AlHazred Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 This is a question that has as many answers as there are sci-fi fans, but nevertheless I feel compelled to ask: what is your favorite sci-fi weapon? There have been many weapons in science fiction (especially in the military fiction subgenre of sci-fi) and some are truly innovative. For instance, the Luxan qualta blade (from Farscape) is a sword that can also be used as a blaster rifle. It's an artistic weapon for a warrior race. I'm curious to find out what people consider the "ultimate" sci-fi weapon. Some guidelines: I'm thinking man-portable weapons - no black-hole weapons or particle-beam spine-mounts, if you please. (Well, unless there's an author who makes them man-portable. I'd want to hear about that, anyway.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starwolf Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon I liked the original Type II hand phaser from Star Trek TOS.... No bloody movies, TNG, DS9, Voyager, or Enterprise. It had several settings including stun, heavy stun, kill, and disrupt. It could be fired on wide beam or narrow beam. It could be used to heat things, or as a cutting torch, and finally it could be set to overload and used as a very powerful explosive device. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Publius Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon I cannot say it is my singlemost "favorite" or anything, but I have always liked the disc from Tron. I don't know why, but that just struck me as a kid as so cool. It sure as heck isn't the fastest, most practical or whatever, but that always struck me as just being sharp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon I liked the original Type II hand phaser from Star Trek TOS.... No bloody movies, TNG, DS9, Voyager, or Enterprise. It had several settings including stun, heavy stun, kill, and disrupt. It could be fired on wide beam or narrow beam. It could be used to heat things, or as a cutting torch, and finally it could be set to overload and used as a very powerful explosive device. Yep, Phaser Type II. Can't argue with the classics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baphomet Jones Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon My favorite has to be the Skrill from Earth:Final Conflict. It's an Energy blasting symbiote that grows into the users arm, and is controlled by a viral brain implant. It was alluded to that they were sentient, but too alien to really understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraven Kor Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon Nerve Disruptor from the Miles books. It is like a (slightly unpredictable) remote control for people -- and it only has an off button. For those who haven't read the books (or haven't heard me blabbering about it on here already), the Nerve Disruptor is some sort of electrical weapon which fires a bolt described in the book as "crackling purple lightning." It has no affect on most materials, however, if it strikes a person... Those struck by this weapon are in trouble. The bolt completely fries the nervous system of its victims. Near misses cause numbness or "pins and needles" like the area had "fallen asleep." Glancing blows can cause permanent nerve damage in the location struck, repairable only by artificially replacing the nerves. A solid shot... you are dead. Or, if not dead, a paraplegic or total vegetable. Head shots are the worst -- as with most weapons -- since if you live you'll have permanent and severe brain damage. They are very popular for fighting on ships and space stations as they cause no structural damage. They are also a far more effective deterrent or "threat" than stunners or conventional firearms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proditor Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon I'm a fan of the classics, so I'll pitch out Harry Harrison's Pyran Hand Gun with articulated power holster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon Wow. This is actually pretty tough for me. I most certainly have to give a nod (and my first thought) to the Phaser Type II. It looked cool, and it was very representative of the race that designed it. Here's the swiss army knife of energy weapons. Hard to argue with that. Their rifle design was horrid, but that's another story. Whenever I think Sci-Fi, I often think Space Opera, and as both a die-chucker and a thumb-flying button presser, nothing says "sci-fi" to me like the Star Wars Lightsaber. A more elegant weapon from a more civilized aged. Only usable by those who freely let the force guide their actions, it's a cutting tool, a killing attack, a deflector vs. energy weapons, and the only thing that isn't cut it in half by a Lightsaber is another Lightsaber. While later iterations of the series would make Jedi look like bumbling fools, you can't say much bad about the duels in Episodes V, VI & I (Obi-Wen & Qui-Gon vs. Darth Maul is still one of my favorite fight scenes). Man portable multi-power energy disperser? Phase II. Man portable multi-power melee weapon? Lightsaber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon Double post. Don't mine me, just smacking my mouse button too hard again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgrandjean Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon I've got to go with Reason. It kind of stretches the term man-portable, but hey.... Reason (weapon system) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Reason is a fictional weapon system from the novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. It is a multibarrel needlegun, similar to a Gatling gun, that fires small heavy fragments at super high speeds that will penetrate nearly anything. Name Plate The name plate reads: REASON Version 1.0B7 Gatling type 3mm hypervelocity railgun system Ng Security Industries, Inc. PRERELEASE VERSION-NOT FOR FIELD USE DO NOT TEST IN A POPULATED AREA -ULTIMA RATIO REGUM- Ultima Ratio Regum Latin for "The Last Argument (literally "reason") of Kings", the phrase Ultima Ratio Regum was engraved on all of Louis XIV's cannon (referred to in Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle). This simple declaratory statement reflects the sentiment that ultimately, in the anarchical world of society between sovereigns, force is the final arbiter when parties cannot agree to adjudicate conflicts or contracts. Composition It shoots 3 mm depleted uranium fragments at very high velocities and a very high rate of fire. It is composed of several different pieces: A large, black, wheeled suitcase weighing somewhere over 300 pounds (140 kg). This contains the ammo for the weapon and becomes considerably lighter as it is used. It also has a control panel inside containing important information such as ammo left and the subsystem statuses. A set of around two dozen 3 mm barrels around three feet (1 m) in length, attached together in a Gatling gun configuration. This is connected to the suitcase via a wrist-thick set of flexible cables and ammo feeds. These barrels spin so quickly when fired that they become a blur. The barrel system can be mounted to the firer's body to absorb the recoil. A nuclear isotope power system that is cooled via a large chunk of heatsinks that glow white hot when in the open air. However, when submerged into a large body of water, it cools the system quite well. It is connected to the suitcase via a 3 in (75 mm) flexible cable. The initial operating system needed a hotpatch, as it crashed in the field at a very critical time. The weapon was new and had not yet been rigorously tested in the field. Menu System HELP Getting ready Firing Reason Tactical tips Maintenance Resupply Troubleshooting Miscellaneous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Publius Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon Niven's Tasp. Hit somebody with it and their brain overloads on instant ecstacy. Hit them with it often enough and they become an addict. The very threat of one can bring down a Kzin... The puppeteer addressed himself to Speaker-to-Animals. "You understand that I will use the tasp every time you force me to. I will use it if attempt to use violence too often, or if you startle me too much; you will soon become dependent upon the tasp; if you kill me, you will still be ignobly bound by the tasp itself." "Very astute," said Speaker. "Brilliantly unorthodox tactics. I will trouble you no more." "The puppeteer is right," said Speaker. "I would not risk the tasp again. Too many jolts of pleasure would leave me his willing slave. I, a kzin, enslaved to a herbivore I also liked the flashlight laser, also from his Known Space stuff. very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon To throw out a couple of personal favorites... First, the pistols carried by the Sandmen in the book version of Logans Run. Dial up your choice from a variety of rocket propelled munitions carried in the gun and have at. The direct ancestor of the Lawgiver from Judge Dredd. An idea that I used (with variations) repeatedly in my first Star Hero Game, back before Star Hero came out. Second.... The Spetsdod, from Steve Perry's "Matador" series. A small gas powered dart gun worn on the back of the hand, with the barrel extending down over the index finger. Fired by a contact patchon the underside of the barrel, it's just what the name says... the ultimate point & shoot weapon. When combined with the ammo seen most often in the books, it's always struck me as a brilliant non lethal weapon... Spasm is a bioengineered self replicating viral toxin that locks all voluntary muscles into painful contractions for 6 months. With proper treatment, completely non lethal, but EXPENSIVE to tend to spasm locked victims, and it certainly gives someone a lot of time to consider if violence is REALLY the best course of action for their life. The perfect non lethal revolutionaries weapon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kraven Kor Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon I'll throw in a mention to the "Blazer" of Armor This is a rather impractical weapon if thought of realistically, but in the context of the book it made perfect sense. The Blazer is a continuous beam weapon that cuts/burns through nearly anything the beam comes in contact with. Like a lightsabre, only... with a blade up to a kilometer long (I forget the range but it was disgusting.) The weapon was used to fight the "Ants" of some weird planet. Like the arachnids of Starship Troopers, these creatures attacked in massive hoards. They did have some simple technology ("heat guns") but mostly would just try and overwhelm their foes and rip them limb from limb. The "Blazer" was used to cut them down by the thousands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThothAmon Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon I've always had a fondness for the monofilament wire weapon described in the