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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/13 23:43:55
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Decrepit Dakkanaut
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Anfauglir wrote:Atomics, especially as we know them IRL, are probably widely regarded by the denizens of 40K to be quite crude, unsofisticated weapons that have largely been replaced by more efficient, more effective weapons.
Leman Russes are modified tractors that run on wood/coal/oil. Crude means nothing to the Imperium.
Name a more efficient/effective (for the cost) weapon than a nuke, please.
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Peregrine - If you like the army buy it, and don't worry about what one random person on the internet thinks.
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/13 23:54:54
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Keeper of the Holy Orb of Antioch
avoiding the lorax on Crion
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Anfauglir wrote: jhe90 wrote:Bombarding someone's mountain into a flat plain is perfectly valid.
Its notna good game but it works in military sense just tongo fethnit and drop a bunch of tactical nukes on that stilibborn hill that's brrn holding up the guard advance for weeks.
I have no idea what you just said. So I'll go with... yes?
Phone being a
Not a good game for mini's n selling stuff.
But guard get bogged up on taking a hill that's holding up the main campaign.
After a while a few comisariat field promotions they decide to forget about overkill and drop a few tactical nukes and wipe it out and erase some of the hills height.
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Sgt. Vanden - OOC Hey, that was your doing. I didn't choose to fly in the "Dongerprise'.
"May the odds be ever in your favour"
Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:
I have no clue how Dakka's moderation work. I expect it involves throwing a lot of d100 and looking at many random tables.
FudgeDumper - It could be that you are just so uncomfortable with the idea of your chapters primarch having his way with a docile tyranid spore cyst, that you must deny they have any feelings at all. |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/13 23:58:40
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Wing Commander
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Verviedi wrote: Anfauglir wrote:Atomics, especially as we know them IRL, are probably widely regarded by the denizens of 40K to be quite crude, unsofisticated weapons that have largely been replaced by more efficient, more effective weapons.
Leman Russes are modified tractors that run on wood/coal/oil. Crude means nothing to the Imperium.
Name a more efficient/effective (for the cost) weapon than a nuke, please.
You've missed the point. IRL the nuke is a WMD. In the 40K universe it's a firecracker in comparison to far larger, far more potent, far more devastating WMDs at the various factions desposal. In far greater numbers, to boot. Any battlefield objective sought that can be attained with the use of tactical nukes, in the 40K world can be achieved using far more efficient and/or more suitable weapons, is my point. Automatically Appended Next Post: jhe90 wrote:But guard get bogged up on taking a hill that's holding up the main campaign.
After a while a few comisariat field promotions they decide to forget about overkill and drop a few tactical nukes and wipe it out and erase some of the hills height.
Sure. You can make any narrative work. But, if they've written off taking the hill with conventional artillery and infantry, and are willing to use atomics, they're no longer sending the troops in afterwards. They've decided that ground is not worth it tactically speaking and opt to destroy it. However, why use nukes when you have starships in orbit? Also, that's kinda the point I was making in the first place; they don't usually focus on the stories/narratives where utter destruction of ground objectives are the first order of the day, or even the last. Because they want heroic infantry slogging it through battles against enemy infantry. The moment you introduce nukes and up into the mix... it's endgame time (for that particualr battle).
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This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/06/14 00:08:40
Homebrew Imperial Guard: 1222nd Etrurian Lancers (Winged); Special Air-Assault Brigade (SAAB)
Homebrew Chaos: The Black Suns; A Medrengard Militia (think Iron Warriors-centric Blood Pact/Sons of Sek) |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/14 00:39:17
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Decrepit Dakkanaut
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Anfauglir wrote: Verviedi wrote: Anfauglir wrote:Atomics, especially as we know them IRL, are probably widely regarded by the denizens of 40K to be quite crude, unsofisticated weapons that have largely been replaced by more efficient, more effective weapons.
Leman Russes are modified tractors that run on wood/coal/oil. Crude means nothing to the Imperium.
Name a more efficient/effective (for the cost) weapon than a nuke, please.
You've missed the point. IRL the nuke is a WMD. In the 40K universe it's a firecracker in comparison to far larger, far more potent, far more devastating WMDs at the various factions desposal. In far greater numbers, to boot. Any battlefield objective sought that can be attained with the use of tactical nukes, in the 40K world can be achieved using far more efficient and/or more suitable weapons, is my point.
