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Nah, assault cannons tear them right the feth up. They play a sort-of major antagonist role in FFG's games (or, rather, they are presented as an option to be such).

Still, like Tyranids, their swarmy tactics do not serve them well when facing a twin-linked storm assault cannon (a ridiculously powerful weapon that the game rules don't prevent you from building).

pm713 wrote:

 The Home Nuggeteer wrote:
Aren`t plasma guns fission based like the sun? That could be considered nuclear.

Dont you mean fusion?

nuclear fission and nuclear fusion are both nuclear processes.



in 40k, there is plenty of mention of nuclear tech being used and fairly available. The weapons seem to have a stigma on using them (more so then virus bombing a planet apparently)

and lots of the 30k and ad mech stuff talks about radation weapons and rad cleansers and such.

Forge world even has models for SM's who use some kind of nuclear weapon.

The power sources in 40k are actually not well described IMO, we get things like promethium which is basicalled just fossil feuls, but the starships generally just get described as being powered by large generators.

if they draw power from combustion, nuclear, warp, or whatever source, Im not sure as none of the books I can remember explicitly state it.

Would not be far fetched to assume they do use it. In fact, it makes a lot of sense, more so then not using it.;

I'll echo that I'm 99% sure I read that Space Marine backpacks contain an miniaturized fusion reactor that powers their armor. There's also a mention of the Krieg's world being turned radioactive by prolonged nuclear warfare.

 The Home Nuggeteer wrote:
Aren`t plasma guns fission based like the sun? That could be considered nuclear.

The sun uses Fusion and I imagine a plasma rifle would either use fusion or just extreme heat. They might use fission to start the fusion reaction or create the heat, but that wouldnt be like the sun.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Sparkadia wrote:

G'day all.
I was wondering if anything in the 40K universe uses Nuclear power. I've noted that in previous threads there's been a clear use of Nuclear weapons (most prominently Krieg) but not much mention of actual Nuclear power in the modern sense. I'm not very knowledgeable in the 40K background in details like this, so was wondering if someone here has any examples of its use.
Just for clarity, not just the Imperium, if it has been (or is currently being) used by anyone at all. I think I may have read that the 'new' Tau Ion weapons use a radioactive compound or something similar. Also, any examples of Orks using it would be great.
Cheers

I would assume it is everywhere to the point that people don't talk about it. You dont hear people talking about Oil, Coal, and batteries and such as Chemical power anymore because using chemical energy storage is so darn common. I image in 38,000 years nuclear energy would be so common that no one would think to mention it.

The sun produces plasma, but so does an arc welder. It doesn't require a nuclear reaction.

FYI back in 1st edition the Meltagun was also called a Fusion Gun.

I believe they call nuclear generators plasma generators in the fluff.

In the old pask fluff (at least) they referenced titans as having plasma power reactors.

Sounds like what someone might call a nuclear reactor if they didn't understand nuclear physics. You know, like anyone who isn't an arch-techpriest.

Also, for the record, eldar do have a weapon called a "fusion gun". Whatever that means.

 Ailaros wrote:
In the old pask fluff (at least) they referenced titans as having plasma power reactors.

Sounds like what someone might call a nuclear reactor if they didn't understand nuclear physics. You know, like anyone who isn't an arch-techpriest.

Also, for the record, eldar do have a weapon called a "fusion gun". Whatever that means.

Yeah, melta is basically nuclear force.

 Scipio Africanus wrote:

 Ailaros wrote:
In the old pask fluff (at least) they referenced titans as having plasma power reactors.

Sounds like what someone might call a nuclear reactor if they didn't understand nuclear physics. You know, like anyone who isn't an arch-techpriest.

Also, for the record, eldar do have a weapon called a "fusion gun". Whatever that means.

Yeah, melta is basically nuclear force.

There are a variety of melta weapons described in the fluff. Some use sub-molecular agitation (or microwaves as we like to think of them in a very real sense...) and others use some kind of fuel like a super-flamer.

Come to think of it, I recall that in The Flight of the Eisenstein they made mention of a nuclear assault during a particular campaign during the Great Crusade.

Wow, thanks for all the responses. I suppose for now, we can assume that for the most part Nuclear has been replaced by Plasma, if only in terminology.

Plus, Plasma glows, and well all know that people love things that glow.

I think Titans in one long ago source were mentioned to have fission reactors, but we haven't seen them since. Fusion and nukes (Thermonukes) and similar were alot more common in earlier editions before they settled on plasma reactors being 'the' 40K power source (even though what fusion reactors are range from exotic space pixie magic to diesel fusion.)

As far as 'nuclear' goes.. that depends on what you consider nuclear. I mean if you go 'it involves nuclei/particles/etc' then they have all kinds of power sources that use it (EG by that definition 'antimatter' is nuclear power.) Geothermal seems to be fairly common though. Various sources have mentioned 'nuclear like' processes -atnomic, nucleonic, etc. There have also been mention of atomics of various sorts (although this could be considered in the 'Dune atomics' sense as well, as in 'magic nukes') and of course melta weapons are also described as 'fusion' weapons in some cases adding further confusion.

And then there was that HH short story with the naturally occuring fusion fuels.. which blew up the planet. Or those sources that imply geothermal fission/fusion (don't ask me how that works) and can blow up planets.

IMHO the Imperium of man has tons of chemical and nuclear power sources (And alternatives like geothermal.) and in my mind that does include fusion (gak tons of it). Power sources, like everything else, are variable.

Connor MacLeod wrote:
I mean if you go 'it involves nuclei/particles/etc' then they have all kinds of power sources that use it (EG by that definition 'antimatter' is nuclear power.)

Nuclear power is a process where matter is converted into energy. The mass conversion to energy is rather famous. Yes antimatter(being combined with matter, alone is does jack all) is a form of nuclear energy.


One of the problems though is that we view energy sources and energy storage as the same thing. Oil, coal, and uranium all come out of the ground as both a source and storage. In the grim dark future of the 41st millennium, these might have been separated.

Unless you have found a source of naturally occurring anti matter, antimatter is just a storage of energy.
Unless you plan to carry a planet around with you wherever you go, geothermal is just a source of energy.