Cluster Bomb
Damage Effects: 15/9/4 R2, +2d6 vs infantry or +1d6 vs vehicles
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, in C-Bills, Equivalent: 8,000
Availability: DDD
Notes: Roll damage on cluster hits table, result +2 vs vehicles and quad mechs
Cluster Bombs are more difficult and expensive to produce than normal bombs; instead of one single explosive package there is a complex and intricate bursting charge which scatter many hundreds of bomblets over a wide area, which then explode in turn, either on the surface of just above it.
Cluster Bombs are similar to Thunder Pods and vice-versa, but are used more widely. They are extremely useful for suppressing soft targets in the open or in open-topped earthworks. But the true value of cluster bombs comes in their ability to rain destruction over a wide area; ideal for use against target's whose position is not known.
Possessing a gruesome reputation and, in common with similar artillery munitions; nicknamed innocuously "fire crackers", Cluster Bombs are widely decried by those who have had Cluster munitions used against them, or have little knowledge of them. While there are some soldiers who are more concerned with humanitarian ideals than military consideration who find them distasteful, most uniformed pragmatists see their immense value and would be loath to be deprived of them.
David Lear is currently leading a movement to see such weapons banned as part of the Republic-Sponsored Anti-Inhumane Weapons Treaty. The Treaty also covers Artillery Cluster Munitions, Anti-Personnel Flechettes, Needlers, Landmines, Incendiaries, WMDs and all forms of deforming small arms ammuntion. So far, no nation, not even the Republic has fully ratified the Treaty, but the Federated Suns and several Andurian Pact Nations (Notably the Marik Commonwealth) have signed the Treaty and at least partly ratified it, besides the Republic. The Lyran Commonwealth is scheduled to debate the bill at their next sitting of Parliament in the middle of 3100.
Relevant to Cluster Bombs; House Davion has destroyed all their stockpiles and the RAF is scheduled to expend the last of their non-LBX Cluster munitions in training early next year. The Marik Commonwealth has agreed to phase out Cluster Munitions not used with LBX Autocannon and all landmines without remote failsafe controls or command detonators over the next five years, consumate with a review of their tactical and operation doctrines involving their use.
Laser-Guided Bomb
Damage Effects: D30, 20/10 R1
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 10,000
Availability: EFE
Notes: Works with TAG. 2000kg and 300kg bombs may also be Laser-Guided; double the cost and change availability.
Laser-Guided Bombs are similar to less-advanced HEGP free-fall bombs, but they possess a Laser-Guided targeting head and powered maneuvering planes in order to glide on-target.
LGBs are popular for their added accuracy; thus making for fewer sorties against a target and more hits on harder targets and also their inherent limiting factor to collateral damage.
Drag Bomb
Damage Effects: D25, 20/10 R1
Bomb Slots: 2
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 6,000
Availability: CCD
Notes: -2 to-hit in Earth-Standard Atmosphere. No additional effects otherwise. No effect at high altitude.
Drag Bombs deploy air brakes or parachutes in order to ****** their forward movement. In the hands of pilots familiar with their characteristics, this makes them more accurate.
Because Drag Bombs are so simple in concept and execution, their use is widespread and they were available without pause from the later 20th century onwards. The drawback to drag bombs, besides their reduced direct-hit damage is their added weight and drag imparted by the ****** mechanism, even when not deployed.
Cratering Bomb
Damage Effects: D50, 20 R0 Destroys one hex of hard surface for the purposes of use as a take/off or landing surface. Piloting role for all vehicles in affected hex. Damage continues 1 level down.
Bomb Slots: 3
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 7,200
Availability: DDD
Notes: Affected hex now counts as rough terrain.
Cratering Bombs are designed to deny airfields and Starports to the enemy.
They work by the assistance of a short-burn rocket motor which fires them downwards, through the hard surface, under and within which, they explode, producing a large crater, shattering ferrocrete and buckling metal for a wide radius.
