Weapons

## Blades

Blades are weapons used in melee combat. They combine with Shields to provide bonuses to both defense and offense. When auto-block and counter-attack stats are high, a Templar armed with blade and shield can often take zero damage from either melee or ranged attacks, then hit back on the enemy's turn without AP penalty.

As a rule, blades designed for the Captain have greater offensive capabilities, with increased penetration and damage. Paladin weapons, by contrast, are designed with defense in mind. All weapons can be used by either class, however.

* Usable by: Captain, Paladin
* Cost: 2 AP
* Related attribute and skill: Strength, Warrior

## Shields

Shields are an essential part of a melee combatant's build, increasing defense, auto-block, counter, and other defensive stats. Weapons that boost counter-attack are found early on the Melee Specialists branch, as well as the end of the Captain branch. Paladin shields tend to have higher auto-block, and there are no shields save relics designed specifically for Berserkers.

* Usable by: Captain, Paladin, Berserker

## Captain's Sidearm

The Captain's sidearm is a backup weapon designed to give the Captain a ranged capability. As a sidearm, it is short-ranged and possesses no Overwatch capability. Despite this, the Captain's weapons are designed for offense and so can cause significant damage, particularly if they are plasma-based. Some needle weapons are available; these weapons inflict additional poison damage immediately to biological targets and on every turn thereafter, for a set number of turns.

* Usable by: Captain
* Cost: 2 AP
* Related attributes and skill: Quickness, Gunnery

## Gauntlets

Gauntlets are intended primarily as a backup melee weapon for use by ranged combatants. Despite this, the gauntlet has one startling attribute which makes it attractive as a primary weapon: it has a usage cost of only 1 AP compared to 2 AP for almost all other weapons. This means that a Soldier in melee range of an enemy has the choice of shooting it twice with a gun or punching it five times with a gauntlet! In addition, because it is intended as a backup weapon, the gauntlet has a relatively low Gear level: compared to other weapons, so a soldier specializing in gauntlet could carry a minimal ranged weapon and make up the difference with better armor and other attachments.

Regrettably, the skills for gauntlet use are different from those for projectile weapons, so a ranged combatant who specializes in gauntlets may find that they struggle somewhat with their primary, ranged weapon.

* Usable By: Scout, Soldier, Hydra, Neptune
* Cost: 1 AP
* Related attribute and skill: Strength, Warrior

## Cutter Fists

Cutter fist is the Engineer's backup melee weapon, usable by no other class. It
otherwise has the same traits as the gauntlet other than an exceptionally high penetration level which makes it situationally very useful against high deflection targets in dangerous positions.

* Usable by: Engineer
* Costs: 1 AP
* Related attribute and skill: Strength, Warrior

## Revolvers

Revolvers are a backup ranged sidearm intended to give a minimal ranged capability to Engineers. They tend to be short-ranged compared to other weapons, and also have no overwatch capability. Even with these drawbacks , however, some players find it useful so they can bring a gun to a knife fight. Revolvers depend on the quickness and gunnery skills, which are completely different from the Warrior and Strength required for melee weapons, so many templars who may carry them will find they have to choose to excel at one or the other but not both.

* Useable by: Engineer
* AP cost: 2
* Related attribute and skill: Quickness, Gunnery

## Hand-Flamers

Hand-Flamers are alternatives to Revolvers available to flame-tank Engineers only. Their physical damage is only slightly higher than that of the Revolvers but they also get large fire damage and critical bonuses. However, flamers are not capable of doing area damage like the Hydra's Flamers, and Flame-Tank armor has its own drawbacks.

* Usable by: Flame-Tank Engineer
* Cost: 2 AP
* Related attribute and skill: Strength, Gunnery

## Scout Rifles

### Sniper Rifles

Sniper Rifles are the exclusive province of Scouts. They hit at long range. Sniper rifles are complemented by Scout talents which greatly increase the critical rate, and will frequently inflict damage twice the stated values below.

* Usable by: Scout
* Cost: 2 AP
* Related attribute and skill: Strength, Gunnery

### Needle Guns

Like Sniper Rifles, Needle Guns are also exclusive to Scouts. They also hit at long range, have somewhat lower physical damage, but they also inflict bio-poison damage. Bio-poison damage is inflicted immediately, and continues to be inflicted on the target for several turns after the initial hit. This makes them ideal for weakening enemies before they come into range of other weapons.

* Usable by: Scout
* Cost: 2 AP
* Related attributes and skill: Quickness, Gunnery

## Soldier Rifles

### Leviathan Rifles

Rifles are the standard ranged weapon of the Soldier, although 'musket' is more accurate since none of the weapons have grooved barrels. These weapons cause significant damage at range and are moreover capable of being used in Overwatch; consequently, they are a must-have weapon in any game that is not a melee-only challenge. Rifles depend on Strength rather than Quickness, so a Soldier may find it possible to attain some proficiency in both the rifle and gauntlet by maximizing the strength statistic. In addition to the basic rifle, there are two sub-types of note: "Long" weapons have range almost as great as a sniper weapon, up to 6. They sometimes pay for this, however, in decreased damage and penetration. Nonetheless, they are ideal for defensive positions or for sniping fixed targets, such as towers, at range.