Such as? The physics involved are clear. The most efficient weapon possible is an antimatter weapon (which 40k races don't have), followed by a pure fusion bomb (A NUKE.), and then hydrogen bombs, then nukes. There cannot be more powerful explosives than that. Plasma cannot generate the same forces, because of atomic reactions being unique in their damage output and effects.
Chemical weapons aren't particularly effective, due to rebreathers, and they mostly take the form of mutagenic acids in bullets. Bioweapons are only used for exterminatus ( IIRC) because of their uncontrollable nature.
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This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/06/14 00:40:24
Peregrine - If you like the army buy it, and don't worry about what one random person on the internet thinks.
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/14 01:55:25
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Regular Dakkanaut
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Verviedi wrote:My (nearly) favorite topic.
The sheer power of nukes is widely underestimated, I believe. It is important to remember that the central point of the fireball of a nuclear detonation reaches temperatures of 10^7 K, or 10 million degrees Fahrenheit. The (theoretical) highest melting point of any known material (a blend of hafnium, carbon, and nitrogen) would be 4400 K, or only 7460° Fahrenheit. The temperature within the fireball (assuming a 1 MT warhead detonated on the surface) would cause complete devastation within its 1.26km fireball radius, instantly vaporizing tanks, titans, and terminators with temperatures rivalling those of the interior of the sun.
Anything that could be damaged by a plasma weapon would completely disintegrate in a nuclear blast, as plasma is far, far relatively cooler than these temperatures.
The pressure wave would expand outwards from the fireball, turning living things into paste, crushing and flipping tanks, and rupturing armor. Fatalities within this pressure wave would be close to 100%, as even heavily built concrete/rebar buildings collapse under 20 psi of overpressure. This wave would hit anything within 2.18km of the blast, creating another ring of near-absolute lethality.
Anything within 2.5km of the blast would recieve a radiation dose of close to 500 rem, which can be expected to lead to death within a few hours to weeks.
Within 4.58 km of the blast, the pressure wave continues to spread, this time collapsing residential buildings, causing universal injuries, and widespread fatalities.
The majority of the thermal radiation released by the nuke would give lethal or severe third degree burns to anything within 10.7km of the detonation, essentially incapacitating an entire army. (useful against Orks/Tyranids!)
The sheer power of nuclear weapons and the relative ease of creating them should effectively instantly solve the Tyranid and Ork rok landing problem. Nuking large concentrations of Tyranids, in their landing zones, and hitting Ork roks with large warheads should be standard procedure. Even Necron tombs could easily be cleared with the force of cleansing nuclear fire. And yet, the Imperium doesn't do this. Let's run by the false reasons that they don't use nukes.
1. Civillians in the blast radius - ... Lol. This is the Imperium, remember?
2. Irreplaceable technology - Enemies don't just spontaneously appear in forge complexes. They have landing zones and emergence points. Plus, that forge complex you nuked isn't exactly unique. There are a million planets in the Imperium, and PLANETS ARE BIG. The galaxy is big. If that forge is unique in the galaxy, and small enough to be destroyed by a nuke, it wasn't doing anything useful anyway, and if the enemy holds it, it is already lost.
3. Lost Technology - As shown in Necropolis by Dan Abnett, regular Guardsmen recognize the signs of a nuclear blast. In Mechanicum, Mars is shown to have nuclear missile silos. In Armageddon source material, Armageddon is shown to also have (nuclear) missile silos. In The Beast Arises, nuclear weapons are heavily used in ship-to-ship combat. All these factors combine. Nuclear weapons are not lost, sacred archaeotech. They are just another kind of weapon.
The only true reason for nukes being used is simply this.
Nukes are boring narratively. Nobody wants to read "Warboss Thraka invaded a planet. His entire army was wiped out on their staging grounds by standard issue Imperial 200kt tactical nuclear missiles". Instead of Helsreach.
I honestly think this is it. Arguing that nukes are "basic technology" and then turning around and saying "how cool is the bolter?!" is just silly.
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fide et honore |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/14 02:33:04
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Mutilatin' Mad Dok
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Nukes as we know them seem almost trivial when you can have ships in space carrying projectile weapons the size of small cities. Even relatively common things in the 40k universe like cyclonic torpedoes make our wildest dreams of nuclear weapons look like fire crackers.
