Component:mk-81-railgun
In Game Description
The Alliance Mk8X Railgun provides a heavy warship with long-range direct-fire offensive ability, intended to pressure targets caught out in open space and foregoing cover. Alliance railguns typically lack the explosive power of their favored cannon weapons but make up for it with precision fire that can trigger fires and other debilitating effects on targets.
Railguns defeat armor with ease but the lack of an explosive payload reduces the killing power of these weapons. Fires 300mm Magnetic rounds.
Stats
| Mk81 Railgun | |
|---|---|
| Faction | ANS |
| Cost | 75 pts |
| Dimensions | 6x3x6 (C4) |
| Hitpoints | 125 |
| Hitpoints to Function | 30 |
| Damage Threshold | 15 |
| Mass | 20 Tonnes |
| DC Priority | Medium |
| Accuracy Marks | 13m @ 5km 26m @ 10km 52m @ 20km |
| Role | Offensive |
| Integrated FC | No |
| Optical Backup | Yes |
| Compatible Ammo Types | Ballistic/Matnetic- 300mm |
| Autoloader Capacity | 3 |
| Recycle Time | 2.5 s |
| Reload Time | 100 s |
| Fire Rate | 1.7 RPM |
| Temporary Effects When Fired | Radar Sig +1000% for 18.0 s |
| Power | -1500 (kW) |
| Traverse Rate | 6 deg/s |
| Elevation Rate | 5 deg/s |
| Elevation Limits | +25 deg., -3 deg. |
Lore
Ever since Venuma tried to roll through the Cluster those four centuries back, Lorentz force weaponry has been a naval mainstay of Shelter, especially in ground-to-orbit batteries. Turns out that just throwing hard metal very fast is something that's still a viable tactic even in this day and age. There's been about four different models of railguns in the Mk8X series, but the Mk81- nicknamed 'Lightningbolt'- is the only one that still gets signed off on. There was once a double-barreled Mk82 but the magnetic array had a notorious reputation and just one misaligned charge coil would through the whole thing out of frequency and launch the shell backwards into the gun house.
Before you get any funny ideas, the Mk81 is designed for strict fire support. It is not going to kill ships on its own- nobody wants a 300mm spike flying through them, but you can only do so much when you don't have a payload attached.
Orbital strikes is a viable strategy but it requires purpose-built ammunition that's both too expensive to mass-produce and too big to stock in magazines. Add on the inherent inaccuracy from planetary atmospherics and you can get an idea of why Shelter has never had orbit-to-ground warfare in their doctrine books.
- T. Meadows, LT
