Melta Weapons

In order to fully understand the working principles of melta weapons, an extensive cataloguing of available melta weapons designs was performed.

The first and most common designs in use were conventional Melta Weapons, especially the Accatran Pattern Mark VIII pattern used by the former Elysian - now Atlantean - Drop Troops. Heat-based weapons, melta weapons work by subatomic agitation of the air, using highly pressurized pyrum-petrol gases within an ammunition canister, then projecting the resulting plasma through the canister and from the barrel as a blast of incredible heat comparable to the corona of a star which will vaporise just about anything. Melta Weapon usage is always accompanied by a distinctive hissing sound as the Melta beam boils away the water in the air, then a roaring blast as the air itself is torn asunder from the intense convection rippling from the heat wave. The effect on flesh is fearsome to say the least, while vehicles can be reduced to molten slag. Unfortunately, due to the high power consumption and range dissipation, the weapon is only effective over very short distances, but anything caught in the blast is likely to be destroyed.

As well, there are a handful of examples of the rare Beamer style of Meltagun, which was an attempt long ago to create a longer-range Melta Weapon that was still light enough to be easily carried into combat. Though it still uses specialized gases melded and ignited into a sub-molecular thermal state, this weapon features a longer barrel with a radiation beam surrounding the gaseous discharge. This low-level radiation acts as a harmonic wavefront for the super-hot release, allowing it to strike at longer distances. The necessary tuning for the beam to match the discharge proved impractical in the field, however, and only those willing (or able) to spend many solar hours of difficult correction after prolonged use still stand by the weapon.

Lastly, there are Hunting Lances used by the more elite of our Rough Riders, one-handed, single-use melee weapons used exclusively by the Rough Rider mounted cavalry units of the former Imperial Guard and still on Atlantis. This weapon is constructed of a hollow, lightweight metal shaft tipped with a spear point, which is also connected to the impact fuse of the weapon's shaped charge. Most enemies would not expect that their heavy vehicles would be targeted by traditional cavalry, giving an edge to Rough Rider squads equipped with Melta-tipped Hunting Lances.

With a moderate collection of diverse weapons systems, philosophies, and principles in play, breaking down said weapons, dissecting their internal components, and recording everything with the most advanced Golden Age sensors the Dominion has is already in progress. Understanding the sub-molecular reactions and atomic excitation cascades already recorded in most of the weapons, the key component of melta weapons, is critical to duplication, then enhancement and future improvement. A number of plasma specialists have been brought in, due to the overlap in high-energy physics that occurs with plasma weaponry, as well as borrowed time on “The Mind of Mars” supercomputer complex to simulate and comprehend just what exactly is going on when these weapons fire.

Already there are multiple new proposals to combine the best traits of each weapon, or produce new weapons systems entirely. Constructing siad prototypes will take another few years to complete, however, but be well worth it.