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Avenger Strike Fighter

2019-02-19T06:03:27Z

2604:3D09:B580:770:6936:9C2E:B431:A19B:

[[File:Avenger Strike Fighter.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Bastard offspring of the Warthog and the Stuka.]]
The '''Avenger Strike Fighter''' is an [[Imperial Navy]] close-range ground-attack aircraft meant for destroying armor and other heavy targets. It does this with the Avenger Bolt Cannon, the S6 AP-2 D1 '''Heavy 8''' gun around which the flyer was built, as well as 2 lascannons and 2 hardpoints that can mount anti-infantry or anti-vehicle weapons. Since it was supposedly used a lot by Sebastian Thor's forces during the [[Age of Apostasy]], the [[Sisters of Battle]] see it as an instrument of divine vengeance (through superior firepower), so they use it a lot. The Avenger model is produced by [[Forge World]], released to coincide with [[Imperial Armour|Imperial Armour Aeronautica]] (the book containing the rules for it and other flyers, what with [[Warhammer 40,000 6th edition]] having flyer rules).

[[Forge World]] was very obviously inspired by the real-world [[A-10 Warthog|A-10 Thunderbolt II (or "Warthog")]], a ground-attack aircraft built around the tremendously powerful GAU-8/A '''Avenger''' Gatling cannon. It shoots 30mm depleted uranium shells so fast that it doesn't go "[[Dakka]]," it goes [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sALiuWg_I1k BRRRRRRT]. Despite this shared characteristic, the Avenger's overall shape is more akin to a Ju-87 Stuka: both have inverted gull wings but the ones on the Stuka are more triangular. It is a ground-attack plane after all.

Like the modern A-10's cannon, the Avenger's Gatling cannon isn't all that great against battle tanks and similar vehicles because 40k game mechanics don't use side armour to resolve hits from flyers like they do hits from barrage weapons. Just like modern tanks, almost all 40k tanks (except siege tanks, like the [[Vindicator]]) would be side armour (AV10-12) on the top, and therefore quite vulnerable to the hail of S6 shots. That said, with the Strafing Run and Tank Hunter rules (the latter available only in the Horus Heresy version), its Gatling cannon is actually quite effective against AV 10 or 11 targets. Taking antiarmor hard points, though, allows you some tactical flexibility as you can use the big gun for mowing infantry while the hard points take out armor.

In 8th edition with the removal of AV, its namesake main gun struggles against most vehicles for a different reason. Unlike its big cousin bolt cannons the Castigator and Vulcan, with which it shares the same Strength and AP, its bolts do 1 damage each rather than 2. This seems to shift its use away from being an anti-vehicle weapon that can target infantry (like autocannons) and toward being an anti-infantry weapon that can target vehicles (like assault cannons). Its relation to the assault cannon is kind of like that of the heavy bolter to the big shoota: similar weapon, but firing bolts instead of bullets for improved penetration, though the Avenger has better range and fire rate. But if we focus on what the main gun ''can'' do rather than what it ''should'' do, it does have impressive utility. T7, 8 and 12+ are bad targets for it, but with it's AP -2 pretty much everything else is fair game. Ideally, you'd want to point it at dangerous armoured infantry, and on a flying platform that often means strafing their devastator/dark reaper equivalents. It's also good for bypassing necron quantum shielding, and decent at shaving the last wound needed to kill or cripple a vehicle that just ate the Avenger's lascannon fire. Barring that, you just point it at whatever few of your other units are able to take out. That can mean T9/10 models that lascannons will struggle against, light vehicles that more specialized weapons don't want to bother with, infantry in an inconvenient place, and more besides. {{Clear}}
{{Imperial-Guard}}
{{Sisters-of-Battle}}
{{Mechanicus}}
{{40k-Imperial-Vehicles}}

Avenger Strike Fighter

2019-02-19T06:01:42Z

2604:3D09:B580:770:6936:9C2E:B431:A19B:

[[File:Avenger Strike Fighter.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Bastard offspring of the Warthog and the Stuka.]]
The '''Avenger Strike Fighter''' is an [[Imperial Navy]] close-range ground-attack aircraft meant for destroying armor and other heavy targets. It does this with the Avenger Bolt Cannon, the S6 AP-2 D1 '''Heavy 8''' gun around which the flyer was built, as well as 2 lascannons and 2 hardpoints that can mount anti-infantry or anti-vehicle weapons. Since it was supposedly used a lot by Sebastian Thor's forces during the [[Age of Apostasy]], the [[Sisters of Battle]] see it as an instrument of divine vengeance (through superior firepower), so they use it a lot. The Avenger model is produced by [[Forge World]], released to coincide with [[Imperial Armour|Imperial Armour Aeronautica]] (the book containing the rules for it and other flyers, what with [[Warhammer 40,000 6th edition]] having flyer rules).

[[Forge World]] was very obviously inspired by the real-world [[A-10 Warthog|A-10 Thunderbolt II (or "Warthog")]], a ground-attack aircraft built around the tremendously powerful GAU-8/A '''Avenger''' Gatling cannon. It shoots 30mm depleted uranium shells so fast that it doesn't go "[[Dakka]]," it goes [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sALiuWg_I1k BRRRRRRT]. Despite this shared characteristic, the Avenger's overall shape is more akin to a Ju-87 Stuka: both have inverted gull wings but the ones on the Stuka are more triangular. It is a ground-attack plane after all.

Like the modern A-10's cannon, the Avenger's Gatling cannon isn't all that great against battle tanks and similar vehicles because 40k game mechanics don't use side armour to resolve hits from flyers like they do hits from barrage weapons. Just like modern tanks, almost all 40k tanks (except siege tanks, like the [[Vindicator]]) would be side armour (AV10-12) on the top, and therefore quite vulnerable to the hail of S6 shots. That said, with the Strafing Run and Tank Hunter rules (the latter available only in the Horus Heresy version), its Gatling cannon is actually quite effective against AV 10 or 11 targets. Taking antiarmor hard points, though, allows you some tactical flexibility as you can use the big gun for mowing infantry while the hard points take out armor.

In 8th edition with the removal of AV, its namesake main gun struggles against most vehicles for a different reason. Unlike its big cousin bolt cannons the Castigator and Vulcan, with which it shares the same Strength and AP, its bolts do 1 damage each rather than 2. This seems to shift its use away from being an anti-vehicle weapon that can target infantry (like autocannons) and toward being an anti-infantry weapon that can target vehicles (like assault cannons). Its relation to the assault cannon is kind of like that of the heavy bolter to the big shoota: similar weapon, but firing bolts instead of bullets for improved penetration, though the Avenger has better range and fire rate. But if we focus on what the main gun ''can'' do rather than what it ''should'' do, it does have impressive utility. T7, 8 and 12+ are bad targets for it, but with it's AP -2 pretty much everything else is fair game. Ideally, you'd want to point it at dangerous armoured infantry, and on a flying platform that often means strafing their devastator/dark reaper equivalents. It's also good for bypassing necron quantum shielding, and decent at shaving the last wound needed to kill or cripple a vehicle that just ate the Avenger's lascannon fire. Barring that, you just point it at whatever few of your other units are able to take out. That can mean T9/10 models that lascannons will struggle against, light vehicles that more specialized weapons don't want to bother with, infantry in an inconvenient place. {{Clear}}
{{Imperial-Guard}}
{{Sisters-of-Battle}}
{{Mechanicus}}
{{40k-Imperial-Vehicles}}

Lasgun

2019-02-19T06:01:16Z

2604:3D09:B580:770:6936:9C2E:B431:A19B: /* Las weapons and AA */

[[Image:Guardsman.jpg|thumb|right|This is painfully accurate. Unlike the fucking lasgun. And the sad truth is, that it would probably do more damage than the actual gun.]]
[[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, generally speaking).]]

{{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 evar (Hilariously, GW has caught onto this. Less hilariously, on Regimental Standard they've got an in-universe nod where any Guardsman who makes this joke is sentenced to flogging)}}

The humble (and we mean humble) '''Lasgun''' is the standard-issue armament of the average [[Imperial Guard]]sman in the [[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 the 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. 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 the "las" should be pronounced "layz" (or in other words say that it's pronounced with a long "a", as the first part of "laser"), but others contend that this sounds retarded, and "lazz-gun" (or a short "a" sound, 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 "Lazzguns," 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]] 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.

== 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.

The 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 nearly every enemy of the Imperium has [[Chaos Space Marines|heat and energy-dissipating armor]], [[Orks|redundant biology]], or [[Tau|simply outrange them]]. Pretty much the only enemy an individual lasgun can reliably kill are other humans. They are on the same level of effectiveness as autoguns (which are basically AK-47s IN SPACE), except lasguns are even more durable, reliable, accurate (due to low to no recoil and the fact that the beam is not affected by gravity or wind, though shooting through a dust cloud or fog on the other hand is more problematic, so a B over all for atmospheric effects) and less dependent on massive ammo supplies; a single power-pack can, depending on the gun's setting, afford up to 100 to 140 shots on average, while an autogun magazine is usually 20-60 bullets (which, fun fact, is generally what typical lasguns set to max power usually can fire.) Plus you can recharge their batteries from Chimera generators, sunlight or even fire, while an autogun is useless once out of ammo for anything other than a fancy club or if you have the good fortune to have a bayonet, a vaguely sharp stick. Not that said bayonet on either weapon will help against orks or 'nids. And given the general competence of Munitorum depots, you'd probably end up with ration packs instead of ammunition, though this of course applies to lasgun power-packs, as well.

Combine this with most lasguns seeming to come pre-set to "medium power" (granting between 40 and 80 shots a pack with usually enough penetration power to reliably punch right through Imperial Guard's flak armour (or xenos-made equivalents of such) and many places not bothering to actually include how to adjust power as part of basic training - probably (rightly) assuming the soldier won't live long enough for it to matter - and you end up with an energy-based assault rifle, that is actually good for taking down lightly-armoured infantry with resilience to ballistic damage roughly equal that of a normal human (as it is in case with eldars or tau), but that's exactly what it was designed for - nothing less, but also nothing more. Unluckly for typical guardsmen, however, there are warrior-creatures of the 41st millennium that are either equipped with [[Power_Armour|armour, capable of deflecting even heavy stubber or bolter shells impacts]], or [[Orks|biology so robust, that it is able to take a hit from heavy stubber's bullet in the chest and continue fighting on]], or, in especially bad cases, [[Chaos_Space_Marines|warrior-creatures that have both of the aforementioned traits]]...

== Why the Lasgun is still being used ==
Although better known as a "flashlight", some players also call it "The AK-47 of the 41st Millennium", albeit ironically. Instead of being reliable, tough, relatively inaccurate and having a tendency to show up in the hands of just about everyone, it's reliable, common as fuck (like 100 for every human in the galaxy common), pretty damned tough, and accurate but that is only by 40k standards. ...So, yeah, I guess it is the AK of the 41st Millennium. It should be noted that the lasgun is stated to be able to destroy a slab of cement, which a .50 cal anti armour rifle would be able to do today. Although that could be because the Lasgun is placed on a slightly higher setting or it may be a different pattern of Lasgun. However, do also note that even the current-day AK-47 is capable of destroying cement (not reinforced concrete) slabs with a handful of shots, so make of that what you will. Except this was ferrocrete, no cement. The material used in large quantities to create bunkers. Ferrocrete is basically to cement what plasteel is to, well, steel.

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 targets too tough to be penetrated by a lasgun would at least be stunned/stopped for a moment and shredded by a heavy stubber, special weapon, or true heavy weapon or stunlocked and gunned down by massed lasgun fire. So, it is actually pretty good in a utility sort of way given the enemies the Imperium faces. Furthermore, lasers damage just about anything to some degree when powerful enough. This means lasguns are among the few types of weapons capable of "eating" through armor. Games like to have armor being worked through via volume of fire, this does not actually work at all. But lasguns can due to causing damage through hitting atoms and subatomic particles. Which means a lasgun ''can'' theoretically kill anything in the universe...eventually.

The lasgun has very low recoil, especially in comparison to a [[bolter]] or even an [[autogun]]. More like a jolt than a kick, probably, due to sudden change in air pressure. The powerpack that the weapon uses can fire about eighty to a hundred/hundred-twenty shots before running empty and can be easily recharged through any standard Imperial power supply, direct sunlight, and even heat. A relatively common practice of Imperial Guard units cut off from supplies is to place their lasgun power packs in open fires, although this does lower the pack's lifespan considerably and is [[heresy|frowned upon]] (and stupid if you're cut off since now your only weapons won't last long).

The weapons are rather more useful in [[Dark Heresy]] than they are in the tabletop wargame, as their reliability, availability and plentiful ammunition become real considerations and they are rather more useful against the human foes that an agent of the Inquisition is likely to face.

Power packs for lasguns also vastly simplify a nightmare waiting to happen for ammunition logistics. Even if Autoguns were better in all ways than a lasgun, the Administratum would still use the lasgun for the power pack. Power packs, while not able to fit all sizes of lasgun apparently, can still be modified to fit, or be recharged in the middle of campaign. Especially important if you can't get any new supplies due to a variety of reasons (Enemy has orbital control, no one has your size caliber, ammunition expires, etc). This is important, since lasguns, the worst they can do if given the wrong size is not work. For an autogun, with the wide range and variety of possible ammunition sizes, the best that will happen is that you won't fire your weapon, the worse, is that the shooter dies, and more importantly the weapon is destroyed. This is a strategy already in use today: to simplify ammunition supply problems, all the guns fire the same cartridge. And ammunition logistics are already a nightmare today on a mere planetary scale where (at worst) thousands of soldiers are a couple thousand kilometres away from the nearest supply depot. These same standards are simply impossible to enforce in the Imperium for an army the size of trillions of soldiers spread all over the galaxy months if not years travel away from the nearest Forge World.

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 or melta charge, depending on how badly it manages to fuck up whatever it was thrown at. It can even fuck the shit of a Chaos Dreadnought who thought he was going to make some Guardsmen go squish, and instead gets a lasgun-bomb surprise to the face. (It should be noted that this happened to a dreadnought whose front armor was already cracked from being hit by anti-armor weapons, so no way your overloading lasgun is going to help against an undamaged one (so...grab your buddies and ''then'' go dreadnought hunting))

One must wonder, considering how ass-cheap power-packs and the part of the lasgun this power dumps everything into to make it go "boom" are (compared to things like melta bombs and probably krak grenades as well,) why doesn't the Imperium make standard-issue grenades like that? Seriously, imagine guard squads with grenades almost comparable to melta charges ( which are pretty much miniature ''nukes,'') and remember that squads can get multiple assault grenade launchers. The answer is probably that the Techpriests would go completely apeshit for desecrating holy technology and try to secede. Again. Unless there's some threat that forces them to make such weaponry or some red-robed asshat can convince enough other red-robed asshats that it was totally an STC design of course. You mean like pointing out to them that since the foundation of their beliefs are that humanity already discovered everything and what humanity discovered and invented is holy, then if a human thinks of something then it must have been thought of in the Dark Age and is therefore right and holy and perfectly viable by Machine Cult doctrine?

Five counter-arguments to the lasgun-power-pack-grenade come readily to mind, discounting most guardsmen not being aware of this particular tactic.
* Firstly, the power pack's detonation timing is highly unpredictable, and as we all know, <del>anything that endangers an imperial infantryman will absolutely not be considered</del> only the most fanatical, stupid, or just plain reckless Guardsmen would be willing to use it regularly.
* Secondly, while a lasgun is pretty inexpensive in comparison to, say, a bolter, its power-packs are ''not'' as cheap to produce (they make up for it by being so easily recharged.) And only veteran soldiers tend to carry more than a small handful of packs; packs which said veterans probably looted off other guardsmen who didn't get to be veterans.
* Thirdly, the blast yield from a power pack is never described as being particularly strong. In the aforementioned example the soldier managed to open a dreadnought's faceplate just enough for the [[grimdark|local flora to kill it]], which sounds commensurate to a glancing hit, estimating the explosion closer to that of a krak grenade (S6) or maybe a little stronger. While still powerful when compared to regular old frag grenades, this is nothing like the famous melta bomb. Because surely the faceplate of a ''dreadnought'' is fragile. Like the viewports of a Baneblade (which tanked a krak missile in a novel). Easily killed Space Marine heroes are all the rage in the Imperium.
* A weapon, no matter how shitty, is still a soldier's baby. A soldier without his main weapon is generally a dead man, commissar or no, and the only time you would be forced to use your own, custom, probably personalized rifle if you live long enough to know this tactic, is in case of true emergency or imminent death. The same case that the first case of this ever being recorded happened. Which means only use this tactic when fighting any playable faction. Especially Necrons since it isn't like your lasgun will matter then anyway.
* Finally, in the instance where a Guardsman survives using his weapon and its magazine in such a reckless manner, he must then face the wrath of his superiors (If he survives the incident); the sheer number of Munitorum violations involved in using a lasgun and its ammo as a makeshift bomb are staggering (and while most alone would probably result in perfectly survivable corporal punishment, such as say being repeatedly rifle-stocked in the balls four dozen times while hanging upside down, all added up it's more pragmatic to just make the punishment execution to save some time.) Unless he manages to secure a new weapon beforehand of course. Well, not having a weapon is punished by execution (in case your lack of a gun is due to throwing it away to flee or something).

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. The Vostroyan Firstborn, for example, are renown for their precision with their lasguns and rewarded with high kill counts against everything from Orks to traitors. Elysian Drop Troopers are similarly known for exceptional marksmanship bred via necessity wherein they maximize lethality with minimal shots. It is only against heavily armored foes that a Lasgun falters. [[Power armour]] is able to shrug off lasbolts like there's no tomorrow when they hit its reinforced ceramite layers. The wearer is not invulnerable, though: helmet lenses, articulations and joints are still vulnerable to a well-placed lasbolt and a point- or near-point-blank shot at maximum power from a lasgun can penetrate certain areas of a Space Marine's helmet (or armor in general) and turn his brains into impromptu house paint. Pray to the Emperor and get really lucky, you will take down even a Chaos Space Marine (or equivalent) with your humble lasgun. ([[What|though Space Marines are also known to die after being poked (stabbed) by enough pointy (sharp hard) sticks on occasion after all or being stomped on by enough human beings at once, plot willing.]]) And given the Imperial Guard's numbers they will ''always'' get some lucky shots, through sheer volume of fire. The closer you are to your target, the more penetration you get. Tough targets in 40K like to get up close and personal and by that point lasguns can go right through them to blast their squishy innards. Machines also get fucked over by lasers because it's electromagnetic (photons, duh).

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."''
Of course, in Black Crusade a Legionnaire in power armor is almost impossible wound with a lasgun unless they score a Righteous Fury/Zealous Hatred ("critical hit"), which even then only causes minimal harm. But for representing Imperial Guard squads/platoons as enemies for Traitor Astartes player characters in Black Crusade, that is what the Horde rules are for, which allows representation of dozens of lasguns combining concentrated fire.. and becoming a very, very serious threat even for a Traitor Legionnaire.

==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
*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
*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
*Creating a makeshift rave

== Other laser weapons ==
The lasgun also comes in carbine, pistol, bullpup, sniper ("long-las"), and light machine gun (the heavy lasgun, which so far seems to only exist in Black Library) - (Heavy laser is just a crew-fired multi laser) 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]] (mighty being relative... SPESS MEHREENS can equip it), the even bigger [[Apocalypse|volcano cannon and turbo-laser]], the even bigger Defense Laser, and the 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}}

=== 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.

{{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.

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

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=== 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 an Acolyte 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.

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

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=== 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 Ratlings still prefer). 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. 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.

<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 and Solar Auxilla.

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]].

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

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=== Auxilia Lasrifle ===
[[File:Auxillia_Lasrifle.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Auxilia Lasrifle]]

The Auxilia lasrifles were the primary weapon of the [[Solar Auxilia]] during the Great Crusade and Horus heresy eras. And as benefiting 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 gun explodes in its operator's hands, preventing the player from using them for the remainder of the game. 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.

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

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=== Blast Pistol ===
[[File:Auxillia_Blast_Pistol.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Blast Pistol]]
''Not to be confused with the [[Phosphor Weaponry#Phosphor Blast Pistol|Phosphor Blast Pistol]], another 30k era weapon that fires completely different rounds.''

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. Giving him a better gun than the line troops who had to use leaver and bolt actions. Which isn't the case here.

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 the table top. Blast Pistols are S5 Las-pistols with Twin Linked and Gets-Hot. Archaeotech and Plasma pistols are more useful then these things.

<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 isn't anywhere near as cool when their used in Black Library books or the weapons stated to be used by the [[Jokaero]]. Only the Xenos monkies 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. While very few Guard Regiments still use it in-universe in 40k (see Only War by FFG), Las-Lock is popular with Mechanicum in 30k.
[[Tech Thrall]]'s are thus far the only know Mechanicum troops to carry las-weapons, 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.

<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.

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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. [[What| The Cumbersome rule reduces the model's WS1 and can only make a single attack.]] Take [[Graviton_weapons|Graviton guns]] instead.

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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, 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. The ensuing effect makes the weapon able to overload mechanical targets in addition to its effectiveness against organic enemies.

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

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=== 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.).

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=== Heavy Mining Laser ===
[[File:Heavy_Mining_Laser_Wolfquad.JPG|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.

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]] and the [[Wolfquad]].

<gallery>
image:GoliathRockgrinderLaser.png|<center>Golaith Rockgrinder</center>
</gallery>

=== Lascannon ===

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

These are the main Imperial anti-tank weapon (Heavy1 72" S9 AP2 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]].

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===Corve Las-Pulser===
[[File:ContemptorAchillusLasPulser.png|200px|right|thumb|Corve Las-Pulser]]
The Corve 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|A Neutron Laser, a slightly more safer version of the Neutron Laser Projector. ''Slightly''.]]
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.]] 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|<center>Onager Dunecrawler</center>
</gallery>

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===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. 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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== Properties of a lasgun ==
It's easy to imagine being hit with a lasgun would be like having a hole burned into you like an ant being burned by a magnifying glass. That, of course, is not nearly grimdark enough to be the truth.

A military DEW (or Directed Energy Weapon since military forces love TLAs (Three-Letter Acronyms)) comes in several different types, from microwave weapons which are mostly used to short out electronics but can also be used to cause intense pain by microwaving the surface of the skin (as is the case with the Active Denial System), to Electrolasers which use lasers to ionize the air into a semi-superconductive channel, allowing an electrical current to be projected between two points like a glorified (albeit high-power) taser. This may in fact is likely how necron [[Tesla]] weapons work, but that is beside the point. A lasgun however is most similar to a pulsed energy laser. A pulsed laser works by imparting so much energy to an area so fast, that it turns into plasma and explodes. Modern versions create a pressure wave strong enough to stun and knock a person out (termed "Pulsed Energy Projectile), but they are less then-lethal weapons that don't penetrate things very well by design, while the lasgun is not.

Being hit with a lasgun would (could) look and feel more like you were hit by a concussion grenade held up to your chest (which would messily kill you, like a lasgun would). You would see a bright flash of light as your skin or clothing vaporized into plasma, much like a high-end camera flash going next to the wound. Higher-power laser weapons might cause enough of an explosion to blow you back and maybe knock you unconscious, or if you got hit by one of the Lasgun's anti-tank big brothers, vaporize you outright turning you into an impromptu plasma grenade for the rest of your squad to deal with. The explosion would create enough hydrostatic pressure to likely scramble your internal organs and maybe snapping your bones in parts of your body distant from the explosion. So, shooting someone's cover with a lascannon is actually a good idea in real life. Then your buddies can just murderize everyone who had been hiding behind it (on their asses half dead with their armor destroyed).

However, if the lasgun hit something like armor, or even clothing it might induce an explosion only on the surface of the armor leaving the rest of you safe (except for the whole "the stuff you were wearing ''blew up''" part, which would still wreck your body), though most assuredly stunned and dazzled from the plasma explosion (in the sense of "you're stunned and dazzled by the pearly gates after the plasma explosion"). This explains why the Lasgun has a AP of only - shit. A Bolter's bolts, on the other hand, penetrate the exterior and then explode inside the target, meaning it can deal with armor and tough alien targets like Orks much easier, since you're effectively ignoring the armor on anything the mass-reactive warhead can punch through. The lasgun is clearly nothing to sneeze at; it's just that the vast majority of the Imperium's more exotic enemies are capable of taking that kind of punishment most of the time and still keep on fighting. On the other hand, '''a lasgun is not a Hammer's Slammers plasma weapon'''. It does '''''not''''' impart all of its energy into the first significant object it hits. It keeps going. Don't forget that a Lasgun's power level can be changed with a switch of a nob (depending on what pattern of Lasgun you get of course), meaning that you could theoretically have Lasguns powerful enough to punch Ferrocrete (AKA super concrete) and melt power armor at the expense of ruining the barrel, power supply and any relationship with your local Techpriest adept. Because, again, this is a laser, not Hammer's Slammers plasma.

Now, if you want what ''actually'' happens when shot by a lasgun instead of a ''non-lethal modern version'', it's this: the plasma explosion destroys a large area of your clothing or light armor, breaks your rips, and ruptures your organs and the heat causes your skin and some other fluids under the impact point to also detonate to a significantly less intense degree, easily killing you if you weren't already dead (and if it doesn't kill you, heat trauma will). It also doesn't impart all its energy unless the target is durable enough. Something weaker than flak armor is not durable enough (or anything at close range to a lasgun, really) and the laser in the case of inferior armor will pass through and all the organs and crap near the beam will also explosively flash into plasma and everything near ''that'' will explosively flash-vaporize. You get the idea. This is a damn powerful weapon against anything that isn't either a super alien or a super human (or Egyptian zombie robot pirate). Or anything that isn't more heavily armored than infantry have any right to be that doesn't involve super-tech. Basically, if your shot by a lasgun and you're not one of the playable factions, you're fucked. If you're hit but not fucked, congratulations, you are now either off balance or knocked on your ass and probably an easy target for any Guardsman wanting to finish you or, at best, you now have badly damaged armor and another shot will kill you and you still have to get off your ass and not get shot while doing it.

However, all that is based on the previously mentioned less than lethal lasers, which are specifically designed that way on purpose; more lethal laser weapons, while possible with 21st century technology, require massive amounts of power to function properly- and unlike 40k, we don't have the equivalent of power packs to contain the energy needed for a man-portable form to work or even something that could be mounted on a tank. The closest thing to those would be ship-mounted lasers designed specifically for shooting down missiles or aircraft, and even those have rarely left the prototype stage due to the energy issue and thermal blooming (described further below). Except in America, in which they are equipped on ships and the American navy also is using a few anti-satellite lasers on some ships.

A laser can easily be designed to maximize impact or penetration, and autogun bullets, which could likely go right through many parts of you, also have AP - anyway (it's bullets vs super space monsters, what did you expect). A theory more in line with the stated effects of a lasgun shot is that it would use multiple insanely rapid micro pulses to BORE THROUGH light infantry-grade armour, clothes and flesh to reach internal organs. Imagine getting drilled into by hundreds of tiny explosions, all within the span of milliseconds (more like hundredths or thousandths of a millisecond). This would leave wound very similar to the ones described in the Uplifting Primer, nasty burnt holes (and the aforementioned explosive flash-vaporization and micro plasma explosion effects in a wide area around the penetrated area). According to the Regimental Standard's "Field-Dressing a Lasgun Wound" article, the laser's heat cauterizes any wounds left by the shot (which is scientifically incorrect as the explosive flash-vaporization would prevent all but a minuscule amount of random cauterization and the only way a cauterized would could be present is if the laser was too weak to penetrate a human body in the first place since it wouldn't even be hot enough to ''evaporate water''), but the subsequent swelling can still be lethal if it occurs in or near a vital organ. Most likely the Regimental Standard article was written by an idiot who not only didn't know lasgun lore but also didn't know basic science but we can pass it off as Imperial propaganda to encourage Guardsmen to believe they won't die if shot by a lasgun unless they're just unlucky. ''OR'' the article assumes you were shot through your flak armor and so all but a tiny amount of the laser's energy had already been absorbed by your armor, saving your life but still leaving a serious wound in need of dressing before it can cripple or kill you anyway. By the way, did you know the lasgun is basically a radiation ray gun? Didn't you know the electromagnetic spectrum is radiation? So, could you kill someone with severe radiation poisoning if they do survive being shot by a lasgun?

You've noticed that a lot of a lasguns damage works via energy and heat exchange. This further explains it's AP of -, since most of the heavy armor that the Imperium uses are are based on ceramics, which are legendary for how well they absorb heat. The Space shuttle uses the stuff to allow reentry and presumable other heat resistant materials are used in other races armor since if your the Tau (crystalline armor screwing up concentrated light) or even Eldar (psychic play-doe bullshit), you know you're going to have to fight laser weapons at some point.

While the lasgun is portrayed in some media as having recoil, it doesn't in any true sense of the term. There might be a slight jerk on the barrel from the air pressure differential created by melting a hole through the air, a la a thunderclap, but the effects would be much more pronounced on the target (since there's no direct exchange of kinetic energy, the recoil can be zero, while there is a noticeable impact.) It might make a loud "crack" noise, due to Compton scattering, if it is fired in atmosphere and an abundant source of electrons is available (such as from the gun itself, if it is design appropriately). It should also be noted that at long range, if you were shot with one, there would be a substantial delay between the shot hitting you and you actually hearing the noise, making it an effective sniper's weapon. The second most common counterargument to this is that you would be able to follow the beam back to the sniper, but remember: you don't see the beam. It's too bright for you to be able to see it clearly, and you're going to be flashblinded by both the plasma explosion and the laser itself, if it's in a visible spectrum. Which it doesn't have to be. In fact, since Imperial lasgun is described as firing blue or white beams, the laser itself is likely ultraviolet, meaning there would be some brightness as it carved through the air, but not as much as a high-power laser backscattering into your eyes and giving you an impromptu round of Lasik.

Coming to that, [[Grimdark|the continued use of a lasgun is probably going to render you blind.]] Even though it has a baffling tip that not only can protect the barrel but also shelter the shooter from the flash (and even direct that at the enemy for extra fuck you). Remember, this is a gun that shoots a whole bunch of light to do damage. It's going to be even harder on your retinas, even if you're not the one being hit by it. After all, just because you can't see UV light doesn't mean it's not bouncing around your eyeballs-this is why UV protection in sunglasses is such a big deal, and why your eyes sometimes hurt when you step outside on an overcast day. There's still light there, and it's still fucking with your very easily damaged optics. So unless the Departmento Munitorum issues some kind of protective eyewear or contacts to the Guardsmen (and don't kid yourself, this is 40K. They don't, except they usually do as the majority of regiments who wear helmets have visors, goggles, or gas masks, all of which can easily be made UV protective), their vision is going to get worse and worse over time, until they finally go blind. Fortunately, this would take about six months to a year of exposure of combat level conditions, or one apocalypse battle on a gunline, and most Guardsmen are not going to live that long on the battlefields of the 41st Millennium, and if do live that like then you're an elite soldier (or commissar/commander) worth the laser eye surgery to keep fighting since you're now worth many times what a normal guardsmen is. Or you manage to buy a cheap pair of shades at your troop ship's market, which are actually pretty common even then.

Except that you don't have to worry about laser back scatter or (to a lesser extent) lasers sucking at range. Lasers of sufficient power don't reflect. As in at all. Their light and energy is basically absorbed by the surrounding atmosphere, a process known as thermal bloom; it the real world, this significantly limits the power of any laser weapon since other potential workarounds are currently impossible to implement. So the only light you'd have to worry about is the plasma flash of the impact and beam (if present). Also, lasers that can blast holes in to you may suffer from dust or distortion effects, but non-vacuum frequency lasers will get through air well enough simply on the basis that air is much much less dense than what it is intended to actually bore through. Also adaptive optics can at least partially mitigate said effect. As far as inverse square law goes, lasers are COHESIVE beams, and can easily be focused and stay focused well within firing range, even for typical sniper ranges, if aperture is large enough and/or wavelength is short enough to counter diffraction (UV is very short).

TL, DR: People disagree but it's not fun.

Too short, want more? Go [http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/sidearmenergy.php here].

== Why the Lasgun doesn't suck (an alternate take) ==
The purpose of the primary infantry weapon is not to take out everything that the infantryman might face. It's to provide volume of fire and self defense from other infantry. As today the average infantry man is equipped with an assault rifle that is not capable of piercing through light armor and up, nor is intended to. That's why in infantry squads you have infantry support weapons, like machine guns, mortars, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, anti materiel rifles etc. An infantry squad is supposed to take on hard targets with its support weapons where light armed troopers provide cover and logistic support. Also they are supposed to call in heavy support from artillery/air/tanks etc.

The Imperial Guard is fully equipped to handle harder targets with a variety of powerful infantry support weapons (plasma rifles, missile launchers etc) and a huge selection of heavy fire support from lascannons to Leman Russes.

In this context the lasgun is a fantastic weapon, far superior of the today assault rifle even considering the battlefield differences. The lasgun is extremely rugged, reliable and will require almost zero training because it has no moving part or recoil. The "no recoil" part being extremely important, because it means that untrained troops will still be able to put down relatively accurate full auto fire, a practical impossibility with today guns. Lasgun fire will rape non-armored or lightly armored infantry and still pose a threat to medium armored infantry, not to mention it will absolutely destroy unarmored vehicles. A bullet can cause virtually no damage to an M02.018 truck, but a lasgun bolt will cripple it.

