BATTLETECH: Weapons and Heavy Equipment

Introduced: 2576 (Terran Hegemony)
Extinct: 2835

Broadly identified in the Inner Sphere as the Beagle Active Probe, the active probe is a powerful electronics sensor suite enhancement capable of detecting and identifying even shut-down or camouflaged units—excepting conventional infantry—at distances much greater and with more reliability than the standard-issue battlefield sensor suites used by most combat units today. Virtually every battlefield and support unit in existence may employ these probes, but because of their range, aircraft and other aerospace units (such as DropShips) rarely make use of this technology.

Modern Inner Sphere Beagle Active Probe models are integrated with sensor suites such as the Coventry MetalWorks’ Cyclops-Beagle or the Alexis Photon Target Acquisition System made by Irian BattleMechs Unlimited. Ceres Metals produces the popular Apple Churchill 2000 suite, with Beagle Probe and TAG, and our own Federated Hunter Mark XX incorporates both the Beagle Active Probe and an enhanced targeting computer interface.

Heat: 0
Range: 4
Tons: 1.5
Critical Slots: 2

For what amounts to one of the most basic combat systems on the modern battlefield, autocannons (often abbreviated as ACs) are a broadly varied class of rapid-firing, auto-loading, heavy ballistic weaponry—gigantic machine guns, in other words. With calibers ranging from 30 to 90 millimeters at the lighter end, to as much as 203 millimeters or more at the heaviest, most autocannons deliver their damage by firing high-speed streams or bursts of high-explosive, armor-defeating shells through one or more barrels. While caliber and firing rate can vary greatly, four main classes have emerged over the centuries, setting the standards by which all other ACs are rated, based on their relative ballistic damage. At the lightest end is the AC/2 class, followed by the long-time standard AC/5, then the heavy punch of the AC/10 class, and finally the brutal, close-in AC/20.

At the dawn of the BattleMech era, only two proven autocannon models existed: the AC/2 and the AC/5. Production model versions of the heavier AC/10 and the ’Mech-killing AC/20 did not appear until after 2460 and 2500, respectively (though the Mackie sported a prototype of the AC/10 as far back as its 2443 battlefield debut).

In the centuries since, additional autocannon variants have evolved, including the cluster-style LB-X and the high-speed Ultra. These autocannon styles—as well as the standard models—are discussed below.

Introduced:
2250 (Terran Alliance [AC/5]);
2300 (Terran Alliance [AC/2]);
2460 (Terran Hegemony [AC/10]);
2500 (Lyran Commonwealth [AC/20])

Today’s standard autocannon (identified as AC in shorthand) is functionally identical to the models used as far back as the days of the Terran Alliance. Designed to cope with improvements in armor technologies of the day, these weapons maintained their destructive edge through more than 800 years of battlefield evolution. Even so, their time was nearing its end when the newer Ultra and LB-X autocannon classes emerged. Only their relatively inexpensive design has prevented the likes of Armstrong’s J11, Mydron models A through D, SarLon’s MaxiCannon and the Luxor Devastator-20 from becoming the next forgotten relics of history.

AC/2
Heat: 1
Damage: 2
Minimum Range: 4
Short Range: 1-8
Medium Range: 9-16
Long Range: 17-24
Tons: 6
Critical Slots: 1
Ammo Per Ton: 45

AC/5
Heat: 1
Damage: 5
Minimum Range: 3
Short Range: 1-6
Medium Range: 7-12
Long Range: 13-18
Tons: 8
Critical Slots: 4
Ammo Per Ton: 20

AC/10
Heat: 3
Damage: 10
Short Range: 1-5
Medium Range: 6-10
Long Range: 11-15
Tons: 12
Critical Slots: 7
Ammo Per Ton: 10

AC/20
Heat: 7
Damage: 20
Short Range: 1-3
Medium Range: 4-6
Long Range: 7-9
Tons: 14
Critical Slots: 10
Ammo Per Ton: 5

Introduced: 2595 (Terran Hegemony)
Extinct: 2840

An improvement on the common autocannon intended to expand the weapon’s role into anti-vehicle and anti-infantry work, the LB-X makes use of light, heat-dissipating alloys to reduce its weight and thermal buildup. These materials, coupled with a smooth-bore, multi-munition feed mechanism, make the LB more expensive than standard autocannons. However, the slight range increase and the ability to switch between standard-style bursts and explosive cluster munitions—both specially developed for this weapon system—more than mitigate this higher cost.