Cratering bombs can never be 100% effective in a universe of Aerospace Fighters, Smallcraft and Dropships; all with vertical take-off and landing capability. But reducing a pristine hard surface to twisted steel and rubble makes it much harder for even these interplanetary titans to land and takeoff as the surface shifts freely underneath their drive-plumes.
Deep Penetration Bomb
Damage Effects: D75/Level, 2D6 Levels, 30/20/10 R2 final level affecting all structures above, Rough Terrain on surface through blast radius, all vehicle and mech units on surface through blast radius must make piloting rolls, all infantry suffer 3d6 damage
Bomb Slots: 10 Bomb Slots
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 200,000
Availability: XXD
Notes: very large bomb designed to penetrate deeply into fortifications or under cities before exploding, undermining foundations and shattering buildings from the inside and below. Can only be deployed through high-altitude bombing.
Heavy Deep Penetration Bomb
Damage Effects: D200/level 3D6 levels, 100/50/25/20 R3 final level affecting all structures above, Rough Terrain on surface through blast radius, all vehicle and mech units on surface through blast radius must make piloting rolls, all infantry suffer 4d6 damage
Bomb Slots: 25
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 1,000,000
Availability: XXF
Notes: As above, larger, cannot be carried by aerofighters or conventional fighters.
Deep Penetration bombs had been used during the 20th Century, but a modern incarnation had remained theoretical until the Amaris Coup.
With hundreds of Castle's Brian and other fortifications falling into hostile hands, joining the possessions of a Regime which fetishized the underground bunker complex; the SLDF saw a pressing need to be able to reduce these strong-points, without suffering the massive casualties they were designed to inflict.
One solution was to dust off the Project: EARTHQUAKE studies and put the prototypes into production. These weapons were deployed against Rim World's-Held fortifications and reinforced structures, even certain mobile structures, from high-altitude bombers; usually venerable Torrent Heavy Bombers. It was the survivors of these specialist squadrons who made up the bulk of the Torrent-Trained and equipped forces who accompanied Kerensky's Exodus, though fragmentary records indicate that these were mostly demobilized very early on.
Limited use of the Deep Penetration Bombs was made in the Succession Wars; considered almost a WMD in their own right, with a capability comparable to orbital bombardment, the Successor States came into possession of relatively few bombs and fewer experienced crews to use them. The factories producing the bombs in the former Rim World's Republic were lost, one way or another early in the First Succesion War and the techniques of creating the super-dense materials going into the bomb cases and the art of forging them were lost alongside the related arts involved in certain aspects of Warship building and Capital Weapons production.
One Heavy Deep Penetration Bomb; an original Type-12 SLDF "Cloudmaker" model, resides in the NAIS, or did before the Jihad, but has since disappeared from the public eye. It is expected that the Clans must have some, which resides in Brian Caches, at least before they were all looted. But it is expected that these weapons were likely scrapped for their raw materials. Their is significant and difficult to refute evidence that the SLDFiE deployed Deep Penetration bombs during the Jihad, but precise details of SLDF Atmospheric Heavy Bomber capability are notoriously hard to pin down. The Andurian Pact nations, including Regulus could likely reproduce these weapons, as could House Kurita, but there is no evidence they have. Notably; WOB *did not* utilize any such weapons during the Jihad, making them conspicuous by their absence.
The only power known to possess even small stocks of Deep Penetration bombs and the means to deploy them as-intended, is the Lyran Commonwealth. The LCAF retains a token counter-fortress capability, now brigaded together with the reborn 4th Royal Guards, as part of their Zugvogel Squadron.
Small Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb
Damage Effects: 20/10/5 R2 +3d6 vs infantry
Bomb Slots: 2
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 125,000
Availability: EFE
Notes: Canon Rules apply, starts fires, usable for woods clearing attacks.