The logistical ability of giving hundreds of shots to every single infantry man, in the form of compact, standard and rechargeable power packs is the ultimate dream of every army. The level of flexibility that this allows is incredible and is unmatched by virtually any other infantry weapon in the 40k universe. And remember: "amateurs talk about tactics, professionals talk about logistics".

The lasgun is such an incredibly flexible weapon that it could be even modified into firing more powerful shots, still retaining part compatibility and power source (therefore logistical chain). So it's well suited for the lowly grunt '''and''' the special forces operatives, that will also be able to use it's superior training and physical fitness to carry literally THOUSANDS of shots worth of power packs. This will enable all sort of long range military operations deep in enemy territory and far from supply lines that we can't even think of today.

And yes, in 40k everyone and their mom has at the very least carapace-grade armor that will offer a decent grade of protection from lasgun shots (and that's not counting the fact that even carapace armour could be rather reliably pierced by lasgun's beams, albeit this would generally require a guardsman to close to about 100 meters distance to his target as opposed to lasgun's 400-500 meters effective range against infantry, donning only light flak vests and regular steel helmets). But that's not a weakness of the whole lasgun concept. Far from it. It's the ultimate victory of it, because it means that your enemy has to spend a shitload of money to put every one of his soldiers in expensive top grade armor just to have any hope not them to be instantly destroyed by your endless stream of dead accurate full auto lasgun fire.

On that note, we would like to also note something. Since lasguns have instantaneous hits, they, when massed, make for a good anti air weapon. Something that is lightly Armored will soon be chewed up by the lasfire. This is more heavily covered below. As well, it can kill even those top notch armors. If fired into the eyepiece of a space Marine, you can actually bring him down. In addition, due to the ability to pick up any other version and with a few seconds be able to use it, special troops are not hard to come by. Also, note that massed fire on anything is bound to start dealing damage. If one has a couple dozen squads of Guardsmen focus fire on a squad of Space Marines, they may be disabled from lasgun fire hitting vital zones. And if not, unlike a bullet that can bounce harmlessly off of advanced armour, massed lasgun fire will eat away at practically any armour, causing accumulating damage that will eventually weaken and destroy most any target.

== Las weapons and AA ==
The problem of hitting a flying object with a gun is that the flyer is moving at high speed in a three dimensional space. That means that to hit it with a "bullet" you need to know where the flyer be when the bullet will cover the relative distance between the shooter and the target. You need to detect the precise three dimensional position and velocity vectors. Then you have to factor the variable speed of the bullet and his ballistic trajectory. And even if you do all that with the near-perfect accuracy, the target might just change his velocity (maneuver) and dodge it.

That's why in modern warfare all AA, except at the very most close range, is handled to missiles instead of guns.

All this problems disappears if you have a practical las weapon that will fire a las beam at speed of light. Even if your target is - say - 300 kilometers away, the las beam will reach it in a millisecond. Flying at mach 3, the object would displace by only one meter in one millisecond and still be hit. This mean that hitting a flyer with a las weapon would be extremely easy <s>even without any dedicated equipment if close enough to be seen by naked eye</s> as long as you can hit a very fast moving and/or distant target. With <s>radar</s> auspex firing control you will basically hit flyers as soon as you detect it. The main strength of flyers (being harder to hit) will disappear and they will become the easier targets on the battlefield because they have no chance of cover and they cannot be as hard armored as something on the ground.

However, China and a few other countries (read: every first world country because no duh) have begun research into armor coatings designed to reflect or disperse laser-based weaponry (whereas countries like the US are doing that and increasing the power of their lasers in the knowledge that reflecting or dispersing lasers won't work at a certain level of energy), which would offset that advantage (though perhaps shooting the planes anyway could help guide missiles in the air to their targets and could damage or destroy electronics like targeting devices or cause missiles to detonate inside the target); it helps that the coatings would likely be much less expensive than the lasers themselves. Unfortunately, due to the effects of massed fire, such a coating would soon fail. Or, fire of a certain intensity, again and science says the laser simply won't be affected by such coatings at all...

Even if we invent coating that works perfectly well to protect aircraft, lasers could have a role in missile defence. After all, unless we can easily, and affordably, apply enough coating for every non-reusable explosive missile fired, the upsides of anti-air lasers could revolutionize missile defence. It already is being used for missile defense, though it hasn't progressed to the point that it's utterly replacing non-laser missile defense ''quite'' yet.

==See also==
*[[Hellgun]]
*[[Laspistol]]

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

Lasgun

2019-02-19T05:52:38Z

2604:3D09:B580:770:6936:9C2E:B431:A19B: /* Why the Lasgun doesn't suck (an alternate take) */

[[Image:Guardsman.jpg|thumb|right|This is painfully accurate. Unlike the fucking lasgun. And the sad truth is, that it would probably do more damage than the actual gun.]]
[[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, generally speaking).]]

{{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 evar (Hilariously, GW has caught onto this. Less hilariously, on Regimental Standard they've got an in-universe nod where any Guardsman who makes this joke is sentenced to flogging)}}

The humble (and we mean humble) '''Lasgun''' is the standard-issue armament of the average [[Imperial Guard]]sman in the [[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 the 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. 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 the "las" should be pronounced "layz" (or in other words say that it's pronounced with a long "a", as the first part of "laser"), but others contend that this sounds retarded, and "lazz-gun" (or a short "a" sound, 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 "Lazzguns," 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]] 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.

== 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.

The 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 nearly every enemy of the Imperium has [[Chaos Space Marines|heat and energy-dissipating armor]], [[Orks|redundant biology]], or [[Tau|simply outrange them]]. Pretty much the only enemy an individual lasgun can reliably kill are other humans. They are on the same level of effectiveness as autoguns (which are basically AK-47s IN SPACE), except lasguns are even more durable, reliable, accurate (due to low to no recoil and the fact that the beam is not affected by gravity or wind, though shooting through a dust cloud or fog on the other hand is more problematic, so a B over all for atmospheric effects) and less dependent on massive ammo supplies; a single power-pack can, depending on the gun's setting, afford up to 100 to 140 shots on average, while an autogun magazine is usually 20-60 bullets (which, fun fact, is generally what typical lasguns set to max power usually can fire.) Plus you can recharge their batteries from Chimera generators, sunlight or even fire, while an autogun is useless once out of ammo for anything other than a fancy club or if you have the good fortune to have a bayonet, a vaguely sharp stick. Not that said bayonet on either weapon will help against orks or 'nids. And given the general competence of Munitorum depots, you'd probably end up with ration packs instead of ammunition, though this of course applies to lasgun power-packs, as well.

Combine this with most lasguns seeming to come pre-set to "medium power" (granting between 40 and 80 shots a pack with usually enough penetration power to reliably punch right through Imperial Guard's flak armour (or xenos-made equivalents of such) and many places not bothering to actually include how to adjust power as part of basic training - probably (rightly) assuming the soldier won't live long enough for it to matter - and you end up with an energy-based assault rifle, that is actually good for taking down lightly-armoured infantry with resilience to ballistic damage roughly equal that of a normal human (as it is in case with eldars or tau), but that's exactly what it was designed for - nothing less, but also nothing more. Unluckly for typical guardsmen, however, there are warrior-creatures of the 41st millennium that are either equipped with [[Power_Armour|armour, capable of deflecting even heavy stubber or bolter shells impacts]], or [[Orks|biology so robust, that it is able to take a hit from heavy stubber's bullet in the chest and continue fighting on]], or, in especially bad cases, [[Chaos_Space_Marines|warrior-creatures that have both of the aforementioned traits]]...

== Why the Lasgun is still being used ==
Although better known as a "flashlight", some players also call it "The AK-47 of the 41st Millennium", albeit ironically. Instead of being reliable, tough, relatively inaccurate and having a tendency to show up in the hands of just about everyone, it's reliable, common as fuck (like 100 for every human in the galaxy common), pretty damned tough, and accurate but that is only by 40k standards. ...So, yeah, I guess it is the AK of the 41st Millennium. It should be noted that the lasgun is stated to be able to destroy a slab of cement, which a .50 cal anti armour rifle would be able to do today. Although that could be because the Lasgun is placed on a slightly higher setting or it may be a different pattern of Lasgun. However, do also note that even the current-day AK-47 is capable of destroying cement (not reinforced concrete) slabs with a handful of shots, so make of that what you will. Except this was ferrocrete, no cement. The material used in large quantities to create bunkers. Ferrocrete is basically to cement what plasteel is to, well, steel.

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 targets too tough to be penetrated by a lasgun would at least be stunned/stopped for a moment and shredded by a heavy stubber, special weapon, or true heavy weapon or stunlocked and gunned down by massed lasgun fire. So, it is actually pretty good in a utility sort of way given the enemies the Imperium faces. Furthermore, lasers damage just about anything to some degree when powerful enough. This means lasguns are among the few types of weapons capable of "eating" through armor. Games like to have armor being worked through via volume of fire, this does not actually work at all. But lasguns can due to causing damage through hitting atoms and subatomic particles. Which means a lasgun ''can'' theoretically kill anything in the universe...eventually.

The lasgun has very low recoil, especially in comparison to a [[bolter]] or even an [[autogun]]. More like a jolt than a kick, probably, due to sudden change in air pressure. The powerpack that the weapon uses can fire about eighty to a hundred/hundred-twenty shots before running empty and can be easily recharged through any standard Imperial power supply, direct sunlight, and even heat. A relatively common practice of Imperial Guard units cut off from supplies is to place their lasgun power packs in open fires, although this does lower the pack's lifespan considerably and is [[heresy|frowned upon]] (and stupid if you're cut off since now your only weapons won't last long).

The weapons are rather more useful in [[Dark Heresy]] than they are in the tabletop wargame, as their reliability, availability and plentiful ammunition become real considerations and they are rather more useful against the human foes that an agent of the Inquisition is likely to face.

Power packs for lasguns also vastly simplify a nightmare waiting to happen for ammunition logistics. Even if Autoguns were better in all ways than a lasgun, the Administratum would still use the lasgun for the power pack. Power packs, while not able to fit all sizes of lasgun apparently, can still be modified to fit, or be recharged in the middle of campaign. Especially important if you can't get any new supplies due to a variety of reasons (Enemy has orbital control, no one has your size caliber, ammunition expires, etc). This is important, since lasguns, the worst they can do if given the wrong size is not work. For an autogun, with the wide range and variety of possible ammunition sizes, the best that will happen is that you won't fire your weapon, the worse, is that the shooter dies, and more importantly the weapon is destroyed. This is a strategy already in use today: to simplify ammunition supply problems, all the guns fire the same cartridge. And ammunition logistics are already a nightmare today on a mere planetary scale where (at worst) thousands of soldiers are a couple thousand kilometres away from the nearest supply depot. These same standards are simply impossible to enforce in the Imperium for an army the size of trillions of soldiers spread all over the galaxy months if not years travel away from the nearest Forge World.

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 or melta charge, depending on how badly it manages to fuck up whatever it was thrown at. It can even fuck the shit of a Chaos Dreadnought who thought he was going to make some Guardsmen go squish, and instead gets a lasgun-bomb surprise to the face. (It should be noted that this happened to a dreadnought whose front armor was already cracked from being hit by anti-armor weapons, so no way your overloading lasgun is going to help against an undamaged one (so...grab your buddies and ''then'' go dreadnought hunting))

One must wonder, considering how ass-cheap power-packs and the part of the lasgun this power dumps everything into to make it go "boom" are (compared to things like melta bombs and probably krak grenades as well,) why doesn't the Imperium make standard-issue grenades like that? Seriously, imagine guard squads with grenades almost comparable to melta charges ( which are pretty much miniature ''nukes,'') and remember that squads can get multiple assault grenade launchers. The answer is probably that the Techpriests would go completely apeshit for desecrating holy technology and try to secede. Again. Unless there's some threat that forces them to make such weaponry or some red-robed asshat can convince enough other red-robed asshats that it was totally an STC design of course. You mean like pointing out to them that since the foundation of their beliefs are that humanity already discovered everything and what humanity discovered and invented is holy, then if a human thinks of something then it must have been thought of in the Dark Age and is therefore right and holy and perfectly viable by Machine Cult doctrine?

Five counter-arguments to the lasgun-power-pack-grenade come readily to mind, discounting most guardsmen not being aware of this particular tactic.
* Firstly, the power pack's detonation timing is highly unpredictable, and as we all know, <del>anything that endangers an imperial infantryman will absolutely not be considered</del> only the most fanatical, stupid, or just plain reckless Guardsmen would be willing to use it regularly.
* Secondly, while a lasgun is pretty inexpensive in comparison to, say, a bolter, its power-packs are ''not'' as cheap to produce (they make up for it by being so easily recharged.) And only veteran soldiers tend to carry more than a small handful of packs; packs which said veterans probably looted off other guardsmen who didn't get to be veterans.
* Thirdly, the blast yield from a power pack is never described as being particularly strong. In the aforementioned example the soldier managed to open a dreadnought's faceplate just enough for the [[grimdark|local flora to kill it]], which sounds commensurate to a glancing hit, estimating the explosion closer to that of a krak grenade (S6) or maybe a little stronger. While still powerful when compared to regular old frag grenades, this is nothing like the famous melta bomb. Because surely the faceplate of a ''dreadnought'' is fragile. Like the viewports of a Baneblade (which tanked a krak missile in a novel). Easily killed Space Marine heroes are all the rage in the Imperium.
* A weapon, no matter how shitty, is still a soldier's baby. A soldier without his main weapon is generally a dead man, commissar or no, and the only time you would be forced to use your own, custom, probably personalized rifle if you live long enough to know this tactic, is in case of true emergency or imminent death. The same case that the first case of this ever being recorded happened. Which means only use this tactic when fighting any playable faction. Especially Necrons since it isn't like your lasgun will matter then anyway.
* Finally, in the instance where a Guardsman survives using his weapon and its magazine in such a reckless manner, he must then face the wrath of his superiors (If he survives the incident); the sheer number of Munitorum violations involved in using a lasgun and its ammo as a makeshift bomb are staggering (and while most alone would probably result in perfectly survivable corporal punishment, such as say being repeatedly rifle-stocked in the balls four dozen times while hanging upside down, all added up it's more pragmatic to just make the punishment execution to save some time.) Unless he manages to secure a new weapon beforehand of course. Well, not having a weapon is punished by execution (in case your lack of a gun is due to throwing it away to flee or something).

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. The Vostroyan Firstborn, for example, are renown for their precision with their lasguns and rewarded with high kill counts against everything from Orks to traitors. Elysian Drop Troopers are similarly known for exceptional marksmanship bred via necessity wherein they maximize lethality with minimal shots. It is only against heavily armored foes that a Lasgun falters. [[Power armour]] is able to shrug off lasbolts like there's no tomorrow when they hit its reinforced ceramite layers. The wearer is not invulnerable, though: helmet lenses, articulations and joints are still vulnerable to a well-placed lasbolt and a point- or near-point-blank shot at maximum power from a lasgun can penetrate certain areas of a Space Marine's helmet (or armor in general) and turn his brains into impromptu house paint. Pray to the Emperor and get really lucky, you will take down even a Chaos Space Marine (or equivalent) with your humble lasgun. ([[What|though Space Marines are also known to die after being poked (stabbed) by enough pointy (sharp hard) sticks on occasion after all or being stomped on by enough human beings at once, plot willing.]]) And given the Imperial Guard's numbers they will ''always'' get some lucky shots, through sheer volume of fire. The closer you are to your target, the more penetration you get. Tough targets in 40K like to get up close and personal and by that point lasguns can go right through them to blast their squishy innards. Machines also get fucked over by lasers because it's electromagnetic (photons, duh).

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."''
Of course, in Black Crusade a Legionnaire in power armor is almost impossible wound with a lasgun unless they score a Righteous Fury/Zealous Hatred ("critical hit"), which even then only causes minimal harm. But for representing Imperial Guard squads/platoons as enemies for Traitor Astartes player characters in Black Crusade, that is what the Horde rules are for, which allows representation of dozens of lasguns combining concentrated fire.. and becoming a very, very serious threat even for a Traitor Legionnaire.

==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
*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
*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
*Creating a makeshift rave

== Other laser weapons ==
The lasgun also comes in carbine, pistol, bullpup, sniper ("long-las"), and light machine gun (the heavy lasgun, which so far seems to only exist in Black Library) - (Heavy laser is just a crew-fired multi laser) 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]] (mighty being relative... SPESS MEHREENS can equip it), the even bigger [[Apocalypse|volcano cannon and turbo-laser]], the even bigger Defense Laser, and the 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]]''

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=== 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>

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=== 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>

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=== 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.

{{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>

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=== 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.

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

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=== 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 an Acolyte 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.

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

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=== 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 Ratlings still prefer). 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. 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.

<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 and Solar Auxilla.

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]].

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

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=== Auxilia Lasrifle ===
[[File:Auxillia_Lasrifle.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Auxilia Lasrifle]]

The Auxilia lasrifles were the primary weapon of the [[Solar Auxilia]] during the Great Crusade and Horus heresy eras. And as benefiting 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 gun explodes in its operator's hands, preventing the player from using them for the remainder of the game. 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.

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

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=== Blast Pistol ===
[[File:Auxillia_Blast_Pistol.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Blast Pistol]]
''Not to be confused with the [[Phosphor Weaponry#Phosphor Blast Pistol|Phosphor Blast Pistol]], another 30k era weapon that fires completely different rounds.''

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. Giving him a better gun than the line troops who had to use leaver and bolt actions. Which isn't the case here.

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 the table top. Blast Pistols are S5 Las-pistols with Twin Linked and Gets-Hot. Archaeotech and Plasma pistols are more useful then these things.

<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 isn't anywhere near as cool when their used in Black Library books or the weapons stated to be used by the [[Jokaero]]. Only the Xenos monkies 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. While very few Guard Regiments still use it in-universe in 40k (see Only War by FFG), Las-Lock is popular with Mechanicum in 30k.
[[Tech Thrall]]'s are thus far the only know Mechanicum troops to carry las-weapons, 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.

<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.

<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. [[What| The Cumbersome rule reduces the model's WS1 and can only make a single attack.]] Take [[Graviton_weapons|Graviton guns]] instead.

<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, 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. The ensuing effect makes the weapon able to overload mechanical targets in addition to its effectiveness against organic enemies.

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

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=== 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.).

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=== Heavy Mining Laser ===
[[File:Heavy_Mining_Laser_Wolfquad.JPG|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.

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]] and the [[Wolfquad]].

<gallery>
image:GoliathRockgrinderLaser.png|<center>Golaith Rockgrinder</center>
</gallery>

=== Lascannon ===

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

These are the main Imperial anti-tank weapon (Heavy1 72" S9 AP2 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]].

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===Corve Las-Pulser===
[[File:ContemptorAchillusLasPulser.png|200px|right|thumb|Corve Las-Pulser]]
The Corve 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|A Neutron Laser, a slightly more safer version of the Neutron Laser Projector. ''Slightly''.]]
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.]] 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|<center>Onager Dunecrawler</center>
</gallery>

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===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. 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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== Properties of a lasgun ==
It's easy to imagine being hit with a lasgun would be like having a hole burned into you like an ant being burned by a magnifying glass. That, of course, is not nearly grimdark enough to be the truth.

A military DEW (or Directed Energy Weapon since military forces love TLAs (Three-Letter Acronyms)) comes in several different types, from microwave weapons which are mostly used to short out electronics but can also be used to cause intense pain by microwaving the surface of the skin (as is the case with the Active Denial System), to Electrolasers which use lasers to ionize the air into a semi-superconductive channel, allowing an electrical current to be projected between two points like a glorified (albeit high-power) taser. This may in fact is likely how necron [[Tesla]] weapons work, but that is beside the point. A lasgun however is most similar to a pulsed energy laser. A pulsed laser works by imparting so much energy to an area so fast, that it turns into plasma and explodes. Modern versions create a pressure wave strong enough to stun and knock a person out (termed "Pulsed Energy Projectile), but they are less then-lethal weapons that don't penetrate things very well by design, while the lasgun is not.

Being hit with a lasgun would (could) look and feel more like you were hit by a concussion grenade held up to your chest (which would messily kill you, like a lasgun would). You would see a bright flash of light as your skin or clothing vaporized into plasma, much like a high-end camera flash going next to the wound. Higher-power laser weapons might cause enough of an explosion to blow you back and maybe knock you unconscious, or if you got hit by one of the Lasgun's anti-tank big brothers, vaporize you outright turning you into an impromptu plasma grenade for the rest of your squad to deal with. The explosion would create enough hydrostatic pressure to likely scramble your internal organs and maybe snapping your bones in parts of your body distant from the explosion. So, shooting someone's cover with a lascannon is actually a good idea in real life. Then your buddies can just murderize everyone who had been hiding behind it (on their asses half dead with their armor destroyed).

However, if the lasgun hit something like armor, or even clothing it might induce an explosion only on the surface of the armor leaving the rest of you safe (except for the whole "the stuff you were wearing ''blew up''" part, which would still wreck your body), though most assuredly stunned and dazzled from the plasma explosion (in the sense of "you're stunned and dazzled by the pearly gates after the plasma explosion"). This explains why the Lasgun has a AP of only - shit. A Bolter's bolts, on the other hand, penetrate the exterior and then explode inside the target, meaning it can deal with armor and tough alien targets like Orks much easier, since you're effectively ignoring the armor on anything the mass-reactive warhead can punch through. The lasgun is clearly nothing to sneeze at; it's just that the vast majority of the Imperium's more exotic enemies are capable of taking that kind of punishment most of the time and still keep on fighting. On the other hand, '''a lasgun is not a Hammer's Slammers plasma weapon'''. It does '''''not''''' impart all of its energy into the first significant object it hits. It keeps going. Don't forget that a Lasgun's power level can be changed with a switch of a nob (depending on what pattern of Lasgun you get of course), meaning that you could theoretically have Lasguns powerful enough to punch Ferrocrete (AKA super concrete) and melt power armor at the expense of ruining the barrel, power supply and any relationship with your local Techpriest adept. Because, again, this is a laser, not Hammer's Slammers plasma.

Now, if you want what ''actually'' happens when shot by a lasgun instead of a ''non-lethal modern version'', it's this: the plasma explosion destroys a large area of your clothing or light armor, breaks your rips, and ruptures your organs and the heat causes your skin and some other fluids under the impact point to also detonate to a significantly less intense degree, easily killing you if you weren't already dead (and if it doesn't kill you, heat trauma will). It also doesn't impart all its energy unless the target is durable enough. Something weaker than flak armor is not durable enough (or anything at close range to a lasgun, really) and the laser in the case of inferior armor will pass through and all the organs and crap near the beam will also explosively flash into plasma and everything near ''that'' will explosively flash-vaporize. You get the idea. This is a damn powerful weapon against anything that isn't either a super alien or a super human (or Egyptian zombie robot pirate). Or anything that isn't more heavily armored than infantry have any right to be that doesn't involve super-tech. Basically, if your shot by a lasgun and you're not one of the playable factions, you're fucked. If you're hit but not fucked, congratulations, you are now either off balance or knocked on your ass and probably an easy target for any Guardsman wanting to finish you or, at best, you now have badly damaged armor and another shot will kill you and you still have to get off your ass and not get shot while doing it.

However, all that is based on the previously mentioned less than lethal lasers, which are specifically designed that way on purpose; more lethal laser weapons, while possible with 21st century technology, require massive amounts of power to function properly- and unlike 40k, we don't have the equivalent of power packs to contain the energy needed for a man-portable form to work or even something that could be mounted on a tank. The closest thing to those would be ship-mounted lasers designed specifically for shooting down missiles or aircraft, and even those have rarely left the prototype stage due to the energy issue and thermal blooming (described further below). Except in America, in which they are equipped on ships and the American navy also is using a few anti-satellite lasers on some ships.

A laser can easily be designed to maximize impact or penetration, and autogun bullets, which could likely go right through many parts of you, also have AP - anyway (it's bullets vs super space monsters, what did you expect). A theory more in line with the stated effects of a lasgun shot is that it would use multiple insanely rapid micro pulses to BORE THROUGH light infantry-grade armour, clothes and flesh to reach internal organs. Imagine getting drilled into by hundreds of tiny explosions, all within the span of milliseconds (more like hundredths or thousandths of a millisecond). This would leave wound very similar to the ones described in the Uplifting Primer, nasty burnt holes (and the aforementioned explosive flash-vaporization and micro plasma explosion effects in a wide area around the penetrated area). According to the Regimental Standard's "Field-Dressing a Lasgun Wound" article, the laser's heat cauterizes any wounds left by the shot (which is scientifically incorrect as the explosive flash-vaporization would prevent all but a minuscule amount of random cauterization and the only way a cauterized would could be present is if the laser was too weak to penetrate a human body in the first place since it wouldn't even be hot enough to ''evaporate water''), but the subsequent swelling can still be lethal if it occurs in or near a vital organ. Most likely the Regimental Standard article was written by an idiot who not only didn't know lasgun lore but also didn't know basic science but we can pass it off as Imperial propaganda to encourage Guardsmen to believe they won't die if shot by a lasgun unless they're just unlucky. ''OR'' the article assumes you were shot through your flak armor and so all but a tiny amount of the laser's energy had already been absorbed by your armor, saving your life but still leaving a serious wound in need of dressing before it can cripple or kill you anyway. By the way, did you know the lasgun is basically a radiation ray gun? Didn't you know the electromagnetic spectrum is radiation? So, could you kill someone with severe radiation poisoning if they do survive being shot by a lasgun?

You've noticed that a lot of a lasguns damage works via energy and heat exchange. This further explains it's AP of -, since most of the heavy armor that the Imperium uses are are based on ceramics, which are legendary for how well they absorb heat. The Space shuttle uses the stuff to allow reentry and presumable other heat resistant materials are used in other races armor since if your the Tau (crystalline armor screwing up concentrated light) or even Eldar (psychic play-doe bullshit), you know you're going to have to fight laser weapons at some point.

While the lasgun is portrayed in some media as having recoil, it doesn't in any true sense of the term. There might be a slight jerk on the barrel from the air pressure differential created by melting a hole through the air, a la a thunderclap, but the effects would be much more pronounced on the target (since there's no direct exchange of kinetic energy, the recoil can be zero, while there is a noticeable impact.) It might make a loud "crack" noise, due to Compton scattering, if it is fired in atmosphere and an abundant source of electrons is available (such as from the gun itself, if it is design appropriately). It should also be noted that at long range, if you were shot with one, there would be a substantial delay between the shot hitting you and you actually hearing the noise, making it an effective sniper's weapon. The second most common counterargument to this is that you would be able to follow the beam back to the sniper, but remember: you don't see the beam. It's too bright for you to be able to see it clearly, and you're going to be flashblinded by both the plasma explosion and the laser itself, if it's in a visible spectrum. Which it doesn't have to be. In fact, since Imperial lasgun is described as firing blue or white beams, the laser itself is likely ultraviolet, meaning there would be some brightness as it carved through the air, but not as much as a high-power laser backscattering into your eyes and giving you an impromptu round of Lasik.

Coming to that, [[Grimdark|the continued use of a lasgun is probably going to render you blind.]] Even though it has a baffling tip that not only can protect the barrel but also shelter the shooter from the flash (and even direct that at the enemy for extra fuck you). Remember, this is a gun that shoots a whole bunch of light to do damage. It's going to be even harder on your retinas, even if you're not the one being hit by it. After all, just because you can't see UV light doesn't mean it's not bouncing around your eyeballs-this is why UV protection in sunglasses is such a big deal, and why your eyes sometimes hurt when you step outside on an overcast day. There's still light there, and it's still fucking with your very easily damaged optics. So unless the Departmento Munitorum issues some kind of protective eyewear or contacts to the Guardsmen (and don't kid yourself, this is 40K. They don't, except they usually do as the majority of regiments who wear helmets have visors, goggles, or gas masks, all of which can easily be made UV protective), their vision is going to get worse and worse over time, until they finally go blind. Fortunately, this would take about six months to a year of exposure of combat level conditions, or one apocalypse battle on a gunline, and most Guardsmen are not going to live that long on the battlefields of the 41st Millennium, and if do live that like then you're an elite soldier (or commissar/commander) worth the laser eye surgery to keep fighting since you're now worth many times what a normal guardsmen is. Or you manage to buy a cheap pair of shades at your troop ship's market, which are actually pretty common even then.

Except that you don't have to worry about laser back scatter or (to a lesser extent) lasers sucking at range. Lasers of sufficient power don't reflect. As in at all. Their light and energy is basically absorbed by the surrounding atmosphere, a process known as thermal bloom; it the real world, this significantly limits the power of any laser weapon since other potential workarounds are currently impossible to implement. So the only light you'd have to worry about is the plasma flash of the impact and beam (if present). Also, lasers that can blast holes in to you may suffer from dust or distortion effects, but non-vacuum frequency lasers will get through air well enough simply on the basis that air is much much less dense than what it is intended to actually bore through. Also adaptive optics can at least partially mitigate said effect. As far as inverse square law goes, lasers are COHESIVE beams, and can easily be focused and stay focused well within firing range, even for typical sniper ranges, if aperture is large enough and/or wavelength is short enough to counter diffraction (UV is very short).

TL, DR: People disagree but it's not fun.

Too short, want more? Go [http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/sidearmenergy.php here].

== Why the Lasgun doesn't suck (an alternate take) ==
The purpose of the primary infantry weapon is not to take out everything that the infantryman might face. It's to provide volume of fire and self defense from other infantry. As today the average infantry man is equipped with an assault rifle that is not capable of piercing through light armor and up, nor is intended to. That's why in infantry squads you have infantry support weapons, like machine guns, mortars, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, anti materiel rifles etc. An infantry squad is supposed to take on hard targets with its support weapons where light armed troopers provide cover and logistic support. Also they are supposed to call in heavy support from artillery/air/tanks etc.

The Imperial Guard is fully equipped to handle harder targets with a variety of powerful infantry support weapons (plasma rifles, missile launchers etc) and a huge selection of heavy fire support from lascannons to Leman Russes.

In this context the lasgun is a fantastic weapon, far superior of the today assault rifle even considering the battlefield differences. The lasgun is extremely rugged, reliable and will require almost zero training because it has no moving part or recoil. The "no recoil" part being extremely important, because it means that untrained troops will still be able to put down relatively accurate full auto fire, a practical impossibility with today guns. Lasgun fire will rape non-armored or lightly armored infantry and still pose a threat to medium armored infantry, not to mention it will absolutely destroy unarmored vehicles. A bullet can cause virtually no damage to an M02.018 truck, but a lasgun bolt will cripple it.

The logistical ability of giving hundreds of shots to every single infantry man, in the form of compact, standard and rechargeable power packs is the ultimate dream of every army. The level of flexibility that this allows is incredible and is unmatched by virtually any other infantry weapon in the 40k universe. And remember: "amateurs talk about tactics, professionals talk about logistics".

The lasgun is such an incredibly flexible weapon that it could be even modified into firing more powerful shots, still retaining part compatibility and power source (therefore logistical chain). So it's well suited for the lowly grunt '''and''' the special forces operatives, that will also be able to use it's superior training and physical fitness to carry literally THOUSANDS of shots worth of power packs. This will enable all sort of long range military operations deep in enemy territory and far from supply lines that we can't even think of today.

And yes, in 40k everyone and their mom has at the very least carapace-grade armor that will offer a decent grade of protection from lasgun shots (and that's not counting the fact that even carapace armour could be rather reliably pierced by lasgun's beams, albeit this would generally require a guardsman to close to about 100 meters distance to his target as opposed to lasgun's 400-500 meters effective range against infantry, donning only light flak vests and regular steel helmets). But that's not a weakness of the whole lasgun concept. Far from it. It's the ultimate victory of it, because it means that your enemy has to spend a shitload of money to put every one of his soldiers in expensive top grade armor just to have any hope not them to be instantly destroyed by your endless stream of dead accurate full auto lasgun fire.

On that note, we would like to also note something. Since lasguns have instantaneous hits, they, when massed, make for a good anti air weapon. Something that is lightly Armored will soon be chewed up by the lasfire. This is more heavily covered below. As well, it can kill even those top notch armors. If fired into the eyepiece of a space Marine, you can actually bring him down. In addition, due to the ability to pick up any other version and with a few seconds be able to use it, special troops are not hard to come by. Also, note that massed fire on anything is bound to start dealing damage. If one has a couple dozen squads of Guardsmen focus fire on a squad of Space Marines, they may be disabled from lasgun fire hitting vital zones. And if not, unlike a bullet that can bounce harmlessly off of advanced armour, massed lasgun fire will eat away at practically any armour, causing accumulating damage that will eventually weaken and destroy most any target.

== Las weapons and AA ==
The problem of hitting a flying object with a gun is that the flyer is moving at high speed in a three dimensional space. That means that to hit it with a "bullet" you need to know where the flyer be when the bullet will cover the relative distance between the shooter and the target. You need to detect the precise three dimensional position and velocity vectors. Then you have to factor the variable speed of the bullet and his ballistic trajectory. And even if you do all that with the near-perfect accuracy, the target might just change his velocity (maneuver) and dodge it.

