Metal Slugopedia

by Soldier of the Future

Seven wars have passed and throughout the years, classified intelligence collected over the battles have finally been published in an in-depth encyclopedia format for those who are interested in learning more. From the very First Rebellion War all the way to the future battles fought by Marco Rossi's descendants, they're all here.

21. Classified Weapons and Equipment (1)

Classified Weapons and Equipment Part 1 (Misc. Hardware, Handguns, Assault Rifles, Shotguns)

The following sections contain highly detailed information regarding some of the most advanced - and clandestine - types of hardware utilized by both allies and enemies alike. Given the controversy, sensitivity, expenses, and the high technology behind these products and the required parameters to field the weapons mentioned below, their existence was never made aware to the general public. Until now.

There are three sections: Experimental Hardware, Prototypical Firearms, and Cybernetic Combatant Exclusive Hardware. Refer to each of the headings and the accompanying description for more information. Should you ever receive the opportunity to see how game-changing these weapons and tools can be, remember to use responsibly as some of them still have major drawbacks for the reckless.

*Most of the gear featured here is only available after Metal Slug 7/XX. They also render most, if not all, of the older weapons and equipment obsolete due to their ineffectiveness against more advanced adversaries.

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As the battlefield continues to evolve to new levels with each passing year, so do the participants of the subsequent wars. Experience, wits, reflexes, and training alone are not enough in a world where the enemy is constantly adapting to neutralize the effectiveness of contemporary weapons employed against them. While the Regular Army's adversaries have proven themselves to be far superior in their skills to weaponize technology, they have reverse-engineered some of the captured hardware to employ for themselves. The following is a document that details all available knowledge on said confiscated equipment and weapons. Familiarize yourself with these toys before heading out!

Experimental Hardware: Though tried and tested, these units are seldom deployed as their full potential have not been harnessed yet. Under normal circumstances, most of the conventional branches under the command of the Regular Army do not have access to these types of technologies that can be argued as forbidden knowledge to humanity.

Stealth Generator: The concept of stealth technology has always been a prime topic of interest in the field of military science, but with the exception of radar-bending/confusing techniques, the true powers of rendering an object completely invisible to the naked eye have never been harnessed to the fullest - until the introduction of CABAL's dreaded Cyborg Assassins. This marvel of modern scientific applications is a device that can render the person wielding this to become literally invisible to radar systems and the unassisted human eye. By bending the light spectrum around the individual, it generates the illusion of them being entirely transparent. The tech behind this invention is not perfect, as certain methods of detection can still see through the illusive barrier, and the field can be disrupted by rapid movement, electromagnetic weaponry, and general damage. Cyborg Assassins, given the necessary degree of stealth that they require for their missions, are always issued one of these undoubtedly sinister devices.

Power Suit: The Future Rebellion Army's basic troops are all issued a specialized suit of energy-based armor manufactured with flexible materials by default. Providing them with a degree of protection that slightly surpasses the durability of a conventional Kevlar vest, this allows them to take more damage before they succumb to their injuries. Don't let this intimidate your soldiers, as they will still be slaughtered by mass automatic fire or a point-blank shotgun blast. FRA Commandos and Elite Cadres are issued armor that are much more resistant to damage, though. Keep in mind that upon defeat, the energy cores installed in their armor can be retrieved by L-X8 or the MEC Cyborg Commandos for health and/or armor replenishment. Several versions also exist for Regular Army-affiliated infantry, but the SV-001 Commando Unit often disregard them in favor of tried-and-tested Psionic and Titan Armor while supplementing them with assistance gear, such as muscle-enhancing genetic modifications.

EMP Grenade: Recently developed and introduced to the Regular Army ever since the emergence of the Amadeus Syndicate's Proto-Soldiers, this unique explosive replaces the warhead of a grenade with a powerful electromagnetic generator. Once thrown, it will detonate and disable any electronics within its blast radius. The shock can also incapacitate human targets (especially against those that are armed with Power Suits) but it cannot deal lethal damage to them, thus rendering this weapon primarily as an anti-armor and anti-cyborg tool. Most special operations soldiers that are trained to deal with cybernetic opposition are equipped with them by default.

