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Hey all,

This may sound like a daft question but when did the heavy stubber become such a big player? Back when I was last seriously in 40k it was barely around and seen as a backwater weapon and very primitive and now suddenly it's on tons of models? Primaris use them, admech use them on most of their vehicles. How long has that been a thing? Is there a lore reason for it or just a game design thing?

Cawl has a virus that's overwriting all weapon STCs with the Stubbers...

IIRC there's an interview/webcast with Jervis Johnson where he says he wished the Stubber was more widespread. It kind of makes sense now with other 'basic' heavy weapons like Heavy Bolters getting buffed.

IIRC the actual lore reason is that the adeptus mechanicus discovered a new STC that contained the data for a self-writing quill pen, a self-heating teapot, and bullets for a heavy stubber that could melt ceramite. This led to the stubber-based "Phosphor" weapons the admech have, and brought the weapon back into vogue with the mechanicus, which could conceivably explain why they put it on many of the new primaris vehicle designs.

 Olthannon wrote:
Hey all,

This may sound like a daft question but when did the heavy stubber become such a big player? Back when I was last seriously in 40k it was barely around and seen as a backwater weapon and very primitive and now suddenly it's on tons of models? Primaris use them, admech use them on most of their vehicles. How long has that been a thing? Is there a lore reason for it or just a game design thing?

Someone at GW likes to put stubbers on things. Its certainly not players going out of their way to bring stubbers.

 Ordana wrote:
Someone at GW likes to put stubbers on things. Its certainly not players going out of their way to bring stubbers.

Oh come on, I love rolling dice for four different weapons with slight, subtle variations of Strength 4 shooting.

the_scotsman wrote:
IIRC the actual lore reason is that the adeptus mechanicus discovered a new STC that contained the data for a self-writing quill pen, a self-heating teapot, and bullets for a heavy stubber that could melt ceramite. This led to the stubber-based "Phosphor" weapons the admech have, and brought the weapon back into vogue with the mechanicus, which could conceivably explain why they put it on many of the new primaris vehicle designs.

Gotcha, that makes sense. Because back in the day I thought they were always saying power armour wouldn't even get dented by stubber fire unless there was an utter shed load of it.

The main reason I brought this up was because of that new Primaris landspeeder that got announced was outfitted with them. And I'm sat there thinking 'who decided these things stopped sucking'?

Since someone realized they look like the kind of sexy weapons that make ammosexuals break into a sweat.

To be fair, they went from "something only 2nd rate hive gangs have " in 3rd ed to increasingly common intk 4th and 5th, when the krieg started using then, and then they suddenly became a pinitle mount option for IG tanks in place of the storm bolter universally used by everyone before that.


Honestly? I think its because the sculptors are making these long barreled weapons that don't look like bolter variants, and too small for autocannons, and they needed a name so the revived the stubber

 Olthannon wrote:

the_scotsman wrote:
IIRC the actual lore reason is that the adeptus mechanicus discovered a new STC that contained the data for a self-writing quill pen, a self-heating teapot, and bullets for a heavy stubber that could melt ceramite. This led to the stubber-based "Phosphor" weapons the admech have, and brought the weapon back into vogue with the mechanicus, which could conceivably explain why they put it on many of the new primaris vehicle designs.

Gotcha, that makes sense. Because back in the day I thought they were always saying power armour wouldn't even get dented by stubber fire unless there was an utter shed load of it.

The main reason I brought this up was because of that new Primaris landspeeder that got announced was outfitted with them. And I'm sat there thinking 'who decided these things stopped sucking'?

I have to agree. Stubbers make at least some sense with the admech and the Imperial Guard, a cheap and plentiful gun that can be tacked on anywhere. But the most elite forces of the imperium? Cawl can do better.

I think it's weird that Marines are using stubbers.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
I think it's weird that Marines are using stubbers.

I keep waiting for the Marine infantry unit with two stub guns each...

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
I think it's weird that Marines are using stubbers.

Oh come now, it makes perfect sense to suddenly begin equipping your elite forces, which are often off fighting independent of meaningful support and reliable supply lines, with equipment which requires a completely different type and calibre of ammunition to every other previously used weapon in their arsenal.

Logistics? What is that?

xerxeskingofking wrote:
To be fair, they went from "something only 2nd rate hive gangs have " in 3rd ed to increasingly common intk 4th and 5th, when the krieg started using then, and then they suddenly became a pinitle mount option for IG tanks in place of the storm bolter universally used by everyone before that.


Honestly? I think its because the sculptors are making these long barreled weapons that don't look like bolter variants, and too small for autocannons, and they needed a name so the revived the stubber

That's a good point. GW's design process makes this the sculptors' fault.
The Repulsor tanks basically happened because the sculptors couldn't... stop... adding... weapons.
Including all the stubbers.

 Dysartes wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
I think it's weird that Marines are using stubbers.

I keep waiting for the Marine infantry unit with two stub guns each...

I'll never forget the rant the GW staffer went on at young me when I had assembled my SM with the 2nd ed weapon sprue and presumed they could take whatever from it, so I had SMs with autopistols and laspistols. The guy looks at it and goes to me. "If he shoots it, it's S3, if he lobs it at someone it's S4".

He then got me a load of bolt pistols...

Stubber are one of the worst Primaris design choices, and that's saying something. What are they, RnH?

hungryugolino wrote:
Stubber are one of the worst Primaris design choices, and that's saying something. What are they, RnH?

Do you mean R&H? No. Not in a million years. Every primaris rule ever printed isn't worth the title page of IA 13.

For me I think the stubbers are a "replacement" for the heavy bolter because for the longest time it was added onto EVERYTHING. I think this led to designers being stuck on what to do with the bolter as upping its damage would end up grossly influencing some models power. With this in mind I think they wanted an entirely "new" gun to use that naturally hearkens back to an older one but is able to be designed for that light fire power space as a support weapon without overshadowing the venerable heavy bolter, which deserves to be more powerful. Heck, I wouldn't doubt is they planned this way back because they gave them to knights the, at the time, useless stubber as an auxiliary weapon.

Plus it looks cool. Forgeworld has always been a fan too as evidenced by things like tail gunners on their Fliers.