Bolt Thrower!

[Mr Zephy]

Or perhaps WHFB High Elves?

[Malika]

For some reason I think they would rather play Orks, or Chaos! :p

But to get back to CELS' idea for an actual "Bolt Thrower" as a weapon used in the 40k universe. I could see the Bolt Thrower being the actual predecessor of the Bolt Gun. This weapon would have been used during the Unification Wars on Terra by various Techno Barbarian tribes. The weapon is basically a repeater crossbow but with Bolt like ammunition. Why am I getting visions of Rambo when thinking of this? 

By the way...Bolt Thrower still exist, but no longer really make GW inspired metal! :p

[Mr Zephy]

Perhaps the bolt thrower is one half of the technology needed to make a bolter: the impact-fuse and warhead.

The crossbow shoots people, who then blow up.

[Lanrak]

Hi all.
How about the bolt thrower being a 'rail gun based technology '.
Eg large penatraor like a 'cross bow bolt'(With retracted stabalising fins ).
Which was eccelerated using linear magnets , (NO friction or noise, perfect stealth weapon ! )

('Rail gun' phrase was coined because the use of linear magnets to accelerate a mass technology ,was first used on monorails in Japan!)

So we have a high tec crosbow , the bolt thrower.But unfortunatley the 'standard template' has been lost  to the Imperium.
(Possibly found by  the TAU empire, and made MUCH bigger in the form of the rail gun?)

Just some thoughts .
Feel free to ignore.

TTFN
Lanrak.

[Warboss Waaazag]

Two points to make:

1.) In the original Rogue Trader 40k (1st ed. rulebook) bolters are actually referred to as 'Bolt Throwers' as well as bolters.

2.) Bolt Thrower made an entire album based on the 40k universe. Check the song 'Worldeater' by them. Ironically, it was Bolt Thrower that drew me into 40k in the first place. I had the album with the Space Marines on the cover before I bought the Rogue Trader book with the identical artwork on it.

Here, this is the Bolt Thrower song Worldeater on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE5088NQ018