That's why in modern warfare all AA, except at the very most close range, is handled to missiles instead of guns.

All this problems disappears if you have a practical las weapon that will fire a las beam at speed of light. Even if your target is - say - 300 kilometers away, the las beam will reach it in a millisecond. Flying at mach 3, the object would displace by only one meter in one millisecond and still be hit. This mean that hitting a flyer with a las weapon would be extremely easy even without any dedicated equipment if close enough to be seen by naked eye. With <s>radar</s> auspex firing control you will basically hit flyers as soon as you detect it. The main strength of flyers (being harder to hit) will disappear and they will become the easier targets on the battlefield because they have no chance of cover and they cannot be as hard armored as something on the ground.

However, China and a few other countries (read: every first world country because no duh) have begun research into armor coatings designed to reflect or disperse laser-based weaponry (whereas countries like the US are doing that and increasing the power of their lasers in the knowledge that reflecting or dispersing lasers won't work at a certain level of energy), which would offset that advantage (though perhaps shooting the planes anyway could help guide missiles in the air to their targets and could damage or destroy electronics like targeting devices or cause missiles to detonate inside the target); it helps that the coatings would likely be much less expensive than the lasers themselves. Unfortunately, due to the effects of massed fire, such a coating would soon fail. Or, fire of a certain intensity, again and science says the laser simply won't be affected by such coatings at all...

Even if we invent coating that works perfectly well to protect aircraft, lasers could have a role in missile defence. After all, unless we can easily, and affordably, apply enough coating for every non-reusable explosive missile fired, the upsides of anti-air lasers could revolutionize missile defence.

==See also==
*[[Hellgun]]
*[[Laspistol]]

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Autogun

2019-02-19T05:29:38Z

2604:3D09:B580:770:6936:9C2E:B431:A19B: /* Autopistol */

[[File:Autogun4.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Note the [[C.S. Goto|heretical sorcery]] shrinking its capacity to below an [[Bolter#Astartes Boltguns|Astartes bolter]]]]

{{Topquote|Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.|General Douglas MacArthur}}

An '''Autogun''' is a [[firearm|chemically-powered projectile throwing weapon]] (a slug thrower, durr), that can be compared to late 20th to early 21st century fire arms. Autoguns are (probably) slightly more powerful, which is why it avoids the title of [[Stubber]] (which have basically no improvements on World War II firearms) which are even worse than [[lasgun|Lasguns]] (there is not a single part of a suit of flak armor that a rifle-sized Stubber can pierce at any range according to some sources, even though WWII Rifles were pretty powerful). Alternatively, since [[Stubber#Stub_Gun|Stub Pistols]] are more powerful than Autopistols, it's possible the difference has more to do with calibre and/or tech level. Simply put, these weapons use a propellant to accelerate a metal projectile to punch holes in things.

If the Lasgun is called a 'Flashlight' then the Autogun is called a 'Stapler'.

== Autoguns versus Lasguns ==

It is a significantly older weapon than the [[Lasgun]], and does not see quite as much use due to the [[Administratum|Departmento Munitorium]] saying it's a bad idea. So if a young and often curious Guardsmen tries and ask his superiors, mostly a Commissar (yes, reasonable Commissars do exist) on why a Lasgun is preferred over an Autogun by Imperial Standards, they will tell you a whole list of things such as the following... Lasgun Power Packs weigh significantly less than Autogun magazines and are far more sustainable (rechargeable via heat, light, or wall outlet); Lasguns are also significantly more accurate and require notably less maintenance than Autoguns; and Lasguns have no recoil, meaning even the 8-year-old baby-faced kids and 98-year-old dusty seniors that get conscripted into the Imperial Guard can fire it straight. The big reason that Autoguns were phased out was a matter of practicality, but there is one thing the Autogun has that the humble Lasgun doesn't: the amount of different types of ammunition you can carry. From Incendiary to Armor-Piercing rounds and even High-Explosive rounds that makes the Autogun a ''[[Awesome|miniature Bolter]]''. This means that while the Lasguns are far and away the common infantry gun, the vast selection of different ammunition makes the Autogun a kind of highly-flexible ''tactical weapon''. Though /tg/ rather enjoys musing that the *real* reason Autoguns were phased out was the cost (all that [[grimdark]] spent ammunition came from somewhere, after all). In spite of the ammunition problem, the Autogun still sees use throughout the Imperium (particularly among PDF forces, as they do not have the overwhelmingly-massive logistical issues the Imperial Guard does), and its removal from large parts of official service hasn't stopped its development.

== Autoguns versus Stubbers ==

There is [[Skub|significant debate]] over the actual power of Auto and Stub weapons, with the "higher power" team citing higher tech level and advanced materials, and "modern power" team citing no mention of any kind of recoil compensation (limiting power) and less innovative designs. Modernist evidence implies some or even most autoguns may actually be less advanced than modern firearms. After all, 21st century cannon rounds are definitely more advanced than the average autogun, and autoguns are meant to be built on all sorts of backwater worlds. Regardless, it is more than likely that both sides are right, since strictly speaking an Imperial autogun is generally any type of automatic rifle, firing solid slugs. As such, there are great many models and patterns in existence, different in both internal mechanics of their action and the ammunition they use. While some autoguns *are* just a backwater-colony's locally-designed crude weapons, using black-powder-filled cartridges and prone to jamming, *other* autoguns may be high-tech products of AdMech factories, firing hypervelocity discarding-sabot needle-bullets, capable of easily punching through carapace armour. The debate rages on, with the question being what is considered average or typical for the weapon, with both sides for the most part aware that all types exist.

There is also a third possibility, which involves the Dark Age of Technology. It's conceivable that "Stubber" is a derogatory term for old gunpowder weaponry made before the Dark Age, and "autogun" was a Dark Age classification created to delineate the super-futuristic projectile weapons of the then-modern era from Stub Guns. The difference was only significant during the Dark Age of Technology, when "autogun" meant something more akin to a [[Eclipse Phase|Smart Assault Rifle]] and a Stub Gun meant an M1 Garand. But that's not a great theory since the original autoguns were made well before the Dark Age of Technology, sometime early in our current millennium. Bizarre high-calibre low-velocity weapons firing brass bullets.

Another theory is that the main difference would seem to be it's complexity. The heavy stubber, while automatic, relies on size for it's lethality and reliability and is simple for an automatic weapon. It's rate of fire is largely due to the fact that it can fire in long bursts. A high calibre autogun, while firing fairly powerful stubby rounds, is harder to design and build in a functional form. But the Mechanicus' "stub" weapons defy this trend.

For further comparison between Stubbers and Autoguns, [[Stubber#Disambiguation|click here]].

==Imperium Variants ==
===Autopistol===
[[File:Autopistol.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Autopistol]]
Most often a machine pistol or submachine gun, the Autopistol is a single-handed submachine gun (called the <s>Uzi</s> Autopistol) which is frequently used by Chaos heretics (and on occasion, traitor guardsmen) and cultists who don't particularly care about accuracy or expenses and wish to be able to make noise and cause death at a close distance (the former is done better by an Autogun than a Lasgun) as they close in to use their swords. Quite fittingly, many of the autopistols manufactured by the Imperium are based off the MAC-10/MAC-11 weapon series.

Autopistols are still in massive use throughout the Imperium and can be found even on low-tech worlds. Like the larger Autogun it is a very easy to construct and usually available in large numbers. The autopistol is a common weapon amongst renegades, gang members, and lowly criminals, being as easy to use as it is to construct. They are not generally considered a military issue weapon, but are a favorite amongst many military veterans as a supplement for their standard lasgun or as a backup weapon, especially by the ones using unreliable melta- or plasma-weaponry. Some regiments, including the Cadian 8th, often equip all their troops with autopistols as sidearms, improving their combat firepower. Other commanders allow their troops to acquire spoils from the battlefield for their own use and autopistols are popular choices. It's not hard to imagine why, as while the laspistol wins out for utility, sometimes your life depends of how quickly you can down a charging ork. A weapon that's likely to save your life once or twice is probably better than one with a slim chance but can do it multiple times. Carrying one of each would be ideal.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Autopistol|r7=12|s7=3|ap7=-|type7=Pistol|r8=12|s8=3|ap8=0|d8=1|type8=Pistol 1}}
 

===Autogun===
[[File:Autogun.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Autogun]]
There are dozens of other Autogun models that have been created since, including more-advanced versions that use caseless ammunition. One common variety is an assault-rifle sized version formerly used by Imperial Guard regiments, known as the Agipinaa Type-II pattern Autogun (the one specifically noted to achieve stopping power on par with modern Imperial Guard-issue [[lasgun]]s). While pretty heavy at 6.2 kg / 13.6 lbs (with loaded magazine), this gun fires powerful (but having somewhat heavy recoil) 8.25mm rounds, accelerated to muzzle velocities of 825 meters per second while traveling through the autogun's 540mm (21.25 inch) long barrel. That's more powerful than NATOs 7.62 round but less powerful than a dedicated sniper round. It sounds a lot like a slightly stronger version of the 7.92mm Mauser (actually 8.22mm), the rifle cartridge of German G98 and Kar98k fame. 
Autoguns are commonly employed by pirates, rebel groups, [[Cultist|Chaos cultists]], [[Death_Korps_of_Krieg|Kriegers]], [[Planetary Defense Force]]s, [[Necromunda|Hive Gangers]], [[Adeptus Arbites]] and low-tech civilizations that are too underdeveloped to create even a simple Lasgun, which puts into perspective just how poor these people are. (Hey, that includes us...) On the Tabletop, they're basically [[Rule 63]] versions of lasguns, with the same exact specs.

In [[Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior]], the Stormtroopers used by the Guard detachment on-planet uses Autoguns that have been given special armor-piercing rounds (also known as "Man Stopper" rounds, featuring a penetrator-tip of hardened adamantium alloy embedded in each bullet) to improve their damage output, essentially putting them [[wat|on-par with]] [[Hellgun]]s (which is ridiculous, since when it comes to materials like adamantium, even an adamantium penetrator is just going to bounce off unless it's fired with very high power, kind of like trying to cut through a steel beam with a steel sword). Paired with the weapon's fast fire rate, they're probably the earliest weapon you can reliably take down a [[Space Marine]] or [[Chaos Space Marine]] with, though clearly better options are available.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Autogun|r7=24|s7=3|ap7=-|type7=Rapid Fire|r8=24|s8=3|ap8=0|d8=1|type8=Rapid Fire 1}}
 

===Rotor Cannon===
[[File:Rotor_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rotor Cannon]]

In previous editions, it should probably have been named Rotor Gun instead to avoid insulting the true cannons. The ancestor (read: feeble grandparent) of the Assault Cannon, firing smaller-caliber, less-capable ammunition and to date only seen in 30k. Unfortunately it was much weaker than its more recognizable descendant, with only half the stopping power (in fact it was on par with the standard autogun and outclassed by the ''Heavy Stubber'' of all guns) and much less armour-piercing ability, despite having the same shot output most of the time. About the only advantage it had over the Assault Cannon was the fact that it is man-portable by both Power-Armoured Astartes and unaugmented humans and can be fired on the move by both, whereas the Assault Cannon requires the user to wear Terminator armour, or for the Assault Cannon to be mounted on a vehicle. Based on the stats, it presumably fired similar rounds to an autogun (which is analogous to a modern battle rifle) but at a much higher cyclic rate, so it probably had some similarity to the real-life M134 minigun, which in technical terms would similarly classify the Rotor Cannon as a Rotary Machine Gun.

Even with the Rotor Cannon's poor stats and lack of special abilities, a few forces such as the Imperial Knights and the Thousand Sons Space Marine Legion have improved the Rotor Cannon's utility by loading it with more useful ammo, such as Biocorrosive ammunition for the Knights and the Thousand Son's own Asphyx shells that both allow for this humble weapon to be able to successfully wound its targets much more often. However, the Rotor Cannon's limitations against tougher opposition eventually led it to be phased out millennia before the 40k era, as Imperial Guard infantry forces eventually got access to crew-served versions of Astartes-grade Autocannons, Heavy Bolters, and Missile Launchers for their heavy weaponry, against which the Rotor Cannon could not compete even with its ability to be fired on the move by unaugmented humans.

In the 42nd Millenium, the Rotor Cannon appears to have been lifting, as it's now got an addition point of strength, a degree of AP and (bizarrely) 2 damage, turning it into (if the Assault Cannon is an automatic 20 mm cannon) basically a 50cal minigun. Really though, that 2 damage makes for a strange statline, as many related and much more powerful weapons lack 2 damage. This includes weapons like assault cannons, reaper autocannons, and even the Avenger bolt cannon. Combined with its less-than-impressive rate of fire this also means it's a portable rotary gun that ''doesn't'' specialize at horde-munching, instead being able to punch bigger holes in an ork Nob than a heavy bolter does, while also having a harder time actually wounding said Nob. Simply halving it's damage and doubling its rate-of-fire to 8 would've made a weapon that would've been the natural rotary version of an ironhail heavy stubber. Possibly the only logical way to resolve this would be to reason that its aim can only be changed very slowly while firing, and so can't be swept across hordes but can be held on a single target for more damage, but even that makes no sense when you roll badly and fail to kill a single ork boy with a burst of fire. A case of GW taking something weird and bad, and making it less bad and more weird.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Rotor Cannon|r7=30|s7=3|ap7=6|type7=Salvo 3/4|r8=24|s8=4|ap8=-1|d8=2|type8=Heavy 4}}
 

===Autocannon===
[[File:Imperial_Autocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Autocannon]]
The Autocannon is the big-cheese of the Autogun family (and possibly related to the <s>88mm Flak gun</s> <s>Bofors 40-57mm</s> <s>20mm Hispano-Suiza</s> GW couldn't tell which is which anyway), firing massive projectiles quickly enough that it can infatuate and butcher a group of Orks at the same time. Most commonly mounted on vehicles, but also seeing use in [[Imperial Guard]] heavy weapons teams, it possesses a frightening rate of fire and good armour penetration. Much like a heavy stubber, the autocannon proves that even older tech can work when scaled up in size. [[Great Crusade| Before]][[Horus Heresy| a certain temper tantrum]] and its aftermath, it used what were approximately [[Awesome|up-scaled Heavy Bolter shells]] to literally kill anything. Basically, ''these'' autocannon shells were to 40k's autocannon shells what Baneblade cannons are to battle cannons. Yeah. By the way most modern cannons actually use advanced shells like this.

The standard Autocannon makes a satisfying ''POM-POM-POM'' sound as it chews up targets up to four feet away. It hits at S7AP-1 and is a Heavy 2 weapon that deals D2, making it statistically better than the Heavy Bolter against everything except Toughness 4 and less models. The long-barreled Hydra variation is used on the [[Hydra Flak Tank]], and is designed to serve as anti-air support but used to chew up any cocky infantry that gets too close. Nowadays it gives warning shots that may clip an enemy if that enemy is standing right in front of it and jumps up and down screaming "SHOOT ME" (and even then might miss). Fortunately, it has an additional two feet of range, so while it only has one job, it tends to do it pretty well.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Autocannon|r7=48|s7=7|ap7=4|type7=Heavy 2|r8=48|s8=7|ap8=-1|d8=2|type8=Heavy 2}}
 

===Assault Cannon===
[[File:Assault_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Assault Cannon]]
The Assault Cannon is an autogun with an [[Dakka|outrageous rate of fire]], meaning it has to have rotating barrels to stop them from melting. Although it falls far short of it's terrifying fluffy firepower on tabletop, firing just four shots (or perhaps "enough ammunition to cause four chances to wound per turn of firing") compared to the 10 and 20 shots of rotary cannons available to the Imperial Guard, the Assault Cannon also fires unique, diamond-hard rounds at significantly increased velocity, resulting in far greater stopping power and armour penetration. Early prototype versions were exclusive to the Imperial Fists and Blood Angels Space Marine Legions, but did have a rare tendency to jam and become useless without some involved repair work. Upgraded jam-free versions were implemented post-Heresy, meaning that Chaos doesn't get these meat-grinders (although [[Obliterators]] do).

Assault Cannons are primarily used by [[Space Marine]]s as anti-infantry weaponry on [[Terminator|Terminators]], [[Dreadnought]]s, and various other vehicles and aircraft. The assault cannon might actually be a stub-weapon, as some art shows it ejecting spent casings. [[Only War]] and several other sources show that there is a difference. Auto-weapons are (usually) caseless and can be anything from merely caseless, chemically-propelled rounds, to railrifles and gravitic-accelerated projectiles. This is also why Macrocannons are auto-weapons, as their shells are magnetically propelled. Of course, knowing the Mechanicus, there are probably examples of both auto-weapons and stub-weapons for all solid-projectile weapons of the Imperium.

If it was a laser weapon, it would be to Multilasers something like what a Hellgun is to a Lasgun. Being Rotary Cannons, Assault Cannons should in theory be able to spin at different speeds to deliver higher or lower firing rates depending on whether the target is a squishy 'umie or even a vehicle, but this isn't possible in the game. It's possible that the Mechanicus, being the hidebound institution it is, hardwired a one-size-fits-all maximum firing rate in all models of Assault Cannon to make maintenance easier and to keep these weapons from wearing out and overheating too fast, with the ideal firing rate being what a Terminator-armoured Astartes could effectively aim, control, and still be able to carry enough ammunition for in one battle (since faster firing rates also deplete ammunition more quickly). This hypothesis is made more plausible given how the Blood Angels had to resort to mounting twin-linked Assault Cannons in the turrets of their [[Predator_Tank#Baal_Pattern_Predator|Baal Predator Tanks]] to get more of this weapon's firepower in one mount, instead of just spinning one Assault Cannon's barrels faster to achieve the same result as in real life. Although splitting the rate of fire between two guns does reduce the danger of overheating the barrels.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Assault Cannon|r7=24|s7=6|ap7=4|type7=Heavy 4, Rending|r8=24|s8=6|ap8=-1|d8=1|type8=Heavy 6}}
 

===Punisher Gatling Cannon===
[[File:Punisher_Gatling_Cannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Punisher Gatling Cannon]]

The Punisher Gatling Cannon is the primary armament of the Leman Russ Punisher tank and one of the Vulture Gunship's variants, and is a recent addition to the Imperial Guard armory. Design-wise, the weapon looks like someone was impressed with the Assault Cannon's firepower, but became increasingly frustrated with the inability of Imperial Guard forces to procure it and its unique ammunition, and so decided to resurrect the concept of the the long-discontinued Rotor Cannon (see above) and improved on it in most respects. The Punisher Gatling Cannon thus ends up as an intermediate step between the older Rotor Cannon and the much-vaunted Assault Cannon, possessing stopping power almost at the level of the latter weapon while not improving on the former's lackluster armour-penetration ability (likely a conscious design choice to keep manufacturing and ammunition costs down, below even what Heavy Bolter shells might require since Heavy Bolter shells have better armour-piercing ability compared to the Punisher's own ammunition).

Where the Punisher truly shines lies in the fact that it is vehicle-mounted only; since it's not bound by the need to limit its firing rate to allow a single Terminator-armoured Astartes to both effectively control and still carry sufficient ammunition for, the Punisher can instead achieve ''quintuple'' the firing rate of an Assault Cannon. This is a literal torrent of anti-infantry firepower, and puts the Punisher squarely among the fastest-firing weapons in the Imperial arsenal, <s>outstripping even the Vulcan Mega-Bolter</s> (as of 8th edition, both the Punisher and the Vulcan have the same rate of fire) which is restricted to being mounted on superheavy tanks or Titan-scale walkers. In fact, the Punisher doesn't so much as go DAKKADAKKADAKKA, it instead goes BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT. Able to churn out more shots than a squad of Tactical Marines at even greater strength, this baby will swiftly ventilate any block of infantry it comes across and can even threaten Monstrous Creatures by sheer weight of fire even with its unsophisticated non-armour-piercing ammunition. The Punisher Gatling Cannon also has a kid brother in the form of the Taurox Gatling Cannon, which has less strength and half the shots.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Punisher Gatling Cannon|r7=24|s7=5|ap7=-|type7=Heavy 20|r8=24|s8=5|ap8=0|d8=1|type8=Heavy 20}}
 

===Punisher Rotary Cannon===
[[File:Punisher_RotCannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Punisher Rotary Cannon]]
A souped up version of the above for the [[Space Marines|Emperor's finest]]. Like all things originating from the [[Great Crusade|good ol'days of the 31st Millennium]], the Punisher Rotary Cannon is far and above of higher quality than its 41st Millennium counterparts. Interestingly enough, the Punisher Rotary Cannon was the main armament of the once common [[Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer|Cerberus Pattern Main Battle Tank]], but the discovery of a Neutron Laser Projector and the [[Derp|general stupidity of placing a anti-infantry weapon on a fixed-hull mounted vehicle]] meant that it was eventually replaced as the Cerberus' go-to primary weapon. Loses out on two shots, but gains -1 AP and 50% more range to compensate. Later equipped on what else? The [[Sicaran Battle Tank#Sicaran Punisher|Sicaran Punisher]].

Due to its natural ability in [[Dakka|unleashing a torrent of unrelenting]] [[Steel Rain]], the Punisher Rotary Cannon quickly rose to fame among /tg/ of being an absolute [[Rape|rape machine]] against blob armies of infantry and ''even vehicles'' when it first came out. And that is just the weapon firing simple solid ferro-carbide slugs, imagine them with actual Bolt rounds....Seriously, nobody is going to go out okay when they face [[FATAL|18 Heavy Bolter shots in the face that can re-roll failed hits on a 1.]]

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-8|name=Punisher Rotary Cannon|range=36|strength=5|ap=-1|type=Heavy 18|}}
 

===Onslaught Gatling Cannon===
[[File:OnslaughtGatling.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Onslaught Gatling Cannon]]
The latest weapon for the Adeptus Astartes, and currently restricted to use as a secondary weapon on the [[Repulsor Tank|Repulsor Hover Tank]] and [[Redemptor Dreadnought|Redemptor Dreadnought.]] As such, it is ''another'' weapon exclusive to the [[Primaris Marines]]. Why in the Emperor's mummified nipples a gun such as this cannot be wielded by the more common Space Marines just begs the question. Why?

This weapon was found thanks to the reintroduction of [[Roboute Guilliman|Robot Gullytan the Third]] and Uncle [[Cawl]]. It has the strength and armour penetration of a heavy bolter at two thirds the range and twice the rate of fire.

On the Redemptor Dreadnought, due to its size, the Onslaught is wielded much like an oversized Powerfist lugging a hand-held autocannon. The sheer size of the Dreadnought's fist in contrast to the comically small Gatling Cannon is bound to spawn a few compensation jokes. Suffices to say, this eventually led to the creation of the Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon as shown below.

On the Repulsor, it is notorious for being one of the primary weapon choices on a vehicle ''infamous'' for its [[Dakka|weapon placements and the amount of guns it carries along on the battlefield.]]

Given it's a Heavy Bolter but better, don't be surprised if this weapon ends up being wielded by the Chad's Devastator equivalents.

===Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon===
[[File:HeavyOnslaughtGatlingCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon]]
Maximum dakka for the Astartes, the Heavy Onslaught is the primary weapon of the Repulsor Hover Tank and Redemptor Dreadnought. Basically the Dreadnought's equivalent of a penis extension or a [[Rape|metaphor for the foreboding erection the Dreadnought pilot is about to feel before being let loose.]]

Like its smaller brother, the Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon is a weapon exclusive to the Chadmarines and like its smaller brother, it came to fruition thanks to the management of Grandpa Smurf and Uncle Cawl.

It has the same strength and armour penetration as its smaller brother, but a 30" range and an incredible 12 shots. Interestingly inferior to the Punisher gatling cannon against everything that doesn't have heavy (2+) armour.

===Anvilus Autocannon Battery===
[[File:DEREDEO-PATTERN-DREADNOUGHT-Side.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Anvilus Autocannon Battery]]
You take a normal Autocannon, get three of its brothers and than duct taped them together. Congratulations! You now have the Anvilus Autocannon Battery.

The Anvilus Autocannon Battery, also known as the Anvilus Pattern Autocannon Battery, was the main ballistic weapon system used by the ancient [[Dreadnought#Deredeo Pattern|Deredeo Pattern Dreadnoughts]] of the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. The Anvilus Autocannon Battery was a set of two Anvilus Pattern Autocannons that shared a mount and firing system.

The Deredeo Dreadnoughts were armed with two such batteries that were then twin-linked together. The Anvilus Autocannon Battery was a fearsome development of the Autocannon that was able engage and destroy enemy armored targets with a punishing salvo of [[Dakka|BRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTT.]] The Anvilus Autocannon 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.

===Icarus Stormcannon Array===
[[File:StormcannonArray.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Icarus Stormcannon Array]]
The big brother of the Anvilus Autocannon Battery for the sole basis of having a bigger bore-size.

The Icarus Stormcannon Array is a Space Marine anti-aircraft platform mounted on [[Space Marine Stalker|Stalker vehicles.]] Made up of two independently traversing turrets of triple-barreled cannons and a large radar dish, the Icarus Stormcannon Array can track and fire at two separate aerial targets simultaneously.

The Stalker mounts an array of two Icarus Stormcannons granted a capacity for independent targeting by the servo-mind conclave (Cogitator array) to which they are shackled. The cannons have a high rate of fire and can launch hundreds of solid rounds into the sky.

Each servo-mind can direct the Stormcannons to track separate targets with a lesser degree of accuracy, or when faced by more potent foes the array can concentrate fire in a single, withering salvo that will tear even the mightiest winged beast or enemy aircraft from the skies.

===Siegebreaker Cannon===
[[File:Siegebreaker_Cannon_2.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Siegebreaker Cannon]]
The main secondary weapon of the new Imperial Knight Dominus. The Siegebreaker Cannons can come in a configuration of either one or two depending on your preferences. They are mounted on the back or the shoulders in order to resemble the Warlord Titan.

The Siegebreaker Cannon is an automated turret that is aimed at demolishing light vehicles and MEQs and even TEQs if the going gets tough. Nevertheless, its nature as a secondary weapon is meant to pick off stragglers when the primary weapons are busy dueling out with some big ass units.

Crunchwise, the Siegebreaker Cannon is basically a more random version of the Autocannon. Each one is a Heavy D3 gun with a range of 48", s 7, ap -1, damage D3 and is capable of doing a maximum of 9 damage if you rolled perfectly, but on average will be [[Fail|exactly the same as the Autocannon]]. Do note that being d3 instead of a flat 2 damage like the standard Autocannon actually makes it worse against 2 wound models, however.

Ironically, while GW tries to claim that "If siegebreaker cannons were mounted on mainline battle tanks, you’d take them in every game", the Siegebreaker Cannons are [[Derp|shittier version of a Battle Cannon, aka the main gun of the most spammed tank in the galaxy.]]

===Battle Cannon===
[[File:Battle_Cannon_Leman_Russ.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Battle Cannon]]
The big cheese of the Autogun family without going full on Titan. The Battle cannon is a larger and heavier version of the autocannon, its size restricting its use to vehicles only. It is the primary weapon of the [[Leman Russ Battle Tank]], where its explosive shells can decimate both infantry and other armor. It is also common armament on [[Imperial Knight|Imperial Knights]], though for these mighty machines are used special Rapid Fire Battle Cannons with improved rate of fire. Due to it being of Autogun in function, it has a wide variation of different ammunition that it can use. such as:

'''High Explosive:''' The standard round fired by Leman Russ battle cannons, HE shells like the Leman Russ Mk4 G4 round contain a highly explosive material such as Fyceline which detonates upon impact with the target. Since a high velocity is not necessary for the shell to work, a small amount of propellant allows for a larger amount of explosive material than in other shells. The explosion causes a blastwave lethal to anyone close by and shatters the thin shell casing into deadly high-speed shrapnel, making them deadly when used against infantry and light vehicles. While the sheer size of the blast can cause minor damage to armored vehicles, even stun or kill the crew within, HE shells lack the penetrative power of true anti-tank shells.

'''Anti-Tank/Armour Piercing:''' Anti-tank or armor piercing shells like the standard Leman Russ Mk12 G4 round are used to destroy hardened targets such as enemy tanks or bunkers. They consist of a solid round topped with an adamantium tip covered by a soft metal cap. A large propellant charge launches the round at high velocities, where upon impact the metal cap melts and creates a "sticking" effect so that the adamantium tip does not slide off of sloped armor or break. Most AP shells cause damage through kinetic energy, the sheer violence of a penetrating hit causing spalling within the enemy tank's interior to damage internal systems and kill crew. Others include a small high explosive charge which detonates upon impact, causing additional secondary damage.

'''Infernus:''' Inferno shells like the standard Leman Russ Mk7 G4 round, also known as incendiary, phosphorine or thermite shells, work in similar principle to HE shells. However instead of an explosive charge these shells are filled with a combustible substance which instantly is scattered upon impact. The substance burns instantly and is particularly deadly when used against infantry.

'''Smoke:''' Smoke shells are used to create an instant smoke screen, hiding the tank or other friendly forces from enemy observations.

'''Hunter:''' Hunter shells are very rare tank rounds which can be fired by a battle cannon or Conqueror cannon. They contain a small logic-engine similar to the one found on Hunter-Killer Missiles which locks onto a target and directs the path of the shell towards it. Just before impact the shell's Machine Spirit causes it to rise above and hit the enemy vehicle on it's thinner top armor. Only ever produced on the Forge World Tigrus, the knowledge to construct Hunter shells was lost when the world was overrun by the Orks. Most tank crews will therefore never even see a Hunter shell, much less have the honor of firing one.

===Avenger Gatling Cannon===
[[File:Avenger Gatling Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Avenger Gatling Cannon]]

The Avenger Gatling Cannon is a six-barrelled Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon firing bullets bigger than Autoguns, not to mention being larger as well overall. It is an available option for the [[Imperial Knight#Knight_Patterns|Imperial Knights Warden and Crusader]] in place of their standard-issue large-ass [[Chain_Weapon#Reaper_Chainsword|chainsaw]].

The highly feared avenger gatling cannon is like an oversized assault cannon, though its larger calibre shells are more destructive and its rate of fire is even more prodigious. A single blazing volley from the rotary weapon can stitch a pattern of death across the foe’s battle lines, causing charges to falter and fail or destroying entire attack columns of light vehicles.

There has been some confusion between this weapon and the [[Bolter#Avenger Bolt Cannon|Avenger Bolt Cannon]] due to the fact that both of them look like oversized miniguns as well as [[Derp|having the names 'Avenger' in them.]] However, it can be assumed that the Avenger Bolt Cannon's internal mechanics is more suited and specialized towards the gyrojet nature of the bolt rounds, whereas the Avenger Gatling Cannon is a more conventional rotary machine gun that just have a enlarged bore-size for it to fire massive bullets.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Avenger Gatling Cannon|r7=36|s7=6|ap7=3|type7=Heavy 12, Rending|r8=36|s8=6|ap8=-2|d8=2|type8=Heavy 12}}

<gallery>
CrusaderAvenger.png
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</gallery>

===Thunderhawk Cannon===
[[File:Thunderhawk_Cannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Thunderhawk Cannon]]

A Battle Cannon given a [[/d/|penis enlarger]].

The Thunderhawk Cannon is a powerful, oversized, ballistic Battle cannon mounted on a Space Marine [[Thunderhawk|Thunderhawk Gunship]]. It is an over-sized version to allow it to be fired from the air at the most vulnerable parts of an enemy position or for clearing an area to land troops in.

However, despite the power coming from this weapon, most Space Marines would rather just replace the Cannon with the more destructive, accurate, ammo effecient, recoil friendly, longer ranged [[Superheavy Laser Weapons#Turbo-Laser Destructor|Single-Barrelled Turbo-Laser Destructor]] instead.

How the hell the Thunderhawk manage to stay stable without the cannon's immense recoil tearing the plane apart is unknown.

===Accelerator Autocannon===
[[File:AcceleratorAuto.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Accelerator Autocannon]]
Back when the Emperor still walked, the Imperium was capable of developing new and improved weapons, and the Accelerator Autocannon was one of those. Basically a cross between the Autocannon and a Rail Gun, the Accelerator Autocannon coupled a high rate of fire with a powerful shell and high accuracy. It shares it name with the Accelerator Cannon used on the [[Fellblade]] and [[Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank]]. Which would imply that this is a downsized version.

Currently the Accelerator Autocannon is exclusively mounted on the main variant of the [[Sicaran Battle Tank]]. Each Sicaran has two of them. Why they don't bother mounting them on the more advanced Dreadnaughts is because they don't know how, [[Games Workshop|lazyness,]] or they have so much recoil it's impracticable.

===Quake Cannon===
[[File:Quake_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Quake Cannon]]
The Quake Cannon is a gigantic artillery piece mounted on Imperial Titans and Super-Heavy Tanks. The Quake Cannon is used to engage targets at extreme range. Each Quake Cannon shot contains a [[Wat|fragment of a planet that has been subjected to]] [[Exterminatus]], which is to say the '''energy''' of the Exterminatus is harnessed and then weaponized....which is....unnecessarily complex to say the least....anyways, the weapon draws the contained earth-shattering power out and containing the blastwave within a Quake Shell.

On Titans, the Quake Cannon is commonly found on Warlord Battle Titans. The Imperator class titan can also carry one or more Quake Cannon on its carapace hard-points.

