Kainan Wolfe
Shadow of War
- Intent: To create an ion cannon for the EE
- Image Source:
- Banners: My own work, for use by EE members only
- Turret 3D model: My own work, please do not reuse
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Karavin Concern
- Affiliation: Eternal Empire | Closed-Market
- Model: KC-3N209 'Growler' Ion Beam Cannon
- Modularity: N/A
- Production: Minor
- Material:
- Impervium-334 Turret
- Ion Cannon Components
- Electronic Components
- Classification: Heavy Ion Cannon
- Size: Very Large
- Weight: Very Heavy
- Ammunition Type: Ionized Particles
- Ammunition Capacity: Extremely Large
- Effective Range: Average
- Rate of Fire: Extremely High
- Stopping Power: Low
- Recoil: Low
- Independent Targeting Sensors: A standard feature across Karavin Concern's latest generation of weapons is the inclusion of independent targeting and tracking sensors into every platform, adding a layer of redundancy which allows the weapon to acquire targets even if the ship's main sensors are down
- Suppressive Fire: The KC-3N209's unusually high rate of fire in the form of a continuous beam of ionized particles gives the system the capability to more successfully inflict damage over a sustained period of time, compared to similar platforms
- Sustained Precision: The KC-3N209 is equipped with sophisticated, highly reliable targeting sensors as well as advanced recoil mitigation systems, allowing it to track targets with a higher degree of accuracy than comparable platforms
- Weak Spots: The KC-3N209's design requires the use of large, exposed bearings which are vulnerable to enemy fire and can be damaged to disable the weapon's ability to traverse and elevate its barrel
- Death By A Thousand Cuts: The KC-3N209 is designed to inflict damage over extended periods of sustained fire, sacrificing stopping power for precision, meaning that ships can shrug off brief contact with its beam
Intended to replace ion cannon models previously in use by the Eternal Navy, the KC-3N209 'Growler' is a platform that is part of a new generation of weapons systems developed by the military-industrial conglomerate Karavin Concern. Its design has several unusual and notable features that differentiate it from the classic ion cannon templates more common throughout the galaxy. Rather than firing bolts of ionized particles, the KC-3N209 utilizes a less potent, continuous beam of ions, which it can maintain for extended periods of time.
Rather than inflicting heavy damage with each shot, the KC-3N209 is designed to utilize a fairly weak beam, contact with which, will inflict noticeably less damage to a target, however that damage will build up over time the longer the beam manages to maintain its lock on an enemy ship or station. The intention behind this design is that the KC-3N209 platform would inflict a sort of 'death by a thousand cuts', slowly but surely causing damage to a target's electronics as it drags the beam across its hull like a lightsaber blade.
In order to achieve this, the KC-3N209 platform is outfitted with an array of sophisticated sensors, as well as powerful motors and bearings which, in tandem with the recoil-compensating system, allow it to rotate and elevate swiftly and with a higher degree of precision than comparable, more conventional systems. This, however, means that the turret has two exposed weak spots in the form of the bearings which allow the cannon to elevate its barrel, fairly large targets that can disable the entire weapon if they are damaged by enemy fire.
In spite of the shortcomings inherent in its unconventional design, the KC-3N209 'Growler' platform can be a particularly effective weapons system when in the hands of the right officers, enabling the creation of an area denial screen against ships with particularly sensitive electronics when massed in sufficient numbers. It is slated to become the new mainline ion cannon model employed by the Eternal Empire's naval forces.
