beast's homeworld, and the assault upon the capital city of Gorkogrod, fighting alongside the returned Salamanders Primarch Vulkan.During this fight, the High Marshal always led from the forefront of the Astartes' advance, but constantly proved insubordinate to both Captain Koorland and even Vulkan himself. At his wit's end with the High Marshal's constant challenges to Koorland's authority, Vulkan challenged the upstart Chapter Master that whoever could lift his massive Thunder Hammer, Doomtremor, would rightfully assume the mantle of Lord Commander of the Imperium.However, this was a ploy, as the great weapon was so heavy that even an Astartes fully arrayed in Terminator Armour was unable to lift it. Both Bohemond and the Chapter Master of the Crimson Fists, Quesadra, proved unable to lift it. Koorland, however, along with the Chapter Master of the Fists Exemplar, Maximus Thane, and his squad of Astartes lifted the mighty weapon together and managed to launch the Primarch's hammer like a javelin. As Koorland had proved his willingness to work with others, not for individual glory but for the greater good, Vulkan declared Koorland the best candidate to serve as Lord Commander of the Imperium.During the final push on The Beast's temple-Gargant, Bohemond once again objected to following Koorland's leadership when he ordered the Astartes to evacuate and let Vulkan face The Beast alone, in accordance with the Primarch's wishes. Enraged by the High Marshal's callous disregard, he struck Bohemond to the ground. Chastised, the High Marshal remained on the ground, shamed before his fellow Scions of Dorn, until he eventually evacuated with all the rest. |
Bolt Caster - Bolt Caster: A Bolt Caster is a double-barelled Bolter used as the primary ranged weapon of the Adeptus Custodes. The Bolt Caster is usually built into the primary weapon used by the Custodians, often a Guardian Spear or Sentinel Blade.In the skilled hands of a Custodian, a Bolt Caster is able to lay down a hail of fire at short range that cuts down the foes of the Emperor with ease. |
Bolt Pistol - Bolt Pistol: A Bolt Pistol is a smaller version of the Bolter in standard use by the Space Marines and other Imperial forces such as the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas and certain members of the Astra Militarum and the Imperial Navy.Powerful and utilitarian side arms, Bolt Pistols have seen service within many of the Imperium's military forces since its inception in the 30th Millennium. The current standard pattern in use amongst the Space Marines is the Mark III.Bolt Pistols are also used by many other Imperial forces as well as the Chaos Space Marines. A Bolt Pistol is commonly used in conjunction with a close combat weapon by Space Marine officers, Veterans and close support squads to make them into melee combat specialists.As a Bolt Weapon, the Bolt Pistol is favoured over the Laspistol due to its improved killing ability, although it is less reliable and generally holds fewer shots in its magazine than a Laspistol.A Bolt Pistol magazine carries only 6 to 10 rounds of standard Bolter Ammunition, each weighing about 0.08 kilograms and with a diameter of .75 calibre (19.05 millimetres). The pistol is able to fire either a single shot or a short, three-round burst with each pull of the trigger.While standard Bolters are rarely used by the forces of the Astra Militarum, Bolt Pistols are quite popular amongst the Commissariat, and are also frequently used by junior Astra Militarum and Imperial Navy officers and non-commissioned officers in place of their regular-issue Laspistol sidearms; that is if they are lucky enough to be able to acquire a rare Bolt Pistol sized for normal human hands.It is likely that Bolt Pistols used by the Imperial Guard are smaller than the Astartes Mark III, based upon the observations of the Inquisitor Thaddeus. |
Bolt Pistol - Notable Bolt Pistol Patterns: Concealed Bolter-Cane - While many Rogue Traders favour a brusque, overwhelming appearance, festooned with bandoliers of pistols and Power Weapons, some attempt a more subtle (but no less deadly) style, favouring concealed weapons. These are also useful when local customs dictate leaving one's weapons behind, or in dire emergencies where one last shot is needed. For such Explorers, these ostentatious canes (also fashioned as staffs and batons) come into play. Each can store one bolt in the upper end, specially modified with a penetrator tip to pierce the false bottom of the cane. While it can be reloaded, Bolter-Canes are primarily designed for one single shot, to be refitted and re-disguised after the battle is done and the Amasec can be poured. This weapon may be equipped with any form of Bolt Pistol ammunition.Godwyn-De'az Pattern - The Godwyn-De'az Pattern is the standard pattern of Bolt Pistol used by all of the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas since their formation in the 36th Millennium. This pattern has been in use by the Sisters of Battle since that time because it remains more reliable and more potent than any other pattern of Bolt Pistol developed for use by the Sororitas. The Godwyn-De'az Pattern is designed to be used by a normal human and thus is much smaller than an Astartes Bolt Pistol. This pattern of Bolt Pistol is designed to make use of the Sarissa as an attachment. The Sarissa is a vicious, curved, bayonet-like blade that can transform the Godwyn-De'az Bolt Pistol into an effective close combat weapon even as it retains all of its ranged functionality.Godwyn-Ultima Pattern - The Minotaurs Astartes are known to have used Godwyn-Ultima Pattern Bolter weapons during the Badab War. It is unknown if they made use of Godwyn-Ultima Pattern Bolt Pistols as well.Hesh Pattern M38 Mark II - Rare outside the ranks of the Adeptus Mechanicus who hail from the shrouded Lathe Worlds of the Calixis Sector, the Hesh Pattern M38 Mark II was never widely adopted by the Departmento Munitorum due to its temperamental nature, as it is difficult to maintain even by the standards of Bolt weaponry. The M38 Mark II almost seems as if it was designed to be used by individuals more knowledgeable of firearms than even those august members of the Imperial Guard who wield such weapons. Nevertheless, the Tech-priests of the Lathes appreciate the weapon's effectiveness, and do not have the same trouble with its Machine Spirit as those less attuned to the mysteries of technology. The Mark II's distinctive drum magazine allows for a higher rate of fire than other Bolt Pistols, but is also prone to more frequent malfunction.Ikanos Pattern Bolt Pistol - The Ikanos Pattern Bolt Pistol is an archaic design deployed with the Space Marine Legions of the early Great Crusade era in the late 30th Millennium. It was a semi-automatic weapon that made use of non-standard .50 calibre bolts and a 12 round magazine.Mark II Angelus-VesMark III - The Mark III Pattern Bolt Pistol is the pattern of the weapon most commonly employed by the majority of Loyalist Space Marine Chapters in the Imperium.Mark VII Ultra PatternMark II Ultima PatternMark III Ultima PatternPhobos Pattern Bolt Pistol - The Phobos Pattern Bolt Pistol is perhaps the most venerable design of the sacred weapon used by the Astartes. This weapon was hand-crafted by the Fabricators of Mars at the very birth of the Imperium, to ensure that every Marine had the finest wargear with which to reunite the scattered elements of Humanity. Though considered temperamental and maintenance intensive by some of the early Space Marine Legions, some preferred them for their greater accuracy and power when properly tended. These standard issue weapons were vital for close-in fighting against enemies who survived an initial assault. The carnage caused by the heavy .70 calibre shells of Phobos Pattern Bolt Pistols caused many units to retain these weapons even once more advanced patterns became available.Ryza-Ultima Pattern - This pattern of Bolt Pistol was known to have been used by the Star Phantoms Astartes during the Badab War.Spectris Pattern - This pattern of Botl Pistol is known to have been used by the Marines Errant during the Badab War.Tigrus Pattern - There are many types and patterns of the mighty and iconic Bolt Pistol used by the Adeptus Astartes, and the Tigrus Pattern is one such variant. First discovered in the depths of Forge World Tigrus, the STC data for this sleek weapon was quickly disseminated throughout the Imperium before the outbreak of the shadowed Horus Heresy. This noble bastion of Mars suffered irreparable damage at the hands of the Traitor Legions, yet the Bolters and Bolt Pistols that bear its name continue to see service in the 41st Millennium; revered and honoured as ancient relics of Mankind's lost glory.Umbra Pattern - The Umbra Pattern is one of the earliest patterns of Astartes Bolt Pistol, and was produced in large quantities early in the Great Crusade for the Space Marine Legions. It is still manufactured in the forges of some present-day Space Marine Chapters, including those of the Mantis Warriors, Executioners and Carcharodons Chapters, who made use of them during the Badab War.Umbra-Magnus Pattern - This pattern of Bolt Pistol is known to have been used by the Mantis Warriors and Carcharodons Astartes during the Badab War.Ultima Pattern - This pattern of Bolt Pistol was used by the Mantis Warriors and the Fire Hawks Astartes during the Badab War. The Minotaurs also used Ultima Pattern Bolter weapons during that conflict, although whether they also made use of Ultima Pattern Bolt Pistols is unknown. |