LB-X autocannons—like the Mydron Excel LB-X series, Imperator’s Code Red LB 10-X or Defiance’s Disintegrator LB 20-X—boast much improved efficiency over their standard kin. Indeed, even with their recent manufacture and expense, these weapon systems might well have completely outclassed and phased out their standard counterparts.

LB-X Cluster Ammunition: Cluster munitions for the LB-X AC series debuted, went extinct and were recovered at the same time as the LB-X class of ACs themselves. These munitions may only be used by LB-X class autocannons and are effective against nearly all battlefield units, particularly vehicles and aircraft.

LB 2-X
Heat: 1
Damage: 2 (slug), 1 per pellet (cluster)
Minimum Range: 4
Short Range: 1-9
Medium Range: 10-18
Long Range: 19-27
Tons: 6
Critical Slots: 4
Ammo Per Ton: 45

LB 5-X
Heat: 1
Damage: 5 (slug), 1 per pellet (cluster)
Minimum Range: 3
Short Range: 1-7
Medium Range: 8-14
Long Range: 15-21
Tons: 8
Critical Slots: 5
Ammo Per Ton: 20

LB 10-X
Heat: 2
Damage: 10 (slug), 1 per pellet (cluster)
Short Range: 1-6
Medium Range: 7-12
Long Range: 13-18
Tons: 11
Critical Slots: 6
Ammo Per Ton: 10

LB 20-X
Heat: 6
Damage: 20 (slug), 1 per pellet (cluster)
Short Range: 1-4
Medium Range: 5-8
Long Range: 9-12
Tons: 14
Critical Slots: 11
Ammo Per Ton: 5

Introduced: 2640 (Terran Hegemony [UAC/5]);
Extinct: 2915

The advanced Ultra autocannon system (UAC for short) was first developed at the height of the original Star League by Kawabata Weapons, Inc. of the Terran Hegemony. Capable of higher sustained rates of fire than standard or LB-X autocannons, Ultra ACs could dish out twice the punishment in the same amount of time. Unfortunately, these weapons are prone to occasional misfires and arming failures when pushing their maximum fire rates—a factor that forced many UACs into early retirement after the fall of the original Star League. Nevertheless, the Inner Sphere found enough merit in Ultra ACs to expand the concept across all the same grades as standard-model autocannons. Even though they cannot use special munitions (their own magazines are tailored to the high-speed firing modes, which can be dangerous or detrimental to most specialty ammo), these weapons remain popular for attack and assault units.

Mydron, Imperator and Defiance—the big names in heavy autocannon technology—boast some of the most popular brand names seen today for Ultra ACs.

Ultra AC/2
Heat: 1/shot
Damage: 2/shot
Minimum Range: 3
Short Range: 1-8
Medium Range: 9-17
Long Range: 18-25
Tons: 7
Critical Slots: 3
Ammo Per Ton: 45

Ultra AC/5
Heat: 1/shot
Damage: 5/shot
Minimum Range: 2
Short Range: 1-6
Medium Range: 7-13
Long Range: 14-20
Tons: 9
Critical Slots: 5
Ammo Per Ton: 20

Ultra AC/10
Heat: 4/shot
Damage: 10/shot
Short Range: 1-6
Medium Range: 7-12
Long Range: 13-18
Tons: 13
Critical Slots: 7
Ammo Per Ton: 10

Ultra AC/20
Heat: 8/shot
Damage: 20/shot
Short Range: 1-3
Medium Range: 4-7
Long Range: 8-10
Tons: 15
Critical Slots: 10
Ammo Per Ton: 5

Introduced: 2476 (Terran Hegemony)
Extinct: 2840

One of the oldest examples of so-called “lost” technologies, CASE (as we know it today) actually predates the Star League by nearly a hundred years. Indeed, its earliest progenitors can be traced back even farther. Developed as a damage-control technology in the event of catastrophic internal explosions, CASE—then as now—became an intrinsic part of the armor system on BattleMechs, Combat Vehicles and fighters, intended to save crews and machines for later salvage. When heat or damage triggers an ammunition explosion in a CASE-protected location, specially designed blow-away panels direct the force of the explosion outward, through the rear of the machine. Though any remaining internal structure in the effected section is typically damaged in these blasts, CASE has spared many a machine that once would have been fully consumed by an internal explosion.

