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Close Combat Weapons

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Standard Close Combat Weapons

These weapons have been used by humans (and most alien species) since before they discovered fire. Their staying power is linked directly to their simplistic design and use. Most of these weapons can be found on any Imperial world, although some are restricted to feral or medieval cultures, at least as far as everyday usage goes. Many archaic weapon styles are retained for ceremonial or cultural reasons.

After the flint knife, the stone axe was one of the earliest weapons constructed by Stone Age humans. Combining crushing and cutting, a heavy axe might by unwieldy, but it is effective, whether used on wooden logs or armoured skulls.

Also known as a hand-and-a-half sword, the bastard sword is midway between a broadsword and a falchion. It is popular with primitive mounted warriors, where it can be used one-handed while on horseback, so the rider can hold the reins, or two-handed, for extra killing strength, while on foot.

Encompassing clubs, warhammers, baseball bats, batons, maces, and planks with nails in, the bludgeon is a brutal, yet simple, weapon. You hit it, it goes crunch.

A light, elegant sword, usually designed for thrusting and slashing, rather than brute hacking, the duelling sword doesn’t cause too much damage, but looks good. And, to many duellists, that’s what counts.

A massive two-handed sword with a blade that can be as long as a man is high, and a counter-balancing hilt up to a foot long, falchions are difficult weapons to use, but are powerful enough to cleave through even power armour. Falchions are popular weapons with warriors (both primitive and of a more contemporary technology level) who are less concerned with elegance and more interested in killing everything they hit.

The flail is a heavy ball, or several balls, set on a length of chain, often with a handgrip. Occasionally the balls are spiked (the weapon then being called a morning star). Flails are whirled above the wielder’s head before being brought down with crushing force on the opponent.

Specialist Weapon: Flails require the Specialist Weapon – Flail ability.

Flail: Flails cause D3 hits for every blow landed (roll location separately for each hit).

Automatic Failure: An automatic failure (96-00) on a roll to hit with a flail results in the character hitting themselves.

Based around the same destructive principles of a normal axe, a great axe is just twice the size and intended for use in two hands.

A popular weapon with Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus (the Ordo’s title means ‘The Order Of The Hammer’), great hammers require a lot of strength to use, but deliver a satisfying crunch when striking a heretic’s skull.

An interesting weapon, the halberd was originally designed for use against cavalry, the hook and spike portions of it intended to either drag a rider from his mount or impale him. The addition of a heavy axe blade also makes it an effective weapon against infantry. In days of old, entire regiments of infantry were armed with halberds, but nowadays it is only used in ceremonial dress uniform, or by those eccentrics with a love of the ancient arts of war.

Anti-Cavalry: When used against characters on higher ground, characters using halberds do not suffer the usual –10 WS penalty. Nor do the higher ground characters gain their +10 WS bonus, since they are held off by the halberd’s tip.

The oldest, the simplest, the most popular. From the chipped sliver of flint wielded by the most primitive beastman, up to the mono-molecular edged duranium combat knives of the Adeptus Astartes, the knife simply serves as an extension of the fist, adding a few extra inches to each swing or punch, and massively increasing the damage caused. Little wonder virtually every citizen of the Imperium carries some kind of bladed weapon at his or her belt.

Easy to conceal, and easy to slip on undetected (put a hand into a pocket, slip fingers through loops, withdraw and punch), knuckledusters are frequently found in gang fights and back street brawls. Some soldiers take them onto the battlefield as well, although they are almost never issued as standard equipment.

Lances are used by cavalry of all eras, in some form or other, from the bareback riders of primitive worlds to the Imperial Guard’s legendary rough rider regiments.

Cavalry Only: Characters on foot who attempt to use a lance in combat count as being at half Weapon Skill.

Useless In Melee: Because of their length, lances are only of any real use on the charge, or defending against one. As such, characters using lances must either switch weapons or be at half Weapon Skill after the first action of a combat.

