WarHammer Grand Cathay concept art: Firelancers

The Imperial Cathay army is well supported by a variety of constructs, beasts and magic that makes gunpowder weapon less essential. That is not to say Cathay abandoned gunpowder weapons completely, but they chose to employ it more as a shock weapon and artilleries to great effect. The Firelance was invented to be one such shock weapons usually deployed in the front lines to dull enemy charge. Forgoing accuracy altogether, the quadruple barreled firelance was designed to deliver maximum carnage in a thunderous flurry of discharge where the successive barrels are automatically lit after each barrel finishes firing. The main drawback however is the massive impact on the barrel often mean it can only fire a couple of rounds before no longer usable. At this point the Firelancer are expected to engage in melee with the large blades and spear point affixed on the lance.