Grav-Weaponry

Soon to be featured in Portal 3. YMMV as a plastic Thunderhawk is more likely than Portal 3.

Grav-Weapons

Weapons that employ ancient Graviton technology, selectively altering gravity to turn the target's mass against them. Grav weapons were used by many of the Space Marine Legions during the Horus Heresy. However, in the 41st millennium, the secrets of how to build and maintain them are locked deep within the vaults of the Adeptus Mechanicus on Mars and are even rarer than plasma guns, and like Plasma guns this will not stop every marine and his primarch from fielding bucketloads of them. Only a select few know these secrets and only the most promising techmarines are trusted with them.

Graviton weapons from Forge World operate completely differently than the grav-weapons shown in the new Space Marine Codex. The reason for this was a mystery up until Horus Heresy III - Extermination came out and actually had a Graviton weapon that behaved like a Grav weapon: the Graviton Imploder. The explanation is that all 40k grav weapons started out as graviton weapons, but graviton weapons were not actually intended to be used as weapons at all; more likely, they were to be used like Star Trek tractor beams. Nevertheless, they were used as weapons until some guy on the Forgeworld of Tigrus figured out how to make a cheaper replacement which concentrated the energy into single targets rather than over wider areas. The tech-priests called this blasphemy, owing to the fact that it was not how the technology was originally intended, but considering they are generally more useful on the battlefield they became more common than the original design.

Special Rules

In 7e, all grav weapons have the Concussive and "Graviton" rules. Instead of comparing Strength to Toughness when rolling to wound, the firing player (you) instead rolls the target's armor save, down to a minimum of 6+. For example, if the target has a 2+, that's what they get wounded on. (Go Orks!) When rolling to Pen on vehicles, 1-5 does nothing and a 6 immobilizes the vehicle and takes a hull point (so an already immobilized vehicle loses two hull points). Graviton weapons have no effect on buildings. All grav weapons were also AP 2.

8e nerfed this down to causing D3 damage against anything with a 3+ armor save or better, and quite frankly the things deserved it. Now that immobilization doesn't exist and the gun itself is overshadowed by the improved plasma weapons, it's gone from being a gamebreaker to a slightly better bolter at best.

They come in four varieties, similar to the way plasma weapons do.

Graviton Hammer

Graviton Hammer

Giant one punch hammers in the shape of a gauntlet.

The Graviton Hammer was a type of Graviton Weapon built into the frame of Domitar Class Robots used by the Mechanicum during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. These powerful close-combat weapons amplified the robot's blows with waves of gravitational force which could pulverize battle tanks and even Space Marine Dreadnoughts.

On tabletop, because it is a Graviton weapon, the Graviton Hammers can handle vehicles and buildings in equal measure thanks to four attacks at S10 and its WS4 makes it so it'll hit all other automata on 3. Additionally, Graviton Hammers are able to force opponents to make disordered charges when hit, making it a great weapon for Squad Broken.

Graviton Maul

Graviton Maul

The big beatstick to clobber enemies to death.

The Graviton Maul was a Graviton Weapon adapted by Perturabo for use by his Iron Circle. Whilst technically a Graviton/Grav weapon, in function it bares more like a Thunder Hammer. A variant on the Mechanicum's Graviton Hammer, these weapons were capable of crushing armored targets and particularly destructive when employed against fortifications.

On tabletop, the Graviton Mail is a giant fuck off bat. This thing is a S 10 AP 2 beatstick with a concussive, wrecker and crushing blow rules. On a hit roll on a 6, you are allows an additional attack to beat the shit out of your enemies right and proper.

Grav-Pistol

Grav-Pistol

The smallest of the grav-weapons and comparable to Plasma Pistols in terms of how often people use them. Its effect is not quite as powerful as that of its larger counterparts, but it can still do enormous damage to targets possessed of a large mass.

Like all Grav-weaponry, the Grav-Pistol fires a stream of graviton particles which affects the local gravitational field of a target area, making the targeted object either far heavier or lighter depending on the weapon's setting.

Grav-Pistol

Edition	Range	Type	S	AP	Damage	Abilities
7th	12	Pistol	-	2	N/A	Concussive, Graviton
8th	12	Pistol 1	5	-3	1	Becomes D3 damage vs. targets with armor save of 3+ or better

Grav-Gun

Grav-Gun

The middle sized of the Grav Weapons. This medium-sized Grav-weapon utilizes the gravitic reaction principle most commonly seen powering grav-vehicles such as the Land Speeder. Each gun is a rare relic left over from the Dark Age of Technology and are now sacredly guarded by the Adeptus Mechanicus, and very rarely will they allow one to leave their armories, but some Space Marine Chapters still field a handful of such weapons.

Grav-Gun

Edition	Range	Type	S	AP	Damage	Abilities
7th	18	Salvo 2/3	-	2	N/A	Concussive, Graviton
8th	18	Rapid Fire 1	5	-3	1	Becomes D3 damage vs. targets with armor save of 3+ or better

Grav-Cannon

Grav-Cannon

The biggest of the Grav Weapons fielded by space marines, Grav-Cannons are carried by devastator centurions.

