Heavy Quad-Launcher

The Squats once again, forced to help elevate Humanity's crippling stupidity by giving them new toys.

Heavy Quad-Launchers AKA the Thudd Gun are a piece a light artillery meant for heavy suppression and tons of Dakka. These artillery pieces were invented by - you guessed it! - the Squats who in their ever growing wisdom of their beards decided it was probably profitable to trade this tech with the rest of the wider Imperium. The Launcher itself was invented by the Engineers Guilds on the original Squat Homeworlds; the design was later shared with the Adeptus Mechanicus, who in their infinite wisdom (Read: None at all) copied and produced their own version for use by the Imperial Guard rather than improving on the existing design.

Overview

The weapon received its nickname from the distinctive and rhythmic "thud" sound produced as each barrel fires in rapid succession. More commonly used by the Imperial Guard and the Squats in the past, the heavy quad-launcher has been largely relegated to Siege Regiments and garrison forces. The mobile weapon was employed during the Horus Heresy in defense of the Imperial Palace and has seen recent use in the Badab War as well as the Tyrannic Wars.

Essentially four Mortars mounted on a single weapons carriage, the Heavy Quad-Launcher boasts a high rate of fire as previously mentioned, that makes it an excellent suppression weapon and in a direct-fire role against enemy infantry. One of its primary drawbacks however is the long reload time after all four barrels have been fired, requiring the loader to hand-crank the breech closed in order to feed in a new round for each barrel. The launcher also lacks the range of heavier Imperial Guard artillery, limiting its viability in the counter-battery role.

The original Thudd Guns were mounted on a special motorized tractor, which could be controlled by the gun crew with a radio control box. However, later models used by the Imperial Guard, such as the Lucius Pattern, must be towed into place, either by a Trojan Support Vehicle or Centaur Utility Vehicle. This could be blamed on the combination of the Squats getting Squatted and the AdMech's constant symptoms of technological amnesia.