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Hello
I am working on a story, and I wonder whenever cells used to power imperial Chainswords (etc) and power weapons can be recharged?
It would make sense they would be rechargeble, but I don't remember anithing in lore confirming this (only lasguns are mentioned to have rechargeble cells).

Aren't chainswords powered by small combustion engine? By the sound they make...

And powersword are most probably rechargable (or powered directly from external ower source). Imagine a old relic powersword being thrown away because batteries ran dry. Not very effective.

Powerswords - yes definitely. Chainswords - there are so many variants that you could make it work for your story without contradicting the fluff.

Nah, all fusion engines, like SM power armor.

Seriously though, I have never read anywhere that a chainsword ran out of gas during a duel etc, usually the teeth all come out or they get clogged with meat. Would actually be a really good scene in a BL story though!

Just because something isn't mentioned doesn't mean it doesn't exist. A dissertation on the batteries of the 41st millennium is interesting to be sure, but not as much as an account of how Sergeant Desmond slew the Tyrant of Golgotha with his relic power sword.

 Hawky wrote:
Aren't chainswords powered by small combustion engine? By the sound they make...

And powersword are most probably rechargable (or powered directly from external ower source). Imagine a old relic powersword being thrown away because batteries ran dry. Not very effective.

It depends on the model. Some Chain-swords might be a small combustion engine like a chainsaw, some might be powered by a fusion battery or something. The characteristic revving noise of a chainsaw is actually the belt and gears, which would be present no matter the power source. You just wouldn't have the putt-putt of the gas engine on a battery operated variant.

Power swords almost certainly use reusable batteries as you say.

The revving sound is distinct to combustion engines. Electric saws exist and not only do they sound different, they're actually quiet.

The use of combustion engines is a holdover that's too iconic to ditch, even if it makes no sense.

Chainsword also have modelled exhaust. Or something what looks like one.

Chainswords are generally promethium-powered.

Eldar chainblades don't use an internal combustion engine.

They are also described as being very quiet. Something the blue smoke belching bastich in my shed isn't.

Depends if they are made by Adeptus Stevius Jobus they are not rechargeable. You have the buy the new one with a wider blade and shiny pommel.

 Erik_Morkai wrote:
Depends if they are made by Adeptus Stevius Jobus they are not rechargeable. You have the buy the new one with a wider blade and shiny pommel.

But will it blend ?

There is no consistency for chain weapons. It can be powered by whatever you wish.

For power weapons, I assumed their sources were similar though more sophisticated. Fusion or plasma batteries, with battery life measured in millennia or something less archeotech, like a traditional power pack that needs recharging after battles.

 PhillyT wrote:
There is no consistency for chain weapons. It can be powered by whatever you wish.

For power weapons, I assumed their sources were similar though more sophisticated. Fusion or plasma batteries, with battery life measured in millennia or something less archeotech, like a traditional power pack that needs recharging after battles.

Maybe longer than a battle, if you wired one to power armour.

Infinite power.

 jhe90 wrote:

Maybe longer than a battle, if you wired one to power armour.

Infinite power.

This is always one of my biggest annoyances. Space Marines have a nigh infinite power source and yet their armour contains no integrated- not even as back up- energy weapons. Bolter ammunition is after all a) large b) expensive c) overkill on some targets.

Yeah but if they had to use their power armor for something other than sustaining their systems, it might be a lot less infinite.

Define 'sustaining their systems'. Does that mean just walking around or the full rigors of combat? I'm guessing one is significantly more energy demanding than the other. Obviously the suits can generate energy to meet the demands of combat, which means at any time less than peak exertion, they're generating excess energy. That energy could easily charge or power a las weapon.

Isn't it mentioned in at least one Ciaphis Cain novel of him replacing batteries in his chainsword? Specifically in the Greater Good. I don't have the book at hand, but I can check later.

 Kojiro wrote:

 jhe90 wrote:

Maybe longer than a battle, if you wired one to power armour.

Infinite power.

This is always one of my biggest annoyances. Space Marines have a nigh infinite power source and yet their armour contains no integrated- not even as back up- energy weapons. Bolter ammunition is after all a) large b) expensive c) overkill on some targets.

Yeah, this is an issue that I've had with them too. I've always felt like shoulder-mounted lasguns were the answer, due to simplicity.

 Kojiro wrote:

 jhe90 wrote:

Maybe longer than a battle, if you wired one to power armour.

Infinite power.

This is always one of my biggest annoyances. Space Marines have a nigh infinite power source and yet their armour contains no integrated- not even as back up- energy weapons. Bolter ammunition is after all a) large b) expensive c) overkill on some targets.

We're talking of a society repairing its stuff with prayers. No point in searching logic in their actions.

 Kojiro wrote:
Define 'sustaining their systems'. Does that mean just walking around or the full rigors of combat? I'm guessing one is significantly more energy demanding than the other. Obviously the suits can generate energy to meet the demands of combat, which means at any time less than peak exertion, they're generating excess energy. That energy could easily charge or power a las weapon.

Does it have the power to manage the suit and power weapons indefinitely though?

When a devastator has a weapon, their packs are overcharged and have additional energy supplies. I am assuming from that at least that the power plant on powerarmor is restricted to producing about enough to meet the needs of the armor's use.

 Kojiro wrote:

 jhe90 wrote:

Maybe longer than a battle, if you wired one to power armour.

Infinite power.

This is always one of my biggest annoyances. Space Marines have a nigh infinite power source and yet their armour contains no integrated- not even as back up- energy weapons. Bolter ammunition is after all a) large b) expensive c) overkill on some targets.

