Chain weapon

Chain Weapons are close combat weapons which utilize a cutting chain mechanism (similar in principle to a chainsaw) along the length of the striking edge. They are most effective in assaults against lightly armoured targets and are generally used in wide sweeping attacks to make full use of momentum for maximum impact and cutting strength. Several armies make use of Chain Weapons, including the Imperial Guard^[1], Space Marines,^[1] Orks,^[8] Chaos Space Marines^[4] and Eldar.^[2]

Occasionally they are used as an attachment to another weapon; a small chainblade can sometimes be used as a form of bayonet attached to a ranged weapon to aid in close combat.^[6]

Types of Chain Weapon

• Chainaxe: A heavy close combat weapon that utilizes a cutting chain mechanism, used frequently by Chaos Space Marines, and others.
• Chainblade: A bayonet attachment to bolters.
• Chainfist: a power fist with a built-in chainblade extension for hacking through walls and fortifications; it is used primarily by space marine terminators.
• Chain Flail: A flail converted into a chain weapon.
• Chain Glaive: A long pole with a chainblade attached to its tip.^[3]
  • Nostraman Chainglaive
• Chain Hammer: Hammer with multiple blades of spinning teeth set in the head.^[4]
  • Heavy Rock Drill: A commonly used piece of mining equipment, not usually wielded in combat because it requires three arms to wield effectively, but often employed as a weapon by genestealer cults. Has very similar damage potential to an eviscerator or chainfist. As it is mining equipment, the overall shape is more similar to a heavy rock saw than a hammer, but the head is also a set of multiple blades of spinning teeth.
• Chainsword: A standard close combat weapon that utilizes a cutting chain mechanism which runs up the length of the blade.^[1][2]
  • Biting Blade: A large chainsword used by Eldar exarchs.^[2]
  • Chain Knife: A scaled down version of a chainsword that fullfills the same role as a knife or dagger.^[5]
  • Eviscerator: A large, two-handed chainsword, with damage potential similar to a chainfist; frequently wielded by Ministorum priests attached to the Imperial Guard.
  • Heavy Rock Saw: A commonly used piece of mining equipment, not usually wielded in combat because it requires three arms to wield effectively, but often employed as a weapon by genestealer cults. Has very similar damage potential to an eviscerator or chainfist.
  • Frost Blade: A type of chainsword used by the Space Wolves chapter, many of which incorporate diamond-hard ice kraken fangs as chainblade teeth.
  • Scorpion Chainsword: Functions similarly to a standard chainsword, but augments the wielder's strength, and does not engage the chain mechanism until it actually strikes; used by the Eldar Striking Scorpion aspect and some autarchs.
  • Nostraman Chainblade
  • Mauler Chainblade^[7]
  • Mangler^[7]
  • Pickripper^[7]
• Crimson crown: A thrown chain weapon disc the size of a human hand and of ancient origins.^[9]

Related Articles

• Close Combat Weapons

Sources

• 1: Warhammer 40,000: Wargear (2nd Edition), pg. 7
• 2: Codex: Eldar (4th Edition), pg. 33
• 3: Black Crusade Core Rulebook, pg. 162
• 4: Black Crusade: The Tome of Blood, pg. 37
• 5: Only War: Hammer of the Emperor, pg. 116
• 6: Wrath & Glory Core Rulebook, pg. 291
• 7: Codex: World Eaters (10th Edition), pg. 97
• 8: Munitorum: Chainsword (Background Book) (E-Book) - Chain Choppas
• 9: Rogue Trader: Into the Storm, pg. 122