Weapon Codex

Laser Assault Rifle

The Laser Assault Rifle Is the third generation standard issue laser rifle for the Atlas Empire, sporting an aluminum body, standardized rails, select fire, emitted light Optics(ELO), Foregrip and HUD connectivity. the top of the handrail is fluted to allow the laser guide to cool from residual heat. The capacitor of this weapon is located centered with the guide to allow for accurate shooting, there is recoil from this rifle due to the capacitor’s housing including air ports to allow the weapon to vent heat. There is a software option to disable this, eliminating recoil, but decreasing maximum shots allowed before overheating. The vents can be opened by double-tapping the battery release, this is like a magazine release for a rifle, and watching the emitted light thermometer that is projected onto the side of the guns port to allow for optimized cooling. Highly effective against organics.

Ballistic Assault Rifle

The Ballistic Assault Rifle was the second assault rifle developed by the Atlas Corporation, and the design has remained relatively unchanged. It fires a 5.56 cartridge at standard velocities and has the option to fire in semi-automatic, automatic and three-round burst modes. The standard magazine contains thirty rounds and one can be stored in the chamber. The included sight is a standard ELO, support for attachments is allowed via the standardized rail. The weight of this rifle lands it in a medium tier, where recoil is able to be controlled but can easily take the shooter off target if they are inexperienced or inattentive.

Plasma Assault Rifle

The Atlas Empire Plasma Rifle was developed based on a corporate design that fell into obscurity after The Ascension. The modernized design is a little thicker than the previous model, giving it a heavier weight and thus allows the recoil from firing to be controlled easier. The gun draws its shot from a plasma cell stored in the receiver of the gun, just under the back sight. This gun does not come with ELO, instead, it was standardized with a chevron-projection sight, allowing for a clear sight picture as well as accurate shot placement. Plasma has the slowest travel time of all of the main ammunition types, and so the shooter should have experience in leading their targets at distance. Highly effective against armor, excluding ferozium.

Superheated Slug Rifle

The Superheated Slug Rifle was developed as an intermediate between plasma and ballistic, containing a large barrel as well as a unique loading system. The magazine is not detachable, but is instead accessed by a port allowing for the insertion of a specialized clip that contains ten slugs, the slugs come packaged in a polymer casing, like a shotgun shell. They are taken into the magazine and split, where the slugs are sent to the lower magazine. In the lower magazine, there exists an induction heater, powered by a battery inserted at the back of the magazine, which over the course of a minute or so raises the temperature of the slugs to a near-molten state. The slugs stay there until the shooter presses the ammunition release, which is located on the grip of the weapon. Then, the slug is recombined with the shell and sent to the chamber. Shooting the round causes the polymer casing to open at the end, and because it accelerates slower than the slug, the slug passes through, to the target. The casing will fly off into the ground somewhere harmlessly. The metal part of the casing, containing the primer and powder is ejected through gas compression.

Ionic Rifle

The Ionic rifle was developed as a laser rifle acceptable for usage in civilian areas in response to robotic threats. The rifle fires a pulse beam of cation particles that, upon impact with an energized surface or energy shield, would draw energy from the source and dissipate it in a flash of light. The beam of ions are produced in the modified housing of a laser rifle’s capacitor. This weapon requires both laser batteries and plasma cells to function, as the plasma is used in the creation of the ions. The beam is directed inside the barrel in a beam fashion. These weapons are ineffective against organic targets. Travel speed of the beam is not quite lightspeed, but it is fast enough for the difference to be considered negligible in standard combat.

Gauss Assault Rifle

The Gauss Assault Rifle was developed post-Ascension as an intermediate between ballistic railgun technology. The weapon’s magazine is loaded with sixty ball-bearings, and are chambered in an internal open-bolt design using a rotary chamber. This allows for a high rate of fire while shooting. The gun operates through well-understood gauss tech, using magnetic acceleration to fire a projectile at speeds higher than that of comparative ballistic rifles. The stipulation is that the projectile is smaller and thus will deal less impact damage to the surface that it contacts. This method of fire allows for a low margin of recoil, accenting the high rate of fire nicely. These types of weapons have historically been referred to as pulse rifles.