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/14 02:35:11
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Longtime Dakkanaut
Arashen, Segmentum Pacificus
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There's just no fun in nuclear annihilation; its most likely reserved for serious strategic moments when its better to simply wipe out a planet and its potential to sustain life rather than let it fall into the hands of the enemy. Otherwise, engaging the enemy personally has much more honor attached to it and makes for a better narrative.
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I saw with eyes then young, and this is my testament.
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/14 02:42:34
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Decrepit Dakkanaut
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Jambles wrote:Nukes as we know them seem almost trivial when you can have ships in space carrying projectile weapons the size of small cities. Even relatively common things in the 40k universe like cyclonic torpedoes make our wildest dreams of nuclear weapons look like fire crackers.
Cyclonic torpedos are just giant nukes, actually. Some authors say they're plasma, but plasma does not work that way, so it can be safely ignored.
Source: Lexicanum (Fire Warrior, Tactica Imperialis)
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This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/06/14 02:47:38
Peregrine - If you like the army buy it, and don't worry about what one random person on the internet thinks.
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/14 05:37:48
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Longtime Dakkanaut
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Jambles wrote:Nukes as we know them seem almost trivial when you can have ships in space carrying projectile weapons the size of small cities. Even relatively common things in the 40k universe like cyclonic torpedoes make our wildest dreams of nuclear weapons look like fire crackers.
Imperial Guard commanders require authorization from Segmentum Command to deploy nuclear weapons, even tactical nuclear weapons.
If nukes were "mere firecrackers" in the 40k universe, then there would be no need for such permission. They would be using nuclear devices as much, and in the same manner, as Earthshakers and battle cannon shells without a second thought.
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Proud Purveyor Of The Unconventional In 40k |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/14 06:06:31
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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The Conquerer
Waiting for my shill money from Spiral Arm Studios
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The Imperium almost certainly does win many battles just by bombarding the enemy into total submission, but we don't hear those stories. We hear about the times when that wasn't an option, because that's more interesting than "10 Regiments of Imperial Guard and a battlefleet were deployed to Omicron-4 where a rebel army was dug in. Tactical analysis indicated nothing of value in the immediate vicinity of the rebel strongholds on the planet. The fleet dropped several atomic warheads and made a dozen strategic lance strikes. The guard regiments were deployed afterwards, easily dispatching the few survivors with minimal casualties"
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Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
MURICA!!! IN SPESS!!! |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/14 18:34:33
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Mutilatin' Mad Dok
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Verviedi wrote: Jambles wrote:Nukes as we know them seem almost trivial when you can have ships in space carrying projectile weapons the size of small cities. Even relatively common things in the 40k universe like cyclonic torpedoes make our wildest dreams of nuclear weapons look like fire crackers.
Cyclonic torpedos are just giant nukes, actually. Some authors say they're plasma, but plasma does not work that way, so it can be safely ignored.
Source: Lexicanum (Fire Warrior, Tactica Imperialis)
TIL, I honestly thought they were gravity-based or something. That puts to rest the idea that nukes in 40k are anything like what we have now.
oldravenman3025 wrote: Jambles wrote:Nukes as we know them seem almost trivial when you can have ships in space carrying projectile weapons the size of small cities. Even relatively common things in the 40k universe like cyclonic torpedoes make our wildest dreams of nuclear weapons look like fire crackers.
Imperial Guard commanders require authorization from Segmentum Command to deploy nuclear weapons, even tactical nuclear weapons.
If nukes were "mere firecrackers" in the 40k universe, then there would be no need for such permission. They would be using nuclear devices as much, and in the same manner, as Earthshakers and battle cannon shells without a second thought.
I thought that's what the Deathstrike was for?
Still, the Imperium clearly has some muchly bigly nukes, so my point is moot either way.
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/14 20:05:40
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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The Conquerer
Waiting for my shill money from Spiral Arm Studios
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oldravenman3025 wrote: Jambles wrote:Nukes as we know them seem almost trivial when you can have ships in space carrying projectile weapons the size of small cities. Even relatively common things in the 40k universe like cyclonic torpedoes make our wildest dreams of nuclear weapons look like fire crackers.
Imperial Guard commanders require authorization from Segmentum Command to deploy nuclear weapons, even tactical nuclear weapons.
