The warplock jezzail is a fiendish invention of the Skaven Clan Skryre. It is a huge and long ranged firearm, more like a small cannon than an ordinary gun. It fires a special missile made from warpstone, the unstable magic rock which gives Skaven their power. When the warpstone strikes its target it explodes with devastating effect and a flash of pyrotechnic colour. The blast can punch through the shield, breast plate and body of an armoured knight from beyond the range of a crossbow, often shattering units of heavily armoured elite troops before they ever get into battle. Groups of jezzails are often placed in a prominent position such as on a hill or inside a tall building to volley the foe with fire as they try to manoeuvre into position.