Traitor's Bane Bolt Round

A cross-section of a Traitor's Bane round

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The **Traitor's Bane Bolt Round** is a type of Bolter ammunition developed by the Black fangs with the express purpose of covertly taking down the traitor Astartes of the Chaos Legions.

## Overview

The Traitor's Bane Bolt was invented during the creation of the Black Fangs Legion. The brilliant minds of the Zephala Syndicate collaborated to design this specialized bolt round. Drawing inspiration from various sources, they sought to create a munition that would deliver a devastating blow specifically tailored to incapacitate and eradicate traitor Astartes.

Intensive research and experimentation led to the development of the four-stage system that defines Traitor's Bane. The design incorporated elements from stalker-silenced rounds, capitalizing on their stealth and precision. By eschewing the traditional rocket propulsion system, the Black Fangs ensured that these bolts moved through the air silently, minimizing the chance of detection.

### Blueprint Promulgation

Recognizing the potency and the significance of Traitor's Bane, the Zephala Syndicate decided to share this weapon with Astartes Chapters with which they had a connection. They believed that any trustworthy Chapter waging war against treacherous Astartes should have access to this ammunition. Thus, the knowledge of its creation and usage was shared, allowing these brother Chapters to arm themselves with the righteous fury of Traitor's Bane. Since then it has been adopted by a number of fellow Chapters which likewise see the utility of a stealthy yet highly potent ammunition.

## Technical Information

Like all Bolt ammunition, the Traitor's Bane round has multiple stages of activation.
Its initial stage involves a small conventional charge, calibrated for propulsion, which propels the projectile through the barrel. Unlike traditional bolts, Traitor's Bane rounds do not rely on rocket propulsion and instead this charge is sufficient to propel it all the way to the target. Upon impact, the second stage initiates with the activation of a shaped charge, positioned at the head of the round. This explosive force transforms a metal wedge into a searing jet of molten metal, punching a hole through ceramite. A third explosion propels an explosive needle, carefully encased within the projectile, into the freshly created cavity left by the shaped charge. This needle detonates deep within the traitor's flesh, unleashing a cataclysmic eruption that ruptures internal organs.

### Downside

While an extremely effective round, due to the unique propulsion method the ammunition must be fired from a specially modified or custom crafted weapon, such as Huntsman Pattern Bolt Rifle, which has been strengthened to handle the increased internal pressures. While a typical Bolter barrel only needs to handle the pressure of the small initial charge, the Traitor's Bane round operates more like the ammunition of an Autogun, thus the pressures created are significantly higher than the norm. Despite this, the improved lethality is seen as sufficient advantage to justify this extra effort. This also offsets the extra complexity of manufacture.

## Variants

In addition to the standard round, the Black Fangs have also created an enlarged version to fit their Exuberant Pattern Anti-Materiel Rifles. Due to the extreme ranges involved, this version has a much larger initial charge to maintain parity with the primary projectile. While slightly less effective as an anti-materiel round, it makes up for this with increased effectiveness against armoured infantry and improved covertness.