On Superheavies, the Imperial Guard Banesword Super-Heavy tank is also equipped with a Quake Cannon.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile|name=Quake Cannon|range=180|strength=9|ap=3|type=Ordnance, 10" Blast|}}
 

===Gatling Blaster===
[[File:Gatblaster.jpg|200px|right|thumb|The child of an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GAU-8_Avenger Avenger] and a battle cannon]]

Strapped to the mighty [[Reaver Battle Titan]] and above, this is the weapon you field when you need the biggest dakka the Imperium of Man has to offer, it's basically an Assault Cannon, [[Awesome|except that it fires Battle Cannon shells rather than bullets]], yeah... this is what you get if you thought about the Schwerer Gustav using Gatling Technology. Now if only they had some kind of Macro Gatling, ridiculous as that would be.

By function, each of the Gatling Blaster's six barrels fires once in turn during each revolution of the barrel cluster. The multiple barrels provide both a very high rate of fire and contribute to long weapon life by minimizing barrel erosion and heat generation. The Gatling Blaster is pneumatically-driven and electrically-primed. The gun rotor, barrel assembly and ammunition feed system are rotated by a hydraulic drive motor through a system of flexible drive shafts. The round is fired by an electric priming system where an electrical current from a firing lead passes through the firing pin to the primer as each round is rotated into the firing position. One of the drawbacks of the initial design was that the ejection of spent links created considerable (and ultimately insufferable) problems. The Adeptus Mechanicus compensated for this issue by creating a linkless feed system.

This is actually a pretty [[Reasonable Marines|reasonable and practical]] solution; a rarity in the AdMech. As what kind of sane Guardsmen would like to die from [[FATAL|giant empty bullet casings?]]

Galting Blasters can be mounted on the weapon limbs of Reaver and Warlord Battle Titans and the carapace mounts on Imperator Titans. It is too large to be fitted to Warhound Scout Titans however.

===Nemesis Quake Cannon===
[[File:99560108206_WarbringerTitanQuakeCannon01.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Nemesis Quake Cannon]]
The Quake Cannon on steroids, or the holy lovechild between a Quake Cannon and a Gatling Blaster, [[Skub|whichever you ask.]]

The Mars-Alpha Pattern Nemesis Quake Cannon or the Nemesis Quake Cannon for short, is a [[/d/|larger, thicker and longer version of the standard Quake Cannon with more ''girth''.]] [[Tl;dr]][[Slaanesh|, its a literal ''penis extension''.]] We in /tg/ like to joke that the [[Basilisk Artillery Gun]] and the [[Goliath Mega-Cannon]] are nothing more than a [[Dick|compensation weapon,]] but it seems that GW had forgotten the memo and took this shit [[Derp|''seriously''.]]

Mounted on the new and shiny [[Warbringer Nemesis Titan]]. This giant six-shooter of doom is designed to kill enemy Titans on sight, thus in any sensible usage, this weapon is regulated at the back lines as a giant sniper, unfortunately the Imperium [[Herp|lacks any sensibility]] and uses these as front line weapons instead. Nevertheless, having a fast firing Quake Cannon '''''is''''' a boon to any forces as now you have a very quick way to whither down the [[Void shields|Void Shields]] of enemy Titans in a quick and efficient manner rather than risking the time reloading. And seeing how this Titan gained prominence during the [[Horus Heresy]] when [[Emperor Battle Titan|Emperor Battle Titans]] were common enough to be thrown left and right like normal battle tanks, the nature of this weapon makes a whole load of sense. This cannon also works wonders against heavily fortified encampments and any forms of fortifications in general due to the monumental concussive force unleashed as its shell impacts the ground setting off powerful localized earthquakes.

Even if it doesn't directly hit its target, the concussive force from that cannon could still indirectly halt the advance of nearly anything on the battlefield up to and including battalions of Superheavy Tanks and enemy Knights.

===Macro Cannon===
[[File:Macrocannon.jpg|280px|thumb|right|A voidcraft Macrocannon, why the Mechanicus decided it was a good idea to use slaves to manually reload a EXBOXHUGE Cannon, despite already having auto-loaders is beyond our moral understandings.]]

The [[Dakka|Biggest of the Big]]. 'Macrocannon' seems to be a catch-all for any auto-type weapon larger than a Gatling-Blaster, ranging from fortress-mounted field artillery to the literally apocalyptic, cathedral-sized weapons found on [[Imperial Navy|voidcraft]]. As is clearly evident, it causes a quantity of [[Rape]] proportional to its size, but even the smallest land-based Macrocannons are capable of laying waste to mostly everything, including [[Awesome|flyers]]. It is at its basest an autocannon that fires bullets ranging in size from that of a man all the way up to the size of a [[Baneblade]], depending on the weapon's calibre (no, seriously), and since this is the Imperium, instead of an automatic reloader, they need [[Grimdark|dozens of slaves to move each bullet]] for the ship-mounted Macrocannons (heretical theories suggest this is either because it is actually cheaper for the Imperium, which is overloaded with humans and not resources, or because they are stockpiling resources, or they are cutting down on chances of daemonic incursions through humans by putting more of them in the killzone, or they are testing to see just how far people will comply with slave labor in a totalitarian state, or - most heretical of all - some suggest it is a bureaucratic screw-up with paperwork or that the AdMech doesn't know how to repair the loading cranes).

Provided yields for these weapons can go from 42 exajoules (about 5.297 times more powerful than [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake the most powerful earthquake ever recorded]; a 42 exajoule earthquake would be approximately magnitude 9.98) right down to the measly [[What|15 tetrajoules]]...[[Derp|*sigh* Games Workshop never fails to surprise us]]. Seriously believe us, we know that tetrajoules isn't an official unit of measurement, but since tetra is Latin for four this essentially gives us....[[Herp|4 joules of power]]....[[Fail|which is weaker then a human punch or a]] [[Lasgun|flashlight]].... Don't believe us? We got that from [[Rogue Trader (RPG)|Rogue Trader rpg: BattleFleet Koronus pg. 31 & 20]] which is quote on quote:
:''"Look at her, son. Isn’t she a beauty? Over two hundred Vulcan mega-bolter defence turrets, '''[[Wat|fifteen tetrajoule Sunsear las-broadsides]]''', prow plating ten metres thick, the finest auspex masts in the battlefleet… And the lines on her! Fluted prow, elegant statuary… those xenos scum won’t know what hit them!” – Bosun Phineas Jhule tempts fate at the embarkation of the Fire of Heaven''
:''"The Avenger dates from an earlier period of fleet tactics, when, squadrons of grand cruisers were employed as “line-breakers.” Traditionally, they were thrown into the midst of massive fleet engagements, soaking up enemy fire while racing into the middle of enemy formations, '''[[Bullshit|then crushing their opponents at short range with tetrajoules of energy from their oversized broadsides.]]'''"
''
Yeah...we in [[/tg/]] aren't sure whether this was [[Troll|intentional]] or a [[FAIL|gross example of a severe typo.]] So...um....[[Lulz|FEAR THE 60 JOULE BROADSIDE BATTERIES!]]. A possible explanation for this stupidity GWs forgot that the term "quadrillion" is a thing and is using "tetrajoule" to mean 1 000 000 000 000 000 joules (as the word "billion" comes from the latin word for two, "trillion" for the latin word for three and so on.). This gives a result of 15 quadrillion joules in a broadside, which is 15 trillion times as powerful as the world's largest laser and '''well over 3 times''' the amount of energy released in a 1 megaton explosion. Much better.

Jokes aside, if we use the picture to the right as a reference for size, and estimate the shell as a solid slug of density equivalent to lead, launched at a planet from geosynchronous orbit above an Earth-like planet (36,000km), you're looking at somewhere in the region of 50 Tera-Joules of energy when it strikes the ground, or slightly less than the Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima (and that's just from gravity, not including launch energy). About fifty or so of the land-based Macrocannons would equate to one ship-mounted Macrocannon, or one point of firepower in [[Battlefleet Gothic]]. Oh yes.

==Chaos Variants==
===Reaper Autocannon===
[[File:ReaperAutocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Reaper Autocannon]]
There is the regular Autocannon and then there is the Reaper variant, which only the Chaos Space Marines get because Assault Cannons were discovered after the [[Horus Heresy]], and everybody Imperial promptly thought they were cooler than the Reaper Autocannon. The reaper is an infantry-portable twin-linked Autocannon that wants to put its shells in your face at 36" or less. The reaper is effective against light vehicles and monsters, but the Imperials switched to the other gun for its boons against infantry. The current Imperial gun is mostly popular due to its reliability and durability, capable of operation for years without much care even if [[Ogryn|someone]] used it as a club. By comparison, the reaper assault cannon [[Fail|needs its barrels to be replaced after each battle or else it loses reliability or even explodes]] (maybe the admech were drunk that day).

Then at some point, the Traitor Legions and their Dark Mechanicus pals looked at the Reaper Autocannon and asked, "How can we make this even more rapey?" So they came up with the Helstorm Autocannon, which apparently can only be fitted to vehicles and aircraft such as the Hellblade due to its sheer rate of fire. It has the same profile as the Reaper except for firing an extra shot per attack and adding delicious Rending because fuck assault cannons. Now if only GW would let the forces of Chaos get their collective shit together and replace every vehicle mounted heavy bolter with S7 AP4 Heavy 3, Twin-linked, Rending.

===Soulreaper Cannon===
[[File:SoulreaperCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Soulreaper Cannon]]
You remember how we said earlier that the [[Thousand Sons]] AKA The Prodigal Bookworms found a way to make the god awful Rotor Cannon somewhat viable? Yeah, here is the end of result of it all.

The Soulreaper Cannon is a type of gatling Inferno Weapon used by the Thousand Sons. This heavy weapon bares a strong resemblance to the Space Marine Assault Cannon, but since it is basically a modified Rotor Cannon, the Sons of Magnus can basically lug around this gun with their normal [[Rubric Marines]]. This actually increases the effectiveness of these walking tin bins as it [[Dakka|boosts their firepower to a ungodly amount.]] [[Awesome]].

As the Soulreaper is an Inferno weapon, it uses literal magic to further boost and enhance the weapon's lethality. Who says that mixing science and sorcery is an absurd idea eh? [[Necron|Suck it Crons!]]

===Hades Autocannon===
[[File:HadesAutocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Hades Autocannon]]
The bigger version of the Reaper Autocannon.

Also because Chaos likes to add daemons to things, and daemons make things goofy, Chaos Space Marines have access to ''another'' vehicle-mounted variant, the Hades Autocannon, which bafflingly can only be mounted onto a dinobot (probably because it's propelled by warp-flame or something). Fielded onto a Heldrake for air support or in pairs on a Forgefiend for heavy support, the Hades Autocannon (R36", S8, AP4, Heavy 4, pinning) suffers the Reaper's slightly gimped range compared to the vanilla autocannon, but is slightly stronger and can pin units (but don't count on pinning too much); while it's not twin-linked like the reaper, having double the firepower more than compensates.

A Forgefiend can mulch most infantry short of [[Terminator]]s, pounding through power armour on sheer weight and power of fire, can make most Monstrous Creatures' lives flash before their eyes, and can hurt even a [[Land Raider]] or [[Monolith]] if the dice gods are in your favor. It's <s>almost</s> really/absolutely a real shame that the average Forgefiend isn't known for being a phenomenal shot.

===Skullshredder Cannon===
[[File:Skullshredder.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Skullshredder Cannon]]

The smallest of the weapons in the ridiculous [[Tower of Skulls]] Daemon Engine.

The two sponson-mounted twin-linked Skullshredder Cannons is used primarily for anti-infantry defense and it behaves similiar to a twin-linked Autocannon. Because it is mounted on the side, it can only target opponents in its field of view.

The Skullshredder is often seen as the least important weapon especially when there is the Doomfire Cannon situated just above the Skullshredder. Thus, it is often used to pick off any stragglers or provide additional wounds to would-be attackers.

Like all weapons from the Daemon Engine, it is powered by pure hatred.

===Skullreaper Cannon===
[[File:Skullreaper_Cannon.JPG|150px|right|thumb|Skullreaper Cannon]]

The Reaper Autocannon's father.

The Skullreaper Cannons is found only on the ridiculous [[Tower of Skulls]] Daemon Engine and is the primary hull-mounted weapon of the Tower itself. It is located further up the tower's height, and it is where the two hull-mounted Skullreaper Cannons is situated.

The Skullreaper Cannons resemble large hexa-barrelled weapons akin to a Hurricane Bolter, although it is not known whether the Skullreaper itself is a type of Bolter weapon, other than it fires large shells of pure hate. It is by far one of the most devastating anti-infantry weapons on a vehicle brimming with anti-infantry weapons, this is thanks in no part for simply having more barrels to load bullets in.

Due to its nature, it can be assumed that the Skullreaper is powered by the pure hatred of the Daemon Engine and uses the aforementioned shells of pure hate. It is unknown where the Daemon Engine supply the ammunition from, although it could be noted that the sheer size of the Tower of Skulls would mean that there should be ample room for stored ammunition, or we could just use the Warp simply whisking free ammunition like candy from a white van.

Nevertheless, because it is a six-barrelled weapon, the Skullreaper [[Count as]] a heavy weapon that can mulch most infantry trying to charge and attack the Tower of Skulls. Its unusual height advantage means that it can target enemies hiding behind cover with ease.

Unfortunately, the less can be said for its firing field of view, you could thank the stupid ass tower for being in the way.
{{clear}}

===Doomfire Cannon===
[[File:Doomfire_Cannon.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Doomfire Cannon]]

A giant fuck off gatling cannon that resembles a lot like the Space Marine's [[Thunderfire Cannon]] (Some may even accuse it of even being part of the Thunderfire kit, proving that GW can to, kitbash), heck it even behave like the Thunderfire Cannon, creating large explosions to shred infantry akin to a Bolter.

It is one of the secondary hull mounted weapons of the ridiculous Tower of Skulls Daemon Engine. Because it is mounted on a turret, the Doomfire Cannon is given a near 360 degree firing position. This makes it ''far'' more reasonable than the hokey Skullreaper Cannon whose very design seem to mimic the [[Warhammer Fantasy|Arrowslits found in medieval castles.]] [[Lolwut|Yes, you heard us right,]] [[Derp|GW]] and [[Herp|Khorne]] [[What|thought ''that'']] [[FAIL|was a 'good' design choice.]]

Of course, because it is lower to the ground, it has less range than the Skullreaper Cannon and is meant to rip apart closing infantry. Due to its explosive nature, it is unknown whether it is a Bolter, although Battle Cannons are known to have a blast template, so it could be assume that it just fire ''that'' big of a shell at such a rapid rate that it creates small blast templates in its wake.

Seriously, look at that ''bore size'' and tell me it doesn't fire fucking huge bullets?
{{clear}}

===Scorpion Cannon===
[[File:Scorpion_Cannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Scorpion Cannon]]
The Scorpion Cannon, also known as the Sting Cannon, is a large, multi-barrelled weapon that is wielded by [[Brass Scorpion]] and it is what happens when you have a Hades Autocannon mounted on a giant scorpion.

The weapon is mounted upon the Brass Scorpion's tail, giving the weapon a full 360 degree arc of fire, making it perfectly suited to unleash rapidly fired torrents of ballistic projectiles upon enemy infantry at close range. The cannon fires heavy caliber shells that are effective against most lightly armored infantry and vehicles.

The Scorpion Cannon features a set of blades allowing it to be used as a backup melee weapon against enemy aggressors. The weapon receives its ammunition from thick, semi-organic cabling that travels up the rear side of the creature's tail. It is basically Mortal Kombat's scorpion given more of a Khornate feel. Hence it receives the seal of [[Awesome]].

===Harvester Cannon===
[[File:Harvester_Cannon2.png|200px|right|thumb|Harvester Cannon]]
Take an [[Obliterator]]'s hand cannons and than multiply this by a hundred. You get the Harvester Cannon.

A Harvester Cannon is a large, multi-barrelled, rapid-firing weapon that is wielded by [[Soul Grinder]] Daemon Engines. The Soul Grinder is usually armed with a single Harvester Cannon on one arm, used in conjunction with an Iron Claw close combat weapon located on its other arm.

The weapon is attached to the daemon's wrist, on its right arm and can be used with an organic pincer version of the Iron Claw that it wields on its other arm or with a daemonic Warpsword. The Harvester Cannon is capable of firing large caliber solid shells that are effective against infantry and light vehicles and can also fire specialized flak shells to engage enemy aircraft. This thing is a very versatile form of [[Dakka]] and it can mow down both infantry, aircraft and vehicles alike.

===Butcher Cannon===
[[File:Butcher_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Butcher Cannon]]
A Butcher Cannon is a heavy caliber, rapid-firing rotary gun used by the Forces of Chaos. Think of it as the Reaper Autocannon on steroids.

The Butcher Cannon is commonly found on Chaos combat walkers and it is another primary weapon of the Decimator Daemon Engine as well as a weapon of choice for Chaos Contemptor Pattern Dreadnoughts. The shells fired by the Butcher Cannon are bound with sorcerous Chaos runes of anathema and bloodletting which causes severe blood loss. When used by Chaos walkers, the Butcher Cannon usually features a large blade that is attached beneath the weapon's twin barrels; this allows the walker to engage enemy forces in close combat if they get too close for it to effectively use the weapon at range.

It is not recorded in Imperial records if any other Chaos walkers such as Chaos Dreadnoughts or Helbrutes, Daemon Engines such as Defilers or Soul Grinders, or Chaos Space Marine tanks such as the Predator or Land Raider are able to be armed with a Butcher Cannon, although it is presumed to be possible.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:11 - Infiltrator.png|Autoguns - Better Than Your Crap Flashlights!
Image:Autogun01.jpg|A typical mass produced model.
Image:RenegadeArms.JPG|Traitor Guardsmen armed with Armageddon-pattern Autoguns and Autopistols. You know you want 'em.
Image:LRPun.jpg|The Punisher Gatling Cannon and its tank. Sometimes you just need a little more gun.
Image:Gatling Blaster.jpg|The Gatling Blaster. For when you need big dakka.
</gallery>

{{Template:40k-Imperial-Weapons}}
{{40k-GenestealerCults-Weapons}}
[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]][[Category: Imperial]][[Category: Chaos]]
{{40k-Chaos-Weapons}}

Autogun

2019-02-19T05:13:26Z

2604:3D09:B580:770:6936:9C2E:B431:A19B: /* Autoguns versus Stubbers */

[[File:Autogun4.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Note the [[C.S. Goto|heretical sorcery]] shrinking its capacity to below an [[Bolter#Astartes Boltguns|Astartes bolter]]]]

{{Topquote|Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.|General Douglas MacArthur}}

An '''Autogun''' is a [[firearm|chemically-powered projectile throwing weapon]] (a slug thrower, durr), that can be compared to late 20th to early 21st century fire arms. Autoguns are (probably) slightly more powerful, which is why it avoids the title of [[Stubber]] (which have basically no improvements on World War II firearms) which are even worse than [[lasgun|Lasguns]] (there is not a single part of a suit of flak armor that a rifle-sized Stubber can pierce at any range according to some sources, even though WWII Rifles were pretty powerful). Alternatively, since [[Stubber#Stub_Gun|Stub Pistols]] are more powerful than Autopistols, it's possible the difference has more to do with calibre and/or tech level. Simply put, these weapons use a propellant to accelerate a metal projectile to punch holes in things.

If the Lasgun is called a 'Flashlight' then the Autogun is called a 'Stapler'.

== Autoguns versus Lasguns ==

It is a significantly older weapon than the [[Lasgun]], and does not see quite as much use due to the [[Administratum|Departmento Munitorium]] saying it's a bad idea. So if a young and often curious Guardsmen tries and ask his superiors, mostly a Commissar (yes, reasonable Commissars do exist) on why a Lasgun is preferred over an Autogun by Imperial Standards, they will tell you a whole list of things such as the following... Lasgun Power Packs weigh significantly less than Autogun magazines and are far more sustainable (rechargeable via heat, light, or wall outlet); Lasguns are also significantly more accurate and require notably less maintenance than Autoguns; and Lasguns have no recoil, meaning even the 8-year-old baby-faced kids and 98-year-old dusty seniors that get conscripted into the Imperial Guard can fire it straight. The big reason that Autoguns were phased out was a matter of practicality, but there is one thing the Autogun has that the humble Lasgun doesn't: the amount of different types of ammunition you can carry. From Incendiary to Armor-Piercing rounds and even High-Explosive rounds that makes the Autogun a ''[[Awesome|miniature Bolter]]''. This means that while the Lasguns are far and away the common infantry gun, the vast selection of different ammunition makes the Autogun a kind of highly-flexible ''tactical weapon''. Though /tg/ rather enjoys musing that the *real* reason Autoguns were phased out was the cost (all that [[grimdark]] spent ammunition came from somewhere, after all). In spite of the ammunition problem, the Autogun still sees use throughout the Imperium (particularly among PDF forces, as they do not have the overwhelmingly-massive logistical issues the Imperial Guard does), and its removal from large parts of official service hasn't stopped its development.

== Autoguns versus Stubbers ==

There is [[Skub|significant debate]] over the actual power of Auto and Stub weapons, with the "higher power" team citing higher tech level and advanced materials, and "modern power" team citing no mention of any kind of recoil compensation (limiting power) and less innovative designs. Modernist evidence implies some or even most autoguns may actually be less advanced than modern firearms. After all, 21st century cannon rounds are definitely more advanced than the average autogun, and autoguns are meant to be built on all sorts of backwater worlds. Regardless, it is more than likely that both sides are right, since strictly speaking an Imperial autogun is generally any type of automatic rifle, firing solid slugs. As such, there are great many models and patterns in existence, different in both internal mechanics of their action and the ammunition they use. While some autoguns *are* just a backwater-colony's locally-designed crude weapons, using black-powder-filled cartridges and prone to jamming, *other* autoguns may be high-tech products of AdMech factories, firing hypervelocity discarding-sabot needle-bullets, capable of easily punching through carapace armour. The debate rages on, with the question being what is considered average or typical for the weapon, with both sides for the most part aware that all types exist.

There is also a third possibility, which involves the Dark Age of Technology. It's conceivable that "Stubber" is a derogatory term for old gunpowder weaponry made before the Dark Age, and "autogun" was a Dark Age classification created to delineate the super-futuristic projectile weapons of the then-modern era from Stub Guns. The difference was only significant during the Dark Age of Technology, when "autogun" meant something more akin to a [[Eclipse Phase|Smart Assault Rifle]] and a Stub Gun meant an M1 Garand. But that's not a great theory since the original autoguns were made well before the Dark Age of Technology, sometime early in our current millennium. Bizarre high-calibre low-velocity weapons firing brass bullets.

Another theory is that the main difference would seem to be it's complexity. The heavy stubber, while automatic, relies on size for it's lethality and reliability and is simple for an automatic weapon. It's rate of fire is largely due to the fact that it can fire in long bursts. A high calibre autogun, while firing fairly powerful stubby rounds, is harder to design and build in a functional form. But the Mechanicus' "stub" weapons defy this trend.

For further comparison between Stubbers and Autoguns, [[Stubber#Disambiguation|click here]].

==Imperium Variants ==
===Autopistol===
[[File:Autopistol.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Autopistol]]
Most often a machine pistol or submachine gun, the Autopistol is a single-handed submachine gun (called the <s>Uzi</s> Autopistol) which is frequently used by Chaos heretics (and on occasion, traitor guardsmen) and cultists who don't particularly care about accuracy or expenses and wish to be able to make noise and cause death at a close distance (the former is done better by an Autogun than a Lasgun) as they close in to use their swords. Quite fittingly, many of the autopistols manufactured by the Imperium are based off the MAC-10/MAC-11 weapon series.

Autopistols are still in massive use throughout the Imperium and can be found even on low-tech worlds. Like the larger Autogun it is a very easy to construct and usually available in large numbers. The autopistol is a common weapon amongst renegades, gang members, and lowly criminals, being as easy to use as it is to construct. They are not generally considered a military issue weapon, but are a favorite amongst many military veterans as a supplement for their standard lasgun or as a backup weapon, especially by the ones using unreliable melta- or plasma-weaponry. Some regiments, including the Cadian 8th, often equip all their troops with autopistols as sidearms, improving their combat firepower. Other commanders allow their troops to acquire spoils from the battlefield for their own use and autopistols are popular choices.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Autopistol|r7=12|s7=3|ap7=-|type7=Pistol|r8=12|s8=3|ap8=0|d8=1|type8=Pistol 1}}
 

===Autogun===
[[File:Autogun.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Autogun]]
There are dozens of other Autogun models that have been created since, including more-advanced versions that use caseless ammunition. One common variety is an assault-rifle sized version formerly used by Imperial Guard regiments, known as the Agipinaa Type-II pattern Autogun (the one specifically noted to achieve stopping power on par with modern Imperial Guard-issue [[lasgun]]s). While pretty heavy at 6.2 kg / 13.6 lbs (with loaded magazine), this gun fires powerful (but having somewhat heavy recoil) 8.25mm rounds, accelerated to muzzle velocities of 825 meters per second while traveling through the autogun's 540mm (21.25 inch) long barrel. That's more powerful than NATOs 7.62 round but less powerful than a dedicated sniper round. It sounds a lot like a slightly stronger version of the 7.92mm Mauser (actually 8.22mm), the rifle cartridge of German G98 and Kar98k fame. 
Autoguns are commonly employed by pirates, rebel groups, [[Cultist|Chaos cultists]], [[Death_Korps_of_Krieg|Kriegers]], [[Planetary Defense Force]]s, [[Necromunda|Hive Gangers]], [[Adeptus Arbites]] and low-tech civilizations that are too underdeveloped to create even a simple Lasgun, which puts into perspective just how poor these people are. (Hey, that includes us...) On the Tabletop, they're basically [[Rule 63]] versions of lasguns, with the same exact specs.

In [[Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior]], the Stormtroopers used by the Guard detachment on-planet uses Autoguns that have been given special armor-piercing rounds (also known as "Man Stopper" rounds, featuring a penetrator-tip of hardened adamantium alloy embedded in each bullet) to improve their damage output, essentially putting them [[wat|on-par with]] [[Hellgun]]s (which is ridiculous, since when it comes to materials like adamantium, even an adamantium penetrator is just going to bounce off unless it's fired with very high power, kind of like trying to cut through a steel beam with a steel sword). Paired with the weapon's fast fire rate, they're probably the earliest weapon you can reliably take down a [[Space Marine]] or [[Chaos Space Marine]] with, though clearly better options are available.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Autogun|r7=24|s7=3|ap7=-|type7=Rapid Fire|r8=24|s8=3|ap8=0|d8=1|type8=Rapid Fire 1}}
 

===Rotor Cannon===
[[File:Rotor_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rotor Cannon]]

In previous editions, it should probably have been named Rotor Gun instead to avoid insulting the true cannons. The ancestor (read: feeble grandparent) of the Assault Cannon, firing smaller-caliber, less-capable ammunition and to date only seen in 30k. Unfortunately it was much weaker than its more recognizable descendant, with only half the stopping power (in fact it was on par with the standard autogun and outclassed by the ''Heavy Stubber'' of all guns) and much less armour-piercing ability, despite having the same shot output most of the time. About the only advantage it had over the Assault Cannon was the fact that it is man-portable by both Power-Armoured Astartes and unaugmented humans and can be fired on the move by both, whereas the Assault Cannon requires the user to wear Terminator armour, or for the Assault Cannon to be mounted on a vehicle. Based on the stats, it presumably fired similar rounds to an autogun (which is analogous to a modern battle rifle) but at a much higher cyclic rate, so it probably had some similarity to the real-life M134 minigun, which in technical terms would similarly classify the Rotor Cannon as a Rotary Machine Gun.

Even with the Rotor Cannon's poor stats and lack of special abilities, a few forces such as the Imperial Knights and the Thousand Sons Space Marine Legion have improved the Rotor Cannon's utility by loading it with more useful ammo, such as Biocorrosive ammunition for the Knights and the Thousand Son's own Asphyx shells that both allow for this humble weapon to be able to successfully wound its targets much more often. However, the Rotor Cannon's limitations against tougher opposition eventually led it to be phased out millennia before the 40k era, as Imperial Guard infantry forces eventually got access to crew-served versions of Astartes-grade Autocannons, Heavy Bolters, and Missile Launchers for their heavy weaponry, against which the Rotor Cannon could not compete even with its ability to be fired on the move by unaugmented humans.

In the 42nd Millenium, the Rotor Cannon appears to have been lifting, as it's now got an addition point of strength, a degree of AP and (bizarrely) 2 damage, turning it into (if the Assault Cannon is an automatic 20 mm cannon) basically a 50cal minigun. Really though, that 2 damage makes for a strange statline, as many related and much more powerful weapons lack 2 damage. This includes weapons like assault cannons, reaper autocannons, and even the Avenger bolt cannon. Combined with its less-than-impressive rate of fire this also means it's a portable rotary gun that ''doesn't'' specialize at horde-munching, instead being able to punch bigger holes in an ork Nob than a heavy bolter does, while also having a harder time actually wounding said Nob. Simply halving it's damage and doubling its rate-of-fire to 8 would've made a weapon that would've been the natural rotary version of an ironhail heavy stubber. Possibly the only logical way to resolve this would be to reason that its aim can only be changed very slowly while firing, and so can't be swept across hordes but can be held on a single target for more damage, but even that makes no sense when you roll badly and fail to kill a single ork boy with a burst of fire. A case of GW taking something weird and bad, and making it less bad and more weird.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Rotor Cannon|r7=30|s7=3|ap7=6|type7=Salvo 3/4|r8=24|s8=4|ap8=-1|d8=2|type8=Heavy 4}}
 

===Autocannon===
[[File:Imperial_Autocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Autocannon]]
The Autocannon is the big-cheese of the Autogun family (and possibly related to the <s>88mm Flak gun</s> <s>Bofors 40-57mm</s> <s>20mm Hispano-Suiza</s> GW couldn't tell which is which anyway), firing massive projectiles quickly enough that it can infatuate and butcher a group of Orks at the same time. Most commonly mounted on vehicles, but also seeing use in [[Imperial Guard]] heavy weapons teams, it possesses a frightening rate of fire and good armour penetration. Much like a heavy stubber, the autocannon proves that even older tech can work when scaled up in size. [[Great Crusade| Before]][[Horus Heresy| a certain temper tantrum]] and its aftermath, it used what were approximately [[Awesome|up-scaled Heavy Bolter shells]] to literally kill anything. Basically, ''these'' autocannon shells were to 40k's autocannon shells what Baneblade cannons are to battle cannons. Yeah. By the way most modern cannons actually use advanced shells like this.

The standard Autocannon makes a satisfying ''POM-POM-POM'' sound as it chews up targets up to four feet away. It hits at S7AP-1 and is a Heavy 2 weapon that deals D2, making it statistically better than the Heavy Bolter against everything except Toughness 4 and less models. The long-barreled Hydra variation is used on the [[Hydra Flak Tank]], and is designed to serve as anti-air support but used to chew up any cocky infantry that gets too close. Nowadays it gives warning shots that may clip an enemy if that enemy is standing right in front of it and jumps up and down screaming "SHOOT ME" (and even then might miss). Fortunately, it has an additional two feet of range, so while it only has one job, it tends to do it pretty well.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Autocannon|r7=48|s7=7|ap7=4|type7=Heavy 2|r8=48|s8=7|ap8=-1|d8=2|type8=Heavy 2}}
 

===Assault Cannon===
[[File:Assault_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Assault Cannon]]
The Assault Cannon is an autogun with an [[Dakka|outrageous rate of fire]], meaning it has to have rotating barrels to stop them from melting. Although it falls far short of it's terrifying fluffy firepower on tabletop, firing just four shots (or perhaps "enough ammunition to cause four chances to wound per turn of firing") compared to the 10 and 20 shots of rotary cannons available to the Imperial Guard, the Assault Cannon also fires unique, diamond-hard rounds at significantly increased velocity, resulting in far greater stopping power and armour penetration. Early prototype versions were exclusive to the Imperial Fists and Blood Angels Space Marine Legions, but did have a rare tendency to jam and become useless without some involved repair work. Upgraded jam-free versions were implemented post-Heresy, meaning that Chaos doesn't get these meat-grinders (although [[Obliterators]] do).

Assault Cannons are primarily used by [[Space Marine]]s as anti-infantry weaponry on [[Terminator|Terminators]], [[Dreadnought]]s, and various other vehicles and aircraft. The assault cannon might actually be a stub-weapon, as some art shows it ejecting spent casings. [[Only War]] and several other sources show that there is a difference. Auto-weapons are (usually) caseless and can be anything from merely caseless, chemically-propelled rounds, to railrifles and gravitic-accelerated projectiles. This is also why Macrocannons are auto-weapons, as their shells are magnetically propelled. Of course, knowing the Mechanicus, there are probably examples of both auto-weapons and stub-weapons for all solid-projectile weapons of the Imperium.