If nukes were "mere firecrackers" in the 40k universe, then there would be no need for such permission. They would be using nuclear devices as much, and in the same manner, as Earthshakers and battle cannon shells without a second thought.
Just because you need to ask for authorization doesn't mean that something is rare. I'm sure the list of things that Imperial forces have to ask permission to use is ridiculously long.
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Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
MURICA!!! IN SPESS!!! |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/15 00:16:37
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Decrepit Dakkanaut
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Jambles wrote:Verviedi wrote: Jambles wrote:Nukes as we know them seem almost trivial when you can have ships in space carrying projectile weapons the size of small cities. Even relatively common things in the 40k universe like cyclonic torpedoes make our wildest dreams of nuclear weapons look like fire crackers.
Cyclonic torpedos are just giant nukes, actually. Some authors say they're plasma, but plasma does not work that way, so it can be safely ignored.
Source: Lexicanum (Fire Warrior, Tactica Imperialis)
TIL, I honestly thought they were gravity-based or something. That puts to rest the idea that nukes in 40k are anything like what we have now.
Nuclear weapons scale nearly infinitely. I shall introduce you, now, to one of the most hilariously overkill projects of the Cold War. If we can theorize it, and make schematics, the Imperium can certainly build it. Cyclonic Torpedos are most likely in the 10-50gt range, enough to destroy a planet by hitting fault lines.
https://in.rbth.com/amp/556351
Yes, the Imperium probably has those, as well as little 10kt nukes used by PDFs, or 50mt Tsar Bomba grade nukes stored away in case of Tyranid invasion on hive worlds.
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This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/06/15 00:18:01
Peregrine - If you like the army buy it, and don't worry about what one random person on the internet thinks.
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/15 01:19:54
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Ancient Venerable Dark Angels Dreadnought
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Cyclonic Torpedoes aren't gigaton range, they're far more powerful. The energy required to blow up a planet and turn it into a field of asteroids is well past the range of gigatons. Rather you're in the yotta joule/ton range of energy.
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“There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.” |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/15 07:25:58
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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The Conquerer
Waiting for my shill money from Spiral Arm Studios
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Wyzilla wrote:Cyclonic Torpedoes aren't gigaton range, they're far more powerful. The energy required to blow up a planet and turn it into a field of asteroids is well past the range of gigatons. Rather you're in the yotta joule/ton range of energy.
True, they will be beyond gigaton range. But remember that it does take multiple cyclonic torpedoes to blow up a planet. It's not instantaneous either. You'd be looking at a dozen or so for your typical planet, and it would likely take a while for the planet to fully break apart. You'd probably have all the planet chunks staying together for a while due to their gravity. It would probably take a few centuries for an actual asteroid belt to fully form and stabilize. Not to mention if the planet has a molten core, that's going to take a long time to cool down and solidify. Vacuum is piss poor at transferring heat, its why thermos's work so well.
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Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
MURICA!!! IN SPESS!!! |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 02:19:13
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Regular Dakkanaut
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It seems as though the bulk of arguments against nuclear weapons in the 40k verse come in 2 flavors; either "nukes aren't grimdark enough" and "nukes are too grimdark." That is to say, I am hearing a lot of "it's so far in the future that certainly mankind has developed technology to the point that the destructive force of a nuke is irrelevant." As well as a lot of folks going "there is no way that the IoM would use nukes, they leave no surviving infrastructure and thus remove any reason to fight at all"
For the first argument, guardsmen use a bayonet not to different from what troops use today, the heavy stubber is literally a M2 Browning, and the Bolter; failed 1960 technology. I had heard some talk about depleted uranium rounds. These are not nuclear weapons, depleted uranium is extremely dense and therefore has excellent penetration, the A-10 warthog uses depleted uranium rounds. Now those are examples of lowtech weapons in the setting, as for damage potential; nuclear weapons create temperatures higher than the center of a star, and I don't think many IoM ships can fly through stars.
The second argument, that nukes are too easy, I think it is pretty clear that the IoM cares nothing for infrastructure or the people of it's planets. And thus wouldn't hesitate to use nukes if it would save them the effort of redirecting troops who are suppose to go else where.
Now that being said, I think the real reason that you don't see a lot of nukes in the 40k verse narrative, nukes are just to easy. Especially when the flag ship army is immune to radiation.
