Power armor was initially designed as heavy support for infantry in urban conflicts. During the course of it's initial deployments it eventually became evident that hand to hand combat weapons would be useful for power armor to engage enemies in close quarters combat without inflicting too much collateral damage. As power armor began to appear in the fields of combat outside of the urban setting however, many of these weapons fell into disuse. It was not until after the cataclysm that the usefulness of these weapons would again appear. Power armor today oftentimes finds itself engaging supernatural creatures which often have abilities that allow them to pick and choose when and how they engage enemies. Most choose to engage close up to where claws and other natural weapons and abilities are best used. At close ranges like this many heavy weapons and most disposable ordinance is all but useless. Enter the hand to hand combat weapons, however, and once again power armor has an effective weapon with which to counter this threat.
In terms of fighting capabilities against other power armor and modern military equipment, VERY few power armor operatives would ever choose to engage with close in combat if they can avoid it. The Coalition States failing to recognize this fact, and in doing so launched the most ill fated power armor suit to go down through the annals of human history, the Glitterboy Killer. This suit, through the war with Free Quebec in 116PA, became known by such names as "The Widow Maker", "Sitting Duck", "Knifer in the Gun Fight", and similar. By the end of the conflict even loyal power armor pilots were refusing to take Glitterboy Killers into the fray. Intelligent and compassionate officers were known to report, "Quebecois Sapper Activities", in which CS issue fusion blocks destroyed tens to in a couple instances hundreds of these suits of power armor at a time.
Using these realities in producing custom power armor is essential. Hand to hand combat weapons should be thought of as last resort weapons, for silent action, and for power armor specifically designed to engage supernatural creatures.
Climbing Claws: These are blades installed in the forearms or hands and in the "toe" area of the feet, allowing the power armor better capacity for climbing. In addition to climbing these mega-damage tungsten-uranium (Depleted, of course.) alloy blades may be used in mega-damage combat, adding an addition 1D6 M.D. to punches, slashes or kicks.
Republican Durable Materials Heavy Bladed Weapons: Desert Star imports a line of molded heavy mercury-titanium alloy (Merctite) bladed weapons for power armor and supernatural use from Wa-Daisho. In their current list of stock they have doubled bladed battle axes, single bladed hatchets, halberds and broadswords. They are all basically the same in terms of weight and damage capabilities. N.O.M.A.D power armor operatives often add the double bladed ax to their list of requisitioned equipment for field operations. Custom manufactured heavy bladed weapons from S-Mart are offered at a considerable cost, but these are composed of tungsten-uranium (Depleted, of course.) alloys. This alloy is heavier, and as a result it inflicts more damage but they are more brittle and susceptible to damage.
Republican Durable Materials Heavy Blunt Weapons: While often power armor operatives will scrounge a weapon on the battlefield for close in combat, occasionally power armor pilots will elect to purchase blunt weapons as standard equipment. S-Mart outfits their custom power armor with these weapons in the same fashion as the Heavy Bladed Weapons.
Capos Industries PS-10 Powered Disk Saw: This is a disk saw intended for industrial use but has been found to be a useful forearm mounted weapon. In this guise it has been affectionately nicknamed "Buzz" by operatives that have been outfitted with this system in the past. (Note: Capos Industries is S-Mart's older sister company, both began by Ace Ripley after the founding of Desert Star.)
Capos Industries PS-16 Powered Chain Saw: This is a chain saw, outfitted with synthetic diamond studded teeth, intended for mining applications. Like the PS-1 it was discovered long ago that this would make a very useful forearm mounted weapon. While not very effective against soft organic material, it cuts through armor like a hot knife through butter.
L & N Vibro Weapons Serrated Claws or Blades: This section describes two different packages that are similar enough to include in one listing. One kit offered by L & N Vibro Weapons is a set of serrated slightly curved vibro-claws capable of being installed either as a fixed mount or in a retractable mount. The second kit is a single blade a foot and a half long that can be installed either as a fixed mount or in a retractable mount. L & N often trades these kits to S-Mart for carbon crystal superconductors that boost the capabilities of vibro-weapons, by permitting a safer transmission of higher voltage energy to the sonic conductors in a vibro-weapon.
L & N Vibro Weapons No-Dachi: This is a large Katana like weapon, that in the hands of an ordinary man is a gargantuan single edged two handed sword. In the hands of a suit of power armor it is a heavy duty hand and a half grip Katana. L & N occasionally trades these for the same purpose listed under the previous L & N listing, but more often than not these are sold to S-Mart at reduced costs.
L & N Vibro Weapons Custom Blades: Custom blades are one of the staples of L & N Vibro Weapons. Thus customers asking for something outside of the norm are welcome to issue requests for a different type of blade. Prices for custom work is roughly double that of similar weapons book price.
Energy Blades: S-Mart is in the process of attempting to unlock the secrets to energy blades. Included in their research are plasma swords and axes produced by the Kittani, energy swords and axes produced by Naruni Enterprises, and laser knives as produced by Wilks. No definitive results have yet been achieved as the experimental models tend to be unpredictable and dangerous.
| Name
| Damage
| Length
| S.R.
| Cost
| Weight
| Enclosed
| M.D.C.
| Payload
| Climbing Claws
| +1D6 M.D.
| 6"
| 5 per
| 2,000 per limb
| 4 Lb. each set
| Either
| 10
| N/A
| *Heavy Bladed Weapons
| +2D6 M.D./+4D4 M.D.
| 4-5'
| 5
| 6,000
| 25-30 Lb.
| No
| 80/45
| N/A
| *Heavy Blunt Weapons
| +4D4 M.D./+3D6 M.D.
| 3-4'
| 5
| 8,500
| 50-60 Lb.
| No
| 120/75
| N/A
| PS-10
| 5D6 M.D.
| 2' extended
| 10
| 17,000
| 45 Lb.
| Yes/No
| 60
| N/A
| PS-16
| 1D4x10/4D6 M.D.
| 2' extended
| 10
| 19,000
| 55 Lb.
| Yes/No
| 50
| N/A
| Vibro Claws/Blades
| +2D6 M.D.
| 12"
| 5
| 12,000
| 5 Lb.
| Yes/No
| 20
| N/A
| **Vibro No-Dachi
| +4D6 M.D./second
| 6'
| 5
| 25,500
| 5 Lb.
| No
| 20
| 22 seconds
| **Custom Vibro Weapons
| Varies
| Varies
| 5-10
| Varies
| Varies
| No
| 20
| Varies
| | | | | | | | |
* The stats listed under these categories list two separate sets of stats under Damage and M.D.C.; The first set is for those imported and made of the Merctite alloy and the second is for those produced by S-Mart from the Tungsten-Uranium alloy.
** These vibro-weapons are fed through a pair of power cells in the grip of the vibro weapons in question. The payload is determined in seconds of exposure as the sonic projector only functions when pressure is placed on the blade. Once the payload is depleted the power cells must be placed into their charging boot, included with the cost of any L & N vibro weapon, that allows the power cells to be charged in an ordinary E-Clip charger. In the alternative S-Mart can patch the vibro weapon into the power grid of the power armor suit, via a 10 M.D.C. cable, at a cost of an additional 2,000 credits.
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