| “ | The Hammer of the Witches, fired with righteous purpose, smites evil with thunderous, armour-shattering blasts. | „ |
Hammer of the Witches (Great Cannons) are an 
Empire Regiment of Renown artillery unit introduced in Total War: Warhammer with The Grim and the Grave.
Recruitment[ | ]
Recruited with: Regiments of Renown Recruitment panel
Description[ | ]
The Imperial cannon known as the Hammer of the Witches was one of the few recovered from Fort Oberstyre before it was abandoned to its ghosts. The Great Cannon earned its name during the Gorstanford Fire of 2502 IC, that infamous year when a young Alberich von Korden hunted down and tried a notorious witch known only as the Grey Hag. Tied to a stake in the town square, the witch was sentenced to be burned alive. The fires beneath her were lit by von Korden's own torch, but to the horror of the throng that had assembled to watch the execution, the cursed woman did not burn. Instead, she crackled louder and louder, the crackling fires beneath her echoing her laughter. As the shrieks reached a crescendo, the flames leaped out like living things, igniting the dry thatch of the buildings around the periphery of the square. Within minutes, Gorstanford burned, it's people fleeing in panic. The Grey Hag remained untouched, laughing hysterically in the center of the inferno.
The disaster was only contained when an Imperial Great Cannon, under repair in the town's smithy, was hastily primed, stuffed with the nearest pile of metal (a bucket of horseshoes), and fired. The blacksmith, Bennec Sootson, claims that Sigmar was with him that day, for the cannon held true and the improvised grapeshot blasted the witch apart in a violent explosion of gore. Though the cannon was later seconded to Talabecland's grand army, during the Beast Hunt of 2520, the blacksmith Sootson still forms part of the cannon's crew, and he has claimed the wretched lives of many a witch and warlock since his conscription into the ranks.[1a]
Attributes[ | ]
- Siege Artillery
- ▲ Armour-Piercing Missiles: The damage of armour-piercing weapons mostly ignores the armour of the target, making them the ideal choice against heavily-armoured enemies. They are often heavier and attack at a slower rate though, making them less efficient against poorly-armoured targets.
- ▲ Anti-Large: Anti-Large: Anti-large units have an advantage against targets that are at least as large as a horse. This advantage can be a damage bonus against large targets or an attack that focuses on a very small area. However, some units are simply better against large targets because their attacks are slow and easy to dodge by skilled melee combatants.
- ▲ Good Range: This unit has a larger range than most other units of the same class. This allows it to take out hostile missile units before they can come into firing range.
Difference from Great Cannons[ | ]
- New Imbuement on ranged: Magical Attacks
- Physical Resistance increased from 0 to 25%
- Leadership increased to 60
- Melee attack increased to 13
- Melee defence increased to 10
- Ammunition increased to 30
- Missile Damage increased to 322
- Base Missile Damage increased to 145
- Armour-Piercing Missile Damage increased to 435
- Reload Time decreased to 18.04
- Cost increased from 800 to 1100 (SP & MP)
- Upkeep increased from 200 to 275
Strategy[ | ]
