What Sounds do Your Army's Weapons Make?

[ElectricPaladin]

In your head?

I'm serious. What sort of sounds do they make, in your head, when you are playing them?

I play a variety of armies, so my ideas are quite varied. I picture Imperial weapons as having that high-pitched firearms "crack!" and lower artillery "boom!" depending on the weapon. Except for lascannons, which are a sharp high-pitched hiss, and melta weapons, which make more of muffled "whump" noise (followed by sizzling, of course). Plasma weapons have that traditional sci-fi "pew pew" noise, getting larger as the weapon increases in size.

Eldar weapons, on the other hand, are all eerily silent. Their shuriken weapons all make only the faintest hiss as the monomolecular edge weapon cuts through the air. Even their beam weapons only make the nearly inaudible sound of the air being ionized and displaced by the laser or lance shot. Of course, the results are noisier - the thud of shurikens into flesh, the scream of tortured metal - but the shots themselves are nearly silent.

The Tau are somewhere in-between. Their mechanical weapons - missile launchers and such - make audible clicking noises as new rounds are chambered, and the missiles have fairly noisy rockets and fairly noisy explosions. Railguns are accompanied by increasingly impressive booms. The various plasma weapons make quiet, muted "pew pew" sounds, while ion weapons just make a staticky hiss.

What about you? What do you imagine while you're playing?

[Houghten]

An Orky battlefield is a noisy battlefield. Between the DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA of shootas and big shootas, and the even louder BRAKA BRAKA BRAKA of deffguns, and the overlapping BOOM-BLAM of kilkannons and boomgunz, you can barely hear the zzap guns crackling.

Also, the Praetor's missiles go pf-WSH-FEEEEEW! It looks like it rolled out of a Thunderbirds episode, it should sound like it too.

Plasma cannons do not go "pew pew." They go BEYOW!

[Nabterayl]

I imagine my space marines' bolters making a BAOWL sound from the initial propellant and the short muzzle, followed by a hiss that you generally can't hear because you're either deafened by the initial discharge or it's buzzing past your ear like a bumblebee. My space marines' bolter fusillades are generally pretty quiet, because they don't believe in suppression fire as a rule and fire single shots, like the professionals they are. Melta weaponry just makes a sort of frying bacon sizzle. Lascannon make an electric whine as the capacitors discharge followed by a thunderclap as they ionize the air.

My orks believe in suppression fire to the exclusion of all else and only fire single shots with high-caliber pistols. Their sluggas either make a CRACK CRACK noise or a RAT-A-TAT (for the select-fire sluggas), and their shootas make a lot of DAKKA DAKKA while the big shootas go BUDDA BUDDA and the dakkagunz go DADDADADDADAKK, all punctuated by the FWAOSH of rokkits corkscrewing through the air.

[phoenix01]

According to my five year old son, they ALL go "Pew-Pew".

[DarkLink]

"I don't know what that weapon is called, I just know the sound it makes when it takes another man's life."

[euansmith]

"Come on! Come on! Come and get it, baby! Come on! I don't got all day! Come on! Come on! Come on you b*****d! Come on, you too! Oh, you want some of this? F**k you! Hicks? Hicks! HICKS!!!"

[Wildeybeast]

My railguns sound exactly the Normandy going through mass acceleration thingy on Mass Effect.

[Houghten]

Ah yes, railguns.

whmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMPAWW!

[Mr Mystery]

Guns I dunno.

But my Necrons sound like the Martians from Mars Attacks!

[Mr.Pickelz]

For Orkz, I'd imagine it like this but with more explosions and people yelling "Waagh!" as loud as possible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwAkkIbRbRE

[interrogator_chaplain]

Hurray! Onomatopoeia!

Bolter's: Bmpff-Bmpff-Bmpff-Bmpff-Bmpff...
Lascannon's: Vmmm-Ffwwwwhh...
Plasma Pistol: Fffeww...
Plasma Gun: Ffewwaa...
Plasma Talon: Ffewwaffewaa-Ffewwaffewaa-Ffewwaffewaa-Ffewwaffewaa...
Plasma Cannon: Ffffeww-Paawwff...
Meltagun: Zzzzvvvmmm...
Assault Cannon: Wwwwhhrrrr-Bbbrrrrrrrmmmmmm...
Autocannon: Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump...
Flamer: Fffwwoooosshhh...
Grav-gun: Pprreeeill...

[ElectricPaladin]

This thread is rapidly the most ridiculous thing I've seen all day... I love it!

