Magnhild

Magnhild is Nora Valkyrie's signature weapon. It is a large hammer, with the secondary form of a grenade launcher.

Description
When in grenade launcher form, Magnhild fires what seem to be canisters of pink Dust with a heart shape on the tip. These grenades produce pink blasts traced through with what appears to be an electricity effect, capable of, at minimum, distracting a fully-grown Nevermore.

Individual grenades also appear to have a proximity or remote detonator, as they are seen exploding in the air, similar to a flak cannon or air burst explosive. The grenade launcher itself is fed by a revolver-type rotating cylinder with several individual chambers.

When in hammer form, Nora is able to use the recoil from fired explosives to propel herself through the air in much the same way Ruby Rose does with Crescent Rose. Nora's hammer strikes also appear to be incredibly powerful, as she was able to flip a segment of a large stone bridge with enough force to send Jaune Arc flying over a large gap.

Nora is also shown using the recoil from the hammer to accelerate her flight through the air and punctuate her hits. When deployed in this way, Magnhild is powerful enough to shatter the armor of a Death Stalker by forcing its own stinger through its head.

Trivia

 * Magnhild adds to Nora's Nordic theme, as Thor is said to wield the hammer Mjölnir in battle. The name is also Old Norse as well as Germanic and Norwegian which means "strong, mighty, strength" from the root magn/magan and "battle" from the root hild/hildr.
 * Magnhild's grenades having an electricity effect also alludes to Thor, as he was the Nordic god of thunder.
 * The grenade launcher form appears to be based on the Milkor M32 MGL (Multiple Grenade Launcher) used by the U.S. Marine Corps.
 * According to executive producer Matt Hullum and creator Monty Oum, the idea of an explosive hammer was inspired by a video of a Mexican tradition where explosives are hit with sledgehammers.
 * Magnhild's grenades, comedically, have the same heart emblem Nora's dress does.
 * Magnhild is mentioned by name in the lyrics of the song "Boop," from the RWBY: Volume 2 Soundtrack.