WH40K: Chain Weapons

Chain Weapons

Chain weapons have been a popular choice for warriors from the days of the Great Betrayal. Brutal and merciless, they were the perfect assault weapon for the Crusades. All use rapidly whirling chains of serrated metallic teeth that run across the weapon’s striking edge, ensuring that even a glancing blow can rip apart armor and reduce flesh to gory ruin. Few users bother to disguise their loud engine noise, preferring the recognizable sound and sight of the weapon to instill greater terror in their foes.

Armor Penetration: Reflects how good the weapon is at cutting through armor. When a shot or blow from this weapon hits a target, reduce the target’s Armor by the weapon’s Armor Penetration, with results of less than 0 counting as 0 (i.e., the armor provides no protection at all). Then calculate Damage as normal. For example, if a weapon with an Armor Penetration of 1D hits a target with 2D Armor, the target will only count as having 1D Armor against any Damage the hit causes. Note that Armor Penetration has no effect on energy shields, but it does affect cover.

Name	Type	Scale	Skill	Availability	Difficulty	Weight	Armor Penetration	Damage
Arm-mounted Chainblade	Melee Weapon	Character	Melee Combat	4	Moderate	5kg	0D+2	STR+3D
Chain Dagger	Melee Weapon	Character	Melee Combat	4	Moderate	2kg	0D+1	STR+3D+2
Chain Greatsword	Melee Weapon	Character	Melee Combat	4	Moderate	16kg	0D+2	STR+5D+1
Chainaxe (human)	Melee Weapon	Character	Melee Combat	3	Moderate	13kg	0D+1	STR+3D+1
Chainaxe (Legion)	Melee Weapon	Character	Melee Combat	5	Moderate	14kg	0D+2	STR+3D+2
Chainsword (human)	Melee Weapon	Character	Melee Combat	3	Moderate	6kg	0D+1	STR+3D
Chainsword (Legion)	Melee Weapon	Character	Melee Combat	5	Moderate	10kg	0D+2	STR+3D+1
Chain Halberd	Melee Weapon	Character	Melee Combat	4	Moderate	8kg	0D+2	STR+3D+1
Astartes Chainsword	Melee Weapon	Character	Melee Combat	5	Moderate	10kg	1D	STR+3D+1
Eviscerator	Melee Weapon	Character	Melee Combat	3	Moderate	15kg	2D+1	STR+5D
Chainsword (Hecate)	Melee Weapon	Character	Melee Combat	3	Moderate	6kg	0D+1	STR+3D

Arm-mounted Chainblade

This ancient weapon design uses a chainblade affixed to an integrated forearm covering an armored gauntlet and power supply. Heavy and solid, it can tear open bunker doors or armored chestplates while keeping the hand free to use a ranged weapon. This bulkier assembly bears resemblance to a crude chainfist, scrapped together by Heretek denizens within the Vortex. This is a one-handed melee weapon.

• Note: This weapon can be used while gripping another weapon in the same hand, however the wielder must choose the weapon with which he is attacking on a given turn.
• Tearing: These weapons roll one extra die for Damage, discarding the lowest die rolled.

Chain Dagger

Small in size, these miniature weapons can easily be brought into play from hidden holsters. Their increased deadliness can literally give an edge in knife fights. This is a one-handed melee weapon.

• Tearing: These weapons roll one extra die for Damage, discarding the lowest die rolled.

Chain Greatsword

This huge two-handed weapon can run almost two meters in length, with a long grip and weighted pommel to allow for some semblance of balance in use. The chained teeth are exposed along the entire length, so that the user can swing it in both directions in combat more like a flail than a real sword. Originally used in Forge Polix as a tool for ripping apart large bulkheads and armor during construction, the tool was repurposed by warriors of Khorne who found it brutally effective on the battlefield. This is a two-handed melee weapon.

• Tearing: These weapons roll one extra die for Damage, discarding the lowest die rolled.
• Unbalanced: Melee Parry -1D

Chainaxe

Combining the heft and fury of an axe with the terrible rending teeth of a chain weapon, the chainaxe is a favorite implement of many warriors. Heavy and brutal, they are the perfect messenger to inflict their user’s righteous hate on their foes. The Roth-pattern chainsword is one of the more common variants seen in the sector, used by both loyalists and heretics alike. The ancient Deimos-pattern Mark II Legion chainaxe is much more powerful, drawing on the additional support from the wearer’s power armor to drive the heavier chains at greater speeds. The Legion variant is a Legion weapon. This is a one-handed melee weapon.

• Tearing: These weapons roll one extra die for Damage, discarding the lowest die rolled.

Chainsword

As the name suggests, chainswords are roughly sword-like in shape with a large flat housing containing the chain. Chainsword variants often used by Chaos followers often have the entire blade chassis opened to expose the chained teeth. This makes the weapon more dangerous to both user and victim, but for a truly dedicated warrior this is of little concern. Like all their weapons, the chainswords used by Legion forces are longer and heavier, fit only to be carried by these mightiest of warriors. This is a one-handed melee weapon.

• Tearing: These weapons roll one extra die for Damage, discarding the lowest die rolled.
• Balanced: Melee Parry +1D

Chain Halberd

A rare variation more widely seen in underhive forces within the Calixis Sector, chain halberds feature a long staff with a double-sided chainblade operating only towards the end of the weapon. They can be used as either a slashing or thrusting weapon, with the lighter weight from the smaller chainblade allowing for more flexible defensive maneuvers, the thrusting attacks preferred in the crowded and claustrophobic underhive passages. This is a two-handed melee weapon.

• Tearing: These weapons roll one extra die for Damage, discarding the lowest die rolled.

Astartes Chainsword

The Chainsword has served many a Battle-Brother during his time in an Assault Squad. These weapons generally have a flat carapace containing the chain with only the forward curved section open where the spinning chain teeth can bite into flesh and bone.

• Tearing: These weapons roll one extra die for Damage, discarding the lowest die rolled.

Eviscerator

Often carried into battle by the Priests of the Adeptus Ministorum, the eviscerator is an obscenely large double-handed chain weapon fitted with a crude version of the disrupter field generator more commonly found on power weapons. Although very unwieldy and tiring to use, the eviscerator is fully capable of ripping an armored man in half. This a two-handed melee weapon.

• Tearing: These weapons roll one extra die for Damage, discarding the lowest die rolled.
• Unwieldy: This weapon cannot be used to parry.
• Razor Sharp: If the wielder scores 10 or more when rolling to hit with this weapon over the required amount, it does has an additional armor penetration of 2D+1 for a total of 4D+2.

Sources

• Black Crusade - Core Rulebook (pages 162; 164)
• Dark Heresy - Core Rulebook (pages 139-140)
• Deathwatch - Core Rulebook (pages 153-154)
• Only War - Core Rulebook (pages 185)
• Rogue Trader - Core Rulebook (pages 129; 131)
• Warhammer 40k Wiki: Chain Weapons
• thedemonapostle