Even though high-powered lasers and plasma weapons scour the battlefields of the 41st millennium, close combat remains commonplace - sieges, city fighting, boarding actions and tunnel warfare are noted more for the ferocity of the fighting than any strategic nuances. Seasoned warriors will often bear a deadly array of clubs, knives and frag grenades for close-quarter fighting. Assault troops will be even more ably equipped, taking pistols, swords and deadly power weapons into battle with them.

Some common close combat weapons are listed below. Models with special close combat attacks can choose not to use them and attack normally instead. A model might be equipped with more than one type of special close combat attack, eg. a power fist and a power axe. Only one special attack type can be used, so the player can opt to strike at his normal Initiative with the power axe, and use his power fist as an additional weapon, or can count his power axe as his additional weapon, and strike with his power fist at an Initiative of 1.

All of which confer no bonus to the Strength of combatants. However, swords and pistols (or similar hand weapons) gain the wielder an additional close combat attack. A plasma pistol can be used as a close combat weapon, though it confers no Strength bonus or particular armour penetration advantages.

Heavy close combat weapons, such as the Ork choppa and the mighty chainaxes of Berzerkers of Khorne, are used to batter through an opponent's defences. No armour can completely protect its wearer against a direct blow from such a weapon. The maximum Armour Save that can be used against these weapons is 4+, even if it would normally be better.

A power weapon (typically a sword or axe, but sometimes a glaive, halberd or mace) is sheathed in the lethal haze of a disruptive energy field, eating through armour, flesh and bone with ease. Power weapons ignores Armour Saves, and some may even give a Strength bonus, or wound on a fixed dice score regardless of the enemy's Toughness characteristic (as detailed in the appropriate army Codex).

Lightning claws are commonly used as matched pairs, as only a second lightning claw can provide an additional close combat weapon attack bonus for a model equipped with one. They consist of a number of blades, each a mini-power weapon, extending from a housing on the back of the hand. Lightning claws ignore Armour Saves and re-roll any To Wound dice that fail to cause a wound.

Force weapons are potent psychic weapons only used by trained Psykers. They are treated as a power weapon, but can unleash a psychic attack that kills an opponent outright. Roll to hit and wound as normal, allowing any Invulnerable Saving throws the victim might have. As long as one wound has been inflicted, make a Psychic test for the Psyker against any one opponent wounded by the weapon. The normal rules for using psychic powers apply, and you may not use another psychic power in the same turn. Passing the test slays the opponent outright, no matter how many Wounds it has (count the actual number inflicted for determining who won the assault). Force weapons have no special effect against targets that don't have Wounds, such as vehicles.

A power fist or claw is a powered, armoured gauntlet surrounded by a disruptive energy field. It doubles the user's Strength (up to a maximum of 10), ignoring Armour Saves. Only the user's basic Strength is doubled - any additional bonus for special abilities are added afterwards. A power fist is slow and cumbersome to use, so strikes with a power fist are always delivered at Initiative 1 (ignore any bonuses for special rules, cover, grenades or wargear, etc).

Thunder hammers release a tremendous blast of energy when they strike. A thunder hammer counts as a power fist, with the addition that any model wounded but not killed by it is knocked reeling, and will attack with an Initiative of 1 in the next Assault phase. Vehicles struck by a thunder hammer suffer a 'Crew Shaken' result in addition to any other results.

These psychically attuned weapons are often carried by Eldar psykers. They inflict wounds on a roll of 2+. regardless of the target's Toughness, though Armour Saves are taken as normal. Against vehicles, the wielder of a witchblade triples his Strength (up to S 10).

A well-placed blow from a rending weapon can rip apart any armour. Any roll to hit of 6 with a rending weapon will ignore Armour Saves and automatically causes a wound. Against a vehicle, an Armour Penetration roll of 6 allows a further D6 to be rolled, with the result added to the total score. Note that if the additional roll is also a 6, no further dice are added.

Poisoned weapons range from blades daubed in venom to hypodermic claws. They do not rely on a comparison of Strength and Toughness to wound - they will normally wound on a 4+. Some venoms are so lethal that the merest drop can kill - these wound on a 2+. Weapons with this type of lethal venom are described in the appropriate Codex.