The Power of the Graviton Cannon is sufficient to rupture organs and crack bones even inside armor, but its primary use is to counter enemy machinery without the risk of secondary explosions. Graviton Cannons have also been seen mounted on Rapiers as well. Standard devastators can now take them too as of recent updates.

Grav-Cannon

Edition	Range	Type	S	AP	Damage	Abilities
7th	24	Salvo 3/5	-	2	N/A	Concussive, Graviton
8th	24	Heavy 4	5	-3	1	Becomes D3 damage vs. targets with armor save of 3+ or better

Heavy Grav-Cannon

Heavy Grav-Cannon

The bigger, blacker Grav-Cannon, for Adeptus Mechanicus of course. This things can turn a tank inside out or turn the METHUL BAWKS into a even smaller and boxier METHUL BAWKS. Such is the Heavy Grav-Cannon that it is seen as a serious threat to even superheavy vehicles such as the Baneblade and its dozen brothers or even Imperial Knights. At 30' range and salvo 4/6, it could make Wraithknights cry.

Heavy Grav-Cannon

Edition	Range	Type	S	AP	Damage	Abilities
7th	30	Salvo 4/6	-	2	N/A	Concussive, Graviton
8th	30	Heavy 5	5	-3	1	Becomes D3 damage vs. targets with armor save of 3+ or better

Grav-Amp

Grav-Amp

A piece of specialist wargear that allows any grav-weapons being used in the same squad as the model holding it to re-roll failed wounds and vehicle damage (i.e. gain Shred). Large enough to rival even a Grav-Cannon. The Grav-Amp is a wonder of ancient technology all by itself as it focuses the field of a users Grav-Weapon, further amplifying the already devastating affects of a Grav-weapon due to its unique gravitational lens, hence its name, the Grav-Amp.

It is often wielded by Centurions who are big and strong enough to wield a Grav-Cannon with ease, which in itself can be upgraded into a Grav-Amp. In fact, it seems that only Grav-Cannons are big enough to allow a secondary attachment such as the Grav-Amp to act a as a force multiplier. A better view of the Grav-Amp can be seen on the Grav-Cannon image. It is the weird looking lens below the barrel of the Grav-Cannon.

As of 8e, it no longer has any affect whatsoever and just comes built into the Grav-Cannon.

Grav Flux Bombard

Grav Flux Bombard

The Grav Flux Bombard is a type of heavy Graviton Weapon and it is fucking ECKS BAWKS HUEG. Developed for unique use by the Leviathan Dreadnought, the Grav Flux Bombard is a short range siege weapon that is essentially the Grav version of a Demolisher Cannon. Additionally, the Grav Flux Bombard looks sweet as hell, by far one of the coolest looking toys in the Horus Heresy games.

Seriously this thing clears mobs of infantry like butter. Usually leaving behind an icky paste since they get crushed by the gravitational waves. We just wish we could add this in the 41st millennium. Now we can, and it's even better than it used to be!

Graviton Singularity Cannon

Graviton Singularity Cannon

Okay okay, we may be cheating a little here, but this gun is so devastating it might as well be part of the Grav family rather then the Graviton family (And seriously, would anyone complain about the similarities?). The Graviton Singularity Cannon is a type of Graviton Weapon used by Imperial Knights. This motherfucker as its name implies, shoots motherfucking BLACK HOLES! It makes the Eldar D-Cannons look fucking limp in comparison.

Of course this cannon is a a violently destructive but potentially unstable weapon, the Graviton Singularity Cannon is typically mounted on the Knight Atrapos.

Tabletop

In 7e

Grav-guns are something of an alternative plasma gun in terms of use. It has MEQ and TEQ killing potential comparable to plasma, without the chance of blowing up and if they stand still they get a extra shot. However, this comes at the cost of shorter range (which is further shortened by moving due to Salvo) and a weakness to light armor which makes them worthless against Guardsmen, Ork Boyz, and the like. Because of this grav-guns are best used at mid to short range, prioritizing heavy units to get the best use out of them. Also capable of tearing through vehicles when used in large numbers via hull point stripping that can be argued to both ignore a vehicle's cover save and deal two hull points worth of damage for every six after the first.

Essentially, grav guns are meant for killing the big, tough units in an enemy army while leaving the fodder for the rest of your army to handle.

Unfortunately, as a consequence of high RoF and AP values combined with a simply peerless anti-vehicle capacity, grav-weapons, specifically grav-cannons for space marines, single handedly shattered the relevance of vehicles in 7th edition. Statistically, a grav devastator squad pays approximately 51 points per glance for any armour value, where lascannons pay 60-210 points over the ranges of armour 10-14.

In 8e

8e addressed the above by smacking grav-weapons hard with the nerf bat; they now have S5 AP-3 D1, and Graviton has been replaced by increasing the damage to D3 if it wounds an enemy with an armor save of 3+ or higher. Between the stat changes, the removal of glancing/penetrating hits and AV, the buffs 8e gave to all plasma weapons, and the pitifully short range grav-weapons have when compared to said plasma weapons, they've been relegated to anti-heavy infantry roles (and even in that niche plasma is better most of the time).