Spaceship Weapons

A collection of weapons used in spacecraft combat, ranging from fighter-mounted weapons to capital ship armaments. Weapons are classified by their Scale, with larger-scale weapons being effective against similarly large targets and struggling against much smaller ones.

Fighter-Class Weapons

These weapons are designed for small spacecraft, such as interceptors, bombers, and light combat vessels. They are typically Scale 1 and function well against other fighter-sized craft.

Gattling Gun

Damage & Qualities: Width in Shock+Kill (Spray 5, Scale 1)

A rapid-firing projectile weapon, commonly mounted on fighter craft or point-defence turrets. Its Spray 5 quality allows it to saturate a narrow cone of space with fire, making it deadly to evasive targets or densely packed formations. Ideal for suppression and dogfighting at close range.

Cost: 0 Points
More rules can be found here: Gattling Gun

Light Cannon

Damage & Qualities: Width+3 in Shock+Kill (Penetration 2, Scale 1)

A precision energy weapon favoured by ace pilots and skirmishers. The high accuracy and respectable penetration make it excellent at piercing fighter armour and exposing internal systems. A strong all-rounder that rewards speed and accuracy.

Cost: 0 Points
More detailed rules can be found here: Light Cannon

EMP Cannon

Damage & Qualities: None (EMP Disable, Area 3, Controlled Effect, Scale 1)

A non-lethal electromagnetic weapon designed to shut down enemy electronics without damaging the hull or harming the pilot. On a hit, the target’s systems and shields go offline, and nearby devices may suffer electronic shock.

Ideal for honour duels, pirate captures, or disabling ships without destruction. Recognised under the Signal Code in many civilised systems.

Cost: 0 Points
More rules can be found here: EMP Cannon

Heavy Cannon

Damage & Qualities: Width+5 in Shock+Kill (Penetration 3, Scale 1)

A brutal, slow-firing heavy weapon used by elite pilots and heavy strike craft. Its immense damage and penetration allow it to cripple fighters or punch into larger vessels’ weak points.

Best used after scanning shields or in coordinated strikes where one shot can change the battle.

Cost: 10 Points
More rules can be found here: Heavy Cannon

Shimmerfall Cannon

Damage & Qualities: Width in Shock+Kill (Spray 3, Emitter Dispersal Rounds, Scale 1)

A suppression-focused kinetic weapon that reduces the target’s Sense stat by coating shield emitters with reactive particles. While low-damage, it’s ideal for crippling evasive craft or softening targets for teammates.

Used by strike teams, duellists, and control-focused pilots.

Cost: 10 Points
More rules can be found here: Shimmerfall Cannon

Fighter-Class Missiles

Missiles carried by fighter craft that are specifically designed to take down other fighters. They prioritize speed, tracking, and area damage to overwhelm small, maneuverable targets.

Fighter Missile

Damage & Qualities: Width+3 in Shock+Kill (Area 1, Penetration 4, Scale 1)

A high-impact, single-use missile with strong armour-breaking and explosive potential. The blast damages the target and nearby enemies, with the potential to destroy armour at the impact site.

A powerful alpha-strike weapon, especially useful for crippling escorts or disrupting shield formations.

Cost: 0 Points
More rules can be found here: Fighter Missile

Swarm Missile

Damage & Qualities: Width+3 in Shock+Kill (Spray 2, Penetration 3, Scale 1)

A multi-warhead missile system that fires tracking micro-missiles, allowing the attacker to hit a single target in multiple locations or saturate a formation with damage.

A popular choice for overwhelming point defences or attacking nimble ships that rely on dodging single hits.

Cost: 10 Points
More rules can be found here: Swarm Missile

Capital-Class Weapons

These weapons are designed for larger ships, such as carriers, capital ships, and heavy bombers. They have higher Scale ratings, making them effective against similarly large targets but difficult to use against fighters.

Plasma Cannon

Damage & Qualities: Width+4 in Shock+Kill (Scale 2, Penetration 5)

The mainstay weapon of capital ships, the Plasma Cannon fires superheated metal slugs that burn white-hot by the time they reach their target. Though slow-moving, they can be fired every round without reloading and gradually chip away at hulls and exposed systems.

