Weapon

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Weapons of the Warhammer World come in a great variety of forms ranging from simple clubs to complex but deadly firearms. [5a]

Close-combat weapons

Choppa

Choppa

A Choppa is a large, brutish weapon which relies on the equally brutish force of the user rather than a sharp edge. Only Orcs are able to use Choppas due to their weight and balance,[5b] though it is noted that Black Orcs carry many types of choppas.

  • Big Choppa: Larger and more unwieldy than regular Choppas, only the Iron Orcs of Carcassonne are known to carry these. When wielded by anyone but an Orc their size and weight is such that they are treated as Great Weapons.[1]

Fist Weapons

A variety of brutal close-combat weapons are used across the world from meat hooks to mail or plate gauntlets and the familiar knuckle-duster. [5b]

  • Brass Knuckles/Knuckle-dusters: guards with finger rings and a small handle to support the fist - a thugs favourite weapon.[5b]
  • Cestus: A handwrap with lead coins to weight it - some include spikes and studs to inflict more damage. [5b]

Flail

Cumbersome heavy weapons that are used with both hands they are made up of heavy weights attached to a handle or pole by heavy chains. Although stamina draining to use they can be deadly weapons, smashing shields and splintering bones. [2b]

Great Weapon

Large and heavy weapons used with both hands including Great Axes, Great Hammers and Two-Handed Swords - they can shatter heavy armour and even cut a foe in half. [2b]

Halberd

A halberd is a heavy bladed weapon mounted on a long shaft. The steel blade incorperates the heavy cutting edge of an axe, and a point like a spear which makes it a very versatile weapon, as it can be used to both chop and thrust. [2b] It allows the user to make stronger blows than an ordinary sword, but it is not as heavy and cumbersome as a Great weapon, or as tiring to use as a flail.

Hand Weapons

Every warrior involved in combat has at least some form of weapon, usually a simple axe, sword or even just a dagger. [2a]

  • Axe: The Axe is a weapon with a large blade at the end of a pole, or rod. Dwarfs seem to rather like them and frequently use axes. The traditional instrument of the woodsmen of the Empire, it has a heavy blade which is difficult to parry and which can cut through armour. [3a]
    • Dwarf Axes are lighter and stronger than those made by men, can cut through armour as well as being excellent for defending with. [8]
    • Hand Axes (or just Axes) are common tools. [5c]
    • Battle Axes often feature a spike on the backside and a reinforced steel haft. [5c]
    • Bearded Axes are larger weapons with a curved and notched head. [5c]
  • Club: One of the simplest weapons and excellent at knocking people senseless or just crushing their skulls. [3a]
    • Billy clubs are short hafted and of equal thickness from top to the handle. [5d]
  • Dagger: Able to be carried where weapons are otherwise fobidden, knives and a daggers are very common. [3a] Elf long knives measure some 16 inches and the Bretonnian misericode and Tilean stiletto's are even longer. [5a]
    • Athame: Used in magical rituals, it is a silver dagger but will not hold its edge in combat. [9]
    • Main Gauche: Also known as the left-handed dagger, it is primarily a defensive weapon and is designed to protect the hand. [5h]
  • Hammer: One of the simplest weapons, a hammer is excellent at knocking people senseless or just crushing their skull. [3a]
    • Military Hammers are about 2 feet long with a heavy metal head as well as a pick side which enables them to act as crowbars. [4d]
  • Mace: A heavy metal rod with a flanged and decorated ened. [5d]
  • Pick: Excellent weapons against armour, they are popular with the Dwarfs. [5d]
    • Crowbill: Looking like a hammer, it features a beak instead of a crushing end. [5d]
    • Military Pick: It features a smaller, notched beak than a Crowbill that deals more damage. [5d]
  • Sword: Often refered to as the King of Weapons - the most common version in the Empire is the broadsword - a 4ft double-edged, razor sharp length of steel. Learning to master the sword is a long and difficult process. [3a] Only the Elves use swords as much as humans do but there weapons are leaf shaped which allows them to gain the benefit of extra weight when they swing. [5e]
    • Broadswords are straight bladed, extremely common in the Old World and often with basket hilts. [5e]
    • Cathayan Longsword: Created in either Cathay or Nippon by skilled smiths they can fetch huge sums. [7]
    • Claymore: Also known as the bastard sword or hand-and-a-half sword it is a versatile weapon that lies in size between the Great Sword and the Broadsword. [5i]
    • Cutlass: A broad, curved blade with a basket hilt, this weapon is highly favoured by the pirates of Sartosa. [5e]
    • Foil: Also known as a epee is a slender blade with a cup hilt, most duelists begin with the foil before moving to the Rapier. [5h]
    • Ind Tulwar: Long with a generously curved blade, the best feature intricate designs on their blades describing the history of their owners. Some have come to the Old World down the Silver Road. [5e]
    • Khopesh: A long handled sword with a blade that curves into a sickle shape for the last 2 feet of the blade, they are most commonly seen in the hands of the undead warriors of the Tomb Kings. [5e]
    • Longsword: A long bladed weapon with a long handle and a wide hilt, they are most favoured by the knights of Bretonnia. [5e]
    • Rapier: The sword features a broader blade than a foil it has more ability to slash as well as pierce. [5h]
    • Short Sword: A double-edged blade with a sharp point similar in size to a machete. [5e]