Variant: Explosive-Tipped Hunting Lance: The Imperial Guard often issues rough riders with disposable, explosive-tipped lances designed to take out powerful aliens like tyranids with a single hit. Hunting lances inflict 2D10 damage, rather than the usual D10. However, the tip must be replaced after use – most rough riders carry several spares, or a backup close combat weapon like a cavalry sabre or chainsword.

Yet another archaic weapon only used in combat on primitive worlds, the pike is a long spear, often reaching as long as twice the height of a man. Although lethal when defending against a charge (particularly a cavalry charge), they are useless in infantry combat, being too long to wield efficiently close up.

Easy To Use: Despite being intended for use in two hands, pikes do not require any Specialist Weapons ability.

Anti-Cavalry: When used against characters on higher ground, characters using pikes do not suffer the usual –10 WS penalty. Nor do the higher ground characters gain their +10 WS bonus, since they are held off by the pike’s tip.

Useless In Melee: Because of their ridiculous length, pikes are only of any real use on the charge, or defending against one. As such, characters using pikes must either switch weapons or be at half Weapon Skill after the first action of a combat.

Normally designed for stabbing with, rather than hacking or slashing (although most variants still have a savage cutting edge), short swords are generally light weapons with an elegant air to them, rewarding finesse more than they do brute strength. Occasionally, Planetary Defence Forces and Imperial Guard units from worlds with a traditionalist outlook may arm soldiers with short swords instead of knives or bayonets. Machetes and military sickles have similar effects to a short sword, although they are exclusively designed for hacking with.

Basically a knife with an extremely long handle, spears are simple to use and enable even peasants to take down charging knights, or a rioter to lunge past an Arbitrator’s shock maul and suppression shield.

Easy To Use: Despite being intended for use in two hands, spears are simple to use, and do not require any Specialist Weapon ability.

Anti-Cavalry: When used against characters on higher ground, characters using spears do not suffer the usual –10 WS penalty. Nor do the higher ground characters gain their +10 WS bonus, since they are held off by the spear’s tip.

Ranged Combat: Spears may be used in ranged combat with the same characteristics as a javelin. Note that the weapon’s Damage characteristic changes from D10 to 2D6 when used as a ranged combat weapon.

A common weapon with travellers, particularly those normally forbidden to carry weapons, the staff (also known as a quarterstaff or stave) has the advantage of not looking like a weapon at all. Although it is easily possible to crack someone’s skull open with a staff, its main function is as a defensive weapon, parrying an attacker’s blows. It can also be an imposing symbol of office, and most Imperial officials, cult leaders, planetary rulers and other notables will carry a staff decorated in the manner of their position.

Easy To Use: Despite being intended for use in two hands, spears are simple to use, and do not require any Specialist Weapon ability.

This category comprises all manner of bladed weapons larger than a short sword and smaller than a bastard sword, including cutlasses, rapiers, claymores, broadswords, sabres and scimitars. Swords are surprisingly common for a society as technologically advanced as the Imperium, but more commonly for cultural reasons than for necessity. Particularly, aristocrats, gang leaders, military officers and other social leaders use them as a status symbol and badge of office. However, when any of these people need a sword for practical purposes (such as to prevent a rabid ork from ripping their throat out), they generally go for something with more killing power – a chainsword or power sword, for example.

Barely a weapon, and more of a tool, whips are of very limited use on the battlefield. They will not cause great amounts of damage, but can be used to ensnare an opponent’s limbs.

Specialist Weapon: Whips require the Specialist Weapon – Flail ability.

Entanglement: If a whip hits, there is a 75% chance that the location is entangled, in addition to any damage caused.

If the legs are entangled (both legs can be entangled by a hit to only one), the target character is knocked prone. The character is at –20 Initiative and may only move at half speed.

If an arm is entangled, that arm cannot be used. The character is at –20 Weapon Skill.

If the head is entangled, the whip wraps around the neck and causes an additional D6 damage at the end of every round due to choking. This damage ignores any head armour with an armour value of 4 or less. The character is at –20 Initiative while choking.

The torso cannot be entangled, although it takes damage as normal.

It takes one action and a successful Initiative test to disentangle a whip.

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