If it was a laser weapon, it would be to Multilasers something like what a Hellgun is to a Lasgun. Being Rotary Cannons, Assault Cannons should in theory be able to spin at different speeds to deliver higher or lower firing rates depending on whether the target is a squishy 'umie or even a vehicle, but this isn't possible in the game. It's possible that the Mechanicus, being the hidebound institution it is, hardwired a one-size-fits-all maximum firing rate in all models of Assault Cannon to make maintenance easier and to keep these weapons from wearing out and overheating too fast, with the ideal firing rate being what a Terminator-armoured Astartes could effectively aim, control, and still be able to carry enough ammunition for in one battle (since faster firing rates also deplete ammunition more quickly). This hypothesis is made more plausible given how the Blood Angels had to resort to mounting twin-linked Assault Cannons in the turrets of their [[Predator_Tank#Baal_Pattern_Predator|Baal Predator Tanks]] to get more of this weapon's firepower in one mount, instead of just spinning one Assault Cannon's barrels faster to achieve the same result as in real life. Although splitting the rate of fire between two guns does reduce the danger of overheating the barrels.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Assault Cannon|r7=24|s7=6|ap7=4|type7=Heavy 4, Rending|r8=24|s8=6|ap8=-1|d8=1|type8=Heavy 6}}
 

===Punisher Gatling Cannon===
[[File:Punisher_Gatling_Cannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Punisher Gatling Cannon]]

The Punisher Gatling Cannon is the primary armament of the Leman Russ Punisher tank and one of the Vulture Gunship's variants, and is a recent addition to the Imperial Guard armory. Design-wise, the weapon looks like someone was impressed with the Assault Cannon's firepower, but became increasingly frustrated with the inability of Imperial Guard forces to procure it and its unique ammunition, and so decided to resurrect the concept of the the long-discontinued Rotor Cannon (see above) and improved on it in most respects. The Punisher Gatling Cannon thus ends up as an intermediate step between the older Rotor Cannon and the much-vaunted Assault Cannon, possessing stopping power almost at the level of the latter weapon while not improving on the former's lackluster armour-penetration ability (likely a conscious design choice to keep manufacturing and ammunition costs down, below even what Heavy Bolter shells might require since Heavy Bolter shells have better armour-piercing ability compared to the Punisher's own ammunition).

Where the Punisher truly shines lies in the fact that it is vehicle-mounted only; since it's not bound by the need to limit its firing rate to allow a single Terminator-armoured Astartes to both effectively control and still carry sufficient ammunition for, the Punisher can instead achieve ''quintuple'' the firing rate of an Assault Cannon. This is a literal torrent of anti-infantry firepower, and puts the Punisher squarely among the fastest-firing weapons in the Imperial arsenal, <s>outstripping even the Vulcan Mega-Bolter</s> (as of 8th edition, both the Punisher and the Vulcan have the same rate of fire) which is restricted to being mounted on superheavy tanks or Titan-scale walkers. In fact, the Punisher doesn't so much as go DAKKADAKKADAKKA, it instead goes BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT. Able to churn out more shots than a squad of Tactical Marines at even greater strength, this baby will swiftly ventilate any block of infantry it comes across and can even threaten Monstrous Creatures by sheer weight of fire even with its unsophisticated non-armour-piercing ammunition. The Punisher Gatling Cannon also has a kid brother in the form of the Taurox Gatling Cannon, which has less strength and half the shots.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Punisher Gatling Cannon|r7=24|s7=5|ap7=-|type7=Heavy 20|r8=24|s8=5|ap8=0|d8=1|type8=Heavy 20}}
 

===Punisher Rotary Cannon===
[[File:Punisher_RotCannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Punisher Rotary Cannon]]
A souped up version of the above for the [[Space Marines|Emperor's finest]]. Like all things originating from the [[Great Crusade|good ol'days of the 31st Millennium]], the Punisher Rotary Cannon is far and above of higher quality than its 41st Millennium counterparts. Interestingly enough, the Punisher Rotary Cannon was the main armament of the once common [[Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer|Cerberus Pattern Main Battle Tank]], but the discovery of a Neutron Laser Projector and the [[Derp|general stupidity of placing a anti-infantry weapon on a fixed-hull mounted vehicle]] meant that it was eventually replaced as the Cerberus' go-to primary weapon. Loses out on two shots, but gains -1 AP and 50% more range to compensate. Later equipped on what else? The [[Sicaran Battle Tank#Sicaran Punisher|Sicaran Punisher]].

Due to its natural ability in [[Dakka|unleashing a torrent of unrelenting]] [[Steel Rain]], the Punisher Rotary Cannon quickly rose to fame among /tg/ of being an absolute [[Rape|rape machine]] against blob armies of infantry and ''even vehicles'' when it first came out. And that is just the weapon firing simple solid ferro-carbide slugs, imagine them with actual Bolt rounds....Seriously, nobody is going to go out okay when they face [[FATAL|18 Heavy Bolter shots in the face that can re-roll failed hits on a 1.]]

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-8|name=Punisher Rotary Cannon|range=36|strength=5|ap=-1|type=Heavy 18|}}
 

===Onslaught Gatling Cannon===
[[File:OnslaughtGatling.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Onslaught Gatling Cannon]]
The latest weapon for the Adeptus Astartes, and currently restricted to use as a secondary weapon on the [[Repulsor Tank|Repulsor Hover Tank]] and [[Redemptor Dreadnought|Redemptor Dreadnought.]] As such, it is ''another'' weapon exclusive to the [[Primaris Marines]]. Why in the Emperor's mummified nipples a gun such as this cannot be wielded by the more common Space Marines just begs the question. Why?

This weapon was found thanks to the reintroduction of [[Roboute Guilliman|Robot Gullytan the Third]] and Uncle [[Cawl]]. It has the strength and armour penetration of a heavy bolter at two thirds the range and twice the rate of fire.

On the Redemptor Dreadnought, due to its size, the Onslaught is wielded much like an oversized Powerfist lugging a hand-held autocannon. The sheer size of the Dreadnought's fist in contrast to the comically small Gatling Cannon is bound to spawn a few compensation jokes. Suffices to say, this eventually led to the creation of the Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon as shown below.

On the Repulsor, it is notorious for being one of the primary weapon choices on a vehicle ''infamous'' for its [[Dakka|weapon placements and the amount of guns it carries along on the battlefield.]]

Given it's a Heavy Bolter but better, don't be surprised if this weapon ends up being wielded by the Chad's Devastator equivalents.

===Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon===
[[File:HeavyOnslaughtGatlingCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon]]
Maximum dakka for the Astartes, the Heavy Onslaught is the primary weapon of the Repulsor Hover Tank and Redemptor Dreadnought. Basically the Dreadnought's equivalent of a penis extension or a [[Rape|metaphor for the foreboding erection the Dreadnought pilot is about to feel before being let loose.]]

Like its smaller brother, the Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon is a weapon exclusive to the Chadmarines and like its smaller brother, it came to fruition thanks to the management of Grandpa Smurf and Uncle Cawl.

It has the same strength and armour penetration as its smaller brother, but a 30" range and an incredible 12 shots. Interestingly inferior to the Punisher gatling cannon against everything that doesn't have heavy (2+) armour.

===Anvilus Autocannon Battery===
[[File:DEREDEO-PATTERN-DREADNOUGHT-Side.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Anvilus Autocannon Battery]]
You take a normal Autocannon, get three of its brothers and than duct taped them together. Congratulations! You now have the Anvilus Autocannon Battery.

The Anvilus Autocannon Battery, also known as the Anvilus Pattern Autocannon Battery, was the main ballistic weapon system used by the ancient [[Dreadnought#Deredeo Pattern|Deredeo Pattern Dreadnoughts]] of the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. The Anvilus Autocannon Battery was a set of two Anvilus Pattern Autocannons that shared a mount and firing system.

The Deredeo Dreadnoughts were armed with two such batteries that were then twin-linked together. The Anvilus Autocannon Battery was a fearsome development of the Autocannon that was able engage and destroy enemy armored targets with a punishing salvo of [[Dakka|BRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTT.]] The Anvilus Autocannon 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.

===Icarus Stormcannon Array===
[[File:StormcannonArray.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Icarus Stormcannon Array]]
The big brother of the Anvilus Autocannon Battery for the sole basis of having a bigger bore-size.

The Icarus Stormcannon Array is a Space Marine anti-aircraft platform mounted on [[Space Marine Stalker|Stalker vehicles.]] Made up of two independently traversing turrets of triple-barreled cannons and a large radar dish, the Icarus Stormcannon Array can track and fire at two separate aerial targets simultaneously.

The Stalker mounts an array of two Icarus Stormcannons granted a capacity for independent targeting by the servo-mind conclave (Cogitator array) to which they are shackled. The cannons have a high rate of fire and can launch hundreds of solid rounds into the sky.

Each servo-mind can direct the Stormcannons to track separate targets with a lesser degree of accuracy, or when faced by more potent foes the array can concentrate fire in a single, withering salvo that will tear even the mightiest winged beast or enemy aircraft from the skies.

===Siegebreaker Cannon===
[[File:Siegebreaker_Cannon_2.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Siegebreaker Cannon]]
The main secondary weapon of the new Imperial Knight Dominus. The Siegebreaker Cannons can come in a configuration of either one or two depending on your preferences. They are mounted on the back or the shoulders in order to resemble the Warlord Titan.

The Siegebreaker Cannon is an automated turret that is aimed at demolishing light vehicles and MEQs and even TEQs if the going gets tough. Nevertheless, its nature as a secondary weapon is meant to pick off stragglers when the primary weapons are busy dueling out with some big ass units.

Crunchwise, the Siegebreaker Cannon is basically a more random version of the Autocannon. Each one is a Heavy D3 gun with a range of 48", s 7, ap -1, damage D3 and is capable of doing a maximum of 9 damage if you rolled perfectly, but on average will be [[Fail|exactly the same as the Autocannon]]. Do note that being d3 instead of a flat 2 damage like the standard Autocannon actually makes it worse against 2 wound models, however.

Ironically, while GW tries to claim that "If siegebreaker cannons were mounted on mainline battle tanks, you’d take them in every game", the Siegebreaker Cannons are [[Derp|shittier version of a Battle Cannon, aka the main gun of the most spammed tank in the galaxy.]]

===Battle Cannon===
[[File:Battle_Cannon_Leman_Russ.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Battle Cannon]]
The big cheese of the Autogun family without going full on Titan. The Battle cannon is a larger and heavier version of the autocannon, its size restricting its use to vehicles only. It is the primary weapon of the [[Leman Russ Battle Tank]], where its explosive shells can decimate both infantry and other armor. It is also common armament on [[Imperial Knight|Imperial Knights]], though for these mighty machines are used special Rapid Fire Battle Cannons with improved rate of fire. Due to it being of Autogun in function, it has a wide variation of different ammunition that it can use. such as:

'''High Explosive:''' The standard round fired by Leman Russ battle cannons, HE shells like the Leman Russ Mk4 G4 round contain a highly explosive material such as Fyceline which detonates upon impact with the target. Since a high velocity is not necessary for the shell to work, a small amount of propellant allows for a larger amount of explosive material than in other shells. The explosion causes a blastwave lethal to anyone close by and shatters the thin shell casing into deadly high-speed shrapnel, making them deadly when used against infantry and light vehicles. While the sheer size of the blast can cause minor damage to armored vehicles, even stun or kill the crew within, HE shells lack the penetrative power of true anti-tank shells.

'''Anti-Tank/Armour Piercing:''' Anti-tank or armor piercing shells like the standard Leman Russ Mk12 G4 round are used to destroy hardened targets such as enemy tanks or bunkers. They consist of a solid round topped with an adamantium tip covered by a soft metal cap. A large propellant charge launches the round at high velocities, where upon impact the metal cap melts and creates a "sticking" effect so that the adamantium tip does not slide off of sloped armor or break. Most AP shells cause damage through kinetic energy, the sheer violence of a penetrating hit causing spalling within the enemy tank's interior to damage internal systems and kill crew. Others include a small high explosive charge which detonates upon impact, causing additional secondary damage.

'''Infernus:''' Inferno shells like the standard Leman Russ Mk7 G4 round, also known as incendiary, phosphorine or thermite shells, work in similar principle to HE shells. However instead of an explosive charge these shells are filled with a combustible substance which instantly is scattered upon impact. The substance burns instantly and is particularly deadly when used against infantry.

'''Smoke:''' Smoke shells are used to create an instant smoke screen, hiding the tank or other friendly forces from enemy observations.

'''Hunter:''' Hunter shells are very rare tank rounds which can be fired by a battle cannon or Conqueror cannon. They contain a small logic-engine similar to the one found on Hunter-Killer Missiles which locks onto a target and directs the path of the shell towards it. Just before impact the shell's Machine Spirit causes it to rise above and hit the enemy vehicle on it's thinner top armor. Only ever produced on the Forge World Tigrus, the knowledge to construct Hunter shells was lost when the world was overrun by the Orks. Most tank crews will therefore never even see a Hunter shell, much less have the honor of firing one.

===Avenger Gatling Cannon===
[[File:Avenger Gatling Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Avenger Gatling Cannon]]

The Avenger Gatling Cannon is a six-barrelled Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon firing bullets bigger than Autoguns, not to mention being larger as well overall. It is an available option for the [[Imperial Knight#Knight_Patterns|Imperial Knights Warden and Crusader]] in place of their standard-issue large-ass [[Chain_Weapon#Reaper_Chainsword|chainsaw]].

The highly feared avenger gatling cannon is like an oversized assault cannon, though its larger calibre shells are more destructive and its rate of fire is even more prodigious. A single blazing volley from the rotary weapon can stitch a pattern of death across the foe’s battle lines, causing charges to falter and fail or destroying entire attack columns of light vehicles.

There has been some confusion between this weapon and the [[Bolter#Avenger Bolt Cannon|Avenger Bolt Cannon]] due to the fact that both of them look like oversized miniguns as well as [[Derp|having the names 'Avenger' in them.]] However, it can be assumed that the Avenger Bolt Cannon's internal mechanics is more suited and specialized towards the gyrojet nature of the bolt rounds, whereas the Avenger Gatling Cannon is a more conventional rotary machine gun that just have a enlarged bore-size for it to fire massive bullets.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Avenger Gatling Cannon|r7=36|s7=6|ap7=3|type7=Heavy 12, Rending|r8=36|s8=6|ap8=-2|d8=2|type8=Heavy 12}}

<gallery>
CrusaderAvenger.png
AvengerGatlingCannonBack.jpg
</gallery>

===Thunderhawk Cannon===
[[File:Thunderhawk_Cannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Thunderhawk Cannon]]

A Battle Cannon given a [[/d/|penis enlarger]].

The Thunderhawk Cannon is a powerful, oversized, ballistic Battle cannon mounted on a Space Marine [[Thunderhawk|Thunderhawk Gunship]]. It is an over-sized version to allow it to be fired from the air at the most vulnerable parts of an enemy position or for clearing an area to land troops in.

However, despite the power coming from this weapon, most Space Marines would rather just replace the Cannon with the more destructive, accurate, ammo effecient, recoil friendly, longer ranged [[Superheavy Laser Weapons#Turbo-Laser Destructor|Single-Barrelled Turbo-Laser Destructor]] instead.

How the hell the Thunderhawk manage to stay stable without the cannon's immense recoil tearing the plane apart is unknown.

===Accelerator Autocannon===
[[File:AcceleratorAuto.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Accelerator Autocannon]]
Back when the Emperor still walked, the Imperium was capable of developing new and improved weapons, and the Accelerator Autocannon was one of those. Basically a cross between the Autocannon and a Rail Gun, the Accelerator Autocannon coupled a high rate of fire with a powerful shell and high accuracy. It shares it name with the Accelerator Cannon used on the [[Fellblade]] and [[Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank]]. Which would imply that this is a downsized version.

Currently the Accelerator Autocannon is exclusively mounted on the main variant of the [[Sicaran Battle Tank]]. Each Sicaran has two of them. Why they don't bother mounting them on the more advanced Dreadnaughts is because they don't know how, [[Games Workshop|lazyness,]] or they have so much recoil it's impracticable.

===Quake Cannon===
[[File:Quake_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Quake Cannon]]
The Quake Cannon is a gigantic artillery piece mounted on Imperial Titans and Super-Heavy Tanks. The Quake Cannon is used to engage targets at extreme range. Each Quake Cannon shot contains a [[Wat|fragment of a planet that has been subjected to]] [[Exterminatus]], which is to say the '''energy''' of the Exterminatus is harnessed and then weaponized....which is....unnecessarily complex to say the least....anyways, the weapon draws the contained earth-shattering power out and containing the blastwave within a Quake Shell.

On Titans, the Quake Cannon is commonly found on Warlord Battle Titans. The Imperator class titan can also carry one or more Quake Cannon on its carapace hard-points.

On Superheavies, the Imperial Guard Banesword Super-Heavy tank is also equipped with a Quake Cannon.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile|name=Quake Cannon|range=180|strength=9|ap=3|type=Ordnance, 10" Blast|}}
 

===Gatling Blaster===
[[File:Gatblaster.jpg|200px|right|thumb|The child of an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GAU-8_Avenger Avenger] and a battle cannon]]

Strapped to the mighty [[Reaver Battle Titan]] and above, this is the weapon you field when you need the biggest dakka the Imperium of Man has to offer, it's basically an Assault Cannon, [[Awesome|except that it fires Battle Cannon shells rather than bullets]], yeah... this is what you get if you thought about the Schwerer Gustav using Gatling Technology. Now if only they had some kind of Macro Gatling, ridiculous as that would be.

By function, each of the Gatling Blaster's six barrels fires once in turn during each revolution of the barrel cluster. The multiple barrels provide both a very high rate of fire and contribute to long weapon life by minimizing barrel erosion and heat generation. The Gatling Blaster is pneumatically-driven and electrically-primed. The gun rotor, barrel assembly and ammunition feed system are rotated by a hydraulic drive motor through a system of flexible drive shafts. The round is fired by an electric priming system where an electrical current from a firing lead passes through the firing pin to the primer as each round is rotated into the firing position. One of the drawbacks of the initial design was that the ejection of spent links created considerable (and ultimately insufferable) problems. The Adeptus Mechanicus compensated for this issue by creating a linkless feed system.

This is actually a pretty [[Reasonable Marines|reasonable and practical]] solution; a rarity in the AdMech. As what kind of sane Guardsmen would like to die from [[FATAL|giant empty bullet casings?]]

Galting Blasters can be mounted on the weapon limbs of Reaver and Warlord Battle Titans and the carapace mounts on Imperator Titans. It is too large to be fitted to Warhound Scout Titans however.

===Nemesis Quake Cannon===
[[File:99560108206_WarbringerTitanQuakeCannon01.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Nemesis Quake Cannon]]
The Quake Cannon on steroids, or the holy lovechild between a Quake Cannon and a Gatling Blaster, [[Skub|whichever you ask.]]

The Mars-Alpha Pattern Nemesis Quake Cannon or the Nemesis Quake Cannon for short, is a [[/d/|larger, thicker and longer version of the standard Quake Cannon with more ''girth''.]] [[Tl;dr]][[Slaanesh|, its a literal ''penis extension''.]] We in /tg/ like to joke that the [[Basilisk Artillery Gun]] and the [[Goliath Mega-Cannon]] are nothing more than a [[Dick|compensation weapon,]] but it seems that GW had forgotten the memo and took this shit [[Derp|''seriously''.]]

Mounted on the new and shiny [[Warbringer Nemesis Titan]]. This giant six-shooter of doom is designed to kill enemy Titans on sight, thus in any sensible usage, this weapon is regulated at the back lines as a giant sniper, unfortunately the Imperium [[Herp|lacks any sensibility]] and uses these as front line weapons instead. Nevertheless, having a fast firing Quake Cannon '''''is''''' a boon to any forces as now you have a very quick way to whither down the [[Void shields|Void Shields]] of enemy Titans in a quick and efficient manner rather than risking the time reloading. And seeing how this Titan gained prominence during the [[Horus Heresy]] when [[Emperor Battle Titan|Emperor Battle Titans]] were common enough to be thrown left and right like normal battle tanks, the nature of this weapon makes a whole load of sense. This cannon also works wonders against heavily fortified encampments and any forms of fortifications in general due to the monumental concussive force unleashed as its shell impacts the ground setting off powerful localized earthquakes.

Even if it doesn't directly hit its target, the concussive force from that cannon could still indirectly halt the advance of nearly anything on the battlefield up to and including battalions of Superheavy Tanks and enemy Knights.

===Macro Cannon===
[[File:Macrocannon.jpg|280px|thumb|right|A voidcraft Macrocannon, why the Mechanicus decided it was a good idea to use slaves to manually reload a EXBOXHUGE Cannon, despite already having auto-loaders is beyond our moral understandings.]]

The [[Dakka|Biggest of the Big]]. 'Macrocannon' seems to be a catch-all for any auto-type weapon larger than a Gatling-Blaster, ranging from fortress-mounted field artillery to the literally apocalyptic, cathedral-sized weapons found on [[Imperial Navy|voidcraft]]. As is clearly evident, it causes a quantity of [[Rape]] proportional to its size, but even the smallest land-based Macrocannons are capable of laying waste to mostly everything, including [[Awesome|flyers]]. It is at its basest an autocannon that fires bullets ranging in size from that of a man all the way up to the size of a [[Baneblade]], depending on the weapon's calibre (no, seriously), and since this is the Imperium, instead of an automatic reloader, they need [[Grimdark|dozens of slaves to move each bullet]] for the ship-mounted Macrocannons (heretical theories suggest this is either because it is actually cheaper for the Imperium, which is overloaded with humans and not resources, or because they are stockpiling resources, or they are cutting down on chances of daemonic incursions through humans by putting more of them in the killzone, or they are testing to see just how far people will comply with slave labor in a totalitarian state, or - most heretical of all - some suggest it is a bureaucratic screw-up with paperwork or that the AdMech doesn't know how to repair the loading cranes).

Provided yields for these weapons can go from 42 exajoules (about 5.297 times more powerful than [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake the most powerful earthquake ever recorded]; a 42 exajoule earthquake would be approximately magnitude 9.98) right down to the measly [[What|15 tetrajoules]]...[[Derp|*sigh* Games Workshop never fails to surprise us]]. Seriously believe us, we know that tetrajoules isn't an official unit of measurement, but since tetra is Latin for four this essentially gives us....[[Herp|4 joules of power]]....[[Fail|which is weaker then a human punch or a]] [[Lasgun|flashlight]].... Don't believe us? We got that from [[Rogue Trader (RPG)|Rogue Trader rpg: BattleFleet Koronus pg. 31 & 20]] which is quote on quote:
:''"Look at her, son. Isn’t she a beauty? Over two hundred Vulcan mega-bolter defence turrets, '''[[Wat|fifteen tetrajoule Sunsear las-broadsides]]''', prow plating ten metres thick, the finest auspex masts in the battlefleet… And the lines on her! Fluted prow, elegant statuary… those xenos scum won’t know what hit them!” – Bosun Phineas Jhule tempts fate at the embarkation of the Fire of Heaven''
:''"The Avenger dates from an earlier period of fleet tactics, when, squadrons of grand cruisers were employed as “line-breakers.” Traditionally, they were thrown into the midst of massive fleet engagements, soaking up enemy fire while racing into the middle of enemy formations, '''[[Bullshit|then crushing their opponents at short range with tetrajoules of energy from their oversized broadsides.]]'''"
''
Yeah...we in [[/tg/]] aren't sure whether this was [[Troll|intentional]] or a [[FAIL|gross example of a severe typo.]] So...um....[[Lulz|FEAR THE 60 JOULE BROADSIDE BATTERIES!]]. A possible explanation for this stupidity GWs forgot that the term "quadrillion" is a thing and is using "tetrajoule" to mean 1 000 000 000 000 000 joules (as the word "billion" comes from the latin word for two, "trillion" for the latin word for three and so on.). This gives a result of 15 quadrillion joules in a broadside, which is 15 trillion times as powerful as the world's largest laser and '''well over 3 times''' the amount of energy released in a 1 megaton explosion. Much better.

Jokes aside, if we use the picture to the right as a reference for size, and estimate the shell as a solid slug of density equivalent to lead, launched at a planet from geosynchronous orbit above an Earth-like planet (36,000km), you're looking at somewhere in the region of 50 Tera-Joules of energy when it strikes the ground, or slightly less than the Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima (and that's just from gravity, not including launch energy). About fifty or so of the land-based Macrocannons would equate to one ship-mounted Macrocannon, or one point of firepower in [[Battlefleet Gothic]]. Oh yes.

==Chaos Variants==
===Reaper Autocannon===
[[File:ReaperAutocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Reaper Autocannon]]
There is the regular Autocannon and then there is the Reaper variant, which only the Chaos Space Marines get because Assault Cannons were discovered after the [[Horus Heresy]], and everybody Imperial promptly thought they were cooler than the Reaper Autocannon. The reaper is an infantry-portable twin-linked Autocannon that wants to put its shells in your face at 36" or less. The reaper is effective against light vehicles and monsters, but the Imperials switched to the other gun for its boons against infantry. The current Imperial gun is mostly popular due to its reliability and durability, capable of operation for years without much care even if [[Ogryn|someone]] used it as a club. By comparison, the reaper assault cannon [[Fail|needs its barrels to be replaced after each battle or else it loses reliability or even explodes]] (maybe the admech were drunk that day).

Then at some point, the Traitor Legions and their Dark Mechanicus pals looked at the Reaper Autocannon and asked, "How can we make this even more rapey?" So they came up with the Helstorm Autocannon, which apparently can only be fitted to vehicles and aircraft such as the Hellblade due to its sheer rate of fire. It has the same profile as the Reaper except for firing an extra shot per attack and adding delicious Rending because fuck assault cannons. Now if only GW would let the forces of Chaos get their collective shit together and replace every vehicle mounted heavy bolter with S7 AP4 Heavy 3, Twin-linked, Rending.

===Soulreaper Cannon===
[[File:SoulreaperCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Soulreaper Cannon]]
You remember how we said earlier that the [[Thousand Sons]] AKA The Prodigal Bookworms found a way to make the god awful Rotor Cannon somewhat viable? Yeah, here is the end of result of it all.

The Soulreaper Cannon is a type of gatling Inferno Weapon used by the Thousand Sons. This heavy weapon bares a strong resemblance to the Space Marine Assault Cannon, but since it is basically a modified Rotor Cannon, the Sons of Magnus can basically lug around this gun with their normal [[Rubric Marines]]. This actually increases the effectiveness of these walking tin bins as it [[Dakka|boosts their firepower to a ungodly amount.]] [[Awesome]].

As the Soulreaper is an Inferno weapon, it uses literal magic to further boost and enhance the weapon's lethality. Who says that mixing science and sorcery is an absurd idea eh? [[Necron|Suck it Crons!]]

===Hades Autocannon===
[[File:HadesAutocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Hades Autocannon]]
The bigger version of the Reaper Autocannon.

Also because Chaos likes to add daemons to things, and daemons make things goofy, Chaos Space Marines have access to ''another'' vehicle-mounted variant, the Hades Autocannon, which bafflingly can only be mounted onto a dinobot (probably because it's propelled by warp-flame or something). Fielded onto a Heldrake for air support or in pairs on a Forgefiend for heavy support, the Hades Autocannon (R36", S8, AP4, Heavy 4, pinning) suffers the Reaper's slightly gimped range compared to the vanilla autocannon, but is slightly stronger and can pin units (but don't count on pinning too much); while it's not twin-linked like the reaper, having double the firepower more than compensates.

A Forgefiend can mulch most infantry short of [[Terminator]]s, pounding through power armour on sheer weight and power of fire, can make most Monstrous Creatures' lives flash before their eyes, and can hurt even a [[Land Raider]] or [[Monolith]] if the dice gods are in your favor. It's <s>almost</s> really/absolutely a real shame that the average Forgefiend isn't known for being a phenomenal shot.

===Skullshredder Cannon===
[[File:Skullshredder.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Skullshredder Cannon]]

The smallest of the weapons in the ridiculous [[Tower of Skulls]] Daemon Engine.

The two sponson-mounted twin-linked Skullshredder Cannons is used primarily for anti-infantry defense and it behaves similiar to a twin-linked Autocannon. Because it is mounted on the side, it can only target opponents in its field of view.

The Skullshredder is often seen as the least important weapon especially when there is the Doomfire Cannon situated just above the Skullshredder. Thus, it is often used to pick off any stragglers or provide additional wounds to would-be attackers.

Like all weapons from the Daemon Engine, it is powered by pure hatred.

===Skullreaper Cannon===
[[File:Skullreaper_Cannon.JPG|150px|right|thumb|Skullreaper Cannon]]

The Reaper Autocannon's father.

The Skullreaper Cannons is found only on the ridiculous [[Tower of Skulls]] Daemon Engine and is the primary hull-mounted weapon of the Tower itself. It is located further up the tower's height, and it is where the two hull-mounted Skullreaper Cannons is situated.

The Skullreaper Cannons resemble large hexa-barrelled weapons akin to a Hurricane Bolter, although it is not known whether the Skullreaper itself is a type of Bolter weapon, other than it fires large shells of pure hate. It is by far one of the most devastating anti-infantry weapons on a vehicle brimming with anti-infantry weapons, this is thanks in no part for simply having more barrels to load bullets in.

Due to its nature, it can be assumed that the Skullreaper is powered by the pure hatred of the Daemon Engine and uses the aforementioned shells of pure hate. It is unknown where the Daemon Engine supply the ammunition from, although it could be noted that the sheer size of the Tower of Skulls would mean that there should be ample room for stored ammunition, or we could just use the Warp simply whisking free ammunition like candy from a white van.

Nevertheless, because it is a six-barrelled weapon, the Skullreaper [[Count as]] a heavy weapon that can mulch most infantry trying to charge and attack the Tower of Skulls. Its unusual height advantage means that it can target enemies hiding behind cover with ease.

Unfortunately, the less can be said for its firing field of view, you could thank the stupid ass tower for being in the way.
{{clear}}

===Doomfire Cannon===
[[File:Doomfire_Cannon.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Doomfire Cannon]]

A giant fuck off gatling cannon that resembles a lot like the Space Marine's [[Thunderfire Cannon]] (Some may even accuse it of even being part of the Thunderfire kit, proving that GW can to, kitbash), heck it even behave like the Thunderfire Cannon, creating large explosions to shred infantry akin to a Bolter.

It is one of the secondary hull mounted weapons of the ridiculous Tower of Skulls Daemon Engine. Because it is mounted on a turret, the Doomfire Cannon is given a near 360 degree firing position. This makes it ''far'' more reasonable than the hokey Skullreaper Cannon whose very design seem to mimic the [[Warhammer Fantasy|Arrowslits found in medieval castles.]] [[Lolwut|Yes, you heard us right,]] [[Derp|GW]] and [[Herp|Khorne]] [[What|thought ''that'']] [[FAIL|was a 'good' design choice.]]

Of course, because it is lower to the ground, it has less range than the Skullreaper Cannon and is meant to rip apart closing infantry. Due to its explosive nature, it is unknown whether it is a Bolter, although Battle Cannons are known to have a blast template, so it could be assume that it just fire ''that'' big of a shell at such a rapid rate that it creates small blast templates in its wake.

Seriously, look at that ''bore size'' and tell me it doesn't fire fucking huge bullets?
{{clear}}

===Scorpion Cannon===
[[File:Scorpion_Cannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Scorpion Cannon]]
The Scorpion Cannon, also known as the Sting Cannon, is a large, multi-barrelled weapon that is wielded by [[Brass Scorpion]] and it is what happens when you have a Hades Autocannon mounted on a giant scorpion.

The weapon is mounted upon the Brass Scorpion's tail, giving the weapon a full 360 degree arc of fire, making it perfectly suited to unleash rapidly fired torrents of ballistic projectiles upon enemy infantry at close range. The cannon fires heavy caliber shells that are effective against most lightly armored infantry and vehicles.

The Scorpion Cannon features a set of blades allowing it to be used as a backup melee weapon against enemy aggressors. The weapon receives its ammunition from thick, semi-organic cabling that travels up the rear side of the creature's tail. It is basically Mortal Kombat's scorpion given more of a Khornate feel. Hence it receives the seal of [[Awesome]].

===Harvester Cannon===
[[File:Harvester_Cannon2.png|200px|right|thumb|Harvester Cannon]]
Take an [[Obliterator]]'s hand cannons and than multiply this by a hundred. You get the Harvester Cannon.

A Harvester Cannon is a large, multi-barrelled, rapid-firing weapon that is wielded by [[Soul Grinder]] Daemon Engines. The Soul Grinder is usually armed with a single Harvester Cannon on one arm, used in conjunction with an Iron Claw close combat weapon located on its other arm.

The weapon is attached to the daemon's wrist, on its right arm and can be used with an organic pincer version of the Iron Claw that it wields on its other arm or with a daemonic Warpsword. The Harvester Cannon is capable of firing large caliber solid shells that are effective against infantry and light vehicles and can also fire specialized flak shells to engage enemy aircraft. This thing is a very versatile form of [[Dakka]] and it can mow down both infantry, aircraft and vehicles alike.

===Butcher Cannon===
[[File:Butcher_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Butcher Cannon]]
A Butcher Cannon is a heavy caliber, rapid-firing rotary gun used by the Forces of Chaos. Think of it as the Reaper Autocannon on steroids.

