Magmapike

Not all of the Fyreslayers close the distance to butcher their foes with axe and pick. The elite Auric Hearthguard, sworn protectors of a lodge's kings, carry instead the Magmapike, a weapon that is part spear and part fire-lock, able to strike a foe from afar and impale him should he draw near.

Each magmapike is forged around a core of magmic power drawn from the volcanic heart of the magmahold. At a word, its wielder can loose a searing bolt of molten rock that punches through armour and sears the flesh beneath, raining ruin upon the enemy while the rest of the lodge advances. When the fighting closes to arm's length, the same weapon becomes a broad-bladed spear, its point still glowing with the heat of the forge as it runs a foe clean through. Few enemies expect a duardin skirmisher to fight equally well at range and in the crush of melee.

The Hearthguard are chosen from among the most devout and disciplined warriors of a lodge, and their magmapikes reflect that station. The ur-gold runes seared into their bodies stoke the inner fire that feeds their weapons, and in the burning realm of Aqshy and the fire-touched holds beyond, a phalanx of levelled magmapikes can hold a pass or a gateway against odds that would break lesser troops. Steady, deadly, and utterly loyal, they are the ember-lit wall behind which the runefathers wage their wars.