[Mr Mystery]

That's not how you're Lascannon went at Warhammer World :p

[Deadlift]

Graviton weapons go bumbumbumbumbumbumbum, this is when you know you army's about to get ****ed up the ***.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

I tend to think of each Boltgun shot sounding like an (incredibly amplified) slammed door.

[Nabterayl]

Oh! And don't forget the sound of my shokk attack gun: Waaaaaahnononononono-vrrrrrrrrrrr-VRRROOM-WAOM-woam-woam-woam-WOAM-woam-woam-woam-CRACKLE-AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[Scion_of_Terra]

Dark Eldar weapons sound like people screaming.

Wait, that's people actually screaming. No one knows what DE weapons sound like.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

My necrons talk like this :

http://tachyoncrisistalon.bandcamp.com/album/neural-network-enhancer

[iheartgrimdark]

I like to think melta based weapons are very nearly silent until they start melting stuff.

[Wolfshade]

My guns don't make any noises as I have no imagination.

[Joe TwoCrows]

I agree for dark matter; they suck in all sound, leaving only the sounds of death. Splinter projectiles sound like an immense swarm of hell's own hornets.

[interrogator_chaplain]

That's not how you're Lascannon went at Warhammer World :p

Quiet you. ;)

[Morgrim]

I've always imagined that splinter weapons are fairly quiet, but if you're close enough to hear they sound like shattering crystal and a faint whispering sound as the projectiles exit.

[Maine]

My Fleshborers go "Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip"

My Stranglethorn Cannons go "Schloooorp-wump........ splorch"

My Devourers go "Fzzzz.... bzzzzzzZZZZZZ-THWICK-THWICK-THWICK"

My Screamer Killer goes "SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE *crunch*crunch*crunch*rend*crunch*"

My enemies go "Aaaaaaaarrrrgghhhhhhhhhhh! *gurgle*"

And my ripper swarms go nom-nom-nom-nom-nom.

[Psychosplodge]

Well everyone should know lascannon go "freeeem"

Bolters I imagine sound like the deep whump grenade launchers apparenly make followed by a phwooash as the rocket motor ignites

plasma I imagine is silent (or above our hearing) until it hits something

railguns should make a loud crack like thunder...

[Denzark]

Ian Watson described the bolt gun noise in detail in the inquisition series - I will transpose when i get home...

[Wolfshade]

well everyone should know lascannon go "freeeem"
tsoalr?

[Psychosplodge]

tsoalr?

Indeed :D

[Kaptain Badrukk]

Sluggas and Shootas go "Dakka Dakka"
Big Shootas and Dakkaguns "DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA"
Kustom mega blastas and Zapp Guns go "WeeeeeeeeeeEEEEE-Zzzap-BAMF!"
Boomguns, Lobbas, Kannons and killkannons go "Boom!"
Skorchas and Burnas go "Whommpfh!"
Rokkit Launchas go "Swwwwwwwwwsh-phfweeeeeeeeee-Bang!"
Deffguns and Snazzguns may make any of the above, at any time, even when you didn't pull the trigger. And they reserve the right to not make the same noise next time.
The Shokk Attack guns goes;
Tumpty tumpty tum (snotling minding his own business, probably picking his nose)
Brrrrrmmmmmm-fwshSSSSHHHHHHH-SCLUP!
"Arg, elp me!"
WHEEEEEE-CHUGGA-CHUGGA-BOIIIIIIING!
"Wass goin' on?"
FRREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!
"Wassat? No, no, I don' wanna go in dere!"
KZAMPF!
"Yaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
Kersploof!
"Gribbertygliberfumblemungle!"
"How in the name of the emperor did that get in my terminator armor? Oh Throne it's peeing my ear, someone get it out!!!!"

[Dave Mcturk]

mine go ; [1:1] " "f**k missed again !" ...

[Horncastle]

Well everyone should know lascannon go "freeeem"

I can't believe it took three pages for someone to say this. :)

[Psychosplodge]

I can't believe it took three pages for someone to say this. :)

:confused:

But we're still on the first page...

[Dlatrex]

When playing my Necrons, I imagine the weapons producing a cacophony of noise, since subtlety doesn't seem to be their idiom:

Gauss Weapons: A thunderclap of voided atmosphere
Tesla Weapons: The hiss and crackle of a high voltage switch being opened
Particle Weapons: The scream of a very wet or very hungry baby

For the tyranids the only weapon I regularly think about (and vocalize during games!) is the Doom of Malan'tai's' cataclysm. I envision occasional blurts of static, increasing slowly until they overlap at an ear splitting level, followed by the thunderous burst like the orbital bombardment seen in Akira

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQh26wKS6f8#t=1m24s

[eldargal]

Dark Eldar: The sound is modulated so each shot is a sound evoking absolute terror. In most cases this is multiple females of the species giggling.

