Plasma Weapons



Plasma Weapons are highly potent and destructive weapons utilised in many forms by the main intelligent races of the Milky Way Galaxy. Plasma Weapons vary greatly in form and size; ranging from small and compact Plasma Pistols to huge starship batteries that can obliterate entire cities in a single salvo. Most Plasma Weapons work by delivering pulses of searing energy and superheated matter. The plasma ‘bolts’ fired by these weapons explode on impact and generate the destructive heat of a small sun; and the sheer amount of energies released with their impact is often enough to completely vaporise the target. Against all forms of armoured infantry and light vehicles, the superheated bolts of starstuff fired by smaller Plasma Weapons impact with the fury of a supernova; scything through steel, flesh and bone as if they were nothing.

However, due to the enormous temperatures and deadly energies that Plasma Weapons generate when they are fired, most such weapons are prone to overheating and misfiring; making the weapon potentially as deadly to the wielder as it is to the target. Nevertheless, the noblest works incur the heaviest risks. The sheer power and deadliness of Plasma Weapons often outweigh the hazards that come with using them

Operation
Plasma Weapons are operating using raw plasma fuel, which consists of highly dangerous and volatile hydrogen, which is compressed and precariously contained within reinforced flasks in a photonic state. These Plasma Flasks are potentially deadly in their own right, and it was almost surely a Plasma Flask whose handling rites were rushed that gave birth to the Imperial Plasma Grenade. For smaller Imperial Plasma Weapons, these Plasma Flasks often allow for 10 shots to be fired before reloading. As the fuel is fed into a miniature fusion reactor core inside the weapon, the hydrogen energises into a highly-energized state of matter known as plasma; the constituent matter of the stars themselves. This plasma is held in the weapon’s core by powerful magnetic confinement fields. When fired, the fields dilate open and the plasma is ejected via a linear magnetic accelerator in a bolt of superheated matter akin to a solar flare in appearance and temperature. For this reason, Plasma Weapons are also known as “Sun Guns” by the soldiers of the Imperium. The plasma fired is encased in a magnetic containment field that prevents the plasma "bolt" from dissipating before reaching its target. Once the plasma comes into contact with a solid material, the magnetic field ruptures and vents the superheated energy of the plasma onto the target; often vaporising the enemy.

However, most Plasma Weapons suffer from the problem of overheating. This is because the excess heat generated by the plasma must be released, for containing it within the weapon can be catastrophic. This additional heat is often vented into the surrounding area as very few forms of proper cooling apparatus capable of neutralising the excess heat exist. However, even with this solution, it is not uncommon for Plasma Weapons to completely overheat and/or explode; often with devastating consequences to the wielder and those nearby.

Imperium of Man
Imperial Plasma weapons represent an almost-lost art for the contemporary Imperium of Man, with the secrets of their design and construction almost lost outside of a handful of circles of the Adeptus Mechanicus and their tech-adept artisans. Their workings are a mystery for the most part, and only a select few Forge Worlds still know how to construct them. Existing weapons must be carefully maintained and passed down generation to generation with each operator carefully ensuring all the proper blessings of the Machine God are bestowed before use. As such, these relics of bygone eras are greatly revered; and it is considered a huge honour to be able to wield one. For the elite forces of the Adeptus Astartes, Plasma Weapons are more commonly found than in the ranks of the Imperial Guard, although the weapons are still uncommon amongst their ranks. Most notably, Plasma technology is frequently found in the hands of Space Marines of the Dark Angels Chapter, who have maintained a large number of such weapons and the art of their construction since their Founding.

Plasma matter is an incredibly dangerous substance to deal with, and Imperial designs are some of the most unstable due to the inherent imperfections and flaws that result from the Imperium’s declining technology base. Imperial Plasma Weapons tax their cooling systems considerably, and even Space Marines must push the limits of their own resilience by using them. However, the hydrogen fuel they use is of a higher quantum state than standard Imperial patterns. However, Plasma Weapons are nevertheless valued for their destructive power - and many an Imperial soldier owes their life to the timely use of such weapons.
 * Plasma Pistol – Perhaps the most destructive sidearm in common use in the Imperium, a soldier with a Plasma Pistol wields the power of a small sun in his hands. Plasma Pistols are the smallest variant in the Imperial Plasma Weapon family, and their small and compact design, allows them to be wielded in a single hand. They are most commonly paired with a close-combat weapon of some form. Each shot from a Plasma Pistol leaves the destructive fury of larger Plasma Guns undiminished in a smaller package, although its diminished size means it must sacrifice range and rate of fire. Those willing to take the risk of using one possess a weapon capable of taking down almost any foe at close range. Plasma Pistols are the favourite of Imperial officers, who view it as a status symbol to be entrusted with such a valuable and venerated weapon. Few pistols are deadlier than a Plasma Pistol, and even many ranking Adeptus Astartes find them worth the trouble of acquiring and the risk of using one, simply for their sheer efficiency in eliminating foes at close range. However, Plasma Pistols hold smaller hydrogen flasks than larger Plasma Weapons and can thus only fire a handful of shots. They are dangerous to use on board vessels as a single shot can penetrate several bulkheads. Plasma Pistols most commonly have two modes of fire – a standard mode, and a maximal mode which uses more fuel in a single shot for additional stopping power; although the user must wait a short time whilst the weapon recharges and replenishes its internal fuel reserves.
 * Barrage Plasma Pistol – Barrage Plasma Pistols are deadly side arms and are a variant of the standard Plasma Pistol that is unique to the Jericho Reach Deathwatch, and few exist even within their hallowed armouries. Barrage Plasma Pistols feature a higher rate of fire than standard Plasma Pistols at the cost of increased energy consumption and chance of overheating.
 * Plasma Torch – A Plasma Torch is a common tool utilised by Imperial engineers and Tech-Priests, exploration teams who need to breach multiple barriers, and Space Marine Techmarines. Plasma Torches utilise a controlled plasma arc to make precise alterations when fixing Imperial technologies, although they are more commonly used to cut through impeding bulkheads within spaceships. Plasma Torches are capable of cutting through adamantine plating that is up to 20 centimetres thick in a standard minute, and can cut thinner and weaker materials far faster. Plasma Torches can also be fired as a weapon in a similar way to a Plasma Pistol, albeit at a shorter range and without the ability to fire on maximal mode. Many a foolish foe who has come to close has been struck by a bolt of superheated plasma from a Plasma Torch.
 * Plasma Grenade – Imperial Plasma Grenades are an exceedingly rare form of grenade for the Imperium that most likely originated from a wielder improperly handling a Plasma Flask. Plasma Grenades are most commonly only used by those who are able to acquire them, such as Deathwatch Space Marines, high ranking normal Space Marines and Inquisitors. These highly lethal grenades use a deliberate plasma containment failure so that they erupt into blasts of white-hot energy. The dense plasma core of an Astartes Plasma Grenade is designed to not be fully consumed in the initial explosion, so it leaves a glowing, energized orb that continues to sear the area like a miniature sun. This tiny stellar body can continue to cause great damage to the immediate area for some time. It is of note that Imperial Plasma Grenades are cruder, although more potent, than the Eldar Plasma Grenades commonly used by Eldar assault troops.

more to come...