Bolt Pistol - Less Common Bolt Pistol Patterns: Angelus Bolt Carbine - The fanes of Gunmetal City on the world of Scintilla in the Calixis Sector, among their most important duties, hold an oath-bond to manufacture the casing and primary propulsion charges forAdeptus Astartes-calibre bolt shells. Production of the Astartes bolts is carefully controlled and monitored, and once made, each case is stamped with the Aquila and its maker's mark before being passed on to the Adepts of the Machine God. Despite the security and precautions inherent in this sacred duty, it is said a few of these shells never see the Aquila stamp. These so called "blind shells" are both utterly illegal and highly desirable, but on their own, blind shells are useless without a weapon to fire them. Consequently, the Fane of Fykos makes in secret a weapon known as the "Angelus". Bluntly elegant in shape and crafted from the finest materials, the Angelus' lacquered stock houses its magazine and unlocks to take three Astartes-calibre bolt shells snugly nose to tail. Provided only to their richest and most trustworthy of clients, the exclusivity and terrible killing power of the Angelus is favoured by the wealthiest of bounty hunters and the most accomplished of beast-slayers in the Calixis Sector. Carrying one of these powerful, but highly illegal, weapons entails certain risks all of its own.Bolt Carbine (Ceres Pattern) - Bolt Carbines are relatively uncommon weapons that were first introduced into Imperial service after the design was rescued from a Space Hulk and pressed into production specifically for the Angevin Crusade. A Bolt Carbine is typically easier to wield than a full-size Bolter, due to its lighter, simpler construction and lower rate of fire. Without the multi-round burst ability common to many patterns of Bolt Pistol, a Bolt Carbine is incapable of the wholesale slaughter that characterises volleys of Bolter fire. However, their simpler design means that they misfire less frequently and are much easier to maintain. Bolt Carbines may use any form of special Bolter ammunition.Ceres Pattern - Bolt Pistols are rarely found in use outside of elite Imperial forces like the Space Marines, and possessing one is a sign of status and power. They are sometimes passed down through the generations, becoming valuable heirlooms for noble Imperial families. Adorned with elaborate scrollwork and family crests, these devices are more relic than weapon in some dynasties. The Ceres Pattern of Bolt Pistol is one associated with the officers of the Imperial Navy and perhaps fittingly enough the one found most often in the arsenals of Rogue Traders. Ceres Pattern Bolt Pistols are specifically sized to fit the hand of a nomal-sized Human.Cinder Crag Forge "Mauler" - A singular weapon to say the least, the Mauler is a finely made Bolt Pistol designed for normal human hands, unlike the far larger, heavier calibre models intended for use by the Adeptus Astartes. Extremely sophisticated in design and made by necessity from the finest alloys and components, each Mauler is handmade and forged by the Servitor-savants of the Cinder Crag. Each weapon is uniquely tailored to the commissioner’s exact biometric data. The result is a weapon as implacably lethal as it is revered as an Imperial artefact.Executor Pistol - The Executor Pistol, also known as the Executioner Pistol, is a special weapon only employed by the Eversor Assassins of the Officio Assassinorum. This Combi-pistol is rarely seen in Imperial space, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that it is used by some of the Imperium's most dangerous killers. The Eversor Assassins, the skull-faced murderers of the Officio Assasinorum, carry these weapons in addition to their lethal array of close-combat gear. The Executor is an unusual example of a Combi-weapon. Instead of being one weapon grafted crudely onto another, it is a seamless joining of two individual firearms. The Executor is a Bolt Pistol with an under-slung Needle Pistol beneath the barrel, allowing the wielder to choose between the destructive power of the Bolt weapon, or the quiet lethality of the needle weapon. As a result, the Assassin can fire both explosive Bolts or needles composed of a crystallised neurotoxin, sedative or interrogation narcotic into his victim, as the situation demands.Garm Pattern Service Bolt Pistol - Often brandished by Imperial Commissars, these large and intimidating weapons are designed to be carried unholstered and in easy sight of their charges. All Imperial Guardsmen, regardless of rank, know that their Commissar is watching their actions and is ready to grant summary execution to those found wanting in the Emperor’s eyes. A Commissar's Service Bolt Pistol is a constant reminder of what awaits those Guardsmen who fail in their duty.Guardian Bolt Pistol - Awarded to Deathwatch Space Marines of any rank for conspicuous gallantry, courage under fire, or actions above and beyond the call of duty, these finely made Bolt Pistols are as much a sign of status among Deathwatch Space Marines as they are a weapon. Any Space Marine wearing one of these Bolt Pistols on his person is immediately recognised as a veteran combatant who has gone above and beyond to protect Mankind from ravening xenos. When issued to a deserving Space Marine, his name and deeds are inscribed on the weapon by a Deathwatch Techmarine during the awarding ceremony. Each weapon is one of a kind, tailored specifically to the receiving Space Marine, and is his to keep when he returns to his home Chapter. Many Guardian Bolt Pistols that have not gone to the grave with their owners have found their way back into the Deathwatch armouries. These "foundling" weapons are never re-issued, but instead are enshrined in the Deathwatch data vaults along with the details of their owner’s glorious deeds.Mars Pattern Mark II Scourge - Favoured by the Battle-Sisters of the Order of the Ebon Chalice at the Abbey of Dawn on Iocanthos, the Scourge Bolt Pistol comes equipped with a Sarissa as a bayonet fixture. The Sarissa's blade can easily rip open any Heretic in the hands of a power-armoured Adepta Sororitas warrior.Sacristan Bolt Pistol - This class of Bolt Pistol is produced under secret license for the agents of the Inquisition's Ordos in the Calixis Sector by the Fane of Orthlack on Scintilla, and is based on the ancient and venerated Godwyn-De'az Pattern of Bolter weapons used by the Adepta Sororitas. Although Bolt Pistols are both relatively rare and expensive to maintain, their great killing power is extremely valued, and the Sacristan, branded and sealed with the symbol of the Inquisition itself, is the chosen sidearm of many Inquisitors and senior Acolytes alike who see it as a mark of rank. Like Godwyn-De'az Pattern Bolt Pistols, Sacristan Pattern Bolt Pistols are sized to fit a nomal human hand.Stalker Pattern Silenced Bolt Pistol - The Bolt Pistols used by the Space Wolves Chapter's Wolf Scouts are a modified version of the common Godwyn Pattern in use by Astartes across the Imperium. Fitted with a suppressor unit to dampen its sound and muzzle flash, and an optical sight to augment the user’s aim, the Stalker Pattern Bolt Pistol is intended for the sort of covert operations performed by Space Wolves Scouts.Volg "Spitfire" - Little more than a crudely modified Lucifer Pattern Launcher, a handgun-like device common on frontier worlds for firing signal flares, tow lines and the like, the Spitfire was an innovation that, according to popular myth, was devised by an outcast Magnavar Tech-adept named Verey. The story has it that while she was exiled on Volg, she made the first Spitfires to help combat a swarming of giant Maw-flukes. The weapon proved both effective and popular, and the more talented of Volg’s arms dealers have been turning them out ever since. The Spitfire’s fame and construction has spread and some are even sold at inflated prices as real "Bolt Pistols" to those too provincial or naive to know better! Spitfires use modified rocket-propelled distress flares fitted with crude impact detonators in a pale imitation of a true Bolt shell, but are nevertheless still quite deadly. Spitfire rounds will ignite flammable materials and can set a victim on fire in addition to the normal explosive damage it dishes out. |
Bolt Pistol - Heavy Bolt Pistol: The Heavy Bolt Pistol is a variant of the standard Bolt Pistol that is larger and possesses a more elongated barrel to enhance its range. It is commonly employed by the Reiver Squads and Assault Intercessor Squads of the Primaris Space Marines. |
Bolt Pistol - Absolvor Bolt Pistol: The Absolvor Bolt Pistol is a variant pattern of the standard Bolt Pistol used by Primaris Space Marine Chaplains and Apothecaries. It is larger, has a longer barrel to enhance its range and is capable of producing more damage than its standard counterpart, but is somewhat less accurate as a result. |
Bolt Pistol - Sources: Black Crusade: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 157Codex Adeptus Astartes - Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 65, 145, 155, 156Codex: Assassins (2nd Edition), pg. 19Codex: Chaos Space Marines (4th Edition), pg. 83Codex: Chaos Space Marines (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex)Codex: Daemonhunters (3rd Edition)Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition), pg. 68Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex)Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 1st Codex)Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pg. 97Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition)Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition)Dark Heresy: Ascension (RPG), pg. 138Dark Heresy: Blood of Martyrs (RPG), pg. 114Dark Heresy: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 133Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook (RPG), pp. 109, 171, 187Deathwatch: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 146Deathwatch: Rites of Battle (RPG), pg. 134Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project, pg. 126Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks - Part One, pg. 154Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part Two, pg. 124Imperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks - Part Three, pp. 70-71, 92, 138Imperial Armour Volume Eight - Raid on Kastorel Novem, pg. 108Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One, pp. 60, 70, 78, 102, 112, 125,Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War - Part Two, pp. 70, 90, 108, 120, 133, 138Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara, pp. 114, 116Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pg. 33Imperial Munitorum Manual, pg. 65Only War: Hammer of the Emperor (RPG), pg. 112Rogue Trader Rulebook (RPG) pg. 122Rogue Trader: Faith & Coin (RPG), pg. 82Rogue Trader: Hostile Acquisitions (RPG), pg. 50Rogue Trader: The Explorer's Handbook (RPG), pg. 112The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 19The Horus Heresy - Book Two: Massacre (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 76, 103, 107, 126-127, 145, 147The Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 44, 66, 68-69, 71, 92, 94-96, 120-123, 140-143The Horus Heresy - Book Four: Conquest (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 159Warhammer 40,000: Wargear (4th Edition)Warhammer 40,000: Wargear (2nd Edition), pg. 14Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook (6th Edition), pp. 54, 56Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook (3rd Edition), pg. 60The Bleeding Chalice (Novel) by Ben Counter |
Bolt Revolver - Bolt Revolver: A Bolt Revolver is a hand-held, ballistic, anti-personnel weapon used by the military forces of the Leagues of Votann that is very similar to the Imperial bolter.Like its Imperial counterparts, with which it shares a common technological heritage from pre-Imperial Terra through the STC databases, the Bolt Revolver fires kinetic projectiles known as "bolts" that explode on impact. A Bolt Revolver works like a traditional revolver in that its wielder must fire only one projectile at a time and the weapon possesses a limited amount of ammunition before its six, separate chambers must be reloaded. The Bolt Revolver also has a very short effective range, like all pistols. However, despite these limitations, a Bolt Revolver is more accurate than any other type of Bolt Pistol, whether Imperial or Kin-made.Kin weapons like Bolt Revolvers are superior in almost every respect to those wielded by the agents of the Imperium, since the Kin employ superlative materials and methods in their construction and have no fear of further innovating on an ancient STC design. As a result, the Bolt Revolver still often has a longer range and more stopping power than any of its Imperial equivalents.Bolt Revolvers are a favoured personal weapon among Hernkyn Pioneers. |
