Powered weapon

A Space Marine using a power sword.

Power weapons are a type of advanced hand-to-hand combat weapon taking several forms but utilising the same basic technological principles. When activated the blade of the weapon becomes sheathed in a field of energy which disrupts solid matter, allowing the weapon to easily tear through armour, including even Terminator Armour.

The basic power weapon type (commonly taking the shape of swords and axes) is in use by several races including humans, while specialized types see more exclusive use.

Imperial and Chaos

• Crozius Arcanum^[11][10]: A short staff with a power field, used by Space Marine Chaplains as a badge of office and a melee weapon, usually sculpted in the form of an Aquila or some other religious icon.
  • Accursed Crozius^[5]: A Crozius Arcanum used by Dark Apostles of the Chaos Space Marines Word Bearers Legion.
• Gauntlets^[21]: A power weapon with a built-in power system, giving the user a huge strength boost.
• Lightning Claw^[11][10]: A heavy gauntlet armed with long talons, surrounded by a power field; they are used most commonly and effectively in pairs.
• Power maul^[2]: The intensity of the power field can be adjusted, allowing the user to simply knock out a victim, or smash a hole through a wall.
• Power fist^[1]: A large gauntlet that gloves the user's hand, with a power field that delivers a huge boost to the user's strength, at the cost of speed.
  • Chainfist^[1]: A power fist with a chainblade attachment, usually for dealing with heavy armour.
• Power Lance^[18]: A purpose-built power weapon used by the White Scars Space Marines for use on Space Marine Bikes.
• Power Blade: A knife or dagger with a built-in power field.
• Power sword: A sword with a built-in power field.
  • Relic Blade^[12]: A large, two-handed power sword, glaive or axe that were specially crafted (often during the Horus Heresy) to give a strength bonus that, while not as powerful as that of a power fist, allows the user to strike at normal speed.
  • Sentinel Blade
• Power axe: An axe with a built-in power field.^[13]
• Power Scythe: A scythe with a built-in power field.
• Sollex-Aegis Energy Blade ^[15]: A weapon, the blade of which takes the form of coherent high-energy plasma.
• Thunder Hammer^[11][10]: A large, heavy hammer which gives off a huge burst of energy when it impacts.
• Astartes Executioner Axe^[16]:Are a set of twelve of these large, heavy-bladed two-handed power axes contained in the armouries of Watch Fortress Erioch.
• Astartes Power Falchion^[16]: A heavy power weapon found commonly among those Space Marines of the White Scars aboard Watch Station Erioch.
• Astartes Power Claymore^[16]: Massive, two-handed swords, nearly as long as an average Space Marine is tall/
• Astartes Power Spear^[16]: A power weapon that requires two hands to use and is rarely seen amongst the Space Marines of the Deathwatch. Some Space Marines of the Iron Snakes Chapter have donated these weapons to the armoury of Watch Fortress Erioch.
  • Phoenix Power Spear
• Power Scourge — A Chaos Space Marine weapon.
• Battle-automata Power Blade — A Legio Cybernetica weapon.
• Power Hammer
• Power Pick
• Power Knife
• Power Stake
• Jawsnapper Knuckleduster - Brass Knuckles that have been augmented to discharge a disruption field on contact. Used by the Sanctioners of Alecto.^[22]

Ork Powered Weapons

• Power Klaw^[9]: a huge weapon, considered to be the Ork version of the Power fist, used primarily by Warbosses or Nobz.
  • Snagga-Klaw: A variant of the power claw used most commonly by warbosses mounted on the Deffkilla Wartrike.

Eldar Power Sword^[17]

Eldar Powered Weapons

• Diresword^[7][8]: A power weapon that increases its damage the more it hits the target. It is used exclusively by Dire Avenger Exarchs.
• Executioner^[7][8]: A two-handed power weapon that increases the user's strength. It is used exclusively by Howling Banshee Exarchs.
• Powerblades^[7][8]: Power weapons that are attached to the arms of the wielder, and used in conjunction with any other close combat weapon. They are used by Warp Spider Exarchs.
• Scorpion's Claw^[7][8]: A powered weapon with the same damage potential as a Power Fist, and a built in Shuriken Catapult. It is used exclusively by Striking Scorpion Exarchs.
• Power spear^[3]: A powered weapon in the shape of a spear used by Farseers, Warlocks, and Corsairs.
• Star Glaive: Used by Autarchs

Dark Eldar Powered Weapons

• Agoniser
• Djin Blade
• Demiklaives
• Electrocorrosive Whip
• Husk Blade
• Punisher: A two-handed power weapon used by Dark Eldar Incubi.^[6]
• Klaive: A two-handed power weapon used by Dark Eldar Incubi.

Necron Powered Weapons

• Hyperphase Sword
• Rod of Covenant

Tau Powered Weapons

• Equalizer: a potent power weapon that serves primarily as a ceremonial weapon, used by the Ethereals in pairs.
• Honour Blade: A power axe used mainly by Ethereal Guards.
• Onager Gauntlet: An experimental power fist used by Tau battlesuits.