Designated Marksman Rifle

The Ballistic Designated Marksman Rifle is an air-cooled, magazine-fed, gas-operated rifle that fires 7.62x51 millimeter cartridges in a twelve-round magazine. The gun supports a sturdy body, integrated ammunition counter, a specially-designed ELO sight with references for target distance and recommended shot placement and a flared magazine well. The application of this firearm is the application of sustained accurate fire over a long distance. Overall, it is the epitome of what is to be expected of a cutting-edge ballistic rifle.

Light Railgun

The Light Railgun was developed in tandem with the Heavy Railgun, the pair were to act as an easier way of disposing with heavily-armored targets rather than engage with explosives. The weapon does not have a chamber, instead, supporting a drop-in linear accelerator that accepts a standardized 12x65 millimeter ferromagnetic slug. Contained below the integrated chevron-projection sight, the weapon accepts a battery to supply the electromagnetic current that runs from the bottom rail, into the projectile, and out of the top rail, accelerating the projectile to incredible speeds. The sheer impact of this weapon is enough to punch through heavy armor and critically injure infantry that it comes into contact with. The weapon features a duplex-auto style trigger design, where the pull charges the shot and the release fires it. This must be done to shoot.

Heavy Railgun

The Heavy Railgun was designed alongside the Light Railgun and sports much of the same technology. Key differences lie in the battery, projectile, acceleration and impact of the weapon. The weapon is thirty percent heavier than the light variant and sports a doubled battery capacity, allowing for a stronger, more sustained current. The projectile has been made larger, in addition to supporting the light projectile, the heavy variant may fire a 16x65 millimeter ferromagnetic slug as well as specialty ammunition, such as high-explosive rounds and denser rounds for deeper penetration of armored targets. This weapon is devastating at any sensible range, powerful enough to break and deform armor, as well as take limbs off of infantry units. The sheer force of the impact of this weapon may create small shockwaves from force, able to damage the hearing of people nearby, and potentially injure lighter targets. The High-Explosive, HE, rounds are deadlier against infantry, the shockwaves of which can easily break bones and damage organs.

Lever-Action Gauss Rifle

The Lever-Action Gauss Rifle is a conservative approach to rifle technology. It sports an ergonomic design, iron sights, rod magazine design, and a low weight. The rifle is fed through lever-action, saving energy for the battery, allowing it to last longer. The rounds are pulled from the rod magazine, containing twenty ball-bearings, and loaded into an accelerator with a tri-coil design. This is more powerful than the likes of the Gauss Assault Rifle, and uses the energy savings by manual loading to balance. When fired, the projectile reaches high gauss speeds and hits with a light impact, better for dealing with armor and organics. The weapon is quiet, able to be fired without hearing protection as it produces a magnetic crack when fired. This weapon is designed for situations where survival may be more about ensuring one’s own safety than waiting for the next resource drop, and so the lever contains a regenerative crank able to charge the battery of the gun enough for more shot. The diameter of the ball bearing is equivalent of the ones used in many industrial materials and so can be salvaged if desperate.

Gauss Slug Rifle

The Gauss Slug Rifle is the heavy-rifle adaptation of Atlas’ gauss tech, serving as an intermediate between the gauss class and the railgun class. The barrel of the gun contains the same propulsion as the Light Raingun, but the weapon is magazine-fed, accepting larger-than normal gauss slugs. These are not shaped like ball-bearings and are shaped more like the Minié ball from early Human firearm development. The key difference between this weapon and a railgun is the addition of a semi-automatic fire mode. The chamber has been designed differently, where the rounds are immediately moved in preparation to be fired. The trigger pull taps a mechanism designed to push a slug into the accelerator and fire it as if it was from a semi-automatic rifle. This weapon has no charge time for each shot because such a comparatively low current has to be applied to the slug to reach great speeds. This weapon sports ELO-iron hybrid sights and is effective to far ranges. The impact of this weapon is effective against organic targets, and somewhat effective against armored targets.

