A Particle Shredder mounted underneath a Triarch Stalker; note that most Necron Particle Weapons can be characterised by the similar barrel and muzzle design.
Particle Weapons are a family of exotic and technologically advanced directed energy weapons used exclusively by the ancient and extremely powerful xenos species known as the Necrons.
Particle Weapons function by emitting a stream of miniscule anti-matter particles which detonate on contact with normal matter, and are incredibly reliable -- needing only enough energy to maintain the electromagnetic containment field that prevents the anti-matter from detonating when it comes into contact with the normal matter that comprises the weapon’s mechanisms.
Known Particle Weapons[]
- Particle Caster – A Particle Caster is a pistol form of a Particle Weapon, and is able to inflict great amounts of damage upon enemies despite its small size. Particle Casters are most often paired with a close combat weapon. Triarch Praetorians commonly make use of Particle Casters paired with Voidblades as an alternative armament from their usual choice of the two-handed Rod of Covenant. Canoptek Wraiths can also be armed with Particle Casters.
- Particle Beamer – A Particle Beamer is a heavy, rifle-sized Particle Weapon capable of causing powerful blasts at range to decimate enemy infantry. Tomb Blades can mount a Particle Beamer on their chassis instead of their usual twin-linked Tesla Carbines, whilst Canoptek Spyders who specialise in sentinel duties commonly mount twin-linked Particle Beamers on their backs. Tesseract Arks are also able to mount two Particle Beamers as secondary weapon systems.
- Particle Shredder – A Particle Shredder is a large Particle Weapon that can be likened to a heavy Lascannon in size, and can output a far larger blast than the smaller Particle Beamer. A Triarch Stalker can mount a Particle Shredder as its primary armament instead of its usual Heat Ray, transforming its combat role into that of a deadly infantry hunter.
- Particle Whip – A Particle Whip is a very large Particle Weapon, and is unusual in that it only comes in the form of a large, glowing power matrix crystal mounted atop a Monolith. This is a far more static design than the more mobile barrel structure that characterises other Necron Particle Weapons. Nevertheless, a Particle Whip is a dramatic weapon, for when it is about to fire, the Monolith will channel its alien energies through its crystal to unleash devastating arcs of anti-matter lightning. A single, ear-splitting discharge from the Particle Whip is enough to reduce tanks to smouldering wrecks and infantry to molecular vapour. The explosions caused by a Particle Whip will often affect large areas and can cause great damage to infantry and vehicles alike, no matter what form of armour provides their protection. Necron starships have also been armed with extremely large variants of the Particle Whip. These ship-sized Particle Whips are used during void combat to launch devastating strikes upon enemy vessels.
Sources[]
- Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, pg. 73
- Black Crusade: The Tome of Fate (RPG), pg. 119
- Codex: Necrons (5th Edition), pp. 47, 81, 93-95
- Codex: Necrons (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pg. 199
- Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pg. 124