Approved Tech "Scylla" Sith Sword

[Valik]

NOTE: DESPITE PICTURE ABOVE, THE SCYLLA HAS A COVERING ON THE BACK OF THE BLADE, AND ONLY HAS ONE EDGE.
Intent: To create a cost effective way of equipping non Force-Sensitive Sith Officers and melee specialists with Sith Alchemized weaponry, as well as develop Valik’s character as an scientist.
Development Thread: http://starwarsrp.net/topic/2644-for-a-swordforging-thread/#entry46717
Hero Unit: No
Creator: Valik
Manufacturer: The "teeth" are created by Valicore Engineering, but the rest of the parts are constructed and assembled by Rahvin Industries in secret.
Model: No current existing base technology(at least that I am aware of)
Affiliation: Valicore Engnieering Customers
Modularity: Depending on how much effort is spent into the sith alchemized “teeth” of the chain the weapon could have more or less durability compared to the average model. The ‘teeth’ of the chain could also be switched out for Phrik, Cortosis, or Beskar and still retain lightsaber resistance while not having to deal with Force Lightning absorption, but the blade would be significant less sharp. Theoretically other metals could be used to make a chain as well, but these options result in losing lightsaber resistance and attack power, and thus aren’t worth mentioning. Parts of the weapon other than the chain cannot be altered.
Production: Minor
Material: Hollow durasteel hilt, durasteel chain and “inner sword”. Basic wiring for the motor(nothing special), Sith Alchemized “teeth” equipped on chain.
Description: The “Scylla” Sith Sword is an attempt to make the creation of Sith Swords more cost effective by using Sith Alchemy to alchemize small blades, otherwise known as “teeth”, and attach said teeth to a chain. The chain is hooked to a motor located in the hilt powered by a blaster pack battery also located inside the hilt. When turned on by a button located on the outside of the hilt the blaster pack battery powers the motor, which turns a gear connected to the chain filled with Sith alchemized teeth. As all the battery is powering is simply turning a gear it can last nearly indefinitely and also instantly adds more power to the gears if it finds significant resistance, resulting in an idling RPM of 100, and an activated RPM of 1000.
Due to political circumstances Seinar Army Systems no longer has the means to produce the weapon(Specifically lack of the Sith Empire's Alchemists), and hence their production of the item has effectively ceased. They do still possess the blueprints of the device and could make a Sith Alchemy-less duplicate, but the item would require a second submission due to the wildly different properties, or if they found Sith Alchemists willing to work for them they could resume production of the initial product, but with the current political climate with Seinar Army Systems and the Republic it is extremely unlikely that will occur, if not impossible.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
+Lightsaber Resistant
+As a Sith Alchemized blade, it is sharper than traditional vibroblade.
+As a ‘chainsaw’ type weapon, the motor adds force to each strike. I admit I don’t have a real number(Though I could calculate one in newtons if asked) for this, as it’s a technological addition, not a factor of strength, so it’s a flat addition in force, not a multiplier. For example, if an average human and an average wookie both swung at something with the Scylla they would both have stronger strikes than with an average sword, but the difference in strength between their strikes would be the same.
+/-With Sith Alchemized ‘teeth’ the weapon can absorb Force Lightning, which would then be discharged on the next swing. However, as the sword is powered by a motor which connects to the chain, if the weapon absorbs too much Force Lightning it can overload the motor, hence taking it out of commission. Such a task would be easy for a Sith Master, moderately difficult for a Sith Knight, possible but difficult for Sith Apprentices who specialize in Lightning, and impossible for a Sith Apprentices who don’t specialize in Lightning. The weapon could be salvaged by replacing the motor, but the process would be too extensive to complete in a combat situation.
-Due to the rapid motion and force generated by the saw blade(As well as the sheer weight) the weapon is too unwieldy to be used with one hand.
-The Blade has only one ‘edge’, and thus can only be swung in one direction, as well as having an inability to be used in thrusting attacks. This means that when slashing from one side to the other you have to turn the blade in order to hit with the edge. Another byproduct of this is that only one 'side' of the blade can block saber attacks, as it's the only side with Sith Alchemized materials. If attacked from the sides of the edge the gear could be damaged, rendering the chain and the sword useless. Attacks could also be blocked by the backside of the blade, but it would rip through the durasteel covering and make the blade more unwieldly, not to mention the fact you'd have a rotating Sith Alchemized blade in your face.
-While the “teeth” are Alchemized with Sith Magic, in general they are not alchemized with complete focus(as quantity is valued over quality in this case), and as such the chain of “teeth” will need to be changed out every once in a while. Quality thus degrades over time when fighting opponents with heavier armor, and one chain couldn’t manage more than 2-4 encounters with Beskar without being changed.
-Blade must be half-taken apart in order to change out the chain of teeth. While this process is not difficult or extremely time consuming, it is complex and time consuming enough to where it would be impossible to change a chain during combat or on the move.
-While more of an inconvenience then a weakness, the blade does not have an effective sheath. A magnet is place on the outside of the hilt, and users will place an additional magnet on the bottom of their armor in order to sheath. This means the blade takes much longer to pull out, along with requiring more strength to “unsheath”(as the user has to break through the magnetic force).
-If the motor malfunctions the weapon does not have to force for a continuous slash motion, and would be reduced to a bludgeon with very sharp points on it.
Classification: Sword/Saw
Size: Two-Handed
Length: .45 meters
Weight: 3 kg
Other Features: Strengths and Weaknesses covers all features of the blade.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Haven't given this a thorough look, but I'm concerned about the resemblance to a Warhammer chainsword. Is it possible for you to find an image and theme which shift farther away from product identity (especially one so jealously guarded as Games Workshop)?