Laser Sniper Rifle

The Laser Sniper Rifle was designed by corporate engineers as an alternative form of the Laser Assault rifle, and later was redesigned along with its sibling after The Ascension. The rifle features a digital scope, with variable zoom and a plethora of reticles able to be customized to the user’s content through software. The weapon features a larger (longer) battery and a stronger capacitor. The longer barrel allows for more focusing lenses, creating, on impact, a stronger reaction. As with all pulse lasers, the impact vaporizes some of the material it strikes and creates a ball of plasma that will transfer heat to the recipient and also deform armor with higher thermal conductivity. The weapon is especially nightmarish against organic targets, causing a feeling of severe burning and a flash of light as subsequent nerve death and charring of the flesh occurs.

Double-Barreled PDW

This weapon currently is the longest-serving unchanged weapon in the Atlas Arsenal. It is a personal defense weapon equipped with dual barrels and chambers. The magazine is a combination of two single-stacked 10 millimeter magazines that sit in the weapon’s flared magwell. The firing mechanics of this weapon include a moderate fire rate that alternates between each chamber, side to side recoil, and a ‘blow-forward’ method of chambering, pulling the weapon down in recoil. It deals a comparatively high damage in regards to the PDW class of weapons, balanced with a low fire rate and recoil, the weapon is useful for concealed carry and dual wielding. There is a conversion kit available for this PDW, which includes a stock extension, extended magazine, barrel and a foregrip as well as an projected chevron sight. It is popular with scouts.

Ballistic PDW

This weapon was designed after The Ascension after the scouting department on Adonis admitted they did not like carrying rifles. The weapon contains a projected chevron sight, accepts an extended or regular pistol magazine, comes integrated with a full size foregrip and a collapsible skeletonized stock.

Plasma PDW

The Plasma Personal Defense Weapon was developed to balance the shortcomings of the Ballistic PDW, accepting small form factor plasma cells, sporting a light weight an ELO sight and full size foregrip, the weapon packs a nasty punch when fired at an armored target, easily melting through most materials at a high rate of fire. While noticeably slower than the Ballistic PDW, it is quite faster than the standard Plasma Rifle supplied by Atlas and offers an advantage to scouts pitted against armored targets.

Ballistic Shotgun

The Ballistic Shotgun is a standard, pump action, 12 gauge shotgun with a collapsible stock and a projected circle sight. Deadly at short ranges to organic targets and rather effective equally against shielded and armored targets.

Plasma Shotgun

The original plasma shotgun was developed during the era of the Fringe marked by the popularity of combat synthetics. The idea was penned by Lloyd himself and submitted to the first chief of engineering, Don Hoffman, who returned to Lloyd with a completed design for the nightmare of any armored combatant. This shotgun utilizes the same plasma cartridges accepted in the Plasma Pistol and PDW, but instead of taking a full charge over many shots, they act as shells for the weapon. The weapon is pump action, and has a specialized chamber designed to eject each plasma cell after it is fired. When pumped, another shell is taken from the tube under the barrel and chambered, when fired, the weapon releases a large projectile comprised of all the contents of the plasma cell. This is nightmarishly effective against armored, shielded and organic targets at short ranges: due to the large surface area of the ‘projectile’, it quickly loses its punch at even medium ranges. The high temperature may melt metals and fuse wires, the large area and sheer energy of the plasma may quickly overwhelm shields and deliver fatal burns to organics who are unfortunate enough to cross paths with this weapon. It accepts four plasma cells at once as well as one in the chamber and contains a simple sight used to guess spread, as there is no real method to aim this device other than to point it.

Laser Shotgun

The laser shotgun was developed after the Ascension of the Atlas Empire. The engineers behind its design theorized that they could use smart software combined with hardware to create a smart shotgun. This weapon is a battery-fed semi-automatic shotgun effective at short and medium ranges. The unwieldiness of lasers for usage in shotgun-type weapons was remedied with the usage of a proprietary sight developed in-house by Atlas engineers, as well as a custom beam splitter and lens design in the barrel used to direct individual beams after the split from the capacitor’s initial energy. The split is eight beams. The sight contains an onboard computer using a modified version of the targeting subsystems used by Atlas combat drones. This subsystem is limited by the design of its housing, reducing its effective range to short and light medium range engagements. The computer scans the visual input of the sight and determines a humanoid and/or certain xenoanatomical shapes. It references an onboard database of the anatomy of the target and displays, in emitted light, a series of dots, which represent beam paths. They are directed and aimed with computer assistance at all lethal areas on the target. For unobscured humans, the sight may place three dots on the head, at the forehead and two eyes, one over the heart, two over the lungs, and two over the knees in order to cause maximum damage to the target. A shot not aimed down sight will cause the lenses to enter a random configuration. The design of this weapon does not permit direct cooling of the capacitor, and so sustained fire will cause a quick overheat.