Large Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb
Damage Effects: 30/20/10/5 R3 +4d6 vs infantry
Bomb Slots: 6 Bomb Slots
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 410,100
Availability: EFE
Notes: Canon Rules apply, starts fires, usable for woods clearing attacks. Piloting check for all airborne craft within 17 hexes, low altitude
Daisy-Cutter
Damage Effects: 50/30/20/10/5 R5
Bomb Slots: 15 Bomb Slots
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 808,000
Availability: EXE
Notes: Canon Rules apply, starts fires, usable for woods clearing attacks, cannot be dropped except by craft with the internal bomb bay quirk, piloting skill rolls for all vehicles within 17 hexes, rolls for all airborne craft within two maps, low-altitude
Fuel-Air Explosives have been somewhat common since their inception in the middle of the 20th century. Although the complexity of their explosive trains saw them disappear during the Succession Wars, they returned with a vengeance after the rediscovery of the Helm Memory Core and their use by WOB during the Jihad made FAEs a household name.
The effects of FAE are comparable visually to atomics and their secondary effects are also somewhat similar in that they work by implosion, mainly. However, blanket statements that FAE are truely comparable in their effect to nuclear weapons misses at least two orders of magnitude.
Some powers today consider FAE in general to be Weapons of Mass Destruction (The Republic and Federated Suns, for instance), while a few others consider only the largest to be deserving of that moniker (Raven Alliance, Andurian Pact, ect). But overall their usefulness remains a fact in scant dispute, despite the bitter reputation they garnered during the war.
WOB notoriously used the larger FAE weapons in targeted attacks on the dependents of mercenaries and house troops during the war, as well as on civilians and this is the source of the weapons greusom reputation. However, none can deny their effectiveness against softer targets.
Small FAE are considered tactical weapons, while the larger models are reserved for specific targets. "Daisy Cutters"; the very largest FAE currently known are normally only used against specific and very select targets; usually industrial, logistical or natural in makeup.
Tactical Nuclear Bomb
Damage Effects: See Nuke spreadsheet (100kt)
Bomb Slots: 6
Cost, in C-Bills, Equivalent: 500,000
Availability: EEE
Notes: Canon Nuke Rules apply
Tac Nukes are some of the simplest and most common nuclear weapons in the arsenals of mankind today. Simpler, cheaper and more powerful than other types, the ability to produce them was never lost and was retained, often at great expense right through all four succession wars, as the combatant powers sought to maintain their nuclear arsenales as insurance against the day that total warfare rules the Inner Sphere once more.
Simpler version of the Tac Nuke are even easier to produce (7 Bomb Slots, 400,000, DDD), but don't keep as well after centuries of storage.
Tactical Nuclear weapons remain more useful, in theory than lighter, artillery-delivered weapons because of their greater yield. Whereas a smaller nuke; like a Davy Crockett might horrify and stagger any enemy, a Tac Nuke, will shatter a large force if they are concentrated sufficiently.
Strategic Nuclear Bomb
Damage Effects: See Nuke Spreadsheet (1.2mt)
Bomb Slots: 15
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 1,000,000
Availability: EEE
Notes: Canon Nuke Rules Apply
More difficult to maintain, keep and deploy than Tac Nukes; Strategic Nuclear bombs were too unweildly logistically and operationally to be deployed often against even the most tempting front-line targets. They would slow even a very large Aerospace Fighter, almost fatally, heavy atmospheric bombers like the Torrent were historically usually few and far between and other platforms, such as a small craft or dropships were highly conspicuous.
Instead, such weapons have historically been reserved for use, as their name implies; against particular targets of strategic value, such as: manufacturing and R&D centres during the succession wars, major settlements during the age of war; logistics depots and starports during the Amaris Civil War and targets of cultural significance or morale impact during the more recent Jihad.
Stocks of such weapons have been historically low through most of history, although they were expended by the hundred during the succession wars and by the dozen during the age of war. it is suspected that most major powers possess less than 30-80 devices of this yield and type today (if they have any at all) and most are in a dilapidated condition as efficient platforms for their use are fewer and farther between than targets today`s rulers are willing to absorb the fallout from attacking with such a weapon.
