Is the Warhammer 40k CHAINSWORD realistic?

An in depth analysis of the chainsword from Warhammer 40,000 to see how practical it would be in real life.

[shadiversity]

Big thanks to George Norman Lippert for the new intro animation! There’s more to come in that department so keep your eyes peeled ^_^
Hope you all like the new camera too, I know I do. And a bid thanks to Oz my editor for all the juicy Warhammer memes in this video.
Hmm, I feel like I’m forgetting something monumentally awesome. . . nah, must have been nothing.

[BeratLjumani]

You: describing the realism of a Chainsword

Me an Intellectual: MY FAITH IN THE EMPEROR IS ALL THAT IS NEEDED!

[FleetAdmiralDouglas]

So really creating a chainsword is only an engineering problem and not a break the laws of physics problem? Enginseers, get to it! The Emperor demands it!

[kevindenis]

"This tree is a heretic... cut down the trees, my brothers!!" Laughed so hard after hearing that.

[connerbixby]

*Tries to parry chainsword*
Now my weapon is in the next county, my whole hand is numb, and a very large gentleman is looking at me with purge filled eyes.

[KarolusTemplareV]

"Chainsword rotating clockwise would be pulled IN the enemy and pull the enemy ON to you" A Space Marine: "NICE"

[TrueMentorGuidingMoonlight]

“Look at the chainsaw brutality in Gears of War!”
me: *[laughs in 40K]*

[ornu]

It is inevitable that all weapon enthusiasts get dragged into 40k. Welcome to hell.

[th_Primarch]

Chainswords: Because sometimes you need to cut things while simultaneously already cutting things.

[raynmanshorts]

W40K developer 1: "You know what would be cool? If they used CHAINSAWS as swords!"
W40K developer 2: "Yeah! ...But is it realistic?"
W40K developer 1: "It's cool! But of course it's not realistic! Who cares about that?"
Shad: "I care! And actually..."

[Grimpoppet]

I am a simple man.
I see a Shad video on 40k,
I watch a Shad video on 40k.

[cedricschmidtke]

shad: "wheres all the removed material going? you would absolutely splattered"
me: are you trying to convince me theres not enough blood and guts in 40k?

[theoverpreparerlamentersr]

If I remember correctly, civilian tier chainswords push enemies away. Astartes chainswords pull them in.

[forgottenone]

Warhammer 40k + Shadiversity....the God Emperor has truly blessed us!

[DepressivesBrot]

15:00 chainswords are, in fact, reversible on the fly. Abnett makes references to the practice during the flashback duel in "First and Only".

[noahyang]

Are chain swords actually effective?

Shad: Well no, but yes.

[Sivartius]

In the Caiphas Cain novels it actually goes through the main character running through practice drills for blocks, strikes, parries and riposts, and then using them in combat. The main character is not a Space Marine, but he is described as extremely athletic and fit.


There is a scene where he is shown fighting an Ork Warboss, who is immensely stronger than him, has much greater reach, and is wearing power armor to boot, and armed with an even bigger chain weapon, where our hero is wearing a uniform. The first part of the fight has him dodging and parrying and thinking "Oh shit I'm going to die!" Then, after he's gotten a measure of his oponent he feigns running out of stamina. The warboss, being an orc, moves in for the kill, pressing their intersecting swords closer & closer, & leaning in to the hero, who he towers over. Whereupon, the protagonist shoves the pistol in his off hand through the Ork's vision slit, and into it's eye, and discharges it on full auto. I think it's a very good depiction of what that kind of combat would actually be like.

[kerrystagmer]

Hi Shad! Kerry from Man at Arms here. As one of the few people on earth with a functional chainsword (sitting right here in the room with me), I can tell you that one of the main problems with the sword as it is most often shown is the blade guard. The blade must have curf (width of cut) beyond the guard or it cant cut any deeper then the blade is exposed. This is a major issue! Power armour or great strength can as you stated fix issues of how cumbersome it might be but the physical issue of that guard cant be over come without major changes to the way these swords are normally shown. In our video you will notice that the guard is removed when we are cutting hard objects.

[darthskarr]

>Video of Shadiversity reviewing the 40k Chainsword: *Exists*
>In Count Dooku voice: *"I've been looking forward to this."*

[matthiuskoenig]

the universal laws:
red things go faster
purple things are invisable
and there is never enough dakka