Berserk Pack: Though the existence of this product dates as far back as the First Rebellion War, it was not widely deployed given the inherent risks that came with the controversial nature of this experimental healing medicine. However, once the Future Rebellion Army came to full power, everything on hand had to be used to bring them down in any manner possible. Appearing as a coal black-colored Medical Kit, it is not stocked with any conventional medical supplies and comes equipped with two syringes instead; one is filled with a vial of red-colored liquid and said substance possesses an immense healing effect, allowing the user to heal themselves from life-threatening injuries with a single injection. The other contains an experimental serum that consists of a mixture of artificial adrenaline, reflex-enhancing chemicals, and steroids, which allows those who are daring enough to inject themselves to attain enough muscle power to scrap a car with ease. Berserk Packs should be used responsibly, as they come in short supply and can cause irreversible health problems (such as the side effects from steroids, even though the ones used in the medicine is a more stable format) if used repeatedly.

Psionic Armor: The successful neutralization and capture of a CABAL Cyborg Commando gave the Regular Army's researchers a chance to gain a deeper insight on its modus operandi. Although most of its equipment were altered and used as a testbed for newer heavy weaponry that would eventually be used as a suitable counter, it was the mind control device that they were not able to unlock the secrets for. Instead a rather unconventional alternative was developed: the brightest minds of the Corps of Engineers derived a means of defense against these mental attacks via a specialized type of combat armor, the first of its kind. Called the Psionic Armor, the suit is built to connect directly with the user's nervous system and brain, thus enhancing the wearer's reflexes and granting them a higher degree of discipline. Its level of protection easily surpasses the Kevlar Armor and is about on par with the Titanium Combat Armor. Its appearance is a flexible suit that encases the user's entire body, and an external attachment that resembles an artificial spinal cord is bolted at the back to act as a neural connection with the user's mind, body, and suit. Though it may look cumbersome to wear, it can be engaged and disengaged at will; how this is done is classified. It is only available to Noriko Kasamoto given her status as a Psionic Commando, and she has the added bonus of enhancing her psionic traits with this next-generation form of body armor.
Note: This item is unavailable after Demon Eclipse as the Regular Army was never able to make progresses into psionic research in the alternate timeline.

Titan Armor: As the cybernetic monstrosities CABAL and the FRA began to take its toll on the brave men and women of the remnants of the Regular Army, military engineers sought for a solution to reduce the casualty rates in any means possible. Kevlar and Titanium Armor could only protect its wearer when pitted against ordnance on a conventional level; against blasts of explosive plasma and supercharged lasers, the former means of protection were all but a worthless gesture as proven many times during the FRA's invasion against the world in the seventh conflict. As the Hoplite Armor was far too costly to mass produce (and was only available to members of the SV-001 Commando Unit and KMI's Mechanized Division) and the Psionic Armor is only compatible with psionically-gifted individuals, an alternative was developed from the cheaply produced Power Suit (which was only about as useful as Kevlar Armor once it lost power). Building on the foundations of the cancelled Future Force Warrior program by the United States Military, the Titan Armor is an insulated power suit that grants the wearer enough defenses to weather an onslaught from a horde of FRA infantry or a squad of Cyborg Prototypes. Additional bonuses include an air filtration system that basically supplies the interior of the suit with clean oxygen from the environment, and integration of the same materials that makes up L-X8's body grants immunity from fire and toxins. For convenience's sake, the user can suit up and disengage the armor in a matter of a minute, as the CHUN AI built into the suit can 'fold' the armor around the wearer's body without any difficulty. The Titan Armor is rather cheap to produce despite the quality it brings, making it a superior alternative to the rather astronomically expensive Hoplite Armor.

