Build:Ballistic Weapons
9.2 Ballistic Weapons
To construct a ballistic weapon, a ship must buy four things: the type of weapon itself, which determines its projectile and launching mechanism; the weapon’s targeting system; its arc of fire; and the firing modes it can use. Ammunition storage must be purchased separately.
Each ballistic weapon type has its own range, specified in its weapon entry. Ballistic projectiles follow a direct unguided trajectory after firing unless the weapon’s description states otherwise. For every 100 kilometers beyond the weapon’s Long range, increase the Difficulty to hit the target by +10%. A ship may purchase improved ballistic fire control to negate this penalty at a cost of 3 SUs per +10% penalty negated, to a maximum of +30% negated for 9 SUs. This improvement extends effective targeting range; it does not increase the projectile’s maximum physical range.
9.2.1 Railguns
Cost: Varies (see table)
Power Requirement: Varies (see table)
Buy each barrel as a separate emplacement. Its listed SU includes the accelerator, feed mechanism, and local fire-control hardware; it does not include ammunition or a shipwide targeting system.
| Mount | Launcher SU | Power per shot | Damage per hit | Shots per round | Nominal firing arc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light rail gun | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 60° |
| Medium rail gun | 8 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 45° |
| Heavy rail gun | 14 | 8 | 12 | 1 every 2 rounds | 30° |