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Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank

2022-07-18T13:02:32Z

2600:1700:91C1:A4E0:F4EF:95EC:EDBD:AEB: /* Overview */

[[File:7U1rjan.png|600px|right|thumb|[[Star Wars|That's no <s>moon</s> tank.]] That's a <s>space station</s> Gunship! Art by hammk on DeviantArt, AKA ahn hyoungsup on ArtStation.]]

{{topquote|Just as the Primaris Space Marines themselves blend the best elements of several millennia of Space Marines, the Astraeus Super-heavy Tank represents the pinnacle of Imperial engineering, a devastating war machine that makes the perfect accompaniment to your Space Marine army.|Warhammer Community}}

The Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank is Forge World's first (and presumably not the last) superheavy vehicle for the [[Primaris Space Marines|Primary Sue Marines]].

In a rare stroke of unconventional ingenuity, the Astraeus is built upon a chassis unlike any other. A chassis that seems like it was taken from an ancient [[Terra|Terran]] tank design from late M2. Trust us, it has nothing to do with the [[Command and Conquer|C&C Mammoth Tank]] or the [[Halo|Halo Scorpion]], with [[Games Workshop|Games Workshop's]] [[Heresy|good track record of creation originality,]] [[Bullshit|such accusations are blatant lies!]] But seriously, it supposedly combines the technology of the Repulsor with [[STC]] technology supposedly recovered by the [[Minotaurs]] during the Perun Cross Incident. We say "supposedly" because the records of the battle are sealed due to the involvement of the [[Grey Knights]] in that battle.

So far, reviews for this tank has been [[Skub|mixed,]] with some praising it for [[Awesome|looking like a tank ripped straight out of G.I. Joes]] and its overall unique design which separates it from conventional [[Metal Boxes|Imperium 'Moving Metal Boxes' design,]] whilst others criticizing it for....[[Derp|looking like a tank ripped straight out of G.I. Joes]] and that it just looks hideous and too different from conventional [[Herp|Imperium 'Moving Metal Boxes' design.]]

*'''Length:''' 15.6m; approx
*'''Mass:''' 280-300 tonnes; approx
*'''Crew:''' 2-5; approx

== Overview ==

The Astraeus is basically the unholy lovechild between a [[Fellblade]], a Repulsor, and a [[Sicaran Battle Tank|Sicaran]] that has been flattened and stretched with a rolling pin. Basically speaking, this thing is as long as two [[Baneblade|Baneblades]] duct-taped together or a [[Thunderhawk]] on ''land''. AKA this thing is ABSOLUTELY HUEG! One must wonder what kind of new toys is needed to drop this monster into orbit. Maybe the mystical [[Overlord Gunship|Primaris Overlord Dropship]] that has yet to be seen?

But one thing is definitely certain, this thing has teeth, ''LOTS OF TEETH''. Its ridiculously oversized hull mounts a devastating range of defensive and offensive systems. The main weapons of the Astraeus are a pair of [[Macro-Accelerator Cannon]]s (basically giant suped-up [[Accelerator Autocannon]]s you find on the Sicaran), coupled with sponson-mounted [[Las-Ripper]]s or [[Plasma Eradicator]]s. The macro-accelerator cannons are particularly powerful, [[Rape|firing 12 shots with -2 AP and 3 Damage <strike>apiece!</strike>]] ''(Profile is for a Twin Macro-Accelerator Cannon so only 12 shots over all)''.

Not only is this big bastard armed with as many guns as the Repulsor (including a [[Heavy Stubber|Ironhail Heavy Stubber]] that must feel pretty useless next to all that firepower and a [[Storm Bolter]] inexplicably mounted on its rear), but it's the only Primaris unit with a 2+ save, and has [[Void shields|void shields]]. You know, the shit they normally put on Titans? This basically turns the already mobile fortress of guns into a more [[Dakka|Dakka version of the]] [[Mastodon]]. Seriously, [[Orks]] [[/d/|can only get so erect when they see this thing on the battlefield.]] Speaking of which, it also shares the same gravitic plates of its [[Repulsor Tank|little brother]], which is the merciless crushing of its gravity force.

Unlike its little brother, the Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank doesn’t have any transport capacity – instead, this colossal machine is dedicated to destruction alone. While there are few targets that can stand up to one of the Astraeus Super-heavy Tank’s furious fusillades, it particularly excels at shooting down Flyers. So no, not even air superiority is safe from this motherfucker. With the Steel Behemoth rule and Power of the [[Machine Spirit]], this war machine can fire on the move, or even when locked in close combat, making it a surprisingly flexible and mobile unit for its size.

Just prop this moving fortress with [[Roboute Guilliman|Grandpa Smurf]], some Repulsors and a Techpriest and you can say goodbye to any leftover bitching on Eldar powerscaling. Because boys, there is a new kid in town and he is going to roundhouse kick a [[Chaos|certain group of motherfuckers right in their urethra.]]

For some unknown reason, it manage to [[What|move faster than its little brother]] despite its size.

== Gallery ==

<gallery>

File:Astraeus-2.jpg|Hey look! It's the <s>[[Command and Conquer|Mammoth!]]</s> the <s>[[Halo|Scorpion!]]</s> [[Original character, do not steal|ORIGINAL VEHICLE, DO NOT STEAL!]]

File:AstraeusRedScorpions.jpg|Its [[Forge World]]. Of course the [[Red Scorpions]] were going to get it. Could it be a joke on the other [[Scorpion]]?

File:Astraeus_GI_Joe.jpg|G.I. JOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEE!

File:HaloWars-M145D-Rhino-transparent.png|Just add antigrav.

</gallery>

[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Imperial]]

[[Category: Space Marines]]

[[Category: Primaris Marines]]

[[Category: Vehicles]]

[[Category: Skimmers]]

{{Primaris Marine-Forces}}

{{40k-Imperial-Vehicles}}

{{40k-Imperial-Ships}}

Lasgun

2022-07-18T12:51:24Z

2600:1700:91C1:A4E0:F4EF:95EC:EDBD:AEB: /* Auxilia Lasrifle */

[[Image:Guardsman.jpg|thumb|right|This is painfully accurate.]]
[[image:KHARN LOEV FLASHLIGHT.jpg|thumb|right|[[Kharn]] also love <strike>Flashlight</strike>LASGUN!!]]
[[image:1271099410879.jpg|thumb|right|The closest thing to choice an Imperial guardsmen will have - what sort of lasgun he'll get (not an actual choice, depends on their regiment).]]

{{Topquote|IT'S NOT A LASER! IT'S A LITTLE LIGHT BULB THAT BLINKS!|Woody, Toy Story}}

{{Topquote|What do you call a Lasgun with a taclight mounted under the barrel? [[Twin-linked]].|Any 40k player ever (Hilariously, GW has caught onto this. Even more hilariously, on Regimental Standard they've got an in-universe nod where any Guardsman who makes this joke is sentenced to flogging)}}

{{Topquote|The Demolisher, the Vanquisher, even the mighty Deathstrike Missile Launcher pale in comparison to the sheer firepower of trillions of lasguns unleashing hell in unison!|Captain Garius Septus of the 263rd [[Maccabian Janissaries]]}}

The humble (and we DO mean humble) '''Lasgun''' is the most "standard-issue" armament of an average [[Imperial Guard]]sman in [[Warhammer 40,000]] setting. Given the incalculable number of Guardsmen under arms and the sheer scale of the [[Imperium]] itself, it is safe to say that a lasgun is probably the most common weapon in the entire galaxy that isn't some underhive piece of junk like stub guns, knives or other miscellaneous weapon. (Or something [[Shootas'an Dakkas|slapped together by an ork]], but that's another topic in and of itself.) On the tabletop it shares the same rules with [[autogun]]s.

The name is rather obviously a portmanteau of "laser" and "gun", but argument [[rage]]s [[skub|over how the word is meant to be pronounced]]. Many claim that it should be pronounced /ˈleɪzɡʌn/ (with the 'a' as in "laser"), but others contend that this sounds retarded, and /ˈlæzɡʌn/ (with the 'a' as in "glass") is a better pronunciation. According to [[Games Workshop]], its name is pronounced "Laze-gun"; however, Jeremy Vetock and Duncan Rhodes both say "Lazz-gun", so it really is a toss up. (And unimportant).

It is almost universally described in the [[fluff]] as discharging with a sharp crack (caused by the beam ionizing the air it travels through), but some authors describe the lasround as either a "bolt" as in Star Wars or as a "beam" as in Dawn of War. Other features of the weapon have greater variation - some [[Black Library]] works and items such as the [[Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer]] describe the weapon as possessing a fully automatic firing setting; this feature is represented by Rapid Fire rule on the tabletop, but not represented in [[Dark Heresy]], which can be explained away by virtue of the fact that there are many different patterns of Lasgun produced throughout the Imperium.

There is also some dispute as to the color of the "beam". Some fluff claims it to be blue, while games like Dawn of War portray it as red or something of a reddish-yellow. The popular ''Gaunt's Ghosts'' series of novels by [[Dan Abnett]] say that the Imperial weapons fire blue "beams", while the Chaos weapons fire red ones. In order to fix this [[Skub|mess]], we have proposed a Scientific fact on the issue...

*The Fact: the energy of each individual photon is determined by its frequency (i.e. colour); power output is energy per second, meaning the same power output is achievable with either more photons per second at a lower frequency (bright red) or fewer photons per second at a higher frequency (dim blue). In either case, the colour is also dependent on the gas it is traveling through, as the amount of energy transferred to the surrounding medium via [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compton_scattering Compton scattering] depends on the mass of each gas particle, while the brightness depends on the amount of gas particles, so the laser would look different on different planets. Regardless, a fired lasround would never look like a glowing projectile "bolt" to any camera (such as a human eye) operating at a frame rate lower than approximately a billion frames per second, so those depictions can safely be assumed to be [[heresy|heresy]]. It would look like an actual pulsed laser, i.e. a "beam" that visibly spans the distance from the weapon's muzzle to the impact point, for the duration of the pulse. The popular visual idea from [[Star Wars|other popular sci-fi weapons]] that fire glowing projectile bolts are not lasers at all, instead being described as magnetically-contained plasma bolts. It should also be taken into account that since damaged caused by a laser is higher the greater the photons-per-second impact the target location, and the Imperium’s advanced skill with laser technology, it may be possible that various patterns of lasgun might combine two or more or even all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum to maximize photons-per-second. This would also influence the color of the laser and would change how the above factors influence the color. Easy way to think is: Lasgun = Red, Hellgun = Yellow/redish Lascannon = Pale Blue or just think of all of them as white or gold (white because whole spectrum, gold because holy light + religious fanatics)

== Why the Lasgun sucks ==
''See Also: [[Lasgun Patterns]]''

The lasgun is [[Derp|rather pathetic]] [[Grimdark|compared to the mainline arms and armour of most of the other armies of the setting]], useful only by virtue of the fact that Guardsmen come in ridiculous numbers (except in comparison to Tyranids, Chaos Cultists/Zombies, or Orks) and the application of statistical probability. The weapons are often derisively referred to as "flashlights," based on their individual uselessness, although this is arguably more of an example of how ridiculously tough everything else is in the setting.

Truthfully, the lasgun is very effective against any target equivalent to an unarmored human. The [[Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition| 6th Edition rulebook]] describes the lasgun as severing limbs at close range but further away it only goes about as deep as the liver, explosively flash-boiling said liver and all other squishy bits in the laser's path. That sounds awesome, until you remember that there are foes of the 41st millennium that are either equipped with [[Power_Armour|armour capable of deflecting heavy stubber and bolter shell impacts]], [[Orks|biology robust enough to shrug off a heavy stubber hit ''without'' armor]], or if you’re REALLY unlucky, [[Chaos_Space_Marines|those enemies that have both of the aforementioned traits]]. Because of the way that a lasgun's beam explosively flashes when it strikes a target, virtually any level of armor protection will greatly diminish the effectiveness of lasgun weaponry. Indeed, power armor is ''designed'' to shrug off the explosive flash-effect of energy weapons like the lasgun. A lasgun hit ''might'' briefly stagger an armored Space Marine, but the chance of a single hit incapacitating him is remote.

