"Guns! Explosions! The smell of fire and fear! Gentlemen, there is nothing better, nothing on earth. What sport would war be without it? They say that the age of Sigmar was the age of heroism. Don’t believe a word of it! These are the days of glory, my friends! The time of blackpowder and steel! May it last forever!"
- —Reported last words of Master Gunner Augerich von Mettelblicken[2a]
A brace of Imperial pistols. Pistols require a charge of gunpowder before they can be fired.
Gunpowder weapons, also called blackpowder weapons and firearms, are the most powerful ranged weapons ever invented, capable of firing ballistic projectiles with extraordinary force and over a long distance through the ignition of the highly flammable substance called gunpowder or blackpowder.[1a]
The Old World is currently undergoing a military revolution of sorts. The Dwarfs introduced gunpowder with their devastating Dwarf Cannon. When used on the battlefields, most leaders of the Old World quickly learned, despite its obvious flaws (unreliability for instance), that gunpowder weapons were far superior to the old ways of fighting wars.[1a]
Armour was virtually useless against gunpowder weapons, as cannon dealt impressive damage, capable of shredding soldiers with a single blast of grape shot, or toppling walls with the impact of cannonballs. At first, these weapons were simple cannon and other forms of siege-breaking artillery, but soon smaller varieties of handguns were developed, allowing individual soldiers to use them.[1a]
As Nuln engineers refined the process, they devised handheld firearms, repeating pistols, and more. Though there were several early and impressive advances, the technology is still experimental and costly in the 26th century IC, and few warriors are willing to risk themselves and pay the expense of acquiring such weapons.[1a]
The old guns were quite primitive, being little more than a metal tube with a wooden stock and a hole at the top where the wielder ignited the gunpowder with a punk or candle. Now, most gunpowder weapons use matchlocks or flintlocks for ignition. All blackpowder weapons in the Old World are muzzleloaders, requiring the wielder to load powder and shot down the barrel. Most blackpowder weapons in the Empire are imports from the Dwarfs or are manufactured in Nuln and Altdorf.[1a]
Apart from the Dwarfs and the Empire, several other nations and peoples use gunpowder weapons. These include Kislev, Araby, Tilea, Estalia, the Chaos Dwarfs, the Skaven, Ogres and the Far Eastern empire of Grand Cathay.
Bretonnia does not use gunpowder weapons in its land armies as they are considered unchivalrous. However the Bretonnian Navy is equipped with cannons.
While Undead are not usually armed with gunpowder weapons, the thralls of the Vampire Lord Luthor Harkon -- Zombie Pirates and the like -- have been known to use firearms and ships' cannon.
History[]
"Why are men so afraid of the power of artillery? Because every state trooper knows that one day all warfare will be conducted behind the barrel of a gun. In the future, the sword and the spear will disappear from our battlefields, and the ranks of gunners will take their place. It matters not how many nobles complain of this, nor how many witch hunters confiscate our untried machines and devices. Our day will come. History demands it."
