Ion Disruptor
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Contents
Overview[edit]
A Boron beam weapon compatible with most craft in the Argon and Boron fleets. It deals minimal hull damage, and is designed to destroy a ship's equipment.
Encyclopedia Entry[edit]
This weapon is unlike any weapon encountered, developed by Boron Scientists, this weapon fires a steady stream of ion particles in the direction of a ship. Then the stream is ignited. The result is a lightning effect that affects ship systems and shields, while leaving the hull relatively untouched. Although this weapon is new, it has undergone extensive testing to make sure it keeps up to Boron standards.
Commentary[edit]
Another curious weapon from the Boron, the Ion Disruptor is the starting point of ion weaponry in X. It is essentially a short range lightning gun, with good shield damage but near-zero hull damage, making it effective for stripping equipment from boarding targets or irritating pursuers you don't want to kill. Its energy drain is high for the M3s and M4s it was designed for, but is comfortable for corvettes to maintain. This makes the Boron Heavy Hydra and Argon Heavy Centaur effective platforms for it. Another special feature of this weapon is that it arcs from object to object, considerably increasing its range and allowing it to affect entire fighter wings. An advanced trick used by some battleships is to combine certain flak weapons with the Ion Disruptor, considerably increasing its effective range and validating its use onboard battleships. When mounted on fighters, it can be effective when used in alternation or tandem with more conventional weapons, as it quickly neutralizes shields and the slowing effect makes it easy to finish off enemy hulls with another weapon. When used in group situations it can be very useful for support, sapping the speed and shields of faster-moving medium and heavy ships in time for your own medium/heavy ships to get close and finish them. The weapon is also quite effective in deterring enemy missiles that come straight at you, making it an alternative to the rather commonly used but woefully impotent Mosquito Missile.
The downside to using the Ion Disruptor is that it has the potential for friendly fire incidents, since the arc can also strike any nearby friendly or neutral craft that might get caught in the crossfire. Therefore, the weapon should not be used when traveling in groups.
