AX9B-S Warwolf

## Overview

The AX9B-S Warwolf is a new addition to the Iron Horde's arsenal, and a truly terrifying piece of weaponry. It is a gargantuan-sized railgun howitzer cannon, capable of launching a 30-foot depleted uranium sabot into low orbit. Once re-entering at Mach 25 and making contact with its target, the sheer kinetic force of the impact instantly obliterates anything and everything within a two and a half mile radius. In order to unpack and stage the weapon, it must be bolted into the earth using eight reinforced steel pillars, each 12 feet deep. Without such significant stabilization the weapon would rip itself apart upon firing. The doomsday-esque weapon was developed in Y4157 through a collaborative effort of Iordanov Electronics and Grigax, Inc. under the auspices of the Iron Ordinance Department. The weapon system takes roughly four days to assemble, and another three to charge its enormous capacitor banks in preparation for a firing sequence. The weapon is a result of a classified program by the Iron Apparat to explore the potential of orbital strike capabilities and long range kinetic weapons systems.

### History

#### Development

Feasible railgun technology for the Iron Coalition had for a long time been unattainable due to the immense power costs and energy density required. However, more practical designs became possible with the invention of hyper-capacitors in Y4140. The first weapon system designed to use these devices was the AX3B Halberd, invented by Iordanov Electronics in Y4144. With the resounding success of the Halberd, the Iron Ordinance Department immediately went back to the drawing board to brainstorm more ways to leverage the technology. Master Artillery General Apocalus Dredd made a case for the technology to be used to create a new and never-before fielded orbital strike weapon system, arguing it would give the regime the greatest impact and military advantage before the technological secrets were found out. The IOD agreed, and work began quickly to develop a prototype.

By Y4147 the IOD had a working prototype, the AX1-S. More of a upscaled Halberd bolted to the ground than anything, the AX1-S was somewhat temperamental at best. The system did indeed work, however numerous parts and sections had to be routinely replaced due to extreme wear and tear from the enormous magnetic strain involved. Further development by Iordanov Electronics yielded helix baffled barrel shroud, constructed of an endothermic Taaisteel-Nitrexite composite. This addition provided premier heat dissipation, maintaining the structural integrity of the AX1-S's critical components. Grigax, Inc. managed to create a rifled barrel using a carbonic-tungsten alloy matrix impregnated with genetically modified bio-organisms, similar in function to those found in Aegis Aggregate. As the temperature of the barrel increases the organisms come out of their stasis, regenerating the ablated sections of barrel and restoring its structural integrity. The process is quite slow, taking up to six hours in some cases, but the technology saves the cost and time of constantly replacing extremely expensive components with laborious installation processes.

#### Combat Operations

In late Y4156 the AX1-S was ready to be put into live combat with parts being shipped out in a convoy to Forward Operating Base CD42-V over the course of two months and under cover of darkness. By early Y4157 the the AX1-S was fully assembled at the FOB, however there was a dearth of targets to engage. The artillery officer on base, Pointman Michael Curran, resorted to engaging suspected positions of Pax-Viribus Theocracy scouting bases hidden in the dunes of the Synovian Desert. Iron Horde Scout Sniper teams would identify potential targets, and the AX1-S would traverse and engage within a few hours time. In Y4164 the Warwolf was engaged in the Battle of Rubik Oasis. The weapon was used to shell relevant PVT supply lines, armor columns and depots within the vicinity of the Piazza Mesa. By this point the PVT was well aware that the Iron Coalition had created a new "super weapon", and began their efforts of creating countermeasures to stop it. While they are still developing said methods, the PVT have changed their battle doctrine, adopting much faster and clandestine forms of combat, making a slow but extremely powerful weapon such as the Warwolf less effective for the time being.

### Features

#### Taaisteel Nitrexite Barrel Shroud

Similar to the technology found in the A64 Jackhammer GPMG's operating system except with much more complex detail and machining, this experimental barrel shroud rapidly dissipates the heat generated from firing the AX9B-S. The barrel and surrounding components of the weapon can reach thousands of degrees; the endothermic properties of the Taaisteel-Nitrexite alloy coupled with the helical fin design of the baffles keeps the system and its components below their glass transition point, maintaining their structural integrity.

#### Regenerating Barrel

The first of its kind, this barrel uses a carbonic-tungstenite composite matrix impreganted with genetically modified bio-organisms, similar to those found in Aegis Aggregate. As the temperature increases from the weapons operation, the organisms come out of their stasis, regenerating the ablated sections of barrel and restoring its structural integrity. This process must be tightly temperature-controlled, however. If allowed to function for too long, the organisms will overfill their matrix superstructure, clogging the barrel and leading to possible catastrophic malfunction.

#### Hyper-Capacitor Bank

The Warwolf's Hyper-Capacitors are the main components that allow it to function. Each of the 64 units contains 70 megajoules of energy when at full capacity, and is able to discharge in 235ms. The bank must be fed by an external power source, typically a Cinderite Fusion Reactor. When the Warwolf's bank is fully charged, it can make roughly 14 firing sequences before needing to be recharged/ undergo maintenance processes.