Bolt Shotgun - Bolt Shotgun: A Bolt Shotgun is a hand-held, ballistic, anti-personnel weapon used by the military forces of the Leagues of Votann that is very similar to the Imperial bolter.Like its Imperial counterparts, with which it shares a common technological heritage from pre-Imperial Terra through the STC databases, the Bolt Shotgun fires kinetic projectiles known as "bolts" that explode on impact. The Bolt Shogun, like a more traditional Shotgun, fires a spray of small, explosive bolts rather than a single, larger projectile, though the range is relatively short. However, in return, at short ranges, the Bolt Shotgun is an excellent assault weapon, possessed of a tremendous amount of stopping power.Kin weapons like Bolt Shotguns are superior in almost every respect to those wielded by the agents of the Imperium, since the Kin employ superlative materials and methods in their construction and have no fear of further innovating on an ancient STC design. As a result, the Bolt Shotgun still often has a longer range and more stopping power than any of its Imperial equivalents.Bolt Shotguns are a favoured personal weapon among Hernkyn Pioneers and is often kept in a holster on their Magna-Coil Grav Bikes within easy reach. |
Bolter - Bolter: The bolter, also called a boltgun, and its variants are some of the most powerful, hand-held, ballistic anti-personnel weaponry in use by the military forces of the Imperium of Man. It is a powerful assault weapon that fires explosive kinetic rounds colloquially referred to as bolts.The bolter is a weapon synonymous with the Adeptus Astartes, and rightly so. However, although the Space Marines are its primary users, the bolter finds itself in use in military organisations throughout the Imperium. The weapon is fearsome, with explosive rounds capable of ripping through or blowing apart a foe. The Chaos Space Marines of the Traitor Legions were issued their Legions' bolters before the Horus Heresy, and therefore use generally older variants than the patterns available to present-day Loyalist Space Marines.The bolter is a mid-range, anti-personnel ballistic weapon that lies between the lighter and more compact Bolt Pistol sidearm, and the more effective but more cumbersome Heavy Bolter. The most common standard patterns of bolter can easily be wielded by a Space Marine, but on account of their size and weight, smaller Human-scale pattern bolters are used by the battle-sisters of the Adepta Sororitas.For both the Space Marines and the Sisters of Battle of the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, the bolter is viewed as a weapon intended by the Emperor of Mankind to bring His wrath to the enemies of Mankind. Both a weapon and an item of devotion to the Emperor, an Astartes' bolter is carefully tended by its user.Indeed, a good part of the daily firing rituals performed by the Space Marines when not at war is spent carefully tending to the bolter's multiple mechanisms and entreating its Machine Spirit, to ensure the weapon is always ready for war.Every Astartes carries a bolter lovingly handcrafted by the Artificers of his Chapter's Armoury or by one of the Adeptus Mechanicus Forge Worlds. At each point in its construction, special rituals are observed by the Artificers or Tech-priests. The bolters used by the Space Marines are known to be coded to Astartes genetic signatures so that they are only functional for members of the Adeptus Astartes. |
Bolter - History: The boltgun, or bolter as it is also known, has been the standard armament of the Adeptus Astartes for as long as Space Marines have defended the Imperium. But this was not always the case. The ancient Space Marine Legions once utilised Volkite Weapons, a class of powerful thermal ray weapons whose technology is pre-Imperial in origin and dates back to the Age of Strife. These compact weapons possessed considerable killing power, surpassing most other armaments of their size.Unfortunately, Volkite Weapons of the various types were difficult to manufacture, even for the most able of the Mechanicum's forges, and the demands of the expanding Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium swiftly overwhelmed the supply of these relic-weapons. Furthermore, Volkite armaments were somewhat lacking in effective range, and had high maintenance requirements that were unsuitable for the wartime needs of the burgeoning crusade. Once relatively common within the fledgling Space Marine Legions, Volkite Weapons had fallen largely from favour by the time the Horus Heresy began in the early 31st Millennium and had been superseded by the far more flexible and utilitarian Terran bolter.A brutally efficient weapon, the bolter fires mass-reactive bolts at its targets, each one a self-propelled missile which explodes with devastating effectiveness after penetrating its target. The fear and awe that bolter fire creates makes it a perfect weapon for shock troops, the hammering thunder of the guns mixing terrifyingly with the dull, wet explosions as flesh is blown apart.To the Space Marines, the Boltgun is far more than just a weapon; it is a symbol of his position as a chosen warrior of the Emperor and a physical representation of Mankind's supremacy. A Boltgun is a treasured weapon, but in the hands of a Space Marine it is a divine instrument of his wrath, a bringer of swift death whose howling blast is a prayer to the gods of battle.Bolters can only be made by skilled artisans and so are produced only in limited quantities, but always to the highest standards and using only the finest materials available. Even bolter rounds or "bolts," cannot be easily fabricated outside of specialised workshops, and the weapons require regular servicing if they are to function properly. Each Space Marine is scrupulous in their attention to their boltguns, regularly performing rituals of maintenance less he anger his weapon's Machine Spirit. |
Bolter - Description: The bolter is a large .75 calibre assault weapon. It has a much greater mass than most standard-issue Imperial weapons such as the Lasgun, although it is slightly shorter in length. Unlike most Imperial ranged infantry weapons, it lacks a stock, resulting in a grip much like a pistol's or a submachine gun's.A Space Marine's bulky power armour would make shouldering a stock an awkward experience, and Power Armour is most likely also able to compensate for firing vibrations and oscillation, making a stock redundant. Stocks are sometimes used, however, with an extended barrel and an M40 Targeter System to transform the bolter into a sniping weapon system. These sniper bolters, known as Stalker Pattern Bolters, are most often used with Stalker Silenced Shells.The Space Marines are not the only warriors of the Imperium to carry Boltguns into battle, but the version carried by the Adeptus Astartes, the Mark Vb Godwyn Pattern Boltgun, is by far the largest and most devastating. By comparison, the smaller patterns of boltgun carried by the Adeptus Sororitas or the champions of the Astra Militarum are pale reflections. So large is the Godwyn Pattern that no normal man could heft one, let alone survive its unforgiving recoil.A blessed creation of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Godwyn Pattern has served the Space Marines for millennia, its design based upon ancient STC technology from long before the birth of the Imperium. The Godwyn is not the only pattern of Boltgun used by the Adeptus Astartes though, and many of the Space Marine Chapters have their own variants, such as the "Angelus" Bolter used by the Blood Angels, or the "Fenris" Pattern boltgun used by the Space Wolves. However, the Godwyn Pattern remains the most common weapon of the Firstborn Space Marines and fills the role of the sacred bolter, as cited in the Codex Astartes as the primary weapon of a battle-brother.This variant has a built-in ammunition counter which indicates how many rounds are remaining in the weapon on an external display. The number of remaining rounds will also be shown in the auto-senses display of an Astartes' helmet. The Mark Vb Godwyn Pattern uses a Sinister/Dexter locking mechanism with a sickle-shaped magazine that carries 30 bolts and can fire in bursts of up to four rounds with a single trigger pull.Other features include a biometric sensor integrated into the weapon's grip that allows the bolter to identify its user's genetic signature so that only Astartes can make use of the bolter. The Godwyn Pattern also possesses an integral targeter that links with the Space Marine's auto-senses for enhanced accuracy. Bolters make a unique roaring sound when fired, which is caused as the propellant in their shells ignites, followed by an explosion when the bolt detonates upon hitting its target.Like other Space Marine weaponry, Astartes bolters are designed to be handled by their superhuman physique. The weight of each Godwyn Pattern Bolter means that most normal humans cannot handle the weapon comfortably without the aid of a supporting brace, and the weapon's handgrips are too large for a mortal to grasp without assistance. However, even if a mortal were to fire the bolter, the resulting recoil would most likely rip his or her arm from its socket.It is illegal within the Imperium for a non-Astartes to wield an Astartes pattern bolter, which is one reason why the weapons are genetically coded so that only a Space Marine can fire them. An Imperial citizen caught in unauthorised possession of a bolter or even of just a bolt round can be harshly sentenced by the Adeptus Arbites. However, some bolter patterns like the Godwyn-De'az or Locke Patterns are specifically built to be wielded by unaugmented humans, and the weapon is sometimes favoured by officers of the Imperial Guard and members of the Adeptus Arbites who require a weapon with more stopping power.The major advantage of the bolter in comparison to the ubiquitous Lasgun is its stopping power, as the bolt's kinetic force and explosive head can deliver much more damage on a target than the coherent light beam from a Lasgun. However, the major reason that the bolter never was favoured as a weapon for the soldiers of the ancient Imperial Army is that next to its mass and weight, it is also a temperamental weapon that requires lots of care and maintenance to function properly. Where the Lasgun only requires a quick daily disassembly and cleaning while mumbling a prayer to its Machine Spirit to keep it going for over 10,000 shots, the bolter requires much more careful tending and cleaning to ensure its proper function.While a centuries-old Astartes Veteran can tend to his bolter blindfolded in less time than a freshly recruited Guardsman tends to his Lasgun, such familiarity with a weapon is impossible to attain for the average Human soldier, hence the need for a simpler standard armament. Another disadvantage of the bolter is the need for its heavy and cumbersome ammunition compared to the small and easily recharged power packs of the Lasgun. While this is seldom an issue for the Astartes, due to their focus on rapid and overwhelming assault tactics, the risk of finding oneself out of ammunition is very real for Imperial Guardsmen who favour the weapon during prolonged operations, or on missions where resupply is improbable or difficult.The Boltgun can also be modified for a variety of roles; the Adeptus Astartes and the sacred texts of the Machine God sanction some of these, others are crafted by Battle-Brothers themselves and remain confined to specific Chapters. Scopes of all kinds are a common addition to Boltguns, even though most marks of power armour incorporate optical enhancements. A scope can be tailored to its environment, keyed to different visual spectrums or the heat-trace of certain foes, giving a Space Marine a better chance to find his target.Drum-shaped magazines are sometimes used to increase the ammunition storage capabilities of a boltgun, replacing the standard sickle clip. This extra ammunition reduces the time between reloads and allows a battle-brother to keep up a sustained stream of killing fire. Regardless of modification or pattern, a bolter remains an ancient and deadly weapon in the hands of a Space Marine, and if all else fails, it is solid enough to crack skulls and snap bones with its heavy casing. |
