Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To provide a classic land mine in LPD's catalogue
- Image Source: here
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source:
- Manufacturer: Lucerne Personal Defense
- Affiliation: Directorate, Silver Jedi Concord, Lucerne Personal Defense Customers
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: LPD-68 Hammerblast Mine
- Modularity: different detonators
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: duraplas shell, Di-chrome cloth cover (optional), Detonite priming charge, Baradium Nitrate - Thermite primary charge cores (4), Instant Adhesive bottom, typical grenade components
- Classification: land mine
- Size: Average
- Weight: Average
- Explosive Type: Detonite priming charge, Baradium Nitrate - Thermite primary charge cores (4)
- Delivery Method: hand placed / deployed by various mine layer models
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Standard Mode Shaped Charge Mode Fragmentation Mode Effective Range: Average Personal Average Area Of Effect: Average Personal Large Damage Output: Average Very High Low
- Variable Fuse: Hammerblast has a centrally placed fuse that can be easily screwed in or out. Most commonly it's a simple mechanical pressure fuse: stepping on it or otherwise putting pressure on it drives a spike into the detonite priming charge, which then sets off the core. However, this fuse can be replaced by more sophisticated proximity fuses which detonate simply by someone or something getting too close. It can also be set up to be command-detonated by simple wire or comlink command receiver.
- Dual Core Charge: The Hammerblast effectively takes the Fireblast's primary explosive core and miniaturized it into four separate charges. Each primary core contains two distinct substances in separate compartments: liquid baradium nitrate and a thermite powder. These substances can be ignited in their separate compartments, or can be ignited as a combined mixture. Pushing one of the four buttons on top of the mine determines how each of these cores is ignited in each core. When ignited separately, the baradium nitrate core detonates, shredding the mine's shell and casting out now flaming thermite powder and duraplas shrapnel around it. This makes it act as a typical fragmentation grenade, with a large blast radius but reduced overall damage - this setting is ideal for attacking light targets like infantry and battle droids. When mixed, however, produces much more heat when detonated, effectively turning the charge into a shaped charge, giving it greater damage potential in a smaller blast radius - this is ideal for destroying heavily armored vehicles and battle droids. While most users change all of the charges to either all fragmentation or shaped charge mode, sometimes users will pick the settings - setting two of the charges to "fragmentation" and two of the charges to "shaped charge". Known as "Mixed Mode", this setting provides enough fragmentation to be dangerous to small clusters of light enemies but also enough explosive power to be dangerous to light vehicles and many organic mounts.
- Innately Concealable: Hammerblast is designed to be concealed. It specifically uses a non-magnetic construction with its duraplas case to make it harder for many conventional minesweepers to find. Additionally, each Hammerblast comes with a di-chrome covering which can be connected to the low-current battery in the mine. This not only physically distorts the shape of the mine to make it seem less artificial and more organic, but di-chrome's ability also means that it visually blends into the surroundings. However, the battery will lose charge after several days, meaning that this use is often best used in hasty deployments. Many users also dislike fiddling with the cover after putting in the mine's settings or otherwise prefer to use their own fieldcraft to hide the mines.
- Adhesive Bottom: The bottom cap of the LPD-68 can be screwed off to reveal a pad covered in instant adhesive, which allows the mine to be solidly attached to a variety of objects. Swinging doors are often a favorite, as not only does it conceal the mine itself, but if the door is slammed open (like by a breaching device), it usually detonites the mine as well.
- Versatile: Hammerblast can be thrust pretty easily into an anti-personnel or anti-vehicle role by simply setting how the explosive components inside mix. Additionally, using different types of fuses allows to it be better adapted for different types tactical roles, whether it's simple static defense or controlled demolitions.
- Careful With That: Detonite is a fairly reliable detonating agent but if it hit too hard accidentally or by enemy fire, it explodes very readily - oftentimes killing the user before the mine can be placed.
DESCRIPTION
Mines are a common staple of many military stockpiles for obvious reasons - the ability to deny an enemy terrain with a minimum of effort can be a huge advantage, whether its preventing columns of tanks and walkers from rumbling down a road towards a stronghold or hastily setting up boobytraps to cover the retreat of covert operations team. The Hammerblast mine is LPD's primary entry into this field. It builds off the company's experience with its Fireblast Dual Purpose Grenade's unique explosive charge and transforms that charge into a wider but thinner package that is more easily concealable. Depending on how these charges are configured, Hammerblast can be optimized for either anti-personnel, anti-vehicle, or mixed use roles - making it fairly adaptable on the fly in the field - a trait appreciated by the grunts that typically have to lug them, and by budget analysists who like to eliminate costs.
Hammerblasts are most commonly found in the armories of larger militaries, where they are commonly used in large numbers to shore up defenses, whether its a simply dug trench in the Outer Rim or a Core World fortress. But some more innovative users include those in covert operations and special forces who take them to hastily make booby traps intended primarily to delay or kill their pursuers.
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