Each major country involved in the development of this futuristic combat armor has a different version in order to reflect their combat doctrine. For example, the Americans designed them after a famous comic book character named War Machine, while the Russians use them as the successor to their Tesla Troopers - complete with an Advanced Portable Tesla Coil as their primary weapon. Sadly, this suit is rendered obsolete in the new timeline given the lack of protection it grants against contemporary firepower.

Huntress Nanosuit: The European Continental Alliance finally found the means to negate the insurmountable casualties it was suffering after it was able to deploy the Knightframe Armored Combat Mech for its infantry forces. The walker unit that stood at around ten feet tall provided an exceptional method of protecting the users with a combination of heavy infantry armor and nanotechnology, saving the lives of many brave men that fought valiantly against the vicious Paranormal Division forces. Unfortunately, the minds behind the suit at SteinsTech did not anticipate on a rather problematic dilemma when the first female trooper tried to utilize the armor: the nanomachines that empowered the Knightframe ACM was not compatible with the anatomy of a female human and while women could still use it, they would not benefit from the bonus enhancements provided by the nanites. While there were definitely more male combatants within the ECA, JSDF, and the Regular Army Future Forces, there were still a significant amount of females that wished to risk their lives to accompany their male companions into the heat of combat. With the Titan Armor being somewhat outdated and the Psionic Armor rendered nonexistent in the new timeline, both SteinsTech and Kanegawa Military Industries came up with another new invention to provide for female troops: the Huntress Nanosuit. This battle armor empowered by nanites is rather slim to accommodate its female wearer, as most troops of that particular gender were often delegated to support roles, such as reconnaissance, snipers, and medics. The suit itself is adaptable with the addition of an AI system installed within the armor - at the command of the wearer, the nanomachines within the suit can either increase the dexterity of the user (allowing her to run faster and jump higher), augment the soldier's physical strength (for melee combat purposes), reinforce the nanosuit's armor density (to endure more damage), and finally, to cloak the user from the naked eye entirely. Under normal circumstances, the nanobots will heal the wearer slowly should she suffer any kind of physical injuries.

In order to ensure the survival of the brave females that charge into battle with this armor, a holographic projection system was implemented into the suit. Because the Huntress Nanosuit has nowhere near the durability of a Knightframe ACM despite enhancing the wearer's survivability at a rate of five times compared to the Blue Titanium Armor, the manufacturers went for a new alternative - the art of distraction. At the wearer's command, the suit can generate a 'spectre clone' which can mimic its original progenitor in every shape and format. Even though it appears to be physical, it isn't - they are only a projection that serves to distract enemies from firing at the original Huntress. They have about half the durability of their original counterparts and while they cannot actually inflict any damage, they are a valuable distraction to draw fire away from vital targets - such as an advancing unit of Knightframes, an Adept charging in to claim a vital objective, or the Huntresses themselves. These suits are also equipped with short-range jump jet systems, allowing the female troopers to quickly scale over obstacles they can't overcome with the dexterity enhancement. The nanites themselves are produced and stored in two protruding deltoid pads on the suit's shoulders - these are responsible for regulating the nanosuit's operations while active.

After this suit entered service with the Regular Army Future Forces, many female commandos and troopers alike have appreciated its value of protection and options available to them - it effectively allows them to execute rather unconventional tactics ranging from smashing Paranormal Division troops at melee range to sneaking by enemy patrols undetected. However, there have been criticisms directed towards the suit for its sexualization of the human female body (considering it shows off the curves of the wearer and is designed in a slim format) in contrast to the Knightframe's bulky nature - both SteinsTech and KMI have responded that it is to fit the general combat roles of women as quick-footed assassin and support troops in the Future Forces. Those who fielded this suit were soon dubbed Huntresses by their friends and foes alike given their general nature of hunting down enemy infantry while harassing unsuspecting vehicles. Wearing the Huntress Nanosuit allows the trooper in question to carry a specific weapon that was exclusively designed for this class: the Nanoswarm Grenade Launcher.

