Magnetic Acceleration Cannon (EXverse)

The Magnetic Acceleration Cannon is a large coilgun employed by UNSC Navy aboard its starships and space stations as their primary armament; it was also used by CMA before its assets would be absorbed by the UNSC in 2525. The MAC system is built around a ship or station's superstructure.
== History ==
Smaller coilgun batteries were employed since the Interplanetary War aboard starships; before than, national surface navies used guided missile systems, before turned to railguns in the mid-21th. However, coilguns were always seen as the ultimate step - before energy weapons - as they needn't rails to accelerate a slug at kilometers per seconds.
As interplanetary and interstellar travels became common, coilgun batteries became far more usual, but they didn't supplant guided missiles at all for a number of reason: a too short range, propulsion systems not adequate to power coils and lacking of both reliability and tracking systems. Since coilgun batteries improved reliability, they still fired too slow unguided slugs, as compared to missiles which also were self-guided. After the Domus Diaspora, however, propulsion systems became far more powerful, nonetheless coilgun batteries remained a secondary armament due to the cheapness of missiles and their power: a single Ares missile, at the time the standard missile's model, was enough to cripple a ship. Since human race never had a big threat, and the possible target for a UNSC or CMA was a pirate or a smuggler's ship, it followed that coilguns weren't so necessary as thought during the 21st century.
Around 2450 new study arose a large coilgun, which could fired hundrends of tons slugs at tens of kilometers per seconds. However, the power required was impressive, more than that required by coilgun batteries, besided many naval officers weren't so much happy because this large coilgun was supposed to be built around a ship's superstructure, thus forcing ships to be aligned themselves to the target in order to fire; though, this coilgun could fired a slug farther than coilgun batteries, so a vessel could find its range increased.
Major redesign and more studies led them to the born of the Magnetic Acceleration Cannon, an official name gave to every large coilgun built in a ship's superstructure, as opposed to coilgun batteries which were more but built onto the hull, smaller, with a shorter range and less powerful. The introduction of MAC guns became crucial when Human-Covenant War started, as it was the only conventional weapon capable of penetrating Covenant ship's shields at long distance.
== Overview ==
== Types list ==
There are numerous iterations of the MAC gun system, together grouped under a Mark or Series-based designation; although both terms are equivalent, Mark is more common among naval officers and architects. Every designation has light or heavy coil, which means that system can fire a more or less heavy slug.
=== Mark I ===
Mark I was the first iteration ever built. Installed aboard , it fired lighter slugs compared to subsequent iterations. Gorgons ships could fired only three slugs, as they haven't much space for other shells. This model was known as Mark I, Light Coil - 11A1C2 MAC, and it was the only Mark I model built, before to be supplanted by Mark II and following iterations.
=== Mark II ===
Mark II is a iteration that uses light coils. Mainly fitted aboard frigates and light cruisers thanks to its simple architecture, thus reducing time and costs, it's currently used only by frigates and corvettes and it makes use of some Covenant technologies. Before the introduction of Mark VII model after the Great War, it was also used aboard some carriers.
* Mark II, Light Coil - 83B6R1 MAC was fitted on .
** Mark II, Light Coil - 83B6R3 MAC was used aboard , and it was a smaller, and rapid-fire, variant of those installed on Hillsboroughs.
** Mark II, Light Coil - 77D4C1 MAC is equipped on Charon-class light frigates' refit.
* Mark II, Light Coil - 38R3D4 MAC was put onto ' Block I and II.
* Mark II, Light Coil - 56A2D4 MAC is used aboard as well as Halcyons refit and UNSC Pillar of Autumn after its refit.
** Mark II, Light Coil - 11G3R2 MAC is fitted onto Stalwart-class' second flight and it features some improvements made for the Autumn.
** Mark II, Light Coil - 56A2F9 MAC was equipped on and it is a rapid-fire variant of the MAC installed aboard Stalwarts.
* Mark II, Light Coil - 65P8V1 MAC was installed aboard ' first and second flights.
** Mark II, Light Coil - 65P8V6 MAC is equipped on Epoch-class' Flight II, and it is a variant of the first MAC used by Paris-class.
** Mark II, Light Coil - 69D4A5 MAC was installed aboard Paris-class' Flight III and IV.
* Mark II, Light Coil - 20DA1C2 MAC is fitted onto .
* Mark II, Light Coil - 15C7R4 MAC was equipped on retrofitted .
=== Mark III ===
Mark III is a iteration that uses light coils. Mainly fitted aboard modern destroyers, it is more powerful than Mark II but it need more power while maintaining costs low. Differently from other iterations Mark III can be employed in linked batteries, reducing charge time when all MAC guns are charging. Phoenix-refitted colony vessels are also equipped with this iteration.