In other words, being a hand-held rifle of moderate tech designed to be wielded by un-augmented humans, the firepower and capability of a lasgun somewhat pales in comparison to many of the weapons wielded by mankind's enemies. In addition, while the effectiveness of a lasgun is comparable to an autogun (which are basically AK-47s in SPACE), the lasgun requires a somewhat higher level of industrial technology to construct. Therefore, while the lasgun is very common some Imperial worlds can't construct them locally. Finally, it can also be assumed that certain atmospheric conditions, especially those with a high percentage of airborne particulates, would greatly degrade a lasgun's effectiveness at range.

According to the ''[[Dan Abnett|Gaunt's Ghosts]]'' series the lasgun has an appreciable amount of recoil, which is fucking [[FAIL|stupid]]. The entire point of a handheld laser weapon is that there is no appreciable recoil since you aren't firing a physical projectile, which makes it easier to use. One of the main strengths of the lasgun is the fact that you can round up a bunch of [[Feral World|Feral Worlders]], give them lasguns with little to no training, point them in a general direction and just watch things die. This makes stubbers more or less obsolete, similar to how firearms made crossbows obsolete and crossbows made most bows obsolete. Not to mention the fact that if a lasgun had appreciable recoil, it wouldn't even be a lasweapon in the first place (because photons have next to no mass), but some kind of particle gun like a Tau [[Pulse Rifle]] or one of ''[[Mass Effect]]'''s Thanix cannons.

== Why the Lasgun is still being used ==
The lasgun is derisively known as a "flashlight" by most players, including Guard players themselves (including the ''Guards'' themselves actually, that's a joke among them). However, within the context of the 40k setting the lasgun is reliable, durable, extremely common, and quite accurate. It should be noted that the lasgun is described as being able to destroy a slab of cement, which means that it is quite a bit more powerful than most modern-day small arms. From a production standpoint the lasgun (and its power pack) requires a somewhat more advanced industrial base to construct than the autogun. In return, however, you get a compact infantry weapon that can fire over a hundred shots on a single power pack, has virtually no moving parts, and largely removes the logistical headache of constantly restocking physical ammunition supplies. As long as a Guardsman has access to a power source that the lasgun's power packs can accept, he can, given time, replenish his "ammunition" as long as his equipment remains functional. Any source of electricity, from a common military recharging port to a domestic power socket to an exercise bike with a dynamo can be used to top up power packs. When cut off, guard units can even place their power-packs directly in fires to charge them, but this is an extreme measure since it’s [[heresy|frowned upon by the Mechanicus]] and will heavily reduce the pack’s lifespan. But a ''possibly'' useless power-pack is better than a ''certain'' bayonet charge.

Getting shot by a laser, even if you are protected, would at least flash a decent portion of the surface of what is hit into plasma. Explosively. So, most human-sized targets too tough to be penetrated by a lasgun would at least be stunned/stopped for a moment (in theory). Therefore, the lasgun actually has pretty good utility given the enemies the Imperium faces. Furthermore, lasers damage just about anything to some degree when powerful enough. This means that a lasgun can theoretically kill anything in the universe... eventually. Just like the [[Commissar]] told you! And in [[Dark Heresy]] they're even better, because their reliability, availability and plentiful ammunition become real considerations and the foes that an agent of the Inquisition is likely to face are more likely to be humans rather than [[Space Marines|transhuman]] [[Orks|nonsense]]. So lasguns are rather more useful than they are in the tabletop wargame.

One last thing about Lasguns is that they ''can'' be used as last-ditch grenades by basically making the entire power pack empty into the gun without ever actually firing it. It turns the Lasgun into an explosive comparable in power to a Krak grenade. In theory, the resulting blast can fracture even vehicle-level armor (it should be noted that this happened to a dreadnought whose front armor was already cracked from being hit by anti-armor weapons). In practice, this technique is rarely utilized because it's a desperation tactic, and in any event, only seasoned troopers would likely be aware that it's even possible.

In all seriousness, a lasgun is a deadly weapon when in the hands of someone competent. As being an effective combat weapon goes, anything not too heavily armored, like Traitor Cultists, Eldar Guardians, Ork Boyz, Tyranid Gaunts, and other Imperial Guard style forces are bound to be ridden with laser holes quickly and efficiently. Even [[Power armor]] is not invulnerable: helmet lenses, articulations, and joints are still susceptible to well-placed shots and a point-blank or short-range shot at maximum power can potentially penetrate some areas of a Space Marine's armor as well. If nothing else, enough Lasgun pulses would thermally saturate the suit and turn it into an oven.

In the end, a quote from [[Black Crusade (RPG)]] sums up the lasgun perfectly: ''"The Legionnaire that scoffs at a lasgun has not charged across an open field against a hundred of them."''

TL;DR Because of how photons affect matter, lasguns can, potentially, damage nearly anything. When combined with its reliability, utility, wide availability, and near-perfect accuracy, the lasgun is basically the perfect infantry weapon.

==Uses for the Lasgun==
[[Image:Laysgun2_1974.PNG|300px|right|thumb|Also, a rare pict-capture of the ancient Laysgun.]]
*Warming soup
*Cigarette lighter
*Changing TV channels
*Selling to buy a new weapon
*Pissing off [[Thunderhawk]] pilots
*Shining in enemies' eyes
*Throwing at people (may cause more damage than shooting it at them)
*Burning ants
*Paperweight
*Laser sight for a boltgun
*Aide during PotentiaPunctum presentations
*Light shows
*Igniting gas stoves
*Laser tag for kids (who are probably more dangerous than the gun itself)
*Magic shows for kids
*Lighting candles on birthday cakes
*A Laser pointer
*Hair removal
*Tattoo removal
*Entertainment for your space-kitties
*Shooting bottles
*Hitting your officer's pipe (Warning, will result in [[Blam|BLAMing]])
*Flashlight
*Substitute baseball bat
*Salvaged for actual useful stuff
*Horsie rides
*Chair
*Marital aid
*Wall decoration
*Coat stand
*Creating a makeshift rave
*Pretend guitar for when you gotta shred that awesome solo
*An extension device for your more dangerous bayonet. (This use is recognized and approved by Regimental Standard)
*Choppa in the hands of an ork boy
*Larping and cosplay
*Grave marker/headstone

== Other laser weapons ==
The lasgun also comes in carbine, pistol, bullpup, sniper ("long-las"), and light machine gun varieties, and the Imperium fields many other weapons based on the same technology, such as the [[hellgun]] (a powerful lasgun powered by a backpack power pack), the mighty [[lascannon]], the even bigger [[Apocalypse|volcano cannon and turbo-laser]], the even even bigger Defense Laser, and the very much bigger ''still'' laser weapons mounted on [[Battlefleet Gothic|starships.]] Must be a different type, though, because a broadside from a Retribution class battleship can devastate half a continent depending on the [[Skub|calcs]]. A single barrage from an Imperator class Titan can devastate an ''entire'' city with weapons as strong as modern day nukes. Keep in mind how large an Imperial city is. So, far stronger than modern nukes.

Oh, and [[C.S. Goto|multilasers]].

=== Laspistol ===
''See main page, [[Laspistol]]''

{{clear}}

=== Lasgun ===
[[Image:lasgun.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Standard Cadian pattern Lasgun]]

You know'em, you love'em. There really isn't a point in repeating what has already been said since you are on a page talking about this wonderful piece of Imperial equipment other <s>then</s> than putting it in the Lasgun family. Of course there are certain modifications that may breach the line on what ''may'' count as a Lasgun. But overall, it is cheap, effective and put a lovely little dent to most light infantry contrary to popular belief.

Just don't try and attempt go all [[Leeroy Jenkins]] on this thing. The Lasgun is a light assault weapon, not a Titan-busting Volcano Cannon.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Lasgun|r7=24"|type7=Rapid Fire|s7=3|ap7=-|r8=24"|type8=Rapid Fire 1|s8=3|ap8=0}}

<gallery>
image:CadianLasgun.png|<center>Cadian</center>
</gallery>

{{clear}}

=== Suppression Laser ===
[[File:Suppresion_Laser.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Suppression Laser]]
The Suppression Laser is a type of Lasgun often used by gang members in the underhive of a [[Hive World]]. As its name suggests, a Suppression Laser is a laser shotgun that has a [[Dakka|stupendous level of firepower.]] Within the tight confines of a underhive, the large spread of lasers makes the Suppression Laser a popular weapon, especially among members of House Van Saar.

Because its a shotgun, the Suppression Laser trades the reliability, range, and accuracy of the Lasgun with balls-out power. The Mechanicus equivelent of this is the Mitralocks.

On [[Necromunda]] tabletop, the Suppression Laser is a laser version of a different weapon; in this case its 10 credits more than the humble Shotgun, [[Derp|but for no perceivable benefits.]] It can’t even use any of the cool ammo that Shotguns can get.

=== Laser Gauntlet ===
[[File:Laser_Gauntlets.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Laser Gauntlet]]
Works essentially the same as a [[Boltstorm Gauntlet]] in function, just replace the bolt rounds with pew pew lasers.

These are multiple arm-mounted laser tubes. Laser Gauntlets can unleash a deadly storm of lasbolts at considerable range from the bearer's fists. With an increased power supply, the gauntlets can fire a series of sustained beams that can punch through enemy armour.

Laser Gauntlets are found mounted on the Yeld Spyrer hunting rig, used in the underhive of [[Necromunda]]. Would probably be useful if you like the idea of still having firepower without sacrificing one of your hands for weapon firing.

=== Hotshot Laspistol===
[[File:Hotshot_Laspistol.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Hotshot Laspistol]]

''See main page, [[Hellgun#Hellpistol|Hellpistol]]''

The Hotshot Lasgun's little brother, also known as [[Hellgun#Hellpistol|Hellpistol]] (although there do remain some canon conflict about these two weapons designation). Hotshot Laspistols are typically hand-crafted, rather than mass-produced in factories, and many of them are hundreds of years old and have acquired histories over the course of centuries of use in combat. Unless otherwise specified, a Hotshot Laspistol remains the property of the Departmento Munitorum, though an individual can be awarded one for heroic deeds. A Hotshot Laspistol fires a higher-intensity shot than a laspistol, therefore, despite its higher penetration it will cauterize the wound it causes and prevents too much blood from being shed. For this reason, Hotshot Laspistol are preferred for use as execution weapons for officers and commissars, as a shot to the condemned soldier's head will prevent any blood from staining their uniform.

<gallery>
image:TempestusPistol.png|<center>Tempestus Scion</center>
</gallery>

{{clear}}

=== Hotshot Lasgun===
[[File:Hotshot_Lasgun.png|200px|right|thumb|Hotshot Lasgun]]

''See main page, [[Hellgun]]''

A variant of the Lasgun, also known by the far cooler name "[[Hellgun]]" (although there do remain some canon conflict about these two weapons designations since they have different art, different models, and are used by different units in both the lore and in the models...so yeah, probably totally different things), the Hotshot Lasgun and Hotshot Laspistol are weapons used primarily by the [[Stormtrooper]]s (and presumably other arms of the Imperial war machine). In some canon sources, these are juiced-up versions of the Lasgun charge pack inside a normal Lasgun, or in ''other'' canon sources, the entire weapon has a beefier build with better conduits and optics to survive the prolonged increased strain of a higher power throughput. They are designed to be used by elite troops or officers, who are generally better shots. Instead of the Hellgun's design approach of using lots of batteries and a heavy-duty build to attain higher cyclic fire rates, Hotshots use a super-concentrated laser blast to achieve the same kind of armor-penetrating power. It seems to have just enough penetrating power to be able to pierce most forms of space marine power armor. Or at least as deep as a non-explosive bolt shell would.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Hotshot Lasgun|r7=18"|type7=Rapid Fire|s7=3|ap7=3|r8=18"|type8=Rapid Fire 1|s8=3|ap8=-2}}

<gallery>
image:TempestusLasgun.png|<center>Tempestus Scion</center>
</gallery>

{{clear}}

=== Hotshot Volley Gun ===
[[File:Volley_Gun.png|200px|right|thumb|Hotshot Volley Gun]]

Another variation of the Hotshot category of Lasguns. These weapons are borne into battle by [[Stormtrooper|Tempestus Scions]] to deal with armored enemy infantry. The Hot-Shot Volley Gun is a larger version of the Hot-Shot Lasgun that "incorporates penitent-class heat sink arrays" which means that they "can maintain a punishing rate of high powered fire".

Think of them as a fully automatic LMG version of the regular old Hotshot Lasgun. As you can imagine, the sheer amount of [[Dakka]] means that they are more likely to be situated within the heavy weapons category then the normal Hotshot Lasguns. They are known to fire with a distinctive spitting howl. In UA these babies are carried by Airborne kasrkins and they're able to take down necron destroyers and their equivalents in no time.