Unique Power Weapons

• Imperial Guard:
  • The Axe of Chalcydon: Borne by Saint Jason during his crusade against the Eldar on Huale.
  • The Claw of the Desert Tigers: A unique power sword carried by Tallarn Imperial Guard Captain Al'rahem.
  • The Sword of Heironymo: An exceptionally strong power sword, and an heirloom of the city of Vervunhive on Verghast. It is said that whoever leads Vervunhive's forces in battle must wield this weapon. After the death of most of Vervunhive's leadership - military and administrative - during Heritor Asphodel's invasion in 769.M41, the sword was given to Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, the senior Imperial commander in Vervunhive (all of the others either dead or imprisoned). The sword remained in Gaunt's possession after the battle, gifted to him for his actions in the defence of Vervunhive during the Heritor's siege. A deadly weapon, it rarely leaves Gaunt's side^[19].
  • Liberatus: a powered sabre gifted to Warmaster Slaydo by the High Lords of Terra, at the outset of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. In the cataclysmic battle at Balhaut, Slaydo defeated Archon Nadzybar in melee combat. The sword was saved by one of his bodyguards, and later presented to Slaydo's successor, Macaroth^[20].

• Chaos:
  • The Talon of Horus: a Lightning Claw formerly wielded by Warmaster Horus, now by Ezekyle Abaddon.
  • The Tyrant's Claw: a Power fist with a built-in Heavy Flamer attached to Huron Blackheart's bionic arm.
• Space Marines:
  • The Axe Mortalis is a master crafted power weapon wielded by Dante, the Chapter Master of the Blood Angels.^[4c]
  • Blood Crozius: Assumed to be the weapon that was once wielded by the very first High Chaplain of the Blood Angels. Lemartes now possesses the master-crafted relic after it was given to him by Astorath the Grim^[4a]
  • The Executioner's Axe is the weapon of choice for Astorath the Grim, High Chaplain of the Blood Angels, when in battle and when ending the life of his battle-brothers that have succumbed to the Black Rage^[4b]
  • The Fist of Dorn^[11][10]: A master crafted Thunder Hammer with a fist shaped between the hammer and blade. It is a relic of the Imperial Fists Chapter, currently carried by First Company Captain Darnath Lysander.
  • The Foehammer: A master crafted Thunder Hammer with a built-in teleportation device that allows its owner, Arjac Rockfist of the Space Wolves, to throw it and have it return to his hand almost instantly.
  • The Gauntlets of Ultramar^[11][10]: A pair of huge Power Fists with built-in Bolters. Relics of the Ultramarines Chapter, they are wielded exclusively by Chapter Master Marneus Augustus Calgar.
  • Libertas: the power sword wielded by Death Guard Captain Nathaniel Garro;
  • Morkai: a Great Weapon and Power Axe wielded by Logan Grimnar, Chapter Master of the Space Wolves.
  • Raven's Talons^[11][10]: A pair of Lightning Claws said to have been forged by Corax. A relic of the Raven Guard Chapter, currently wielded by Captain Kayvaan Shrike.
  • The Talassarian Tempest Blade^[12]: The power sword that always accompanies Ultramarines Captain Cato Sicarius into battle.

• Tau Empire:
  • Dawn Blade: A mysterious Power weapon used by Commander Farsight^[14]

Related Articles

• Close Combat Weapons
• Fractal Edged Weapon
• Imperial Guard Weaponry (List)
• Space Marine Weaponry (List)

Sources

This article needs work on its citations. For help on citation see the citation guidelines. You can help Lexicanum by fixing it.

• 1: Warhammer 40,000: Wargear, ^{[Needs Citation]}
• 2: Warhammer 40,000: Battle Manual, ^{[Needs Citation]}
• 3: Warhammer 40,000 6th Edition Rulebook, pg. 59
• 4: Codex: Blood Angels (5th Edition)
  • 4a: pg. 43
  • 4b: pg. 45
  • 4c: pg. 53
• 5: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (3rd Edition), ^{[Needs Citation]}
• 6: Codex: Dark Eldar (3rd Edition), ^{[Needs Citation]}
• 7: Codex: Eldar (3rd Edition), ^{[Needs Citation]}
• 8: Codex: Eldar (4th Edition), ^{[Needs Citation]}
• 9: Codex: Orks (3rd Edition), ^{[Needs Citation]}
• 10: Codex: Space Marines (3rd Edition), ^{[Needs Citation]}
• 11: Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), ^{[Needs Citation]}
• 12: Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pg. 85
• 13: Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition), pg. 60
• 14: Codex: Tau Empire (4th Edition), pg. 33
• 15: Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook, ^{[Needs Citation]}
• 16: Deathwatch: Rites of Battle, pg. 139
• 17: Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara, pg. 135
• 18: Index Astartes I, pg. 46
• 19: Necropolis (Novel), Chapter Fifteen
• 20: Regicide (Short Story)
• 21: Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, Commander screen; Wargear section
• 22: Aberrant (Short Story) by Chris Wraight, pg. 24-28