[SacredChao]

Well, my sonic weaponry doesn't have firing noises, all they are is speakers with Dubstep playing at the enemy, causing their heads to explode from the awfulness!

It is common debate at my game store between the Noise Marines who use Dubstep, and the Noise Marines that use Death Metal!

[DWest]

Sonic Weaponry is definitely Dubstep, according to Slannesh Simulator 2013 (aka Saints Row IV).

Helpfully, in another thread Meph posted a clip of the exact sound that an Imperial Guard list maxed out on the missile artillery makes: Link (http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?35387-B-amp-SI-Super-Heavy-Multiple-Launch-Rocket-System-(MLSR)&p=356665&viewfull=1#post356665)

[Cactus]

My skaven Mordheim gang squeeks and I make "ratty" with my mouth when they move.

My tomb kings moan like Scooby-Do villains.

My orks talk like British chavs.

Anything las- goes, "pew-pew-pew."

[phreakachu]

Sonic Weaponry is definitely Dubstep,
just one more reason Slaanesh sucks.

Bolters go Brakkabrakkabkak
Battle Cannons go ka-KOOOOM!!!
Autocannons go duh-Choom!
Meltaguns go phiiiiissssssh!
Plasma Weapons go ZZZZZORRRCH!!!
Chainweapons go bbbrrrRRRRRAAAAWRRRRRR!
Enemies go (bloodcurdling screams)
Berzerkers go 'BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD'

.... i think i just wrote the best children's book ever.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Well, my sonic weaponry doesn't have firing noises, all they are is speakers with Dubstep playing at the enemy, causing their heads to explode from the awfulness!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnzuRnKnO7E

[YorkNecromancer]

Like God slamming a door.

A fully-automatic, belt-fed door.











I may have mixed my metaphors somewhat.

[jgebi]

My army sounds like an unrelenting tide of metal moving forth from the dark, with their metallic foot steps so in line that the vostrian first born envy them. behind the millions of foot steps you hear what sounds like the wind but more metallic and menacing. Then over the sounds of feet marching and metallic wind you can hear a low pitch whine and the sucking of air. But before you can make out the shapes of these sounds lighting strikes from the sky with an epic roar that makes the space wolves sound like children then the screams of the hit break across the battle field as weapons are moved into place with machine precise movements with a sound much like well worn gears clicking into place followed by an unrelenting WHHHUUM from the metallic foot steps. The wind sounds like it has become angry and starts to devour everything of flesh and metal it can find. Somewhere behind the enemy lines you can here the crack of the hunters coming for their targets followed by screams of terror, anger and pleas for mercy before they are cut down but cracking staves. behind the metallic lines the low pitched whine is replaced with an angry growl then the sounds of grumbled metal and breaking glass as balls of pure energy are let lose.

This is what my army sounds like should be fairly easy to guess what I play

[DWest]

Like God slamming a door.

A fully-automatic, belt-fed door.

I now have this mental image of a very long hallway lined with big, massive open doors and the Hulk running down the hallway slamming them shut one after another. And then there being a "magazine reload" lever that pulls them all back open, with suitably impressive crunchy noises.

[LordGrise]

Pulse carbine: vow vow. vow vow.
Pulse rifle: vow. vow. vow vow.
Burst cannon: vowvowvowvow.
Heavy burst cannon:VOW-VOW-VOW-VOW-VOW-VOW-VOW-VOW...
Heavy burst cannon nova-charged: HHREEEEEE-VOW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW -ow -ow -ow (echoes in your ears...)

Hey, when did I become a Chaplain?

[ElectricPaladin]

Hey, when did I become a Chaplain?

It's from your post count. Congratulations! I'm first-captain, myself. That means that as soon as Tynskel dies, I become chapter master!

[Rissan4ever]

Actually, EP, you appear to be a Chapter-Master now.

Lasgun: zap, zap-zap-zap, zap-zap, zap
Lascannon: wwwrrREEEE-ZAAOOOOW!
Grenade Launcher: poomp! BOOM!
Mortars (squad of 3): thoomp, thoomp, thoomp! [pause] BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
Missile Launcher: Fisssh - Ka-POW!
Heavy Bolter: GUHGUHGUHGUHGUHGUHGUHGUH!
Autocannon: BOOMP-BOOMP-BOOMP-BOOMP-BOOMP-BOOMP!
Flamer: FAH-WHOOOOOSH! followed by screaming
Inferno Cannon: ROAR-FWOOOOOOSSSZH! followed by LOTS of screaming
Battle Cannon: BLAM! KA-BOOOOOOOM!
Meltagun: vnnnnnnnnn
Plasma Gun: zeeeOWSH!
Various Artillery: distant krump, krump, following by a whistling, then BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

Hehehe! Best thread ever!

