"My ancestors thieves? Why you no-good grobi-lover. It was my great-great-grandfather who designed the machine. And he built in one fatal flaw, one fatal weakness, without the removal of which it would never work. it's not my fault that your ancestor died trying to fly it!"
- —Dwarf Engineer Thon to his companion Doirin[3a]
A Thunderbarge as depicted in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.
A Thunderbarge is one of a class of lighter-than-air warships created by the Dwarfs. They haven't quite been perfected yet, but that doesn't stop a few intrepid Dwarf Engineers from building one and taking to the skies.[1a]
A Dwarf Thunderbarge as depicted in Total War: Warhammer III.[4]
The bomb racks, cannons, swivel guns and Grudge Raker-armed crew of the amazing flying machine can wreak devastation on any enemy battleline. Fortunately for the enemies of the Dwarfs, few of the Thunderbarges have ever been constructed and it is hard to find engineers insane or inebriated enough to fly such dangerous contraptions. In fact, it is not unheard of for the warships to stow a few barrels of Bugman’s aboard to give the crew an extra dose of courage when needed.[1a][4]
The Dwarf crew of this Thunderbarge fires down upon their Chaos Dwarf foes using double-barreled Grudge Raker shotguns as depicted in Total War: Warhammer III.[4]
Opposing forces will prioritise taking this thing down before it gets too close, but they are going to struggle as a special mix of Bugman's Ale is ignited aboard the vessel, triggering the Thunderburner within its engine; the Thunderburner will slowly tear the Thunderbarge apart in exchange for its ability to reach some truly incredible speeds. Once within range, the Spear of Grungi kept aboard can be launched, which is a giant harpoon that is hurled into the enemy army.[4]
Notable Thunderbarges[]
A Dwarf Thunderbarge makes a powerful airborne ally for a Dwarf army on the battlefield against the hordes of the Greenskins.
- Indestructible - This was the first airship created by the Slayer engineer Malakai Makaisson. Big as a sailing ship, the fuselage of the Indestructible was over a hundred paces long and the airship itself could fly at ten leagues an hour. It later crashed and was destroyed utterly.[3a]
- Spirit of Grungni - The Spirit of Grungni is the second airship built in secret by the Slayer engineer Malakai Makaisson. This one proved far more successful than its predecessor.[3a]
- Wrath of Thunder - The Wrath of Thunder was a Thunderbarge created by the mad Dwarf Engineer Sven Hasselfrapp.
Human Airships[]
The famed Tilean genius and engineer Leonardo da Miragliano's illustrious career was cut short while he was attempting to pioneer heavier-than-air flight. A tragic accident not only killed the inventor himself, but also destroyed many of the Imperial Engineers School's original buildings.[2a]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Rulebook (8th Edition)
- 1a: pg. 425
- 2: Warhammer Armies: The Empire (4th Edition)
- 2a: pg. 15
- 3: Inferno 25
- 3a: pp. 54-64
- 4: Total War Blog - Thrones of Decay: Introducing Malakai Malaisson
Gallery[]