The generator itself might last, for all practical purposes, indefinitely, but that doesn't mean it has a huge power output, or that weapons which can attach to it are generally available. Alternately, the generator technology might be so stinking easy to replicate that it doesn't matter if you don't use it all. It might be easier to just make a small fusion plant for the power sword than to rig up cables to attach it to the power armor's generator(not to mention you are introducing a potential weak spot for the sword. I just need to sever my opponents cord and his sword becomes useless)

We do see some weapon variants with cables attaching to the armor's generator, so they do exist. but that likely varies depending on what you have available. If nobody in the vicinity makes that type of weapon you won't have any, and its not like you'd lose a ton if you have to carry ammo.

Given that Devastator weapons attach to a modified backpack we can assume that the normal power armor generator isn't sufficient to power something like a lascannon, so a larger generator is needed.

 LethalShade wrote:
We're talking of a society repairing its stuff with prayers. No point in searching logic in their actions.

See I wouldn't mind if every marine had a lasbarrel or something on their arm/helmet etc, the purpose of which was long forgotten (But they continued to clean the lens at the front as part of ritual).

PhillyT wrote:Does it have the power to manage the suit and power weapons indefinitely though?

When a devastator has a weapon, their packs are overcharged and have additional energy supplies. I am assuming from that at least that the power plant on powerarmor is restricted to producing about enough to meet the needs of the armor's use.

Assume the suit has only two settings- Standby (non combat, wandering about, down time) and Combat Mode. We can reasonably infer that Combat mode has greater output than Standby mode and even then demand will fluctuate. But the point is that any time the suit is at less than 100% power consumption it's generating excess power. Charging the equivalent of a lasgun power pack should be trivial work.

Grey Templar wrote:The generator itself might last, for all practical purposes, indefinitely, but that doesn't mean it has a huge power output, or that weapons which can attach to it are generally available.

We know it has enough output to not only negate its own weight, which is significant, but to enhance the strength of a space marine. And to do so under combat stress.

Grey Templar wrote:We do see some weapon variants with cables attaching to the armor's generator, so they do exist. but that likely varies depending on what you have available. If nobody in the vicinity makes that type of weapon you won't have any, and its not like you'd lose a ton if you have to carry ammo.

Well powergloves and lightning claws (plus some thunder hammers) are all tied t suit power sources. I don't know how much power they draw but I've never seen a model with an enhanced backpack nor read of any fluff where the powerfist drained the armour. Granted I have no firm numbers but it seems implicit that power weapons- especially the larger tank destroying ones- should be more energy dependent than las small arms.

And while I'd fully agree that lascannons are well outside the scope power armour to charge and fire (at any meaningful rate) remember, I'm not talking about ditching bolters. Bolters would still be the main armament. It just strikes me that marines can't be using all their power generation, all the time. A laspistol, minus the grip/trigger assembly and power pack would easily fit onto the forearm, or possibly even the back of the hand, of a marine.

 Kojiro wrote:

Grey Templar wrote:The generator itself might last, for all practical purposes, indefinitely, but that doesn't mean it has a huge power output, or that weapons which can attach to it are generally available.

We know it has enough output to not only negate its own weight, which is significant, but to enhance the strength of a space marine. And to do so under combat stress.

True, but the question is how much excess beyond those requirements does it have.

Again no numbers but enough to run a power first or lightning claw (or two). Even if it's not enough excess to power a full las shot- which seems incredibly unlikely- it must be able to charge a power pack.

Ok, but what would be the benefit to taking up armor space and extra weight for a crappy lasgun?

 Grey Templar wrote:
Ok, but what would be the benefit to taking up armor space and extra weight for a crappy lasgun?

more dakka. Of course, taking something like a hot-shot lasgun would likely be more effective.

Plus, it's a backup weapon that you always have to hand.

If a marine has lost his bolter, bolt pistol, and his combat knife and his fists aren't sufficient then a hot-shot lasgun isn't going to save him.

 LethalShade wrote:

 Kojiro wrote:

 jhe90 wrote:

Maybe longer than a battle, if you wired one to power armour.

Infinite power.

This is always one of my biggest annoyances. Space Marines have a nigh infinite power source and yet their armour contains no integrated- not even as back up- energy weapons. Bolter ammunition is after all a) large b) expensive c) overkill on some targets.

We're talking of a society repairing its stuff with prayers. No point in searching logic in their actions.

When you take into account that said stuff is possessed with an AI fragment that may or may not kill you if not appeased and suppressed by ritual, the logic becomes a little more clear.

 Grey Templar wrote:
If a marine has lost his bolter, bolt pistol, and his combat knife and his fists aren't sufficient then a hot-shot lasgun isn't going to save him.

Can you really not imagine a scenario where a marine might wish to conserve ammo? A mission goes wrong and the supply pod was destroyed or landed somewhere inaccessible? Perhaps orbital support got driven of by a larger fleet- turns out it wasn't just an ork raiding party but the tip of a huge Waaargh! You're gonna be here a while and there will be plenty of targets. Perhaps you're facing a swarm like the Ultramarines did and there's just so many targets you don't have time to reload on occasion? Maybe you don't want to waste your remaining bolts on hetetics when you know they're just a meat shield for chaos marines? And of course yes, perhaps your main weapons were destroyed or maybe you weren't carrying a bolter.

It's a tiny amount of space for a back up gun. Perhaps a better question would be 'what negative impact do you think it would have?'