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Acid Sprayers - Acid sprayers shoot a cloud of corrosive liquid
or dust,
capable of burning away through flesh and metal. They are dangerous weapons both
for the user and the target, for atmospheric conditions can modify the direction
of the spray. |
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Assault Bombards – Considered by many
as primitive weapons, assault
bombards are wide bore guns used to pound static
defences. Their shells are so large and heavy that they cannot fire at the same range
as more modern cannons, nevertheless they pack enough punch to literally obliterate
any but the most resilient installation. Assault Bombards are normally mounted on
specialized vehicles which carry them within effective shooting range. |
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Assault Shotguns – Assault shotguns
are heavy caliber personal weapons designed to neutralize targets at close quarters.
They can be equipped with a variety of shells but, to guarantee the result, they are
normally fed monotype slugs, solid projectlies capaable to neutralizing
soft targets and put a hole through most lightly armoured vehicles. |
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Automatic Pistol – This is a mechanical
or gas feedback handgun, firing caseless rounds. Automatic pistols are common issue
to police forces and officers in regular armies. Automatic pistols use explosive
or magnetic technology to accellerate the shell, or a combination of both. |
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Close Combat Accessory – a variety of blades and other combat accessories
can be fitted to most military grade weapons. These blades are used in charges and
close assaults. |
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CoRa (Coil Rail) Pistols and Rifles – CoRa weapons are military
grade guns which fire high impact active tip shells using magnetic accelaration
technology. The shells have a ring charge behind the tip which detonates on the
target driving the tip forward
with even greater force. They are issued as standard
only to specialized military forces and are outlawed on most civilized colonies. They are never
allowed as side arm for security personnel aboard space ships for they risk puncturing the thinner sections of the hull. Due to the high maintenance
and usage costs, only elite forces are normally
equipped with CoRa weapons. |
Opus CP-36 CoRa Pistol |
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Compact Rifle - the compact rifle is a short barrel rapid fire automatic
gun. It is a common weapon with assault troops, where its reliability
and rate of fire can prove decisive in neutralizing targets at close range. |
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Fast Cannons and Fast Guns - Fast guns are gauss weapons that fire small
self propelled rockets. The ammunition is magnetically accelerated out of the barrel
where an electrical spark sets off the propellent contained in the shell
which starts accellerating even faster towards the target. This allows a high rate of
fire with little recoil and reduced heat build-up. Like CoRa guns,
the shells of fast guns have explosive tips for maximized armour penetration and
impact damage. |
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Fire and Forget Missiles - fire and forget missiles are single
shot rocket weapons generally mounted on vehicles, although man portable
versions do exist. A guidance system locks on the target before launching the rocket,
which is then capable of steering autonomously towards the target.
The rocket head can be fitted with a variety of explosives to neutralize different
types of targets. |
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Flamers (or Flame Throwers) - Flamers try to engulf the target
in an incendiary agent, which can be gaseous or liquid. The flamable agent is set
ablaze at the muzzle creating a jet of fire. Although ammunition capacity is often
limited, this is offset by the psychological impact of the weapon on hostile troops.
Flamers can be used in oxygen-poor atmospheres since the incendiary agent normally
incorporates the necessary oxygen supply. |
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Gauss Destroyers – Gauss destroyers are long barrelled guns which use gauss technology to fire explosive shells in
rapid succession. The shells incorporate a twin
chamber of chemicals which react on impact producing a violent thermo-chemical reaction. This raises the temperature by over a thousand degrees in a fraction of a second,
softening the target for the next shell. The shells themselves
have standard armour penetration casings, but the heat generated
on impact, combined with the high rate of fire and kinetic force, make the weapon
very effective against most targets. The barrage is capable of
shaking armoured vehicles, confusing sensors and unsettling human
crews. Gauss Destroyers have become very popular for the armies
that can afford their astronomical maintenance and usage cost. |
“Keep your pea-shooters, subtlety is not my currency.”
R.C. Alek
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Grenades - Explosive grenades are used by most military forces
in known space. Deadly in confined spaces, they can be lobbed over obstacles or
through small apertures without the need to take precise aim. A variety of technologies
are used in their manifacture to achieve a multitude of effects. |
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Laser Weapons - A variety of guns use electrical or chemical laser technology
which fires a coherent beam of light towards the target. Since the shot travels
at the speed of light and is unaffected by wind, aiming is easier. The
effectiveness of laser weapons is affected by fog, smoke and dense atmosphere. Space vessels and
static installations employ
specialized defensive laser arrays to target incoming projectiles.
The semiconductor technology needed to concentrate the limited power supply of these
weapons into the laser beam with minimal heat dissipation needs zero gravity production
plants. Thus laser guns are normally manufactured off-world.
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The MC-IV Lasergun
by Multicentrum |
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LEPA (Live Element Piercing Ammunition) Cannons - LEPA Cannons
are a common type of gun firing armour
piercing shells. LERA Cannons are easy to maintain and
reliable, which still makes them a common choice for many
vehicles and robots despite its relatively low technology level. |
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Missile Launcher - Missile launchers are portable or vehicle mounted
firing platforms for self propelled rockets. The rockets can incorporate guidance
systems or rely on the shooter's aim. They have high operation costs but can be
fitted with a variety of warheads which gives them great tactical flexibility. |
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Powered Combat Weapons - This category includes a variety of servo
assisted weapons usually fitted to the soldier's arm. The most common type is the
Powered Combat Fist, a huge metal gauntlet whose strength is multiplied by hydraulics
or synthetic muscles incorporated in its casing. Powered Combat Weapons are heavy
and need a stable platform to operate, thus they are normally fitted only
to exo-skeletons. |
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Shotguns – Common on many backward frontier colonies, shotguns
are large caliber weapons designed to neutralize targets at close range. Typically
they fire a load of metal pellets and have are smooth-bored. The low kinetic force
of the shot and the wide area covered by the spread of the pellets make them useful
defensive weapons. |
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Single Shot Infantry Grenade - This is a special type of grenade
designed to be fired by a tailor made launcher attached to a rifle. The firing mechanism
can be explosive, gas operated or utilize magnetic technology. Some are self-propelled. |
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Support Barrage - In open war conditions, battlefield troops are
often supported by orbiting warcrafts or field artillery which can fire a salvo
of deadly fire on the enemy. For barrages to be effective, a spotter on the battlefield
needs to indicate the precise coordinates of the target, since no direct aiming
is possible. |
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Turbo Laser Cannons - Where power consumption is not
a problem, laser technology can produce devastating effects. Turbo Laser Cannons can only be
fitted on vehicles, spacecrafts or fixed installations where a powerful enough generator
can provide the necessary energy for this power-hungry weapon. |