The real life equivalent would be the the light machine guns of WW1 and WW2 (like the Lewis Gun and the BAR) and the modern Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) concept, having the same ammo as the standard rifle (either a short round like the 5.56 NATO for logistics or a long one like the 7.62 NATO to drop what you hit, though recently mid points like the 6.5 Grendel seem to be picking up steam, though the obvious next step is caseless ammo when it becomes practical). If the Lasgun is a M16 with 5.56 shots and the Hotshot Lasgun is a 7.62 M14, then the Hotshot Volley gun is an MK48 M249 variant or a M240 firing 7.62x51 ammunition...but translated into their future, grimdark space variants.

<gallery>
image:TempestusVolley.png|<center>Tempestus Scion</center>
</gallery>

{{clear}}

=== Mining Laser ===
[[File:Mining_Laser.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Mining Laser]]

Mining Laser is not formally a weapon, but a tool for breaching tunnels in the mining process. In some cases though the Mining Laser can be used as a weapon, often by [[Genestealer|Genestealer Cults]]. For example, Dvarlock pattern Mining Laser, founded and identified by Tempestor Gulack of the Kappic Eagles have been modified so it can blast the hole through a meters-thick bulkhead with a single pull of a trigger. It also features three hand-grips, indicating its use in combination with a tertia pattern servo-arm (or the extra arms of a Genestealer Hybrid).

There is also the Heavy Mining Laser which is a heavier variant of the standard version, used on [[Goliath Truck|Goliath Rockgrinders]] (More can be read below). Although to be honest, it is only 'heavy' because it is on a turreted mount, other than that there is very little difference between the Heavy Mining Laser and the regular old Mining Laser.

It is fucking irritating in Space Hulk Deathwing, where it will be the number one cause of bullshit deaths.

<gallery>
image:HybridLaser.png|<center>Neophyte Hybrid</center>
</gallery>

{{clear}}

=== Long-Las ===
[[File:Long-Las.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Long-Las]]

In the good old days the Imperial sniper rifle was the poorly named [[Needler|'needle rifle']] which was in fact a kind of laser weapon. Well, partly. It had two parts to each shot. It fired a narrow beam laser to burn through armor, and then it fired a 'needle' bullet; a spike of some kind of metal filled with horribly poisonous toxins. With the armor removed first, the spiky bit all but ensured a kill if you hit, spurting deadly death juice into your unfortunate body. Sadly they weren't especially well conceived weapons (hitting the same spot with two different weapons, one that responds to wind and gravity, and the other that doesn't is something of a challenge) so they've pretty much been written out of the setting these days as being too expensive for regular use. Now the term "sniper rifle" is used fairly loosely in the Imperium; many sniper rifles are simply over-powered lasguns called long-las rifles, while many others (such as those used by [[Space Marine]] [[Scout]]s) are high-velocity slug-throwers which have more in common with [[autogun]]s than they do with energy weapons. Then there are other more exotic variants firing poisoned darts or even stranger payloads, such as the aforementioned needle rifle (which [[Ratling]]s still prefer) or the [[Exitus Rifle]] that fires straightup death. All of these variants have pretty much the same effect on the target, unless you play older editions or use special characters who have rules that say otherwise. Or play [[Dark Heresy]].

However, since you are on the Long-Las category, we might as well talk about it. The Long-Las is a sniper variation of the Lasgun with a much longer barrel for increased range and accuracy, and also to prevent overheating. However the barrel makes a Long-Las up to twice as long as a standard Lasgun and thus difficult to use in close quarters.

Within the Imperial Guard the Long-Las, formerly known as the Sniper Variant Lasgun, is issued only to those Guardsmen with the necessary marksmanship skills and knowledge in stealth and scouting operations. It uses the XC 52/3 strengthened barrel, longer and thinner than normal models, and lacks a charge setting slider, instead using hotshot power packs. It's also much quieter than other lasguns and features a flash suppressor to dampen the revealing flashes of its shots ([[FAIL|even though like other lasguns its laser beam is visible]]). However the increased wear on the barrel from using the overpowered energy packs means more frequent barrel changes than is usually required for normal lasguns. You may be wondering why the IG does not use a shorter, thicker heavy barrel version with improved cooling as standard issue for all Guardsmen to kick serious ass. Ask your local [[Commissar]] for a detailed explanation.

<gallery>
image:CadianLongLas.png|<center>Cadian</center>
</gallery>

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=== Lascarbine ===
[[File:Lascarbine.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Lascarbine]]

During the [[Great Crusade]] the Lascarbine was the great grandfather of the Lasgun. Basically the same weapon as the Lasgun in a smaller package. They were standard issue among the Imperial Army.

In modern WH40k, a Lascarbine is designed for use by special operations units and is usually employed by Drop Troopers or scout units of the Imperial Guard such as the
[[Elysian Drop Troops]]. Catachan troopers also use them.

<gallery>
image:CatachanLascarbine.png|<center>Catachan</center>
</gallery>

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=== Auxilia Lasrifle ===
[[File:Auxillia_Lasrifle.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Auxilia Lasrifle, a Steampunk rifle that actually looks like unlike every Fallout game after 3.]]

The Auxilia lasrifles were the primary weapon of the [[Solar Auxilia]] during the Great Crusade and Horus heresy eras. And as befitting weapons from a time when Imperial Technology had not yet sunk into the abyss, they have better range compared to their inferior knockoffs. These weapons have the option of taking Blast-chargers, which turns the lasrifle into a miniature lascannon, though on the roll of 1 the charger melts in its operator's hands, preventing the player from using them for the remainder of the game (the gun can still fire after 1 turn of cooling off). They also [[awesome|come standard]] with Collimators, which switch out Rapid Fire for Heavy 2, making any opponent think twice about about charging a squad of [[Solar Auxilia]]. As if a Super Heavy tank as a Dedicated Transport wasn't enough reason to stay out of range. They were produced on selected few Forgeworlds (despite being the go-to armament of 20% of Imperial Army) to begin with, required advanced technology to make and specific combined-armed tactics (a big no-no for [[Imperial Guard]] thanks to a certain [[Roboute_Guilliman|genius]]) of Solar Auxilia cohorts to use effectively, so were shifted out of production in favor of a basic flashlight.

<gallery>
image:SolarAuxiliaLasrifleProfile.png|<center>Solar Auxilia</center>
</gallery>

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=== Blast Pistol ===
[[File:Auxillia_Blast_Pistol.PNG|150px|right|thumb|Blast Pistol]]
''Not to be confused with the [[Phosphor Blast Pistol|Phosphor Blast Pistol]], another 30k era weapon that fires completely different rounds. Nor the [[Dark Eldar]] [[Drukhari Blast Pistol]] which also fires [[Herp|completely different ammunition]]''

Basically a souped-up las-pistol that explodes in the user's hand. Their description makes them seem like laser revolvers used by officers of the Solar Auxilla, to mirror when an officer during the 19th century was issued a sidearm. This gave him a faster-firing gun compared to line troops who had to use lever and bolt-actions, which is similar to the Blast Pistol's apparently faster rate of fire.

These bespoke weapons like the Hotshot Laspistol and Hellpistol were able to fire only a handful of shots before reloading, but their damage output rivals that of arcane [[Volkite Weaponry]]. Due to this, Blast Pistols were seen as an emblem of wealth and prestige, and many were works of art in their own right, and thus they also became a widely used form of decoration and reward for extreme gallantry and commendation within the Solar Auxilia regiments.

On table top, Blast Pistols are 6" S5 Las-pistols with Twin Linked and Gets-Hot for two points. Twin linked counteracts Gets Hot, but if you want a good pistol just spend the extra 8 points on a Plasma Pistol.
<gallery>
image:SolarAuxiliaBlastPistol.png|<center>Solar Auxilia</center>
</gallery>

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=== Digital Lasers/Digital Weapons ===
[[File:JokaeroDigitalWeapon.jpg‎|200px|right|thumb|Digi-Weapon]]

These are actually melee weapons. However there isn't really anywhere else to put them.
In 40k they are exclusively made by [[Jokaero]]. During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy they are weapons of [[Blood Ravens|unknown]] [[Heresy|Xenos origin]]. This section describes how the Imperium at large uses them.

Digital weapons are best described as a small laser used by Space Marine officers. It allows them to re-roll one failed hit during the Assault/Fight Phase, which is decent. However, it is not anywhere near as cool as when they are used in Black Library books or the weapons stated to be used by the [[Jokaero]]. Only the Xenos monkeys have them on the table top in 8th edition.

30k Digital Lasers are as usual better than the 40k version. Rather than just Space Marines, Inquisitors and the occasional gun/chain/power sword toting hero, every officer had access to them. They are short ranged but deadly weapons that are "small enough to be concealed in a ring, gauntlet, sword hilt or helm." So they should be as strong as a single Hot Shot Lasgun, Lasrifle or Las-Lock beam.

In the Horus Heresy game a Digital Laser gives the model one additional attack, [[Awesome|so the officer doesn't have to give up their sole ranged weapon for an extra melee hit.]] One would assume either weapon would also allow an extra ranged attack with the same strength and AP as a Hot-Shot Lasgun or Archaeotech Pistol, like how the Servo Harness gives [[Techmarines]] extra ranged and melee weapons. However, Games Workshop and Forge World aren't nice enough to give players an option that would be useful in more than one situation without making them pay extra real life money for it first.

<gallery>
image:JokaeroDigital.png|<center>Jokaero Weaponsmith</center>
</gallery>

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=== Las-Lock ===

[[File:Las-Lock.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Las-Lock]]

Las-lock is like a granddad to "modern" Lasgun, or perhaps the lasgun's equivalent to a musket. While very few Guard Regiments still use it in-universe in 40k (see [[Only War]] by FFG), the Las-Lock is popular with the Mechanicum in 30k. [[Tech Thrall]]s are thus far the only known Mechanicum troops to carry las-weapons (on tabletop, but many las weapons are used by Skitarii and servitors in fluff), but oh boy, aren't they numerous. Las-locks sacrifice rate of fire and range for more damage per shot, making it a worse version of the Hot-Shot lasgun with higher Strength, but with miserable AP of 6 and 1 shot max. Not sure how this particular AdMech weapon fares in fluff, though. Since it’s AdMech, large, and has a ton of thick cables attached, it probably hits extremely hard.

In addition to the forces mentioned above, las-locks were commonly issued to low level Chaos occupation troops during the Sabbat Crusade. It's also not uncommon to find these in civilian hands.

<gallery>
image:TechThrallLasLock.png|<center>Tech Thrall</center>
</gallery>

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=== Mitralock ===
[[File:Mitralock2.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Mitralock]]

There is also the Mitralock, a [[what|laser shotgun]] with reduced range.
Both have the option to upgrade to Induction chargers [[awesome|increasing their shots to two.(represented as Assault 2 in game.)]] While still allowing them to Assault with no penalty. This turns them into a high risk unit for any opponent dumb enough to charge them.

In terms of tabletop, the Mitralock is the [[Shotgun|Scattergun]] of the Las Family. It is an 8" range Las-lock, but it gains Shred. It also has Induction Chargers which is an optional attachment to both Las-locks AND Mitra-locks (HH3, p. 221) it upgrades them to Assault 2. Meanwhile, the name is most likely a reference to the French term for grapeshot ('''Mitra'''illeuse).

<gallery>
image:TechThrallMitralock.png|<center>Tech Thrall</center>
</gallery>

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=== Lascutter ===
[[File:Bits-lascutter.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Lascutter]]

Lascutters are a powerful but extremely unwieldy type of Laser Weapon. Originally industrial tools used for cutting through armored bulkheads and dense ores, these weapons make use of disruption field-assisted short range laser arcs. They were later utilized for warfare, being used in sieges where they were able to breach enemy fortifications and if necessary become devastating close-quarters weapons.
On the table top, these thing suck. Only Breachers can take them in the Horus Heresy game. [[What| The Cumbersome rule reduces the model's WS1 and can only make a single attack.]] Take [[Graviton_weapons|Graviton guns]] instead. In 9E they can be taken by Elysian Drop Troops. They are just as useless as you think they are with one melee attack and no ranged profile. Every Special or Heavy Weapon option they have is superior to these pieces of shit.