Originally kept tightly controlled by the Terran Hegemony (along with many of their vital technologies), CASE has proliferated among armorers across the Inner Sphere since its recovery, and even has been adapted for non-military equipment (as a guard against the effects of freak fuel tank explosions and the like).

Introduced: 2597 (Terran Hegemony)
Extinct: 2845

Around the end of the Reunification War, Johnston Industries (a Terran Hegemony company, working in partnership with Yelm Weapons of Fletcher) debuted the Guardian ECM suite on the newly deployed Nightshade VTOL. This broad-spectrum jamming and electronic countermeasure system revolutionized electronic warfare (EW). In a day when most communications and targeting systems had grown accustomed to a battlefield flooded by conventional electronic noise and counter-noise, the Guardian was powerful and smart enough to scramble all hostile electronics within a spherical “bubble” roughly 180 meters across. The Guardian could even adapt to and scatter contemporary EW packages like the Beagle Active Probe, Narc Missile Beacon and Artemis IV—all while simultaneously keeping friendly channels and targeting enhancers clear.

Heat: 0
Range: 6
Tons: 1.5
Critical Slots: 2

Introduced: 2025 (Western Alliance, Terra)

Flamers are a simple weapon with a long history, designed as much for psychological warfare as for devastation. Most effective as anti-infantry weapons, today’s heavy-weapon models of the flamer come in two basic types: fusion-powered plasma flamers (often regarded as the standard today), and the fuel-based chemical variety (often dubbed the “vehicle flamer”). Both are marketed by a number of well-known manufacturers across the Inner Sphere, from Flame Tech of Fletcher in the Free Worlds League to the Hotshot series out of Coventry, or the Zippo available from factories on Furillo and Hesperus II.

As anti-’Mech weaponry goes, the flamer is a poor weapon choice, lacking the range and damage potential of even the typical small laser. Most BattleMech-mounted models are the Standard type, which taps into the reactor to produce heat in the form of a plasma release, but these can deliver fire in short bursts only. Still devastatingly effective against infantry, flamer fire may raise an opposing ’Mech’s heat levels as well. Compared to a solid engine hit or two, however, flamers today can do little to imperil technology now so well protected by innovations like double heat sinks.

Because of their poor range and effectiveness against other units in aerospace combat, aerospace units rarely use flamers. However, their limited range and “spray” effect has made the Standard flamer marginally effective as a point-defense weapon. Chemical-based vehicle flamers, which are functionally useless in space, almost never appear on aerospace units.

Heat: 3
Damage: 2 + 4D6 vs infantry
Short Range: 1
Medium Range: 2
Long Range: 3
Tons: 1
Critical Slots: 1

Introduced: 2590 (Terran Hegemony)
Extinct: 2865

The Gauss rifle is one of the most devastating ballistic weapons on the battlefield today. Developed by the Terran Hegemony (with prototypes in the field as early as 2587), this weapon system uses a series of magnets, rather than chemicals or powder, to propel an inert nickel-ferrous projectile through its rifle barrel. Through this process, the weapon achieves incredible muzzle velocities with almost negligible heat. Though it requires a great deal of power, and the charged capacitors represent an explosion hazard if damaged in combat, the raw kinetic damage a Gauss rifle can inflict—and the excellent ranges at which it can deliver such damage—easily surpasses these drawbacks.

Heat: 1
Damage: 15
Minimum Range: 2
Short Range: 1-7
Medium Range: 8-15
Long Range: 16-22
Tons: 15
Critical Slots: 7
Ammo Per Ton: 8

Introduced: 3022 (Lyran Commonwealth)

One of the more controversial battlefield weapons in the modern era—hailed as an innovation in the 3020s after three hundred years of stagnated military technology—the hatchet (sometimes referred to as an axe) is nothing more than a large hunk of deadweight built into a BattleMech’s arm as a permanent club. In the scavenger days of the late Succession Wars, it was common for MechWarriors, low on ammunition and out of weapons, to uproot trees or yank girders from the rubble of buildings and wield them as clubs. These improvised clubs invariably required two hands to wield, thanks to typical balance and weight issues, and usually shattered or splintered after one good hit. The Lyran “invention” of the hatchet, which used heavier industrial alloys wrapped in a titanium sheath for corrosion resistance, enabled BattleMechs to wield a more effective, reusable club that could dish out the same damage one-handed.

