Projectile Weapon

A projectile weapon is any weapon that utilizes solid projectiles such as bullets, shells, flechettes, spikes, or missiles.

Overview

Though they are the oldest ranged weapons still in use, projectile weapons remain a staple across the galaxy, seeing use even in some ancient societies. Their success can be attributed to their ruggedness, low costs, and versatility thanks primarily to their ability to use a wide variety of munitions.

Categories

Ballistic Weapon

Ballistic weapons chemical propulsion to propel bullets, shotshells, shells, or micro-missiles. counterparts. Though arguably archaic compared to energy weapons, ballistic weapons continue to be used by many nations across the galaxy thanks to their low cost, versatility, and overall simplicity. They generally lack the more complicated and delicate components found in some energy weapons, making them easier to clean and repair in battlefield conditions. Ballistic weapons are widely regarded as a jack of all trades; they can engage any given threat, but will always be outclassed by their more specialized counterparts. For example, armor-piercing ammunition will always be weaker than plasma, but will generally possess longer range and is less prone to overheating.

The primary drawback of ballistic weapons is logistical. Armies can burn through millions or even trillions of rounds in a short span of time, necessitating that troops regularly receive fresh ammunition; even a single missed delivery can have dramatic consequences on a tactical level. Armies will often limit the number of distinct cartridges they employ so as to lessen the burden.

Ballistic Ammunition

Ballistic weapons can be loaded with several different types of munitions.

• Armor-Piercing Cartridge

Due to the widespread use of powered armor, armor-piercing cartridges have become the standard across the galaxy.

• Depleted Uranium Cartridge

Depleted uranium (DU) cartridges utilize Uranium-238 for better armor penetration. They are especially common in space as they pose no threat to the local environment.

• Tracer Cartridge

Tracer cartridges are projectiles with a built-in pyrotechnic charge that makes the bullet's trajectory visible, allowing the user to make on-the-spot corrections to their aim. They are also occasionally used to mark specific targets for concentrated fire.

• Incendiary Cartridge

See also: Incendiary Weapon

Incendiary ammunition contain a flammable compound that ignited upon contact. They are predominantly used to destroy materiel and eliminate lightly-armored targets.

• Acid Cartridge

See also: Acid Weapon

Acid cartridges contain a small amount of corrosive acid which is released upon contact with a target. The acid will proceed to slowly burn through target.

• Poison Cartridge

See also: Poison Weapon

Poison cartridges are laced with poison designed to kill within hours or minutes of contact.

• Pathogen Cartridge

Used particularly often by the Reaper's Fist of the Margan dynasties, pathogen rounds are similar to poison rounds, but have instead been laced with biological agents.

• Crystal Cartridge

Another creation of the Margan, crystal rounds are bullets with a small crystal inside of the round. Upon contact, this crystal embeds itself inside of the target, prompting crystal growth and poisoning the victim. The Repzork have developed their own version.

• Explosive Cartridge

Explosive rounds are designed to pierce a target's armor and then explode. They are especially powerful against unarmored targets such as many Biomatter strains.

• Micro-Missiles

Also known as micro-rounds (or micro-shells for shotguns), micro missiles, like cartridges, come in a variety of formats and are effective against most targets. Micro-shells typically possess shorter range than standard shotguns due to their limited fuel reserves, but are significantly more powerful. Due to their size and weight, micro-missiles are often loaded into a dedicated weapon or gun attachment.

Needle Gun

Needle guns are functionally similar to ballistic firearms with the exception that they utilize razor-sharp flechettes instead of cartridges. Most flechettes are designed to break apart once they enter the target, producing grievous injuries that are difficult to mend on the battlefield; most victims die from blood loss within the first few minutes of being struck. As a result, some nations have either limited or outright banned the use of needle weapons on the battlefield.

Though very effective against soft targets, flechettes are ineffective against most forms of armor plating. The prolific use of power armor has thus rendered needle weapons largely ineffective outside of niche circumstances. Dedicated engineers have sought a means to overcome this weakness with limited success.

Needle Ammunition

• Flechettes

Known also as needles or pins, the standard round is little more than a razor sharp needle.

• Poison Flechettes

See also: Poison Weapon

Poison flechettes are laced with toxins and/or biological agents.

• Crystal Flechettes

Crystal flechettes use marganite in place of standard metal flechettes. Though both toxic and boasting better armor penetration, they are still not as effective as standard armor-piercing ammunition.

• Explosive Darts

Explosive darts are flechette-like projectiles fitted with a small explosive set to detonate once the flechette has embedded itself into a target.

Magnetic Weapon

Magnetic projectile weapons use magnetic forces to propel projectiles at speeds far exceeding traditional ballistic weaponry. There are two forms of magnetic weaponry: railguns and coilguns.

Railgun

A standard railgun has three main components: a power generator, two conductive rails, and an armature which connects the two tails. When electricity flows into the rails and armature, it forms a circuit, creating a magnetic field around the rails which then propels the projectile at hypersonic velocity. The power of a railgun is proportional to the length of its rails and the output of its generator. Railguns can reliably hit targets several kilometers away and boast unrivaled armor penetration compared to other projectile weapons. In fact, they sometimes overpenetrate their target and hit whatever was behind it. As a result, railguns are a common sight on the battlefield and have been produced in numerous formats ranging from infantry weapons to starship cannons.

Railguns are limited by their relatively slow rate of fire. The weapon produces a substantial amount of heat each time it fires and needs time to both recharge and to cool. The heat also degrades the rails with each shot, necessitating that the rails be replaced after a certain number of uses. Additionally, the rails and cooling vents need to be kept clean at all times so as to ensure that the circuit performs properly.

Coilgun

Coilguns use electromagnetic coils to propel a ferromagnetic projectile at high velocities. Coilguns consist of a series of coils arranged around the weapon's barrel. When electricity flows into the coils, it creates a magnetic field which centers the round within the rearmost coil. Once it is in place, the coil is deactivated and the round is sent to the next coil, repeating the process and increasing the round's velocity. Compred to railguns, coilguns are more mechanically complex, and thus more expensive, but they do not produce as much heat, and thus do not require as much maintenance. They also have a faster rate of fire, but lack a railgun's armor-piercing capabilities. As a result, armies which use both tend to employ railguns as dedicated anti-armor weapons and coilguns as infantry weapons.

Magnetic Ammunition

Magnetic projectiles are generally referred to as sabots to avoid confusion with other types of ammunition. All sabots are required to be magnetic to some degree for their weapons to function properly.

• Sabot

Sabots are standard magnetic rounds. Instead of relying on explosives, stakes rely on pure kinetic force to penetrate armor.

• Depleted Uranium Sabot

Depleted uranium sabots boast superior armor penetration to standard stakes.

• Marganite Sabot

Marganite sabots possess a Marganite-tipped projectile.

• Explosive Sabot

Explosive sabots are two-phase projectiles which pierce the target before exploding.

• Antimatter Sabot

Antimatter sabots use a core of stabilized antimatter which produces an immense explosion upon detonation. Because of their destructive potential, antimatter sabots are employed almost exclusively in space. A notable example is the main gun of the Helia-class dreadnought of the Repzork Star Navy.