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fide et honore |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 03:39:41
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Unhealthy Competition With Other Legions
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Isn't that ignores cover gun on the leman russ a mini-nuke shell or something?
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 11:22:31
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Decrepit Dakkanaut
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Sub-atomic, apparently. How I picture it is as a high-calibre dirty bomb. Couldn't be a mini-nuke, because it isn't powerful enough.
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This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/06/16 11:24:17
Peregrine - If you like the army buy it, and don't worry about what one random person on the internet thinks.
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 11:46:36
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Ancient Venerable Dark Angels Dreadnought
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KayTwo wrote: It seems as though the bulk of arguments against nuclear weapons in the 40k verse come in 2 flavors; either "nukes aren't grimdark enough" and "nukes are too grimdark." That is to say, I am hearing a lot of "it's so far in the future that certainly mankind has developed technology to the point that the destructive force of a nuke is irrelevant." As well as a lot of folks going "there is no way that the IoM would use nukes, they leave no surviving infrastructure and thus remove any reason to fight at all"
For the first argument, guardsmen use a bayonet not to different from what troops use today, the heavy stubber is literally a M2 Browning, and the Bolter; failed 1960 technology. I had heard some talk about depleted uranium rounds. These are not nuclear weapons, depleted uranium is extremely dense and therefore has excellent penetration, the A-10 warthog uses depleted uranium rounds. Now those are examples of lowtech weapons in the setting, as for damage potential; nuclear weapons create temperatures higher than the center of a star, and I don't think many IoM ships can fly through stars.
The second argument, that nukes are too easy, I think it is pretty clear that the IoM cares nothing for infrastructure or the people of it's planets. And thus wouldn't hesitate to use nukes if it would save them the effort of redirecting troops who are suppose to go else where.
Now that being said, I think the real reason that you don't see a lot of nukes in the 40k verse narrative, nukes are just to easy. Especially when the flag ship army is immune to radiation.
Space Marines aren't just the ones immune to radiation poisoning, but also Tyranids, Necrons (derp), shielded admech infantry, Daemons, and probably Orks.
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“There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.” |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 11:55:15
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Agile Revenant Titan
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So it's just the sun-heat fireball and 10.7km pressure wave that'll pulp anything organic to worry about. For a 1MT nuke, which is pretty piddly compared to what the IoM is probably capable of manufacturing. Beyond that which is destructive enough to justify their use anyway, I wonder how 'immune' these dudes actually are to radiation. When people mention 'radiation poisoning', what they usually mean is consistent moderate-level background radiation. Not the searing ultra-hard radiation that's pumped out by a nuclear reaction. An easy comparison is saying 'Space Marines are immune to being punched in the face' which is largely true, and then punching one in the face with a Titan. Saying that, I do get the impression that background radiation isn't really a problem in the year 40k. If I understand it right (and I hope I do), its main issue is that it messes up your DNA such that when it replicates it causes cancers and other horrible things. If you have the know-how to manipulate DNA, you can control for that. Either through some sort of gene-editing, or perhaps a biological mechanism for detecting damaged cells (looking at Tyranids and Orks here).
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This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2017/06/16 12:02:01
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 11:59:11
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Ancient Venerable Dark Angels Dreadnought
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Ynneadwraith wrote:So it's just the sun-heat fireball and 10.7km pressure wave that'll pulp anything organic to worry about. For a 1MT nuke, which is pretty piddly compared to what the IoM is probably capable of manufacturing.
Beyond that which is destructive enough to justify their use anyway, I wonder how 'immune' these dudes actually are to radiation. When people mention 'radiation poisoning', what they usually mean is consistent moderate-level background radiation. Not the searing ultra-hard radiation that's pumped out by a nuclear reaction. An easy comparison is saying 'Space Marines are immune to being punched in the face' which is largely true, and then punching on in the face with a Titan.
Well a naked marine can survive exposure to a star at relatively (astronomically speaking) close distance for about thirty minutes IIRC and 'only' need a total skin graft.
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“There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.” |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 12:14:53
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Agile Revenant Titan
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Wyzilla wrote: Ynneadwraith wrote:So it's just the sun-heat fireball and 10.7km pressure wave that'll pulp anything organic to worry about. For a 1MT nuke, which is pretty piddly compared to what the IoM is probably capable of manufacturing.