For obvious reasons, the Huntress Nanosuit cannot be worn by a male operative.

Energy Sword Generator: Developed by the Amadeus Syndicate's successor, this futuristic melee weapon is the standard weapon provided to the Cyborg Assassins and Cyborg Commandos that serve the supreme artificial intelligence program known as CABAL. Appearing as a wrist-mounted device, it can be set to summon a blade of pure plasma and neutron-based energy. The end result is a deadly blade that easily trumps the Zangestu Sword in every aspect, as it does not require ammunition to run; as long as the Cyborg wielding it remains active, the sword will never dissipate. It possesses superior attack and defense abilities, as it can also hurl shockwaves that can dissipate projectiles and cleanly bisect through concrete without too much difficulties. This technologically advanced weapon of assassination is L-X8's primary close-quarters combat armament, and Cyborg Assassins are often seen wielding these for melee-based attacks. All Adepts are armed with one but a certain individual, Adept 02 Dean, has a variant that is detachable and can be utilized as a stylish ninjato.

Mental Wave Generator: One of the Amadeus Syndicate's, and later on CABAL's, primary tactics of battle was to spread fear and chaos amongst enemy forces with an exotic array of undoubtedly questionable weaponry. Aside from his overwhelmingly insane desire to field nuclear, biological, and chemical firepower as primary components in his arsenals, Amadeus was one of the first human minds to make astounding discoveries in the fields of mental and psionics. His findings inspired him to push this new type of science to its absolute limits, thus allowing him to manufacture a series of devices that could manipulate a target's will to the desire of the operator of said machine. However, the sinister creation never reached mass production due to the events of the fourth war. Though the hub of his operations was destroyed, the prototypes and researches concerning it were preserved and remained outside the eyes of Regular Army authority figures.

Many years later, CABAL would discover the research of his spiritual successor and creator and conclude what his father started; his goal was met through working out the flaws inherent in the prototypes and perfecting the the technology with every means possible. The diabolical AI assigned the finished devices to his greatest soldiers, the Cyborg Commandos. This device, acting as a small transmitter installed on the back of the cybernetic combatants' heads, generates waves of mental energy on an unstable frequency that allows the user to assert direct control over their victims. The technology is by far no means perfect, as certain soldiers and other cyborgs cannot be mind controlled. This is mainly due to the notion that the generators can only control organic-based targets that have a poor will level and mental resistance. Most of the FRA and CABAL's Cyborg Commandos are equipped with one of these; take great caution when battling them given their abilities to turn your fellow combatants against you in a flash. Signs of a mind-controlled ally include slurred speech, excessive sweating, extreme paranoia, blank eyes, and an unpredictable personality.

Dragon Fangs Chainsaw: It is an odd (and definitely an eye-raising) sight to see a chainsaw as a part of a military's arsenal but for the United States Marines, it just so happens that this industrial utility tool happened to find a place within the vast amount of weapons available to the first responders meant to deal with demonic incursions. As the USM only placed emphasis on raw blunt force when it came to melee combat training, this proved to be a disastrous mistake for soldiers that ran out of ammunition for their weapons and had to rely on their fists to beat demons down, which often ended badly for the brave and strong-willed men and women of the organization. It was only until an anonymous marine (somehow) got his hands around a Chainsaw and turned it into a deadly demon-mincing tool that it caught the immediate attention of the superior officers of the USM. Though the usage of an industrial (not to mention downright sadistic) tool as a real-time weapon led to a public relations nightmare for the organization for the sheer nature of the killing process alone, the commanders were impressed nevertheless - and ordered the creation of a Chainsaw specifically meant to cleave through demons like a sword through butter.