Anti-Tank Rifle

The High-Penetration Support Rifle is a medium-ordinance ballistic anti-material rifle developed in the last days of the Atlas Corporation, during The Ascension. This weapon was created in response to robotic combatants as well as heavily-armored resistance structures on the surface of Olympus, and was hastily built off of a previous prone-rifle design. The rifle is a single shot design, where a 15 millimeter round is placed in a groove designed to hold it. The chamber of the weapon is a blow-forward design to better suit the weapon’s prone or supported requirement. The user would trigger a slide release, causing the white rail to slide back, catching the barrel with it, chambering the round. When fired, the barrel and slide lock forward and wait for another round to be inserted to the groove. The recoil of this weapon fired standing, as it pulls down, would likely cause the user to drop the weapon, so it is recommended that they fire from a laying or supported position. The sight picture of this weapon is an ELO-iron hybrid design, displaying distance to target as well as shot-predictive references in the optic. The barrel comes fitted with a down-angled compensator, slightly reducing forward recoil. This gun is very heavy and incredibly loud, and precautionary steps should be taken by the user to ensure that the dust or debris produced by the force of firing do not expose their position. This weapon is usually only used in teams of two, with a spotter and shooter or combined with other ordinance. A ludicrous option for a belt-fed model may be used in emergencies, where a belt of eight rounds can be rapidly fired by the device with a conversion kit, this is only available either on a turreted mount or where the weapon is secured in one position.

Rocket Launcher

The Target Scanning Smart Rocket Launcher was developed by Atlas after the first utilization of the Laser Shotgun. Atlas Engineers doubled back on their research and concluded that splash damage from the application of a rocket launcher could be controlled by that same software used on their robotics. The rocket launcher makes use of a two-stage verification process. The ‘smart’ function of the weapon is toggled by the press of a button on the included optic. When on, the onboard processor scans the visual input of the sight and determines a humanoid and/or certain xenoanatomical as well as common vehicle shapes. After verification that there are no Atlas IDs detected in the signal range, a rocket chambered from a three-round magazine is uploaded with a ballistic scan, including distance to target and trajectory. The rocket includes a proximity sensor for this target and will explode within 6 meters of the mark. This rocket launcher does not have the capability to fire laser-guided rockets or homing rockets. The method of firing is described as ‘smart-dumb fire’

Heavy Machine Gun

The Heavy Machine gun is a light ordnance belt-fed rifle compatible with a 8.6×70 millimeter belt containing at minimum fifty rounds. This weapon is utilized in the consistent application of high-caliber suppressive fire at medium to long distances, sporting a collapsing bipod for stability and a carrying handle for portability. The weapon comes defaulted with ELO-iron hybrid sights with a bar projected along the barrel that represents a gradient of temperature from safe to unsafe for operation. The barrel is able to be quickly changed if necessary. The weapon has a high fire rate to allow for suppressive fire. Firing from a standing or unsupported position would quickly overwhelm the user with the recoil, taking them off target.

Heavy Laser Repeater

The Heavy Laser Repeater is the oldest serving light ordinance weapon in the Atlas Empire, sporting an unchanged design since its inception. The rifle is equipped with an ELO sight with temperature bar for capacitor heat. This weapon’s internals are designed for the sustained application of high-energy laser fire over a long distance and time. The gun contains dual capacitors focused through a single lens array, allowing for incredibly fast shot output, charged from a massive battery stored under the capacitor housing. Double-tapping the release for this battery allows for the dual ports for the capacitors to be locked open and forcibly cooled by exposure to direct air as well as the weapons internalized vapor-chamber pipes. The body of the weapon is aluminum, so it is lighter than many of its competing firearms, and to compensate for the recoil produced by the mechanical action of the cooling vents that cycle after each shot, the weapon comes equipped with a foregrip and stored bipod for usage standing, supported or prone.

