G12F Black Widow

## Overview

The G12F Bounding Mine, also known as the "Black Widow", is the primary anti-personnel mine in service with the Iron Horde. It was designed by Boerelem engineers in the years of military mobilization following the assassination of Trevor Corsair in Y4140. When triggered, these mines are launched into the air and then detonated at about one meter from the ground. The explosion projects a lethal spray of uranite shrapnel in all directions. It was designed to be used in open areas against unshielded infantry. These weapons are easy to mass-produce and arm, either manually by hand or by machine such as a mine-layer vehicle or even by aircraft ordinance drop. These mines can inflict heavy casualties and slow infantry advances to a grinding halt. There is also a huge psychological toll these mines inflict on the enemy, with every PVT soldier never knowing if their next step will be their last.

### History

following the assassination of Iron Coalition leader Trevor Corsair, his daughter Crystal Corsair assumed power and immediately began mobilizing the state's military for retaliation against the Pax-Viribus Theocracy. The ordinance in the IC's arsenal had fallen into a state of disrepair, not being used since the days of Wian's Wrath. The Iron Apparat sent out solicitations for new ordinance designs, one of which was a request for a new and improved anti-personnel mine. Their previous stock of Duiker AP Mines that was acquired from the absorption of the SOMC and its arsenal had been decommissioned 23 years earlier. For their new AP mine, the IC reached out to Boerelem in early Y4141. Boerelem had also manufactured the Klipspringer AT-AV Mine, the precursor to the G11A Dirty Harry, so it was a natural fit for the IC to proffer their services.

Within a blisteringly short six months the Iron Ordinance Department solicited, designed, tested, and fielded the G1 Black Widow. in another three months, the ordinance was being used by small infiltration teams in the Synovian Desert, playing games of cat and mouse with corresponding PVT detachments. By late Y4143 when the IC was finalizing its preparations for a full scale offensive, the use of the mines were ubiquitous across the Iron Horde. Operation Whisper saw J14-MC Blackball Howitzers fire high-altitude payload shells filled with modified G10B Black Widow Mines. The shell would activate over military targets, raining down and planting hundreds of mines in an instant. Millions of mines were planted in this manner, making much of the Synovian Desert impassable on foot.

After the IC's defeat at Bulwark, the subsequent talks and compromises had at Helena in the Kingdom of Velocitus saw these types of shells banned. Despite this, the IC still employs these mines in a clandestine capacity. Special operations troopers will often lay G12F mines to cover their exfil, or use them as a diversion to catch an enemy combat element by surprise.

### Features

#### Armored vehicle discharger system

A G12F mine launcher in the form of angled grids of tubes attached via brackets to the hull, is used for anti-infantry defense by Iron Horde armored vehicles. Depending on the size and armament, combat vehicles can be equipped with up to five such devices, with scouting vehicles being equipped with up to four. By Y4155 all new Black Anvil MBTs were equipped with this system. Upon triggering, a hail of mines will shoot out from the tank, covering an area around it 100m in circumference.

#### Performance

Depending on the mine's age and condition, a different amount of time may pass between the igniter being fired and the mine being ejected. Tests have revealed an average of 2.5 seconds. Testing has revealed that the average time between the mine's ejection and detonation is 0.5 seconds. Upon detonation a fragmentation sheet of uranite shards will fragment and project in a 360 degree range. The tested killzone is 40m, with the casualty radius up to an exceeding 100m.