Morning Star

Able to be used in one hand, they are one or more spiked balls on a chain, it is effective in the first moments of combat but quickly becomes tiring to use like the larger flail. [2b]

Pole Arm

Many garrison forces in the Old World use these weapons as they are both effective and imposing - many have a variety of blades, sikes and studs. [5i]

  • Bec de Corbin: Often used in Bretonnia, it is the same size as a Halberd but features a hammer, pick and spike combination. [5i]
  • Bill: Its main feature is a wide curving blade, often with a spike at the end of a wood shaft. [5i]
  • Fauchard: A common peasant weapon consisting of a scythe head on a wooden shaft. [5j]
  • Glaive: A heavy bladed polearm often with additional hooks. [5j]
  • Lochaber Axe: A huge pole arm some 9 feet in length with a broad axe head. [5j]
  • Partisan: A long shaft with a short sword iike head which has flanges to catch enemy weapons. [5j]
  • Pole Axe: A simple axe head on a long shaft. [5j]
  • Squig Prodder: A trio of spikes mounted on a long pole that is used by Goblin Squig Herders to control their livestock.
  • Trident: Although the common version has three prongs, the military version has just two. [5j]
  • Vouge: A heavy cleaver mounted on a long shaft. [5j]

Quarterstaff

Favoured by travellers, the staff is a roughly six foot length of sturdy wood with superior versions having metal caps on either end to prevent splitting. [5e]

Spear

A spear is basically a short blade on top of a long stick, it has a long reach and is a very effective weapon against cavalry who charge directly at the warrior who is holding a spear. They can be short, heavy throwing spears favoured by skirmishers or elegant, thrusting spears used by veteran, drilled infantry. [2c]

  • Cavalry Spear or Demilance[5g]: Smaller but more versatile than the Lance, they are still most effective during the initial charge. [2c]
  • Lance: A long, heavy spear used by cavalry - usually crouched under the arm so that the brutal point is driven deep into the enemy with the full weight of the charging mount. After the initial charge, the wielder must switch to a more conventional weapon. [2c]
  • Tilean Pike: Heavy very long spears that are ideal for dealing with heavy cavalry but which are useless against opponents who get beyond the head. [5f]
  • Thrusting Spear: A favourite of massed infantry regiments across the world, they are ideal defensive weapons but less effective on the chrage. [2c]
  • Wood Elf Hunting Spear: Often adorned with feathers, these ash wood shafted weapons have viciously barbed heads. [5f]

