Shuriken Catapult & Shuriken Pistol

Lore & history

Where the Imperium of Man relies on roaring chemical-rocket bolts and brute thermal lasers, the Craftworld Aeldari wage war with weapons that are grown rather than forged. The Shuriken Catapult—known in the Aeldari tongue as the tuelean, or 'flesh-storm'—is the standard personal firearm of the Craftworld Guardian militias and the sacred Avenger Shuriken Catapult of the Dire Avengers Aspect Warriors. Slim, balanced and sculpted from creamy psycho-plastic wraithbone, it fires without smoke, muzzle flash or deafening report, emitting only a high-pitched, eerie shriek as hundreds of razor-edged plasti-crystal discs slice the air per second.

To an Aeldari citizen-soldier or Aspect Warrior, a shuriken weapon is an extension of his own mind and nervous system. Rather than pulling a mechanical trigger lever, the firer sends a subtle psychic impulse through the psycho-receptive grip-pads built into the palm of his gauntlets. In the blink of an eye, the weapon unleashes a swirling ribbon of monomolecular blades that shears cleanly through flesh, bone and ceramite seams alike.

Across the webway and the battlefields of realspace, every kindred of the Aeldari race carries some variation of the shuriken firearm—from the holistic Shuriken Pistol paired with a Banshee Blade or Scorpion Chainsword, to the long-barrelled Avenger Shuriken Catapults of Asurmen's shrines, and the heavy Shuriken Cannons mounted on Windrider jetbikes, Wave Serpents and Wraithlords.

Design, mechanism & battlefield effect

Inside the breech of a Shuriken Catapult sits a solid core magazine of dense, psycho-reactive plasti-crystal. When the wielder's mental impulse activates the firing sequence, a high-energy laser or molecular-thickening pulse slices a microscopic layer—only a single molecule thick at its outer bevel—from the face of the solid ammunition block, shaping it into a multi-pointed throwing star or disc.

Simultaneously, a peristaltic gravitic accelerator running the length of the wraithbone barrel hurls the newly sliced disc downrange at hypersonic velocity. Because the ammunition core is solid until the microsecond of firing, a single magazine block can yield up to a thousand rounds of continuous fire before needing replacement, and the lack of moving mechanical parts makes the weapon virtually immune to jamming.

Patterns, variants & doctrine

The standard Guardian Shuriken Catapult is compact and light enough for militia use, while the Dire Avengers wield the longer-barrelled Avenger Shuriken Catapult with upgraded targeting spirit-stones and extended range. The Shuriken Pistol is the favoured sidearm of Aspect Exarchs, Autarchs, Corsairs and Harlequin Troupes, while the heavy Shuriken Cannon—and the macabre Shrieker Cannon of Harlequin Death Jesters, whose bio-explosive ammo turns a victim's own bloodstream into virulent toxin—provides sustained squad support.

Notable patterns & relic examples

• Bloody-Handed Sword of Asurmen: The twin wrist-mounted Avenger Shuriken Catapults of the Phoenix Lord Asurmen, integrated with his diresword.
• Avenger Shuriken Catapult: The extended-barrel, high-precision pattern carried by every Dire Avenger Aspect Warrior.
• Shuriken Cannon: Heavy triple-core support weapon mounted on Windriders, Vyper skimmers, Wave Serpents and Wraithlords.
• Shrieker Cannon: A specialized Harlequin Death Jester shuriken cannon firing hollowed genetic-toxin discs that cause targets to violently explode.

Wielded & Fielded By

Characters (8)

• 
  Eldrad Ulthran · High Farseer of Ulthwé
• 
  Jain Zar · Storm of Silence
• 
  Asurmen · Hand of Asuryan, first Phoenix Lord
• 
  Maugan Ra · Harvester of Souls
• 
  Prince Yriel · Autarch and High Admiral of Iyanden
• 
  Yvraine · Emissary of Ynnead, Daughter of Shades
• 
  The Visarch · Sword of Ynnead
• 
  Sylandri Veilwalker · Shadowseer of the Harlequins

Units (10)

Howling BansheesStriking ScorpionsShining SpearsWraithknightWarp SpidersSolitairesDeath JestersShadowseersFire DragonsDark Reapers

Related weapons & vehicles

LasgunFlamer & Heavy FlamerBolter & Bolt RifleMeltagun & Multi-MeltaPlasma Gun & Plasma IncineratorStorm BolterSonic Blaster & BlastmasterWraithcannon & D-Scythe

Primary Faction

Craftworld Aeldari