Particle Projector Cannon

This article covers the canonical tabletop version of the weapon. For the various apocryphal video game versions, see the video game section at the bottom of the page.

Inverted PPC.jpg
PPC
Production information
Type Energy (Direct Fire)
Tech Base Inner Sphere (IS)
Year Availability 2460 TH
Year Introduced 2460 TH
Year Extinction N/A
Year Reintroduced N/A
Technology Rating (Choose One A - F)
Availability Rating (Choose One A - F, X)
Availability Ratings (Choose One A - F, X)/(Choose One A - F, X)/(Choose One A - F, X)
Legality Rating (Choose One A - F)
Technical specifications
Heat 10
Damage 10
Minimum Range 3
Short Range 1-6
Medium Range 7-12
Long Range 13-18
Tons 7
Critical Slots 3
Ammo Per Ton N/A
Cost (unloaded) 200,000[1]
Ammo Cost (per ton) N/A
BV (1.0) 176
BV (2.0) 176[2]



Description

The Particle Projector Cannon (or PPC) is a unique energy weapon. PPCs fire a concentrated stream of protons or ions at a target, causing damage through both thermal and kinetic energy.[3] Despite being an energy weapon, it produces recoil. The lethality of the weapon rivals that of higher-caliber autocannons; just three shots from a PPC will vaporize two tons of standard military-grade armor.[4] Targets hit by multiple, simultaneous PPCs can also suffer electrical side-effects, such as overloaded computer systems or targeting sensors.[5] The ion beam also extends to much farther ranges than autocannon fire, though PPCs generate large amounts of waste heat.

PPCs are equipped with a Field Inhibitor to prevent feedback which could damage the firing unit's electronic systems.[6] This inhibitor degrades the performance of the weapon at close ranges of less than 90 meters. Particularly daring warriors have been known to disengage the inhibitor and risk damage to their own machine when a target is at close range.

Models

The PPC is manufactured on the following planets:

Brand Planet Company
Ceres Arms Smasher Capella Ceres Metals Industries
Ceres Arms Smasher St. Ives Ceres Metals Industries
Donal Arc-Royal TharHes Industries
Donal Sterope Sterope Defense Industries
Donal Terra Pandora 'Mech Works
Donal Terra Skobel MechWorks
Donal Twycross Trellshire Heavy Industries
Johnston Parti-Cannon New Syrtis Johnston Industries
Kinslaughter Mars Krupp Stellar Technologies Inc.
Lord's Light Tok Do? Alshain Weapons
Magna Hellstar Betelgeuse Aldis Industries
Magna Hellstar New Samarkand New Samarkand Metals
Magna Hellstar Taurus Magna
Magna Hellstar Terra Aldis Industries
Parti-Kill Heavy Dunianshire Majesty Metals and Manufacturing
Parti-Kill Heavy Cannon Dunianshire Canopus Industries Alpha
Parti-Kill Heavy Cannon New Earth New Earth Trading Company
PDVR Piledriver Model 11-D Tharkad Bauer Enterprises
Starcutter Nirasaki New Age Systems Incorporated
Stolz Harbinger 2 Wotan Krauss-Lieman Incorporated
Tiegart Al Na'ir Yori 'Mech Works
Tiegart Nirasaki Maltex Corporation
PPC fired by Timber Wolf - notice characteristic helix around the stream of particles


See Also

The PPC has been used in various video games, each with their own stats for the weapon; below is a list of the games that use it along with a link to each version's stats:

They have also been in MechWarrior 1, 2, 3, 4, and online aswell as MechAssualt 1 and 2 though no data is on the site at the moment.

References

  1. TechManual p. 289
  2. TechManual, p. 317, "Inner Sphere Weapons and Equipment BV Table"
  3. TechManual p. 233
  4. TechManual p. 234
  5. Technical Readout: 3050 Revised, Burke combat vehicle
  6. TechManual p. 233

Bibliography