City-Killer
Damage Effects: See Nuke Spreadsheet (10mt)
Bomb Slots: 20
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 30,000,000
Availability: EEF
Notes: Canon Nuke Rules Apply
A nightmare leftover from the Age of War; a few dozen City Killer-scale nukes were rolled out for the biggest blow-outs of the Succession Wars.
WOB used three during the Jihad; all deployed from modified small craft, custom-fitted for the purpose. Two of these were used against the Davion capital on New Avalon and another against Allied Forces on Terra.
According to the recent Republic-Sponsored talks on Weapons of Mass Destruction, House Davion had two such weapons, which they have since dismantled, along with the majority of their nuclear arsenale, House Kurita possessed five, on paper, of which one could not be reliably accounted for, two were assessed as non-functional and of the remaining two, it is suspected the same bomb was being reported in two different secured magazines. The Andurian Pact had one functional device at an undisclosed location in the Oriente Prefecture and the Regulan delegation claimed to be able to build more at will and refused to surrender the capability to do so. The Taurian Concordant claimed to have none and House Stiener had four City-Killers of less than a century in age, in excellent condition and another three more venerable examples in less reliable condition. Clan Wolf-in-Exile delegates offered reliable evidence that the Clans had almost certainly scavenged any remaining weapons of this scale for their raw materials over a century ago.
The Capellan Confederation and the SLDFiE---both known atomic powers---each abstained from the conference.
The 10 Megaton example depicted here is a typical City-Killer and all known examples are of a similar configuration, if not exact make. Larger devices, of 25 and even 50 or more Megatons are not only possible, but no more difficult to manufacture and not much larger or heavier in the bargain. There are simply very few platforms short of dropships which can effectively deliver such ordnance and none are known to be extant today.
Special Note: During the Jihad, Word of Blake made extensive use of special high-radiation bombs. These modifications are "Double-Bad, No-Good-Banned" under various obscure, but still technically binding treaties, however the modifications are technically trivial and possible as refits to existing ordnance at a cost of +1 bomb slot. Built-in, these modifications have no further penalties compared to a normal bomb, but it is impossible to remove the special casings without basically destroying the bomb and then re-building it. This last requires a sophistication, level of skill and raw expenditure which most parties would find prohibitive (Cost x5) and is in fact much more difficult than sourcing or building another, different bomb.
Chemical Weapon System
Effects: AOF R1
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: Class x 5,000
Availability: As Per Agent
Notes: Canon Rules Apply. May be any available Agent.
Chemical Weapons, due to their greater tactical capability (they work fast enough to be useful) have a much greater military application than biologicals, which are only useful at the strategic level and then mainly as a way to attack an enemy's population and infrastructure.
There are many different types of Chemical Weapons and most are theoretically available to any world, never mind nation with a modest chemical industry.
The agents themselves break down into two broad categories and several sub-types within those categories. For the most part, Chemical Agents are either persistent or non-persistent. Non-Persistent Agents dissipate and become harmless is a short period of time; minutes, hours or at most; days. Persistent Agents may linger and retain their full effects in the environment for many days, weeks, months, years and even decades. Today there remain worlds cleansed of life by chemical agents during the Age of War, which remain effectively uninhabitable.
In general; if you want to take a position, you might attack it with a Non-Persistent Agent. If you wanted to deny that position, or particular materials therein to the enemy, then you might utilize a Persistent Agent.
Within these broad categories are the various types of offensive agents, these are;
-So-called "Nuisance Agents" (including agents such as tear gars, retch gas, agents designed to induce irrational or even violent behaviour, agents intended to cause incontinence and even agents supposedly able to induce a rampant sexual response in their victims)
-Anti-Material Agents (which attack NBC protective gear and even vehicles NBC protective systems)
-And Offensive Agents (which include blister, blood and nerve agents; the "Stars" of chemical warfare).
As well, there are some non-offensive Chemical Agents deployed similarly which are not considered weapons; such as fire ****** bombs and ironically industrial accident cleansing agents (useful for cleaning up spills and mitigating radiation leaks).