ubiquitous short story in William Gibsons 'Burning Chrome' - garotte, whip, nunchuk, urumi - just don't mess up your timing when using it I'd also have to put in a vote for the BFG-9000 for when you just have to kill everyone in the room... Lastly, the knife missile from Ian Banks' 'Culture' novels. Small, incredibly fast, good for single targets or annihilating entire armies. no black-hole weapons or particle-beam spine-mounts, if you please. (Well, unless there's an author who makes them man-portable. I'd want to hear about that, anyway. Ah well you should read Banks novel 'Look To Windward'. Therein is a very intriguing use of a man-portable wormhole weapon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egyptoid Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon the ZF-1 that's the multi-function BF gun from FIFTH ELEMENT # It's light; handle's adjustable for easy carrying; good for righties and lefties; breaks down into four parts; undectable by X-ray; ideal for quick discreet interventions. A word on firepower. Titanium recharger; 3000-round clip with bursts of 3 to 300. With the replay button, another Zorg invention, it's even easier. One shot... ..and replay send every following shot to the same location. And to finish the job, all the Zorg oldies but goldies. Rocket laucher...arrow launcher with exploding or poisonous gas heads, very practical...our famous net launcher...the always-efficent flamethrower, my favorite...and for the grand finale, the all-new 'Ice-cube System'." # "Tell you what I do like though: A killer. A dyed-in-the-wool killer. Cold-blooded, clean, methodical and thorough. Now a real killer, when he picked up the ZF1, would have immediately asked about the little red button on the bottom of the gun." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egyptoid Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon I've always had a fondness for the monofilament wire weapon Niven had the similar monofilament sword in the Known Space Universe (includes Ringworld) Monofilament swords do have a weakness that lightsabers don't: - - - - Lightsabers EASILY cut your way out of a sealed room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starwolf Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon Another cool weapon that just came to mind is the Laser Bolos used by the Gnome-men in Battle Star Galactica TOS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinanju Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon The Secret Disintegrator Button from the "Mirror, Mirror" universe in Star Trek. That's the one where Kirk can open a panel in his quarters, spy on anyone undetectably--and wipe them out of existence with the touch of a button. My favorite NON-man-portable sci fi weapon will always be the Ringworld meteor defense. First you use magnetic fields to cause a solar flare--then you use the solar flare to generate an ultraviolet laser beam a mile wide that will vaporize mountains.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egyptoid Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon the spy cockroach from 5th Element is in the top 100. and here's progress: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megaplayboy Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon I dunno, for me it's a tie between Eve from Eve of Destruction, the T-X from Terminator 3, and Number 18 from DBZ. What? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowcat1313 Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon from the old space opera RPG, the infamous 3 meter flechette pistol, that was supposed to be a holdout weapon, this was a definite typo, but still fun to consider theres a one shot holdout weapon from the March Up Country/To The Sea/To the Stars series thats design to make soup out of the insides of a set of power armor, I cant think of the name of it, it operates on the spalling principle from Warhammer 40K, the Harlequin Kiss, another really messy weapon to turn the insides of armor into canned human soup for starship combat a couple come to mind Detonation Laser nuclear missiles, David Weber, Larry Niven, and modern scientific theory Minbari Neutron Lasers and the Shadow Planet Killing Cloud from Babylon 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon For me, it's a toss-up between the Goa'uld palm-worn device from Stargate SG-1, and the force-lances on Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Omega Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon Have to go with lightsaber. Though if we start counting self aware machines, I agree on the coolness of Android No. 18. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaeto Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon I'll give another vote for the Pyrran Auto-Pistol and Power Holster from Harry Harrison's Death World Trilogy. For non man portable : The Bolo mounted Hellbore from Keith Laumer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Weapon I'm definitely a fan of Niven's Variable Sword (or monofilament sword). The removal of the red pingpong at the end collapsing the stasis field, and it being a bright visible marker for where your sword reaches to, being quite cute ideas. But - you can't beat the Federation Blaster from Blake's 7. It opens doors, it closes doors, it locks doors, it wounds characters you want to talk with, but kills flunkies. It's a swiss-army-blaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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