It's extremely stupid for Genestealers (who are heavily armed terrorists with tanks at best) to have superior weapons to Space Marines and "space paratroopers". Lascutters should have stats more in line with the Saturnyne Lascutter from the Adeptus Titanicus datasheet. With both a melee and ranged profile. Since the Saturnyne has a short range of 18 inches. The Lasercutter's beam should be shorter than a Meltagun with damage between that of a Lascannon or Autocannon.

<gallery>
image:LegionBreacherLascutter.png|<center>Legion Breacher</center>
</gallery>

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===Lightning Gun===
[[File:Lightning+Gun.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Lightning Gun]]

[[Pretend|Despite the name,]] Lightning Guns are a type of laser weapons used by the AdMech. Whilst they do use electromagnetism (which is all photons, so duh it’s a laser), most of the killing power is from the pew pew lasers. Lightning Guns are Great Crusade era weapons used by various Adeptus Mechanicus troops, most notably [[Thallax]].

This aptly named weapon takes the form of a baroquely designed carbine connected to a micro-reactor or power core. It fires an ionizing las-beam along with a powerful phased discharge of electromagnetic particles (since electromagnetism is, y’know, light, but it would still operate as advertised). The ensuing effect makes the weapon able to overload mechanical targets in addition to its effectiveness against organic enemies. Essentially, it's an electrolaser.

<gallery>
image:ThallaxLightning.png|<center>Thallax</center>
</gallery>

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===Las-Fusil===
[[File:Las-Fusil.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Las-Fusil]]
''Not to be confused with the [[Pulsar-Fusil]] or the [[Phased Plasma-Fusil]]''

The more [[Awesome|chad version]] of the Long-Las.

The Las-Fusil is essentially the laser equivalent to the [[Mk.III Shrike Pattern Bolt Sniper Rifle]]. These are powerful, anti-personnel heavy Laser Weapon used by Space Marine [[Eliminator]] Squads.

Like the Hellguns and/or Hotshot Lasgun, the Las-Fusil requires an external battery supply to power its shots. Although instead of a large and ungainly backpack, it has a modular battery that can be held in the side pocket of the Space Marine. Because it has no mass, the Las-Fusil is more accurate and has greater range than the Shrike Bolt Sniper Rifle. However, it is heavily affected by atmospheric conditions and higher maintenance cost.

Seeing as how a Long-Las has the power to punch through power armor, the Las-Fusil which has a more advance powerpack and stronger focusing lense should be able to punch through vehicle armor like an anti-material rifle. The crunch seems to agree with the fluff as you can swap your Bolt Sniper Rifle for this weapon which is counted as an anti-light vehicle and anti-TEQ gun (36", heavy 1, S8, AP-3, D3).

=== Multilasers ===

''See main page, [[Multilasers]].''

The Multilaser is basically just a [[Hellgun]] that's been modded for more [[Dakka]], being a pretty good weapon against most non- to lightly-armored targets (infantry, Taurox-equivalents, skimmers, etc.). Gets a bad rep due to C.S. Goto, but it’s actually pretty awesome and the Guard should learn to spam them. Waaaaay cheaper than heavy bolters, after all. Because laser.

As stated above, if the Lasgun is an Assault Rifle, the Hotshot Lasgun/Hellgun is a Battle Rifle and the Hotshot Volley Gun is a General Purpose MG, the Multilaser is a Heavy MG bordering on light autocannon depending on the pattern.

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=== Heavy Mining Laser ===
[[File:GoliathRockgrinderLaser.png|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Mining Laser]]
The aforementioned Heavy Mining Laser. As previously mentioned, it is basically a Mining Laser on a turret. Like its smaller brother, the Heavy Mining Laser is used primarily to bore through rock and other quarry within Mining and Forge Worlds of the Imperium. However it can also be used to cleanly bore through the side armor of a Leman Russ and a Space Marine if needed. Rules of the Internet, Rule 40,000: if it exist, the Imperium will weaponize it.

The [[Genestealer Cult|Genestealer Cults]] have exploited its power because of this. The only difference between the regular Mining Laser and the Heavy Mining Laser is in its power supply. The regular Mining Laser carries its own portable power supply which makes it mobile but at the cost of a shorter battery life (eg: less 'shots') and a shorter effective range. The Heavy Mining Laser on the other hand, is connected to a much larger and thus, powerful power supply which allows for a longer battery life and a longer range.

It is often mounted on the [[Goliath Truck|Goliath Rockgrinder]], but it can also be mounted on the [[Achilles Ridgerunner]].

=== Lascannon ===

''See main page, [[Lascannon]].''

These are the main Imperial anti-tank weapon (Heavy1 72" S9 AP3 for D6), and they are mounted on [[Heavy Weapons Squad|E]][[Predator|V]][[Devastator Squad|E]][[Razorback Transport|R]][[Leman Russ Battle Tank|Y]][[Sentinel|T]][[Dreadnought|H]][[Land Raider|I]][[Tarantula|N]][[Fortress of Redemption|G]] and occasionally wielded by [[SPESS MEHREENS]].

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===Corve Las-Pulser===
[[File:ContemptorAchillusLasPulser.png|250px|right|thumb|Corve Las-Pulser]]
The Corve or ''Corvae'' Las-Pulser is a type of Laser Weapon used by the [[Adeptus Custodes]]. They are the giant Lascannon mounted on top of the giant Dreadnought-like spear. It was equipped to the Dreadspear of the Custodes Contemptor-Achillus class Dreadnought.

The Corve is a 36" S9 AP2 Heavy D3 weapon. It is an upgrade for the Agamatus jetbikes and found as part of the Contemptor-Achillus's Dreadspear, and most of the reason for it's 40 point upgrade cost. The Pulsar is one of the few weapons that Custodes have as a counterpart to Lascannons.

<gallery>
image:LasPulser.png|<center>Contemptor Achillus</center>
image:AgamatusLasPulser.png|<center>Agamatus Jetbike</center>
</gallery>

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===Las-Ripper===
[[File:Las-Ripper_Side_View.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Las-Ripper]]
Essentially a weaker version of the Las-Talon.

A Las-Ripper is a type of heavy Imperial Laser Weapon usually deployed on the Primaris Space Marines' [[Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank|Astraeus Super-Heavy Grav Tank.]] Las-Rippers are used as sponson weapons on Astraeus grav tanks, where they serve as the vehicle's standard anti-personnel weapons for close and messy encounters.

In terms of crunch, as previously aforementioned, the Las-Rippers are a weaker version of the Las-Talon. Although it is not a bad weapon per se, it suffers from the fact that there are much better weapons that the Astraeus could be equipped with.

Most often, the Las-Ripper is replaced with the more powerful Plasma Eradicators. This have got to do with the fact that the Plasma Eradicators are understandable more powerful per shot, but what is unusual is that the Eradicators have more range and is [[Wat|''cheaper'']] than the Las-Ripper of all things.

<gallery>
Image:AstraeusLasRipper.png|Alternate View
</gallery>

===Las-Talon===
[[File:LasTalon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Las-Talon]]
One of the primary weapons of the Repulsor and a discount Lascannon.

The Las-talon is a specialized type of Laser Weapon that can only be found on both the Stormhawk Interceptor air superiority fighter used by the Adeptus Astartes and the Primaris Space Marine Repulsor armored transport.

The Las-talon fires two potent blasts of laser energy in rapid succession, ensuring a clean kill against even the heaviest armored targets. Unlike other laser weapons, the Las-talon is relatively short-ranged, with its damage heavily reduced at great range.

And as you know, it is basically the big brother of the Las-Ripper.

<gallery>
image:RepulsorLasTalon.png|<center>Primaris Repulsor</center>
</gallery>

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===Laser Destroyer===
[[File:Laser_Destroyer.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Laser Destroyer]]
The Laser Destroyer is an Imperial laser weapon mounted primarily on the [[Destroyer Tank Hunter]], capable of destroying enemy tanks from long range. The Laser Destroyer however is a highly-complex system which all but a few Forge Worlds can no longer reproduce; even those who can create new ones must hand-craft each one through a painstakingly slow process. The result has been that these weapons and the vehicles which use them have become incredibly rare amongst the Imperial Guard. The chance of receiving any replacement for lost or destroyed models is very slim, often leading to recovered tank destroyers instead being fitted with another weapon.

During the invasion of Armageddon, though, a number of Chimeras were refitted with Laser Destroyers and re-designated APDS-6a 'Defenders' as an effective stop-gap measure against the Orks.

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===Neutron Laser===
[[File:NeutronLaser.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Neutron Laser]]
A Neutron Laser is a heavy weapon utilized by the forces of Adeptus Mechanicus' Skitarii Legions as a primary weapon for [[Onager Dunecrawler|Onager Dunecrawlers.]], and Imperial Guard forces on the [[Valdor Tank Hunter]]. A Neutron Laser is the last word in battlefield anti-tank weaponry.

With a stabilised neutronic coil arc reactor as its power source, a Neutron Laser is able to fire a beam so devastating that it not only is able to punch through the thickest of armour, but also sends a blast wave of electromagnetic energy that scrambles circuits and synapses alike when it strikes its target.

It doesn't seem to suffer as much of a backfire feedback that usually plagues its larger brother. So that's a plus.

<gallery>
image:OnagerNeutronLaser.png|A slightly more safer version of the Neutron Laser Projector. ''Slightly''.
</gallery>

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===Arachnus Heavy Lascannon Battery===
[[File:Arachnus_Heavy_Lascannon_Battery.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Arachnus Heavy Lascannon Battery]]
Not to be confused with the Arachnus Heavy Blaze Cannon.

The Arachnus Heavy Lascannon Battery was a Laser Weapon system that was used by the ancient [[Dreadnought#Deredeo Pattern|Deredeo Pattern Dreadnoughts]] of the Legiones Astartes during the [[Great Crusade]] and [[Horus Heresy]] eras. As one might expect, it is developed by Arachnus which also produce the Blaze Cannons used by everyone's favourite [[Adeptus Custodes|golden bananas.]]

The Arachnus Heavy Lascannon Battery was a set of two massive, twin-linked [[Lascannon]]s that has been suped-up and overcharged, taking up both the Deredeo's weapon mounts.

Far more powerful than any other pattern of Lascannon regularly fielded by the Legiones Astartes, the Arachnus could inflict devastating amounts of damage with each hit, far more than any standard Las-weaponry.

The Arachnus Heavy Lascannon Battery is still found in use by the various Space Marine Chapters and possibly the Traitor Legions that still maintain functioning Deredeo Dreadnoughts in the 41st Millennium.

On the tabletop, one must remember that this isn't twin-linked Lascannon, but it does fire 2 S10 AP2 shots, and if its shots score a penetrating hit on a vehicle the shot has a 50% chance of having it count as [[Awesome|''two'' penetrating hits instead of one.]]

===Sabre Neutron Blaster===
[[File:SNeutron_Blaster.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Sabre Neutron Blaster]]
[[Derp|Not to be confused with the]] [[Vespid|Vespid's]] [[Neutron Blaster]].

The Sabre Neutron Blaster is one of the three primary weapons that the [[Sabre Strike Tank]] could be armed with. Unlike the [[Volkite Saker]] which deals with mass infantry or the [[Anvilus Snub Autocannon]] that targets light armour. The Sabre Neutron Blaster is specifically designed to turn superheavy tanks inside out.

Nothing more than the [[Neutron Laser Projector]]'s little brother. The Sabre Neutron Blaster was constructed in the same manner as the larger neutron cannon employed by the [[Sicaran Battle Tank#Sicaran Venator|Sicaran Venator,]] the intense radiation emitted by the capacitors and charge packs of the cannon is so deleterious that it will eventually degrade the Sabre's own control systems.

Rules-wise, the Sabre Neutron Blaster is a relatively short-ranged ant-tank weapon. At only 24", you are not hitting far. But if it hits, it hits hard. S9, AP1, Heavy 1 weapon with Concussive and Shock Pulse rules. This thing can stun-lock enemy vehicles while [[Anal circumference|carving a new rear hole.]]

===Heavy Laser Destroyer===
[[File:HeavyLaserDestroyer.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Laser Destroyer]]
The bigger, badder brother of the regular Laser Destroyer.

The Heavy Laser Destroyer is a type of heavy Laser Weapon with powerful anti-armor capability. It is commonly mounted on the Space Marine [[Repulsor Tank#Repulsor Executioner|Repulsor Executioner tank]], with a smaller variant found also mounted on the [[Gladiator Tank#Gladiator Lancer|Gladiator Lancer Tank.]] The larger chassis of the Repulsor mounts much larger and more powerful generators which could release a more potent shot. Of course, this means that the barrel needs to be strengthened and lengthened to accommodate the high heat dispersal.

