Particle weapon Particle weapon was a generalized term for several different types of directed energy weapon technologies . These weapons used different atomic or subatomic particle s in the form of particle beam s or projectile - like bursts of particles to bombard the target with destructive energy . Particle cannon was the term commonly used to refer to ship - mounted particle weapons . Impacts usually left scorch marks on a ship ' s hull . In the case of high - yield particle impacts , the particle residue might cause oxidization and thermal shock effects . ( ) Particle accelerator s could also be utilized as particle weapons . ( ) Types of particle weapons . Several species utilized what was only described as particle weapons during the mid - 22nd century as both ship - mounted cannons and sidearm weapons . During later centuries it was more common to use specific designations for these particle weapons . ( ) Particle weapons were classified by the type of atomic or subatomic particles used to deliver the destructive energy to the target . These included : Additionally a navigational deflector could be utilized as a particle weapon . The various types of particle beams that could be emitted included : Particle weapons were also differentiated by the type of emissions they produced . Particle emission types included : Several particle weapons were based on phaser or disruptor technology . These could be further modified to produce particle emissions that included : Applications . Hand - held particle weaponry . Vulcan s utilized hand - held particle weapons as early as the mid - 20th century . ( ) By the mid - 22nd century , Coridan rebels were armed with particle weapons . ( ) The Tandaran s were also armed with particle weapons , during this time . ( ) Xindi - Insectoid s were , likewise , armed with particle weapon sidearms . ( ) The Suliban also used particle weapon sidearms which were capable of stunning their victims . ( ) In the visions created by the Nakan memorial on Tarakis , Saavdra claimed the civilian colonists were using particle weapons against his soldiers . ( ) Another type of particle weapon was phase - pistol s that Starfleet issued during the mid - 22nd century . ( ) In that same timeframe , Starfleet also issued a variety of plasma - based sidearms . The EM - 33 , an EM weapon , required the user to compensate for particle drift when firing . ( ) The standard - issue carbine weapon of MACO personnel was a particle rifle . ( , et al . ) The phase - pistol , the predecessor of the phaser , fired a continuous beam and unlike the EM - 33 , was capable of stun and kill settings . ( ) The particle yield of phase - pistols can be doubled by cross - polarizing the power cell s . ( ) The MACO phase - pistols fired phase pulse s . ( ) During his meeting with the security officers , Captain Jean - Luc Picard noted that particle weapons , such as their phaser rifle s , could destroy the warp core during their retake of main engineering from the Borg . ( ) Ship - mounted particle weaponry . Particle cannons were used on Vaadwaur assault fighters in the late - 15th century . ( ) Shortly after the introduction of the phase cannon s utilized by Starfleet starships it was determined that they could not be fired at warp due to the particle discharge . According to Malcolm Reed , " " It would destabilize [ their ] warp field and most likely burn out both [ of their ] nacelle s . " " ( ) This problem was solved shortly afterward . ( ) To the Klingon s of the 22nd century , these cannons were described as " low - yield particle cannons , " and were deemed little threat to a battle cruiser . ( ) Many species encountered by Starfleet during the 22nd century were armed with similar ship - mounted weapons . s utilized high - yield particle weapons . ( ) The armament of Enolian shuttle s consisted of fore and aft particle cannons , which were less than a match for an starship . ( ) Xindi - Insectoid ship s were armed with up to half a dozen ship - mounted particle cannons . ( ) Andorian battle cruiser s were armed with particle cannons , including multiple forward cannons . ( ) Tellarite cruiser s were also armed with particle cannons , which left a signature unique to Tellarite technology . ( ) Xantoras patrol ship s were equipped with low - power particle beams . ( ) In the 23rd century , the was also equipped with particle cannons . " Upon touring the vessel once it was captured by the Terran Empire in 2155 of the mirror universe , Admiral Black planned for the ship ' s particle cannons to be replicated , and the Imperial fleet then upgraded with the resulting duplicates . Black hoped the cannons could help the Terran Empire win a war it was waging against a group of rebels . " ( )