[ollieb8]

What types of exterminatus are there and when was it first used/invented (during the golden age of technology?)

[crazedmongoose2003]

Should this be in 40k universe?


As for the types of exterminatus, the two standard types seems to be using viral bombs, or the even more deadly cyclonic fire torpedoes...tho I'm pretty sure there's another name for it.

[ollieb8]

Originally Posted by Crazedmongoose

Should this be in 40k universe?


As for the types of exterminatus, the two standard types seems to be using viral bombs, or the even more deadly cyclonic fire torpedoes...tho I'm pretty sure there's another name for it.

Hmm i thought so (they're both mentioned in the tyranid codex), but does the cyclonic fire torpedoes actually destroy the planet as a Carnifex survives one the planet must still be there.

[ForbiddenKnowledge]

No. Cyclonic torpedoes ignite the atmosphere of the planet, scouring everything clean in a hellish firestorm that only fanboys can survive :

There are so many methods of doing it though - weapons that crack the crust of the planet and cause it to rip itself apart (destroys planet), Cyclonic (doesn't destroy it, but might as well do) Asteroid impact (doesn't destroy, but leaves it useless for centuries, depending on size of rock used).

[ollieb8]

Kk, thanks for the help!

[djhg]

Originally Posted by Elle

Asteroid impact (doesn't destroy, but leaves it useless for centuries, depending on size of rock used).

Your comment reminded me of this...

Originally Posted by Patrick Marstall

Rocks are NOT ‘free’, citizen.
Firstly, you must manoeuvre the Emperor's naval vessel within the asteroid belt, almost
assuredly sustaining damage to the Emperor's ship's paint from micrometeoroids, while
expending the Emperor's fuel.
Then the Tech Priests must inspect the rock in question to ascertain its worthiness to
do the Emperor's bidding. Should it pass muster, the Emperor's Servitors must use the
Emperor's auto-scrapers and melta-cutters to prepare the potential ordinance for
movement. Finally, the Tech Priests finished, the Emperor's officers may begin
manoeuvring the Emperor's warship to abut the asteroid at the prepared face (expending
yet more of the Emperor's fuel), and then begin boosting the stone towards the offensive
planet.
After a few days of expending a prodigious amount of the Emperor's fuel to accelerate
the asteroid into an orbit more fitting to the Emperor's desires, the Emperor's ship
may then return to the planet via superluminous warp travel and await the arrival of
the stone, still many weeks (or months) away.
After twiddling away the Emperor's time and eating the Emperor's food in the wasteful
pursuit of making sure that the Emperor's enemies do not launch a deflection mission,
they may finally watch the ordinance impact the planet (assuming that the Emperor's ship
does not need to attempt any last-minute course correction upon the rock, using yet more
of the Emperor's fuel).
Given a typical (class Bravo-CVII) system, we have the following:
Two months, O&M, Titan class warship: 4.2 Million Imperials
Two months, rations, crew of same: 0.2 MI
Two months, Tech Priest pastor: 1.7 MI
Two months, Servitor parish: 0.3 MI
Paint, Titan class warship: 2.5 MI
Dihydrogen peroxide fuel: 0.9 MI
Total: 9.8 MI
Contrasted with the following:
5 warheads, magna-melta: 2.5 MI
One day, O&M, Titan class warship: 0.3 MI
One day, rations, crew of same: 0.0 MI
Dihydrogen peroxide fuel: 0.1 MI
Total: 2.9 MI
Given the same result with under one third of the cost, the Emperor will have saved a
massive amount of His most sacred money and almost a full month of time, during which
His warship may be bombarding an entirely different planet.
The Emperor, through this – His Office of Imperial Outlays – hereby orders
you to attend one (1) week of therapeutic accountancy training/penance.
Please report to Areicon IV, Imperial City, Administratum Building CXXI,
Room 1456, where you are to sit in the BLUE chair.
For the Emperor,
Bursarius Tenathis,
Purser Level XI,
Imperial Office of Outlays.

I doubt much effort would be used in asteroids for exterminatus.
There is also Abbadon's planet killer capital ship from the Gothic wars... that destroyed planets too.

[D Black]

Are you asking when did humanity start using it or when was it 1st used ever (in which case i'd say the old ones and the necrotyr)

If your asking humanity, then i'd have to say during the great crusades posibly previous to that but we now nothing about then

tallarn was virus bomd during the horous heresy

[Vallessian]

Tallarn was virus bombed by the forces of chaos. The Emperor wouldn't want one of his worlds to go to waste like that. Somehow I doubt he ever used exterminatus, unless there was no hope of victory, which was never the case during the great crusade.

[xv-8]

Virus bombs could only be used by the direct order of the Emporer during the Crusade, or by Horus. But they only destroyed organics. If you really want to destroy EVERTHING on the planet, you virus bomb it first, then hit it with fire bombs.

[Calaban]

Exterminatus simply means "to attempt to kill ALL live on the entire world".

The Inquisition mostly does this when a world is too far gone, and its better to wipe all life away -innocent and guilty- to prevent it from getting worse, or, more importantly; from spreading anywhere else.

The Whys and the Hows are really just minutia of detail- the end goal, the Exterminatus itself, is a very simple and final goal and action.