Chemical agents may be dispersed as a spray, dust or gas and the method will dictate the form of the weapon used, with some bombs sporting simple vent grilles and some deploying masses of cluster-like bomblets of agent to disperse on impact; some bursting like Inferno tanks and others still taking the form of a spraying apparatus, not unlike a crop-sprayer. The Humble, yet un-common Water-Bomb (CCC, 1000CB, 1 bomb slot) is, in fact a chemical weapon deployment vector in-waiting.
Legally and Politically, Chemical weapons enjoy slightly greater tolerance than Chemical Weapons. However; the Republic is totally against them and both the Capellan Confederation and House Kurita employ an "Equivalency Doctrine" which holds Chemical *and* Biological weapons as officially equivalent to nuclear weapons; opponents using such weapons against either party can expect possible nuclear retaliation or even orbital bombardment.
Today. the Federated Suns retains a Chemical Weapons program officially, only for the purposes of developing counter-measures and decontamination procedures. The RAF has a small Chemical arsenal under lock and key and all other powers, down to some pirate bands have at least a limited access to chemical agents with at least some military application.
Almost all state actors today recognize a limited and vague exception for some nuisance agents, in practice, but the Taurian Condordant and Magistracy of Canopus react violently to their use in war and sees any such employment as an escalation to be met with overwhelming force.
Biological Weapon System
Effects: AOF R1
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, In C-Bills Equivalent: Class x12,000
Availability: As per Agent
Notes: Canon Rules Apply. May be any available Agent.
Biological weapons are slower and harder to predict and control than other weapons systems, so while often lumped in with a given Nation's Chemical Warfare capability, the different applications and limitations of Biological weapons makes them quite different in practice.
There are different classes, forms and vectors of biological weapons, but all have in common that they take time for their effects to be felt on the individual and longer for those effects to affect a tactical, let alone strategic target.
Biological weapons do however share many methods in common with Chemical Weapons in how they deploy; using an aerosol or "gas", spray methods, bomblets, mass agent or vector drops and other, similar methods to deploy their deadly payloads.
More lives have been lost to biological warfare in the last 600 years than to all other forms of WMD, combined. Even today, there are hundreds upon hundreds of once teeming globes which remain forever dark under skies still tainted by bio-weapons run amok.
Thus it is for good reason, Biological Weapons are widely condemned across human space, but each great house retains a bio-weapons program, as do the Magistracy and the Concordant. House Davion and the Republic have what are publicly described as strictly defensive programs aimed at combating natural and human-causes contagion events. It is even likely this is true. The remaining Great Houses all possess both offensive and defensive bio-warfare programs and the Andurian Pact has no less than a dozen separate programs run by various constituent powers.
The Bio-Warfare Capability of the SLDFiE is unknown, but expected to be formidable in whatever form it takes as the expansion of the Canton Worlds has entailed the taming of several planets once thought forever lost to virii and bacterium inimical to human life.
Technically, any research aimed at weaponizing life forms is bio-weapons research. While there has been little hard evidence of true success in this area of study, there has been limited progress in domesticating certain local fauna for use supplanting dogs, horses and mules in military service, as well as other, more exotic creatures. Rumour persist of true "Weaponized Lifeforms" spawned in the depths of old Star League R&D labs, way out in the Niops Association, deep in the Confederation's Dark Cities or even in the Sci-Communes of the Magistracy of Canopus. Those rumours of Centaurs and Mer-Folk haad to come from somewhere, right?
One could even argue for the Clan's eugenics program as a form of bio-warfare and this would, if there were any truth to it, certainly fit the description of the beings of the mythical Genecaste.
Smoke Bomb
Effects: Smoke R1, 3 levels high, 2d6 turns
Bomb Slots: 1
Cost, in C-Bills Equivalent: 2,000
Availability: CCC
Notes: Canon Rules Apply
The humble Smoke Bomb is a weapon popular and widespread in it's use for training and war.
Coloured smoke bombs or bombs filled with dust or biodegradable dye are often used for bombing practice.