* Usable by: Soldier
* Cost: 2 AP
* Related attribute and skill: Strength, Gunnery

### Plasma Rifles

Plasma Rifles closely resemble the submachine guns of the second world war, such as the MP-40. They sacrifice range in exchange for a great deal of power and penetration, including additional plasma damage. They are best used in an offensive role in which the user kicks in a door and sprays madly while being overwatched by other Soldiers armed with more conventional weapons. In addition to the short range, plasma weapons have an additional drawback in that some enemies have been specifically engineered to be plasma-resistant; these creatures will be able to soak a degree of plasma damage, which in early weapons may negate their effect entirely, leaving conventional damage which is not all that great. But there is another factor which may tilt the scale the other way: late-game enemies possess high hit points and deflection in excess of 100%. Thus, it may be necessary to re-equip with plasma weapons merely to cause significant damage to enemies in a short amount of time.

* Usable by: Soldier
* Cost: 2 AP
* Related attribute and skill: Strength, Gunnery

## Flamers

"Flamer" is a misnomer, as these weapons actually project a wide stream of plasma; it is like carrying a miniature Void engine into battle with a weaponized exhaust. They can be adjusted to cover many squares at once for an area of effect attack. This inflicts fire damage in addition to standard damage, which, as with plasma, appears to be less affected by armor and deflection. Further, this effect is persistent; a square touched by this plasma will remain saturated with it for many turns, inflicting damage on any creature passing through or remaining in the square. Hydra troopers, who carry the flamers, work especially well with overwatch-capable soldiers.The overwatch troops will stop enemy movement, allowing a flame attack to cover the lot of them. After the Hydra has done the work, overwatch will permit the Templar to retire unharmed. This attack is not without its drawbacks; it is short-ranged at a range of 4, the Hydra is itself incapable of overwatch and thus requires protection from other Templars when on the defense. There is also the small issue that the Hydra's weapon cannot tell friend from foe; a mis-aimed napalm storm can engulf teammates as well as enemies. Of all the Templars on the field, only the Hydra has the potential to kill its entire team at once. Finally, there are a few flame-resistant enemies against whom the conventional damage of the flamer is pitiful. Further, a wall of flame is no longer an impassable defense; even weak enemies can skitter through it quickly, taking minimal damage, although on the plus side the flames are not disturbed by the passage of units through the square. Because of this, some Templars prefer to leave their Hydras at home and take along overwatch-capable units such as the Neptune; whatever else you can say about the Neptune, none have ever killed their own team-mates. This does not deter the Hydra's adherents, however, who praise their ability both to inflict great damage and to place walls of fire before the enemy.

* Usable by: Hydra
* Cost: 2 AP
* Related attribute and skill: Strength, Gunnery

## Repeaters

A repeating weapon is the equivalent of the tripod-mounted machine guns of the pre-spaceflight era. However, Shalun was a talented engineer as well as a visionary, and so he redesigned the Leviathan chassis such that these massive weapons require neither tripod nor a large crew; instead one man can carry and operate the weapon from within a single Leviathan; this man is called the Neptune Specialist. The repeating weapons are capable of hitting a large area. This power, however, does not come without cost: a Neptune builds up heat at a dramatic rate and often forfeits all movement points whenever the massive weapon is fired. Consequently, the Neptune is a matter of some controversy among Templars; Like the Soldier, it is capable of overwatch. Because of this and its deadly weapon, some consider it one step below the Cherubim, whose deadly rain of fire more than compensates for its weaknesses, particularly if there is an Engineer nearby able to act as a heat sink. Others sneer at the Neptune as little better than a mobile sentry turret. Berserkers, of course, cannot understand why anyone would fight with a gun when one could fight with an axe, but even among Templar warriors, a class not noted for mellowness, the Berserkers are seen as just a little crazy.

* Usable by: Neptune
* Cost: 2 AP
* Related attribute and skill: Strength, Gunnery

## Shock Hammers

Hammers are two handed melee weapons specific to Paladins. Selecting one will automatically unequip a shield. The mentality is enhanced offense at the cost of defence. Their higher cost to equip inhibits higher calibre wargear from being selected by a low level Paladin.

They are designed for offensive minded Paladins who aim to strike hard and fast, and leave no survivors. They are the ideal complement to a dual axe wielding berserker orientated squad. As the hammer provides strong physical damage coupled with plasma damage at the cost of significantly reduced blocking and parrying abilities. This increases the need for group healing skills, as the Paladin is more likely to sustain damage.

* Usable by: Paladin
* Cost: 2 AP
* Related attribute and skill: Strength, Warrior

## Axes

Axes are melee weapons and are the signature weapon of Berserkers. No other class is permitted to use one. As a rule, Axes emphasize offensive power over all else. They have higher penetration but minimal auto-block stats. Axe+Shield also has the potential to counter-attack enemies on their turn.

* Usable by: Berserker
* Cost: 2 AP
* Related attribute and skill: Strength, Warrior

## Hand Axes

Hand Axes are dual-wielded with an Axe in the other hand. If the Hand Axe's Accuracy or Parry value is higher than the base Axe's, then they are used. Otherwise they have no effect. Damage and Penetration of the Hand Axe is added to the Axe's values.

* Usable by: Berserker
* Cost: 2 AP
* Related attribute and skill: Strength, Warrior