The Butcher Cannon is commonly found on Chaos combat walkers and it is another primary weapon of the Decimator Daemon Engine as well as a weapon of choice for Chaos Contemptor Pattern Dreadnoughts. The shells fired by the Butcher Cannon are bound with sorcerous Chaos runes of anathema and bloodletting which causes severe blood loss. When used by Chaos walkers, the Butcher Cannon usually features a large blade that is attached beneath the weapon's twin barrels; this allows the walker to engage enemy forces in close combat if they get too close for it to effectively use the weapon at range.

It is not recorded in Imperial records if any other Chaos walkers such as Chaos Dreadnoughts or Helbrutes, Daemon Engines such as Defilers or Soul Grinders, or Chaos Space Marine tanks such as the Predator or Land Raider are able to be armed with a Butcher Cannon, although it is presumed to be possible.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:11 - Infiltrator.png|Autoguns - Better Than Your Crap Flashlights!
Image:Autogun01.jpg|A typical mass produced model.
Image:RenegadeArms.JPG|Traitor Guardsmen armed with Armageddon-pattern Autoguns and Autopistols. You know you want 'em.
Image:LRPun.jpg|The Punisher Gatling Cannon and its tank. Sometimes you just need a little more gun.
Image:Gatling Blaster.jpg|The Gatling Blaster. For when you need big dakka.
</gallery>

{{Template:40k-Imperial-Weapons}}
{{40k-GenestealerCults-Weapons}}
[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]][[Category: Imperial]][[Category: Chaos]]
{{40k-Chaos-Weapons}}

Autogun

2019-02-19T03:29:49Z

2604:3D09:B580:770:6936:9C2E:B431:A19B: /* Autogun */

[[File:Autogun4.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Note the [[C.S. Goto|heretical sorcery]] shrinking its capacity to below an [[Bolter#Astartes Boltguns|Astartes bolter]]]]

{{Topquote|Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.|General Douglas MacArthur}}

An '''Autogun''' is a [[firearm|chemically-powered projectile throwing weapon]] (a slug thrower, durr), that can be compared to late 20th to early 21st century fire arms. Autoguns are (probably) slightly more powerful, which is why it avoids the title of [[Stubber]] (which have basically no improvements on World War II firearms) which are even worse than [[lasgun|Lasguns]] (there is not a single part of a suit of flak armor that a rifle-sized Stubber can pierce at any range according to some sources, even though WWII Rifles were pretty powerful). Alternatively, since [[Stubber#Stub_Gun|Stub Pistols]] are more powerful than Autopistols, it's possible the difference has more to do with calibre and/or tech level. Simply put, these weapons use a propellant to accelerate a metal projectile to punch holes in things.

If the Lasgun is called a 'Flashlight' then the Autogun is called a 'Stapler'.

== Autoguns versus Lasguns ==

It is a significantly older weapon than the [[Lasgun]], and does not see quite as much use due to the [[Administratum|Departmento Munitorium]] saying it's a bad idea. So if a young and often curious Guardsmen tries and ask his superiors, mostly a Commissar (yes, reasonable Commissars do exist) on why a Lasgun is preferred over an Autogun by Imperial Standards, they will tell you a whole list of things such as the following... Lasgun Power Packs weigh significantly less than Autogun magazines and are far more sustainable (rechargeable via heat, light, or wall outlet); Lasguns are also significantly more accurate and require notably less maintenance than Autoguns; and Lasguns have no recoil, meaning even the 8-year-old baby-faced kids and 98-year-old dusty seniors that get conscripted into the Imperial Guard can fire it straight. The big reason that Autoguns were phased out was a matter of practicality, but there is one thing the Autogun has that the humble Lasgun doesn't: the amount of different types of ammunition you can carry. From Incendiary to Armor-Piercing rounds and even High-Explosive rounds that makes the Autogun a ''[[Awesome|miniature Bolter]]''. This means that while the Lasguns are far and away the common infantry gun, the vast selection of different ammunition makes the Autogun a kind of highly-flexible ''tactical weapon''. Though /tg/ rather enjoys musing that the *real* reason Autoguns were phased out was the cost (all that [[grimdark]] spent ammunition came from somewhere, after all). In spite of the ammunition problem, the Autogun still sees use throughout the Imperium (particularly among PDF forces, as they do not have the overwhelmingly-massive logistical issues the Imperial Guard does), and its removal from large parts of official service hasn't stopped its development.

== Autoguns versus Stubbers ==

There is [[Skub|significant debate]] over the actual power of Auto and Stub weapons, with the "higher power" team citing higher tech level and advanced materials, and "modern power" team citing no mention of any kind of recoil compensation (limiting power) and less innovative designs. Modernist evidence implies some or even most autoguns may actually be less advanced than modern firearms. After all, 21st century modern cannon rounds are definitely more advanced than the average autogun, and autoguns are meant to be built on all sorts of backwater worlds. Regardless, it is well-and-truly possible that both sides are right, since strictly speaking an Imperial Autogun is generally any type of automatic rifle, firing solid slugs accelerated by combustion of a chemical charge. As such, there are great many models and patterns in existence, different in both internal mechanics of their action and the ammunition they use. Wile some Autoguns *are* just a backwater-colony's locally-designed crude weapons, using black-powder-filled cartridges and prone to jamming, *other* Autoguns may be high-tech products of AdMech factories, firing hypervelocity Discarding-Sabot needle-bullets, capable of easily punching through carapace armour.

There is also a third possibility, which involves the Dark Age of Technology. It's conceivable that "Stubber" is a derogatory term for old gunpowder weaponry made before the Dark Age, and "Autogun" was a Dark Age classification created to delineate the super-futuristic projectile weapons of the then-modern era from Stub Guns. The difference was only significant during the Dark Age of Technology, when "Autogun" meant something more akin to a [[Eclipse Phase|Smart Assault Rifle]] and a Stub Gun meant an M1 Garand. Now, in the grim darkness of the 4*2nd* Millennium, with technological regression and pointlessly pedantic bureaucracy, the distinction between the two gun classifications may have just become statistically insignificant.

For further comparison between Stubbers and Autoguns, [[Stubber#Disambiguation|click here]].

==Imperium Variants ==
===Autopistol===
[[File:Autopistol.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Autopistol]]
Most often a machine pistol or submachine gun, the Autopistol is a single-handed submachine gun (called the <s>Uzi</s> Autopistol) which is frequently used by Chaos heretics (and on occasion, traitor guardsmen) and cultists who don't particularly care about accuracy or expenses and wish to be able to make noise and cause death at a close distance (the former is done better by an Autogun than a Lasgun) as they close in to use their swords. Quite fittingly, many of the autopistols manufactured by the Imperium are based off the MAC-10/MAC-11 weapon series.

Autopistols are still in massive use throughout the Imperium and can be found even on low-tech worlds. Like the larger Autogun it is a very easy to construct and usually available in large numbers. The autopistol is a common weapon amongst renegades, gang members, and lowly criminals, being as easy to use as it is to construct. They are not generally considered a military issue weapon, but are a favorite amongst many military veterans as a supplement for their standard lasgun or as a backup weapon, especially by the ones using unreliable melta- or plasma-weaponry. Some regiments, including the Cadian 8th, often equip all their troops with autopistols as sidearms, improving their combat firepower. Other commanders allow their troops to acquire spoils from the battlefield for their own use and autopistols are popular choices.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Autopistol|r7=12|s7=3|ap7=-|type7=Pistol|r8=12|s8=3|ap8=0|d8=1|type8=Pistol 1}}
 

===Autogun===
[[File:Autogun.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Autogun]]
There are dozens of other Autogun models that have been created since, including more-advanced versions that use caseless ammunition. One common variety is an assault-rifle sized version formerly used by Imperial Guard regiments, known as the Agipinaa Type-II pattern Autogun (the one specifically noted to achieve stopping power on par with modern Imperial Guard-issue [[lasgun]]s). While pretty heavy at 6.2 kg / 13.6 lbs (with loaded magazine), this gun fires powerful (but having somewhat heavy recoil) 8.25mm rounds, accelerated to muzzle velocities of 825 meters per second while traveling through the autogun's 540mm (21.25 inch) long barrel. That's more powerful than NATOs 7.62 round but less powerful than a dedicated sniper round. It sounds a lot like a slightly stronger version of the 7.92mm Mauser (actually 8.22mm), the rifle cartridge of German G98 and Kar98k fame. 
Autoguns are commonly employed by pirates, rebel groups, [[Cultist|Chaos cultists]], [[Death_Korps_of_Krieg|Kriegers]], [[Planetary Defense Force]]s, [[Necromunda|Hive Gangers]], [[Adeptus Arbites]] and low-tech civilizations that are too underdeveloped to create even a simple Lasgun, which puts into perspective just how poor these people are. (Hey, that includes us...) On the Tabletop, they're basically [[Rule 63]] versions of lasguns, with the same exact specs.

In [[Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior]], the Stormtroopers used by the Guard detachment on-planet uses Autoguns that have been given special armor-piercing rounds (also known as "Man Stopper" rounds, featuring a penetrator-tip of hardened adamantium alloy embedded in each bullet) to improve their damage output, essentially putting them [[wat|on-par with]] [[Hellgun]]s (which is ridiculous, since when it comes to materials like adamantium, even an adamantium penetrator is just going to bounce off unless it's fired with very high power, kind of like trying to cut through a steel beam with a steel sword). Paired with the weapon's fast fire rate, they're probably the earliest weapon you can reliably take down a [[Space Marine]] or [[Chaos Space Marine]] with, though clearly better options are available.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Autogun|r7=24|s7=3|ap7=-|type7=Rapid Fire|r8=24|s8=3|ap8=0|d8=1|type8=Rapid Fire 1}}
 

===Rotor Cannon===
[[File:Rotor_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rotor Cannon]]

In previous editions, it should probably have been named Rotor Gun instead to avoid insulting the true cannons. The ancestor (read: feeble grandparent) of the Assault Cannon, firing smaller-caliber, less-capable ammunition and to date only seen in 30k. Unfortunately it was much weaker than its more recognizable descendant, with only half the stopping power (in fact it was on par with the standard autogun and outclassed by the ''Heavy Stubber'' of all guns) and much less armour-piercing ability, despite having the same shot output most of the time. About the only advantage it had over the Assault Cannon was the fact that it is man-portable by both Power-Armoured Astartes and unaugmented humans and can be fired on the move by both, whereas the Assault Cannon requires the user to wear Terminator armour, or for the Assault Cannon to be mounted on a vehicle. Based on the stats, it presumably fired similar rounds to an autogun (which is analogous to a modern battle rifle) but at a much higher cyclic rate, so it probably had some similarity to the real-life M134 minigun, which in technical terms would similarly classify the Rotor Cannon as a Rotary Machine Gun.

Even with the Rotor Cannon's poor stats and lack of special abilities, a few forces such as the Imperial Knights and the Thousand Sons Space Marine Legion have improved the Rotor Cannon's utility by loading it with more useful ammo, such as Biocorrosive ammunition for the Knights and the Thousand Son's own Asphyx shells that both allow for this humble weapon to be able to successfully wound its targets much more often. However, the Rotor Cannon's limitations against tougher opposition eventually led it to be phased out millennia before the 40k era, as Imperial Guard infantry forces eventually got access to crew-served versions of Astartes-grade Autocannons, Heavy Bolters, and Missile Launchers for their heavy weaponry, against which the Rotor Cannon could not compete even with its ability to be fired on the move by unaugmented humans.

In the 42nd Millenium, the Rotor Cannon appears to have been lifting, as it's now got an addition point of strength, a degree of AP and (bizarrely) 2 damage, turning it into (if the Assault Cannon is an automatic 20 mm cannon) basically a 50cal minigun. Really though, that 2 damage makes for a strange statline, as many related and much more powerful weapons lack 2 damage. This includes weapons like assault cannons, reaper autocannons, and even the Avenger bolt cannon. Combined with its less-than-impressive rate of fire this also means it's a portable rotary gun that ''doesn't'' specialize at horde-munching, instead being able to punch bigger holes in an ork Nob than a heavy bolter does, while also having a harder time actually wounding said Nob. Simply halving it's damage and doubling its rate-of-fire to 8 would've made a weapon that would've been the natural rotary version of an ironhail heavy stubber. Possibly the only logical way to resolve this would be to reason that its aim can only be changed very slowly while firing, and so can't be swept across hordes but can be held on a single target for more damage, but even that makes no sense when you roll badly and fail to kill a single ork boy with a burst of fire. A case of GW taking something weird and bad, and making it less bad and more weird.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Rotor Cannon|r7=30|s7=3|ap7=6|type7=Salvo 3/4|r8=24|s8=4|ap8=-1|d8=2|type8=Heavy 4}}
 

===Autocannon===
[[File:Imperial_Autocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Autocannon]]
The Autocannon is the big-cheese of the Autogun family (and possibly related to the <s>88mm Flak gun</s> <s>Bofors 40-57mm</s> <s>20mm Hispano-Suiza</s> GW couldn't tell which is which anyway), firing massive projectiles quickly enough that it can infatuate and butcher a group of Orks at the same time. Most commonly mounted on vehicles, but also seeing use in [[Imperial Guard]] heavy weapons teams, it possesses a frightening rate of fire and good armour penetration. Much like a heavy stubber, the autocannon proves that even older tech can work when scaled up in size. [[Great Crusade| Before]][[Horus Heresy| a certain temper tantrum]] and its aftermath, it used what were approximately [[Awesome|up-scaled Heavy Bolter shells]] to literally kill anything. Basically, ''these'' autocannon shells were to 40k's autocannon shells what Baneblade cannons are to battle cannons. Yeah. By the way most modern cannons actually use advanced shells like this.

The standard Autocannon makes a satisfying ''POM-POM-POM'' sound as it chews up targets up to four feet away. It hits at S7AP-1 and is a Heavy 2 weapon that deals D2, making it statistically better than the Heavy Bolter against everything except Toughness 4 and less models. The long-barreled Hydra variation is used on the [[Hydra Flak Tank]], and is designed to serve as anti-air support but used to chew up any cocky infantry that gets too close. Nowadays it gives warning shots that may clip an enemy if that enemy is standing right in front of it and jumps up and down screaming "SHOOT ME" (and even then might miss). Fortunately, it has an additional two feet of range, so while it only has one job, it tends to do it pretty well.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Autocannon|r7=48|s7=7|ap7=4|type7=Heavy 2|r8=48|s8=7|ap8=-1|d8=2|type8=Heavy 2}}
 

===Assault Cannon===
[[File:Assault_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Assault Cannon]]
The Assault Cannon is an autogun with an [[Dakka|outrageous rate of fire]], meaning it has to have rotating barrels to stop them from melting. Although it falls far short of it's terrifying fluffy firepower on tabletop, firing just four shots (or perhaps "enough ammunition to cause four chances to wound per turn of firing") compared to the 10 and 20 shots of rotary cannons available to the Imperial Guard, the Assault Cannon also fires unique, diamond-hard rounds at significantly increased velocity, resulting in far greater stopping power and armour penetration. Early prototype versions were exclusive to the Imperial Fists and Blood Angels Space Marine Legions, but did have a rare tendency to jam and become useless without some involved repair work. Upgraded jam-free versions were implemented post-Heresy, meaning that Chaos doesn't get these meat-grinders (although [[Obliterators]] do).

Assault Cannons are primarily used by [[Space Marine]]s as anti-infantry weaponry on [[Terminator|Terminators]], [[Dreadnought]]s, and various other vehicles and aircraft. The assault cannon might actually be a stub-weapon, as some art shows it ejecting spent casings. [[Only War]] and several other sources show that there is a difference. Auto-weapons are (usually) caseless and can be anything from merely caseless, chemically-propelled rounds, to railrifles and gravitic-accelerated projectiles. This is also why Macrocannons are auto-weapons, as their shells are magnetically propelled. Of course, knowing the Mechanicus, there are probably examples of both auto-weapons and stub-weapons for all solid-projectile weapons of the Imperium.

If it was a laser weapon, it would be to Multilasers something like what a Hellgun is to a Lasgun. Being Rotary Cannons, Assault Cannons should in theory be able to spin at different speeds to deliver higher or lower firing rates depending on whether the target is a squishy 'umie or even a vehicle, but this isn't possible in the game. It's possible that the Mechanicus, being the hidebound institution it is, hardwired a one-size-fits-all maximum firing rate in all models of Assault Cannon to make maintenance easier and to keep these weapons from wearing out and overheating too fast, with the ideal firing rate being what a Terminator-armoured Astartes could effectively aim, control, and still be able to carry enough ammunition for in one battle (since faster firing rates also deplete ammunition more quickly). This hypothesis is made more plausible given how the Blood Angels had to resort to mounting twin-linked Assault Cannons in the turrets of their [[Predator_Tank#Baal_Pattern_Predator|Baal Predator Tanks]] to get more of this weapon's firepower in one mount, instead of just spinning one Assault Cannon's barrels faster to achieve the same result as in real life. Although splitting the rate of fire between two guns does reduce the danger of overheating the barrels.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Assault Cannon|r7=24|s7=6|ap7=4|type7=Heavy 4, Rending|r8=24|s8=6|ap8=-1|d8=1|type8=Heavy 6}}
 

===Punisher Gatling Cannon===
[[File:Punisher_Gatling_Cannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Punisher Gatling Cannon]]

The Punisher Gatling Cannon is the primary armament of the Leman Russ Punisher tank and one of the Vulture Gunship's variants, and is a recent addition to the Imperial Guard armory. Design-wise, the weapon looks like someone was impressed with the Assault Cannon's firepower, but became increasingly frustrated with the inability of Imperial Guard forces to procure it and its unique ammunition, and so decided to resurrect the concept of the the long-discontinued Rotor Cannon (see above) and improved on it in most respects. The Punisher Gatling Cannon thus ends up as an intermediate step between the older Rotor Cannon and the much-vaunted Assault Cannon, possessing stopping power almost at the level of the latter weapon while not improving on the former's lackluster armour-penetration ability (likely a conscious design choice to keep manufacturing and ammunition costs down, below even what Heavy Bolter shells might require since Heavy Bolter shells have better armour-piercing ability compared to the Punisher's own ammunition).

Where the Punisher truly shines lies in the fact that it is vehicle-mounted only; since it's not bound by the need to limit its firing rate to allow a single Terminator-armoured Astartes to both effectively control and still carry sufficient ammunition for, the Punisher can instead achieve ''quintuple'' the firing rate of an Assault Cannon. This is a literal torrent of anti-infantry firepower, and puts the Punisher squarely among the fastest-firing weapons in the Imperial arsenal, <s>outstripping even the Vulcan Mega-Bolter</s> (as of 8th edition, both the Punisher and the Vulcan have the same rate of fire) which is restricted to being mounted on superheavy tanks or Titan-scale walkers. In fact, the Punisher doesn't so much as go DAKKADAKKADAKKA, it instead goes BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT. Able to churn out more shots than a squad of Tactical Marines at even greater strength, this baby will swiftly ventilate any block of infantry it comes across and can even threaten Monstrous Creatures by sheer weight of fire even with its unsophisticated non-armour-piercing ammunition. The Punisher Gatling Cannon also has a kid brother in the form of the Taurox Gatling Cannon, which has less strength and half the shots.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Punisher Gatling Cannon|r7=24|s7=5|ap7=-|type7=Heavy 20|r8=24|s8=5|ap8=0|d8=1|type8=Heavy 20}}
 

===Punisher Rotary Cannon===
[[File:Punisher_RotCannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Punisher Rotary Cannon]]
A souped up version of the above for the [[Space Marines|Emperor's finest]]. Like all things originating from the [[Great Crusade|good ol'days of the 31st Millennium]], the Punisher Rotary Cannon is far and above of higher quality than its 41st Millennium counterparts. Interestingly enough, the Punisher Rotary Cannon was the main armament of the once common [[Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer|Cerberus Pattern Main Battle Tank]], but the discovery of a Neutron Laser Projector and the [[Derp|general stupidity of placing a anti-infantry weapon on a fixed-hull mounted vehicle]] meant that it was eventually replaced as the Cerberus' go-to primary weapon. Loses out on two shots, but gains -1 AP and 50% more range to compensate. Later equipped on what else? The [[Sicaran Battle Tank#Sicaran Punisher|Sicaran Punisher]].

Due to its natural ability in [[Dakka|unleashing a torrent of unrelenting]] [[Steel Rain]], the Punisher Rotary Cannon quickly rose to fame among /tg/ of being an absolute [[Rape|rape machine]] against blob armies of infantry and ''even vehicles'' when it first came out. And that is just the weapon firing simple solid ferro-carbide slugs, imagine them with actual Bolt rounds....Seriously, nobody is going to go out okay when they face [[FATAL|18 Heavy Bolter shots in the face that can re-roll failed hits on a 1.]]

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-8|name=Punisher Rotary Cannon|range=36|strength=5|ap=-1|type=Heavy 18|}}
 

===Onslaught Gatling Cannon===
[[File:OnslaughtGatling.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Onslaught Gatling Cannon]]
The latest weapon for the Adeptus Astartes, and currently restricted to use as a secondary weapon on the [[Repulsor Tank|Repulsor Hover Tank]] and [[Redemptor Dreadnought|Redemptor Dreadnought.]] As such, it is ''another'' weapon exclusive to the [[Primaris Marines]]. Why in the Emperor's mummified nipples a gun such as this cannot be wielded by the more common Space Marines just begs the question. Why?

This weapon was found thanks to the reintroduction of [[Roboute Guilliman|Robot Gullytan the Third]] and Uncle [[Cawl]]. It has the strength and armour penetration of a heavy bolter at two thirds the range and twice the rate of fire.

On the Redemptor Dreadnought, due to its size, the Onslaught is wielded much like an oversized Powerfist lugging a hand-held autocannon. The sheer size of the Dreadnought's fist in contrast to the comically small Gatling Cannon is bound to spawn a few compensation jokes. Suffices to say, this eventually led to the creation of the Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon as shown below.

On the Repulsor, it is notorious for being one of the primary weapon choices on a vehicle ''infamous'' for its [[Dakka|weapon placements and the amount of guns it carries along on the battlefield.]]

Given it's a Heavy Bolter but better, don't be surprised if this weapon ends up being wielded by the Chad's Devastator equivalents.

===Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon===
[[File:HeavyOnslaughtGatlingCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon]]
Maximum dakka for the Astartes, the Heavy Onslaught is the primary weapon of the Repulsor Hover Tank and Redemptor Dreadnought. Basically the Dreadnought's equivalent of a penis extension or a [[Rape|metaphor for the foreboding erection the Dreadnought pilot is about to feel before being let loose.]]

Like its smaller brother, the Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon is a weapon exclusive to the Chadmarines and like its smaller brother, it came to fruition thanks to the management of Grandpa Smurf and Uncle Cawl.

It has the same strength and armour penetration as its smaller brother, but a 30" range and an incredible 12 shots. Interestingly inferior to the Punisher gatling cannon against everything that doesn't have heavy (2+) armour.

===Anvilus Autocannon Battery===
[[File:DEREDEO-PATTERN-DREADNOUGHT-Side.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Anvilus Autocannon Battery]]
You take a normal Autocannon, get three of its brothers and than duct taped them together. Congratulations! You now have the Anvilus Autocannon Battery.

The Anvilus Autocannon Battery, also known as the Anvilus Pattern Autocannon Battery, was the main ballistic weapon system used by the ancient [[Dreadnought#Deredeo Pattern|Deredeo Pattern Dreadnoughts]] of the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. The Anvilus Autocannon Battery was a set of two Anvilus Pattern Autocannons that shared a mount and firing system.

The Deredeo Dreadnoughts were armed with two such batteries that were then twin-linked together. The Anvilus Autocannon Battery was a fearsome development of the Autocannon that was able engage and destroy enemy armored targets with a punishing salvo of [[Dakka|BRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTT.]] The Anvilus Autocannon 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.

===Icarus Stormcannon Array===
[[File:StormcannonArray.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Icarus Stormcannon Array]]
The big brother of the Anvilus Autocannon Battery for the sole basis of having a bigger bore-size.

The Icarus Stormcannon Array is a Space Marine anti-aircraft platform mounted on [[Space Marine Stalker|Stalker vehicles.]] Made up of two independently traversing turrets of triple-barreled cannons and a large radar dish, the Icarus Stormcannon Array can track and fire at two separate aerial targets simultaneously.

The Stalker mounts an array of two Icarus Stormcannons granted a capacity for independent targeting by the servo-mind conclave (Cogitator array) to which they are shackled. The cannons have a high rate of fire and can launch hundreds of solid rounds into the sky.

Each servo-mind can direct the Stormcannons to track separate targets with a lesser degree of accuracy, or when faced by more potent foes the array can concentrate fire in a single, withering salvo that will tear even the mightiest winged beast or enemy aircraft from the skies.

===Siegebreaker Cannon===
[[File:Siegebreaker_Cannon_2.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Siegebreaker Cannon]]
The main secondary weapon of the new Imperial Knight Dominus. The Siegebreaker Cannons can come in a configuration of either one or two depending on your preferences. They are mounted on the back or the shoulders in order to resemble the Warlord Titan.

The Siegebreaker Cannon is an automated turret that is aimed at demolishing light vehicles and MEQs and even TEQs if the going gets tough. Nevertheless, its nature as a secondary weapon is meant to pick off stragglers when the primary weapons are busy dueling out with some big ass units.

Crunchwise, the Siegebreaker Cannon is basically a more random version of the Autocannon. Each one is a Heavy D3 gun with a range of 48", s 7, ap -1, damage D3 and is capable of doing a maximum of 9 damage if you rolled perfectly, but on average will be [[Fail|exactly the same as the Autocannon]]. Do note that being d3 instead of a flat 2 damage like the standard Autocannon actually makes it worse against 2 wound models, however.

Ironically, while GW tries to claim that "If siegebreaker cannons were mounted on mainline battle tanks, you’d take them in every game", the Siegebreaker Cannons are [[Derp|shittier version of a Battle Cannon, aka the main gun of the most spammed tank in the galaxy.]]

===Battle Cannon===
[[File:Battle_Cannon_Leman_Russ.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Battle Cannon]]
The big cheese of the Autogun family without going full on Titan. The Battle cannon is a larger and heavier version of the autocannon, its size restricting its use to vehicles only. It is the primary weapon of the [[Leman Russ Battle Tank]], where its explosive shells can decimate both infantry and other armor. It is also common armament on [[Imperial Knight|Imperial Knights]], though for these mighty machines are used special Rapid Fire Battle Cannons with improved rate of fire. Due to it being of Autogun in function, it has a wide variation of different ammunition that it can use. such as:

'''High Explosive:''' The standard round fired by Leman Russ battle cannons, HE shells like the Leman Russ Mk4 G4 round contain a highly explosive material such as Fyceline which detonates upon impact with the target. Since a high velocity is not necessary for the shell to work, a small amount of propellant allows for a larger amount of explosive material than in other shells. The explosion causes a blastwave lethal to anyone close by and shatters the thin shell casing into deadly high-speed shrapnel, making them deadly when used against infantry and light vehicles. While the sheer size of the blast can cause minor damage to armored vehicles, even stun or kill the crew within, HE shells lack the penetrative power of true anti-tank shells.

'''Anti-Tank/Armour Piercing:''' Anti-tank or armor piercing shells like the standard Leman Russ Mk12 G4 round are used to destroy hardened targets such as enemy tanks or bunkers. They consist of a solid round topped with an adamantium tip covered by a soft metal cap. A large propellant charge launches the round at high velocities, where upon impact the metal cap melts and creates a "sticking" effect so that the adamantium tip does not slide off of sloped armor or break. Most AP shells cause damage through kinetic energy, the sheer violence of a penetrating hit causing spalling within the enemy tank's interior to damage internal systems and kill crew. Others include a small high explosive charge which detonates upon impact, causing additional secondary damage.

'''Infernus:''' Inferno shells like the standard Leman Russ Mk7 G4 round, also known as incendiary, phosphorine or thermite shells, work in similar principle to HE shells. However instead of an explosive charge these shells are filled with a combustible substance which instantly is scattered upon impact. The substance burns instantly and is particularly deadly when used against infantry.

'''Smoke:''' Smoke shells are used to create an instant smoke screen, hiding the tank or other friendly forces from enemy observations.

'''Hunter:''' Hunter shells are very rare tank rounds which can be fired by a battle cannon or Conqueror cannon. They contain a small logic-engine similar to the one found on Hunter-Killer Missiles which locks onto a target and directs the path of the shell towards it. Just before impact the shell's Machine Spirit causes it to rise above and hit the enemy vehicle on it's thinner top armor. Only ever produced on the Forge World Tigrus, the knowledge to construct Hunter shells was lost when the world was overrun by the Orks. Most tank crews will therefore never even see a Hunter shell, much less have the honor of firing one.

===Avenger Gatling Cannon===
[[File:Avenger Gatling Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Avenger Gatling Cannon]]

The Avenger Gatling Cannon is a six-barrelled Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon firing bullets bigger than Autoguns, not to mention being larger as well overall. It is an available option for the [[Imperial Knight#Knight_Patterns|Imperial Knights Warden and Crusader]] in place of their standard-issue large-ass [[Chain_Weapon#Reaper_Chainsword|chainsaw]].

The highly feared avenger gatling cannon is like an oversized assault cannon, though its larger calibre shells are more destructive and its rate of fire is even more prodigious. A single blazing volley from the rotary weapon can stitch a pattern of death across the foe’s battle lines, causing charges to falter and fail or destroying entire attack columns of light vehicles.

There has been some confusion between this weapon and the [[Bolter#Avenger Bolt Cannon|Avenger Bolt Cannon]] due to the fact that both of them look like oversized miniguns as well as [[Derp|having the names 'Avenger' in them.]] However, it can be assumed that the Avenger Bolt Cannon's internal mechanics is more suited and specialized towards the gyrojet nature of the bolt rounds, whereas the Avenger Gatling Cannon is a more conventional rotary machine gun that just have a enlarged bore-size for it to fire massive bullets.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Avenger Gatling Cannon|r7=36|s7=6|ap7=3|type7=Heavy 12, Rending|r8=36|s8=6|ap8=-2|d8=2|type8=Heavy 12}}

<gallery>
CrusaderAvenger.png
AvengerGatlingCannonBack.jpg
</gallery>

===Thunderhawk Cannon===
[[File:Thunderhawk_Cannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Thunderhawk Cannon]]

A Battle Cannon given a [[/d/|penis enlarger]].

The Thunderhawk Cannon is a powerful, oversized, ballistic Battle cannon mounted on a Space Marine [[Thunderhawk|Thunderhawk Gunship]]. It is an over-sized version to allow it to be fired from the air at the most vulnerable parts of an enemy position or for clearing an area to land troops in.

However, despite the power coming from this weapon, most Space Marines would rather just replace the Cannon with the more destructive, accurate, ammo effecient, recoil friendly, longer ranged [[Superheavy Laser Weapons#Turbo-Laser Destructor|Single-Barrelled Turbo-Laser Destructor]] instead.

How the hell the Thunderhawk manage to stay stable without the cannon's immense recoil tearing the plane apart is unknown.

===Accelerator Autocannon===
[[File:AcceleratorAuto.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Accelerator Autocannon]]
Back when the Emperor still walked, the Imperium was capable of developing new and improved weapons, and the Accelerator Autocannon was one of those. Basically a cross between the Autocannon and a Rail Gun, the Accelerator Autocannon coupled a high rate of fire with a powerful shell and high accuracy. It shares it name with the Accelerator Cannon used on the [[Fellblade]] and [[Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank]]. Which would imply that this is a downsized version.

Currently the Accelerator Autocannon is exclusively mounted on the main variant of the [[Sicaran Battle Tank]]. Each Sicaran has two of them. Why they don't bother mounting them on the more advanced Dreadnaughts is because they don't know how, [[Games Workshop|lazyness,]] or they have so much recoil it's impracticable.

===Quake Cannon===
[[File:Quake_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Quake Cannon]]
The Quake Cannon is a gigantic artillery piece mounted on Imperial Titans and Super-Heavy Tanks. The Quake Cannon is used to engage targets at extreme range. Each Quake Cannon shot contains a [[Wat|fragment of a planet that has been subjected to]] [[Exterminatus]], which is to say the '''energy''' of the Exterminatus is harnessed and then weaponized....which is....unnecessarily complex to say the least....anyways, the weapon draws the contained earth-shattering power out and containing the blastwave within a Quake Shell.

On Titans, the Quake Cannon is commonly found on Warlord Battle Titans. The Imperator class titan can also carry one or more Quake Cannon on its carapace hard-points.

On Superheavies, the Imperial Guard Banesword Super-Heavy tank is also equipped with a Quake Cannon.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile|name=Quake Cannon|range=180|strength=9|ap=3|type=Ordnance, 10" Blast|}}
 

===Gatling Blaster===
[[File:Gatblaster.jpg|200px|right|thumb|The child of an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GAU-8_Avenger Avenger] and a battle cannon]]

Strapped to the mighty [[Reaver Battle Titan]] and above, this is the weapon you field when you need the biggest dakka the Imperium of Man has to offer, it's basically an Assault Cannon, [[Awesome|except that it fires Battle Cannon shells rather than bullets]], yeah... this is what you get if you thought about the Schwerer Gustav using Gatling Technology. Now if only they had some kind of Macro Gatling, ridiculous as that would be.

