To evolve the Boltgun in Warhammer Survivors, level it to its maximum, carry the Dice Cube passive, then open a chest from a boss or elite enemy. The chest turns the Boltgun into the Heavy Bolter.
The Boltgun is a Warhammer 40,000 weapon, and Brother Luca starts every run with it. Below we cover the evolution step by step, where to get the Boltgun and the Dice Cube, why the evolution sometimes will not appear, and how to build around the Heavy Bolter once you have it.
How to Evolve the Boltgun Step by Step
Warhammer Survivors evolves weapons the way Vampire Survivors does, since it is built on the same foundation. For the Boltgun:
- Get the Boltgun. Brother Luca starts with it. On other 40K champions, take it when a level-up offers it.
- Max it out. Keep picking the Boltgun on level-ups until it reaches its maximum level.
- Pick up the Dice Cube. Take the Dice Cube passive from a level-up. It has to be in your build when the chest opens.
- Kill a boss or elite. Open the chest it drops, and the Boltgun comes out as the Heavy Bolter.
| Weapon | Passive | Evolution | Universe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boltgun | Dice Cube | Heavy Bolter | Warhammer 40,000 |
What the Heavy Bolter Does
This is one of the few evolutions Auroch has described in its own words. In its first champions post, the studio says that while the Boltgun “is powerful enough to blast Tyranid termagants apart, the evolved version of the weapon, the Heavy Bolter, unleashes a stream of unrelenting firepower, taking on the toughest of Tyranid swarms and larger bioforms.”
That makes it the 40K side’s answer to bosses and big enemies. The Boltgun fires the way you face rather than spreading damage around you, so pair it with something that covers your sides while you level it.
Where to Get the Boltgun and the Dice Cube
The Boltgun. Auroch’s post introduces Brother Luca, a Space Marine Intercessor of the Ultramarines created for this game, “starting with a Boltgun in his sibling’s stead,” a nod to Malum Caedo of Boltgun fame. Luca is one of the cheapest unlocks in the game: you buy him for 200 coins, so you can have a Boltgun from the first second of a run very early on. Our list of every champion and how to unlock them has the rest.
If your champion’s keywords do not allow the Boltgun, Auroch’s Squad System post says an ally joins to use it on your behalf, so you can still take it on anyone.
The Dice Cube. It is a passive offered in level-ups, and in the demo it added extra attacks, which makes it worth taking even before your Boltgun is maxed. It also does double duty: on the Age of Sigmar side, the Dice Cube evolves the Boltstorm Pistol into the Typhoon Crossbow.
Do not confuse it with the D6 Dice, a cross-universe weapon that evolves into the Sustained Fire Dice with a different passive.
Why Your Boltgun Will Not Evolve
- The Boltgun is not maxed. The chest only evolves a weapon at its maximum level.
- The Dice Cube is missing. Without it among your passives, the chest cannot evolve the Boltgun.
- The chest came from the wrong enemy. Evolutions come from boss and elite chests.
- The chest landed out of reach. Auroch’s November 11 hotfix fixed chests that dropped where you could not reach them on Gallowdark and Imperial Bastion. It is live on Steam, and Auroch says GOG, PS5, Xbox, Switch, Switch 2 and mobile get it from next week.
- The passive is still locked. Some weapons and passives are hidden on the stages at first. An Auroch developer said on the Steam forum that a relic from another stage turns on the “Detailed Map” view, which lets you “start uncovering Passives and Weapons that are hidden across the stage.”
How to Build Around the Heavy Bolter
The Heavy Bolter handles big targets, so the rest of the build should handle the crowd:
- Nuln Oil covers a wide area, slows enemies and applies Oiled, which Auroch says makes them vulnerable to fire. It evolves into Mordant Earth with the Hourglass.
- The Whirlwind Battery brings missile barrages and evolves into Orbital Bombardment, which “brings down barrages of voidship fire from above,” with Liquid Green Stuff.
- The Chainsword clears a path in front of you and evolves into the Eviscerator Chainsword with the Tape Measure.
For permanent upgrades, Attacks is the one to buy first: it adds an attack to every weapon, the Boltgun included. Our guide to the best Enhancements to buy first has the full order, our best build guide puts the Boltgun into a complete 40K loadout, and our guide on how to evolve the Lasgun covers the other Imperial gun. Our guide on how to evolve weapons has every recipe, and the Warhammer 40,000 guides hub has the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Boltgun evolve into in Warhammer Survivors? The Heavy Bolter, which Auroch describes as “a stream of unrelenting firepower” for the toughest swarms and larger bioforms.
What passive does the Boltgun need to evolve? The Dice Cube. Max the Boltgun, carry the Dice Cube and open a chest from a boss or elite.
Who starts with the Boltgun? Brother Luca, the Ultramarines Intercessor, who you can buy for 200 coins.
Is the Dice Cube the same as the D6 Dice? No. The Dice Cube is a passive item. The D6 Dice is a cross-universe weapon that evolves into the Sustained Fire Dice.
Can you evolve the Boltgun in Age of Sigmar? No. The Boltgun is a Warhammer 40,000 weapon. In Age of Sigmar, the Dice Cube evolves the Boltstorm Pistol into the Typhoon Crossbow instead.