 

[Valik]

I just picked the first image that popped up when I put "Chainsaw Sword" into google images. No problem switching it out. I haven't played "Warhammer" so I don't know what to filter out. Do any of these work?

 

[Ashin Varanin]

I'm somewhat familiar with them, enough to point out the first and last as Warhammer-derived swords. The second or third would be fine.

I agree with your interpretation of alchemical metal being able to temporarily absorb Force Lightning.

I also like your recognition that alchemical metal comes in widely varying degrees, not just 'invulnerable.'

I'm still concerned by the idea of mass-producing an anti-lightsabre sword, but that ship has sailed and you're asking for only minor production. You've also done a comprehensive job of thinking out all the weaknesses. The two-handed caveat is particularly telling.

I have only one question for you. What do you think is the weakest part of this design, the part that makes it most likely to be abused? How would you fix it - or defend it?"

 

[Valik]

In my opinion, the biggest flaw of the device how linearly you can attack with it. I planned on it having only one edge because otherwise it would require Force-Sensitivity to control(At least in my opinion) because of how much force the rotation of the blade would generate. Therefore you can't thrust(which isn't a big deal in my opinion, but a very notable one), and in you want to slice from one side to the other you need to turn the blade around and come back, wasting precious seconds. The issue is magnified however on a defensive standpoint, as it becomes much more difficult to block saber-strikes. You can't block it from the sides, as it would break the gear inbetween the chains, and you can block it from behind if you're okay with losing a little of the covering, but then you have a rotating Sith alchemized blade pointing at you.

I would fix the issue by idling the blade when I'm not on the offensive. Much less force generated by the chain means it's a lot easier to handle, so you can move the blade quicker. In fact, I'd kinda "burst fire" the accelerating of the chain to where it helped speed up my swing, and then idle it briefly as I changed direction.

As for defending against the weapon(without Force Lightning), I'd try to catch the wielder of the weapon with a feint, and then attack the blade's side. If you can disrupt or break the gear somehow the weapon becomes useless. If I had Force Lighting I would just try to overload the weapon, or at least make the blade rotate too fast so that it became much more difficult to handle so the user made mistakes or couldn't overcome the force generated by the RPM's. When I was looking up a good RPM to use for the chain, I figured out most chainsaws you can buy at home depot go up around 9K RPM's or more, but I figured at such high speed would be impossible to handle at such high speeds, even for a droid or a jedi, so I reduced it down to about 1000 RPM's(Although I should add an Idle RPM now that I think about it).

EDIT: Honestly, when if I compare the Scylla to a Vibroblade the Vibroblade has much more utility, but the Scylla has more more raw power in each swing, due to having sharper blades and the the added mechanical force. The Vibroblade on the whole is much more reliable, but the Scylla hits like a truck and is much cooler.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

I'm satisfied. Once you edit in a new image and, if possible, add what you just wrote to your initial post, I'll approve this.

EDIT: Approved. Abuse and suffer.