Virus bomb
Virus bombs are potent weapons of mass destruction, and were commonly used to carry out Exterminatus in pre-Heresy times. In this role they have largely been superseded by Cyclonic Torpedoes, however virus bombs are still retained by some Imperial arsenals.[4]
Strategic use
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The following paragraphs contain spoilers for: | Galaxy In Flames (Novel) |
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The following paragraphs contain spoilers for: | The Flight of the Eisenstein (Novel) |
In order to kill all organisms on a planet with virus bombs, a fleet of ships must all bombard the world in unison with many air-bursting warheads for sufficient levels of virus saturation to occur. Virus bombs were used on Isstvan III at the start of the Horus Heresy by Horus to cull the Space Marines of the present Legions that were judged likely to remain loyal to the Emperor.[1a] Virus bombs were used to execute exterminatus as late as 273.M41 on the hive world Stalinvast.[3] The viral payload of a virus bomb can be keyed to specific gene-codes, specifically targeting aliens, mutants or even rebelling humans with a predominant hair colour.[5]
The Life-Eater Virus, as used on Isstvan III and Stalinvast, is terrifyingly voracious, capable of spreading across the entire surface of a planet in a matter of minutes. Airbursts of viral clades consume airborne bacteria blooming into a roving black cloud. The hyper-fast mutative change and near exponential growth rates allow the virus to leap species in seconds, but all resulting in near instant putrefaction regardless of being an animal, plant, microbe. Jungles and forests quickly rot into lakes of sludge. The rapid breakdown of organic matter releases tremendous amounts of flammable gas. The virus can penetrate the smallest chinks in power armour and enter rebreathers. The virus quickly rots and breaks down anything of biological origin, reducing it to sludge. The gas eventually ignites, either on its own or with the intentional insertion of an incendiary device, into an apocalyptic, planet-wide firestorm, searing the planet's entire surface to bare rock, as well as burning the atmosphere of all oxygen.[1b][2][3]
The Emperor was said to have strongly disliked using virus bombs during the Great Crusade.[1b]
Tactical use
Virus bombs have also been used on a tactical scale, such as during the Second War for Armageddon. Von Strab had a secret stash of them, put there by his family when the planet was colonized. They wreaked a terrible havoc on the invading Orks but had lost their potency over time and did not have exactly the desired effect. The virus also has a tendency to blow with the winds, and during the Armageddon deployment, it washed back over the defending Imperial Guard, killing as many defenders as attackers.[6]
Recovery
The lifeless rocks left after a viral bombing may still contain valuable non-organic resources after the virus itself has died off.[4]
See also
Sources
- 1: Galaxy In Flames (Novel):
- 2: The Flight of the Eisenstein (Novel), Chapter 9
- 3: Inquisitor (Novel),
[Help] - 4: Ice Guard (Novel), Chapter 3
- 5: Tactica Imperialis (Background Book), pg. 66
- 6: Epic Armageddon Rulebook, pgs. 64