Ideal for applying sustained pressure in long-range engagements, the Plasma Cannon is the workhorse of the battlefield.

Cost: 30 Points (with Capital-Grade Weapon Mount)
More rules can be found here: Plasma Cannon

Heavy Plasma Cannon

Damage & Qualities: Width+5 in Shock+Kill (Scale 2, Penetration 6)

A military-grade upgrade of the standard Plasma Cannon, the Heavy variant delivers greater damage and armour penetration with each shot. Though still slow-moving, it can be fired every round without logistical strain, making it the go-to weapon for hardened line ships.

Its steady cadence also discourages enemies from reconfiguring shields for FTL retreat, forcing them to remain engaged under the threat of impact.

Cost: 50 Points (with Capital-Grade Weapon Mount)
More rules can be found here: Heavy Plasma Cannon

Point Defence Turret

Damage & Qualities: Width in Shock+Kill (Spray 3, Interference, Scale 1)

A hull-mounted ballistic turret used by capital ships to disrupt fighters and shoot down torpedoes. Fires Disruptor Jacket Rounds that emit electromagnetic pulses on impact, reducing the Width of enemy actions like Scans or Lock-Ons.

Limited by arc placement, range, and manual operation, but highly effective when used as part of a coordinated defence grid.

Cost: 10 Points per Turret
More rules can be found here: Point Defence Turret

Torpedoes

Torpedoes are high-damage, large-scale explosive weapons, typically launched from capital ships, bombers, or stations. They have high Scale and Area values, making them ideal for crippling large targets.

Small Torpedo

Damage & Qualities: Width+4 in Shock+Kill (Scale 2, Penetration 6, Area 1)

A heavy anti-ship projectile designed for use by Bombers and specially-equipped Heavy Fighters. Though launched from a Scale 1 ship, the torpedo’s payload is Scale 2, making it capable of crippling capital-class targets or devastating exposed subsystems.

Must travel 100 yards per round before hitting, and is vulnerable to interception during flight. If it reaches the target, however, it delivers tremendous single-shot impact.

Cost: 0 Points
More rules can be found here: Small Torpedo

Carrier Torpedo

Damage & Qualities: Width+6 in Shock+Kill (Scale 3, Penetration 8, Area 1)

A massive torpedo designed to cripple capital ships, capable of destroying subsystems or dealing catastrophic hull damage in a single hit. Must be launched from capital-class ships, requires a broadside arc, and can only target Scale 2+ vessels.

It travels slowly through space (100 yards per round), giving opponents multiple rounds to shoot it down before impact. Despite this, if it reaches its target, it can decide the battle in one strike.

Cost: 50 Points (with Capital-Grade Torpedo Mount)
More rules can be found here: Carrier Torpedo

Additional Notes

Scale 1 weapons are designed for fighter-to-fighter combat, including interceptors, bombers, and small escorts. They struggle to damage larger ships even when there are not shields in the way.

Scale 2 weapons are the standard for capital ships and can damage other large vessels effectively. While they can technically target fighters, they suffer a Gobble Die penalty to hit smaller targets and rarely land decisive strikes.

Torpedoes provide devastating single-hit potential, especially against critical subsystems. However, they are slow, vulnerable during transit, and require support (such as scans and distractions) to reliably hit.

Missiles are single-use high-damage attacks fired by fighters, often with area or spray properties. They are ideal for breaking armour or punishing clustered targets, but must be reloaded from carriers.

Plasma Cannons represent the backbone of capital ship firepower. They are not fast, but they fire every round and gradually tear through shields and hulls.

Point Defence Turrets are used to interfere with incoming scans, jam precision actions, and shoot down torpedoes. Their Spray and Interference qualities allow them to protect the ship without needing full-scale retaliation.

Shield Configuration Matters: Ships can reconfigure their shields to increase defence or FTL speed, but this requires time. Sustained incoming fire (even if it doesn’t hit) makes it risky to drop shield settings for speed boosts, as attacks like plasma rounds are likely to land moderate-width sets.

Most weapons use a Slow Delivery system—shots travel 100 yards per round and cannot impact the same round they are fired. This creates opportunities for counterplay and positioning but also demands foresight in engagement timing.