A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
STAR WARS - Anti-tank Weapons
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Made by Kevin Dole 1996



E-mail: dmerrill@plainfield.bypass.com





Ever since the armoured vehicle was introduced, infantrymen have had
a love/hate relationship with the things. They hate the fact that they
can't kill the enemy's, and there's are fire magnets.  They love the
fact that the enemy's are easy to spot and hit, and that theirs can
provide heavy fire and mobile cover.  But no matter how the individual
grunt feels, they all enjoy the power of being able to killing a tank
or APC by themselves.  There are several ways to do this: traps/mines,
heavy energy weapons, and specially designed missiles and rockets.

Traps and mines are the easiest to use, some of the hardest to defend
against, and the most common.  Surpisingly, a simple pit trap is very
effective against ground vehicles, which, unlike people, can not climb
out.  Just dig and conceal a large hole in the ground, wait for a
vehicle to drive over the hole, and you just got yourself a tank.
Of course, this is not effective against repulsorlift and hover
vehicles, and a hole big enough to swallow a walker would be a momen-
tous undertaking for the typical guerrilla cell.

High powered blasters are the most common.  A typical light infantry
unit can call on light repeating blasters.  However, these units, and
even their heavier brethren, are not powerful enough to damage most
armoured vehicles. True artillery pieces are most effective, but they
are much more expensive and bulky, limiting the number of them avail-
able to the common infantry unit.  Similarly powerful units are found
on armourerd vehicles, but for they are beyond the scope of this
discussion.  It is simplest to say that a tank is best killed with
another tank (or better yet, a fighter).  It is also possible, if one
is good enough shot, to disable, but not destroy, an armoured vehicle
with a blaster rifle, by going after the sensors, vision blocks,
antennas, targeting systems, repulsor coils and other essential items.

Rockets and missiles are relatively small and light, but their useful-
ness is limited by their bulk per shot.  Firing an actual, solid
projectile, they have more mass per shot involved than energy based
weapons.  But they are still popular, and due to the low level of
technology involved, they are often available quite inexpensively.
These are often supplemented by hand grenades, flamethrowers and
grenade launchers



THE WEAPONS

BlasTech V-Web Light Artillery Piece

Based on the famous E-Web, the V-Web is designed to disassemble armoured
vehicles.  To ease in the training of your forces, BlasTech has made the
V-Web almost 90% identical to the E-Web, and it uses the same mounts and
power system.  While actually only a few percentages more powerful that
the E-Web, the V-Web is designed specifically to counter light armour.
It fires a single, more concentrated pulse of energy, rather than the
numerous pulses from the E-Web, sacrificing area of effect for penetrat-
ion.
        type: Man Portable Artillery Piece
        skill: Blaster Artillery: V-Web
        scale: Speeder
        availability: 3 X
        cost: 6000
        range: 3-75/200/500
        ammunition: unlimited (power generator)
        fire rate: 1
        crew:  2      (1/+3)
        damage: 4D+1


SoroSuub Tank Hunter Disposable Rocket

Using the same rockets as their famed Firestorm-1, the Tank Hunter is
cheaper, more packable version.  Consisting of collapsible tube and a
folding sight assembly, the Tank Hunter is one of the most compact
Light Anti-Armour Weapons (LAAWs) on the market.  The rocket is pre-
loaded into the launch tube at the factory.  When the user wishes to
fire the Tank Hunter, he simply removes the safety pin, extends the
tube, sights and presses the firing button.  After that, the tube is
disposable, with he ignition mechanism reduced to slag by the heat of
the exhaust.  Available in several different styles of warhead, the
Tank Hunter is rapidly becoming a common sight on the modern battle
field.

        type: single shot, disposable personal rocket
        skill: Missile Weapons: personal rocket
        scale: character
        availability: 2 X (R for smoke version)
        cost: 250
        range: 3-40/120/400
        damage: anti-tank warhead: 10D
                anti-personnel: 5D (0-2m)/4D (8)/3D (14)/2D (20)
                smoke: generates a 4D smoke screen, 10m diameter
                white phosphorous:  5D (0-2m)/4D (8)/3D (14), does 3D
                                    damage next 5 rounds.


