“ | This deadly weapon fires in the blink of an eye, leaving gaping holes and scorched earth in its wake. | „ |
Warp Lightning Cannons are a Skaven artillery unit introduced in Total War: Warhammer II.
Recruitment[ | ]
- Unlocked with: Warp-Forge
Description[ | ]
The Warp Lightning Cannon is a contraption built by the fiendishly clever Warlock Engineers and powered by an enormous hunk of raw Warpstone. This wonder weapon generates unearthly energy, which is directed along a rune-etched barrel forged and enchanted to channel such destructive fury. When fired, the Warp Lightning Canon emits a sizzling ball of Warp-energy. Any near the shot are rocked in its wake, fur standing on end, with a sickly green light burnt into their mind's eye. The bolt arcs earthwards, punching through anything in its path and then erupts in a crackling cloud of pure Warp lightning. The shot flashes too quickly to follow, but its trail, once it lands on the ground, is easily marked - scorch signs follow its path and anything in the way will have a gaping hole in the exact shape of the beam.
Attributes[ | ]
- ▲ Anti-Large: Anti-Large: Anti-large units have an advantage against targets that are at least as large as a horse. This advantage can be a damage bonus against large targets or an attack that focuses on a very small area. However, some units are simply better against large targets because their attacks are slow and easy to dodge by skilled melee combatants.
- ▲ Armour-Piercing Missiles: The damage of armour-piercing weapons mostly ignores the armour of the target, making them the ideal choice against heavily-armoured enemies. They are often heavier and attack at a slower rate though, making them less efficient against poorly-armoured targets.
Strategy[ | ]
The Skaven answer to everything monstrous and mounted, while still being effective vs infantry. Warp Lightning Cannons fire in a flat arc instead of a steep one like Plagueclaw Catapults, which can cause some issues with line of sight and friendly fire if you can´t find an elevated firing position like a hill for them. However, their accuracy and projectile speed are much higher so they will hit flying units or moving cavalry reliably. If there are no large enemies to be found, turning them against deep formations of infantry can be surprisingly deadly due to their projectiles´ high penetration. Their only real disadvantage is their large frame which makes them prime targets for counter artillery fire, so be sure to tie down enemy artillery with summoned Clanrats (Menace from Below). Also, protect them from flanking maneuvers.