The world of Warhammer 40,000 is filled with absurd and cruel methods of warfare. One strategy surpasses all others, at least in the human arsenal: Exterminatus. And several weapons in the imperial armory can trigger such planetary annihilation.
In the grimdark future of the 41st and 42nd millennia, a constant war rages between the Imperium of Man, Xenos, and the forces of Chaos. It’s not just about dominance in the galaxy, but also quite simply about survival.
At the center of most power struggles is the Imperium of Mankind, the currently dominant culture and the second strongest power in the galaxy. To ensure it remains this way, humanity has devised many means over the millennia.
From genetically engineered superhumans and fanatical warrior-priests to walking, armed cathedrals, everything is included. However, there is one weapon that is worse than anything else in the human arsenal: Exterminatus.
This high Gothic term for the annihilation of a world is the absolute last resort that the Imperium can undertake – and yet it has become widely known.
In the role-playing game Rogue Trader, you play a rogue trader who has the power to request an Exterminatus:
The annihilation of an entire world to prevent something worse
An Exterminatus can only be requested by the highest-ranking organizations of the Imperium, such as the Inquisition, the highest Space Marines, Lord Admirals, or the Lord Commander himself.
The obliteration of an entire world means that all life on it is exterminated, rendering the planet uninhabitable for millennia. The decision is only made when there truly are no other options left to save the planet, such as when:
- the corruption from Chaos has grown so great that it can no longer be contained and could spread to other worlds
- the ravenous Tyranids have completely taken over the planet through their infiltration
- an alien species resides on the planet that is deemed too dangerous
- the necessary resources to reclaim the world greatly exceed the benefits
Essentially, an Exterminatus is only requested when it comes to preventing something worse than the loss of an entire world – such as the loss of even more worlds or a total military defeat.
Virus bomb, Cyclone torpedo, Lance strike – How do you destroy a planet?
“Exterminatus” is the term for the destruction of a world in general. However, the Imperium has several means to bring about such annihilation. Over the millennia, humanity has developed various weapons that can classify as Exterminatus, including:
- Virus bombs that release a virus which spreads in seconds and can even penetrate seals. It turns all living things into a “bubbling mass” within moments, releasing combustible gases that can then be ignited.
- Bioweapons (“Heraclitus”) that stimulate the growth of the planet’s flora and fauna to such an extent that they can grow over kilometers within seconds and consume nutrients and oxygen in mere moments. A few weeks later, nothing will be alive.
- Precise “lance strikes” that hit a critical target, leading to a chain reaction that cracks the planet’s crust and transforms the world into a volcanic landscape.
- Various torpedoes, including:
- Melter torpedoes that burn hotter than any nuclear weapon and turn even great cities into a pile of molten metal and rock.
- Cyclone torpedoes that either trigger a chain reaction that ignites the planet’s atmosphere or drill into the planet’s core to destabilize it from within.
Where the infamous Death Star from Star Wars merely blows up a planet with its laser, an Exterminatus sustainably destroys everything that ever was on the world. This is crucial because the ravenous Tyranids could still extract biomass from parts of planets, but not from a completely annihilated world.
The different organizations of the Imperium have their own “preferences” when it comes to Exterminatus. However, this decision is never made lightly.
An Exterminatus is the absolute last option
Even the dictatorial Imperium tries to save worlds whenever possible. Usually not because of the negligible human lives, but because of the important infrastructure and resources on the planet.
An overly zealous Inquisitor once had the plan to install Exterminatus defenses to stop Tyranid invasions. For this, he was branded a heretic, because even a Tyranid attack is not as devastating.
When the bug aliens feast on a world, there is theoretically the possibility to make the planet habitable again through terraforming once the technology is available. An Exterminatus makes the world uninhabitable for millennia, often even permanently.
Even in the absurd scale of Warhammer 40,000, Exterminatus is rarely used, with less than 100 officially known applications – the real number could be higher. And presumably, there would be better ways to win battles, but presumably no one insists on that: “Misunderstood the setting” – newcomers suggest improvements for Warhammer 40,000 – fans explain why those are ridiculous
