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If i recall, since i haven't played HH3rd only HH1st, Rotor Cannons are technically considered a special weapon and not a heavy weapony (so i suppose that means that its more lightweight, mobile and cheaper than a heavy bolter), so my question is, has a reason ever been given for why modern marines can't take these?


I assume if clearing out hordes of lightly lightly armoured opponents and if you wanted to keep some distance, surely a rotor cannon would be preferable to a non-heavy flamer as it has better range?

Heavy Bolters are just better in every way. Flamers also cause the fear factor of being y'know being set on fire.

I think the Codex Astartes is the go to "reason" why certain weapons aren't used in 40k marine forces.

Certain weapons were selected and the Mechanicus started producing those weapons specifically to arm Marine chapters.

Every other weapon fell by the wayside and either became a chapter specific weapon or was eventually lost and replaced with a more common weapon.

The most likely reasons for any weapon system from 30K falling out of use are logistics and loss of technology.

The original 2nd edition Chaos Codex gave these same reasons for why Chaos Terminators used Reaper Autocannons instead of Assault Cannons, and for why they did not have Land Speeders or any other anti-grav vehicles any longer. The Traitor Legions could no longer count on stable logistical support and kept using the most reliable least maintenance intensive weapons they had from the time of the Great Crusade.

Similarly for the loyalist Space Marines, the shattered Imperium had to rebuild and settled on certain weapons to keep producing/maintaining and then things ossified.

Their role also fundamentally shifted.

Rotor Cannons are best employed against lightly armoured hordes, where their volume of firepower matters more than sheer stopping power.

Since the Second Founding? It’s kind of rare Astartes will have to fight in such a manner. They’ve been replaced as the premiere armed force of The Imperium by the Imperial Guard.

Yes, they will still have to tackle numberless hordes, but having shifted to essentially strike and fade tactics? The Rotor Cannon just doesn’t really offer much compared to Bolter fire, or the massed ranks of Imperial Guard firing Lasguns, because Marines can no longer deploy in the sorts of numbers where the Rotor Cannon finds it niche.