* Mark III, Light Coil - 14B11R2 MAC Battery is a twin-linked MAC gun installed aboard ' Block I and II.
** Mark III, Light Coil - 14B11S3 MAC Battery was a variant of Halberd-class' Block I and II's MAC, fitted on its Block III's version.
* Mark III, Light Coil - 21C7A2 MAC is equipped on refitted .
* Mark III, Light Coil - 27C31D2 MAC is a post-war MAC fitted onto Halberd-class' Block IV.
* Mark III, Light Coil - 22B6R3 MAC Battery is a three-barreled MAC gun fitted onto , capable of firing multi-payload shells, useful for orbital supporting.
* Mark III, Light Coil - 31C8A1 MAC is equipped on .
=== Mark IV ===
Mark IV is a iteration that uses heavy coils. Mainly fitted onto cruisers and assault carriers, during Human-Covenant War it was both the largest MAC guns aside from Super MACs and the only MAC gun capable of disabling Covenant ships' shields in less than four shots. While firing larger shells than above-mentioned iterations, Mark IV requires more energy.
* Mark IV, Heavy Coil - 33B5R2 MAC was installed on ' Flight I.
* Mark IV, Heavy Coil - 49F9A1 MAC was fitted on Marathon-class' prototypes, Block I and Block II versions, as well as on .
** Mark IV, Heavy Coil - 49F9A5 MAC is a variant of the MAC put on the Marathon-class and it is equipped on Orion-class' Flight II.
* Mark IV, Heavy Coil - 61F3A8 MAC was fitted onto ' Block III, IIIA and IV.
* Mark IV, Heavy Coil - 50GE1A MAC was employed by ' second flight.
** Mark IV, Heavy Coil - 50GE3A MAC was a variant of the Valiant-class' second flight and was implemented on the first refit by the start of the Human-Covenant War.
* Mark IV, Heavy Coil - 41F6R9 MAC is fitted onto 
** Mark IV, Heavy Coil - 41F6S1 MAC was introduced late in the war aboard upgradedValiants and it is a variant of the MAC put on Mediators.
* Mark IV, Heavy Coil - 57A3D7 MAC is installed aboard .
* Mark IV, Heavy Coil - 94B1E6 MAC is used aboard .
=== Mark V ===
Mark V was a massive iteration built to be employed only aboard pace stations. It uses super coils to ignite massive slugs, exceeding a thousand of tons.
* Mark V, Super Coil - 14D4A1 MAC is fitted on .
* Mark V, Super Coil - 64A2E7 MAC was put onto .
=== Mark VI ===
Mark VI uses super coils and it was designed to be used by ships, rather than space stations. Initially conceived for , it can be used only by the largest vessels of the Navy.
* Mark VI, Super Coil - CR-01A MAC was fitted onto Punics after UNSC's acquisition.
* Mark VI, Super Coil - CR-01D MAC was installed aboard refitted Punics and it was the most powerful ship-based MAC gun at the time.
* Mark VI, Super Coil - CR-02A MAC was employed aboard and it dwarfed all ship-based MACs by power before the introduction of Mark VIII iteration.
=== Mark VII ===
Mark VII is the first iteration to be developed during the war and it uses super-heavy coils. Its strong point is that it can be fitted onto medium-size ships, so giving them a firepower well beyond its displacement.
* Mark VII, Super-Heavy Coil - 66C2R5 MAC was fitted aboard .
* Mark VII, Super-Heavy Coil - 92R7J1 MAC was fitted aboard and it was considered the most advanced model until the introduction of Serpent-class' MAC.
=== Mark VIII ===
Mark VIII is the second iteration to be developed during the war and it is the bigger one. Also known as Series-8, this iteration is 27 meters wide, it is the most advanced in service with the Navy and it can fires the massive slugs ever built, capable to be rivaled OWP's Super MACs. While designed during the Great War, it entered service only after it.
* Mark VIII, Ultra Coil - CR-03S8 MAC was fitted only aboard .
** Mark VIII, Ultra Coil - CR-03BS8 MAC is fitted only aboard Infinities after 2558.
=== Mark IX ===
Mark IX iteration is the first to be developed immediately after the war. Considered a state-of-the-art iteration, is the most advanced to be developed aside from the special Mark VIII.
* Mark IX, Heavy Coil - 45J3D3 MAC is employed by .
=== Mark X ===
The Mark X iteration is the biggest iteration ever developed after the Mark VIII. Capable to be employed in linked batteries, just like the Mark III one, its power match that found on the Mark V iteration.
* Mark X, Super Coil - 76G3V5 MAC Battery is employed aboard and it grants the highest damage-per-slug of all post-war ships - except for the Infinities.
== Description ==