Acid Weapon

Acidic weapons, also known as corrosive weapons as well as many colloquial nicknames such as sizzlers, are chemical weapons which utilize corrosive acid.

Overview
Acidic weapons utilize a chemical compound comprised of a mixture of highly corrosive acids which rapidly melt the armor and flesh of a target upon contact. Weapons which utilize acid either fire it out in a pure stream akin to a flamethrower, or store it in a vial contained within bullets, bombs, or other devices, which will break the vial and release the stored acid upon impact. Weapons containing acidic compounds are lined with an acid-resistant material that prevents them from melting; the material itself is somewhat brittle, making it unsuited for combat armor, though it is still sometimes used to shield certain objects. Firearms which utilize corrosive munitions genrally possess a high rate of fire so as to ensure that a target is coated in a large amount of acid very quickly.

Corrosive weapons tend to serve a supportive role; a relatively small number of specialized troops and vehicles will be equipped with acidic weapons and will typically remain behind the main force, where they will then focus their attacks on heavily armored targets. This is due to the fact that acid still requires time to fully eat through armor, but as it wears it down, it greatly reduces the armor's durability, allowing other munitions to more easily pierce it. Within a squad, this translates to one or two soldiers being equipped with corrosive weapons, unless they are a dedicated corrosive munitions squad, in which case they will all be equipped with these weapons.

Acid is also notable as being one of the few weapons which can completely bypass energy shielding; it lacks the kinetic force and/or thermal energy of other munitions, allowing it to pass through the shield unimpeded, as if it were harmless water. When a corrosive bullet strikes a shield, the bullet itself may be destroyed, but the acid can still splash unto the target; its effectiveness will be reduced as the armor will not damaged by the bullet, but the acid still accomplishes its task.

Acid's fearsome reputation and ability to bypass shields has made it a devastating psychological weapon; particularly ruthless armies will use a large number of corrosive munitions at the start of a fight in order to break the will of their foes.

Acid is oftentimes compared to plasma, as both are very effective against both flesh and armor and cause severe burns to the target. While plasma is undeniably stronger in that its effect is instantaneous, corrosive munitions avoid many of plasma's downsides, namely the extreme amount of heat it produces.