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Conversion Beamer2

Conversion Beamer

The Conversion Beamer, also called a Conversion Beam Projector, is an incredibly rare and deadly antimatter-based pre-Horus Heresy archeotech weapon most likely developed during the Age of Technology. It fires a directed energy beam of antimatter particles which cause a matter-antimatter explosion in its target. It is a powerful, long-ranged weapon whose beam intensity actually becomes stronger the farther the range to its target, up to a terminal distance point where the beam finally begins to lose coherence.

In the 41st Millennium, a Conversion Beamer as a man-portable weapon is usually only wielded by a Space Marine Chapter's Master of the Forge or, in rare cases, agents of the Inquisition or the Adeptus Mechanicus. Upscaled versions of the weapon with greater terminal range and damage output are used by Imperial Dreadnoughts, Knights and Titans.

More advanced variants of the same weapon are also available to the military forces of the Leagues of Votann due to the similar origin of the Kin's technology in pre-Imperial Humanity's STC databases.

History[]

Beamer

Schematics of a Conversion Beamer

A Conversion Beamer is an esoteric weapon that is both difficult to construct and highly complex to use, needing skilled calibration to operate as well as dedicated Plasma Reactor core systems to power.

As a result of this complexity, Conversion Beamers were primarily used during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia for dedicated siege warfare or starship breaching assaults by specialised operators such as Space Marine Legion Techmarines and Mechanicum Myrmidon Destructors.

Should anyone else attempt to use the weapon, its Machine Spirit might become greatly angered and turn its ire upon the wielder instead. More rarely, larger Conversion Beamer weapons were mounted on a vehicle chassis with advanced control mechanisms and an abundance of reactor power such as the Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought.

In the 41st Millennium, Conversion Beamers are incredibly rare pre-Heresy artefacts, and their conservation and deployment is typically the responsibility of a Space Marine Chapter's Master of the Forge.

Conversion Beamer Operation[]

A Conversion Beam weapon fires a beam of antimatter which induces a subatomic implosion in its target, with the beam itself gathering power over distance up to a terminal point of beam instability.

By using the energy stored in atomic bonds, a Conversion Beamer can annihilate creatures, vehicles, or nearly anything its beam reaches, provided it is given time to build to critical mass.

When fired, a Conversion Beamer expels a stream of neutron-bombarded antimatter particles, beginning an atomic chain reaction that converts any matter the antimatter touches into an equivalent mass of energy in a blazing beam that hurtles towards the target.

As the escalating antimatter/matter reaction travels, more and more air molecules are converted into a deadly blast that finally consumes the target in an explosive release of pure energy.

As such, the Conversion Beamer is equally effective against large targets as well as small ones. The further away a target, the more effective the Conversion Beamer proves as it is given more time to escalate in power.

However, the antimatter beam is so dangerous that it has to be held very steady to achieve its effect without endangering allied troops, so the weapon cannot be used on the move.

Imperial Variants[]

Conversion Beam Cannon[]

AsteriusConversionBeamCannon

A Conversion Beam Cannon deployed on the Acastus Knight Asterius.

The Conversion Beam Cannon is a much larger and more powerful relic version of the Conversion Beamer that was deployed as the primary weapon of the massive Acastus Knight Asterius during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras.

The Asterius was armed with two twin-linked versions of this weapon. They were used for long-ranged firepower and were particularly suited to destroying fortifications.

Heavy Conversion Beamer[]

Ancient Skara Brae Contemptor Dred

A Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought of the Red Talons Chapter outfitted with a Heavy Conversion Beamer

The Heavy Conversion Beamer is an ancient relic-weapon of incredible and poorly-understood power that only the advanced systems of the Horus Heresy-era relic Contemptor Dreadnought or a relic Deimos Predator Executioner can hope to accurately direct and control.

As the Heavy Conversion Beamer is a scaled-up version of the standard Conversion Beamer, its beam can affect a wider area, possesses a longer range and can do more damage.

Conversion Beam Dissolutor[]

WarhoundDissolutorCannon

A twin-linked Conversion Beam Dissolutor deployed as an arm weapon of a Warhound-class Titan.

