The Avenger Shuriken Catapult is the standard weapon of the Dire Avenger Aspect Warriors, a refined version of the Eldar shuriken catapult that trades raw volume for reach and precision. It’s the gun that defines how the Aspect fights: disciplined, accurate, and brutally efficient at close range.
What it is
It’s an Aeldari shuriken weapon, a type of projectile gun that fires a stream of monomolecular discs. The Avenger variant is built specifically for the Dire Avengers, the Aspect Warriors who serve as the craftworlds’ elite line infantry.
Compared to a standard shuriken catapult, the Avenger has a longer barrel, an improved power feed, and built-in rangefinders. That combination gives it better range and accuracy, which is exactly what the Dire Avengers need to hold a firing line.
How it performs
The Avenger is fully automatic and can spit out around 1,500 rounds per minute. That sounds great until you realise it’ll empty its ammunition core in about four seconds at that rate.
So Dire Avengers usually fire in semi-automatic, picking shots to conserve ammo. They save the full-auto burst for close-range assaults, where the sheer weight of fire can shred lighter targets before they close.
- Fully automatic, roughly 1,500 rpm.
- Ammo core empties in about four seconds of sustained fire.
- Standard doctrine is semi-auto for precision, full-auto for emergencies.
- Extended barrel and rangefinders give it better reach than a normal shuriken catapult.
What it can and can’t do
Avenger shurikens won’t punch through the thick plating of Adeptus Astartes power armour. They don’t need to. The discs will slip into joints, eye lenses, and other weak points, which makes them lethal against Space Marines despite the armour.
That’s the weapon’s whole philosophy: not brute force, but precision. Against lightly armoured infantry it’s devastating, and even heavy infantry has to respect those vulnerable spots.
Notable variant: the Gatekeepers Bastion
The Gatekeepers Bastion is a modified Avenger Shuriken Catapult built for harsh environments. It has a reinforced casing around the barrel and magazine, plus an augmented scope and rangefinder designed to cut through snowstorms, sandstorms, and other hostile conditions.
The extra weight also makes it a decent club if a Dire Avenger ends up in melee, and the improved seals make it far less likely to jam or clog in the middle of a fight.
Where it fits in the lore
The Avenger Shuriken Catapult sits alongside other Aeldari shuriken weapons like the shuriken pistol, shuriken cannon, and the standard shuriken catapult. It’s a two-handed weapon, and it’s inseparable from the Dire Avengers’ identity as disciplined, mobile firepower.
If you know the Dire Avengers, you know this gun. It’s their signature, and it shows how the craftworlds favour speed and precision over the blunt attrition of the Imperium.
Key facts
- Standard weapon of the Dire Avengers Aspect Warriors.
- A refined shuriken catapult with longer barrel, power feeds, and rangefinders.
- Fully automatic at about 1,500 rpm, but empties its core in four seconds.
- Normally fired semi-auto; full-auto is reserved for close range.
- Shurikens can’t pierce power armour plating but will hit joints and eye lenses.
- The Gatekeepers Bastion is a fortified variant built for extreme environments.
FAQ
What’s the difference between an Avenger Shuriken Catapult and a normal shuriken catapult?
The Avenger has a longer barrel, better power feeds, and built-in rangefinders. That gives it more range and accuracy, which is why it’s the Dire Avengers’ standard weapon rather than the baseline catapult.
How much ammo does it have?
It can fire about 1,500 rounds per minute, but that empties the ammunition core in roughly four seconds. Dire Avengers normally use semi-auto to conserve shots, saving full-auto for close assaults.
Can it kill a Space Marine?
Not by punching through power armour directly, but the shurikens can easily penetrate weak points like joints and eye lenses. So yes, it’s dangerous to Space Marines despite the armour.