Bolter - Standard Bolter Ammunition: Bolter Ammunition (a bolt) is primarily a .75 calibre rocket-propelled round. Whereas conventional solid slugs utilise a propellant charge contained in a casing that forces the bullet down the barrel upon ignition, in contrast, a bolt is self-propelled; it features its own integrated solid fuel propellant that propels the bolt at high speeds, essentially acting like a miniature rocket.The propellant itself is shaped to control the bolt's direction and speed; however, this method of rocket propulsion would normally warp the barrel due to gas pressure. The bolter uses an ingenious two-stage method to prevent this.As well as the rocket propellant, a small conventional charge is also utilised. This charge is strong enough to force the bolt out of the barrel at a significant muzzle velocity, and simultaneously ignite the bolt's propellant. The rocket-propellant is precisely fused to ignite immediately as the bolt leaves the barrel, alleviating any possibility of pressure build-up. The bolt then accelerates toward the target under its own power.The .75 calibre is now the standard for bolts in the late 41st Millennium. However, during the early days of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium, there were bolters that made use of variable calibre ammunition. This included the ancient Tigris Pattern Bolter, which fired .60 calibre bolts, and the Phobos Pattern Bolter, which made use of .70 calibre bolts. The Space Marine Legions' archaic Ikanos Pattern Bolt Pistol made use of a .50 calibre bolt.Standard bolter ammunition utilises a mass-reactive fuse, designed to penetrate the target before detonating within, maximising damage to the target and leaving little chance for survival. |
Bolter - Construction: The bolter is complex to produce and requires dedicated maintenance, which prevents it from being issued more widely throughout the Astra Militarum. The standard pattern bolter is also simply far too heavy to be wielded effectively by the average Human being or Imperial Guard soldier. The bolter is far more susceptible to being fouled by dirt and mishandling than the basic Lasgun issued to Imperial Guardsmen, requiring much more training to use than the Guard is ready to invest in the standard line Guardsman.The bolter's need for physical ammunition as opposed to power packs demands far more logistical organisation to supply than the standard Lasgun, and Astartes Chapters have been known to go through a mountainous stockpile of rounds during a single campaign.However, the Space Marines wear massive suits of Power Armour that further enhance their already prodigious genetically-enhanced strength and allows them to control the powerful recoil of the weapon, and the armour also enhances the already prodigious skill of the individual warrior with autosense uplinks and suit-integrated targeting systems. This makes the bolter a good fit as the primary weapon for the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, who have used it since the Space Marine Legions were first raised at the dawn of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium. |
Bolter - Notable Bolter Patterns: Over the millennia, the bolter has been improved and changed many times. There have been hundreds of variants, but only a few have made any radical differences in the weapon's function. All of these variant patterns have the same basic features, but each has different additional features (depending on the weapon's pattern) that seek to improve upon its basic design. The current, standard-issue bolter for the Firstborn Space Marines is the .75 calibre Astartes Mark Vb Godwyn Pattern Bolter.Angelus Pattern Bolter - The Sanguinary Guard of the Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters make use of a wrist-mounted, drum-fed variation of the bolter called the Angelus Bolter, which fires potent Bloodshard Shells filled with razor-filament that is very effective against most known forms of armour.Baal Pattern Bolter - The Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters make use of a variant of the standard Godwyn Pattern Bolter known as a Baal Pattern Bolter, named after their homeworld of Baal.Ceres Pattern Bolt Carbine - Relatively uncommon weapons (the design was said to have been rescued from a Space Hulk and pressed into production specifically for the long ago Angevin Crusade), Bolt Carbines are typically easier to wield than full-size Boltguns, due to their lighter, simpler construction and lower rate of fire. Without the multi-round burst ability common to many patterns of bolter, a Bolt Carbine is incapable of the wholesale slaughter that characterise volleys of bolter fire. However, their simpler design means that they misfire less frequently and are much easier to maintain. Bolt Carbines may use any form of special bolt ammunition.Condemnor Pattern - The Condemnor Pattern Bolter is a highly specialised Combi-weapon used almost exclusively by the operatives of the Ordo Hereticus and Adepta Sororitas. It combines a bolter with a single-shot crossbow armature. Though archaic in appearance, the crossbow fires a silver stake engraved with sigils of disruption that destabilise a psyker's connection with the Warp. A direct hit from the crossbow will therefore not only deal a severe wound to a psyker, it will also send his power spiralling out of control, consuming the user in a storm of untrammelled psychic energy.Crusade Pattern - The Crusade Pattern Bolter is the original type of bolter used by the Astartes of the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade of the 31st Millennium.Filienostos PatternFootfall-Pattern - The moniker "Footfall-pattern" is applied mockingly at best, said only with a straight face by arms dealers in the Koronus Expanse trying to fleece their customers with a false air of legitimacy. Comparatively crude and inefficient, these counterfeit weapons fail regularly due to insufficiently strict manufacturing tolerances, but the inconveniences of owning such a weapon are outweighed by their lethality for those who cannot obtain a true bolter. Footfall-pattern Bolt Weapons, due to their poor design may not be used with any form of special ammunition.Gilded Bolter - The Gilded Bolter is a master-crafted Artificer Bolter of unsurpassed beauty, workmanship and artistry. It is a weapon used by certain Space Marine Captains and has sometimes been given as a gift to such powerful Imperial officials as Sector Governors. The weapon has been used by some of the most notable Ultramarines Astartes to have served in the Deathwatch in the tempestuous region of space known as the Jericho Reach.Godwyn Mark IIIa Pattern - The Godwyn Mark IIIa is an older pattern of bolter still used by the Astartes of the Dark Angels Chapter.Godwyn Mark Vb Pattern - The most widely-used pattern of Astartes bolter in the Imperium.Godwyn Ultima Pattern - The Godwyn Ultima Pattern Bolter is a variant weapon very similar to the Godwyn Mark Vb Bolter, and was known to have been used by the Minotaurs and Exorcists Chapters during the Badab War.Godwyn-De'az Pattern - The Godwyn-De'az Pattern Bolter is the standard pattern of bolter used by all of the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas since their formation in the 36th Millennium. This pattern has been in use by the Sisters of Battle since that time because it remains more reliable and more potent than any other pattern of Bolter developed for use by the Sororitas. The Godwyn-De'az Pattern is designed to be used by a normal human and thus is much smaller than an Astartes bolter. This pattern of bolter is designed to make use of the Sarissa as an attachment. The Sarissa is a vicious, curved, bayonet-like blade that can transform the Godwyn-De'az Bolter into an effective close combat weapon even as it retains all of its ranged functionality.Hesh Pattern - Since the 36th Millennium, the Astartes of the Deathwatch have been equipped with the Hesh Pattern Bolter, created by Magos Cymbry Jamis of the Adeptus Mechanicus as a reward for the Deathwatch's exemplary service to the Imperium. Bolters of this pattern are more compact than other variants and show unusually skilled craftsmanship on the order of a master-crafted weapon. Due to their smaller size, Hesh Pattern Bolters are well-suited for fighting in confined spaces and they are also favoured by Astartes vehicle crews and by certain Assault Marines. Hesh Pattern Bolters incorporate an integral folding stock, a motion detector and preysense sensors that connect to an Astartes' Auto-senses. Deathwatch Astartes who complete their term of service with the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos are permitted to keep their Hesh Pattern Bolters when they return to their home Chapter.Heresy Pattern - Heresy Pattern Bolters first appeared during the Horus Heresy. Cut off from regular sources of supply and maintenance, many Astartes were forced to cobble together non-standard bolters using a variety of different parts drawn from different patterns and existing variants of the weapon. These ancient weapons are collectively known as Heresy Pattern Bolters. Amongst Chaos Cultists, bolters confer much prestige to the wielder. Many of these bolters still in existence are heirloom weapons, taken in ritual duels or armed conflicts and passed down through generations of owners. Though designed to be used by an un-augmented Human, the recoil is still murderous.Hurricane Pattern - A Hurricane Bolter consists of three twin-linked Boltguns fired as a single weapon. First used by the Black Templars Chapter, Hurricane Bolter weapon systems combine the punishing firepower of multiple twin-linked Boltguns to produce a truly withering storm of shells.Kai Gun - The Kai Gun is a huge, two-handed, ballistic weapon of archaic design similar to a bolter that was developed following the loss of the Forge World of Kai to Warp Storm Gae-sann in the 34th Millennium. Possessing an advanced industrial culture, the Machine Smiths of Kai bartered their skills for a measure of protection, learning to fashion weapons in the Warp that they could not have conceived before. Their ploy eventually failed and the Daemon hordes of the Warp descended upon them to fight for