Hellblaster lore is all about destroying the enemies of the Emperor with the most efficient weapons the Primaris can find.
Who doesn’t love more firepower? With the good ole boys of the 40k universe getting so many releases we wanted to take a look at a fun unit today. Get out your biggest sized coffee cup and let’s learn about the Primaris fire support!
New and Improved Devastators?
The idea for heavy support on foot is not a new idea that the Primaris came up with one night in a dream. While the Primaris think they’re better than the firstborn in basically every way, they still take much of their doctrine from them. The Hellblasters are the new version of the Devastator Squads. While the Devastators are slow and mainly carry a certain loadout, the Hellblasters are fast and mobile. Because they rely on slightly smaller guns, they can fire on the move and redeploy quickly.
Despite being faster their weapons are still extremely deadly and they fill a similar role to the Devastators. Their plasma weapons are perfect for blasting away tanks, heavy armor, or big enemy troops. The only reason there are not thousands of them in every chapter is due to weapon scarcity. You’d think the best well-equipped troops of the Imperium could get whatever weapons they want, but alas, they are still hindered by manufacturing. That means each company sends their best marksmen to become a Hellblaster. Can’t let the bad shots getting all the good guns, now can we?
Battlefield Role
It’s no surprise the Hellblaster lore is all about firepower, but how do they actually function in a battle? They serve a dual purpose for the Primaris, at once long-range fire support, and when needed, they form strike squads to assassinate a frightening target. In a normal battle, you can find them providing covering fire for their Marine Brethren, incinerating the biggest and baddest enemies all over the field.
That doesn’t mean they don’t get up close and personal every now and then. When the battle needs a certain enemy taken out, the Hellblasters load into a transport and zoom across the field to unleash their full torrent of firepower into a single target. If this means they all have to die to do it, they are more than willing. It’s this kind of mobility and versatility that has made them the favorite over Devastator Squads. If a unit of Hellblasters jumps out of a tank right in front of you, it’s pretty much over.
Insane Firepower
Their firepower has been likened to that of a solar flare. A never-ending stream of plasma arcs from them to the enemy. They don’t care about the possibility of blowing themselves up, as long as they get the job done! Any enemy caught in the Hellblasters’ fire is quickly incinerated. Nothing but a few bones may be left after they pick an enemy for extermination.
Armored units and vehicles don’t stand much of a better chance either. A single unit of well-deployed Hellblasters has been known to stop entire armored spearheads in their tracks. The other vehicles have no choice but to slow down and assess the threat.
That does it for the shooty boys of the Primaris. Will you be running them in 9th or just playing with all the new toys?
Learn More About Hellblasters Here!
About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
