Starship Troopers Heavy Weapons

# **Heavy Weapons**

## **MW-5050 ‘Twin 50’ Autocannon**

Usually encountered as part of a fortification as a wall defense weapon, these massive guns are belt fed and have an operator’s chair or standing mount. As a mounted weapon, it can only attack once, requires a full-attack action to do so. ‘Twin 50’ autocannons only fire in automatic mode, but an operator can use one to fire the equivalent of a three-round burst at a single target instead. This special fire mode still uses ten rounds of ammunition

## **SW-402 ‘Triple GL’ Grenade Launcher**

The ‘Triple GL’ can be fired in one of two ways; single mode, which launches one grenade or in triple mode, this simulates all the effects of a three-round burst and uses three rounds of ammunition. Triple GL’s can fire any of the following grenades; M-901HE, M-902F, M-904C, M-909S and the weapon’s damage is determined by the type of grenade fired. Unfortunately, reload time on a ‘Triple GL’ is a full-round action.

## **SW-403 ‘Thud Gun’ Rocket Launcher**

The FedCom SW-403 support weapon is designed for the saturation bombing of a battlefield normally unreachable by aerial assets. This weapon can generate firepower as destructive as a rocket launcher and is typically only issued to trusted officers or in times of great emergency. The ‘Thud Gun’ is normally loaded with M-919A1 plasma rockets; they can, however, be loaded with any other type of rocket. Unfortunately the need to adopt a proper bracing stance when firing a ‘Thud Gun’ requires the use of a full-round action as does the reloading of such a weapon.

SW-403 launchers can be loaded with three forms of variant ammunition, each dependent on the needs of the mission and available only with an officer’s permission and GM approval. A thud gun’s damage is dependent upon which rocket type it fires, commonly compatible rockets are listed here, all of which are classified as ‘dumbfire’ and have no seeking capability of any kind.

* **M-707A2 ‘Firewall’ Rocket**: Typically fired into a narrow ravine or passage, the Firewall is a modification to the M-719A1. Both larger and more powerful than the plasma rocket, the Firewall consumes its plasma core much more slowly, creating a 15 meter-by-15 meter fiery wall of burning plasma that lasts for 1D+2 rounds. This wall deals 3D+2 damage (Speeder Scale) to anything attempting to pass through it.
* **M-711A1 ‘Scatterjack’ Rocket**: An impressive weapon, the one shot M-711A1 is typically fired into the air where it detonates and scatters its deadly cargo of high-explosive charges over a relatively wide area. Extremely deadly if it lands accurately into enemy units, it causes an incredibly powerful explosion in its blast radius. Scatterjack charges deal 4D+1 damage (Speeder Scale) to everything in their 10 meter blast radius and require a Dodge check (Difficulty 20) to avoid its effects.
* **M-719A1 Plasma Rocket**: Similar in both size and shape to the Scatterjack, an M-719A1 plasma munition does not erupt in mid-air but does so spectacularly on the ground. The core of the rocket is superheated plasma within magnetic compression. When these munitions explode, their plasma rages out of control and consumes several meters of battlefield with its voracious flames. Plasma charges deal 6D+1 damage (Speeder Scale) to everything in their 6 meter blast radius and require a Dodge check (Difficulty 30) to avoid its effects.

## **SW-404 ‘Javelin’ Missile Launcher**

When nothing else will do the job, a missile is a trooper’s last and best option. The FedCom SW-404 is a heavy weapon system with a top-feeding magazine and an integral targeting computer that links to the tactical display in a trooper’s helmet. The SW-404 is a powerful weapon but its blasts are not precise and it cannot be used on crowded battlefields where a stray explosive round could spell the end of a misplaced trooper’s career. Casual use of a javelin launcher is punishable by court-martial and troopers should always remain conscious of where their ammunition goes.

Javelin launchers can be loaded with three forms of variant ammunition, each dependent on the needs of the mission and available only with an officer’s permission and Games Master approval. A ‘Javelin’s’ damage is dependent upon which missile type it fires, commonly compatible missiles are listed here, all of which are classified as ‘dumbfire’ missiles and have no seeking capability of any kind.

* **M-666C5 HEAT (High Explosive Anti Tank) Missile**: This missile type is launched from a SW-404 Javelin and is designed as a tank buster. Its special warhead is made to tear open heavy armor and provide a breach for its secondary shaped charge to detonate inside. Extremely effective against fortifications and massive Arachnids, the M-666C5 HEAT is a valuable asset on any battlefield. The HEAT missile deals 4D damage. HEAT rounds only have a 3 meter blast radius.
* **M-714S2 ‘Firecraker’ Missile**: Both simpler in design yet more powerful in its way, the M-714S2 missile is also used by the Javelin launch system. Meant specifically do be used against ground targets, its blast radius and killing power makes the M-714S2 the bane of all troop types. Very few targets can withstand an attack from a Firecracker missile. This standard missile has a range of 1-30/75/150 meters, blast radius of 6 meters and deals 5D damage to everything in the blast radius.
* **M-998A1 ‘Pee-Wee’ Missile**: The Pee-Wee missile, more commonly known as a tac-nuke, has a firing range of 1-320/800/1,600m

**Nuclear Missiles & Their Battlefield Uses**
In the world of Starship Troopers, nuclear weapons are still used during combat but their implementation has changed significantly. The idea of missiles that leave clouds of deadly fallout and massive radiation has given way to short-term radioactive reactions and massive initial damage with few side-effects or lingering traces other than massive areas of planetary ruin. SICON currently uses two main grades of nuclear weapon – the fairly tiny M-998A1 ‘Pee-Wee’ missile and the M-999A2 ‘Ajax’ heavy tactical bomb. The latter is dropped from orbit or by atmospheric bombers, while the latter is fired from a Javelin missile launcher.
The Pee-Wee affects an area 40 meters in radius, while the Ajax flattens 1.6 kilometer radius areas effortlessly. The basic rule of thumb for anything in the area of a nuclear blast in the Starship Troopers game is ‘if it is in the radius, it is vaporized’. If a target could make it to the edge of the nuke’s blast radius with a double move action at full sprint, even if it has already had its turn, it receives a Dodge check (Difficulty 22). Success places them immediately at the nearest edge of the blast at 0 hit points. Failure, or the inability to move that fast, equals death.
## **MW-5029 ‘Scythe’ Laser Cannon**

A highly experimental weapon found primarily on flyers and other advanced vehicles, the MW-X29 laser cannon is a mounted weapon that requires the appropriate skill to use properly. It consists of a charging coil and focusing barrel, expending massive amounts of energy from an ablative power core to generate a destructive beam of coherent light. This powerful pulse can ‘scythe’ straight through the hardest physical armor.

## **SW-228 ‘Bugbroom’ Support Laser**

A refinement in laser technology that allows a coherent light cannon to be mounted on a folding tripod and carried by a single trooper, the ‘Bugbroom’ requires a special power pack carried or worn by the operator and 1D rounds to set up properly before use. Fully capable of showering an area with powerful laser fire, the ‘Bugbroom’ is notoriously consumptive of energy and tends to run out of power at the worst of times.

## **Source**

* Starship Troopers RPG Sourcebook (pages 86-92)
* thedemonapostle