Crunchwise, this is a new Primaris weapon found on the Repulsor Executioner and the Gladiator Lancer. The Executioner's is a 72" range, Heavy 2, S12, AP-4 and D3+3 weapon whilst the Lancer is a slightly weaker 72" range, Heavy 2, S10, AP-3, Dd3+3 weapon, nevertheless, they are both dedicated tank killers, though it is an expensive weapon.

===Arachnus Blaze Cannon===
[[File:ArachnusCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Arachnus Blaze Cannon]]
The Arachnus Blaze Cannon is a type of Laser Weapon used by the Adeptus Custodes. This weapon was a development of standard Imperial las-technology, but with built in esoteric and powerful components which could never be replicated en masse.

The Blaze Cannon is mounted on the [[Coronus Grav Carrier]].

On tabletop they are basically the bastard offspring of Multi-lasers and Lascannons, they have two firing modes. One is Burst for infantry shredding, the other is Concentrated for Vehicle killing with AP1 and Exoshock, which gives you an automatic second Penetrating hit which ignores cover saves on a 4+ after you score one (so you roll to hit, roll to penetrate, enemy rolls invulnerable/cover, and only then...)

The Blaze Cannon itself is a S6 AP5 Heavy Bolter, or 48" S8AP1 Heavy 1, Exoshock: In all honesty, the Burst mode is rather shitty, but Concentrated is essentially a Lascannon with nasty special rules.

<gallery>
image:CoronusBlazeCannon.png|<center>Coronus Grav-Carrier</center>
</gallery>

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===Arachnus Heavy Blaze Cannon===
[[File:CaladiusAnnihilatorHeavyBlazeCannonProfile.png|200px|right|thumb|Arachnus Heavy Blaze Cannon]]
A larger version known as the Arachnus Heavy Blaze Cannon also exist.

This time it is mounted on the [[Caladius Grav-Tank|Caladius Annihilator]] and it is basically a twin-linked Lascannon on steroids.

On tabletop they are basically the bastard offspring of Multi-lasers and Lascannons, they have two firing modes. One is Burst for infantry shredding, the other is Concentrated for Vehicle killing with AP1 and Exoshock, which gives you an automatic second Penetrating hit which ignores cover saves on a 4+ after you score one (so you roll to hit, roll to penetrate, enemy rolls invulnerable/cover, and only then...)

The Heavy Blaze Cannon itself is a 48" S8 AP3 Heavy 4, or 72" S10 AP1 Heavy 1, Exoshock: Optional turret replacement for the Caladius.

<gallery>
image:CaladiusAnnihilatorHeavyBlazeCannon.png|<center>Caladius Annihilator</center>
</gallery>

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===Arachnus Storm Cannon===
[[File:TelemonArachnusStormCannon.png|200px|right|thumb|Arachnus Storm Cannon]]
The big honcho mounted only on the biggest of Dreadnought walkers.

The Arachnus Storm Cannon is a large gatling-style Laser Weapon used by the Adeptus Custodes. Seeing as how it is a ''double-barrelled'' gatling weapon, there must be one hell of a cooling system to prevent this from melting the golden gunstick into a golden beatstick. Although, give how its godfather, the [[Superheavy Laser Weapons#Arachnus Magna-Blaze Cannon|Arachnus Magna-Blaze Cannon]], have a stupidly expensive cooling/containment system, I guess something like the Storm Cannon is just as capable in preventing a meltdown. It is most typically mounted on the [[Telemon Heavy Dreadnought]]. The Golden Bananas just wanted to have an oversized Multi-Laser and the Emprah delivereth.

On tabletop, the Storm Cannon is a 48" S7 AP3 Heavy 7, or 72" S9 AP1 Heavy 2, Exoshock: the Telemon's big Gatling gun and perhaps the most versatile of the Arachnus weapons. This is a must take if you are facing armies with a large amount of vehicles.

<gallery>
image:|<center></center>
</gallery>

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=== Helfrost weapons ===

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_cooling Laser cooling is actually a thing.]
''See main page, [[Helfrost Weaponry]]''

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=== Laser Destroyer Array ===
[[File:VindicatorLaserDestroyer01.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Vindicator Laser Destroyer Array]]
Laser Destroyer Arrays are a special type of lascannon array. Instead of firing in a single, solid blast the laser destroyer would fire short pulses microseconds apart from its various barrels, acting as a sort of long-ranged drill. On the plus side this means they're more destructive (never a bad thing) as it allowed them to bore through everything, on the downside it's apparently more of a pain in the ass to fire and reload them, going by their tabletop stats and they're nowhere near as portable. Note that despite sharing the name, they are not the same as laser destroyers.

In 7th edition (and Horus Heresy) this gave you a single lascannon shot which was Ordnance instead of Heavy and AP 1 instead of 2. It dealt with vehicles better but similar lascannon arrays fired 2 shots instead of the one (both are twin-linked) so if you had to decide on the two then you had to make a choice, quality hits or quantity of hits?
There was a way to up the shot count, but only if you took a Vindicator Tank Destroyer. If you stayed motionless and/or declared to overcharge it after remaining motionless, you could add +1/+2 to its shots respectively, and after it fired you'd do the equivalent of a Gets Hot roll. In practical terms if you were playing 40k you were free to remove whatever vehicle your opponent fielded that you didn't like, whereas if you were playing Horus Heresy you'd wish Flare Shields weren't a thing as you still couldn't kill that Spartan.

In 8th edition the Laser destroyer is hilariously powerful, being S 12, AP -4, D6 damage but before you roll for damage, roll a D6. On a 1-2, it's still just D6 damage. On a 3-5, it's 2D6 and on a 6, it's 3D6. Ever wanted to cripple a Knight, Land Raider, monster or just remove that one character who accidentally got a little too close in only one shot? Now you can. It's also surprisingly cheap meaning you can spam the fuckers and potentially forget about taking lascannons entirely. Also hilarious is that the Rapier Laser Destroyer has actual combat stats, and not the kind that are explained away via its crew steering it into the enemy, but literal stats as somehow the thing attempts to hurt the enemy by poking it with its barrels (presumably). Despite being (technically) a vehicle its pokes are also weaker than the Guardsmen who push it around, being S3 whereas these macho-men are S4.

<gallery>
Image:Rapier4.jpg|Rapier variant
</gallery>

===Superheavy Laser Weapons===

''See main page, [[Superheavy Laser Weapons]]''

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==See also==
*[[Hellgun]]
*[[Laspistol]]
*[[Dune]]: from which the term was [[Blood Ravens|cribbed]].
*[[Volkite_Weaponry|Volkite Weapons]]: The closest equivalent used by [[Space Marines]] during [[Great Crusade|the old days]]. Since their not las weapons their obviously better.

{{40k-Imperial-Weapons}}
{{40k-GenestealerCults-Weapons}}
{{40k-Chaos-Weapons}}

Cannon

2022-07-18T06:24:59Z

2600:1700:91C1:A4E0:F4EF:95EC:EDBD:AEB: /* Types of cannons */

After the [[China|Chinese]] worked out the basics of gunpowder, they began to experiment with how to use it on the battlefield. As such, during the Song Dynasty people invented basic bombs, rockets and [[firearm]]s for use in combat. Eventually someone decided that their firelance was a good idea, but it could become an even better idea by making it even ''bigger''. Thus were born the first '''cannons'''. By an odd quirk of fate this design process apparently happened in reverse in Europe when gunpowder got around to them, with cannons being built first which were then scaled down into man portable handgonnes/hand-cannons.

Not to be confused with [[canon]], though they do share the same word root which refers to a tube/pipe.

== Cannons in Warfare ==
[[image:TurkishBombard.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Great Turkish <s>Penis Compensator</s> Bombard, when you absolutely positively need to conquer Constantinople, accept no substitutes]]
Cannons can be generally sorted into either one of three main categories: gun, howitzer, or mortar. The main difference between these weapons is in their ballistic qualities and ammunition. Gun projectiles travel at high velocities following a fairly flat trajectory, mortar projectiles travel at low velocities with steeply-arched trajectories, and howitzers are between the two.

The gun was historically used to batter down fortifications, pulverize infantry, or smash boats with solid shot. Most forms of premodern artillery were guns. Prior to the invention of reliable fuzes, Mortars and howitzers were just about the only means of safely firing explosive or incendiary ordinance at the enemy. Mortars, with their steep trajectories, were very useful in dropping bombs on the heads of enemy soldiers hiding behind hills and ramparts; Howitzers on the other hand, were (and still are) highly versatile pieces capable of handling solid and explosive shells, though with less efficiency and more difficulty than either guns or mortars.

The history of the cannon is written in blood-- in its first chapters often the blood of their users along with their targets. The first generations of cannons were crude affairs made by people with rudimentary metallurgy working things out by trial and error, with error often ending with the poor sods manning the gun getting a face full of iron shards, if not vaporized by the blast outright. This was made all the worse by the crude gunpowder available at the time and mishandling by inexperienced crews. In this initial period history Cannons were used for two purposes: small wall mounted defensive weapons in fortifications and large siege weapons to get through city walls. While they were powerful, cannons were simply too inaccurate in the early times, which was especially true for the heavier offensive guns. The big siege guns would usually be carted into a fixed location and be set there. Even if nothing went wrong they could only get off a couple shots an hour. Early cannons fired a variety of shot from spears to chiseled stone balls, though eventually cast iron balls became the most common as things progressed. While early cannons were dangerous and unreliable in terms of accuracy or lifespan, they were more easy to cast and maintain compared to the wood and rope used to make catapults and ballista; with the latter prone to warping and decay from humidity and weather.

Eventually the art of cannon making improved as time went on and things became more reliable as gunmakers and gun crews got more experienced in handling their weapons (partially as the stupid ones got their jimmies blown off) and tried and true designs were replicated. Cannons went from massive bombards hurling large boulders to smaller but more powerful pieces firing iron balls at higher velocity. As this happened, it prompted a change in fortification design. Tall and comparatively thin walls with high towers might be imposing and good at fending off attempts to scale them with ladders and siege towers, but they could not take that many salvos from a besieging enemy. Walls instead became shorter and thicker, reinforced with heavy earth ramparts to absorb the shock of cannonballs, with pointed battlements better suited for mounting defensive cannon and bouncing shells.

An even bigger development was the matter of cannons at sea. Though some people tried using catapults, ballistae, and the occasional flamethrower ([[Standard Template Construct|until the Byzantines forgot how they worked thanks to Emperors keeping the recipe and well...a coup and a couple of dead folks later, no one remembered where they put it.]]) as ship-mounted weapons, naval battles were up until this point settled by ramming or boarding actions. By the late 1400s potential of naval guns soon became obvious, damaging or destroying the wooden enemy ships outright, and navies began adapting their ship designs to carry guns. In 1571 the naval forces of the Holy League faced off against those of the Ottoman Empire off the coast of Greece at Lepanto. Though the Ottomans had a slight numerical advantage in terms of galleys and soldiers, [[Dakka|the Christians had more that twice as many cannons as well as better trained gun crews which could get off two shots for every volley]] the Ottomans could which was a big factor in the crushing defeat that the Ottomans suffered that day. Even so, the days of the galley were done and the age of sail had begun. Purely sail driven warships might not have the short range speed advantage or the shallow water maneuverability of a Galley, but where a galley would have ranks of rowers manning oars and a five or so frontal cannons a sailing ship would have a broadside with dozens of cannon.
[[image:24_pounder_gun.jpg|thumb|300px|left|A 24 pounder Long Gun from the age of Sail]]

From about 1400 to 1800 there were two main materials used to make cannons: bronze and iron.

Bronze was by far the preferred material. In Europe, there was a long tradition of [[Casting]] large metallic objects out of bronze, namely church bells and bronze statues. Additionally, unlike iron, bronze takes much less energy to recast, so guns were made out of whatever bronze material was left lying around. Next time you're in Europe, take a shot every time you find a church bell older than 200 years. It sucks as a drinking game, since you won't end up drunk at the end. Bronze guns can be made lighter than iron guns of a similar size, and were therefore more mobile on the battlefield. Furthermore, bronze has some give to it, which means you have some warning if the gun is going to blow up. When an iron gun is about to blow up, it doesn't give any warning when it's no longer safe, but a bronze one will bulge first, letting you know when you're starting to push your luck. The problem was that copper and tin were fairly rare and in short supply and the cannon makers were not the only ones who wanted the stuff, so the number of bronze guns you could make was limited.