The Dragon Fangs Chainsaw is the end product of that development program and while it can be used as an industrial tool, it is not available to the civilian market because it is far too dangerous to do so (as the weapon itself can slice an SUV in half with a single run). It was designed for a single purpose and that one purpose only: to rip right through the minions of the Demonic Forces of Hell, regardless if they are a brainless Feral Zombie or the dreaded Barons of Hell. It comes powered with an industrial-class engine block that runs on a small nuclear-powered core - the core itself is sealed safely in a black box and thus is extremely durable, preventing any radiation emitted from harming the wielder. The blade itself is studded with rows of diamond teeth - once the weapon is revved up, the studded protrusions are heated to the point where not even the muscular structure and supernaturally strong skeleton of a Baron of Hell or the armored carapaces of an Arachnotron can resist its brutal onslaught. The chain itself is also made of reinforced composite metals to ensure it will not break as easily from wear-and-tear.

This gruesome killing machine also has an alternate method of attack and defense. If the blades are revved at the absolute max power, they can actually generate a continuous stream of short-ranged sonic waves akin to a Zantetsu Sword. These shockwaves are just as powerful as the chainsaw's physical blade, being able to cleave through steel and even dissipate conventional ammunition rounds, such as bullets and tank shells. However, they will not neutralize energy projectiles such as lasers and plasma rounds.

While an impressive weapon that is basically a sadist's dream manifested into reality, the weapon can only strike one target at a time - unless the user is charging through an army of zombies and swinging it like a madman, and then it just becomes a way to initiate an unforgettable bloodbath. Where exactly this chainsaw originated from is in question; it was not found anywhere on Mars, and the company that designed it has remained anonymous given its controversial nature. Rather, the first reports of the appearance of the Dragon Fangs Chainsaw was from Flynn 'Mack' Taggart, who had claimed he received it in exchange for his BFG9000. We are not sure if the Doomguy had gone nuts exchanging his beloved weapon of mass destruction to someone else, or the fact that he is now holding a weapon capable of turning Hell into a demon meat shop. Of course, angry ethicists demanded that this weapon be banned from warfare without any second thoughts after hearing it was introduced into service - which were promptly ignored, as there were no limits when it came to the skirmishes with the Inferno.

Dragonslayer Cannon: If there was one thing that propelled Kanegawa Military Industries into the news headlines on a daily basis, it was their 'unique' inventions that they provided for their customers and forces alike to do battle against the likes of the Rebellion Army and other antagonistic factions. Melee combat was never something that was heavily focused upon by military forces around the world outside of the old hand-to-hand combat doctrine - in a world where automatic weapons and high-explosive artillery reign supreme, traditional unarmed combat tactics only served as a last line of defense in close-quarters and a great way to execute a fighting scene in movies and television shows. It was the appearance of the Demonic Forces of Hell that made military tacticians think so otherwise - the formidable Hell Nobles, being capable of taking tremendous punishment before failing, were often able to soak up 12.7mm machine gun fire as they made their advances towards the enemy. Desperate soldiers would often improvise melee weapons to fight them when they got too close, ranging from medieval weapons stolen from museums to steel poles salvaged from construction sites.

Alyssa Melchiott was the first combatant to request for a stronger melee weapon to fight the demonic hordes - her Riot Nightstick, while good for smashing unruly civilians and hapless Imps alike, had little effect against monsters such as Armored Bull Demons and Hell Knights. What the Marine wished for was a high-powered weapon that had enough firepower to destroy stronger demons at range but could also be used lethally at close ranges. Such a request seemed impossible on paper - that was, until one of the scientists mentioned how Valkyrian Knights battled the demons in the past. In order to fit Alyssa's needs as a heavy weapons/defensive specialist, the designers drafted an idea to create a high-caliber explosive weapon that could also double as a lance - the Valkyrian Marine had pointed out that her M60 and Riot Nightstick could only do so much against stronger variants of demons. Many months passed when the first prototype was unveiled: a cannon/lance hybrid that measures eight feet in length that was given the designation 'Dragonslayer' by those who designed it.

