The 30k Blast Pistol

o/

In the Forgeworld's Imperialis Auxilia army list there's a curious weapon that has a stat line but no descriptive entry. Its just an oversight I'm sure, and considering the typos that Forgeworld had in the previous publication of this list, if this is the only issue then I'm good with it! Anyways, this is the Blast Pistol:


Type: Pistol

Basic Stats: Range: 6", S:5, AP: -

Special Rules: Twin-Linked, Gets Hot.


So...a pistol that hits like a truck, but has no penetrative power. Its pathetically short ranged, but has a high probability to hit, except when it blows up in the shooter's hands. I pondered that a bit, and to me that sounds like the 40k equivalent of a Blunderbuss.

Unglamorous as a blunderbuss is, I find it curious that it only squad leaders and officers can get them. I suppose then that its meant to either be an aristocrat's weapon, or...that anyone of seniority in the Imperialis Auxilia potentially bought the rank rather than earned it, and is assumed to not be able to hit the broad side of a barn.

So why am I bothering with any of this you ask? Well, I wanted to give my Outremar Platoon Commander a weapon that would set him/her apart from the rest of the platoon. Hasslefree's Grymn miniature line has a lot of different sculpts, however the variety of weaponry is somewhat lacking. Its mainly 2-types of assault rifles (which easily pass for either autoguns or bolters), dual pistols and lastly heavy and/or special weapons.

Note: The shells in the bandolier on her back are now almost as big as the gun itself!

So I took one of my Grymn grenade launcher troopers (the unpainted one), clipped the barrel of the grenade launcher off. From the barrel I clipped off the grenade launcher's tip and glued it neatly onto the GL nub that the (now former) GL trooper was holding, and with that: tahdah! Due to her funky little pistol, I now have a Platoon Commander who stands out of the crowd.

That said, in a squad full of Heavy Stubbers, my PC armed with a blast pistol will be a complete waste of points, but...well, at least she looks cool.