Iron is of course one of the most common elements in the Earth's crust. That said, it took more fuel to smelt, it was much harder to melt and reforge, it took different and less-common craftsmen (since you couldn't just conscript the various bell-makers in your given nation), and if you didn't have a good metallurgist you would end up making a brittle gun that was liable to explode in your face. The earliest guns tended to be made out of iron staves welded and bound together by iron hoops like a barrel, though these could rarely withstand the strain of repeated firings. Casting was no less easier. Simply put, it's just much easier to make a big thing like a cannon out of bronze than iron. That said, the use of iron became more and more common as time went on, as the need for artillery increased and the requisite metallurgy and tooling improved.

Of course iron and bronze were not the only things we made cannons out of. In a pinch or on the cheap, you could use wood to make a cannon, but wooden guns need much thicker walls than a metal one, limiting the size and weight of your shot and how much powder you can use. Another material experimented with was copper bound with leather, first toyed with by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden against Poland. They were... less than successful, and replaced with 3-pound bronze guns.

You might ask why Gustavus decided to make a cannon out of leather in the first place? The answer is that as time went on and cannons became quicker firing and more accurate, people began wondering about other uses for cannons besides blasting apart castles and ships. Armies back then formed up their infantry into large, blocky formations of arquebusiers (men armed with pre-musket guns), halberdmen, swordsmen and pikemen. Against such foes, the old and massive castle-crackers were overkill. Beyond that they were still slow-firing and a massive pain in the butt to move around. What was needed against those targets were smaller, lighter, (a cannon that can shoot a 3 pound ball is still very heavy, though much lighter than one that shoots a 12 pound ball which is why Gustavus tried leather to make a light gun) guns that could quickly be moved into position, loaded and fired. Thus, bit by bit Gustavus developed the idea of Field Artillery for antipersonnel use and would end up attaching 12 or so field guns to each of his brigades (a military unit he himself invented) to support his infantry. This made Gustavus army devastatingly effective against the Catholic forces in the 30 years war. Just not with the leather cannons.

In any case by 1700 it was made clear that field artillery was a critical part of any army on the march. This development also meant that armies began to shift their tactics away from blockish formations but to long firing lines. You see, you can aim a cannon ball so that when it reaches the ground it bounces off of it in front of the formation so that it would fly though a block formation of thirty or more pikemen and musketeers at hip level, killing and maiming until it went out the other side. This was called the grazeing shot and warhammer fantasy players are likely well aware of how effective this could be on thick blocks of troops. The same would apply to a three man thick line of soldiers, though with only a tenth the casualties. A cannon ball can only kill people it hits or those nearby (the later due to the fact that [[Khorne|the bones of the people hit spray fragments everywhere]]). Explosive shells, which have a wider area of effect, had long been in use, but their effectiveness was always a little iffy, on account of requiring a v lit fuze in order to explode; they also couldn't be fired out of guns at very high velocity, since they'd also need thicker shell walls to withstand the stresses of firing, which reduces the power of the explosive payload.

Cannons changed substantially during the 19th century. Improvements in metallurgy and tooling not only made it possible to cheaply produce strong guns out of iron (and later steel), but to also give their barrels rifling, imparting greater range and accuracy to projectiles, as well as the ability to reload from the breech, which is a lot faster than trying to shove things down the barrel from the muzzle. You also had high explosives. Compared to regular old gunpowder (which is often called low explosive or black powder) high explosives were by nature much more powerful and very unstable. The latter quality however, made small quantities ideal for the creation of reliable shell fuzes and primers; when mixed with stabilizers, they also turned out to be much better propellants and explosive material than the old stuff. From now on, all forms of artillery could fire explosive shells with absurd range and power. You could shoot so far that you didn't even need to see your targets to hit them, though you needed spotters to tell you were to shoot. That said, there remained problems with accuracy. Which is why during World War One, they used weeks of saturating bombardments to try and destroy fortifications. Mostly, this didn't work: 1,738,000 shells were fired at the German lines before the battle of the Somme and enough Germans were left alive to kill 26,000 of the attacking British (Empire) and French on the first day. What was needed was a way to get a cannon in place to hit a target directly and allow the accurate destruction of fortifications. . . which lead of course to the invention of the [[tank]] and the modern infantry mortar to allow much closer range accurate fire support.

That pretty much leads us to today. The cannon is now generally only found in its purest form on [[Tank]]s, where high velocity solid shot is still one of the best ways to penetrate armour. They are also still in use on warships as dual-purpose artillery, though they rarely fire solid shot there. Mortars have generally been infantry-portable muzzleloading weapons, though a few are sufficiently massive to warrant mounting on vehicles and/or incorporating a breechloading mechanism. Howitzers are now technically gun-howitzers, incorporating aspects of both the gun and howitzer to rain fire on enemy positions many miles (or kilometres) away, though they are perfectly capable of murderizing things much closer, if the situation calls for it. For a time, it seemed that rockets and missiles would completely replace gun artillery, though the latter still has a significant niche in providing sustained, cost-efficient fire support. Most marked improvements to cannons in the twentieth century amount to either making them more portable by putting them on a tracked or wheeled vehicle. As for lethality, you now have one gun capable of doing the job of a dozen or more, courtesy of superior accuracy through computerized fire control systems, guidance systems, autoloaders, and the wonders of the atomic age.

In the future, cannons are likely to be replaced with high tech systems than small arms. Conventional propellants have reached the point where there is no room for further improvement, and so humanity's ongoing quest to hit things harder will require more exotic forms of propulsion. The railgun seems like the most promising candidate, using the power of two conductive rails to propel a solid metal dart at hypersonic (Mach 5+) speeds, imparting so much kinetic energy on contact that the need for an explosive payload is largely rendered [[moot]]. This has a number of advantages, key among which is that you no longer have to deal with your ammunition exploding. Laser weapons that can hit small explosive objects or UAVs with pinpoint accuracy are now in operational service with some militaries. However, much as is the case with small arms, such advanced weapons projects have yet to provide a system that can compete with the simple efficiency of a chemical explosion, as they are all dogged by problems relating to power requirements, heat generation, and durability, with few systems being reasonably portable or capable of firing more than a few shots before breaking down.

== Cannons in Fantasy ==
[[image:Emp great cannon 1434013374.jpg|thumb|300px|right|One of the [[Empire]]'s cannons, proving that you can mix fantasy with gunpowder weapons]]
Fantasy writers are a bit more accommodating to cannons than firearms: in part because they became more practical earlier on. Also they were crew served devices ill suited to use of a single warrior (unless he/she had fantastic powers to begin with) and cannons are the go to solution when someone says "thrilling non modern naval action". Even so there is some reticence about their use as it implies that sooner or latter someone is going to figure "Hey, why don't we take these things and scale them down?".

Many cannons in fantasy settings have some fancypants adornment with bores made into the mouths of roaring lions, dragons and similar and they are rarely even primitive breech loaders. Fantasy authors also have dislike of making their guns out of Bronze since we like the idea of a big black iron gun. Cannons also tend to exist in isolation, you don't see mortars or howitzers for example . Cannons also tend to be somewhat underpowered (compared to their real life counterparts) in settings where they have to coexist with monsters. To put another way, if a cannon can knock a castle down from 490m away, then I don't care how big your dragon is, one direct hit and it will be down for the count. Mind you, getting that direct hit is going to be a bitch and a half and they are not the easier things to lug around.

== Types of cannons ==
Below is a non-exhaustive list of different artillery weapon types, roughly arranged according to era:

*'''Bombard''': An early cannon that broke down castle walls by hurling massive stone balls at them. Unlike later cannons, bombards don't tend to have carriages and were fixed in place on wooden frames, though a few did have wheels. Single-handedly shortened the length of sieges by allowing for the breaching of walls in a matter of hours, but became obsolete as formulations for gunpowder improved, leaving out unnecessary bits like arsenic or mercury.
** '''Basilisk''': A similarly massive cannon, though slightly more refined. Made exclusively out of bronze, mounted on a carriage, and with a smaller bore firing iron cannonballs weighing over a hundred pounds each.

*'''Demi-cannon, Culverin, Saker/Minion, Falconet''': A wide range of terms were employed from the 16th to 18th centuries to describe cannons of varying sizes. By this point in time, people figured that if you changed the formulation of gunpowder to make it more explody, you could make cannons lighter without sacrificing power. Just about the only thing they had in common were that they were all mounted on carriages and could be used as field artillery. Fell by the wayside sometime into the eighteenth century, as it became more common to refer to cannons by their shot weight in pounds.
**'''Demi-cannon''': Fired a ball weighing less than 42 pounds. Usually employed on ships by the 17th century.
**'''Culverins''': Fired a ball weighing between 20 and 14 pounds. Often referred to by the Koreans and Chinese as ''Hongyipao'' or "red barbarian cannon", since they were introduced to them by the Portuguese.
**'''Saker/Minion''': Fired a ball weighing around 5 pounds.
**'''Falconet''': Fired a ball weighing around 1 pound. The smallest of artillery pieces, though nevertheless provided with its own carriage.

*'''Licorne''': Meaning "unicorn" in French, the licorne was the earliest form of gun-howitzer and so named due to the unicorns carved into the original models. It didn't really catch on outside of Russia.

*'''Secret Howitzer''': The result of pure Russian autism and [[Munchkin|min-maxing]]. This 'weapon' was a howitzer modified to have an oval barrel, [[Wat|in the hope that it would spread grapeshot more effectively.]] The drawback was it was useless for any other purpose and not much better at its intended one. Of course, the Russians being who they were, it was decided that the penalty for talking about these guns was to be death, hence the name. [[Fail|This policy becomes more ironic when you discover that the only response to their enemies, the Prussians, finding out about these weapons was a collective WTF and having the captured units melted down for scrap.]]

*'''Gribeauval system''': Not so much a type of cannon so much as a scheme for standardizing the production and use of cannons. Introduced by the French starting in 1765, the Gribeauval system made artillery so much more practical in the field by standardizing the weight of cannonballs to 4, 8, and 12 pounds; the same was done to mortars, howitzers, and siege artillery, which went up to a maximum of 24 pounds. It also came with a field carriage that could quickly hook up to an ammunition limber for horse transport, as well as prepackaged powder bags. Cannons thus not only became easier to move around and able to fire more quickly, but could also be more easily supplied with replacement parts and ammunition.

*'''Carronade''': Short barreled, large bore cannons used for naval combat. These tended to be used on the main deck (above the gundeck) to give a ship the same punch as a similarly-bored gun for less weight; they also tended to be cheaper and easier to reload, though they did suffer from a substantially shorter range than a proper long gun. Carronades were almost exclusively loaded with grapeshot (basically a bunch of smaller cannon balls stuffed into a bag) and targeted to sweep the enemy deck clear of crew, although chain was also sometimes used to destroy rigging.

*'''Canon obusier de 12/Napoleon''': A French gun that revolutionized gunnery when it was invented in 1853, combining the best features of both the cannon and howitzer. It could fire solid shot at high velocity like a cannon, yet was also capable of firing explosive shells like a howitzer, thanks to the introduction of contact-fuzed shells. Heavily used by both factions during the American Civil War.

*'''Double barreled cannon''': An idea that sounds good on the drawing does not always means good in real life. Case in point, US Confederacy double barreled cannon. The idea was to load the guns with chain shot, two cannonballs connected by a chain, and then fire both barrels at the same time, so that the twin cannon balls would fly in such a way that not only would each ball kill the enemy, the chain between the ball would as well. The problem was in step two of the plan, getting both barrels to fire at the same time. To put it simply, it could not. It was tested three times. The first time the balls flew off target and tore up a corn field before the chain broke. The second time it missed again and tore holes in a nearby pine forest "like mowing machine" a witness said. Third time it was fired, the chain broke apart instantly and one ball flew off hitting a chimney, and the other killed a cow. The over optimistic inventor considered these tests a success. That the gun was lost for over ten years and found under a pile of rock speaks to how much the confederates thought of the thing.

