Gunpowder weapons

 

Gunpowder is not a recent invention in the Old World. It's been around for a long time and has been used for military applications as far back as Magnus the Pious' time, if not longer. There are accounts of "große Kanonen, Zwerg gemacht" (literally: big, dwarf-made guns) being used against the Chaos hordes assaulting the Kislevite port city of Erengrad.

During the 25th Century, cannons have become lighter and more easily transportable. Big guns are no longer found solely on the walls of the Empire's fortifications or aboard the land-locked carracks of the Imperial Fleet. From 2450 or thereabout, horse-drawn cannon have found their way into the armies of every province of the Empire.

The "gunpowder revolution" not only has to do with the weight of the cannon. Even more important is price: as the gunmakers have perfected their craft, they are increasingly able to use cheaper iron to cast weapons (rather than hideously expensive bronze) in bulk (and still keep weight down). The cost of gunpowder and cast iron balls is also down to acceptable levels. The very best guns are still bronze and shoot hand-crafted stone balls, but iron guns shooting iron are good enough and much cheaper.

There are as many gun types as there are gun manufacturers - and then some - but Nuln, the greatest gun forge in the Empire, has begun to set the standards of gun-making. The smallest field cannon is the 4-pounder "infantry gun." The biggest transportable piece is the 12-pounder "groß-Kanone." Its power is undeniable, but it needs a crew of 15 and six horses to pull it. There are also 6 and 8-pounders being made, and a 6-pounder howitzer. Bigger guns for ships (not typically made in Nuln) and fortifications also exist.

While cannons have more or less replaced conventional artillery, gunpowder weapons are slower to replace bows and crossbows. There are many reasons for this. The elf bow remains the fastest-firing and most deadly ranged weapon but requires many years of training to use. Lesser bows are still deadly in the hands of a skilled archer. Crossbows are equal or superior to guns in terms of range, power, and reload times. Of all ranged weapons, guns are perhaps the most affected by damp weather conditions.

That said, muskets are becoming very affordable going into the 26th century, to the point where it is cheaper to buy than a crossbow of comparable power. There are some companies and battalions of gun-armed infantry already, and the number is likely to increase. But it'll take time: guns may be cheap, but it's still very expensive to completely reequip existing armies.

Pistols, rifles, and blunderbusses warrant special mention: 

Pistols have become very popular with Imperial light cavalry (pistoleers, road wardens, scouts, and the like) and, by extension, the sons of the nobility. Young bravos armed with sword-and-dagger, Estalian style, and a couple of pistols (of fine make and great ornamentation) are a common sight indeed. Because of the demand for pistols, prices are quite high compared to equivalent longarms.

Rifles, iconized by the Hochland Long Rifle, are glorified muskets with longer barrels and tight "rifled" barrels that give great accuracy and power (it must be mentioned that they need equally finely made bullets and precise application of the best gunpowder). Such weapons must be carefully crafted by master artisans, are terribly expensive, and are not really worth equipping large formations with.

The blunderbuss is a peculiar weapon that's captured a special place in the Empire's imagination. It's a crudely crafted weapon that is capable of shooting almost anything. While the effect can be devastating at short range, it's not really a military weapon. Coachmen and criminals do love it, though.

The origin of gunpowder is hotly debated (but ultimately irrelevant beyond scholarly debates). The dwarfs claim they invented it and have been using it forever. Others point to Cathay as the point of origin and say the dwarfs learned of it through trade. Whatever the truth, dwarfs routinely use cannons and have done so for many years. Dwarfs employ handguns as well, but not to the exclusion of crossbows. It's possibly a matter of ancient tradition, but there is another consideration as well: using large quantities of gunpowder underground is a great way to choke your own warriors.