69. Erosion Gun

An erosion gun, also called an ablation gun and a duster, is halfway between a sandblaster and a shaped charge. Based on the use of abrasive blasting and cutting in industry, the gun uses a powerful electromagnetic field to accelerate a fine dust (usually of copper) to speeds of several kilometers per second. The particles, at this speed, move through their targets as if they were fluids, doing damage through deformation.

Some barsoomians use the iron-oxides of Martian soil as feedstock for erosion guns, finding a neat symbolism in the use of Mars' traditional red soil as a weapon against terraformers. Use or ownership of erosion guns is restricted on most habitats, due to the ability of the gun to degrade and destroy walls and equipment.

Mechanics

An erosion gun is wielded with the spray weapons skill.

Erosion Gun [Moderate] DV: 1d10 DV Average: 5 AP: Special* Ranges: An erosion gun uses sprayer ranges.

*As with disassembler swarms, both energy and kinetic protect against erosion gun damage, but armor is eaten away, reducing Armor Value by soaked DV.