Mole mortar

Astra Militarum Portal

Imperium Portal Squats

Cthonian Earthshaker with Mole Mortar^[3]

The Mole Mortar is a support weapon used by some Imperial and Leagues of Votann forces. It is basically an inverted mortar that fires a burrowing sub-surface missile, or tunnel-torpedo, into the ground.^[1a] The missile burrows its way toward its target, bypassing all surface hazards and defenses, emerging from the ground beneath the target. The missile is self-guided and able to track its target through solid rock.^{[Needs Citation]}

Overview

The mole mortar is an invention of the Squat Engineers Guild, and has been adopted by the Imperial Guard. Actually it was developed to destroy enemy tunneling vehicles but was so successful that now used as a short-ranged assault weapon.^[1b] It is sometimes used to breach fortifications too strong for conventional weaponry to damage. Due to the unique way it operates, the mole mortar is able to circumvent most defences, striking from below to explode within bunkers and other structures. Mechanicus Skitarii armies favour the mole mortar as a close support weapon, allowing them to strike unexpectedly at the most heavily-armoured enemy, and allowing the Skitarii infantry to exploit the confusion sown in the enemy lines.^{[Needs Citation]}

Known patterns

Hadd-Pattern Mole Mortar

The Hadd-Pattern Mole Mortar is used by the Adeptus Mechanicus. It fires a variety of specialised burrowing torpedoes that can travel through almost any material. Tech-Priests of the Aurora Novas sect have rediscovered a number of different types of munitions.^[2a]

Munition types

• Standard Torpedo — High explosive charge that is detonated before reemerging on the surface, sending a concentrated blast directly upwards.^[2b]
• Airburst Torpedo — Explodes a fraction of a second after emerging from the ground, airbursting into razor-sharp shrapnels.^[2b]
• Incendiary Torpedo — Explodes just after after emerging from the ground, dosing the surroundings in promethium.^[2b]
• EMP Torpedo — Activates the moment the torpedo reaches the surface, scattering waves of electromagnetic radiation in all directions until the torpedo's generator burn out.^[2b]

Earthshaker

Used by the Leagues of Votann Cthonian Earthshaker teams.^[3]

Images

Mole Mortar with Squats crew^[1a]

See also

• Squat Armoury
• Mole Bomb
• Mole Launcher
• Cthonian Beserk Mole Grenade Launcher

Sources

This article needs work on its citations. For help on citation see the citation guidelines. You can help Lexicanum by fixing it.

• 1: Warhammer 40,000 Chapter Approved - The Book of the Astronomican
  • 1a: pg. 62
  • 1b: pg. 77
• 2: Dark Heresy: The Lathe Worlds, The Lost Dataslate:
  • 2a: pg. 8
  • 2b: pg. 10
• 3: Warhammer Community: The Big Summer Preview – Reinforcing the Kindred (Saved archive page, dated 18 July 2025, last accessed 18 July 2025, original link: https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/chuafiji/the-big-summer-preview-reinforcing-the-kindred/)

Uncited

This article purports to rely on sources which are not cited in the body of the text. For help on citation see the citation guidelines. You can help Lexicanum by fixing it.

• White Dwarf 136, pg. 75
• Warhammer 40,000: Compendium, ^{[Needs Citation]}
• Warhammer 40,000: Wargear (2nd Edition), ^{[Needs Citation]}
• ^{[Needs Citation]}, Adeptus Mechanicus Titan Legions (specialist-games.com)
• Death Korps of Krieg