Of course, modern military production and the recovery of Star League techniques have ended the scavenger economies of those days, but rather than relegating the hatchet and its ilk to the arenas of Solaris VII, some warriors have inexplicably fallen in love with this dubious piece of hardware. Defiance Industries of Hesperus II, in fact, maintains a tradition of producing hatchet-wielders.

Introduced: 2022 (Western Alliance, Terra)

The waste heat generated by battlefield engines and the weapons they empower made heat management a first priority as soon as fusion power and energy weapons became commonplace. The insulated nature of combat armor—particularly on BattleMechs and aerospace fighters—meant that such heat typically became trapped within the machine, endangering crews and heat sensitive components. Heat sinks were the solution. Essentially a series of heat pumps and coolant lines run through a ’Mech, fighter or other unit, these systems collect heat from coolant jackets and coolant lines in heat-generating equipment, designed to shunt heat away from vital components and out through baffles in the unit’s protective armor skin.

Virtually all fusion and fission engines incorporate a basic cooling system in their design that functions as the heart of this heat-exchange network. Though suitable for light duties, most units—from BattleMechs to Support Vehicles—usually expand these systems as needed to handle the added workload of any attached weapons and other gear.

Today’s heat sink technologies are essentially a refined version of the same ones that debuted with vehicle-sized fusion plants, though their design and efficiency have been enhanced though the centuries.

Introduced: 2567 (Terran Hegemony)
Extinct: 2865

Star League-era double heat sink technology vastly improved upon the standard heat sink with a larger, more powerful radiator system that enhanced the effectiveness of the existing heat pumps and coolant lines. The effect was a bulkier exchange system—roughly two hundred percent larger—for the same physical weight. The increased bulk and other factors proved too problematic for vehicle design, however, and limited its application to ’Mechs and aerospace craft.

Introduced: 2471 (Terran Hegemony)

Found occasionally on BattleMechs and a few rare fusion/fission-powered IndustrialMechs, jump jets are an emergency short-range motive system that allow such units to quickly overcome restrictive terrain such as built-up areas, thick woodlands or even radical elevation shifts. Structurally placed deep within the framework of a given ’Mech, only the exhaust ports of these powerful thrusters are exposed through apertures in the rear torsos and legs, which makes them difficult to damage in combat. This “deep installation” prevents most jump-capable units from losing their enhanced maneuverability altogether in battle.

While functionally similar to the fusion-powered thrusters of aerospace fighters, jump jets lack the added boost provided by aerospace reaction mass that would otherwise allow for sustained thrust, and also cannot maintain the high levels of heat a constant burn would generate. Thus, these jets can only be engaged for a few seconds at a time—long enough to make a short leap, but not enough for true flight. Regardless, ever since their first appearance on the venerable Wasp design, jump jets have become a common sight on BattleMechs, deployed for every reason from a reconnaissance aid to an emergency booster for more mobility-handicapped units.

The laser (its name originates from the ancient acronym “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”) is the most basic of modern battlefield energy weapons. Designed to deliver a concentrated burst of extreme heat to a small area, military-grade lasers can put a gouge through military-grade armors in a fraction of a second. Only the fact that sustained bursts of more than a few seconds would melt the optics used to align and focus each shot prevents lasers from becoming the ultimate “shoot-and-sweep” weapon.

The vehicular-scale lasers currently employed by BattleMechs, aerospace fighters and other modern combat units are commonly defined by their size and power class. The typical laser size and power classes are known universally as small, medium and large. Most of these debuted during the Age of War, with large lasers appearing first on the Mackie.

In addition, technological advancements have brought forth two new types of vehicular laser weapons beyond the standard models. These types include recovered extended-range (ER) lasers and the rapid-cycling pulse laser series.