*'''Quaker "Gun"''': Named after Christian Pacifists, and alternatively called "Dummy Guns". A Quaker gun is a gun mock-up (typically made of wood), made to look like real guns from a distance in order to deceive enemies you were more threatening than you actually were. Quaker guns found several instances of success throughout the ages and has negated battles that would have otherwise been an easy victory for the opposing side who didn't realize the guns they were scouting were fakes. These were particularly popular in the US Civil War, when an infantry advance on foot against cannons was absolutely guaranteed to cost the attacker wagonloads of dead and injured. Advances in modern reconnaissance technology has largely rendered dummy guns ineffective shortly after WWII, but the dummies there were hilariously important from a tactical view- the usage of dummy Allied tanks and artillery along key points helped to convince the Germans that the main attack of D-Day would occur at Calais rather than Normandy (it helped that Patton stayed near their supposed launch point).

*'''Parrott Rifle''': A Union Civil War cannon, the Parrott rifle was distinctive for its cast iron construction incorporating a band of wrought iron strengthening the breech of the gun. This made it an accurate piece of artillery that was simple to produce, though it did have a distressing tendency to burst.

*'''Armstrong gun''': The Armstrong gun is one of the first rifled breech loaders. It also employed an innovative built-up construction: an inner barrel made out of a wrought iron or mild steel, surrounded with more wrought iron coils that were shrunk to keep the tube compressed. The Armstong used a screw breech, so to load the gun you had to open it like the door on a ship by spinning a wheel to unscrew it. Armstrong guns were made in a wide range of calibers, from 6 pound horse guns to 110 naval artillery. Used by the British in their colonial wars and Japan in the Boshin War. The most famous Armstrong guns are the 100-ton guns used to defend Malta, capable of obliterating ships that are barely visible over the horizon. That said, despite its technical innovations, the next generation of British guns were all rifled muzzleloaders, partly because of cost concerns but also because the Armstrong's breech was not strong enough to handle armour-piercing shot at a time when a growing number of warships were clad in iron. Also, the Armstrong guns quickly became obsolete as everyone was switching from Black Powder to the more powerfl Smokeless Powder.

*'''Krupp System''': Krupp is an old German company that has been making guns and working iron for centuries, but it really made its name known in the mid 19th century when it worked out a system to load a cannon from the rear. The idea of loading a cannon from the breech rather than cramming everything down the muzzle had been toyed around with before, but there had been problems which prevented it from being fully practical. In 1859, Krupp solved these problems by introducing a sliding block system on an all cast steel cannon able to fire explosive shells. Long story short, there was a block in the back of the cannon which could be fastened into place and unfastened and slid out of the way to load it. These guns let Otto von Bismarck unite Germany under his banner and let him beat the French in the Franco-Prussian War who, despite having better rifles, airships, and primitive machine guns, were still using muzzle-loading artillery.

*'''System de Bange''': Yes that's it's real name. No, it doesn't mean 'Bang System', instead 'de Bange' was its inventor, [[Skub|though that arguably makes it funnier.]] Essentially a very efficient breech loading system. After the Germans beat them with Breech Loading Cannons, the French wanted their own such guns if those Germans came back. The solution they settled on was to make a cannon with a steel plug which screwed into the back, but with the screw's thread being removed on two quarters of the length of the plug/bore so it could be secured and opened by rotating it 90 degrees with a washer of good old fashioned asbestos to get a solid seal. The system worked very well and (with a few tweaks) is still in use today.

*'''Disappearing gun''': Guns have recoil; a disappearing gun uses that recoil to lower itself immediately after firing, protecting them from retaliation and making them difficult to spot. Later versions were mounted on retractable platforms for the same effect. They became obsolete once planes were a thing. Because of the complex mechanisms involved, these tended to be used in stationary coastal defense batteries.

*'''Canon de 75 mle 1887''': The French 75 (or as the French would put it, ''le soixante-quinze'') was pretty much the first modern artillery gun as we know it, incorporating a fast-acting screw breech, self-contained ammunition (cartridge case attached to the shell), and most significant of all, a hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism that smoothly returned the gun to its original position after firing. Put together, all of these features allowed the 75 to put out [[Dakka|an average of fifteen rounds a minute, or as many as thirty rounds a minute with an experienced crew]]. That said, it was also one of the last field guns as we know it, with the advent of modern warfare pushing artillery way further into the backline, and off the field of battle.

*'''Autocannon''': Essentially an automatically loading cannon with a calibre between 20mm to 76mm. Dating back to the 19th century (see below), the autocannon really came into its heyday during the Second World War, when there came to be a need for a rapid-firing cannon that could fire armour-piercing and explosive shells to swat planes out of the sky. They utilize a number of mechanisms to achieve their ends, including the tried-and-true Gatling mechanism to beefed up recoil operation systems, not to mention a range of externally-powered mechanisms that automate the process of loading, firing, and extracting ammunition. Employed on pretty much every vehicle you can think of. From wheeled vehicles to tanks; helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, surface vessels such as Patrol Boats, Destroyers, Cruisers and even Aircraft Carriers.

=== Noncannon guns worth mentioning ===
There have been numerous inventions in the history of firearms that use a cannon's limbers and caissons to mount a weapon that was not quite cannon, and was often used in a way most cannons were not. What they all had in common was that they were all "artillery" in the sense that they were static, mounted firearms that could fuck up enemies in ways that infantry-portable firearms could not, much like your average cannon.

*'''Chongtong''': Not "really" cannons but this entry was here before the rocket page existed and these were fired out of a cannon. The Congtong was a Korean cannon, or rather, cannons since there was more than one type. The four types were the "Cheonja", "Jija", "Hyeonja", and "Hwangja", the names being roughly equivalent to Cannons A, B, C, and D. The Cheonja was the largest with a 130mm bore able to fire 30 pound rocket out to just over a kilometer. The other three types were pretty much the same, only shrunk down, the Jija had 100mm bore, the Hyeonja, 80mm while the Hwangja was very similar to a European hand cannon. (Wait a minute, barreled weapons that fire self propelled rockets... [[Bolter|Why does that sounds familiar?]])

*'''Da Vinci Cannons''': included in this section because, as far as we know, they were never actually built or used in battle. If they were ever used, we have no record of them, and you’d think it would be a big deal if they were successful. The famous inventor Leonardo understood the emerging importance of cannons, and sought to improve on its design. He had an early version of breech-loaders, but like a true mad scientist, that was just the beginning. Not only did he design a triple-barreled cannon, [[Steampunk|steam-powered]] cannons, and his own version of the Ottoman Bombard, but also a ''33-barreled'' cannon that had three rows of 11 small-caliber barrels set on a rotating axle, and each row would be fired in volley by rotating the row into firing position. [[The Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|Certainly reminds you of a certain gun from a certain tabletop game, doesn't it?]]

*'''Ribauldequin''': Don't ask us how to say it (Ri-bow-de-kin, pretty much like it's written. Just ignore the 'l'). A simpler name is “Organ gun”, because the gun barrel arrangement looks like a pipe organ, or volley gun. The Ribauldequin is troubling to list as a "cannon", since it has a number of small barrels rather than one big one. Rather than a cannon, thinking of it as a bunch of guns on a cannon carriage may be more accurate. Of course, the downside to being able to fire a bunch of guns at once is that, in the age of muzzle-loaders, you had to take even longer to reload it. And compared to having a bunch of guys individually aiming an loading a single barrel, you had maybe one or two guys doing all the loading. Still, if you could take the enemy out in a single volley, or at least create an opening for the rest of your guys, it could be an effective force-multiplier and morale weapon. After all, it wasn’t called the “infernal machine” for nothing.

*'''Wall gun''': Essentially guns too big to be personal firearms, but too small to qualify as proper field artillery. These are generally designed to be rested atop a wall, or supported on a stand. They are, roughly, the ancestor to modern sniper/anti-material rifles.
**'''Abus Gun''': An Ottoman artillery piece, similar to a Hook Gun, the Abus gun was small, but still hard to move about and was fired from a tripod and shot a roughly 5 pound cannon ball.
**'''Hook Gun''': Or Hakenbuechse, an oversized musket, that was always classified as an artillery piece, this weapon was popular in 16-18th century Eastern Europe and was usually used either in sieges or as a proto-sniper rifle.

*'''Swivel gun''': Essentially small cannons on stick, swivel guns were mostly used on ships and were mounted on the decks. While ineffective against all but the smallest boats, against boarding parties they could be very effective.
**'''Pierrier à boîte''': A french breech loading swivel gun made of wrought iron. The Pierrier à boîte breech, though allowing it to fire more rapidly than other guns, still had issues and had a tendency to leak leading to a loss of power and additional danger to the gunners.
**'''Lantaka''': A (usually) bronze swivel gun developed by the Philippine Moros, firing a half-pound ball or charge of grapeshot. Mounted on the fronts of boats and on the walls of earthwork forts. Saw much use against the Spanish conquistadors, but was defeated by the howitzers and mortars brought by the American infantry.

*'''Mechanical machine guns''': These are essentially the first machine guns. Technically firearms, they differ from later machine guns in that their firing mechanisms relied on repetitive manual operation via a crank or lever. They also tended to be mounted on artillery carriages, partly because these were pretty heavy machines, but also because military thinking had yet to really move on from the idea that crew served weapons didn't need to be horse-drawn. All of these were rendered obsolete by the Maxim gun except the gattling gun which with some modifications is still in use to this day.
**'''Mitrailleuse''': French for "grapeshot", though the word now refers to "machine gun" in that language. This was a weapon that looked like a cannon, only instead of one big hole in the muzzle it had twenty five 13mm barrels. It is not unlike a ribeaudequin, in that it fires multiple shots at a time. The main difference is that it is much easier to reload and shoot: all you need to do is unscrew the breech, slot in a steel plate with all twenty five cartridges, and then screw the breech closed. To fire it, you turned a crank that sequentially fires five barrels at a time. Was France's super duper secret weapon during the Franco-Prussian War, but it largely failed to live up to expectations in large part because the French insisted on deploying it as artillery just outside of rifle range.
**'''Gatling Gun''': Not to be confused with the chain gun, which operates on a completely different principle. The Gatling Gun features multiple barrels which fire in turn as they rotate around the twelve o'clock position. This configuration allowed higher rates of fire to be achieved without the barrel overheating. The earliest gatling gun required a person to crank it like a pepper grinder, so it's not like it can be fired automatically by some sandwich eating Russian. Notable for its use in Zulu and the Boshin war, mowing down those <s>pre-historic savages</s> unlucky pre-industrial indigenous like a combine harvester through chaff. It would later be brought back coupled with a motor to allow for so high a rate of fire that each of the guns "dakkas" blur into each other to become one long "BZZZZZZZZZZZZ", because jet planes were too fast to be easily brought down by anything less than a hundred 20mm rounds fired in a split-second.

*'''Dynamite gun''': In the early days of high explosives, there were no explosives stable enough to be fired from a gun without blowing up, and high explosives were far more powerful than low explosives like gunpowder. Hence, the Dynamite gun, the most steam punk weapon ever deployed. Dynamite guns worked like a big air gun, only instead of a BB they fired a shell full of Dynamite or other high explosives and instead of air they used compressed steam if on a ship, or smokeless powder used to indirectly propel a gas into the barrel to launch the shell.

*''' Maxim gun''': The first successful weapon that can be considered a true machine gun, harnessing the power of recoil to load, fire, and extract cartridges several hundred times a minute, with little more input than depressing a trigger. Like earlier mechanical machine guns, it was at first mounted on a horse-drawn carriages, though reductions in weight led to rethinking the whole mounting business and putting it on a lighter tripod. It was also the direct ancestor of the autocannon. The QF 1-pounder (37mm) and the QF 2-pounders (40mm) 'Pom-poms' (nicknamed like that because of the continuous rumble one produces when firing) were adopted by nations as soon as they became aware of them or had been on the receiving end, essentially converting the machine gun design into autocannons. The QF 1 started out as a field gun before it was used on warships as an anti-aircraft weapon. The Maxim along with it's descendants made field charges and line combat impossible, ushering in the era of trench warfare, with only [[Katanas_are_Underpowered_in_d20|mall ninjas]] and [[/pol/|other idiots]] lamenting the loss of those tactics.

== Types of cannon ammunition==
As mentioned before, cannon munitions can essentially be categorized according to two categories: shot or shell. Generally, you want the latter when you want to blow things up; the former is generally for breaking hard targets.

