Ion Rifle - Availability/Restriction

[Prodromoi]

Hi,

MgT2 equipment question...

What are people's opinions of the restriction level (per Central Supply Catalogue page 5) of the Ion Rifle (page 151 of the CSC 2023 update)?

My players are tooling up for a fight and are considering parting with some hard-earned credits for an ion rifle (or more than one). What availability category would you consider it to be?

Currently my thinking is Category 3 (Paramilitary) or Category 4 (Military). The weapon is non-lethal (vs. typical sophonts) but extremely effective against robots and sensitive electronic equipment. In the wrong hands it could cause a lot of damage and indirectly death and destruction. Imagine it being used on a vehicle's electronics, a computer controlling important systems, or gravitic drives.

One of the things mentioned in the description of Military (Cat 4) equipment is "military-grade electronics ... electronic warfare equipment". Arguably the ion rifle could be described as the latter - so I'm inclinded to call it Cat 4, with military-grade restrictions (and commensurate pricing on the black market!).

 

[Badenov]

Keep in mind that a weapon like that is going to be much less effective against actual military targets (or anyone who forks out the cash for military-grade gear) because it's fairly straightforward to shield against that sort of thing. Depending on how hardened the military gear is, the ion weapon might not be restricted at all. If military gear is nearly immune to it, there's no reason to restrict it, and it's a simple non-lethal device. I'm not sure about any MgT2 numbers or systems, so YMMV. If it can affect military gear to any significant degree, then yeah, it's probably military grade.

 

[mike wightman]

If you are in the Third Imperium the ion rifle should not be a part of the setting. If you are in the MgT Third Imperium then definitely cat 4.

 

[kilemall]

Keep in mind that a weapon like that is going to be much less effective against actual military targets (or anyone who forks out the cash for military-grade gear) because it's fairly straightforward to shield against that sort of thing. Depending on how hardened the military gear is, the ion weapon might not be restricted at all. If military gear is nearly immune to it, there's no reason to restrict it, and it's a simple non-lethal device. I'm not sure about any MgT2 numbers or systems, so YMMV. If it can affect military gear to any significant degree, then yeah, it's probably military grade.

It’s possible to totally wreck civilian infrastructure, definitely military.

 

[whulorigan]

If you are in the Third Imperium the ion rifle should not be a part of the setting. If you are in the MgT Third Imperium then definitely cat 4.

Or change its name to an EM-Pulse/MP Projector or EM Scrambler/MP Projector . . . (T5.10 Book 1, p.244)

I would say Category 4 due to its ability to cause mayhem to civilian electronics/gravitics.

 

[Prodromoi]

Keep in mind that a weapon like that is going to be much less effective against actual military targets (or anyone who forks out the cash for military-grade gear) because it's fairly straightforward to shield against that sort of thing. Depending on how hardened the military gear is, the ion weapon might not be restricted at all. If military gear is nearly immune to it, there's no reason to restrict it, and it's a simple non-lethal device. I'm not sure about any MgT2 numbers or systems, so YMMV. If it can affect military gear to any significant degree, then yeah, it's probably military grade.

This is basically true and already factored in. The the higher TL version of the weapon isn't blocked by any level of shielding, and thus effects military robots/drones. The lower TL version is blocked by 20 points of armour (which I figure the rules consider have a shielding effect for EMP as well as energy/kinetic attacks).

So the light version is effective against unarmoured(unshielded) and lightly armoured targets, but the high TL version is needed to have an effect on heavily armoured ones.

 

[McPerth]

If they can fry (even if not permanently) military grade electronics, think on the effects it may have on a Battledress...

 

[Prodromoi]

If they can fry (even if not permanently) military grade electronics, think on the effects it may have on a Battledress...

Up to ref. interpretation, of course - the existing rule states "disrupted for 1D rounds" without specifying the effects of such disruption. I'm fine with that, as I like a "story-driven, rules-light" approach and I'd make it up on the fly.
All the standard battledress designs in the equipment list have enough protection to nullify the effects of the lower TL version, so only the TL15 one would work against them.