Particle Cannon

The Particle Cannon is a historic Atlas weapon. It is the longest-serving weapon in any of the renditions of Atlas and was developed by scientists in the original Atlas Federation on Olympus. Commissioned by Matthew Endfield, it was designed to be an end-all be-all solution to armored combatants, vehicles, ships, even buildings. It was redesigned after The Ascension when the few models that survived the fall of Olympus were collected and taken to Calypso for improvement. The engineers behind this initiative utilized Atlas’ new reserves of metallic Hydrogen to increase both the thermal conductivity of the weapon’s guides and the cooling ability of the components as well as reduce its weight. This weapon is the equivalent of flipping the board in chess. It is effective at long to extreme ranges and absolutely lethal in a rather large area of effect. It deforms metal, overpowers shield and gibs flesh without effort. The cartridge this weapon accepts have immense weight, adding twenty-eight pounds of weight per cartridge to the already sixty-five pound gun. Each shot expels twenty pounds of compressed material. The cartridge contains metallic and elemental Hydrogen, acting as both the power source and ammunition for the weapon. Upon trigger pull, the weapon will begin to charge the shot, using the hydrogen to power an accelerator those same particles are directed toward. The instant the shot is fired, many things happen. The beam is propelled along the barrel, a series of electrically-conductive materials to focus the beam and direct it as it leaves the barrel at lightning speeds. The beam takes not but a fraction of a second to reach its target, resulting in a massive, violent explosion. This weapon utilizes special cerulium plating to minimize the first side effect of this weapon. Firing this weapon produces a small range EMP around the shooter. Upon firing, the cartridge is immediately rejected by the gun and expelled out of the back, to prevent further power reaching the system and damaging electronics. The weapon is without power until the weapon is given time to cool. This may take an entire minute or so to complete, only then is it safe to insert another cartridge without risk of explosion. This weapon is very dangerous to handle, and, if damaged in the field, should not be used. This weapon must be charged before each shot, fired from a kneeling, supported, or prone position and cooled in that order. The beam cannot penetrate thin, but still solid materials like wood, as they cause the beam to explode as normal. Of course the explosion will decimate it, but there must be a clear line of sight to the target.

Flamethrower

The Flamethrower is the average run-of-the-mill chemical incendiary weapon. This weapon is used for demoralization, destruction of organic material, suffocation and creating an area of denial for fortifications and emplacements. It ignites a semi-liquid stream of fuel that is applied over a distance of no more than forty feet and declining due to compression. This weapon is very effective against organic targets and less so against armored targets. It is rather ineffective against shielded targets and robotics.

Metal Storm

Research of ancient methods of magnetic propulsion that lead to gauss weapons first being developed yielded the idea for a modernized portable weapon featuring a superposed barrel system where gauss ammunition is stacked in a specially designed ammunition where one of each projectile from each barrel can be fired at will. This would allow for the greatest variability in fire rate ever seen. The Metal Storm is developed out of a rifle body and a hollow barrel housing. The barrel is likened to a vertically-oriented rectangle and fits a unique ‘magazine’ containing three hundred superposed ball-bearings in six barrels, where each bearing lies, there is a contact wire and a mini coil of magnets meant to accelerate the ball. The fire rate may be selected with a knob on the side of the rifle, where a projected meter will detail fire rate anywhere from sixty rounds per minute to one million rounds per minute. The trigger then runs its status through a timer, which will activate the contact, the magnet and fire the ball. This weapon is characterized by the loud buzzing it makes when fired. It was developed as a way to overwhelm armored targets with brute force as well as to keep the range and speed of gauss munitions. At extreme fire rates, the weapon essentially will act like a shotgun firing three hundred pellets in a fraction of a second. Reloading this device is long and cumbersome as the containers are heavy and in short supply. This weapon acts as a sustained fire gauss rifle or as a singular, devastating payload. Anything caught in this payload will experience lethal damage due to the sheet volume of matter at high speed.

Plasma Glaive

The Plasma Glaive is the first weapon developed by the Atlas Corporation meant to be utilized by primarily robotic forces, marking the point when Atlas began to trust robotics for their strength and reliability and not just for their numbers. The glaive is constructed of a heavy staff and internalized power source that allows for a medium time operating the device. It contains a huge plasma cell stored in the bottom middle of the device. The device may be activated and deactivated at the user’s will and will begin to emit blades of shaped plasma. The size of these blades should be enough to cleave through metal and organics alike, where as shielded opponents would have little time to escape. This device is rather heavy and unwieldy for normal organics or smaller androids due to the high weight and large size. It is recommended to be left to robotics to be handled.