possession of these new domains. All that remained after the destruction of Kai was the weapons they had once built to appease their slayers. The Kai Gun is so large that a normal man would be unable to lift it, but one which a Chaos Lord or Daemon Prince would have no problems wielding. The gun is a psychic catalyst, turning the hate and malice of its wielder into tangible bolts of energy.Locke Pattern - The Locke Pattern Bolter is a variant of an older pattern of bolter used by the Adeptus Arbites, and is now the most common pattern of bolter in use in the Koronus Expanse. Like the bolter patterns used by the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas, the Locke Pattern Bolter can be used without difficulty by normal-sized Humans.Mark III Pattern - The Mark III Pattern Bolter was produced by the manufactora of Badab Primaris during the Badab War and was used by the Astral Claws Chapter.Mark IV Ultra Pattern - The Mark IV Ultra Pattern Bolter was known to have been used by the Red Scorpions Chapter, and carried a standard 25-bolt sickle magazine. This pattern also possesses a built-in ammunition counter, an Auto-senses targeting uplink, and a biometric handgrip sensor for genetic identification of its user as standard features.Mark IV Pattern - The Mark IV Pattern Bolter was an earlier standard variant of the Astartes bolter that made use of a 20 bolt magazine and possessed the capability for both single-shot and three-bolt burst fire. The Mark IV Bolter also incorporated a biometric sensor in its handgrip to identify its wielder using his unique genetic imprint.Mark II Cawl Pattern Bolt Rifle - The Mark II Cawl Pattern is still the archetypal firearm of the Adeptus Astartes, but now re-engineered, re-crafted and perfected for use by the transhuman warriors of the newly-created Primaris Space Marines. This pattern of bolter was named for its creator, Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl. Like all weapons in the bolter family, the Bolt Rifle fires small, self-propelled missiles known as bolts which explode with devastating effect. The Bolt Rifle has a longer range and slightly more penetrating power compared to the standard-issue Firstborn bolter.Mark II Ultra Pattern - The Mark II Ultra Pattern Bolter was known to be used by the Red Scorpions Chapter during the Imperial operation on the Tyranid-infested world of Beta Anphelion IV. It made use of a Dark Eye nightscope that greatly enhanced the weapon's accuracy during nighttime operations.Mars Pattern Mark II "Scourge" - The Mars Pattern Mark II "Scourge" Bolter is the preferred pattern of Bolter used by the Battle-Sisters of the Order of the Ebon Chalice's Abbey of Dawn on the world of Iocanthos in the Calixis Sector. The Scourge has consequently been a favourite among several missionaries in the Koronus Expanse, particularly Genevieve Almace, whose followers have dispatched countless heretics and mutants with these weapons. Like the Godwyn-De'az Pattern Bolter, the Mark II Scourge Bolter can be used without difficulty by normal-sized Humans. Scourges come equipped with a sarissa blade, a sharp, serrated bayonet that can tear open foes in hand-to-hand combat with ease.Nocturne-Ultima Pattern - The Astartes of the Salamanders Chapter are known to have made use of Nocturne-Ultima Pattern Bolters during the Badab War. The Nocturne-Ultima Pattern seems to be a modification of the standard Godwyn Ultima Pattern Bolter carried out solely by the Artificers of the Salamanders on their Chapter homeworld of Nocturne, hence the name of the pattern.Nostra PatternPerinetus Pattern "Solo" Mark II - This pattern of bolter is considered to be heretical in the eyes of the Machine God by some members of the Adeptus Mechanicus. It is far less sophisticated than the other extant patterns of bolter and lacks the capability for automatic fire, allowing it to shoot only a single bolt with each pull of the trigger. However, the loss of this capability is made up for by the weapon's greater range, increased accuracy and enhanced reliability in adverse environmental conditions. This pattern of bolter is intended to be used by normal Humans and is sized accordingly. The Perinetus Pattern Bolter is very popular as a weapon with certain Planetary Defence Force garrisons and some rebel groups within the Imperium.Phobos Pattern Bolter - The Phobos Pattern Bolter is perhaps the most venerable design of the sacred bolter used by the Astartes. This weapon was hand-crafted by the Fabricators of Mars at the very birth of the Imperium during the Great Crusade, to ensure that every Space Marine had the finest wargear with which to reunite the scattered elements of Humanity. The carnage caused by the heavy .70 Cal. shells of Phobos Pattern Boltguns caused many units to retain these weapons even once more advanced patterns using the standard .75 calibre bolt became available. The Phobos Pattern Bolter made use of 30-round "sickle"-shaped magazines and could be outfitted with the Mark V-VI Chainblade attachment.Relic Boltgun - Within the Calixis Sector, there may only be a handful of these extraordinarily rare and ancient devices. Bulky beyond the means of most men to wield, these weapons may once have been wielded by the Emperor's warriors during the earliest days of the Imperium, and bear the eagle's claw and thunderbolt symbols common to that distant age. More than merely fine examples of ancient bolters, these weapons are holy relics imbued with a tiny fragment of the Emperor's wrath.Ryza-Ultima Pattern - The Star Phantoms Chapter are known to have made use of Ryza-Ultima Pattern Bolters during the Badab War. The Ryza-Ultima Pattern seems to be a modification of the standard Godwyn Ultima Pattern Bolter that first originated on the Forge World of Ryza.Skapulan Bolter - The Deathwatch of the Jericho Reach is strangely silent about the history of Watch Station Skapula, and how this lethal bolter remains from the abandoned station. Techmarines fortunate enough to examine the advanced weapon frequently debate the number and nature of Machine Spirits necessary to achieve its flawless performance, but the most widely accepted theories place a union of over one hundred Machine Spirits within the casing of tenebrous alloys. In addition to accuracy and power unrivalled in other bolters of its size, the Skapulan Bolter integrates a Fire Selector, a Targeter, and a melee attachment equivalent to a master-crafted Combat Knife. The Skapulan Bolter is unique and there are no other known bolters of this type currently in existence.Stalker Pattern - The Stalker Pattern Bolter is a standard Godwyn Mark Vb Pattern Bolter modified with an M40 Targeter System and an elongated barrel so that it may also serve as a sniper rifle.Sternguard Pattern - The Sternguard are veteran members of the elite 1st Company of a Space Marine Chapter. They deploy wherever the battle is fiercest, particularly excelling in the use of ranged weapons. The standard modifications found on a Sternguard Bolter includes an enhanced scope, shoulder-sling strap, and a specialised magazine that allow the Space Marine to carry different types of ammunition and switch between them freely. The specialised magazine allows a variety of ammo types, at the expense of capacity of standard ammo and to reload.Tigrus or Tigris Pattern Bolter - There are many types and patterns of the mighty and iconic boltgun used by the Adeptus Astartes, and the Tigrus Pattern Bolter is one such variant. During the latter days of the Great Crusade, its design was first discovered in the depths of Forge World of Tigrus. The STC data for this sleek weapon was quickly disseminated throughout the Imperium before the outbreak of the shadowed Horus Heresy. The noble bastion of Tigrus suffered irreparable damage at the hands of the Traitor Legions during that conflict, yet the bolters that bear its name continue to see service in the 41st Millennium; revered and honoured as ancient relics of Mankind's lost glory. Though one of the rarer patterns of Astartes weaponry seen on the modern battlefield, Tigrus Pattern Bolters are renowned for their accuracy and the facility of their weapon spirits to operate in co-ordination with the systems incorporated within Space Marine Power Armour. The Tigrus Pattern Bolter made use of non-standard .60 calibre bolts, and 25-round box magazines. It also could be outfitted with a mono-serrated bayonet combat attachment.Umbra Pattern - The Umbra Pattern Bolter is one of the earliest patterns of Astartes bolter and was produced in large quantities early in the Great Crusade. This reliable pattern of Boltgun saw widespread use amongst many Legions. It is still manufactured in the forges of some present-day Space Marine Chapters, including those of the Mantis Warriors, Executioners and Carcharodons Chapters, who made use of them during the Badab War.Umbra Ferrox Pattern - The Umbra Ferrox Pattern Bolter is a variant of the ancient Umbra Pattern that was mass-produced by the Techmarines of the Space Marine Legions in the midst of the Horus Heresy. Unlike the standard Umbra Pattern Bolter, the Umbra Ferrox is capable of replacing its sickle-shaped magazine with a box magazine that has a greater ammunition capacity, and incorporates Target Reciprocator Systems that enhance the weapon's range and allow it to better integrate its targeting system with an Astartes' Auto-senses. |
Bolter - Bolter Ammunition Types: The most common bolter cartridge is the .75 calibre explosive tipped mass-reactive bolt. However, Space Marines use a variety of other ammunition, each tailored for specific needs: |
Bolter - Standard Bolt: The Standard Bolt is the standard-issue antipersonnel ammunition for the bolter. It is designed to penetrate a target and detonate, causing horrific injuries.Internal DetailsA solid-fuel rocket propellant baseAn outer casing containing conventional chargeGyrostabiliserMass-reactive fuse. Has a split-second timer to delay detonation upon impact until after the shot penetrates the target.Hardened diamantine penetrating tip. This allows for the bolt to penetrate most armour before detonation.Main ChargeDepleted deuterium core. This is a very dense material, adding weight and thus momentum to the round when in flight. This aids in the bolt's penetration of the victim. |
Bolter - Kraken Penetrator Rounds: Kraken Penetrator Rounds are potent, more power armour-piercing rounds than the standard bolt. The deuterium core is replaced by a solid adamantium core and uses a heavier main charge. Upon impact, the outer casing peels away and the high-velocity adamantium needle accelerates into the victim, where the larger detonator propels shards of super-hardened metal further into the wound. These are effective against heavily-armoured infantry.Internal DetailsThe main charge is increased to enable a larger explosion.The deuterium core is replaced by a core of pure adamantium to optimise the penetration of reinforced armour. |