- ——Attributed to Frau Meilde of Waldenhof[2a]
The first gunpowder weapons used in the Known World were constructed by the vanished race of the Skytitans. Although it availed them little, their guns are still salvaged and used as the Ironblasters of the Ogre Kingdoms.[3a]
Dwarfs were the first mortal race in the Old World to master gunpowder, discovering it independently from other civilisations in -420 IC.[5a] Tileans were the first Men in the Old World to master blackpowder thanks to their extensive trade and commercial contacts with Grand Cathay. The substance was only known to the Empire through their long-standing alliance with the Dwarfs, but that Elder Race guarded its secrets jealously.[4a]
The earliest Human firearms in the Old World were "hand gonnes." Essentially, each hand gonne was a scaled-down version of the cannon used by the Dwarfs, consisting of a metal barrel fitted with a stock. Near the base of the barrel was a touch hole, where the user placed a burning wick to ignite the gunpowder. Because it required the user to manually touch the gunpowder to ignite the larger charge, these early handguns were never really accurate and usually required some sort of stand to use effectively. They had a maximum effective range of about 30 yards.[1a]
Matchlocks[]
Shortly after the development of the Imperial "hand gonne" and its profound failures against both the Warriors of Chaos' heavy cavalry and mere knights in service to rival Elector Counts, engineers in Nuln developed a firing mechanism to allow the user to wield the weapon in two hands, thereby reducing the need for a stand. Essentially, a moveable arm that holds a burning wick is locked back. When the wielder depresses the lever, they release the arm, which falls into the flash pan and ignites the blackpowder to send a flame into the barrel chamber of the weapon. This action then ignites a larger powder charge which fires the projectile forward.[1a]
Though matchlocks were a drastic improvement over the early handgun designs, lighting the wick takes a long time, making the weapon virtually useless unless the wielder is prepared in advance. Furthermore, the Empire's realtively wet climate makes keeping the wicks lit an arduous task, with gusting rains, and damp clime being murder on the firing mechanism. As a result, longbows are still the preferred weapon for most Imperial ranged infantry regiments.[1a]
Wheellocks and Flintlocks[]
In response to the continuing difficulties of firearm use, the Empire's engineers developed a new mechanism for firing. They replaced the spring-loaded arm with a spinning wheel. When the trigger was depressed, it caused the wheel to spin against a metal plate, causing sparks to fall into the flash pan. Developed simultaneously by the Men of Araby was the flintlock, a variation on the wheellock design. In this improved mechanism, the trigger released a small piece of flint to strike a steel plate to drop sparks into the pan.[1a][1b]
With the development of flintlocks and the less-often used wheellocks, engineers in the Old World could devise all manner of variations on gunpowder weapons. Some have multiple barrels, while others are smaller pistols. These variations allowed the Empire to create a bevy of weapons like duelling pistols for those preferring smaller weapons, and more accurate ranged weapons like the Hochland Long Rifle for example. In fact, the Imperial Guild of Engineers has come so far, they have begun to experiment with multi-chambered weapons that fire multiple shots before needing to be reloaded.[1b]
It is important to remember that gunpowder weapons are still relatively new and experimental and do not see widespread use in the Old World among Men. Expensive and unreliable, most would rather use longbows or crossbows for ranged attacks, having no interest in experiencing the all-too-frequent misfires that claim the lives and maim far too many soldiers to be used with any regularity.[1b]
Ammunition[]
"The crossbow may be more reliable, but nothing elicits fear like a pair of pistols. When you stare down those barrels, a few Marks in exchange for your life seems perfectly reasonable."
- —Tilmann, Wayward Highwayman[1a]
Gunpowder weapons are certainly appealing in that they allow individuals to use devastating ranged weapons, giving them an advantage in combat. However, these weapons require a great deal of maintenance to use with consistency and, more importantly, are expensive and the gunpowder can be hard-to-get. All gunpowder weapons require firearm shot and a supply of gunpowder to use properly.[1b]
Selected Engineer Weapons[]
Gunpowder weapons in this category represent the cutting edge of Old World firearms technology. Included here are the dangerous repeater pistols and handguns, the impressive Hochland Long Rifle, and the unusual Duck-Foot. All engineer weapons are flintlocks.[1b]
Selected Gunpowder Weapons[]
This collection of firearms is rarely as good as the engineer weapons, but benefit from being more widespread across the Old World and less expensive. Many of these weapons require the use of a stand to fire properly, but those of the best craftsmanship have matchlocks or flintlocks. These weapons all require a supply of gunpowder, but most can use a variety of ammunition from actual balls smithed for the purpose to nails and glass and other forms of improvised ammunition.[1c]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Old World Armoury (RPG)
- 2: The Empire: Iron Company (Novel) by Chris Wraight
- 2a: Ch. 14
- 3: Warhammer Armies: Ogre Kingdoms (8th Edition)
- 3a: pg. 50
- 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Shades of Empire (RPG)
- 4a: pg. 75
- 5: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Dwarfs - Stone and Steel (RPG)
- 5a: pg. 108
- 6: The Empire: Omnibus (Novel) by Chris Wraight, Nick Kyme, Darius Hinks
- 6a: Ch. 7