Hardlight Broadsword

The Hardlight Broadsword is the answer to Atlas combatants airing grievances on the portability of the Vibro-Sword. The device is simple. The hilt contains a power cell capable of supporting a blade of emitted hardlight for a medium amount of time. The blade is very sharp and effective against organics. It is extremely light and easy to handle.

Hardlight Knife

The Hardlight Knife is the first hardlight melee weapon designed by the Atlas Empire, utilizing a high density battery in a small form factor, the weapon is able to project a hardlight blade for very long amounts of time. The blade is very sharp and can be used as a dim light source, survival tool, combat weapon and even a bayonet. It is easily portable and concealed, making it the perfect companion for a scout.

Vibro-Sword

The Vibro-Sword was developed by the Atlas Corporation after complaints surfaced about the lack of a melee weapon program. The blade of this weapon is thin and sharp, designed to vibrate at high enough frequencies as to make slicing through organics simplistic, certain metals are rather easy to cut through but taxing on the blade and shielded foes should be the safest on the receiving end. The blade is powered internally and can vibrate for a medium to long time depending on the usage. The blade can cut through a low to medium amount of metal before suffering heat warping or breaking entirely. The blade is easily changed out but it is rather unwieldy and unusual to pack extra blades for a sword of this size.

Ballistic Pistol

Atlas lacked a ballistic pistol for much of its lifetime, only developing one post-Ascension. The pistol is constructed of a polymer grip and metal slide with a matte white finish and an ELO as well as projected ammunition counter on the side showing magazine capacity and reserve capacity. The pistol fires a .45 ACP cartridge and uses a twelve-round double-stacked magazine. The pistol is highly customizable and comes in a number of configurations.

Laser Pistol

The laser pistol was the first sidearm formed under the Atlas Corporation. It remained unchanged until new capacitor cooling methods were introduced with the generation three assault rifle. The pistol is constructed of aluminum, and is light weight with a slim, aerodynamic profile. The battery of this weapon comes in a cylindrical shape, and is inserted directly behind the capacitor. The release for this is triggered by pressing the button once, where the weapon will split open, a covering guided by two small joints moves forward and ejects any previous battery. The new one may be placed in and the gun will automatically close and activate for the user. The weapon is capable of firing a high speeds for a relatively long time due to the low strength of the capacitor and the aluminum construction. The sight included is a standard ELO with the addendum of a battery percentage meter and temperature gauge. It is effective against organics and light armor.

Machine Pistol

The Machine pistol is a conversion for the standard Ballistic Pistol featuring an included extended magazine to thirty, a fire selector, extended barrel, improved ELO combination sight, and foregrip.

Carbine

The Carbine is a conversion for a variant of the Ballistic Pistol awarded to those who braved the battlefields of the Olympian Reclamation and ushered in The Ascension. It consists of a heavily-modified pistol with a front mounted magazine, attached stock, projected chevron sight, extended barrel, suppressor, and a hard light bayonet powered by an internal battery. This weapon has been modified to fire a 9 millimeter cartridge.

SOPMOD

The SOPMOD is a heavily-modified Ballistic Assault Rifle equipped with a redesigned chassis, smaller form factor, shortened barrel, digital scope and a redesigned collapsible stock. It was awarded to those who braved the Olympian Reclamation.

Plasma Pistol

The Plasma Pistol is the latest in miniaturized plasma cell technology. This firearm is capable of firing standard small-arms plasma cells and maintaining its small form factor at the expense of a heavier and bulkier frame, to accommodate for the ionizer itself, as well as an accuracy penalty. The shorter ‘barrel’ allows for less magnetic force to be applied to the ‘shell’ of the plasma, thus accelerating it slower and with less accuracy. This pistol has a moderately low rate of fire and is effective against armored targets and thin metal. The plasma cell bank is located oddly at the front of the weapon, under the barrel and must be inserted backwards, when considering other plasma firearms. This weapon comes included with a tri-stage ELO sight, where the picture will form a series of split chevrons so that the user can determine the effective range of the plasma.