Introduced:
2400 (Terran Hegemony [medium and small])
2430 (Terran Hegemony [large])

Compact and straightforward, standard laser weaponry managed to survive the depredations of the Succession Wars while their extended-range and pulse-style cousins were lost. Indeed, by the end of the Fourth Succession War, there remained almost fifty distinct standard laser models still in active production, with Martell’s medium laser line—considered by far the most efficient for the tonnage—manufactured on as many as six worlds.

Small Laser
Heat: 1
Damage: 3
Short Range: 1
Medium Range: 2
Long Range: 3
Tons: 0.5
Critical Slots: 1

Medium Laser
Heat: 3
Damage: 5
Short Range: 1-3
Medium Range: 4-6
Long Range: 7-9
Tons: 1
Critical Slots: 1

Large Laser
Heat: 8
Damage: 8
Short Range: 1-5
Medium Range: 6-10
Long Range: 11-15
Tons: 5
Critical Slots: 2

Introduced: 2620 (Terran Hegemony [ER large])
Extinct: 2950

Newhart Industries of New Earth fielded the first production run of extended-range large lasers for the SLDF in 2620, debuting a weapon system that boasted a longer reach than any other contemporary energy weapon. Within five years, the ER large laser became Newhart’s showpiece on their latest BattleMech offering, the HSR-200-D Hussar. The success of this ’Mech—largely attributed to the combination of its speed and its single, powerful weapon system—cemented Newhart’s place as one of the Terran Hegemony’s chief weapons producers.

ER lasers offer enhanced range in all size classes, but at a considerably higher heat cost.

ER Small Laser
Heat: 2
Damage: 3
Short Range: 1-2
Medium Range: 3-4
Long Range: 5
Tons: 0.5
Critical Slots: 1

ER Medium Laser
Heat: 5
Damage: 5
Short Range: 1-4
Medium Range: 5-8
Long Range: 9-12
Tons: 1
Critical Slots: 1

ER Large Laser
Heat: 12
Damage: 8
Short Range: 1-7
Medium Range: 8-14
Long Range: 15-19
Tons: 5
Critical Slots: 2

Introduced: 2609 (Terran Hegemony [large, medium and small pulse])
Extinct: 2950

The pulse laser uses rapid-cycling, high-energy pulses to generate multiple laser beams, creating an effect comparable to machine-gun fire. But because the staggered pulses give the protective ablation products from combat armor a chance to disperse—to expose fresh armor to subsequent pulses—the result is a burst of fire that is more effective and accurate. Originally developed by the Terran Hegemony, pulse lasers run cooler than ER lasers and pack a little more punch than standard lasers, but have a shorter effective range than either type. These weapons were popular on faster hunter/killer designs, which could close faster and benefit from the ability to land solid damage even on the fly.

Like many Star League technologies, pulse lasers were lost during the early Succession Wars and only returned after the discovery of the Gray Death Memory Core and ComStar’s secret deals with the Draconis Combine in the 3030s.

Small Pulse Laser
Heat: 2
Damage: 3 + 2D6 vs infantry
Short Range: 1
Medium Range: 2
Long Range: 3
Tons: 1
Critical Slots: 1

Medium Pulse Laser
Heat: 4
Damage: 6
Short Range: 1-2
Medium Range: 3-4
Long Range: 5-6
Tons: 2
Critical Slots: 1

Large Pulse Laser
Heat: 10
Damage: 9
Short Range: 1-3
Medium Range: 4-7
Long Range: 8-10
Tons: 7
Critical Slots: 2

Introduced: Pre-spaceflight

Favored as the quintessential anti-infantry weapon since the first crude models appeared in the nineteenth century, the machine gun (MG) is not an uncommon sight on BattleMechs, but favored heavily by smaller units and vehicles, such as armored personnel carriers and even police SWAT trucks. Heavier and capable of a far greater volume of fire than the weapons carried by conventional infantry, these vehicular and ’Mech-mounted machine guns can flatten entire platoons of regular troops in just one or two passes.