* '''Round shot''': As the name suggests, it's a round ball made of either stone or later iron. Round shot was best used against fortifications and infantry in the open. When firing at infantry the ideal use of iron round shot was to fire just in front of the infantry and let the ball bounce up and through the formation like a bowling ball from hell. This is replicated in cannon mechanics in Warhammer Fantasy. This is also one of the reasons why armies stopped fighting in deep formations and switched to lines. Also, don't knock a stone cannon ball because while they wouldn't bounce as well on impact, they have a tendency to shatter and spread deadly shrapnel like a primitive HE round instead.

*'''Hot Shot''': Against wooden ships that were full of black powder and other flammables, often the best solution is to light them on fire. As such an attempt to do this was to take an iron cannon ball, and heat it up so that it glowed red and then fire it... carefully. As you can imagine sticking a red hot cannon ball down the barrel of an iron tube full of explosive was careful work in order to pull it off they had to put a plug of wet clay between the ball and the powder. As any Hornblower fan will tell you, hot shot was rarely used by ships. Naval artillery in the age of sail was risky enough without adding an extensive furnace infrastructure and running red-hot balls all over your own very flammable ship. Hot shot was most often used by coastal forts against passing ships. This is the modern origin for the term "Hotshot" as someone who is renowned for their skill and courage - like the people who could load said red hot cannonballs without blowing themselves up in the process.

*'''Chain shot''': used mostly at sea, Chain shot was either two small cannon balls linked with chain, or one single cannon ball that broke into two halves connected by a chain after firing. Chain shot covered a larger area and was used to target the rigging of enemy ships (though as the tv series 'The Borgias' shows, it could also be quite useful in mowing down infantry). As steamships become more common however, chain shot became less and less useful.

*'''Canister shot''': A canister shot is a collection of small iron musket balls, that was jammed down the barrel in a tin can. Upon firing, it basically turned the cannon into a massive shotgun spraying the area in front of it with hundreds of musket balls. In a day and age where fighting was done shoulder to shoulder canister shot was lethal, a single cannon could and has stopped an infantry charge dead in its tracks. '''Grape shot''' was similar in concept but used bigger balls and was loaded in a bag, not a can (supposedly the bulges the balls made in the bag looked like a bunch of grapes, hence the name) and was more common on ships since it could better punch though wooden hulls. While still in use, with some utilizing dart-like flechettes instead of shot, canister rounds fell out of favour thanks to the invention of the...

*'''Shrapnel shells''': You know how a person invents a thing and get his name attached to the invention so completely that if you tried to use it today as a name it just sounds strange? Well Henry Shrapnel was so successful with his invention that all types of flying debris now bear his name. Shrapnel rounds were invented in 1784 and they're similar to a canister shot, except the outer hull is solid enough to withstand being shot out of the cannon, and it is outfitted with a fuze so that the shell explodes in mid-air. Rather than only a 'shotgun blast' at the muzzle of the gun, this almost triples the range of the anti personal round while keeping the lethality. Round shot for use against infantry became a thing of the past, and Shrapnel rounds were used all the way up to the 20th century when it was discovered that the fragmentation effects produced by the casing of a High-Explosive shell made the balls themselves largely unnecessary. That said, Shrapnel-like rounds operating on timed or proximity fuzes are still employed, with 'airburst' munitions designed to hit either targets hiding behind cover or to knock down fast-moving targets like planes/helo's and incoming missiles.

*'''Explosive shells''': A shell that's hollow and has explody stuff in it. While shells have been known to exist ever since the 14th century, they didn't become widespread until reliable fuzes appeared after the end of the Napoleonic wars. Prior to then, early fuzes were essentially slow-burning wooden plugs lit by the heat of firing: not very reliable, as they would often explode too early, explode too late (in which case an enemy could put them out), or not explode at all. Later fuzes incorporated a shock-sensitive explosive that would set off the main payload, detonating either on impact or much later, by mechanical timed or proximity fuzes. When introduced, they made the wooden sailing ship useless as no such vessel could withstand being hit by more than a few shells; likewise, their ability to blast apart brick and mortar made many an existing fortification obsolete. Today, such shells come in a wide variety of munition types with chemical and explosive, but the most common versions are High-Explosive (HE), (Semi-)Armor-Piercing High-Explosive ((S)APHE), High-Explosive Incendiary (HE-I) and High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT, see below).

*'''Nuclear shells:''' For a time, you also had shells with nuclear warheads, though these have been largely phased out as impractical. First, if you start tossing nuclear weapons at your enemy, they might take it as a sign that nuclear war is a go, which then leads to further escalation. Second, they irradiate the battlefield, which in turn poses difficulties for attackers. Thirdly, you need a really, really big gun to launch a nuclear shell far enough that your well out of the blast zone (and it has to have a big blast because why else use a nuclear shell at all?). Finally, with the advent of precision guided munitions (PGM) they've been largely rendered pointless: the whole point of a nuclear weapon is to ensure destruction of a target with as few munitions as possible, but PGMs can do the job nearly as efficiently without all the negative associations.

*'''Chemical shells:''' These are filled with chemical payloads. They were in their heyday during the First World War, when they were employed as a means of suppressing enemy defenders before an attack, but it was then quickly realized that they could be just as much of a hazard to attackers. Eventually, both sides came up with highly effective gas masks to ward them off. This, along with the lingering memory of the horror associated with their use, meant that they were very rarely employed in the Second World War and thereafter. The main exception is just below.

*'''Smoke shells:''' Self-explanatory. Designed to provide a screen that blocks visual detection, in addition to electronic devices such as infrared and thermal. Technically a chemical shell; some variations have offensive applications as well. The white phosphorus used by some countries (the United States and Russia) for example, will spontaneously combust in the presence of oxygen, setting flammables on fire and burning flesh on contact.

*'''Illumination shells:''' A special type of payload shell designed to eject a flare at a predetermined altitude, which then slowly descends on a parachute. As per the name, they are generally used for illumination, but different colored variations can be used for signalling.

*'''Cluster:''' It's a shell designed to burst in mid-air and scatter its payload over a large area. Said payload consists of tiny bomblets (incendiary, chemical, anti-personnel, or anti-tank) or mines. While bomblets are designed to explode on timer or on impact, the fuzes can fail, and since these each shell can contain dozens of these things, bombarding an area with cluster munitions can leave lots of nice little presents for people to later find. On the cheerier side of things, they can also be filled with paper and other things as well.

*'''Carcass shell''': No, not something a [[Deep Rot|necromancer]] would use. A carcass shell was a reserve of highly flammable material encased within an iron shell with some vents, as to spray the chemical after firing. it was called Carcass shell because, supposedly, the shot looked like a human carcass thanks to the holes. Carcass shell was shot mostly out of lower velocity mortars and Howitzers and was one of the first chemical weapons to be used. It was especially useful at night as the glow allowed it to be used to spot for the gun.

*'''Junk''': Obviously if you're out of proper ammunition you could just shove anything you want down the barrel and hope it works. Mostly, this amounted to things like scrap metal and rocks, but supposedly a Uruguayan ship once fired stale cheese out of their cannons and shattered the mast of a Brazilian ship. Contrarily to the common portrayal, however, the practice was discouraged as it would quickly wear the barrel of the weapon out and render it unusable.

*'''Armor-Piercing Composite Rigid (APCR)''': Also known as High Velocity Armor Piercing (HVAP) if you're an American or 'Hartkern' (hard core) if you're German. As tanks got bigger to the point where they were just shrugging off hits from tiny early war cannons, all nations were faced with the dilemma of stopping those monsters. There was the time-honored solution of bringing a bigger, longer gun, but that came with a prohibitive increase in weight, if only because you needed a bigger breech and enough mass to counterbalance everything. Another alternative was to make the projectile itself out of denser material, to focus all that energy onto a smaller area. That's HVAP/APCR/Hartkern. Same overall shell size, but the weight of the projectile is 'concentrated' in a smaller core made out of tungsten fitted with a lightweight aerodynamic cap. It worked, but at the expense of significantly decreasing range, since rifling isn't designed to stabilize a sub-calibre round. They also have the significant downside that the few materials they were made out of, like Tungsten or more recently, depleted Uranium, are either rare, expensive, hard to aquire or all of the above.
**'''Squeeze-bore''': A variant of APCR, also known as Armor-Piercing Composite Non-Rigid (APCNR). The most significant difference is that the gun is partially tapered, squeezing the sides of the shell as it travels down the barrel. This leads to propellant gases focusing on an ever smaller area, significantly increasing exit velocities. While it made APCR work a lot better, it has two major downsides: first it complicated logistics: guns employing tapered barrels or adapters to squeeze AP shells typically could not fire the same ammunition as other guns, even if they were of the same nominal calibre, and secondly a full on tapered barrel is a BITCH to make, since your trying to drill a long narrow CONE through a Cylinder!

*'''Sabot''': Not to be confused with the later armour-piercing shell design described below. Sabots (French for a clog shoe and pronounced like "Sah-bo") were used in the 19th century with weapons like the Paixhans gun, one of the first naval guns designed to fire an explosive shell. A sabot is a container made of a light material that fits the barrel and contains the actual munition but falls away after leaving the barrel, leaving just the sub-munition to fly toward the target. It was used to center the projectile and prevent propellant gas leakages, which could potentially prematurely detonate the shell in the barrel. Advances in metallurgy and the invention of the driving band have made such sabots obsolete. Buuuuut...

*'''Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS)/Armour-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APFSDS)''': Remember the APCR above, where we said 'core made out of hard material to deal more damage'? Well the modern APDS/APFSDS rounds take this one level further. A small, very heavy projectile is encased in a sleeve (called a sabot), which is discarded the moment it exits the barrel, leaving only the projectile to fly toward the target. Features much better ballistics than APCR, though APDS rounds still tend to somewhat less accurate when fired out of a rifled cannon. Accuracy is not much of a problem when Tanks and Self Propelled Artillery have built in targeting computers and communications systems. With the move to APFSDS, modern tanks now shoot what basically amounts to a huge dart made of depleted uranium or tungsten at one another through their smoothbore cannons. These are a whole kettle of fish altogether. Exhibiting an even smaller cross-section, they travel at near hypersonic (Mach 5 and above) velocities, with whatever they hit getting absolutely wrecked by the pressure wave and spall they generate while traveling through solid material. That said, if you tried to point them at the sides of a car or another lightly-armoured vehicle, all they'll do is make two very neatly-shaped holes, assuming that they don't turn someone into red paste on their way through.

*'''High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT)/High-Explosive Anti-Tank Fin-Stabilized (HEAT-FS)''': A modern round (it was introduced in WW2) that uses the Munroe effect to defeat heavily-armored targets, like a tank. In essence, all the force of the explosion is concentrated into a 'jet' that forces/melts/erodes its way through the armor and incinerates anything behind. Since their penetration capability is independent of the projectile's kinetic energy, they can take a variety of different forms: a shell launched by a cannon is the most applicable one here, but it also can be a rocket, or even a bomb thrown at/attached to a vehicle. While extremely effective, they have the drawback of needing to detonate at just the right distance and angle from their target. Furthermore, the rifling of a cannon tends to have a detrimental effect on the high explosive jet, causing it to splay out upon detonation, which needs to be counteracted in some form or another. The fin-stabilized version is a later variation that (as the name indicates) uses fins to stabilize the shell's flight (negating the need for rifling) and improve the chance of hitting at exactly said right angle/distance.
**'''Tandem Charge''': HEAT, when introduced, was a game changer and everyone scrambled to find ways to protect their tanks from them. The counterspell to the opponent's counterspell, a tandem charge is exactly what its name implies: a first small HE charge fucks up whatever HEAT countermeasures are installed to allow the secondary HEAT charge to strike true. It has since been broadened to different combinations of charges for different applications, but the general idea is always the same. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6j9wEF1sf8 See here for a demonstration of a building-clearing AP/HE combo.]

*'''High-Explosive Squash-Head (HESH)''': Bears a mention for completeness' sake, this one is a bit weird: the explosive charge is a blob of malleable plastic explosive. When it hits the target, the plastic is squashed against the target's surface (hence the name), and the resulting pancake is detonated by the fuze. This creates shockwaves that will cause the inner surface to break off and turn into shrapnel (spall). Modern composite armor and anti-spalling liners have rendered this type of shell inefficient against tanks, but they are still extremely effective against concrete structures and light vehicles. Unlike many of the shells described above, HESH requires rifling in order to work effectively, as the centrifugal force of a spinning shell allows the high explosive pat to spread out evenly. Unlike the other described above, only the British Army continues to use them in any serious capacity aboard the Challenger 2 MBT.

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