By function, each of the Gatling Blaster's six barrels fires once in turn during each revolution of the barrel cluster. The multiple barrels provide both a very high rate of fire and contribute to long weapon life by minimizing barrel erosion and heat generation. The Gatling Blaster is pneumatically-driven and electrically-primed. The gun rotor, barrel assembly and ammunition feed system are rotated by a hydraulic drive motor through a system of flexible drive shafts. The round is fired by an electric priming system where an electrical current from a firing lead passes through the firing pin to the primer as each round is rotated into the firing position. One of the drawbacks of the initial design was that the ejection of spent links created considerable (and ultimately insufferable) problems. The Adeptus Mechanicus compensated for this issue by creating a linkless feed system.

This is actually a pretty [[Reasonable Marines|reasonable and practical]] solution; a rarity in the AdMech. As what kind of sane Guardsmen would like to die from [[FATAL|giant empty bullet casings?]]

Galting Blasters can be mounted on the weapon limbs of Reaver and Warlord Battle Titans and the carapace mounts on Imperator Titans. It is too large to be fitted to Warhound Scout Titans however.

===Nemesis Quake Cannon===
[[File:99560108206_WarbringerTitanQuakeCannon01.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Nemesis Quake Cannon]]
The Quake Cannon on steroids, or the holy lovechild between a Quake Cannon and a Gatling Blaster, [[Skub|whichever you ask.]]

The Mars-Alpha Pattern Nemesis Quake Cannon or the Nemesis Quake Cannon for short, is a [[/d/|larger, thicker and longer version of the standard Quake Cannon with more ''girth''.]] [[Tl;dr]][[Slaanesh|, its a literal ''penis extension''.]] We in /tg/ like to joke that the [[Basilisk Artillery Gun]] and the [[Goliath Mega-Cannon]] are nothing more than a [[Dick|compensation weapon,]] but it seems that GW had forgotten the memo and took this shit [[Derp|''seriously''.]]

Mounted on the new and shiny [[Warbringer Nemesis Titan]]. This giant six-shooter of doom is designed to kill enemy Titans on sight, thus in any sensible usage, this weapon is regulated at the back lines as a giant sniper, unfortunately the Imperium [[Herp|lacks any sensibility]] and uses these as front line weapons instead. Nevertheless, having a fast firing Quake Cannon '''''is''''' a boon to any forces as now you have a very quick way to whither down the [[Void shields|Void Shields]] of enemy Titans in a quick and efficient manner rather than risking the time reloading. And seeing how this Titan gained prominence during the [[Horus Heresy]] when [[Emperor Battle Titan|Emperor Battle Titans]] were common enough to be thrown left and right like normal battle tanks, the nature of this weapon makes a whole load of sense. This cannon also works wonders against heavily fortified encampments and any forms of fortifications in general due to the monumental concussive force unleashed as its shell impacts the ground setting off powerful localized earthquakes.

Even if it doesn't directly hit its target, the concussive force from that cannon could still indirectly halt the advance of nearly anything on the battlefield up to and including battalions of Superheavy Tanks and enemy Knights.

===Macro Cannon===
[[File:Macrocannon.jpg|280px|thumb|right|A voidcraft Macrocannon, why the Mechanicus decided it was a good idea to use slaves to manually reload a EXBOXHUGE Cannon, despite already having auto-loaders is beyond our moral understandings.]]

The [[Dakka|Biggest of the Big]]. 'Macrocannon' seems to be a catch-all for any auto-type weapon larger than a Gatling-Blaster, ranging from fortress-mounted field artillery to the literally apocalyptic, cathedral-sized weapons found on [[Imperial Navy|voidcraft]]. As is clearly evident, it causes a quantity of [[Rape]] proportional to its size, but even the smallest land-based Macrocannons are capable of laying waste to mostly everything, including [[Awesome|flyers]]. It is at its basest an autocannon that fires bullets ranging in size from that of a man all the way up to the size of a [[Baneblade]], depending on the weapon's calibre (no, seriously), and since this is the Imperium, instead of an automatic reloader, they need [[Grimdark|dozens of slaves to move each bullet]] for the ship-mounted Macrocannons (heretical theories suggest this is either because it is actually cheaper for the Imperium, which is overloaded with humans and not resources, or because they are stockpiling resources, or they are cutting down on chances of daemonic incursions through humans by putting more of them in the killzone, or they are testing to see just how far people will comply with slave labor in a totalitarian state, or - most heretical of all - some suggest it is a bureaucratic screw-up with paperwork or that the AdMech doesn't know how to repair the loading cranes).

Provided yields for these weapons can go from 42 exajoules (about 5.297 times more powerful than [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake the most powerful earthquake ever recorded]; a 42 exajoule earthquake would be approximately magnitude 9.98) right down to the measly [[What|15 tetrajoules]]...[[Derp|*sigh* Games Workshop never fails to surprise us]]. Seriously believe us, we know that tetrajoules isn't an official unit of measurement, but since tetra is Latin for four this essentially gives us....[[Herp|4 joules of power]]....[[Fail|which is weaker then a human punch or a]] [[Lasgun|flashlight]].... Don't believe us? We got that from [[Rogue Trader (RPG)|Rogue Trader rpg: BattleFleet Koronus pg. 31 & 20]] which is quote on quote:
:''"Look at her, son. Isn’t she a beauty? Over two hundred Vulcan mega-bolter defence turrets, '''[[Wat|fifteen tetrajoule Sunsear las-broadsides]]''', prow plating ten metres thick, the finest auspex masts in the battlefleet… And the lines on her! Fluted prow, elegant statuary… those xenos scum won’t know what hit them!” – Bosun Phineas Jhule tempts fate at the embarkation of the Fire of Heaven''
:''"The Avenger dates from an earlier period of fleet tactics, when, squadrons of grand cruisers were employed as “line-breakers.” Traditionally, they were thrown into the midst of massive fleet engagements, soaking up enemy fire while racing into the middle of enemy formations, '''[[Bullshit|then crushing their opponents at short range with tetrajoules of energy from their oversized broadsides.]]'''"
''
Yeah...we in [[/tg/]] aren't sure whether this was [[Troll|intentional]] or a [[FAIL|gross example of a severe typo.]] So...um....[[Lulz|FEAR THE 60 JOULE BROADSIDE BATTERIES!]]. A possible explanation for this stupidity GWs forgot that the term "quadrillion" is a thing and is using "tetrajoule" to mean 1 000 000 000 000 000 joules (as the word "billion" comes from the latin word for two, "trillion" for the latin word for three and so on.). This gives a result of 15 quadrillion joules in a broadside, which is 15 trillion times as powerful as the world's largest laser and '''well over 3 times''' the amount of energy released in a 1 megaton explosion. Much better.

Jokes aside, if we use the picture to the right as a reference for size, and estimate the shell as a solid slug of density equivalent to lead, launched at a planet from geosynchronous orbit above an Earth-like planet (36,000km), you're looking at somewhere in the region of 50 Tera-Joules of energy when it strikes the ground, or slightly less than the Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima (and that's just from gravity, not including launch energy). About fifty or so of the land-based Macrocannons would equate to one ship-mounted Macrocannon, or one point of firepower in [[Battlefleet Gothic]]. Oh yes.

==Chaos Variants==
===Reaper Autocannon===
[[File:ReaperAutocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Reaper Autocannon]]
There is the regular Autocannon and then there is the Reaper variant, which only the Chaos Space Marines get because Assault Cannons were discovered after the [[Horus Heresy]], and everybody Imperial promptly thought they were cooler than the Reaper Autocannon. The reaper is an infantry-portable twin-linked Autocannon that wants to put its shells in your face at 36" or less. The reaper is effective against light vehicles and monsters, but the Imperials switched to the other gun for its boons against infantry. The current Imperial gun is mostly popular due to its reliability and durability, capable of operation for years without much care even if [[Ogryn|someone]] used it as a club. By comparison, the reaper assault cannon [[Fail|needs its barrels to be replaced after each battle or else it loses reliability or even explodes]] (maybe the admech were drunk that day).

Then at some point, the Traitor Legions and their Dark Mechanicus pals looked at the Reaper Autocannon and asked, "How can we make this even more rapey?" So they came up with the Helstorm Autocannon, which apparently can only be fitted to vehicles and aircraft such as the Hellblade due to its sheer rate of fire. It has the same profile as the Reaper except for firing an extra shot per attack and adding delicious Rending because fuck assault cannons. Now if only GW would let the forces of Chaos get their collective shit together and replace every vehicle mounted heavy bolter with S7 AP4 Heavy 3, Twin-linked, Rending.

===Soulreaper Cannon===
[[File:SoulreaperCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Soulreaper Cannon]]
You remember how we said earlier that the [[Thousand Sons]] AKA The Prodigal Bookworms found a way to make the god awful Rotor Cannon somewhat viable? Yeah, here is the end of result of it all.

The Soulreaper Cannon is a type of gatling Inferno Weapon used by the Thousand Sons. This heavy weapon bares a strong resemblance to the Space Marine Assault Cannon, but since it is basically a modified Rotor Cannon, the Sons of Magnus can basically lug around this gun with their normal [[Rubric Marines]]. This actually increases the effectiveness of these walking tin bins as it [[Dakka|boosts their firepower to a ungodly amount.]] [[Awesome]].

As the Soulreaper is an Inferno weapon, it uses literal magic to further boost and enhance the weapon's lethality. Who says that mixing science and sorcery is an absurd idea eh? [[Necron|Suck it Crons!]]

===Hades Autocannon===
[[File:HadesAutocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Hades Autocannon]]
The bigger version of the Reaper Autocannon.

Also because Chaos likes to add daemons to things, and daemons make things goofy, Chaos Space Marines have access to ''another'' vehicle-mounted variant, the Hades Autocannon, which bafflingly can only be mounted onto a dinobot (probably because it's propelled by warp-flame or something). Fielded onto a Heldrake for air support or in pairs on a Forgefiend for heavy support, the Hades Autocannon (R36", S8, AP4, Heavy 4, pinning) suffers the Reaper's slightly gimped range compared to the vanilla autocannon, but is slightly stronger and can pin units (but don't count on pinning too much); while it's not twin-linked like the reaper, having double the firepower more than compensates.

A Forgefiend can mulch most infantry short of [[Terminator]]s, pounding through power armour on sheer weight and power of fire, can make most Monstrous Creatures' lives flash before their eyes, and can hurt even a [[Land Raider]] or [[Monolith]] if the dice gods are in your favor. It's <s>almost</s> really/absolutely a real shame that the average Forgefiend isn't known for being a phenomenal shot.

===Skullshredder Cannon===
[[File:Skullshredder.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Skullshredder Cannon]]

The smallest of the weapons in the ridiculous [[Tower of Skulls]] Daemon Engine.

The two sponson-mounted twin-linked Skullshredder Cannons is used primarily for anti-infantry defense and it behaves similiar to a twin-linked Autocannon. Because it is mounted on the side, it can only target opponents in its field of view.

The Skullshredder is often seen as the least important weapon especially when there is the Doomfire Cannon situated just above the Skullshredder. Thus, it is often used to pick off any stragglers or provide additional wounds to would-be attackers.

Like all weapons from the Daemon Engine, it is powered by pure hatred.

===Skullreaper Cannon===
[[File:Skullreaper_Cannon.JPG|150px|right|thumb|Skullreaper Cannon]]

The Reaper Autocannon's father.

The Skullreaper Cannons is found only on the ridiculous [[Tower of Skulls]] Daemon Engine and is the primary hull-mounted weapon of the Tower itself. It is located further up the tower's height, and it is where the two hull-mounted Skullreaper Cannons is situated.

The Skullreaper Cannons resemble large hexa-barrelled weapons akin to a Hurricane Bolter, although it is not known whether the Skullreaper itself is a type of Bolter weapon, other than it fires large shells of pure hate. It is by far one of the most devastating anti-infantry weapons on a vehicle brimming with anti-infantry weapons, this is thanks in no part for simply having more barrels to load bullets in.

Due to its nature, it can be assumed that the Skullreaper is powered by the pure hatred of the Daemon Engine and uses the aforementioned shells of pure hate. It is unknown where the Daemon Engine supply the ammunition from, although it could be noted that the sheer size of the Tower of Skulls would mean that there should be ample room for stored ammunition, or we could just use the Warp simply whisking free ammunition like candy from a white van.

Nevertheless, because it is a six-barrelled weapon, the Skullreaper [[Count as]] a heavy weapon that can mulch most infantry trying to charge and attack the Tower of Skulls. Its unusual height advantage means that it can target enemies hiding behind cover with ease.

Unfortunately, the less can be said for its firing field of view, you could thank the stupid ass tower for being in the way.
{{clear}}

===Doomfire Cannon===
[[File:Doomfire_Cannon.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Doomfire Cannon]]

A giant fuck off gatling cannon that resembles a lot like the Space Marine's [[Thunderfire Cannon]] (Some may even accuse it of even being part of the Thunderfire kit, proving that GW can to, kitbash), heck it even behave like the Thunderfire Cannon, creating large explosions to shred infantry akin to a Bolter.

It is one of the secondary hull mounted weapons of the ridiculous Tower of Skulls Daemon Engine. Because it is mounted on a turret, the Doomfire Cannon is given a near 360 degree firing position. This makes it ''far'' more reasonable than the hokey Skullreaper Cannon whose very design seem to mimic the [[Warhammer Fantasy|Arrowslits found in medieval castles.]] [[Lolwut|Yes, you heard us right,]] [[Derp|GW]] and [[Herp|Khorne]] [[What|thought ''that'']] [[FAIL|was a 'good' design choice.]]

Of course, because it is lower to the ground, it has less range than the Skullreaper Cannon and is meant to rip apart closing infantry. Due to its explosive nature, it is unknown whether it is a Bolter, although Battle Cannons are known to have a blast template, so it could be assume that it just fire ''that'' big of a shell at such a rapid rate that it creates small blast templates in its wake.

Seriously, look at that ''bore size'' and tell me it doesn't fire fucking huge bullets?
{{clear}}

===Scorpion Cannon===
[[File:Scorpion_Cannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Scorpion Cannon]]
The Scorpion Cannon, also known as the Sting Cannon, is a large, multi-barrelled weapon that is wielded by [[Brass Scorpion]] and it is what happens when you have a Hades Autocannon mounted on a giant scorpion.

The weapon is mounted upon the Brass Scorpion's tail, giving the weapon a full 360 degree arc of fire, making it perfectly suited to unleash rapidly fired torrents of ballistic projectiles upon enemy infantry at close range. The cannon fires heavy caliber shells that are effective against most lightly armored infantry and vehicles.

The Scorpion Cannon features a set of blades allowing it to be used as a backup melee weapon against enemy aggressors. The weapon receives its ammunition from thick, semi-organic cabling that travels up the rear side of the creature's tail. It is basically Mortal Kombat's scorpion given more of a Khornate feel. Hence it receives the seal of [[Awesome]].

===Harvester Cannon===
[[File:Harvester_Cannon2.png|200px|right|thumb|Harvester Cannon]]
Take an [[Obliterator]]'s hand cannons and than multiply this by a hundred. You get the Harvester Cannon.

A Harvester Cannon is a large, multi-barrelled, rapid-firing weapon that is wielded by [[Soul Grinder]] Daemon Engines. The Soul Grinder is usually armed with a single Harvester Cannon on one arm, used in conjunction with an Iron Claw close combat weapon located on its other arm.

The weapon is attached to the daemon's wrist, on its right arm and can be used with an organic pincer version of the Iron Claw that it wields on its other arm or with a daemonic Warpsword. The Harvester Cannon is capable of firing large caliber solid shells that are effective against infantry and light vehicles and can also fire specialized flak shells to engage enemy aircraft. This thing is a very versatile form of [[Dakka]] and it can mow down both infantry, aircraft and vehicles alike.

===Butcher Cannon===
[[File:Butcher_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Butcher Cannon]]
A Butcher Cannon is a heavy caliber, rapid-firing rotary gun used by the Forces of Chaos. Think of it as the Reaper Autocannon on steroids.

The Butcher Cannon is commonly found on Chaos combat walkers and it is another primary weapon of the Decimator Daemon Engine as well as a weapon of choice for Chaos Contemptor Pattern Dreadnoughts. The shells fired by the Butcher Cannon are bound with sorcerous Chaos runes of anathema and bloodletting which causes severe blood loss. When used by Chaos walkers, the Butcher Cannon usually features a large blade that is attached beneath the weapon's twin barrels; this allows the walker to engage enemy forces in close combat if they get too close for it to effectively use the weapon at range.

It is not recorded in Imperial records if any other Chaos walkers such as Chaos Dreadnoughts or Helbrutes, Daemon Engines such as Defilers or Soul Grinders, or Chaos Space Marine tanks such as the Predator or Land Raider are able to be armed with a Butcher Cannon, although it is presumed to be possible.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:11 - Infiltrator.png|Autoguns - Better Than Your Crap Flashlights!
Image:Autogun01.jpg|A typical mass produced model.
Image:RenegadeArms.JPG|Traitor Guardsmen armed with Armageddon-pattern Autoguns and Autopistols. You know you want 'em.
Image:LRPun.jpg|The Punisher Gatling Cannon and its tank. Sometimes you just need a little more gun.
Image:Gatling Blaster.jpg|The Gatling Blaster. For when you need big dakka.
</gallery>

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[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]][[Category: Imperial]][[Category: Chaos]]
{{40k-Chaos-Weapons}}

Autogun

2019-02-19T03:28:57Z

2604:3D09:B580:770:6936:9C2E:B431:A19B: /* Autogun */

[[File:Autogun4.jpg|350px|thumb|right|Note the [[C.S. Goto|heretical sorcery]] shrinking its capacity to below an [[Bolter#Astartes Boltguns|Astartes bolter]]]]

{{Topquote|Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.|General Douglas MacArthur}}

An '''Autogun''' is a [[firearm|chemically-powered projectile throwing weapon]] (a slug thrower, durr), that can be compared to late 20th to early 21st century fire arms. Autoguns are (probably) slightly more powerful, which is why it avoids the title of [[Stubber]] (which have basically no improvements on World War II firearms) which are even worse than [[lasgun|Lasguns]] (there is not a single part of a suit of flak armor that a rifle-sized Stubber can pierce at any range according to some sources, even though WWII Rifles were pretty powerful). Alternatively, since [[Stubber#Stub_Gun|Stub Pistols]] are more powerful than Autopistols, it's possible the difference has more to do with calibre and/or tech level. Simply put, these weapons use a propellant to accelerate a metal projectile to punch holes in things.

If the Lasgun is called a 'Flashlight' then the Autogun is called a 'Stapler'.

== Autoguns versus Lasguns ==

It is a significantly older weapon than the [[Lasgun]], and does not see quite as much use due to the [[Administratum|Departmento Munitorium]] saying it's a bad idea. So if a young and often curious Guardsmen tries and ask his superiors, mostly a Commissar (yes, reasonable Commissars do exist) on why a Lasgun is preferred over an Autogun by Imperial Standards, they will tell you a whole list of things such as the following... Lasgun Power Packs weigh significantly less than Autogun magazines and are far more sustainable (rechargeable via heat, light, or wall outlet); Lasguns are also significantly more accurate and require notably less maintenance than Autoguns; and Lasguns have no recoil, meaning even the 8-year-old baby-faced kids and 98-year-old dusty seniors that get conscripted into the Imperial Guard can fire it straight. The big reason that Autoguns were phased out was a matter of practicality, but there is one thing the Autogun has that the humble Lasgun doesn't: the amount of different types of ammunition you can carry. From Incendiary to Armor-Piercing rounds and even High-Explosive rounds that makes the Autogun a ''[[Awesome|miniature Bolter]]''. This means that while the Lasguns are far and away the common infantry gun, the vast selection of different ammunition makes the Autogun a kind of highly-flexible ''tactical weapon''. Though /tg/ rather enjoys musing that the *real* reason Autoguns were phased out was the cost (all that [[grimdark]] spent ammunition came from somewhere, after all). In spite of the ammunition problem, the Autogun still sees use throughout the Imperium (particularly among PDF forces, as they do not have the overwhelmingly-massive logistical issues the Imperial Guard does), and its removal from large parts of official service hasn't stopped its development.

== Autoguns versus Stubbers ==

There is [[Skub|significant debate]] over the actual power of Auto and Stub weapons, with the "higher power" team citing higher tech level and advanced materials, and "modern power" team citing no mention of any kind of recoil compensation (limiting power) and less innovative designs. Modernist evidence implies some or even most autoguns may actually be less advanced than modern firearms. After all, 21st century modern cannon rounds are definitely more advanced than the average autogun, and autoguns are meant to be built on all sorts of backwater worlds. Regardless, it is well-and-truly possible that both sides are right, since strictly speaking an Imperial Autogun is generally any type of automatic rifle, firing solid slugs accelerated by combustion of a chemical charge. As such, there are great many models and patterns in existence, different in both internal mechanics of their action and the ammunition they use. Wile some Autoguns *are* just a backwater-colony's locally-designed crude weapons, using black-powder-filled cartridges and prone to jamming, *other* Autoguns may be high-tech products of AdMech factories, firing hypervelocity Discarding-Sabot needle-bullets, capable of easily punching through carapace armour.

There is also a third possibility, which involves the Dark Age of Technology. It's conceivable that "Stubber" is a derogatory term for old gunpowder weaponry made before the Dark Age, and "Autogun" was a Dark Age classification created to delineate the super-futuristic projectile weapons of the then-modern era from Stub Guns. The difference was only significant during the Dark Age of Technology, when "Autogun" meant something more akin to a [[Eclipse Phase|Smart Assault Rifle]] and a Stub Gun meant an M1 Garand. Now, in the grim darkness of the 4*2nd* Millennium, with technological regression and pointlessly pedantic bureaucracy, the distinction between the two gun classifications may have just become statistically insignificant.

For further comparison between Stubbers and Autoguns, [[Stubber#Disambiguation|click here]].

==Imperium Variants ==
===Autopistol===
[[File:Autopistol.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Autopistol]]
Most often a machine pistol or submachine gun, the Autopistol is a single-handed submachine gun (called the <s>Uzi</s> Autopistol) which is frequently used by Chaos heretics (and on occasion, traitor guardsmen) and cultists who don't particularly care about accuracy or expenses and wish to be able to make noise and cause death at a close distance (the former is done better by an Autogun than a Lasgun) as they close in to use their swords. Quite fittingly, many of the autopistols manufactured by the Imperium are based off the MAC-10/MAC-11 weapon series.

Autopistols are still in massive use throughout the Imperium and can be found even on low-tech worlds. Like the larger Autogun it is a very easy to construct and usually available in large numbers. The autopistol is a common weapon amongst renegades, gang members, and lowly criminals, being as easy to use as it is to construct. They are not generally considered a military issue weapon, but are a favorite amongst many military veterans as a supplement for their standard lasgun or as a backup weapon, especially by the ones using unreliable melta- or plasma-weaponry. Some regiments, including the Cadian 8th, often equip all their troops with autopistols as sidearms, improving their combat firepower. Other commanders allow their troops to acquire spoils from the battlefield for their own use and autopistols are popular choices.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Autopistol|r7=12|s7=3|ap7=-|type7=Pistol|r8=12|s8=3|ap8=0|d8=1|type8=Pistol 1}}
 

===Autogun===
[[File:Autogun.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Autogun]]
There are dozens of other Autogun models that have been created since, including more-advanced versions that use caseless ammunition. One common variety is an assault-rifle sized version formerly used by Imperial Guard regiments, known as the Agipinaa Type-II pattern Autogun (the one specifically noted to achieve stopping power on par with modern Imperial Guard-issue [[lasgun]]s). While pretty heavy at 6.2 kg / 13.6 lbs (with loaded magazine), this gun fires powerful (but having somewhat heavy recoil) 8.25mm rounds, accelerated to muzzle velocities of 825 meters per second while traveling through the autogun's 540mm (21.25 inch) long barrel. That's more powerful than NATOs 7.62 round but less powerful than a dedicated sniper round. It sounds a lot like a slightly stronger version of the 7.92mm Mauser (actually 8.22mm), the rifle cartridge of German G98 and Kar98k fame.
Autoguns are commonly employed by pirates, rebel groups, [[Cultist|Chaos cultists]], [[Death_Korps_of_Krieg|Kriegers]], [[Planetary Defense Force]]s, [[Necromunda|Hive Gangers]], [[Adeptus Arbites]] and low-tech civilizations that are too underdeveloped to create even a simple Lasgun, which puts into perspective just how poor these people are. (Hey, that includes us...) On the Tabletop, they're basically [[Rule 63]] versions of lasguns, with the same exact specs.

In [[Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior]], the Stormtroopers used by the Guard detachment on-planet uses Autoguns that have been given special armor-piercing rounds (also known as "Man Stopper" rounds, featuring a penetrator-tip of hardened adamantium alloy embedded in each bullet) to improve their damage output, essentially putting them [[wat|on-par with]] [[Hellgun]]s (which is ridiculous, since when it comes to materials like adamantium, even an adamantium penetrator is just going to bounce off unless it's fired with very high power, kind of like trying to cut through a steel beam with a steel sword). Paired with the weapon's fast fire rate, they're probably the earliest weapon you can reliably take down a [[Space Marine]] or [[Chaos Space Marine]] with, though clearly better options are available.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Autogun|r7=24|s7=3|ap7=-|type7=Rapid Fire|r8=24|s8=3|ap8=0|d8=1|type8=Rapid Fire 1}}
 

===Rotor Cannon===
[[File:Rotor_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Rotor Cannon]]

In previous editions, it should probably have been named Rotor Gun instead to avoid insulting the true cannons. The ancestor (read: feeble grandparent) of the Assault Cannon, firing smaller-caliber, less-capable ammunition and to date only seen in 30k. Unfortunately it was much weaker than its more recognizable descendant, with only half the stopping power (in fact it was on par with the standard autogun and outclassed by the ''Heavy Stubber'' of all guns) and much less armour-piercing ability, despite having the same shot output most of the time. About the only advantage it had over the Assault Cannon was the fact that it is man-portable by both Power-Armoured Astartes and unaugmented humans and can be fired on the move by both, whereas the Assault Cannon requires the user to wear Terminator armour, or for the Assault Cannon to be mounted on a vehicle. Based on the stats, it presumably fired similar rounds to an autogun (which is analogous to a modern battle rifle) but at a much higher cyclic rate, so it probably had some similarity to the real-life M134 minigun, which in technical terms would similarly classify the Rotor Cannon as a Rotary Machine Gun.

Even with the Rotor Cannon's poor stats and lack of special abilities, a few forces such as the Imperial Knights and the Thousand Sons Space Marine Legion have improved the Rotor Cannon's utility by loading it with more useful ammo, such as Biocorrosive ammunition for the Knights and the Thousand Son's own Asphyx shells that both allow for this humble weapon to be able to successfully wound its targets much more often. However, the Rotor Cannon's limitations against tougher opposition eventually led it to be phased out millennia before the 40k era, as Imperial Guard infantry forces eventually got access to crew-served versions of Astartes-grade Autocannons, Heavy Bolters, and Missile Launchers for their heavy weaponry, against which the Rotor Cannon could not compete even with its ability to be fired on the move by unaugmented humans.

In the 42nd Millenium, the Rotor Cannon appears to have been lifting, as it's now got an addition point of strength, a degree of AP and (bizarrely) 2 damage, turning it into (if the Assault Cannon is an automatic 20 mm cannon) basically a 50cal minigun. Really though, that 2 damage makes for a strange statline, as many related and much more powerful weapons lack 2 damage. This includes weapons like assault cannons, reaper autocannons, and even the Avenger bolt cannon. Combined with its less-than-impressive rate of fire this also means it's a portable rotary gun that ''doesn't'' specialize at horde-munching, instead being able to punch bigger holes in an ork Nob than a heavy bolter does, while also having a harder time actually wounding said Nob. Simply halving it's damage and doubling its rate-of-fire to 8 would've made a weapon that would've been the natural rotary version of an ironhail heavy stubber. Possibly the only logical way to resolve this would be to reason that its aim can only be changed very slowly while firing, and so can't be swept across hordes but can be held on a single target for more damage, but even that makes no sense when you roll badly and fail to kill a single ork boy with a burst of fire. A case of GW taking something weird and bad, and making it less bad and more weird.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Rotor Cannon|r7=30|s7=3|ap7=6|type7=Salvo 3/4|r8=24|s8=4|ap8=-1|d8=2|type8=Heavy 4}}
 

===Autocannon===
[[File:Imperial_Autocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Autocannon]]
The Autocannon is the big-cheese of the Autogun family (and possibly related to the <s>88mm Flak gun</s> <s>Bofors 40-57mm</s> <s>20mm Hispano-Suiza</s> GW couldn't tell which is which anyway), firing massive projectiles quickly enough that it can infatuate and butcher a group of Orks at the same time. Most commonly mounted on vehicles, but also seeing use in [[Imperial Guard]] heavy weapons teams, it possesses a frightening rate of fire and good armour penetration. Much like a heavy stubber, the autocannon proves that even older tech can work when scaled up in size. [[Great Crusade| Before]][[Horus Heresy| a certain temper tantrum]] and its aftermath, it used what were approximately [[Awesome|up-scaled Heavy Bolter shells]] to literally kill anything. Basically, ''these'' autocannon shells were to 40k's autocannon shells what Baneblade cannons are to battle cannons. Yeah. By the way most modern cannons actually use advanced shells like this.

The standard Autocannon makes a satisfying ''POM-POM-POM'' sound as it chews up targets up to four feet away. It hits at S7AP-1 and is a Heavy 2 weapon that deals D2, making it statistically better than the Heavy Bolter against everything except Toughness 4 and less models. The long-barreled Hydra variation is used on the [[Hydra Flak Tank]], and is designed to serve as anti-air support but used to chew up any cocky infantry that gets too close. Nowadays it gives warning shots that may clip an enemy if that enemy is standing right in front of it and jumps up and down screaming "SHOOT ME" (and even then might miss). Fortunately, it has an additional two feet of range, so while it only has one job, it tends to do it pretty well.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Autocannon|r7=48|s7=7|ap7=4|type7=Heavy 2|r8=48|s8=7|ap8=-1|d8=2|type8=Heavy 2}}
 

===Assault Cannon===
[[File:Assault_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Assault Cannon]]
The Assault Cannon is an autogun with an [[Dakka|outrageous rate of fire]], meaning it has to have rotating barrels to stop them from melting. Although it falls far short of it's terrifying fluffy firepower on tabletop, firing just four shots (or perhaps "enough ammunition to cause four chances to wound per turn of firing") compared to the 10 and 20 shots of rotary cannons available to the Imperial Guard, the Assault Cannon also fires unique, diamond-hard rounds at significantly increased velocity, resulting in far greater stopping power and armour penetration. Early prototype versions were exclusive to the Imperial Fists and Blood Angels Space Marine Legions, but did have a rare tendency to jam and become useless without some involved repair work. Upgraded jam-free versions were implemented post-Heresy, meaning that Chaos doesn't get these meat-grinders (although [[Obliterators]] do).

Assault Cannons are primarily used by [[Space Marine]]s as anti-infantry weaponry on [[Terminator|Terminators]], [[Dreadnought]]s, and various other vehicles and aircraft. The assault cannon might actually be a stub-weapon, as some art shows it ejecting spent casings. [[Only War]] and several other sources show that there is a difference. Auto-weapons are (usually) caseless and can be anything from merely caseless, chemically-propelled rounds, to railrifles and gravitic-accelerated projectiles. This is also why Macrocannons are auto-weapons, as their shells are magnetically propelled. Of course, knowing the Mechanicus, there are probably examples of both auto-weapons and stub-weapons for all solid-projectile weapons of the Imperium.

If it was a laser weapon, it would be to Multilasers something like what a Hellgun is to a Lasgun. Being Rotary Cannons, Assault Cannons should in theory be able to spin at different speeds to deliver higher or lower firing rates depending on whether the target is a squishy 'umie or even a vehicle, but this isn't possible in the game. It's possible that the Mechanicus, being the hidebound institution it is, hardwired a one-size-fits-all maximum firing rate in all models of Assault Cannon to make maintenance easier and to keep these weapons from wearing out and overheating too fast, with the ideal firing rate being what a Terminator-armoured Astartes could effectively aim, control, and still be able to carry enough ammunition for in one battle (since faster firing rates also deplete ammunition more quickly). This hypothesis is made more plausible given how the Blood Angels had to resort to mounting twin-linked Assault Cannons in the turrets of their [[Predator_Tank#Baal_Pattern_Predator|Baal Predator Tanks]] to get more of this weapon's firepower in one mount, instead of just spinning one Assault Cannon's barrels faster to achieve the same result as in real life. Although splitting the rate of fire between two guns does reduce the danger of overheating the barrels.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Assault Cannon|r7=24|s7=6|ap7=4|type7=Heavy 4, Rending|r8=24|s8=6|ap8=-1|d8=1|type8=Heavy 6}}
 

===Punisher Gatling Cannon===
[[File:Punisher_Gatling_Cannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Punisher Gatling Cannon]]

The Punisher Gatling Cannon is the primary armament of the Leman Russ Punisher tank and one of the Vulture Gunship's variants, and is a recent addition to the Imperial Guard armory. Design-wise, the weapon looks like someone was impressed with the Assault Cannon's firepower, but became increasingly frustrated with the inability of Imperial Guard forces to procure it and its unique ammunition, and so decided to resurrect the concept of the the long-discontinued Rotor Cannon (see above) and improved on it in most respects. The Punisher Gatling Cannon thus ends up as an intermediate step between the older Rotor Cannon and the much-vaunted Assault Cannon, possessing stopping power almost at the level of the latter weapon while not improving on the former's lackluster armour-penetration ability (likely a conscious design choice to keep manufacturing and ammunition costs down, below even what Heavy Bolter shells might require since Heavy Bolter shells have better armour-piercing ability compared to the Punisher's own ammunition).

