Weapons

For expanded information on each weapon, please refer to their page.

## Conventional weapons

Conventional (CON) weapons are kinetic weapons that are accelerated by a rapidly expanding volume of gas, usually generated by an explosive detonated. This explosive is usually incorporated into the ammo unit itself, simplifying operation. They are the most simple weapons to produce, essentially being a metal tube with one end sealed. The ammo they use can be occasionally complex to manufacture, but still within the realm of affordability.

Unlike other weapons, conventional weapons will always work even without a connection to the Ether, making them idea for underground combat.

\* indicates weapon has smart tracking.

[1] Increases to 400m/s after 0.6 seconds.

[2] Increases to 640m/s after 1.2 seconds.

## Electrically accelerated projectile weapons

Electrically Accelerated Projectile (EAP) weapons invert the balance of conventional weapons from being simple weapons having complex ammo, to complex weapons having simple ammo. Instead of using gas to accelerate the projectile, electromagnetism is used instead. Because the kinetic energy in the projectile is not limited to the chemical energy stored in the propellant, EAP weapons have substantially higher muzzle velocities than conventional weapons forming a similar role.

As their complex electronics and materials required for their function are no long being produced, their owners often take great care of their weapons. They are often seen as an investment, where the initial cost of the weapon is high, but the recurring cost of the ammo is low.

The two sub-types of EAP weapons are railguns and coilguns.

#### Railguns

Railguns use a set of two parallel conductive rails with a high voltage applied between them. When an electrically conductive material is placed between the rails to complete the circuit, a Lorentz force is induced in the material, accelerating it linearly. Care must be taken to avoid getting debris inside the barrel, as any abrasive material can severely damage the rails when the weapon is fired.

\* indicates weapon has smart tracking.

#### Coilguns

Coilguns on the other hand use an electromagnet with a hollow core surrounding the barrel. A ferromagnetic projectile is placed at the end of the barrel, and when the electromagnet is turned on, the projectile is accelerated by magnetic attraction. This action is timed so that the electromagnet switches off the moment the projectile passes through it, preventing the loss of speed.

Because the range of magnetic field propagation is low, the barrel of coilguns tends to be very short, limiting acceleration. To get around this issue, Coilguns can be assembled in stages to increase the total velocity of the projectile, though this is limited by magnetic saturation, size and weight increases, and other practicality issues. Overall coilguns offer lower muzzle velocities than railguns, but are far more ruggedized as none of their electronics are exposed.

## Directed-energy weapons

Directed-energy weapons (DEW) take advantage of the vast energy available in the Ether to eschew the use of kinetic projectiles entirely, and instead deliver damage to their target through the use of lasers, electromagnetic waves, or plasma. Directed-energy weapons are by far the most complex to manufacture, production having shut down completely after the collapse. Spare parts are rare, and people who know how to fix them even moreso.

Directed-energy weapons were only produced during the closing months of the Locust War, immediately before the collapse. This limited production timeframe makes them the rarest type of weapon in the periphery, and also attributes to their skunkworks nature.

\* indicates weapon has smart tracking.