Drakefire Pistols

Lore & Background

Forged in the ancient Dwarf holds of Karaz Ankor, Drakefire Pistols are not mere firearms but intricate works of runecraft and engineering. Each pistol is inscribed with runes that draw upon the deep magma of the earth, turning the weapon into a conduit for the Dwarf's ancestral fire. The pistols are said to be blessed by the Ancestor Gods, allowing a Dwarf to channel his inner fury into a controlled inferno, a gift meant to cleanse the tunnels of the Under-Empire from the Skaven taint.

In the hands of Bardin, these pistols become a symbol of his people's resilience and wrath. The Drakefire Pistols are a rare treasure, often reserved for Dwarf Rangers or Ironbreakers who venture into the deepest, darkest places. Their dual nature—a wide spray of fire for clearing crowds or a focused blast for piercing armor—reflects the Dwarf's pragmatic approach to war: efficient, devastating, and unyielding. The pistols hum with a low, thrumming heat, and their barrels glow with a molten light, a constant reminder of the fire within the mountain.

In Their Own Story

The air in the Skittergate's main chamber was thick enough to chew—warpstone grit and rat stench. Bardin stood at the edge of a crumbling bridge, his Drakefire Pistols held low, their barrels pulsing a sullen orange. A tide of Clanrats surged forward, red eyes gleaming like embers in a trash fire. 'Come on, then, ye wee beasties!' he roared, raising the twin muzzles. With a pull of each trigger, twin jets of liquid flame vomited forth, painting the stone in snarling ribbons of orange and black. The first wave vanished in a shriek of burning fur and popping flesh—the stench of cooked pork and tar. As a Stormvermin charged through the smoke, its halberd raised, Bardin clicked a switch on the left pistol. A single, focused bolt of fire punched through its plate armor with a sound like a blacksmith's hammer, dropping it in a heap, the metal around the hole glowing cherry red. 'That's Dwarf-craft for ye,' he muttered, the pistols steaming in the cold air, their runes dimming to a satisfied glow.

Reader's Guide

The Drakefire Pistols are a versatile ranged weapon for Bardin, available to the Ranger Veteran, Ironbreaker, and Outcast Engineer careers. Their primary fire is a wide, short-range cone of flame that ignites enemies and deals damage over time, turning a charging horde of Skaven slaves or Clanrats into a screaming carpet of ash—ideal for when your elf's bow just isn't fast enough. The alt-fire (hold to charge) unleashes a single, focused bolt that punches through armor like a hot knife through lard, staggering or killing elites like Stormvermin or Chaos Warriors outright. The weapon's heat mechanic demands discipline: fire too greedily, and the barrels glow white-hot, forcing a cooldown or risking a damaging explosion that will leave you as crispy as the rats. Where the Drakefire Pistols truly shine is in co-op play as a crowd-control tool. Pair them with a melee weapon that handles single targets (like a Grudgeraker or a pickaxe), and you become the team's walking flamethrower—just keep an eye on that heat gauge, or you'll be the one needing a rescue.

Did You Know?

• The Drakefire Pistols are inspired by the Dwarf 'Drakefire' weapons from the Warhammer Fantasy tabletop game, which were used by Irondrakes.
• Bardin's pistols are unique in that they combine both fire and physical damage, making them effective against the regenerating flesh of Chaos Spawn.
• The pistols' heat mechanic is a nod to Dwarf engineering's focus on balance between power and safety, as overheating can cause the wielder to take damage.
• In the game's lore, the pistols are said to be forged with a sliver of a dying star, though this is never explicitly confirmed in the story.