Where the Punisher truly shines lies in the fact that it is vehicle-mounted only; since it's not bound by the need to limit its firing rate to allow a single Terminator-armoured Astartes to both effectively control and still carry sufficient ammunition for, the Punisher can instead achieve ''quintuple'' the firing rate of an Assault Cannon. This is a literal torrent of anti-infantry firepower, and puts the Punisher squarely among the fastest-firing weapons in the Imperial arsenal, <s>outstripping even the Vulcan Mega-Bolter</s> (as of 8th edition, both the Punisher and the Vulcan have the same rate of fire) which is restricted to being mounted on superheavy tanks or Titan-scale walkers. In fact, the Punisher doesn't so much as go DAKKADAKKADAKKA, it instead goes BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT. Able to churn out more shots than a squad of Tactical Marines at even greater strength, this baby will swiftly ventilate any block of infantry it comes across and can even threaten Monstrous Creatures by sheer weight of fire even with its unsophisticated non-armour-piercing ammunition. The Punisher Gatling Cannon also has a kid brother in the form of the Taurox Gatling Cannon, which has less strength and half the shots.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Punisher Gatling Cannon|r7=24|s7=5|ap7=-|type7=Heavy 20|r8=24|s8=5|ap8=0|d8=1|type8=Heavy 20}}
 

===Punisher Rotary Cannon===
[[File:Punisher_RotCannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Punisher Rotary Cannon]]
A souped up version of the above for the [[Space Marines|Emperor's finest]]. Like all things originating from the [[Great Crusade|good ol'days of the 31st Millennium]], the Punisher Rotary Cannon is far and above of higher quality than its 41st Millennium counterparts. Interestingly enough, the Punisher Rotary Cannon was the main armament of the once common [[Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer|Cerberus Pattern Main Battle Tank]], but the discovery of a Neutron Laser Projector and the [[Derp|general stupidity of placing a anti-infantry weapon on a fixed-hull mounted vehicle]] meant that it was eventually replaced as the Cerberus' go-to primary weapon. Loses out on two shots, but gains -1 AP and 50% more range to compensate. Later equipped on what else? The [[Sicaran Battle Tank#Sicaran Punisher|Sicaran Punisher]].

Due to its natural ability in [[Dakka|unleashing a torrent of unrelenting]] [[Steel Rain]], the Punisher Rotary Cannon quickly rose to fame among /tg/ of being an absolute [[Rape|rape machine]] against blob armies of infantry and ''even vehicles'' when it first came out. And that is just the weapon firing simple solid ferro-carbide slugs, imagine them with actual Bolt rounds....Seriously, nobody is going to go out okay when they face [[FATAL|18 Heavy Bolter shots in the face that can re-roll failed hits on a 1.]]

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-8|name=Punisher Rotary Cannon|range=36|strength=5|ap=-1|type=Heavy 18|}}
 

===Onslaught Gatling Cannon===
[[File:OnslaughtGatling.jpg|150px|right|thumb|Onslaught Gatling Cannon]]
The latest weapon for the Adeptus Astartes, and currently restricted to use as a secondary weapon on the [[Repulsor Tank|Repulsor Hover Tank]] and [[Redemptor Dreadnought|Redemptor Dreadnought.]] As such, it is ''another'' weapon exclusive to the [[Primaris Marines]]. Why in the Emperor's mummified nipples a gun such as this cannot be wielded by the more common Space Marines just begs the question. Why?

This weapon was found thanks to the reintroduction of [[Roboute Guilliman|Robot Gullytan the Third]] and Uncle [[Cawl]]. It has the strength and armour penetration of a heavy bolter at two thirds the range and twice the rate of fire.

On the Redemptor Dreadnought, due to its size, the Onslaught is wielded much like an oversized Powerfist lugging a hand-held autocannon. The sheer size of the Dreadnought's fist in contrast to the comically small Gatling Cannon is bound to spawn a few compensation jokes. Suffices to say, this eventually led to the creation of the Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon as shown below.

On the Repulsor, it is notorious for being one of the primary weapon choices on a vehicle ''infamous'' for its [[Dakka|weapon placements and the amount of guns it carries along on the battlefield.]]

Given it's a Heavy Bolter but better, don't be surprised if this weapon ends up being wielded by the Chad's Devastator equivalents.

===Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon===
[[File:HeavyOnslaughtGatlingCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon]]
Maximum dakka for the Astartes, the Heavy Onslaught is the primary weapon of the Repulsor Hover Tank and Redemptor Dreadnought. Basically the Dreadnought's equivalent of a penis extension or a [[Rape|metaphor for the foreboding erection the Dreadnought pilot is about to feel before being let loose.]]

Like its smaller brother, the Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon is a weapon exclusive to the Chadmarines and like its smaller brother, it came to fruition thanks to the management of Grandpa Smurf and Uncle Cawl.

It has the same strength and armour penetration as its smaller brother, but a 30" range and an incredible 12 shots. Interestingly inferior to the Punisher gatling cannon against everything that doesn't have heavy (2+) armour.

===Anvilus Autocannon Battery===
[[File:DEREDEO-PATTERN-DREADNOUGHT-Side.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Anvilus Autocannon Battery]]
You take a normal Autocannon, get three of its brothers and than duct taped them together. Congratulations! You now have the Anvilus Autocannon Battery.

The Anvilus Autocannon Battery, also known as the Anvilus Pattern Autocannon Battery, was the main ballistic weapon system used by the ancient [[Dreadnought#Deredeo Pattern|Deredeo Pattern Dreadnoughts]] of the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. The Anvilus Autocannon Battery was a set of two Anvilus Pattern Autocannons that shared a mount and firing system.

The Deredeo Dreadnoughts were armed with two such batteries that were then twin-linked together. The Anvilus Autocannon Battery was a fearsome development of the Autocannon that was able engage and destroy enemy armored targets with a punishing salvo of [[Dakka|BRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTT.]] The Anvilus Autocannon 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.

===Icarus Stormcannon Array===
[[File:StormcannonArray.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Icarus Stormcannon Array]]
The big brother of the Anvilus Autocannon Battery for the sole basis of having a bigger bore-size.

The Icarus Stormcannon Array is a Space Marine anti-aircraft platform mounted on [[Space Marine Stalker|Stalker vehicles.]] Made up of two independently traversing turrets of triple-barreled cannons and a large radar dish, the Icarus Stormcannon Array can track and fire at two separate aerial targets simultaneously.

The Stalker mounts an array of two Icarus Stormcannons granted a capacity for independent targeting by the servo-mind conclave (Cogitator array) to which they are shackled. The cannons have a high rate of fire and can launch hundreds of solid rounds into the sky.

Each servo-mind can direct the Stormcannons to track separate targets with a lesser degree of accuracy, or when faced by more potent foes the array can concentrate fire in a single, withering salvo that will tear even the mightiest winged beast or enemy aircraft from the skies.

===Siegebreaker Cannon===
[[File:Siegebreaker_Cannon_2.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Siegebreaker Cannon]]
The main secondary weapon of the new Imperial Knight Dominus. The Siegebreaker Cannons can come in a configuration of either one or two depending on your preferences. They are mounted on the back or the shoulders in order to resemble the Warlord Titan.

The Siegebreaker Cannon is an automated turret that is aimed at demolishing light vehicles and MEQs and even TEQs if the going gets tough. Nevertheless, its nature as a secondary weapon is meant to pick off stragglers when the primary weapons are busy dueling out with some big ass units.

Crunchwise, the Siegebreaker Cannon is basically a more random version of the Autocannon. Each one is a Heavy D3 gun with a range of 48", s 7, ap -1, damage D3 and is capable of doing a maximum of 9 damage if you rolled perfectly, but on average will be [[Fail|exactly the same as the Autocannon]]. Do note that being d3 instead of a flat 2 damage like the standard Autocannon actually makes it worse against 2 wound models, however.

Ironically, while GW tries to claim that "If siegebreaker cannons were mounted on mainline battle tanks, you’d take them in every game", the Siegebreaker Cannons are [[Derp|shittier version of a Battle Cannon, aka the main gun of the most spammed tank in the galaxy.]]

===Battle Cannon===
[[File:Battle_Cannon_Leman_Russ.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Battle Cannon]]
The big cheese of the Autogun family without going full on Titan. The Battle cannon is a larger and heavier version of the autocannon, its size restricting its use to vehicles only. It is the primary weapon of the [[Leman Russ Battle Tank]], where its explosive shells can decimate both infantry and other armor. It is also common armament on [[Imperial Knight|Imperial Knights]], though for these mighty machines are used special Rapid Fire Battle Cannons with improved rate of fire. Due to it being of Autogun in function, it has a wide variation of different ammunition that it can use. such as:

'''High Explosive:''' The standard round fired by Leman Russ battle cannons, HE shells like the Leman Russ Mk4 G4 round contain a highly explosive material such as Fyceline which detonates upon impact with the target. Since a high velocity is not necessary for the shell to work, a small amount of propellant allows for a larger amount of explosive material than in other shells. The explosion causes a blastwave lethal to anyone close by and shatters the thin shell casing into deadly high-speed shrapnel, making them deadly when used against infantry and light vehicles. While the sheer size of the blast can cause minor damage to armored vehicles, even stun or kill the crew within, HE shells lack the penetrative power of true anti-tank shells.

'''Anti-Tank/Armour Piercing:''' Anti-tank or armor piercing shells like the standard Leman Russ Mk12 G4 round are used to destroy hardened targets such as enemy tanks or bunkers. They consist of a solid round topped with an adamantium tip covered by a soft metal cap. A large propellant charge launches the round at high velocities, where upon impact the metal cap melts and creates a "sticking" effect so that the adamantium tip does not slide off of sloped armor or break. Most AP shells cause damage through kinetic energy, the sheer violence of a penetrating hit causing spalling within the enemy tank's interior to damage internal systems and kill crew. Others include a small high explosive charge which detonates upon impact, causing additional secondary damage.

'''Infernus:''' Inferno shells like the standard Leman Russ Mk7 G4 round, also known as incendiary, phosphorine or thermite shells, work in similar principle to HE shells. However instead of an explosive charge these shells are filled with a combustible substance which instantly is scattered upon impact. The substance burns instantly and is particularly deadly when used against infantry.

'''Smoke:''' Smoke shells are used to create an instant smoke screen, hiding the tank or other friendly forces from enemy observations.

'''Hunter:''' Hunter shells are very rare tank rounds which can be fired by a battle cannon or Conqueror cannon. They contain a small logic-engine similar to the one found on Hunter-Killer Missiles which locks onto a target and directs the path of the shell towards it. Just before impact the shell's Machine Spirit causes it to rise above and hit the enemy vehicle on it's thinner top armor. Only ever produced on the Forge World Tigrus, the knowledge to construct Hunter shells was lost when the world was overrun by the Orks. Most tank crews will therefore never even see a Hunter shell, much less have the honor of firing one.

===Avenger Gatling Cannon===
[[File:Avenger Gatling Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Avenger Gatling Cannon]]

The Avenger Gatling Cannon is a six-barrelled Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon firing bullets bigger than Autoguns, not to mention being larger as well overall. It is an available option for the [[Imperial Knight#Knight_Patterns|Imperial Knights Warden and Crusader]] in place of their standard-issue large-ass [[Chain_Weapon#Reaper_Chainsword|chainsaw]].

The highly feared avenger gatling cannon is like an oversized assault cannon, though its larger calibre shells are more destructive and its rate of fire is even more prodigious. A single blazing volley from the rotary weapon can stitch a pattern of death across the foe’s battle lines, causing charges to falter and fail or destroying entire attack columns of light vehicles.

There has been some confusion between this weapon and the [[Bolter#Avenger Bolt Cannon|Avenger Bolt Cannon]] due to the fact that both of them look like oversized miniguns as well as [[Derp|having the names 'Avenger' in them.]] However, it can be assumed that the Avenger Bolt Cannon's internal mechanics is more suited and specialized towards the gyrojet nature of the bolt rounds, whereas the Avenger Gatling Cannon is a more conventional rotary machine gun that just have a enlarged bore-size for it to fire massive bullets.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile-7-8|name=Avenger Gatling Cannon|r7=36|s7=6|ap7=3|type7=Heavy 12, Rending|r8=36|s8=6|ap8=-2|d8=2|type8=Heavy 12}}

<gallery>
CrusaderAvenger.png
AvengerGatlingCannonBack.jpg
</gallery>

===Thunderhawk Cannon===
[[File:Thunderhawk_Cannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Thunderhawk Cannon]]

A Battle Cannon given a [[/d/|penis enlarger]].

The Thunderhawk Cannon is a powerful, oversized, ballistic Battle cannon mounted on a Space Marine [[Thunderhawk|Thunderhawk Gunship]]. It is an over-sized version to allow it to be fired from the air at the most vulnerable parts of an enemy position or for clearing an area to land troops in.

However, despite the power coming from this weapon, most Space Marines would rather just replace the Cannon with the more destructive, accurate, ammo effecient, recoil friendly, longer ranged [[Superheavy Laser Weapons#Turbo-Laser Destructor|Single-Barrelled Turbo-Laser Destructor]] instead.

How the hell the Thunderhawk manage to stay stable without the cannon's immense recoil tearing the plane apart is unknown.

===Accelerator Autocannon===
[[File:AcceleratorAuto.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Accelerator Autocannon]]
Back when the Emperor still walked, the Imperium was capable of developing new and improved weapons, and the Accelerator Autocannon was one of those. Basically a cross between the Autocannon and a Rail Gun, the Accelerator Autocannon coupled a high rate of fire with a powerful shell and high accuracy. It shares it name with the Accelerator Cannon used on the [[Fellblade]] and [[Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank]]. Which would imply that this is a downsized version.

Currently the Accelerator Autocannon is exclusively mounted on the main variant of the [[Sicaran Battle Tank]]. Each Sicaran has two of them. Why they don't bother mounting them on the more advanced Dreadnaughts is because they don't know how, [[Games Workshop|lazyness,]] or they have so much recoil it's impracticable.

===Quake Cannon===
[[File:Quake_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Quake Cannon]]
The Quake Cannon is a gigantic artillery piece mounted on Imperial Titans and Super-Heavy Tanks. The Quake Cannon is used to engage targets at extreme range. Each Quake Cannon shot contains a [[Wat|fragment of a planet that has been subjected to]] [[Exterminatus]], which is to say the '''energy''' of the Exterminatus is harnessed and then weaponized....which is....unnecessarily complex to say the least....anyways, the weapon draws the contained earth-shattering power out and containing the blastwave within a Quake Shell.

On Titans, the Quake Cannon is commonly found on Warlord Battle Titans. The Imperator class titan can also carry one or more Quake Cannon on its carapace hard-points.

On Superheavies, the Imperial Guard Banesword Super-Heavy tank is also equipped with a Quake Cannon.

{{40k-Ranged-Weapon-Profile|name=Quake Cannon|range=180|strength=9|ap=3|type=Ordnance, 10" Blast|}}
 

===Gatling Blaster===
[[File:Gatblaster.jpg|200px|right|thumb|The child of an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GAU-8_Avenger Avenger] and a battle cannon]]

Strapped to the mighty [[Reaver Battle Titan]] and above, this is the weapon you field when you need the biggest dakka the Imperium of Man has to offer, it's basically an Assault Cannon, [[Awesome|except that it fires Battle Cannon shells rather than bullets]], yeah... this is what you get if you thought about the Schwerer Gustav using Gatling Technology. Now if only they had some kind of Macro Gatling, ridiculous as that would be.

By function, each of the Gatling Blaster's six barrels fires once in turn during each revolution of the barrel cluster. The multiple barrels provide both a very high rate of fire and contribute to long weapon life by minimizing barrel erosion and heat generation. The Gatling Blaster is pneumatically-driven and electrically-primed. The gun rotor, barrel assembly and ammunition feed system are rotated by a hydraulic drive motor through a system of flexible drive shafts. The round is fired by an electric priming system where an electrical current from a firing lead passes through the firing pin to the primer as each round is rotated into the firing position. One of the drawbacks of the initial design was that the ejection of spent links created considerable (and ultimately insufferable) problems. The Adeptus Mechanicus compensated for this issue by creating a linkless feed system.

This is actually a pretty [[Reasonable Marines|reasonable and practical]] solution; a rarity in the AdMech. As what kind of sane Guardsmen would like to die from [[FATAL|giant empty bullet casings?]]

Galting Blasters can be mounted on the weapon limbs of Reaver and Warlord Battle Titans and the carapace mounts on Imperator Titans. It is too large to be fitted to Warhound Scout Titans however.

===Nemesis Quake Cannon===
[[File:99560108206_WarbringerTitanQuakeCannon01.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Nemesis Quake Cannon]]
The Quake Cannon on steroids, or the holy lovechild between a Quake Cannon and a Gatling Blaster, [[Skub|whichever you ask.]]

The Mars-Alpha Pattern Nemesis Quake Cannon or the Nemesis Quake Cannon for short, is a [[/d/|larger, thicker and longer version of the standard Quake Cannon with more ''girth''.]] [[Tl;dr]][[Slaanesh|, its a literal ''penis extension''.]] We in /tg/ like to joke that the [[Basilisk Artillery Gun]] and the [[Goliath Mega-Cannon]] are nothing more than a [[Dick|compensation weapon,]] but it seems that GW had forgotten the memo and took this shit [[Derp|''seriously''.]]

Mounted on the new and shiny [[Warbringer Nemesis Titan]]. This giant six-shooter of doom is designed to kill enemy Titans on sight, thus in any sensible usage, this weapon is regulated at the back lines as a giant sniper, unfortunately the Imperium [[Herp|lacks any sensibility]] and uses these as front line weapons instead. Nevertheless, having a fast firing Quake Cannon '''''is''''' a boon to any forces as now you have a very quick way to whither down the [[Void shields|Void Shields]] of enemy Titans in a quick and efficient manner rather than risking the time reloading. And seeing how this Titan gained prominence during the [[Horus Heresy]] when [[Emperor Battle Titan|Emperor Battle Titans]] were common enough to be thrown left and right like normal battle tanks, the nature of this weapon makes a whole load of sense. This cannon also works wonders against heavily fortified encampments and any forms of fortifications in general due to the monumental concussive force unleashed as its shell impacts the ground setting off powerful localized earthquakes.

Even if it doesn't directly hit its target, the concussive force from that cannon could still indirectly halt the advance of nearly anything on the battlefield up to and including battalions of Superheavy Tanks and enemy Knights.

===Macro Cannon===
[[File:Macrocannon.jpg|280px|thumb|right|A voidcraft Macrocannon, why the Mechanicus decided it was a good idea to use slaves to manually reload a EXBOXHUGE Cannon, despite already having auto-loaders is beyond our moral understandings.]]

The [[Dakka|Biggest of the Big]]. 'Macrocannon' seems to be a catch-all for any auto-type weapon larger than a Gatling-Blaster, ranging from fortress-mounted field artillery to the literally apocalyptic, cathedral-sized weapons found on [[Imperial Navy|voidcraft]]. As is clearly evident, it causes a quantity of [[Rape]] proportional to its size, but even the smallest land-based Macrocannons are capable of laying waste to mostly everything, including [[Awesome|flyers]]. It is at its basest an autocannon that fires bullets ranging in size from that of a man all the way up to the size of a [[Baneblade]], depending on the weapon's calibre (no, seriously), and since this is the Imperium, instead of an automatic reloader, they need [[Grimdark|dozens of slaves to move each bullet]] for the ship-mounted Macrocannons (heretical theories suggest this is either because it is actually cheaper for the Imperium, which is overloaded with humans and not resources, or because they are stockpiling resources, or they are cutting down on chances of daemonic incursions through humans by putting more of them in the killzone, or they are testing to see just how far people will comply with slave labor in a totalitarian state, or - most heretical of all - some suggest it is a bureaucratic screw-up with paperwork or that the AdMech doesn't know how to repair the loading cranes).

Provided yields for these weapons can go from 42 exajoules (about 5.297 times more powerful than [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake the most powerful earthquake ever recorded]; a 42 exajoule earthquake would be approximately magnitude 9.98) right down to the measly [[What|15 tetrajoules]]...[[Derp|*sigh* Games Workshop never fails to surprise us]]. Seriously believe us, we know that tetrajoules isn't an official unit of measurement, but since tetra is Latin for four this essentially gives us....[[Herp|4 joules of power]]....[[Fail|which is weaker then a human punch or a]] [[Lasgun|flashlight]].... Don't believe us? We got that from [[Rogue Trader (RPG)|Rogue Trader rpg: BattleFleet Koronus pg. 31 & 20]] which is quote on quote:
:''"Look at her, son. Isn’t she a beauty? Over two hundred Vulcan mega-bolter defence turrets, '''[[Wat|fifteen tetrajoule Sunsear las-broadsides]]''', prow plating ten metres thick, the finest auspex masts in the battlefleet… And the lines on her! Fluted prow, elegant statuary… those xenos scum won’t know what hit them!” – Bosun Phineas Jhule tempts fate at the embarkation of the Fire of Heaven''
:''"The Avenger dates from an earlier period of fleet tactics, when, squadrons of grand cruisers were employed as “line-breakers.” Traditionally, they were thrown into the midst of massive fleet engagements, soaking up enemy fire while racing into the middle of enemy formations, '''[[Bullshit|then crushing their opponents at short range with tetrajoules of energy from their oversized broadsides.]]'''"
''
Yeah...we in [[/tg/]] aren't sure whether this was [[Troll|intentional]] or a [[FAIL|gross example of a severe typo.]] So...um....[[Lulz|FEAR THE 60 JOULE BROADSIDE BATTERIES!]]. A possible explanation for this stupidity GWs forgot that the term "quadrillion" is a thing and is using "tetrajoule" to mean 1 000 000 000 000 000 joules (as the word "billion" comes from the latin word for two, "trillion" for the latin word for three and so on.). This gives a result of 15 quadrillion joules in a broadside, which is 15 trillion times as powerful as the world's largest laser and '''well over 3 times''' the amount of energy released in a 1 megaton explosion. Much better.

Jokes aside, if we use the picture to the right as a reference for size, and estimate the shell as a solid slug of density equivalent to lead, launched at a planet from geosynchronous orbit above an Earth-like planet (36,000km), you're looking at somewhere in the region of 50 Tera-Joules of energy when it strikes the ground, or slightly less than the Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima (and that's just from gravity, not including launch energy). About fifty or so of the land-based Macrocannons would equate to one ship-mounted Macrocannon, or one point of firepower in [[Battlefleet Gothic]]. Oh yes.

==Chaos Variants==
===Reaper Autocannon===
[[File:ReaperAutocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Reaper Autocannon]]
There is the regular Autocannon and then there is the Reaper variant, which only the Chaos Space Marines get because Assault Cannons were discovered after the [[Horus Heresy]], and everybody Imperial promptly thought they were cooler than the Reaper Autocannon. The reaper is an infantry-portable twin-linked Autocannon that wants to put its shells in your face at 36" or less. The reaper is effective against light vehicles and monsters, but the Imperials switched to the other gun for its boons against infantry. The current Imperial gun is mostly popular due to its reliability and durability, capable of operation for years without much care even if [[Ogryn|someone]] used it as a club. By comparison, the reaper assault cannon [[Fail|needs its barrels to be replaced after each battle or else it loses reliability or even explodes]] (maybe the admech were drunk that day).

Then at some point, the Traitor Legions and their Dark Mechanicus pals looked at the Reaper Autocannon and asked, "How can we make this even more rapey?" So they came up with the Helstorm Autocannon, which apparently can only be fitted to vehicles and aircraft such as the Hellblade due to its sheer rate of fire. It has the same profile as the Reaper except for firing an extra shot per attack and adding delicious Rending because fuck assault cannons. Now if only GW would let the forces of Chaos get their collective shit together and replace every vehicle mounted heavy bolter with S7 AP4 Heavy 3, Twin-linked, Rending.

===Soulreaper Cannon===
[[File:SoulreaperCannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Soulreaper Cannon]]
You remember how we said earlier that the [[Thousand Sons]] AKA The Prodigal Bookworms found a way to make the god awful Rotor Cannon somewhat viable? Yeah, here is the end of result of it all.

The Soulreaper Cannon is a type of gatling Inferno Weapon used by the Thousand Sons. This heavy weapon bares a strong resemblance to the Space Marine Assault Cannon, but since it is basically a modified Rotor Cannon, the Sons of Magnus can basically lug around this gun with their normal [[Rubric Marines]]. This actually increases the effectiveness of these walking tin bins as it [[Dakka|boosts their firepower to a ungodly amount.]] [[Awesome]].

As the Soulreaper is an Inferno weapon, it uses literal magic to further boost and enhance the weapon's lethality. Who says that mixing science and sorcery is an absurd idea eh? [[Necron|Suck it Crons!]]

===Hades Autocannon===
[[File:HadesAutocannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Hades Autocannon]]
The bigger version of the Reaper Autocannon.

Also because Chaos likes to add daemons to things, and daemons make things goofy, Chaos Space Marines have access to ''another'' vehicle-mounted variant, the Hades Autocannon, which bafflingly can only be mounted onto a dinobot (probably because it's propelled by warp-flame or something). Fielded onto a Heldrake for air support or in pairs on a Forgefiend for heavy support, the Hades Autocannon (R36", S8, AP4, Heavy 4, pinning) suffers the Reaper's slightly gimped range compared to the vanilla autocannon, but is slightly stronger and can pin units (but don't count on pinning too much); while it's not twin-linked like the reaper, having double the firepower more than compensates.

A Forgefiend can mulch most infantry short of [[Terminator]]s, pounding through power armour on sheer weight and power of fire, can make most Monstrous Creatures' lives flash before their eyes, and can hurt even a [[Land Raider]] or [[Monolith]] if the dice gods are in your favor. It's <s>almost</s> really/absolutely a real shame that the average Forgefiend isn't known for being a phenomenal shot.

===Skullshredder Cannon===
[[File:Skullshredder.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Skullshredder Cannon]]

The smallest of the weapons in the ridiculous [[Tower of Skulls]] Daemon Engine.

The two sponson-mounted twin-linked Skullshredder Cannons is used primarily for anti-infantry defense and it behaves similiar to a twin-linked Autocannon. Because it is mounted on the side, it can only target opponents in its field of view.

The Skullshredder is often seen as the least important weapon especially when there is the Doomfire Cannon situated just above the Skullshredder. Thus, it is often used to pick off any stragglers or provide additional wounds to would-be attackers.

Like all weapons from the Daemon Engine, it is powered by pure hatred.

===Skullreaper Cannon===
[[File:Skullreaper_Cannon.JPG|150px|right|thumb|Skullreaper Cannon]]

The Reaper Autocannon's father.

The Skullreaper Cannons is found only on the ridiculous [[Tower of Skulls]] Daemon Engine and is the primary hull-mounted weapon of the Tower itself. It is located further up the tower's height, and it is where the two hull-mounted Skullreaper Cannons is situated.

The Skullreaper Cannons resemble large hexa-barrelled weapons akin to a Hurricane Bolter, although it is not known whether the Skullreaper itself is a type of Bolter weapon, other than it fires large shells of pure hate. It is by far one of the most devastating anti-infantry weapons on a vehicle brimming with anti-infantry weapons, this is thanks in no part for simply having more barrels to load bullets in.

Due to its nature, it can be assumed that the Skullreaper is powered by the pure hatred of the Daemon Engine and uses the aforementioned shells of pure hate. It is unknown where the Daemon Engine supply the ammunition from, although it could be noted that the sheer size of the Tower of Skulls would mean that there should be ample room for stored ammunition, or we could just use the Warp simply whisking free ammunition like candy from a white van.

Nevertheless, because it is a six-barrelled weapon, the Skullreaper [[Count as]] a heavy weapon that can mulch most infantry trying to charge and attack the Tower of Skulls. Its unusual height advantage means that it can target enemies hiding behind cover with ease.

Unfortunately, the less can be said for its firing field of view, you could thank the stupid ass tower for being in the way.
{{clear}}

===Doomfire Cannon===
[[File:Doomfire_Cannon.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Doomfire Cannon]]

A giant fuck off gatling cannon that resembles a lot like the Space Marine's [[Thunderfire Cannon]] (Some may even accuse it of even being part of the Thunderfire kit, proving that GW can to, kitbash), heck it even behave like the Thunderfire Cannon, creating large explosions to shred infantry akin to a Bolter.

It is one of the secondary hull mounted weapons of the ridiculous Tower of Skulls Daemon Engine. Because it is mounted on a turret, the Doomfire Cannon is given a near 360 degree firing position. This makes it ''far'' more reasonable than the hokey Skullreaper Cannon whose very design seem to mimic the [[Warhammer Fantasy|Arrowslits found in medieval castles.]] [[Lolwut|Yes, you heard us right,]] [[Derp|GW]] and [[Herp|Khorne]] [[What|thought ''that'']] [[FAIL|was a 'good' design choice.]]

Of course, because it is lower to the ground, it has less range than the Skullreaper Cannon and is meant to rip apart closing infantry. Due to its explosive nature, it is unknown whether it is a Bolter, although Battle Cannons are known to have a blast template, so it could be assume that it just fire ''that'' big of a shell at such a rapid rate that it creates small blast templates in its wake.

Seriously, look at that ''bore size'' and tell me it doesn't fire fucking huge bullets?
{{clear}}

===Scorpion Cannon===
[[File:Scorpion_Cannon.PNG|200px|right|thumb|Scorpion Cannon]]
The Scorpion Cannon, also known as the Sting Cannon, is a large, multi-barrelled weapon that is wielded by [[Brass Scorpion]] and it is what happens when you have a Hades Autocannon mounted on a giant scorpion.

The weapon is mounted upon the Brass Scorpion's tail, giving the weapon a full 360 degree arc of fire, making it perfectly suited to unleash rapidly fired torrents of ballistic projectiles upon enemy infantry at close range. The cannon fires heavy caliber shells that are effective against most lightly armored infantry and vehicles.

The Scorpion Cannon features a set of blades allowing it to be used as a backup melee weapon against enemy aggressors. The weapon receives its ammunition from thick, semi-organic cabling that travels up the rear side of the creature's tail. It is basically Mortal Kombat's scorpion given more of a Khornate feel. Hence it receives the seal of [[Awesome]].

===Harvester Cannon===
[[File:Harvester_Cannon2.png|200px|right|thumb|Harvester Cannon]]
Take an [[Obliterator]]'s hand cannons and than multiply this by a hundred. You get the Harvester Cannon.

A Harvester Cannon is a large, multi-barrelled, rapid-firing weapon that is wielded by [[Soul Grinder]] Daemon Engines. The Soul Grinder is usually armed with a single Harvester Cannon on one arm, used in conjunction with an Iron Claw close combat weapon located on its other arm.

The weapon is attached to the daemon's wrist, on its right arm and can be used with an organic pincer version of the Iron Claw that it wields on its other arm or with a daemonic Warpsword. The Harvester Cannon is capable of firing large caliber solid shells that are effective against infantry and light vehicles and can also fire specialized flak shells to engage enemy aircraft. This thing is a very versatile form of [[Dakka]] and it can mow down both infantry, aircraft and vehicles alike.

===Butcher Cannon===
[[File:Butcher_Cannon.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Butcher Cannon]]
A Butcher Cannon is a heavy caliber, rapid-firing rotary gun used by the Forces of Chaos. Think of it as the Reaper Autocannon on steroids.

The Butcher Cannon is commonly found on Chaos combat walkers and it is another primary weapon of the Decimator Daemon Engine as well as a weapon of choice for Chaos Contemptor Pattern Dreadnoughts. The shells fired by the Butcher Cannon are bound with sorcerous Chaos runes of anathema and bloodletting which causes severe blood loss. When used by Chaos walkers, the Butcher Cannon usually features a large blade that is attached beneath the weapon's twin barrels; this allows the walker to engage enemy forces in close combat if they get too close for it to effectively use the weapon at range.

It is not recorded in Imperial records if any other Chaos walkers such as Chaos Dreadnoughts or Helbrutes, Daemon Engines such as Defilers or Soul Grinders, or Chaos Space Marine tanks such as the Predator or Land Raider are able to be armed with a Butcher Cannon, although it is presumed to be possible.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:11 - Infiltrator.png|Autoguns - Better Than Your Crap Flashlights!
Image:Autogun01.jpg|A typical mass produced model.
Image:RenegadeArms.JPG|Traitor Guardsmen armed with Armageddon-pattern Autoguns and Autopistols. You know you want 'em.
Image:LRPun.jpg|The Punisher Gatling Cannon and its tank. Sometimes you just need a little more gun.
Image:Gatling Blaster.jpg|The Gatling Blaster. For when you need big dakka.
</gallery>

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