Ironweld Arsenal
 | |
| Grand alliance | Order |
| Associated factions | Cities of Sigmar |
| Races | Duardin Human |
| Vehicles | Cannon Cogfort Gunwalker Gyrobomber Gyrocopter Helblaster Volley Gun Helstorm Rocket Battery Organ Gun Steam Tank |
Ironweld Arsenal is a faction of human and duardin smiths that make marvellous war machines and ingenious clockwork marvels.[1]
Contents
Overview
The Ironweld Arsenal was formed in the aftermath of Sigmar’s retreat to Azyr. It is an innovative and industrious conglomeration of human and duardin weaponsmiths that have created some of the most bizarre and deadly machines ever to be built by mortals. They have made all manner of killing machines such as gear-driven gunwalkers, steam-powered artillery trains and repeating cannons that can spit a hundred lethal rounds of superheated metal in the blink of an eye. The Ironweld Arsenal also creates technological marvels such as Steam Tanks, Gyrocopters and cannons that protect the keeps and walls of the new cities in the Mortal Realms as well equipping the armies of liberation.[1][4a][13b]
History
For centuries the Ironweld smiths of Azyrheim have been stockpiling firearms, cannons, armoured war constructs and even flying machines.[5]
Age of Sigmar
When Sigmar finally reopened the gates and whenever the Stormcast conquered a Realmgate the Lords-Castellant would man it while the Ironweld and the Dispossessed build fortified towns, which would later grow into free cities, making sure the new cities have firm foundations.[3a]
Structure
A hierarchy exists among the engineers and architects of the Ironweld Arsenal. At the head of this hierarchy are the Forge-Lords. Other ranks within the hierarchy includes Cogsmith-Captains, Gunmasters, and Ironweld Sergeants.[2][6a][8]
The Ironweld Arsenal boasts many branches, mostly schools, across the cities of Sigmar's Empire. The devices and gear used by the members of the Ironweld will often have the insignias of their schools stamped on them.[11a]
Known Branches and Schools
- Greenfire Ironweld: Branch located in the city of Greenfire.[11a]
- Ironweld College of Sapenna: Branch located in Sapenna.[12a]
Functions
The main function of the Ironweld Arsenal is to expand the Cities of Sigmar and keep them well supplied, in this capacity they work closely with the Freeguilds and Dispossessed. Whenever a Free City needs its walls expanded or battery emplacements installed or a Cogfort built, the engineers of the Ironweld are there, undaunted by the prospect that many of these great works will take entire generations to plan and construct.[13b]
It was engineers of the Ironweld that built many of the deep freshwater wells found in the walled settlements of the central lands of the Great Parch, these vital sources of water have allowed many of these settlements to grow or simply survive in the harsh environment of Aqshy.[6a]
They serve as architects and builders of the Free Cities, alongside the Dispossessed labour clans of the fallen Khazalid Empire. Whenever a new Realmgate is secured, it is these sturdy labourers and engineers who are called forth to aid in building settlements around these vital gateways.[6b][6c]
The Ironweld Arsenal are also responsible for supplying Dawnbringer Crusades with armoured transports and the expertise to construct new Cities of Sigmar when they reach their destination. [13b]
Industry
The indomitable industry of the Ironweld Arsenal is incredibly adaptable, able to take the natural resources of any region they set up in and convert it into fuel and materials to craft their firearms, Cogforts, cannons, and other weaponry.[13b]
The wars against endless enemies creates an endless demand for armaments thus the Ironweld Arsenal prioritize mass production, operating vast factories where conveyor belts and forges churn both day and night. Within them hundreds of craftspeople will often spend their entire careers at one station where a single component is manufactured which are then assembled to produce a larger creation and shipped off. [13a]
For the Ironweld Arsenal adaptability means to settle anywhere and use any natural resources they can harvest to always produce weapons and machines of the same quality. However there are some changes depending on location such as the Ironweld in Shyish producing artillery effective against ethereal spirits and silver-tipped blessed-bullets against deadwalkers and ghouls.[13b]
Ironweld Machinery and Artillery
Every artillery piece within the Ironwelld Arsenal has the names of those who have died whilst operating it carved into them.[2a]
- Helblaster Volley Gun: A many-barreled marvel of engineering that fires devastating volleys of bullets.[4a]
- Helstorm Rocket Battery: This war-machine was built to rain explosive ordnance onto distant foes.[4a]
- Gyrocopter: A type of steam-powered aircraft extensively employed by the Ironweld Arsenal.[4a]
- Gyrobomber: A type of steam-powered aircraft extensively employed by the Ironweld Arsenal.[4a]
- Steam Tank: Mobile war-machines that are powered by steam and serve as one of the most devastating devices employed by the Arsenal.[4a]
- Mechanical Horses: The Ironweld Arsenal of Excelsis and Brightspear occasionally uses these mechanical steeds to haul their artillery trains.[2b][7a]
- Mechanical Salamanders: The Free City of Brightspear occasionally employs these automatons to transport people and goods.[7a]
- Mechanical Spiders: The Free City of Brightspear occasionally employs these automatons to transport people and goods.[7a]
- Gunwalkers: Devastating machines of war developed in the cogwork factories of Azyrheim.[4a]
Other Creations
- Realmshredder Dynamite: The liberal application serves as one of the Ironweld's preferred problem-solving solutions, thus Ironweld Engineers invented Realmshaper Dynamite to solve those problems that take the form of terrain.[13b]
- Trident Daggers: Seemingly mundane daggers developed for the warriors of the Freeguilds, a simple press of a button hidden on the guard splits the blade of such weapons into three.[10a]
Quotes
| ‘Give me anything and I’ll make it a gun. |
Gallery
Cities of Sigmar Equipment.
Sources
- 1: Grand Alliance of Order - Ironweld Arsenal, pg.158
- 2: Spear of Shadows
- 3: Age of Sigmar: Core Book (2nd Edition)
- 3a: The Great Parch, pg. 86-89
- 4: Battletome: Cities of Sigmar (2019)
- 4a: The Ironweld Arsenal, pg.37
- 5: Cogsmith product description
- 6: Soulbound: Core Rulebook
- 7: Soulbound: Streets of Brightspear
- 7a: Brightspear Markets, pg. 12-15
- 8: Soulbound: Faithful Night
- 9: Soulbound: Anvilgard City Guide
- 9a: Anvilgard
- 10: Soulbound: Champions of Order
- 10a: Chapter Six: Equipment
- 11: White Dwarf March 2021
- 11a: The Maker's Mark (short story)
- 12: Thieves' Paradise (novella)
- 12a: Chapter Two
- 13: Soulbound: Steam and Steel
