The shredder is a Drukhari ranged weapon that fires an expanding net of barbed monofilaments, a web that tangles a victim and slices them apart as they struggle. It’s a signature tool of Dark Eldar Warriors, and it’s a completely different thing from the Imperial weapon that shares part of its name.
What the shredder does
Pull the trigger and the shredder throws out a mesh of monofilaments, each strand lined with tiny barbs. The net expands as it travels, then wraps around whatever it hits.
The victim can’t see it coming. Worse, the more they thrash, the deeper the strands bite. It’s a weapon built around panic and slow ruin rather than a clean kill.
Who uses it
The shredder shows up mainly in the hands of Dark Eldar Warriors, the rank-and-file Kabalite troops of Commorragh.
It sits in the wider Drukhari armoury alongside splinter rifles, blasters, and dark lances. Where those weapons punch holes or deliver toxins, the shredder is about entanglement and attrition.
- Primary users: Drukhari Warriors (Kabalite troops)
- Weapon type: ranged, anti-infantry
- Firing effect: expanding monofilament mesh with barbs
- Damage style: slicing and entanglement, not impact
Shredder vs particle shredder
Don’t mix the Drukhari shredder up with the Imperial particle shredder. They share a name and nothing else.
The Imperial version is an arcane Great Crusade and Horus Heresy era weapon. It sprays supercharged particles that strip a target down atom by atom, and it turned up mounted on the Disruption Fists of Saturnine Terminators.
A bigger version, the Heavy Particle Shredder, was sometimes fitted to the torso of the Saturnine Dreadnought. So if you’re reading about Saturnine armour, you’re in Imperial territory, not Commorragh.
| Weapon | Faction | How it kills |
|---|---|---|
| Shredder | Drukhari | Monofilament mesh that slices as the target struggles |
| Particle shredder | Imperial (Great Crusade/Horus Heresy) | Sprays supercharged particles that strip the target atom by atom |
Why it matters
The shredder is a neat summary of how the Drukhari fight. It’s cruel, it’s indirect, and it turns the victim’s own panic against them.
For hobbyists it’s also a useful reminder that 40k reuses names across factions. If you’re list-building or reading rules, check the faction before you assume which shredder you’re looking at.
Key facts
- The shredder is a Drukhari ranged weapon used mainly by Dark Eldar Warriors.
- It fires an expanding mesh of monofilaments with tiny barbs along each strand.
- The mesh entangles the victim and slices them apart as they struggle.
- The Imperial particle shredder is a separate weapon from the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy.
- Particle shredders were mounted on Saturnine Terminator Disruption Fists, and a Heavy Particle Shredder on the Saturnine Dreadnought.
FAQ
What is the shredder in Warhammer 40k?
It’s a Drukhari ranged weapon that fires an expanding mesh of barbed monofilaments. The net entangles the target and slices them apart as they struggle.
Is the shredder the same as the particle shredder?
No. The particle shredder is an Imperial weapon from the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy that strips targets down atom by atom. The Drukhari shredder is a monofilament net weapon.
Who carries the shredder?
It’s used primarily by Dark Eldar (Drukhari) Warriors, the basic Kabalite troops.