Shield

A shield is often used as a weapon, used to punch an opponent and to slam him away with some being notched for fighting with spears. [5f]

Whip

Long lengths of braided leather mounted on a stout handle, a skilled user can cause terrible injuries with such a weapon especially if hooked spikes or sharpened blades are added. [2b]

Ranged weapons

Bowmen

Blowpipe

Blowpipes are a weapon unique to the Skinks . The blowpipe uses darts tipped with lethal venom which can bring down the toughest of foes.1 p49 The most skilled users of blowpipes are the Chameleon Skinks, who use the venom of the Lustrian tree frog - a creature so poisonous that only the Chameleon Skinks can catch it. They also are unerringly accurate - able to send darts through the gaps in armor plates and through the eye holes in helmets.1 p51

Blunderbuss

The Blunderbuss is a type of handgun that shoots a large "cloud" of assorted ammunition, rather than a single bullet. A surprisingly common black-powder weapon, even in the more rural areas of the Empire, this weapon can be loaded with a large assortment of ammunition, ranging from the standard(lead or iron pellets), to the exotic(lengths of chain to flammable liquids)or improvised(broken glass, rusty nails, rocks, etc). [3b] Interestingly the Chaos Dwarfs seem to use this weapon as a standard weapon among their warriors to concentrate the singular blasts of the soldiers to a devastating volley.

  • Grenade Launching Blunderbuss: Small explosive charges are fired that unleash shrapnel burst in the enemy which can tear through armour. [11]

Bow

Used extensively in warfare, a compact, relatively long-ranged weapon which is often cheap to make and maintain. [2d] A favourite of both hunters and soldiers it can inflict decent damage at reasonable range but has given way to crossbows in many armies. [5j]

  • Asp Arrows: Mummified snakes that can seek out their target when fired. [6]
  • Elf Bow: Constructed from flexible rare woods, layered with bone and only produced in the lands of the Elves they are able to outrange all but the Hochland Long Rifle and similar weapons. [5l]
  • Longbow are capable of projecting power at incredible range, which only increases as the enemy draws closer. [2d]
  • Short-bows are small short-ranged bows. Some cavalry also carry a short-bow because it's easier to shoot from horseback. [2d] Races that favour Short-bows include: Skinks, Beastmen, Ungor Raiders, some Humans and most of all, Goblins.
  • Warbows are often composite and recurved they effectively transfer the firers strength into every shot. [2d]

Crossbow

A strong bow mounted on a metal or wood stock that do require strength and time to reload. They are conversely relatively easy to use but extremely powerful, crossbows are ideal weapons for large regiments. [2f] Many crossbows in the Empire are of poor quality to keep the price low enough to be bought on a regimental scale but those made in Nuln have steel winches to enable quick reloads, often having ornate stocks. [5k]

  • Crossbow Pistols: Miniature crossbows which retain the accuracy and power of the larger versions but are easily concealed. [3b]
  • Repeater Crossbow: Exchanging power for speed, repeater crossbows can be highly effective. [2f] Recently Nuln has begun producing them with 10 round magazines. [5l]
  • Repeater Handbow: Small and rapid-firing they are also prone to malfunction. [2f]

Drakegun

Potent but short ranged Dwarf weapons that fire blasts of alchemical fire which can burn through both armour and flesh. [4a]

  • Drakefire Pistols: Short ranged versions of the Drakegun. [4a]

Engangling Weapons

Designed to take out enemies or prey without killing them, they are favoured by animal handlers, bounty hunters and trappers. [5l]

  • Bol: Two to four weighted spheres connected by a cord. [5l]
  • Lasso: A length of rope with one end tied to form a loop. [5l]
  • Net: Weighted cords or rope - they are very difficult use effectively. [5l]

Explosives and Grenades

Bombs are hollow shells of thin metal or ceremic filled with gunpowder, stopped with wax and equipped with a fuse. [5o]