Bolter - Inferno Bolt: Inferno Bolts are designed to immolate their targets and destroy them with superheated chemical fire. The deuterium core is replaced with an oxy-phosphorus gel, known as promethium. However, due to the decreased projectile mass, armour-piercing capabilities are compromised.(It should be noted that the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion has their own similarly-named but unrelated type of Inferno Bolts, which are actually psychically-bound slugs that release arcane energies; these slugs explode with sorcerous Warp energies upon impact.)Internal DetailsIn this bolt, the deuterium core is replaced with a special gel that ignites with oxygen. |
Bolter - Hellfire Bolt: Hellfire bolts were created as one of the Imperium's desperate measures to stem the predations of Tyranid assaults within the galaxy. Each bolt is tipped with thousands of needles and a vial of mutagenic acid capable of dissolving its way through citin and carapace with equal ease.When the round enters the target's body, the vial shatters and the needles pierce the victim's flesh, pumping the acid into the target. Such is the success of the Hellfire bolt that it has found a use against a variety of foes, its acid just as effective at killing other foul xenos.Internal DetailsIn this bolt, the deuterium core is replaced with a vial of mutagenic acid. The point is also replaced with a chemical substance that causes the vial to detonate once it has penetrated the enemy's armour. |
Bolter - Metal Storm Frag Bolt: In the Metal Storm Frag Bolt, the mass-reactive fuse of the standard bolt is replaced with a proximity fuse, and the deuterium core and Diamantine tip are replaced with increased high-explosives and a fragmentation casing. This means the bolt explodes when it nears an enemy, creating a lethal hail of shrapnel. This bolt is capable of inflicting casualties on multiple lightly-armoured targets, but its effectiveness is dramatically reduced when facing heavily-armoured foes like Chaos Space Marines.Internal DetailsMini-gyrostabiliserFragmentation CasingIncreased ChargeFragmentation ChargeProximity Detector |
Bolter - Stalker Silenced Shells: Stalker Silenced Shells are bolts with low sound signatures, meant for covert fighting. They are often used in conjunction with an M40 Targeter System, an extended barrel, and a stock to create a sniping weapon system. A gas cartridge replaces both the propellant base and main charge for silent firing, but this sacrifices muzzle velocity as a result. A solidified mercury slug replaces the mass-reactive warhead for lethality at sub-sonic projectile speed. These rounds are used when stealth and precision are required.Internal DetailsGas CartridgeSolidified Mercury SlugSmooth Diamantine Tip |
Bolter - Antiphasic Shells: Utilised by Deathwatch Kill-teams, these precious rounds were developed using an unknown technology to help prevent Necrons from "phasing out" and returning to their Tomb complexes. In this way Imperial forces can ensure that even their undying foes stay dead. |
Bolter - Banestrike Shells: These mysterious variant bolt shells, believed to have been designed in secret within the armouries of the Alpha Legion long before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, had it seems a sole purpose; to breach the Ceramite Power Armour of Space Marines. Used openly for the first time at the Drop Site Massacre on Istvaan V in 006.M31, their dense explosive cores and firing stresses reduced their range and swiftly degraded the firing weapon, but their effect against the betrayed Loyalist Legions were devastating.Fortunately for the Loyalists, supplies of these difficult to manufacture munitions were limited, and only the Alpha Legion and the Sons of Horus were able to field them in substantial numbers beyond that incident of brutal treachery during the Heresy. These shells were primarily utilised by the Legion Seeker Squads of the Alpha Legion and the Reaver Attack Squads of the Sons of Horus. |
Bolter - Bloodshard Shells: Bloodshard Shells are large, bolt-shaped shells intended to be fired only by the Angelus Pattern Bolter used by the Sanguinary Guard of the Blood Angels Chapter and their Successor Chapters. Each Bloodshard contains a payload of razor-filament that can shred most known forms of armour upon impact. |
Bolter - Dragonfire Bolts: Dragonfire Bolts are hollow-shelled bolts that are issued for use by Sternguard Veterans, and explode with a gout of superheated gas that can eliminate the value of cover for enemy troops. Any targets struck receive full damage even when partially protected by cover. |
Bolter - Helfrost Bolts: Used exclusively by the Space Wolves Chapter, Helfrost Bolts are bolt rounds tipped with helfrost warheads. In battle, the glittering rounds impart their freezing payload as they explode deep in the flesh of their victims. Few enemies can survive both the destructive force of a detonating bolt shell and the frigid blast of the shattering glimmerfrost crystal. |
Bolter - Kraken Bolts: Kraken Bolts were specialised bolter shells with an enhanced adamantium core and improved propellant, and were utilised by Seeker Squads during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras of the late 30th and early 31st Millennia, as well as Sternguard Veterans in modern times. They possessed superior armour-piercing properties and increased range compared to standard bolts, but the expense and resources required to create them kept them in limited issue. |
Bolter - Psycannon Bolts: Psycannon Bolts are used by the Inquisition, primarily the Ordo Malleus and its secret Grey Knights Chapter. They are very similar in nature to the rounds fired by their namesake, the Psycannon, and are similarly used against psychic Heretic and daemonic targets. Of all the rounds available to the bolter, these are the most expensive, as each and every bolt is inscribed with arcane runes on a microscopic level.According to some sources, the bolts derive their anti-psychic effect from being impregnated with an extremely rare negative psychic energy; the sole source of this energy is a metabolic byproduct of the Emperor of Mankind's Golden Throne.The anti-psychic nature of these rounds are not only effective at destroying daemonic targets but also highly efficient at piercing the powerful barriers created by force field generators (such as the Tau Shield Generator and the Imperium's own Iron Halo, Conversion Field and Storm Shield). |
Bolter - Scorpius Bolts: During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras, Scorpius Bolts were individually hand-crafted by the Techmarines of a Space Marine Legion's armoury. These specialised shells utilised a two-stage warhead which contained a micro-guidance system and a needle-like sabot dart that vapourises when striking an armoured target, providing enhanced armour penetration effects. Scorpius Bolts were rare and temperamental munitions which were hand-loaded into a bolter for firing. |
Bolter - Seeker Bolts: Seekers Bolts are unique, hand-crafted rounds created by Chaplain Boreas of the Dark Angels Chapter. Each bolt contains a miniaturised Cogitator that detects the infrared heat signature of a target and then steers the bolt unerringly towards it. |
Bolter - Tempest Bolts: Tempest Bolts replace the standard mass-reactive core and armour-piercing tip of a bolt with a fragmentation shell encasing a powerful micro-explosive proximity charge. This has the effect of showering a target with a murderous storm of shrapnel.These heavier rounds, however, lack range compared to standard bolt shells. Produced only on Mars, Tempest Bolts were designed to be particularly effective at incapacitating machines and other electronic devices. Such bolts are highly effective against targets like combat robots and cyborgs whose bodies are now more machine than organic tissue. |
Bolter - Vengeance Rounds: Vengeance Round bolts are designed for use against heavy infantry and armoured targets. Each bolt has a volatile core utilising unstable flux core technology that makes them hazardous to use, but extremely potent at penetrating through heavily armoured targets. They are especially effective at punching clean through even the Ceramite plates of Power Armour. As their name implies, these bolts were developed by the Imperium specifically to target the Chaos Space Marines of the Traitor Legions. |
Bolter - Hyperfrag Rounds: Hyperfrag rounds are used only in the Mark III Shrike Pattern Bolt Sniper Rifle used by Eliminator Squads. Hyperfrag rounds detonate in a shower of shrapnel, sending out a cloud of lacerating shards that devastates closely-packed infantry. |
Bolter - Executioner Rounds: Executionner rounds are used only in the Mark III Shrike Pattern Sniper Bolt Rifle used by Eliminator Squads.Executioner rounds are sophisticated self-guiding missiles slaved to a miniaturised cogitator that can seek their target behind cover, even changing direction mid-flight with tiny bursts of ballistic propellant. |
Bolter - Mortis Bolts: Mortis bolts are used only in the Mark III Shrike Pattern Bolt Sniper Rifle used by Eliminator Squads. Mortis bolts spew self-replicating mutagenic toxins into the flesh of the target, causing the rapid and complete collapse of all vital biological systems while making for a horrifying spectacle in the bargain. |
Bolter - Bolter Magazines: As well as the different types of ammunition available for the weapon, there have also been several different types of magazines. The standard magazine for the bolter is the sickle magazine.Sickle Magazine: The standard-issue magazine, seen on most bolter patterns. The magazine's shape is slightly curved to take up less space, and carries 20 to 30 bolts.Straight Magazine: A straight version of the sickle magazine. It holds less ammunition (only 10 to 20 bolts), but is easier to load in more intense situations.Drum Magazine: Drum magazines are a relatively rare sight in the 41st Millennium. This is due to their unreliability; drum magazines have an unfortunate tendency to jam. However, drums can carry up to 40, 60 or even 100 bolts, negating the need to reload as often. Despite the frequent jamming, they still brook some favour with local Hive Gangs or planetary defence militia. They are also frequently seen on Storm Bolters or in brutal assaults, where running empty in a firefight can mean certain death.Belt Feed: Some troops forgo using magazines at all, preferring to feed the bolts directly into the firing chamber using a linked belt. Because the belt is exposed to the elements, it is frequently clogged with dirt or dust. This can, like the Drum Magazine, lead to jamming, and is rarely used within the Imperium. However, it is very commonly used by the Chaos Space Marines of the Ruinous Powers. Note that Space Marine Heavy Bolters have the ammunition belt protected by a tough, flexible feed chute.Duplus X: This type of magazine is quite popular amongst local planetary law enforcement or Hive Gangs. It involves two standard Sickle Magazines which are attached together by some means, usually a band of cloth or tape (similar to the "ready-mags" of ancient Terra). This means when the weapon has to be reloaded, the user can simply flip the magazines around and insert the loaded magazine. This type is rarely produced officially, usually being "manufactured" by those who utilise it. |
Bolter - Other Bolt Weapons: Although the bolter is the Adeptus Astartes' weapon of choice for Space Marine Tactical Squads, it is by no means the only bolt weapon in the Astartes arsenal. As well as the variants of the standard bolter, there are several different bolt weapons. |