Beyond that which is destructive enough to justify their use anyway, I wonder how 'immune' these dudes actually are to radiation. When people mention 'radiation poisoning', what they usually mean is consistent moderate-level background radiation. Not the searing ultra-hard radiation that's pumped out by a nuclear reaction. An easy comparison is saying 'Space Marines are immune to being punched in the face' which is largely true, and then punching on in the face with a Titan.
Well a naked marine can survive exposure to a star at relatively (astronomically speaking) close distance for about thirty minutes IIRC and 'only' need a total skin graft.
Hmm, interesting. We can use that as a benchmark for Marine radiation resistance I suppose. Does it actually say how close it was, and roughly what sort of star? From that we can work out how much radiation they absorbed and survived. We can then compare that to the radiation levels present at different ranges of a nuclear blast.
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 13:57:25
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Pragmatic Primus Commanding Cult Forces
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Verviedi wrote:My (nearly) favorite topic.
The sheer power of nukes is widely underestimated, I believe. It is important to remember that the central point of the fireball of a nuclear detonation reaches temperatures of 10^7 K, or 10 million degrees Fahrenheit. The (theoretical) highest melting point of any known material (a blend of hafnium, carbon, and nitrogen) would be 4400 K, or only 7460° Fahrenheit. The temperature within the fireball (assuming a 1 MT warhead detonated on the surface) would cause complete devastation within its 1.26km fireball radius, instantly vaporizing tanks, titans, and terminators with temperatures rivalling those of the interior of the sun.
Anything that could be damaged by a plasma weapon would completely disintegrate in a nuclear blast, as plasma is far, far relatively cooler than these temperatures.
The pressure wave would expand outwards from the fireball, turning living things into paste, crushing and flipping tanks, and rupturing armor. Fatalities within this pressure wave would be close to 100%, as even heavily built concrete/rebar buildings collapse under 20 psi of overpressure. This wave would hit anything within 2.18km of the blast, creating another ring of near-absolute lethality.
Anything within 2.5km of the blast would recieve a radiation dose of close to 500 rem, which can be expected to lead to death within a few hours to weeks.
Within 4.58 km of the blast, the pressure wave continues to spread, this time collapsing residential buildings, causing universal injuries, and widespread fatalities.
The majority of the thermal radiation released by the nuke would give lethal or severe third degree burns to anything within 10.7km of the detonation, essentially incapacitating an entire army. (useful against Orks/Tyranids!)
The sheer power of nuclear weapons and the relative ease of creating them should effectively instantly solve the Tyranid and Ork rok landing problem. Nuking large concentrations of Tyranids, in their landing zones, and hitting Ork roks with large warheads should be standard procedure. Even Necron tombs could easily be cleared with the force of cleansing nuclear fire. And yet, the Imperium doesn't do this. Let's run by the false reasons that they don't use nukes.
1. Civillians in the blast radius - ... Lol. This is the Imperium, remember?
2. Irreplaceable technology - Enemies don't just spontaneously appear in forge complexes. They have landing zones and emergence points. Plus, that forge complex you nuked isn't exactly unique. There are a million planets in the Imperium, and PLANETS ARE BIG. The galaxy is big. If that forge is unique in the galaxy, and small enough to be destroyed by a nuke, it wasn't doing anything useful anyway, and if the enemy holds it, it is already lost.
3. Lost Technology - As shown in Necropolis by Dan Abnett, regular Guardsmen recognize the signs of a nuclear blast. In Mechanicum, Mars is shown to have nuclear missile silos. In Armageddon source material, Armageddon is shown to also have (nuclear) missile silos. In The Beast Arises, nuclear weapons are heavily used in ship-to-ship combat. All these factors combine. Nuclear weapons are not lost, sacred archaeotech. They are just another kind of weapon.
The only true reason for nukes being used is simply this.
Nukes are boring narratively. Nobody wants to read "Warboss Thraka invaded a planet. His entire army was wiped out on their staging grounds by standard issue Imperial 200kt tactical nuclear missiles". Instead of Helsreach.
The Imperium is afraid to use their nuclear arsenal because they know the Orks can retaliate with mutually assured destruction. Also, using WMDs on Orks that are still preparing for an invasion is banned by the Ullanor Conventions.
But yeah you are very much right, the Imperium has nuclear weapons in large numbers but like all the other WMDs the Imperium has, they are never used because it'd be boring. And maybe because sacrificing a million or so guardsmen is simply cheaper than using nukes.