  • Cinderblast Bombs: Dwarf made weapons used by the leaders of Irondrakes and Ironbreakers. [4a][4b]
  • Incendiary: Glass or ceramic containers filled with a flammable liquid with a rag stuffed in the open end to act as the fuse. [5o]
  • Pigeon Bombs: Homing pigoens are trained by some Imperial Engineers to carry bombs but most research in this field merely ends in a burning loft following a feathery blast. [11]

Handgun

Simple fireamrs consisting or a metal barrel mounted on stick, usually wooden, some have to rely on fuses soaked in saltpetre to ignite the powder whilst other more advanced versions have complex mechanisms or lveers or springs. They hit hard but some versions can be slow to use. [2e]

  • Arquebus: Used throughout the Old World, especially in Bretonnia, Estalia and Tilea. [5p]
  • Flintlock: Developed in Araby, a small peice of flint is used to create the spark. [5n]
  • Hand Gonne: The first attempt by the men of the Old world to scale down the cannons of the Dwarfs, it was a simple metal barrel with a stock and required the firer to manually ignite the charge, making them very inacurate. [5n]
  • Hochland Long Rifle: The famous hunting weapon of Hochland, it is rare and highly prized. [5n] Telescopic sights are often fitted to aid targeting. [11]
  • Jezzail: Long barrelled arquebus designed in Araby. [5p]
  • Matchlock: Nuln developed a more advanced firing system than the Hand Gonne using a moveable arm with a burning wick to send a flame into the chamber. It takes time to ignite the wick and the climate of the Empire means that longbows are more heavily used by regiments. [5n]
  • Repeater Handgun: A six barrelled gun normally restricted to Imperial Engineers. [2e] [5n]
  • Wheellock: The next step over the Matchlock was the wheellock which uses a spinning wheel to trigger the spark. [5n]

Javelin

Javelins are light spears which are too flimsy to be used in combat, but are perfect for throwing. A soldier armed with javelins usually carries several to last them through the battle. As javelins have a short range compared to other missile weapons they are relatively rare.[2g] Probably the most common users of javelins are the Skinks, who often use javelins coated with lethal poisons collected from jungle creatures.

Pistol

Smaller handguns that mean they can be used in one hand and even as clubs once they have been fired! Some warriors enter battle with a Brace (or more!) of pistols allowing them to shoot mutiple shots. [2e]

  • Dueling Pistol: A work of art crafted by a gunsmith and often carried by Imperial nobles, even the ammunition is very expensive. [3a]
  • Duckfoot: A four barrelled gun, the barrels arranged in a splayed fashion they are wildly inaccurate but useful if firing into a crowd. [5n]
  • Repeater Pistol: A six barrelled gun normally restricted to Imperial Engineers. [5n]

Sling

A looped string of leather or cloth that allows a stone to be projected a good distance with accuracy, power and speed. [2g]

  • Staff Sling: A sort staff with a sling mounted upon it, slower to use than a sling it is more deadly. [5l]

Throwing Axe

Keenly balanced allowing them to thrown accurately, they can be devestating if used by strong warriors. [2g]

Throwing Knife

Mainly used by assassins or street thugs who ambush the unwary and who have ended the lives of many a merchant, noble or warrior. [3b]

Throwing Star

Throwing Spears

Heavy weapons favoured by hunters on foot or mounted, they can also be used in battle by ranks behind the front one, killing enemies as they approach. [2c]

Weapon Materials

Some rare materials are used to enhance weapons: [5m]

  • Gromril: Extracted from meteoric iron, only the Dwarfs can work this ore - weapons produced in this metal hit harder or cut better. [5m]
  • Ithilmar: Only forged by Elf smiths it is lightweight and very durable. [5m]

Gallery

Quotes

The town's militia tried to use pikes against us but their drill was so sloppy we just slipped past their weapons and cut the fools to pieces. I almost felt bad for them.

~ Klaus, Mercenary of the Korbuth Free Company.[4]

Sources