Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Rolan7]

In Dawn of War they're definitely some kind of combustion engine, they rev and stuff.

[pisskop]

Im sure it the same way that people put lens flare into video games.

Or my excite bike.


Its made because of the effect/mindset of the devs/fans.  We react to it because we expect it.

[Grim Portent]

Warhammer wiki says that chainswords are usually promethium powered, but some more refined variants are powered by self contained fuel cells that don't need changed or recharged, much like space marine backpacks and advanced power swords.

All human chainswords do emit the revving noise though, it's just always been part of their description. Eldar ones are silent.

[Avis-Mergulus]

I think in Ciaphas Cain, Hero of the Imperium, there's a moment when Cain changes his chainsword's power cell, so I guess it's up to interpretation (same as almost everything else on that scale, really).

[nenjin]

I don't think I've ever read of an Imperial Chainsword having a power pack, but eh, it's 40k. Someone probably wrote about it once and it's canon somewhere.

My test would have been is it human wieldable? The answer is quite clearly no.

Are you talking about the chainsword? Depends, the one they made fails, though it proably could be, if you had very serious muscle. After all, it seems to be Astrates size.
The main issue seems to be finding an small enough combustion engine on commercial market. It doesn't have to be powerful or last long, it would be just for show. Tbh, I am convinced if you designed it from scratch you could have one that could be swung around whirring and actually be pretty intimidating. Worst case scenario is imitating the engine while using electrical motors.

Yeah, the Chainsword. Plenty of normal humans in 40k wielding them that aren't total beast mode (unless every single commissar ever is ripped under that coat.) As you point out the combustion engine is what makes it unwieldy. I think the issue is that the engine needs to be put out enough torque to actually move the weight of the chain. And that's just for show. If it were needing to actually cut any kind of armor to appear real, the torque value would need to be even higher. Smaller engines can do the reps surely, I just don't think the torque would be there.

Put another way in 40k it's ALWAYS the chainsword teeth going out, and in a real life application of the weapon, I bet it'd be the engine that's the first thing to go when a snag occurs.

Blood Angels though, woo.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I've seen some attempts at putting together a cohesive theory of chainsword play, and it has a surprising amount of merit for something based entirely in making the setting as heavy metal as possible. The main point I remember is that, since the chainsword is heavy and unbalanced as fuck even before the motor gets thrown in, you want to instead of anything resembling normal swording use the momentum of the chain to pull yourself into the enemy's flesh and destroy them, while also being sure to "launch out" of the cut if they survive it enough to kill you.

While chainswords are obviously impractical, I don't think they're impossible as an effective weapon. The one made on the show just doesn't quite have the right tech. Make the whole thing out of CNT, give it a hydrogen cell motor and ablative teeth...it could do the job. Maybe. Certainly at least it'd be more usable.

[Avis-Mergulus]

Perhaps you could also add in a thingamajig that will disengage the transmission when the teeth snag to prevent the motor from wrecking itself. Or maybe it's better to chance a motor malfunction than to possibly have your blade jam and then having to pull it out unassisted...

[nenjin]

I think the goal is to make a Chainsword in RL where something like this:



Is actually possible, for a reasonably fit person to one hand it like you would an actual sword. I can't really see that, but maybe I haven't watched enough chainsaw videos. Or maybe someone doesn't feel quite safe enough swinging around a chainsaw 1-handed with no full backguard on it. But the fact these guys just had to set it on a table should be telling.

It's pretty clear in future tech the drive unit is that box-y shape on the backhalf of the blade. If I were to eyeball that, I'd say it's a motor no bigger than you might find in some of the largest RC cars.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

You can juggle mini-chainsaws like the one depicted. It's just ungodly fucking dangerous, and I'm not surprised a group of safety conscious people weren't freehanding a chainsaw. A sword falls against you, maybe you get lacerated. A chainsaw falls against you and it crawls along your body tearing out chunks of flesh.

They did show the guy in the Space Marine cosplay holding it one-handed for a second, so I say it's possible.

[nenjin]

A chainsaw falls against you and it crawls along your body tearing out chunks of flesh.

Believe me I know. Dude building my parent's house years ago let one tap his knee; took a chunk out of him down to the bone.

Watching it again and see the size of saw the started with it seems a lot more plausible to wield, I'll admit. I think it's also pretty cute the way you can tell some people have zero idea what 40k is, except that one guy who is a game nerd.

I think what still strikes me as wrong is the body of the chainsword motor itself, it's just too bulky. I bet if you got with a chainsaw manufacturer, you could make something a lot trimmer to fit.

This video does kind of warm the heart, the Tech Priests Fabricators at work.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I will say I'm amazed that, even with a 40k nerd, they managed to remember the Aquila is half-blind. Even Geedubs misses that one, sometimes.

[nenjin]

I will say I'm amazed that, even with a 40k nerd, they managed to remember the Aquila is half-blind. Even Geedubs misses that one, sometimes.

Yeah, I caught that too. A very nice touch.

[Tack]

Also chainswords in WH40k I've only just noticed have some pretty oversized teeth.

[Kot]

If we were going for cosplay, you could make the teeth out of rubber or something, with smaller engine I doubt the chain itself would be that dangerous.
For actual combat purposes I can totally see a quiet, electrical chainsaw knife happening. I mean, fuck, we have rocket knives, someone must be crazy enough to do it.

Returning to theory, though.
If you were to put an fuel tank or cell inside the blade (you have considerable amount of space there), you could maybe switch the mass to the blade instead of engine, making it quite killy
but also heavier. Looking at pictures I would say that electric chainswords are also a thing in Wh40k. You have to figure out how chainswordy electric chainsword would sound, though.
Torque control via a handle seems to be a must, as is reversing. I belive a 1,5 handed chainsword would work best. Not that big but you could use both hands to murder soda bottles (I would want it tested on something softer, though)

[Andres]

I kinda like Tallarn. They fought off a Chaos Space Marine Legion after their home got virus bombed and they made Elf Friends with Biel-tan.