Newbie question about chem/rad/bio troops

[Sawtooth]

Hello, I was recently sold on 30k as perhaps a game to try though I know very little about it presently. I was just curious, I remember some 30k lore about Legion formations that focused on war crime style weapons, maybe chemical/biological/radioactive weapons. Are these something that exist in the game? Are they specific to a certain legion (Death Guard would be my best guess, and they are my favorite traitors). I know it's kind of a weird question but the fellows at the game store described how they love to theme their armies and this was the first theme that popped into my head.

[LameBeard]

All legions get access to Destroyers which have rad weapons and phosphex and other hideous stuff.

 

But yes, Death Guard get widespread access to Alchem flamers for a more comprehensive war crimes theme.

 

Dreadwing Dark Angels could also be a way to go.

[Cactus]

To add to Lamebeard's excellent answer, the Mechanicum army has some radiation weapons so you could also investigate their potential as allies. For example the rad-cleanser. It sounds like a good tool for cleaning up after a radiation leak but no, it cleanses the area by killing things with radiation!

 

I think the Salamanders have some restrictions on destroyers or phosphex or something. I don't have the Loyalist book though.

[LameBeard]

I’ll look at the Salamanders. They might not have the biochem phosphex or rad, but they can field an army very generously equipped with buffed-up flamers. I feel like that could still get a very stern letter from the UN.

[SkimaskMohawk]

Salamanders get restricted on destroyers with some of their rites and warlord traits. But they can still take them if you're determined enough lol.

[Sawtooth]

Thanks everyone. It sounds like Death Guard are what I'm looking for :)

[sarabando]

the blood angels were also known to heavily field them, the ultras had a specialised force of them the nemisis  chapter, the world eaters had the red hand and the white scars had some too with some other red themed name. 

[LameBeard]

I am flattered to be marked as the solution for my rather hurried answer, so for any other people coming to the thread later who'd like something a bit fuller:

 

The clearest examples of 'proscribed and forbidden weaponry' for Legion Astartes:

 

Phosphex

Quote

Phosphex is a rare corrosive toxic and incendiary compound utterly inimical to life ... a seething liquid mist which burns with an eerie white-green flame which is attracted to movement ... and eats relentlessly into living tissue ...

Rad Weapons

Quote

... rad grenades and warheads detonate with a short, intense burst of radiation and shower the immediate area with highly contaminated fallout. As well as direct damage, these ... have the effect of debilitating rather than slaying outright, rendering a target vulnerable to further injury.

Poisoned (X)

Quote

There are many virulent and lethal poisons in the Age of Darkness.

 

These are all available to Destroyer squads (Toxiferran flamers are Poisoned). Phosphex is also available to Leviathans, and with a Siege-breaker unlock, Arquitor Morbus and Rapier quad launchers (plus the Siege-breaker himself).   The Moritat gets rad grenades. So you can see we have here HQ, Elites and Heavy Support options. Some legions get variants on Destroyers, such as World Eaters, Death Guard and effectively the Word Bearer Ashen Circle - but these are still Elites. Nullificators get access to Toxiferran flamers, but they are also Elites.  I can't see any choice or Rite of War which would unlock these weapons for Troops (or Fast Attack) choices, to give a more consistent overall theme, except:

 

Alchem Munitions

Quote

... the Death Guard made free use of a number of forbidden weapons, the most common of which were the various toxic compounds which they deployed in place of the more common promethium gel as ammuntion for flame weapons. These compounds could reduce flesh to a rancid slurry in moments ...

Toxin Bombs

Quote

Among the many forbidden tools the Death Guard removed from the armoury vaults of Barbarus were huge stockpiles of ancient nerve-phages and toxins. These chemical agents ... were more than capable of causing debilitating haemorrhaging ... and the Death Guard made widespread use of them with no regard for the damage done to the ecosystems of the worlds on which they fought.

So Death Guard could at least equip every sergeant and other character with some forbidden weapon, to bring the theme more consistently across the whole army, and you would have more options with Tactical Support Alchem Flamers or Heavy Support Heavy Alchem Flamers.  If you insist on literally every model carrying something forbidden, then you could try something like 'Pride of the Legion' and make your compulsory troops Veterans with Alchem combi-flamers.  This would be an awesome theme, but be warned - Alchem Weapons have Gets Hot!

 

If you wanted the theme in a different Traitor Legion, then I would consider Volkite and other weapons with Deflagrate,  Disintegrator weapons, and maybe 'ordinary' Flamers as still all pretty horrific weapons of war, which can be applied as a smattering to Troops and Fast Attack choices.

 

I'm not so familiar with the Loyalist book, but a quick flick through shows that Deathsworn (Space Wolves) have access to rad grendates, and Angels' Tears (Blood Angels) get rad grenades plus the option of the rad grenade launcher. Similarly, @sarabando has also pointed out the Ultramarines Nemesis Destroyers, and the White Scars Dark Sons of Death, from Exemplary Battles document.  These are all still Elites choices.  The Ultramarines are particularly interesting because that's the only option I can see which introduces forbidden bolter ammo:

Quote

The primary individual armament of the Nemesis Destroyers was superficially identical to the Tigris, Umbra and Phobos pattern
bolters that were in widespread use at the time of the Horus Heresy. Internally however, Legion artificers reworked the ammunition
feed systems and firing mechanisms allowing the weapons to fire experimental but volatile and often unstable rounds at a reduced
velocity. This ammunition was far from standardised, using payloads of chem-agents and toxins concocted to inflict unimaginable
pain as it rapidly adapted to the genetic structure of its target, unravelled it at a molecular level and rendered it to a grey slurry of base
matter. It is purported that these weapons were a further continuation of the development of toxiferran munitions started by the Death
Guard Legion during the Great Crusade.

 

However, the Dark Angels Dreadwing Rite of War 'Eskaton Imperative' allows Destroyers and Interemptors as Troops, so that seems to be the best option for a more consistent theme on proscribed weaponry for Loyalists.

 

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by LameBeard
Bit more on Loyalists

[Sawtooth]

So Phosphex is a chemical weapon that actually pursues living targets after it's fired?

[LameBeard]

Pretty much. It has a special rule called “Crawling Fire” to move the blast marker to cover more models than it would, once placed. But this is a one-off move. After that it stays put, but as dangerous terrain thanks to its other special rule “Lingering Death”.