[bfmusashi]

All my chainswords sound like dentist's drills.

[Hunter]

if we are talking real railguns , it sounds more like a zank as the magnet sequence fires off at high speed "and reeks of ozone afterwards".

we built one in college for kicks out of discarded tech that was heading of for the bin.

[Joe TwoCrows]

Dark Eldar: The sound is modulated so each shot is a sound evoking absolute terror. In most cases this is multiple females of the species giggling.

Or, for your kabal, just your giggling? :D

[ElectricPaladin]

Actually, EP, you appear to be a Chapter-Master now.

Well, either Tysnkel is dead - unlikely - or the High Lords of Terra have decided to appoint me the leader of a new successor chapter. Either way, artificer armor for everyone and a brand new orbital bombardment button for me!

[Psychosplodge]

Hehehe! Best thread ever!

No, we already had one of those, and now it has a tribute...

[Horncastle]

:confused:

But we're still on the first page...

My system limits the number of replies to 10 a page; so for me it was page 3.

[Horncastle]

Bolters I imagine sound like the deep whump grenade launchers apparenly make followed by a phwooash as the rocket motor ignites

This is how I've always thought of bolters as well.

[Rissan4ever]

I disagree. I think bolters would sound more like Gyro-jet weapons. While each round is technically a mini-rocket, they're so small and fire at such a high cyclic rate, that they wouldn't sound that different from normal bullets of a similar caliber.

[Mr Mystery]

For those familiar with Red Alert 2....I now believe my Gauss weapons sound like the Iraqi Desolator's gun!

[Psychosplodge]

I disagree. I think bolters would sound more like Gyro-jet weapons. While each round is technically a mini-rocket, they're so small and fire at such a high cyclic rate, that they wouldn't sound that different from normal bullets of a similar caliber.

I dunno, I imagine there'd still be a distinct two sounds.

[Nabterayl]

Yeah. I imagine that normal caliber bolters are pretty quiet, and have three distinct sounds - a pak as the initial propellant detonates, a hissss in-flight from the rocket, and a crack as it detonates. Most of the time, I think, you'd only hear the first and third, though multiple discharges in a short time period might create a sort of background susurrus of rocket noises.

Astartes-caliber bolters I think would have different noises, since the initial propellant charge is presumably heavier yet the barrel no longer, the rocket presumably produces somewhat more thrust, and the warhead is slightly larger, but you'd still have three technically distinct noises. The fluff seems to insist that space marine bolters are loud, which I suppose is probably true if you have comparatively large initial propellant loads with those very short barrels, but the rocket and detonation noises probably wouldn't be especially noisy.

[Rissan4ever]

Perhaps you're right. The larger caliber rocket would definitely make a throatier FOOM for FWOOSH, as opposed to the BANG of a normal firearm. But I doubt you'd hear the HISS unless it was a long range shot and the bolt was flying over or past you.

I revise my earlier post. My Heavy Bolters now go FOO-FOO-FOOSH, FOO-FOO-FOOSH, FOO-FOO-FOO-FOO-FOO-FOO-FOOSH!

[Nabterayl]

But I doubt you'd hear the HISS unless it was a long range shot and the bolt was flying over or past you.
Yeah, I agree. And honestly even then I am not sure if the rocket hiss would be very noticeable compared to the drone of a comparatively large object (large compared to a bullet of identical caliber, I mean) moving past you at high speed.

[Rissan4ever]

Yeah, I agree. And honestly even then I am not sure if the rocket hiss would be very noticeable compared to the drone of a comparatively large object (large compared to a bullet of identical caliber, I mean) moving past you at high speed.
I've read accounts by WWII veterans who said that bullets going past you make little cracking sounds. It's the sound of the tiny sonic booms they make. I don't know if that would be louder than the rocket or not.

[MisterCyto]

I always imagine my centurions walking into a wall of weapons fire like this;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dwWZRQxQnQ
ps Their Grav cannons go Kaboom too :)

[Cactus]

Like God slamming a door.

A fully-automatic, belt-fed door.

I may have mixed my metaphors somewhat.

Not if you're talking about a garage door. Although, my garage door is a bit dodgy, but it rattles half the house.

[DarkLink]

I've read accounts by WWII veterans who said that bullets going past you make little cracking sounds. It's the sound of the tiny sonic booms they make. I don't know if that would be louder than the rocket or not.

Go and watch Black Hawk Down.

