Phosphex Weapons

Phosphex Weapons are a thankfully rare and deadly weapon that is rarely used within the arsenals of the Imperium's military forces in the modern 41st Millennium.

History
Phosphex is a rare corrosive toxic and incendiary compound utterly inimical to life, deployed both in the form of large canister bombs and heavy shells. It expands on contact with air into a seething liquid mist which burns with an eerie white-green flame which is attracted to movement. This gelid flame ignites metal and eats relentlessly into living tissue, and cannot be extinguished short of exposure to vacuum. As effective as this horrific weapon is, its use is not widespread as it has a tainting effect beyond even rad weapons on the areas in which it was employed. It remained within the arsenals of the Space Marine Legions as a weapon of dire resort.

At some unknown point in Imperial history, the blasphemous Tech-Priest Veriliad essentially destroyed the Adeptus Mechanicus' ability to make phosphex weaponry. Having seen the crawling horror of the living, white-blue flame, Veriliad destroyed the lone STC for the substance's creation. Efforts to recreate it have been unsuccessful ever since. Decried as Heretic Technis by the rest of his order, Veriliad was tied to a stake and shot with the pistol known as Phosphoenix, the finest such weapon ever produced. Perhaps fittingly, he was burnt alive by the very living flame he had tried to extinguish.

Notable Phosphex Users

 * Death Guard - It is of note that the Death Guard Legion under Primarch Mortarion quickly became associated with the use of alchem and radiation weaponry to a greater extent than any other Legion, further darkening their reputation with their battle-brothers. Simply put, the use of toxic gas, crawl-burning Phosphex and contaminated rad-shells did not rankle their Legion's honour as it did for some, while Mortarion himself was a master of such weapons and student of the most horrific arts of war, and had no compunction in their use against any that threatened humanity.
 * Iron Warriors - The elite artillery formation of the Iron Warriors Legion, known as the Stor-Bezashk, were renowned for its consummate skills in siege warfare and had a reputation as masters of destruction. The siegemasters of the Stor-Bezashk had command of weapons and war engines unseen outside of the ranks of the Mechanicum's Ordo Reductor and direct battlefield command of the Legion's extensive stockpiles of atomic shells, phosphex reserves and rare gravitic munitions, and power of life and death over those Legionaries assigned (often as punishment) to the Destroyer cadres under the siegemasters' control.

Phosphex Weapon Types

 * Phosphex Bomb
 * Phosphex Shell (Medusa)