The Dragonslayer Cannon combines the heavy firepower of a grenadier with the brute force of a medieval knight armed with a lance. This weapon easily towers over a human being to the point that only certain combatants are trained to use it - but the only model manufactured is wielded by Alyssa given its prototypical nature that prohibited mass production. Both ends of the titanic spear are armed with individual weapons - a multipurpose launcher and a sword-spear attachment, respectively. The launcher can be used as a human-portable artillery piece that can be used to bombard the enemy with ordnance such as multi-grenades, smokescreen rounds, signal flares, or the conventional anti-tank rocket. If the wielder decides to take the fight up close and personal, then the other end of the weapon is utilized - the blade-like spear can be fielded as a massive sword and/or a lance. Powered by the same energy source that fuels KMI's Future Tank X-0s, the bladed extension can be superheated to the point where it can drill and slice through all but the heaviest forms of armor. The sheer force of this weapon is exemplified once the launcher module is used in tandem with the spear; the launcher portion transforms into a miniature rocket engine that allows Alyssa to charge forward at highway speeds and impale anything foolish enough to remain in her path. When this attack maneuver is performed, the plasma-energized spear can cut through the turret of an M1 Abrams Tank in a single hit. When not in active use, the spear portion can be folded away safely.

Weighing at fifty pounds, the Dragonslayer Cannon is wielded exclusively by Alyssa Melchiott to replace her aging M60 Machine Gun shortly before the White Baby Crisis - and because she is the only one that has the sufficient skill and strength alike, she is the sole user of this highly unconventional weapon. The weapon is named so given its ability to slay demonic beasts of all kinds - including the dreaded Infernal Arch-Dragons.

Praetor Suit: This ancient and enigmatic power suit is considered to be superior over any models of powered armor in existence. This legendary armor is considered to be the unholy creation of the Demonic Forces of Hell and the Seraph, making its origins even more mystifying. Complete with a built-in hyper advanced computing processor codenamed VEGA, the Praetor is a marvel of extraterrestrial engineering, and may possibly be an omen to possible apocalyptic scenario.

First discovered underneath the red Martian sands on the Red Planet (Mars) and sealed with demonic runes within an ancient temple of demonic origins, the Praetor Suit was discovered by a Union Aerospace Corporation exploration team by complete accident. The suit was brought back to the nearest UAC facility - studies commenced to gain a deeper understanding of the relic. Researchers were curious as to how it was designed, built, and most importantly, the wearer that it was constructed for.

What many don't know is that the powered armor, exoskeleton suits, cybernetic modifications, and even artificial intelligence programs of the modern age owe their existence to this ancient relic. From what we know, the Praetor Suit is possibly the oldest known example of powered armor. It is capable of surviving in virtually any type of hostile environment (ranging from the frozen tundras of Antarctica to the fiery worlds of Hell), possesses supernatural resistance to modern day weaponry, and features such as a near-infinite oxygen tank, built-in self-governing AI system, environmental and hazard shielding, nano-fiber muscles, and various ports to accept new upgrades make this armor seem humanity's latest inventions, in an ironic twist, look downright ancient. Many scientists, researchers, engineers and tinkerers could only dream to create something from the process of reverse-engineering the Praetor Suit. Inventions such as the Titanium Combat Armor, MEC Powered Armor, and Titan Armor are derived from the research attained from this demonic invention. The suit itself has been deemed the holy grail of discovery by the world's scientific community, and it has been in the hands of the UAC for many years in a highly secure and undisclosed facility before it was made public - possibly due to the fact of keeping it out of the Rebellion Army's hands.

There is, however one major problem. No human being to date has been able to don it without adverse side effects. The poor souls that took the risk suffered a fate that was worse than demonic possession and conversion itself. While many 'volunteers' were lulled in by the UAC to test the combat armor, none of them lived to talk about it.

