Pulse Rifle, Pulse Carbine & Burst Cannon

Lore & history

When Imperial Crusade forces first clashed with the young T'au Empire along the Damocles Gulf, Imperial commanders expected another primitive xenos species armed with crude slug-throwers or fragile laser rifles. Instead, entire companies of Astra Militarum Guardsmen—and even veteran Space Marines—were cut down hundreds of metres before their own lasguns and bolters could even reach effective range. The weapon responsible for that rude awakening was the T'au Pulse Rifle, the standard-issue infantry longarm of every Fire Warrior Strike Team.

Engineered by the Earth Caste's finest weapon-smiths, the Pulse Rifle represents a triumph of safe, mass-produced plasma technology. Whereas Imperial plasma guns are temperamental relics prone to venting miniature suns into their gunner's face, every rank-and-file Fire Warrior carries a sleek, ochre-cased rifle that fires stable, superheated plasma pulses farther and harder than an Astartes boltgun.

Design, mechanism & battlefield effect

When a Fire Warrior pulls the trigger of a Pulse Rifle, a microscopic pellet of metallic matter is shaved from the weapon's ammunition magazine and ionized into a high-energy plasma state inside the induction breech. An electromagnetic linear accelerator running the length of the long rectangular barrel then hurls this plasma pulse downrange at hypersonic velocity.

The distinctive circular housing near the muzzle contains a gyroscopic stabilization array linked wirelessly to the Fire Warrior's helmet optics, damping recoil and keeping the barrel rock-steady even when firing on the move.

Patterns, variants & doctrine

Alongside the long-barrelled Pulse Rifle of Strike Teams, Pathfinder scouts carry the compact Pulse Carbine with its integral under-slung Photon Grenade Launcher, while Breacher Teams wield the short-range, shotgun-like Pulse Blaster whose twin-stage induction blast can blow apart Terminator armour at close quarters. Scaled up with four to six rotating barrels, the same induction principle forms the Burst Cannon mounted on XV8 Crisis Battlesuits, Stealth Suits and Devilfish.

Notable patterns & relic examples

• Fire Caste Pulse Rifle: The long-barrelled electromagnetic plasma rifle of T'au Fire Warrior Strike Teams.
• Pulse Carbine & Under-Slung Photon Grenade Launcher: The mobile assault carbine carried by Pathfinder Teams and mounted in pairs on MV1 Gun Drones.
• Pulse Blaster: A close-range, high-penetration shotgun variant carried by Fire Warrior Breacher Teams for urban and boarding assaults.
• Burst Cannon: A four-to-six-barrelled rotary pulse cannon mounted on XV8 Crisis Battlesuits, XV25 Stealth Suits and Devilfish noses.

Wielded & Fielded By

Characters (4)

• 
  Commander Farsight · O'Shovah, Commander of the Farsight Enclaves
• 
  Commander Shadowsun · O'Shaserra, Supreme Commander of the Fire Caste
• 
  Aun'Va · Ethereal Supreme
• 
  Commander Puretide · Master Strategist of the T'au

Units (6)

PathfindersXV8 Crisis BattlesuitsXV104 Riptide BattlesuitsXV95 Ghostkeel BattlesuitsKroot ShapersVespid Stingwings

Related weapons & vehicles

LasgunFlamer & Heavy FlamerBolter & Bolt RifleMeltagun & Multi-MeltaPlasma Gun & Plasma IncineratorStorm BolterSonic Blaster & BlastmasterShuriken Catapult & Shuriken Pistol

Primary Faction

T'au Empire