Guns are pretty frikin loud, but I don't think shoulder fired rockets break the sound barrier. They tend to make a big Thoomp, but you don't hear an echoing Crack like with a rifle bullet.

[Nabterayl]

Well, we have no confirmation whether bolts are supersonic, or if they are, at what point in their flight they become so.

I think it's plausible to assume that they are, though. They have roughly the same range as an autogun, which we can infer is supersonic from its modern-day equivalents. But we don't know anything about the rocket's burn profile, so I don't think we can infer when they're supersonic. It could be that the rocket is set to burn evenly, for instance, so perhaps the bolt only breaks the sound barrier in the final stages of its travel (and thus, only against targets towards the edge of its effective range). It could be that the rocket is set to burn mostly up front, so perhaps it is supersonic for most of its flight. We don't know.

Even if they are subsonic in flight, though, they're still going to make noise as they go past your ear. It might not be the crack of a rifle bullet, but it's not going to be silent even if the bolt is ballistic if it's traveling at several hundred mps. And if it's not ballistic, who knows how loud the rocket is as it buzzes past you. A lot quieter than the initial propellant, probably, but possibly quite loud if it almost hits your head.

EDIT: One of the things I think is funny about las weaponry is that if the beam misses you, it's always going to sound like it was coming from the side. Even though the beam originates from in front of you, all you're likely to hear is the column of air expanding essentially simultaneously.

[madlants]

I know it's not in the fluff, but I always imagine lasguns making a little "pewpewpew" sound, partly because that's the stereotypical laser noise, and partly because they're so wimpy.:D

Bolters, on the other hand, are LOUD. Like a modern machine gun with a built in surround sound system and the sound of an exploding hand grenade each time a bullet hits.

[DWest]

Well, we have no confirmation whether bolts are supersonic, or if they are, at what point in their flight they become so.

In False Gods, page 89, there's a debate between the Mournival members on whether to load supersonic, subsonic, or mass-reactive bolter rounds for their upcoming mission. More generally, I would assume that the artificers would attempt for supersonic rounds whenever possible, to reduce the round's flight time for better targeting.

[Camael]

For those familiar with Red Alert 2....I now believe my Gauss weapons sound like the Iraqi Desolator's gun!
That's what I thought melta sounded like!
All variants on bolters sond like an M60 in my head
Autocannons sound like normal tank rounds
Missile launchers make a dull kind *thwump*
Lascannons sound like the Spartan Laser from Halo
Assault cannons sound like the grinder guns from gears of war
Plasma kinda goes *vvvvvvvvvpzzzzzch*

[James_33]

I have little imagination so a lot of things sound like weapons from other franchises.

Lascannons sound like starship phasers on "Star Trek: The Next Generation", complete with the energy buildup sound.
Plasma guns sound like Imperial Stormtroopers' blasters.
Bolters sound like Indiana Jones' handgun in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", but louder and with a higher rate of fire.
Meltaguns give off a hiss like escaping steam.
Most Necron weapons sound like the Martian heat rays from the 1953 "War of the Worlds".

[Cdodders]

To me, bolters are more of a ka-blam, ka-blam, ka-blam, ka-blam-ka-blam-ka-blam, sort of a loud, hard, flat noise.

Auto-cannons are like the 40mm Bofors

Lasguns are a eeEEE-crack

[TheyStoleMyName!]

A friend and I have always had Dark Matter weapons going "zort"

Agreed that most Eldar weapons are likely fairly silent, even reaper launcher probably just make a hissing sound. Distort weapons still confuse me a bit....not certain what reality being torn apart should sound like.

[Psychosplodge]

In False Gods, page 89, there's a debate between the Mournival members on whether to load supersonic, subsonic, or mass-reactive bolter rounds for their upcoming mission. More generally, I would assume that the artificers would attempt for supersonic rounds whenever possible, to reduce the round's flight time for better targeting.

I thought the standard 40K loadout was mass reactive? But that's still got to be super- or sub- sonic *doh*



Assault cannons sound like


http://youtu.be/ClEo2OfA2Zs

[Psychosplodge]

In False Gods, page 89, there's a debate between the Mournival members on whether to load supersonic, subsonic, or mass-reactive bolter rounds for their upcoming mission. More generally, I would assume that the artificers would attempt for supersonic rounds whenever possible, to reduce the round's flight time for better targeting.

I thought the standard 40K loadout was mass reactive? But that's still got to be super- or sub- sonic *doh*



Assault cannons sound like

from about 2:50...


http://youtu.be/ClEo2OfA2Zs

[DWest]

I believe mass-reactive is the default *now*, but that could easily be due to them losing/forgetting/declaring heretical the other standard ammo types.