Astra Militarum Multi-laser deployed on a Sentinel combat walker.
The Multi-laser is a rapid-fire heavy Laser Weapon, ideal for destroying lightly-armoured vehicles or large infantry formations. Due to its power requirements and weight, it is usually mounted on Imperial vehicles such as Chimeras or Sentinels, or platform-mounted and operated by a Techmarine where it is known as a Rapier.
Multiple reinforced barrels and enhanced phase capacitors allow for a standard laser discharge to be fired in a series of rapid "bolts". While losing some of the penetrative and stopping power of a standard lascannon, the resulting high rate of fire of up to 100 "bolts" a solar second improves the weapon's ability to engage a series of targets in rapid succession.
While the standard lascannon is a semi-automatic weapon (one squeeze of the trigger fires one shot), the Multi-laser is fully automatic; it fires laser beam after laser beam as long as the trigger is held down. The Multi-laser can thus be considered a bigger and more powerful variant of the Hellgun.
Multi-laser Patterns
- Gravis Multi-laser Array - A pattern of Multi-laser used by the troops of the Imperialis Militia of the Imperial Army during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.
Sources
- Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition), pg. 70
- Warhammer 40,000: Wargear (2nd Edition), pg. 44
- Only War Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 176
- Lion El'Jonson: Lord of the First (Novel) by David Guymer, Ch. 7, Section 1