M Shard Battery Mk2 (Weapon)

The Shard Battery is essentially a spaceborne shotgun, that makes up for its low effective range and accuracy by inflicting devastating trauma against shields and hull alike. At its core, it is functionally similar to the Bolt Repeater that it was originally developed from. However, the ejection of multiple projectiles at once requires a wider barrel aperture, a larger spacing between shots, and generates a higher energy drain. When it comes to its damage output, the Shard Battery has been compared to the Plasma Cannon, but it offers a slightly different range of applications. Skilled military pilots may occasionally make use of this weapon against small targets in an attempt to end the fight quickly, but it is generally agreed upon that one should try to avoid these situations. The Shard Battery reaches its fullest potential against larger and slower targets such as M-sized ships, which cannot as easily evade its projectiles. It is also especially effective against capital ship surface elements, provided that the pilot can find an opportunity to target them from the blind spots of nearby turrets.

The Mk2 variant fires fewer shards at a higher speed but with a shorter interval. This raises the overall damage output and improves the weapon's accuracy, especially against more nimble targets, but in turn incurs a quicker heat build-up.