Bolter - Bolt Pistol: The Bolt Pistol is a common variant of the bolter, and apart from the Space Marines, is also available to officers and seasoned veterans of the Imperial Guard. They are often awarded to commissars, both for battle and to perform field executions of those too cowardly to serve the Emperor properly, leading to the weapon being nicknamed the "Bravery Bolter."A standard Bolt Pistol magazine, due to varying manufacturing skills and machinery, is capable of housing between 6 and 12 rounds of ammunition. Such weapons are often used by the Assault Squads of the Space Marines, the Sisters of Battle, and the Heretic Astartes.Many users of the Bolt Pistol prefer to wield a Bolt Pistol in one hand and a melee weapon, such as a Chainsword, in the other, allowing them to switch from a firefight to a close-quarters battle instantly. In extended engagements, when reloading can mean almost certain death, a drum magazine can be utilised, with the same capacity as those used on Storm Bolters. |
Bolter - Heavy Bolt Pistol: The Heavy Bolt Pistol is a variant of the standard Bolt Pistol that is larger and possesses a more elongated barrel to enhance its accuracy and range. It is commonly employed by the Reiver Squads of the Primaris Space Marines. |
Bolter - Combi-Bolter: Similar to the Storm Bolter, the Twin-Linked Bolter or Combi-bolter is simply two standard pattern bolters slaved to fire together. It was a bulky and somewhat crude, but very effective, weapon prototype that was gaining widespread use at the time of the Horus Heresy.The Combi-bolter was a much more common weapon during the Horus Heresy era than at present in the Imperium. Chaos Space Marine Attack Bikes are still often equipped with the Combi-bolter, though the Storm Bolter has replaced it as standard in the Imperial armoury.Additionally, the bolter can be combined with another weapon instead of a second bolter, whether a Plasma Gun, Meltagun, Flamer or Grav-Gun. These Combi-weapons were also developed at the time of the Horus Heresy in an effort to augment the tactical flexibility of Terminators, and are still in use today, mainly by Sternguard Veterans and their Chaos counterparts. |
Bolter - Storm Bolter: The Storm Bolter is a double-barreled version of the bolter. As it is designed for brutal assault, and consumes more ammunition than a normal bolter, it is not normally utilised by Space Marines attired in standard Power Armour. However, they are standard issue for Space Marine Terminators, and often serve as an Imperial tank's pintle-mounted weapon. They are also used by the Grey Knights as a gauntlet-mounted weapon, with its feed sourced from the back of their armour or from a magazine on the side of the gauntlet (as seen in Dawn of War - Dark Crusade).Like bolters, Imperial Guard veterans and officers rarely can be seen carrying a Storm Bolter. The Sisters of Battle also will sometimes designate a member of a squad to carry a Storm Bolter as a special weapon. Due to the weapons' high munitions consumption, and the lack of manual dexterity in Terminator Armour, most Storm Bolters are fed from a large box magazine, carrying approximately 60-150 bolts depending on the size and style of the magazine.When the weapon is used without Terminator Armour, it usually has a more conventional magazine containing 60 bolts, which, given the double barrels and firing mechanism, gives the wielder approximately 30 shots before the magazine has to be replaced. A Storm Bolter's rounds are identical to those fired from Bolt Pistols and bolters.Before the Storm Bolter was created by the Tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus after the Heresy, Terminators were often equipped with special Combi-weapons which were essentially two bolters fused together. These "Combi-bolters" were capable of a higher rate of fire than the Storm Bolter when at short range, but without a synchronised firing mount were less effective at longer range.As the Storm Bolter was one of the few perfections of preexisting technology the Imperium achieved after the Horus Heresy, Storm Bolters have replaced Combi-bolters in Imperial armies, while Heretic Astartes generally still use the original twin-linked bolters instead. |
Bolter - Heavy Bolter: The Heavy Bolter is a powerful fire support weapon. Unlike other bolt weapons, it uses a much larger calibre round and is in common use by all but the Imperium's least well-equipped martial forces, such as backwater Imperial worlds' Planetary Defence Force units. It has a high rate of fire, a long range, is inexpensive to manufacture, and tolerant of mistreatment by inexperienced users. It is commonly equipped on Imperial tanks and a variety of vehicles, as well as on fixed defences, as an anti-infantry weapon.Heavy Bolters operate differently to other bolt weapons. Instead of a firing pin physically striking the bolt shell to activate the projectile, a specific electronic pulse is applied in the firing chamber. Bolts are fed into the chamber by an electric motor, rather than exhaust gases cycling the action as in other bolt weapons.Exhaust gases are only used to generate the power needs of the weapon; the initial power and the impulse for the first round are provided by working a slide on the weapons side. These features enable the Heavy Bolter to maintain rates of fire that are physically impossible for a standard bolter or Bolt Pistol.Due to its bulk and weight, Astra Militarum infantry operate Heavy Bolters using a two-man team, mounting the weapon on a tripod. A single Space Marine, being physically much larger and stronger than a normal human, can carry both the Heavy Bolter and its ammunition alone, and fire it from a braced standing position (even with very little aid from the servos of their Power Armour).Space Marine Scouts without Power Armour can fire Heavy Bolters in this manner. The Sisters of Battle, with the assistance of their own Power Armour-augmented strength, are also capable of carrying the Heavy Bolter and ammunition alone. When used in this way by heavy infantry, the weapon itself is carried with both hands and fired from the hip, with the ammunition belt-fed from a backpack.Optical aiming is provided by a Heads-up Display (HUD) and an integrated laser pointer mounted just above the Heavy Bolter's barrel. Heavy Bolters are also referred to as "Back Breakers" or the "Bruisers", particularly amongst the inhabitants of various hive cities' underhives who have felt its kiss in the myriad battles between Underhive gangs. |
Bolter - Assault Bolter: Centuries of tinkering improvements by Archmagos Belisarius Cawl has resulted in the creation of the Assault Bolter -- a hand-held pistol version of the conventional Heavy Bolter outfitted with a large box magazine and high-speed autoloader. Although short-ranged, its rate of fire and damage are considerable, with the recoil contained by a mag-shield. These deadly weapons are primarily utilised by Primaris Space Marines Inceptor Squads. |
Bolter - Avenger Mega Bolter: An Avenger Mega Bolter is a deadly and formidable rapid-firing weapon notably used by the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter's elite 2nd Company, known as the Ravenwing, and by the Dark Angels' Unforgiven Successor Chapters, although Avenger strike aircraft and Space Marine Fire Raptors also are armed with them.The Avenger Mega Bolter is a smaller version of the Vulcan Mega Bolter, with only one set of rotating barrels instead of two. Nose-mounted on the Dark Angels' deadly air corps of Nephilim Jetfighters and other fliers, they have proven an ideal weapon for these nimble support crafts, allowing them to both engage opposing flyers in deadly dogfights and carve easily through enemy infantry and vehicle squadrons on ground attack strafing runs. |
Bolter - Vulcan Mega Bolter: A Vulcan Mega Bolter is an immense, pneumatically-driven, five-barrelled, air-cooled, electrically-fired rotary weapon that makes use of Heavy Bolter ammunition. This weapon is commonly mounted on Imperial Titans and super-heavy armoured vehicles. The Vulcan Mega Bolter is comprised of dual heavy-calibre, rotating Bolters with multiple barrels. Its staggering rate of fire makes it an ideal weapon for use against infantry, light vehicles and even small structures.Indeed, the Vulcan Mega Bolter is one of the most potent and effective anti-infantry weapons available to the armed forces of the Imperium of Man, and its fire easily carves through Heretics and xenos alike with shells larger than Human skulls, firing two at a time and leaving a carbonised reek in the air. |
Bolter - Bolt Rifle: The Mark II Cawl Pattern Bolt Rifle is still essentially the archetypal firearm of the Adeptus Astartes, but now re-engineered, re-crafted and perfected for use by the transhuman warriors of the newly-created Primaris Space Marines. This pattern of bolter was named for its creator, Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl. Like all weapons in the bolter family, the Bolt Rifle fires small, self-propelled missiles known as bolts which explode with devastating effect.The Bolt Rifle has a longer range and slightly more penetrating power compared to the standard-issue bolter of the Firstborn Adeptus Astartes. This bolter variant is intended to be highly modular, allowing for variants to be easily created, depending upon tactical need. |
Bolter - Auto Bolt Rifle: An Auto Bolt Rifle is a variant of the Mark II Cawl Pattern Bolt Rifle that has been altered to make use of a high-capacity, drum-shaped, rotary magazine and was created for use by the Primaris Space Marines. However, this increased rate of fire comes at the cost of range compared to the standard Bolt Rifle. It can be used by individual Primaris Marines or hardwired as a twin-linked version into a vehicle like the Invader ATV. |
Bolter - Heavy Auto Bolt Rifle: A Heavy Auto Bolt Rifle is a variant of the Auto Bolt Rifle that has greater range than the standard variant of the weapon. |
Bolter - Bellicos Bolt Rifle: The Forge World of Bellicos was a closely guarded secret, a hidden weapons-testing facility given dispensation to practise near-heretical levels of technological innovation.Before it was swallowed by the Great Rift, the planet managed to dispatch a single cargo hauler containing prototype Bolt Rifles of an incredibly advanced pattern. These weapons are regarded with a near-religious reverence by the Adeptus Astartes for their bellicose lethality, and to wield one is considered a paramount honour. |
Bolter - Stalker Bolter: The Stalker Bolter is a variant of the standard Godwyn Mark Vb Pattern Bolter Bolter. It is modified with an elongated barrel and M40 Targeter System range-finding scope to greatly increase its range and is used by the Space Marines in the role of a precision assault rifle or as a highly-accurate sniper weapon. |
Bolter - Stalker Bolt Rifle: The Mark II Cawl Pattern Bolt Rifle used by the Primaris Space Marines has several variants. One of these includes the Stalker Bolt Rifle. It possesses a longer barrel to increase its accuracy and range over that of the standard model and an advanced range-finding scope to aid its wielder in precision sniper assignments. |