Zone Control Defender 26mm Shell Rifle

An overgrown slug thrower, the Zone Control Defender fires a projec-
tile the size of a human male's thumb.  These shells are basically
minigrenades. Feeding from a fixed magazine, this weapon follows an
ancient design that is loaded and primed by manipulating a tubular
bolt that forms the rear of the chamber.  This is a large and unwieldy
weapon, meant to be fired from it bi-pod.  The three kinds of shell
available for it include an High-Explosive/Armour Piercing (HEAP)
shell, an explosive one built around a very thick iron jacket and an
incindarey one. Less expensive than an E-Web, there are some unconfir-
med rumors of it being used by the Rebellion against His Imperial
Majesty Palpatine.  There are confirmed reports of these being used as
sniper's weapons by various mercenary forces, and it is undergoing
evaluation within the Imperial Army for counter-mine work.

        type: shell rifle
        scale: character
        skill: Firearms: shell rifle
        availability: 2 R,X
        cost: 1300 (75)
        range: 5-50/150/500
        ammunition: 15
        damage: armour piercing: 4D Speeder
                fragmenting: 6D (0-1)/5D (3)/4D (5) Character Scale
                incendiary: 5D damage, 3D for the next 3 rounds, 2m
                            blast radius, character scale
        notes: Heavy Kick: if fired off of the bipod, make a moderate
                           STR roll to remain on your feet.  This is a
                           free action.
               Bolt Action: Requires an Easy DEX roll to reload chamber.
                            This is a non-rolled action.


Merr-Sonn Starbird Gun

A light, shoulder-fired piece of artillery, the Starbird Gun, is named
after it's intended prey: starfighters.  A two-shot, disposable weapon
of great damage potential, the Starbird has hard-wired Imperial IFF
receivers. This means that, although it is capable of stopping an AT-AT
walker, it CANNOT.  All Imperial craft carry the appropriate signalers,
meaning the Rebellion can get these weapons, and not endanger Imperial
forces.  In the few engagements were these new weapons have been used,
Imperial forces have devastated Rebel attack starfighters.
By using ion effects, rather a laser blast, Merr-Sonn has improved the
damage delivered from a weapon of this size. The Starbird Gun will be
replacing the SoroSuub Equalizer, a similar, older weapon, as the
Equalizers are used up.  Until then, expect either one of these to be
in Imperial hands.

        type: semi-smart shoulder-fired ion cannon
        scale: Speeder
        skill: Blaster Artillery: Starbird
        availability: 3 X
        cost:  5000
        range:  3-50/240/600
        fire control: 1D
        fire rate: 1/4
        ammunition: 2
        damage:  8D Ion
        notes: Imperial IFF:  Will not fire on Imperial vehicles and
                              ships. Requires a Moderate Blaster Repair
                              and a Very Difficult Computer Programming/
                              Repair roll to override.


Merr-Sonn AVC-23

A modified Starbird Gun, the AVC-23 is not as powerful, but it has a
longer range and is a blaster, rather than ion, cannon.  Again a two-
shot weapon, the AVC-23 sacrifices damage for range and effect.
Incorporating the same Imperial IFF safeties, it is one of the more
readily available weapons of it's kind on the market.  Weighing in at
about 17kg, it has only one real drawback- a horrid, unimaginative name.
The AVC-23 is living proof that Merr-Sonn is a multi-system corporation,
that has many, parallel divisions, some of whom have absolutely no
imagination.

        type: semi-smart shoulder-fired blaster cannon
        scale: Speeder
        skill: Blaster Artillery: Starbird
        availability: 3 X
        cost:  6000
        range:  3-50/300/1km
        fire control: 1D
        fire rate: 1/4
        ammunition: 2
        damage:  4D
        notes: Imperial IFF:  Will not fire on Imperial vehicles and
                              ships. Requires a Moderate Blaster Repair
                              and a Very Difficult Computer Programming/
                              Repair skill rolls to override.


NOTES:

These are special issue weapon.  Some of these, like the Tank Hunter,
will be issued at rate of two or more per squad.  Others, like the
Starbird Gun will be a company or battalion level weapon, issued to
heavy weapons platoons.

These are all used the same way. These are direct fire weapons, meaning
that you don't need to be fancy with rainbow arcs. Just point and shoot.
Remember, use the only if you have to, because they have a very poor
chance of killing an actual, purpose built, military vehicle.
Use artillery, air power and other tanks to counter tanks and IFVs.
Being a hero by taking out a repulsor tank with a hand grenade and a
vibroblade is really stupid.  Less than one in twenty actually become
remembered as heroes.  Most of them die in the attempt, and forever
classified as fools.


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