Heat: 0
Damage: 2 + 2D6 vs infantry
Short Range: 1
Medium Range: 2
Long Range: 3
Tons: 0.5
Critical Slots: 1
Ammo Per Ton: 200

Today’s vehicular-scale missile launchers are a broadly varied weapon class used to deliver clusters of self-propelled—and usually self-guided—munitions to a target. Not to be confused with capital-scale missile launchers, the missiles mounted on many BattleMechs and Combat Vehicles are much smaller in size and power, adapted to the electronic noise, limited sensor acuity and effective armor in the tactical battlefield.

Introduced: 2400 (Terran Hegemony)

Developed for reach, rather than punch, long-range missile racks are capable of indirect fire and a more concentrated dispersal of warheads. LRMs are typically mounted and launched in five-tube groups, with up to 20 tubes in a single rack. Standard LRM launchers are quite versatile, and can be easily upgraded with Artemis IV systems and even make use of a variety of special munitions. These launchers, which derive their impressive range from a ballistic launch angle, are notoriously less accurate close-in. Nevertheless, their flexibility and solid reliability at long distances has kept LRM models like Delta Dart, Holly, Shigunga and Valiant in production for centuries.

LRM-5
Heat: 2
Damage: 1/Missile (5)
Minimum Range: 6
Short Range: 1-7
Medium Range: 8-14
Long Range: 15-21
Tons: 2
Critical Slots: 1
Ammo Per Ton: 24

LRM-10
Heat: 4
Damage: 1/Missile (10)
Minimum Range: 6
Short Range: 1-7
Medium Range: 8-14
Long Range: 15-21
Tons: 5
Critical Slots: 2
Ammo Per Ton: 12

LRM-15
Heat: 5
Damage: 1/Missile (15)
Minimum Range: 6
Short Range: 1-7
Medium Range: 8-14
Long Range: 15-21
Tons: 7
Critical Slots: 3
Ammo Per Ton: 8

LRM-20
Heat: 6
Damage: 1/Missile (20)
Minimum Range: 6
Short Range: 1-7
Medium Range: 8-14
Long Range: 15-21
Tons: 10
Critical Slots: 5
Ammo Per Ton: 6

Introduced: 2370 (Terran Hegemony)

Less sophisticated than LRMs, the direct-fired short-range missile (SRM) system makes up for its limited reach with the heavier punch of its high-explosive warheads. Mounted in racks of two, four or six tubes—SRMs are particularly effective against vehicles and infantry, and are often a favored weapon for smaller battlefield units. Their popularity has been proven by the longevity of brand names like Harvester, Holly, Hovertec and Telos.

SRM-2
Heat: 2
Damage: 2/Missile (2)
Short Range: 1-3
Medium Range: 4-6
Long Range: 7-9
Tons: 1
Critical Slots: 1
Ammo Per Ton: 50

SRM-4
Heat: 3
Damage: 2/Missile (4)
Short Range: 1-3
Medium Range: 4-6
Long Range: 7-9
Tons: 2
Critical Slots: 1
Ammo Per Ton: 25

SRM-6
Heat: 4
Damage: 2/Missile (6)
Short Range: 1-3
Medium Range: 4-6
Long Range: 7-9
Tons: 3
Critical Slots: 2
Ammo Per Ton: 15

Introduced: 2587 (Terran Hegemony)
Extinct: 2795

Though hailed as another lost-and-found innovation of the Star League, at heart the Narc missile beacon is little more than a heavily modified and specialized single-tube SRM launcher. Rather than lobbing missiles, however, the Narc—adapted for the electro-magnetic soup of the modern battlefield—fires larger magnetic grappling munitions called (appropriately enough) “Narc pods.” These pods contain powerful homing beacons capable of cutting through most standard forms of ECM—at least until the Guardian suite came along—and are used to attract friendly missiles equipped with properly attenuated sensors. Though the effect is similar to that of Artemis-enhanced missile fire, some consider Narc pods superior to the Artemis because the signal lock cannot be broken once established. An attached beacon remains fixed to its target, calling in missiles upon itself until its unwilling “host” is destroyed. Moreover, the effect of a single unit equipped with a Narc launcher can enhance the targeting of every friendly missile support unit using Narc-compatible missiles, while the Artemis can only affect the missiles of the shooter.

