Heavy Gauss Rifle

Heavy Gauss Rifle.jpg
Heavy Gauss Rifle
Production information
Type Ballistic (Direct)
Tech Base Inner Sphere
Year Availability 3061 - Lyran Alliance[1][2]

3066 - Draconis Combine[1]
3066 - Free Worlds League[1]
3067 - Federated Suns[1]

Technical specifications
Heat 2[3]
Damage 25/20/10[3]
Minimum Range 4[3]
Short Range 6[3]
Medium Range 13[3]
Long Range 20[3]
Tons 18[3]
Critical Slots 11[3]
Ammo Per Ton 4[3]
Cost (unloaded) 500,000
Ammo Cost (per ton) 20,000
BV (2.0) 346[4]
43 (Ammo)[4]



Description[edit]

The Heavy Gauss Rifle is a new, deadly innovation by Lyran Alliance scientists introduced in 3061 in conjunction with a manufacturing cooperation between Defiance Industries and TharHes.[5] Applying their "bigger is better" philosophy to Gauss technology, the Heavy Gauss Rifle is one of the heaviest battlefield weapons in existence, and has a correspondingly high damage potential. Indeed, the recoil from the weapon is so great that the rifle cannot be mounted in a vehicle's turret or 'Mech's arms, as firing the rifle would essentially rip it off. A 'Mech firing the rifle may even be knocked down by the recoil. At close range, the rifle can inflict damage exceeding that of even an Autocannon/20, and so it has earned the handle of "Thor's Hammer" among LAAF troops.[2][6]

While the Heavy Gauss Rifle is extremely powerful, it also suffers from a number of drawbacks. The heavy projectile fired by the rifle experiences a significant loss of velocity, so it is weaker at greater distances. At medium range, the damage output is slightly reduced. Once at long range, the velocity loss becomes far more dramatic, with this reduced damage being halved. The same projectile weight that causes such a slowdown also makes it necessary to allocate extra space to ammunition. This, combined with the bulk of the rifle itself, can lead to problems. The massive capacitors necessary for the coils that power the rifle are also not particularly inert, and will undergo a catastrophic explosion if exposed to weapons fire.[2] (This can be contained with CASE, however.)[7]

In an attempt to rectify the Heavy Gauss Rifle's shortcomings, work began shortly after its introduction on the (still experimental) Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle.

Models[edit]

The Heavy Gauss Rifle is manufactured on the following planets:

Blackwell Arms Thunderfist[edit]

The first non-Lyran manufactured Heavy Gauss Rifle, the specs for the weapon were acquired due to industrial espionage on the part of WolfNet in response to Loki's theft of Blackwell prototype Light Fusion Engine in 3058. A Star League–mediated court settlement ensured both the Lyran Alliance and Wolf's Dragoons could keep the technology they had apparently stolen from the other, with the Dragoons authorizing Blackwell to sell 'Mechs using both technologies to the Lyrans' age-old enemies the Free Worlds League and Draconis Combine as a slap in the face.[8]

Manufactured on Manufactured by Typically used in References
Outreach GM/Blackwell Marauder II [9]

Defiance Hammerfist[edit]

Manufactured on Manufactured by Typically used in References
Hesperus II Defiance Industries Fafnir, Fensalir [10][11]

StarCorps[edit]

Manufactured on Manufactured by Typically used in References
Crofton StarCorps Industries Manteuffel Attack Tank [12]
Loburg StarCorps Industries Manteuffel Attack Tank [12]
Son Hoa StarCorps Industries Manteuffel Attack Tank [12]

Notes[edit]

A variation on the SturmFeur Heavy Tank mounting a Heavy Gauss Rifle has been encountered by mercenaries in the Lyran Alliance. Details on the manufacturing (or remanufacturing) of this vehicle are scarce. The SturmFeur was originally manufactured on Sudeten by Trellshire. This plant fell to Clan Jade Falcon in 3052 and has remained in that Clan's possession ever since. The Heavy Gauss Rifle however did not enter production until 3061. As such the particular source and type of the Heavy Gauss Rifles used in the SturmFeur Heavy Gauss Variant are unclear.[13][14][15][16][17]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Mercenaries Supplemental 2, p. 88: "Upgraded Technologies Table"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 TechManual, p. 218: "Heavy Gauss Rifle"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 TechManual, p. 341: "Inner Sphere Heavy Weapons and Equipment Table"
  4. 4.0 4.1 TechManual, p. 317: "Inner Sphere Weapons and Equipment BV Table"
  5. Technical Readout: Project Phoenix, p. 50: "Goliath"
  6. Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 146: "Heavy Gauss Rifle"
  7. Total Warfare, p. 136: "If a heavy Gauss rifle is split between the center torso and side torso, CASE located in the side torso that contains the heavy Gauss rifle stops any transfer of damage to the center torso; if the Gauss rifle is struck in the center torso, however, a 25-point ammunition explosion applies to the center torso."
  8. Technical Readout: Project Phoenix, p. 56: "Marauder II"
  9. Technical Readout: 3085, p. 268
  10. Technical Readout: 3067, p. 100: "Fafnir"
  11. Technical Readout: 3085, p. 44: "Fensalir"
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Technical Readout: 3067, p. 20: "Manteuffel Attack Tank"
  13. Mercenaries Supplemental II, p. 76: "Vehicle Equivalency Table"
  14. Record Sheets: Upgrades, p. 23
  15. Objective Raids, p. 60: "Produced Trellshire Heavy Industries Components"
  16. Technical Readout: 3039, p. 92: "Produced SturmFeur Components"
  17. Technical Readout: 3026 Revised, p. 80: "Produced SturmFeur Vehicle Components"

Bibliography[edit]