The Conversion Beam Dissolutor, also called a Dissolutor Cannon, is an upscaled, Titan-grade Conversion Beamer that can be mounted on the arm hardpoint of an Imperial Warhound-class Titan or deployed as a carapace weapon on a Reaver-class Titan.

A Conversion Beam weapon of this size is tremendously powerful and possesses an extreme range but the sheer power draw of the cannon can result in an intense strain being placed on the Titan's Plasma Reactor, though many consider this a small price to pay for such overwhelming firepower.

Extirpator Cannon[]

WarlordExtirpatorCannon

An Extirpator Cannon deployed as an arm-mounted weapon on a Warlord-class Titan.

An Extirpator Cannon is a massive, upscaled Titan-grade Conversion Beamer that can be mounted on the arm hardpoint of an Imperial Warlord-class Titan and is thus by far the largest known example of a Conversion Beam weapon.

A Conversion Beam weapon of this sheer size is tremendously powerful and possesses an extreme range but the sheer power draw of the cannon can result in an intense strain being placed on the Titan's Plasma Reactor, though many consider this a small price to pay for such overwhelming firepower.

When charged to its maximum settings, an Extirpator Conversion Beam Cannon's power surpasses even that of a Warlord Titan's standard Belicosa Pattern Volcano Cannon.

Leagues of Votann Conversion Beamers[]

SP Conversion Beamer[]

SpConversionBeamer

An SP Conversion Beamer used by the Leagues of Votann.

An SP Conversion Beamer is a hand-held, anti-personnel and anti-armour conversion beamer weapon used by the military forces of the Leagues of Votann that is very similar to its Imperial counterpart in operation and output.

Like an Imperial Conversion Beamer weapon, with which it shares a common technological heritage from pre-Imperial Terra through the STC databases, the SP Conversion Beamer fires a directed energy beam of antimatter particles that unleashes a matter/antimatter explosion when it makes contact with its target. The strength of the beam increases with range until reaching a terminal point where beam instability results.

However, Kin weapons like the SP Conversion Beamer are superior in almost every respect to those wielded by the agents of the Imperium, since the Kin employ superlative materials and methods in their construction and have no fear of further innovating on an ancient STC design. As a result, the SP Conversion Beamer and its variants often have even longer ranges and more stopping power than any of their Imperial equivalents.

Among the Oathbands of the Kin, an SP Conversion Beamer is a favoured weapon of Brôkhyr Thunderkyn. The unstoppable lances of directed energy shot from the SP Conversion Beamers of the Thunderkyn can pierce their foes' heavy infantry. The Brôkhyr use these to lay down withering cover fire for their Oathbands and to pick off enemy armoured vehicles.

SP Heavy Conversion Beamer[]

HekatonTurretSPHeavyConversionBeamer

An SP Heavy Conversion Beamer deployed as a turret weapon on a Hekaton Land Fortress of the Greater Thurian League.

The SP Heavy Conversion Beamer is a hand-held, anti-personnel and anti-armour conversion beamer weapon deployed on the heavy armoured vehicles of the Leagues of Votann like the Hekaton Land Fortress. It has the same range as the man-portable SP Conversion Beamer, but can unleash a more damaging beam.

Like an Imperial Conversion Beamer weapon, with which it shares a common technological heritage from pre-Imperial Terra through the STC databases, the SP Conversion Beamer fires a directed energy beam of antimatter particles that unleashes a matter/antimatter explosion when it makes contact with its target. The strength of the beam increases with range until reaching a terminal point where beam incoherency results.

However, Kin weapons like the SP Heavy Conversion Beamer are superior in almost every respect to those wielded by the agents of the Imperium, since the Kin employ superlative materials and methods in their construction and have no fear of further innovating on an ancient STC design. This is particularly true in the case of the SP Heavy Conversion Beamer, which is an STC design whose damage output has been enhanced by the Brôkhyr. For this reason, the Imperium especially covets this technology.

Uses[]

Man-portable Imperial Conversion Beamers can be used by:

Heavy Conversion Beamers can be used by:

Sources[]

Gallery[]

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