Heat: 0
Damage: 0
Short Range: 1-3
Medium Range: 4-6
Long Range: 7-9
Tons: 3
Critical Slots: 2
Ammo Per Ton: 6

The energy-based equivalent of the Gauss rifle, the particle projector cannon (PPC for short) is one of the most powerful non-ballistic weapons ever devised for the modern battlefield. Consisting of a magnetic accelerator, firing high-energy proton or ion bolts, PPCs can flay armor through kinetic and thermal damage. While popular belief may hold that PPCs are an electromagnetic weapon, it’s worth mentioning that even though most PPC bolts look like a flash of manmade lightning, the actual electrical component of a PPC attack is little more than an intense burst of static.

In widespread use today are two primary PPC types: the standard and extended-range (or ER) versions.

Introduced: 2460 (Terran Hegemony)

The standard PPC is the favored “big gun” of lighter ’Mech classes and long-distance raiders that can’t afford to pay the tonnage for big ballistics like the Gauss rifle or autocannon/20. Once considered the apex of energy weapon technology, these particle cannons have excellent reach for the tactical battlefield and can vaporize about two tons of standard military-grade armor in just three solid hits. Unfortunately, they are less effective at ranges of less than 90 meters, as the particle fields at this range are deliberately inhibited by the weapon design. This feature—hardwired to every standard PPC model from the Donals produced in the Taurian Concordat to the Parti-Kills made on New Earth—is an electronics safety feature, intended to prevent the unfocused static of a discharging PPC from overloading the firing unit’s electronics. The enhancements that make ER models possible overcame this drawback, though the original models have remained popular for their lower cost and centuries of reliability.

Heat: 10
Damage: 10
Minimum Range: 3
Short Range: 1-6
Medium Range: 7-12
Long Range: 13-18
Tons: 7
Critical Slots: 3

Introduced: 2760 (Terran Hegemony)
Extinct: 2860

The extended-range version of the particle projector cannon was one of the last weapons advancements of the Star League, debuting just seven years before the start of Stefan Amaris’ coup. Essentially achieving its superior range through sheer brute force, the ER version of the PPC runs fifty percent hotter than its standard-model progenitor, but gains a third more range and is effective from muzzle to maximum range—all for the same tonnage and bulk.

ER PPCs reached their apex in the final days of the Star League with Terra-based Martinson Armaments’ Kinslaughter H-Class, mounted on the SPT-N2 Spartan. The Draconis Combine managed to revive the technology shortly before the War of 3039, but only a handful of these weapons reached the field during that conflict.

Heat: 15
Damage: 10
Short Range: 1-7
Medium Range: 8-14
Long Range: 15-23
Tons: 7
Critical Slots: 3

Introduced: 2784 (Terran Hegemony)
Extinct: 2790

The snub-nose PPC was a Star League-era experiment in “overcharging” the standard PPC design that died before it was fully completed and deployed. The intent of the experiment was to achieve the same devastating effect at a reduced weapon size, and to eliminate the standard model’s minimum-range effect. The net result, unfortunately, was a weapon that lost effectiveness over range and lacked some of the reach of the standard PPC, but had a better short-range envelope nonetheless. The weapon failed to reach widespread production before the Exodus.

Heat: 10
Damage: 10/8/5
Short Range: 1-9
Medium Range: 10-13
Long Range: 14-15
Tons: 6
Critical Slots: 2

Introduced: 2600 (Terran Hegemony)
Extinct: 2835

Though it built on techniques already centuries old in 2600, Grumman Industries’ Alloran In-Line target acquisition gear became the model for the artillery-spotting laser communications system today known simply by the acronym TAG. More than a simple infrared laser-based target designation system, the TAG system tied into the user’s on-board targeting and tracking systems and used its own integral tight-beam laser communications array to link into the receptive guidance systems of certain friendly artillery warheads and guided bombs.

When initially fielded, the Alloran In-Line worked in tandem with the AIL Arrow IV homing missile (also developed by Grumman Industries). Lost during the early Succession Wars, this technology was finally recovered in the early 3030s by the Federated Suns, which began fielding the resurrected TAGs to assist in the targeting of laser-guided bombs.

Heat: 0
Short Range: 1-5
Medium Range: 6-9
Long Range: 10-15
Tons: 1
Critical Slots: 1