Bolter - Heavy Stalker Bolt Rifle: The Heavy Stalker Bolt Rifle is a variant of the Stalker Bolt Rifle that possesses an even longer barrel to increase its range over the standard version of the weapon. |
Bolter - Bolt Carbine: The Bolt Carbine is a more compact variant of the standard Bolt Rifle utilised by Primaris Space Marines, particularly those who serve in Reiver Squads.The Bolt Carbine has a shortened barrel, which reduces its range compared to a standard Bolt Rifle and an extra hand-grip just below the bore. |
Bolter - Marksman Bolt Carbine: A Marksman Bolt Carbine is a variant of the standard Bolt Carbine that is outfitted with adjustable marksman sights that allows a Primaris Marine Infiltrator to strike a target at greater range and with more accuracy than the standard Bolt Carbine. |
Bolter - Occulus Bolt Carbine: The Occulus Bolt Carbine is a compact version of the standard bolter utilised by Vanguard Lieutenants and Primaris Marine Incursors. It has a shortened barrel and is equipped with a highly sophisticated Occulus sight array.When combined with a Divinator-class Auspex, the Occulus sight array can feed directly into a transpectral combat visor. It employs a slaved Machine Spirit (artificial intelligence) to collate the findings at a thousand times the speed of human thought and feed the resultant data into the Incursor's field of vision.Armed with this tightly-controlled flood of intelligence, warriors armed with this weapon system fight in an almost precognitive fashion. Incursors can see their foes through solid walls, thick smoke and absolute darkness; they can detect the high-altitude telltales of incoming drop troops, the prematerialisation energy signatures of teleporting foes and the tectonic tremors that indicate enemies about to emerge from tunnels, ducts and the like. |
Bolter - Bolt Sniper Rifle: The primary armament of Vanguard Marine Eliminator Squads is the Mark III Shrike Pattern Bolt Sniper Rifle.The optical sights of this weapon can be tailored for any situation, from thermoscopic vision to precision Auspex scans that can penetrate several metres through solid matter.Once marked, there is nowhere for an Eliminator's prey to hide, and no amount of protective armour that can stop the killing shot.The Bolt Sniper Rifle can be outfitted with special ammunition to deal with different tactical situations, including Hyperfrag rounds, Executioner rounds, and Mortis bolts, as described above. |
Bolter - Instigator Bolt Carbine: The Instigator Bolt Carbine is a compact, master-crafted version of the standard bolter used by Vanguard Marine Captains and Eliminator Sergeants for stealthy kills.The Instigator Bolt Carbine is outfitted with a suppressor on the end of its barrel and is capable of striking near-silently at extreme long ranges. |
Bolter - Psycannon: The Psycannon is a weapon created specifically by the Imperium to combat Daemons and the other entities of the Immaterium. The Psycannon is a more powerful version of the bolter, equivalent to a Heavy Bolter utilising high-calibre, psychically-charged, ritually-inscribed silver-tipped bolts.The weapon's bolt, called a "psybolt," is devastating to the psyches and material bodies of psychic creatures, such as psykers, Daemons, and Daemonhosts, those individuals who have been possessed by the daemonic entities of the Warp. |
Bolter - Forge Bolter: A Forge Bolter is a type of heavy bolter weapon that is mounted on the shoulder of the power armour of Primaris Techmarines. |
Bolter - Executor Bolt Rifle: The Executor Bolt Rifle is a variant of the Mark II Cawl Pattern Bolt Rifle primarily used by Heavy Intercessors. It has a longer range, does more damage and is capable of greater armour penetration than the standard pattern Bolt Rifle.It is similar in appearance to the Heavy Bolt Rifle and Hellstorm Bolt Rifle variants of the Cawl Pattern Bolt Rifle, save for its box-shaped magazine in which the bolt ammunition is exposed. |
Bolter - Heavy Bolt Rifle: The Heavy Bolt Rifle is a variant of the Mark II Cawl Pattern Bolt Rifle primarily used by Heavy Intercessors. Its elongated barrel gives it a greater range than the standard Bolt Rifle. |
Bolter - Hellstorm Bolt Rifle: The Hellstorm Bolt Rifle is a variant of the Mark II Cawl Pattern Bolt Rifle primarily used by Heavy Intercessors. It possesses a drum-shaped magazine and is capable of a higher rate of fire than the standard Bolt Rifle.It looks similar in appearance to the Heavy Bolt Rifle and the Executor Bolt Rifle save for its differently shaped magazine. |
Bolter - Vratine Bolter: The Vratine Bolter is a boltgun of ancient and ornate Terran design that was sized to be used by mortals and was the preferred standard weapon of the Sisters of Silence. |
Bolter - Nemesis Bolter: The Nemesis Bolter was a variant of the Sisters of Silence's Vratine Bolter which possessed a longer range than its standard counterpart. |
Bolter - Sources: Black Crusade: Core Rulebook (RPG), pp. 156-157Codex Adeptus Astartes - Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 148, 156Codex: Blood Angels (5th Edition), pp. 50, 59Codex: Chaos Space Marines (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex), pg. 20Codex: Dark Angels (4th Edition), pg. 49Codex: Daemonhunters (3rd Edition), pg. 18Codex: Grey Knights (5th Edition), pp. 55, 58Codex Heretic Astartes - Chaos Space Marines (8th Edition), pg. 18Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition), pg. 88Codex: Inquisition (6th Edition), pg. 136Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), pp. 1, 11Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pp. 63, 88, 100-101, 118Codex: Space Marines (6th Edition), pg. 121Codex: Space Marines (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), "Armoury of the Space Marines - Special Issue Wargear - Special Issue Ammunition", pp. 447-448Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition) (Revised Codex), pp. 70, 74-75, 111, 123, 185Codex: Space Marines (9th Edition), pp. 138, 141Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition), pg. 59Codex: Vanguard Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 7-10Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition), pp. 19, 22Codex Supplement: Deathwatch (9th Edition), pg. 53Dark Heresy: Blood of Martyrs (RPG), pg. 114Dark Heresy Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 133Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook (RPG), pp. 109, 148, 171, 173Deathwatch: First Founding (RPG), pp. 97-98Deathwatch: Rites of Battle (RPG), pp. 134, 140Imperial Armour Volume Two - Space Marines and Forces of the Inquisition, pg. 101Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign, pp. 49-50Imperial Armour Volume Four - The Anphelion Project, pp. 126-128Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One, pp. 60, 86, 91, 94, 102, 120, 128Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War - Part Two, pp. 65, 71, 76, 86, 115, 128, 133Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pp. 138-140, 142Index Astartes III, pg. 58Rogue Trader: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 122Rogue Trader: Faith & Coin (RPG), pg. 82Rogue Trader: Hostile Acquisition (RPG), pg. 50Rogue Trader: Into the Storm (RPG), pg. 112The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 19, 230, 232The Horus Heresy - Book Two: Massacre (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 53, 74, 76, 102-104, 106-107, 123-124, 126-127, 144-147, 185, 209Warhammer 40,000 - Apocalypse War Zone: Damnos, pg. 18Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook (8th Edition), pg. 60Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook (6th Edition), pp. 54, 56Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook (3rd Edition), pg. 60Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (1st Edition), pg. 70Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (Video Game)Warhammer 40,000: Wargear (4th Edition)Warhammer 40,000: Wargear (2nd Edition)Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Second Edition - Liber Imperium (Specialty Game), pp. 53, 64The Purging of Kadillus (Novel) by Gav ThorpeWarriors of Ultramar (Novel) by Graham McNeillThe Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer (Background Book), pp.18-25Umbra Pattern BolterUmbra Ferrox Pattern BolterWarhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade - Rogue Trader Store: Sternguard BolterWarhammer Community WarhammerFest Live BlogWarhammer Community: Warhammer – A New Beginning (Bolt Rifle Image) |
Bolter Ammunition - Bolter Ammunition: The Tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus and the skilled Artificers of the Adeptus Astartes have developed many types of Bolter Ammunition, simply called "bolts," over the millennia for the different branches of the Imperial military that use Bolt Weapons. The most common variants are described below. |
Bolter Ammunition - Calibre: Bolter weapons are relatively common in the Imperium of Man and come in different sizes, from handheld Bolt Pistols to the mighty Vulcan Mega Bolter mounted on super heavy tanks and Titans.The standard bolt is set to .75 calibre, whereas Heavy Bolter rounds are larger, at 1.00 calibre. An even larger calibre is used in the Mauler Pattern Bolt Cannon of Castellax Battle-Automata.The Vulcan Mega Bolter mounted on the Macharius Vulcan variant of the Macharius Heavy Tank utilises Heavy Bolter shells, whilst the far larger ones mounted on Titans and Stormlord tanks fire projectiles the size of human skulls.Whereas conventional solid slugs utilise a propellant charge contained in a casing that forces the bullet down the barrel upon ignition, in contrast, a bolt is self-propelled; it features its own integrated solid fuel propellant that propels the bolt at high speeds, essentially acting like a miniature rocket.The propellant itself is shaped to control the bolt's direction and speed; however, this method of rocket propulsion would normally warp the barrel due to gas pressure. The Bolter uses an ingenious two-stage method to prevent this.As well as the rocket propellant, a small conventional charge is also utilised. This charge is strong enough to force the bolt out of the barrel at a significant muzzle velocity, and simultaneously ignite the bolt's propellant.The rocket-propellant is precisely fused to ignite immediately as the bolt leaves the barrel, alleviating any possibility of pressure build-up. The bolt then accelerates toward the target under its own power.The .75 calibre is now the standard for bolts in the late 41st Millennium. However, during the early days of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium, there were Bolters that made use of variable calibre ammunition. This included the ancient Tigris Pattern Bolter, which fired .60 calibre bolts, and the Phobos Pattern Bolter, which made use of .70 calibre bolts. The ancient Space Marine Legions' archaic Ikanos Pattern Bolt Pistol used a .50 calibre bolt.Standard Bolter ammunition utilises a mass-reactive fuze, designed to penetrate the target before detonating within, maximizing damage to the target and leaving little chance for survival. |
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