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 14:03:14
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Agile Revenant Titan
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I don't think mutually assured destruction holds any water at all in total war situations, let alone ones where the culture is so consumed with religious fervour.
Oddly, I do think that you might have hit the nail on the head with Orks though. They probably don't use nukes because it'd be boring. Much more fun to krump 'eads. Same for the Dark Eldar too I expect.
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 16:50:43
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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The Conquerer
Waiting for my shill money from Spiral Arm Studios
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Marines are definitely resistant to radiation. At least enough to where, provided the radiation isn't strong enough to actually kill them, they'll survive and not suffer any permanent damage. IE: They're not going to get cancer.
Naturally high enough radiation will kill them simply by cooking their body, but they can survive ambient radiation exposure that would normally kill a human.
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Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
MURICA!!! IN SPESS!!! |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 16:56:27
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Legendary Master of the Chapter
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Grey Templar wrote:Marines are definitely resistant to radiation. At least enough to where, provided the radiation isn't strong enough to actually kill them, they'll survive and not suffer any permanent damage. IE: They're not going to get cancer.
Naturally high enough radiation will kill them simply by cooking their body, but they can survive ambient radiation exposure that would normally kill a human.
IIRC radiation isnt that big of an issue for the imperium
i recall some story about some chick that get hit with a heavy dose of cosmic radiation while in a ship. she takes some meds and is fine.
SM for sure are radiation resistant.
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Unit1126PLL wrote: Scott-S6 wrote:And yet another thread is hijacked for Unit to ask for the same advice, receive the same answers and make the same excuses.
Oh my god I'm becoming martel.
Send help!
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 17:06:09
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Snord
Midwest USA
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Desubot wrote: Grey Templar wrote:Marines are definitely resistant to radiation. At least enough to where, provided the radiation isn't strong enough to actually kill them, they'll survive and not suffer any permanent damage. IE: They're not going to get cancer.
Naturally high enough radiation will kill them simply by cooking their body, but they can survive ambient radiation exposure that would normally kill a human. IIRC radiation isnt that big of an issue for the imperium
i recall some story about some chick that get hit with a heavy dose of cosmic radiation while in a ship. she takes some meds and is fine.
SM for sure are radiation resistant.
So the Imperium figured out how to produce Rad-X and Rad-away? Good to know!
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 17:07:38
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Legendary Master of the Chapter
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BunkhouseBuster wrote: Desubot wrote: Grey Templar wrote:Marines are definitely resistant to radiation. At least enough to where, provided the radiation isn't strong enough to actually kill them, they'll survive and not suffer any permanent damage. IE: They're not going to get cancer.
Naturally high enough radiation will kill them simply by cooking their body, but they can survive ambient radiation exposure that would normally kill a human. IIRC radiation isnt that big of an issue for the imperium
i recall some story about some chick that get hit with a heavy dose of cosmic radiation while in a ship. she takes some meds and is fine.
SM for sure are radiation resistant.
So the Imperium figured out how to produce Rad-X and Rad-away? Good to know!
i wish i remembered where i read that. it might of been from that ffg rpg.
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Unit1126PLL wrote: Scott-S6 wrote:And yet another thread is hijacked for Unit to ask for the same advice, receive the same answers and make the same excuses.
Oh my god I'm becoming martel.
Send help!
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/16 17:14:03
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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The Conquerer
Waiting for my shill money from Spiral Arm Studios
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Given that we have some basic radiation treatments today, it's hardly surprising that they'd have some amazing stuff in the future. Heck, they have anti-aging therapy in the Imperium that lets people live for ~400-500 years, and it's reasonably common enough to where even middle class individuals can have basic Juvnat treatments.
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Self-proclaimed evil Cat-person. Dues Ex Felines
Cato Sicarius, after force feeding Captain Ventris a copy of the Codex Astartes for having the audacity to play Deathwatch, chokes to death on his own D-baggery after finding Calgar assembling his new Eldar army.
MURICA!!! IN SPESS!!! |
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![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2017/06/17 01:31:03
Subject: Nuclear weapons in 40K.
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Regular Dakkanaut
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So, long term radiation exposure isn't an issue anymore. But, that still leaves the actual explosion. Certainly, the heat of a star is sufficient as a weapon in the 41 millennium.
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fide et honore |
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