Dev Diaries: Weapons

Posted by : LeonDelgado Tuesday, May 27, 2014

During the Covenant and human wars, warfare spawned innumerable weapons, ranging in capability from the simple but efficient Magnum pistol to the barely controllable energies of the plasma cannon. In this section we describe how characteristics and special rules reflect the differences between different weapons.

Every weapon has a profile that consists of several elements, for example

Weapon special rules

Weapons have several common rules that apply to them.

Assault weapon: a character using a weapon with this rule can move more than 4" and don't suffer penalties.

Barrage (X): place a counter of on the battlefield (a small dice of 1cm is fine). Make an attack roll against defence 14. If you attack roll hit, leave the counter in that position. At the beginning of your next face (before you activate your own characters) place the blast marker center over the counter, all miniatures under the marker are hit and takes damage equal to X. If the attack misses the attack then roll 2d6, pick the highest result and disregard the other roll, your opponent can place the marker anywhere on the battlefield distance equal to the result of the roll in inches.

Barrage and ruins: Barrage weapons work by lobbing munitions high into the air, bringing death to the enemy from above. The advantage of these indirect fire weapons is that they can be used to engage targets beyond the limited lines of sight. The disadvantage is that they explode the moment they strike a structure, meaning warriors can shelter deep within ruins.

Barrage weapons always strike the highest level that is under the hole in the centre of the marker. Only models on this level and under the template are actually hit.

Blast: This rule always have a number in brackets, like Blast (1). When you hit a character with a weapon with this rule you must place a blast marker (a circle with 3" radius with a hole of 1 cm in the centre) in a way that the centre of the marker is inside the base. Any miniature touched by the marker receive damage equal to the number on brackets, this damage cannot be Penetrating or Unavoidable.

Burst of fire: A character using a weapon with this special rule can reroll the attack roll.

Heavy: This is a massive weapon and need a special support to be fired, only characters with inhuman strength special rule can carry a Heavy weapon.

Overheat: a character that rolls a double 1 using a weapon with this rule cannot make another attack with this weapon for a complete round.

Slow: Slow weapons require time to aim and makes impossible to move and shoot at the same time. A weapon with this rule cannot be shoot at the same face that the character move.

Precision: +2 to attack if the target is at 4" or more.

Penetrating: the damage from this weapon is penetrating damage (see special powers).

Unavoidable: the damage from this weapon is Unavoidable damage (See special powers).

Grenades

Some characters start the game with grenades, as indicated by the icon respective grenade icon their character cards. If a character gets a grenade, put a Grenade token on its character card; a character can throw a grenade only if it has a Grenade token on its card.

Frag: Range 8". Area (3), Damage 4. Targets hit by this weapon are knock back 4". Deal 2 extra damage to the target if its knock back path is blocked.

Flashbang: Range 8", No damage, Area (no damage). Put an action token on all hit characters that have zero action tokens.

Plasma: Range 8", Area (3) (Especial). On a hit mark the hit character. At the beginning of your next turn, deal 4 damage to the character marked in this way and apply the area damage. Targets hit by this weapon are knock back 4". Deal 2 extra damage to the target if its knock back path is blocked.

Thermite: Armor Piercing, Penetrating, damage 4, Blast (3), Targets hit by this weapon are knock back 4". Deal 2 extra damage to the target if its knock back path is blocked. A character with this grenade can use it to clear an area of 4" of blocking terrain or walls

UNSC weapons

Name: Magnum Pistol

Range: 12"

Cost: +10

Properties: Assault weapon. Precision.

Name: M45-TS Shotgun

Range: 12"

Cost: +10

Properties: Assault weapon. Deal +1 damage at 8" or less.

Name: M7057/DP Flamethrower

Range: 12"

Cost: +10

Properties: Blast (1). Damage +2 against swarms.

Name: MA5C Assault rifle

Range: 24"

Cost: +20

Properties: When this unit succeeds at a shot and the attack roll is doubles, you may shot again at any target.

Name: BR55 Battle rifle

Range: 24"

Cost: +20

Properties: When this unit succeeds at a shot and the attack roll is doubles, the shot deals an extra 1 damage.

Name: M7 / Caseless SMG

Range: 24"

Cost: +20

Properties: When this unit succeeds at a shot and the attack roll is doubles, the shot also deals 1 damage to every enemy unit adjacent to the target.

Name: S2 AM Sniper Rifle

Range: 48"

Cost: +45

Properties: Precision. Heavy. When this unit succeeds at a shot and the attack roll is doubles, deal an extra 2 damage.

Name: M41 SSR MAV/AW (SPNKr) Rocket launcher

Range: 36"

Cost: +50

Properties: Blast (2), Armor Pearcing, +2 Damage, -1 to attack when attacking non vehicles. Targets hit by this weapon are knock back 4". Deal 2 extra damage to the target if its knock back path is blocked.

Name: M247 GPMG "TURRET"

Range: 36"

Cost: +45

Properties: Penetrating. Burst of fire. +2 Damage. When this unit succeeds at a shot and the attack roll is doubles, you may shot again at any target.

Covenant weapons

Name: Energy Sword

Range: 0

Cost: +5

Properties: Owner can only attack adjacent characters. On a hit deal +1d6 extra damage.

Name: Gravity Hammer

Range: 0

Cost: +5

Properties: Penetrating. Owner can only attack adjacent characters. On a hit deal +1d6 extra damage.

Name: Plasma Pistol

Range: 12"

Cost: +10

Properties: Assault weapon. Penetrating.

Name: Plasma Rifle

Range: 24"

Cost: +20

Properties: Overheating. When this unit succeeds at a shot and the attack roll is doubles, you may shot again at any target

Name: Fuel Rod Cannon

Range: 36"

Cost: +50

Properties: Blast (2), Penetrating, +2 Damage, -1 to attack when attacking non vehicles. Targets hit by this weapon are knock back 4". Deal 2 extra damage to the target if its knock back path is blocked.

Name: Plasma Cannon

Range: 36"

Cost: +30

Properties: Damage +2. Penetrating.

Name: Spiker Rifle

Range: 24"

Cost: +20

Properties: Penetrating. In close Combat deals an extra 1 damage.

Name: Needler rifle

Range: 24"

Cost: +10/20

Properties: Blast (1). Assault weapon.

Name: Covenant Carabine

Range: 24"

Cost: +10/20

Properties: When this unit succeeds at a shot and the attack roll is doubles, the shot deals an extra 1 damage.

Name: Brute Shot

Range: 24"

Cost: +25

Properties: Blast (1). When this unit succeeds at a shot and the attack roll is doubles, deal an extra 1 damage. In close Combat deals an extra 1 damage.

Name: Particle beam rifle

Range: 48"

Cost: +45

Properties: Precision. Slow. When this unit succeeds at a shot and the attack roll is doubles, deal an extra 2 damage.