When the Praetor Suit was discovered, it was etched with demonic runes across the armor, giving off a radiant source of energy channeling from the world of Hell itself. Inside the suit, markings of Seraphic runes and symbols are visible to the eyes. These eerie decorations give off the signs that the Praetor is either holy or condemned. Test subjects who donned the suit found themselves hurrying to take it off, screaming at the top of their lungs before attempting to claw their eyes out. Video feedback shows nothing from the outside, but in the inside shows a horrific image that cannot be described by words alone. The artificial intelligence built into the suit will attempt to acknowledge the user first, welcoming in its calm voice. Then, when the AI notices that an 'incompatible gene-seed' has been detected, the AI urge the user to disengage the suit at once. Ignoring the warning causes the wearer to experience something that cannot be explained or deduced, only speculated. One thing is certain though; either permanent mental damage and death are the guaranteed fates.

One theory suggest that, the demonic runes gifts the user with unparalleled power beyond human understanding. But since power corrupts, it also initiates a rage-inducing wrath that can be quelled by ripping and tearing anything the wearer gets its hands on. The angelic Seraphic runes, however is suggested to calm the beast long enough to have it focus on the tasked at hand and also acts as a helping hand to guide the warrior to the road of victory, even if that goal is near impossible. The combined force of demonic and Seraphic runes is enough to drive an unskilled human into a state of permanent insanity, especially if they lack the mental will to resist the surges of energy.

Another theory suggests that the suit is seeking an owner with the right 'gene-seed' to be compatible. We can only assume that said gene-seed could be human DNA. We are not sure how to obtain such DNA however; the artificial intelligence VEGA has not been cooperating and has only remain silent on this issue - all attempts to do so, ranging from peaceful negotiations to hacking the AI, have failed. We can assume that the AI is willing to wait for its owner to claim it. On Mars. Where humans are scarce and limited in numbers, and the majority of them have died trying to claim the Praetor Suit.

The Praetor Suit is mostly dark green, silver, and brown in color, with the legs and helmet portions being lighter in color shading. It covers the user's whole body, including their arms. In addition, the Praetor Suit also appears to have some kind of connection to both the Demonic Forces of Hell and the seraphic Valkyrian, with a complex visor and internal system which allows the wearer to travel to the most hazardous regions of Hell and return from the treacherous journey unharmed. It is believed that the suit is created from materials not found on Earth, or anywhere else on the Solar System, as it is being described as being made from nearly impenetrable material (it can take a fully-charged MAG Cannon round to the chest and the suit will only be slightly dented), and may be responsible for its superhuman abilities.

As of now, the Praetor Suit still remains on Mars (or a highly secure facility somewhere on Earth), locked away and out of access from humans that wish to steal it from the UAC and awaiting the moment for its rightful owner to come and claim it for the next major war against the demons - and possibly the unseen threat mentioned by the Gatewatcher. Said suit was later stolen by the Paranormal Division through unknown means, but it was later reclaimed. Another variant with a black-color scheme was taken by the USEF in order to fight the Paranormal Division once the latter gained access to near-complete control of all demonic forces on Earth.

Only two human beings can utilize the Praetor Suit without dying or succumbing to infinite madness: Flynn 'Mack' Taggart of the United States Marines, and Robert 'Sledge' Cross of the United States Experimental Forces. Upon linking themselves with the armor, their personalities take a dramatic shift to near-muteness and a desire to inflict sadistic violence to anyone or anything that may have connections (direct or otherwise) to the Demonic Forces of Hell.

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Prototypical Firearms: Employed by both allies and adversaries alike, these cutting-edge weapons possess great power in contrast to the stock firearms that are currently in service with the Regular Army and its affiliates. Weapons of the same class that are designed by the enemy are also shown here. Do keep in mind that almost all of the firearms showcased in this category are generally unusable due to their scarcity and designs that makes it extremely difficult for a conventional human soldier to wield them properly.

Handguns

Packing enough punch to rival most modern assault rifles, these weapons should not be underestimated despite being sidearms - for they are known for their accuracy and ease of use.

Salamander Automatic .45 Handgun: Realizing that the Cyborg Assassins and Cyborg Commandos (especially the infiltrator series) would need a lightweight firearm to supplement their heavy weaponry, CABAL designed this advanced pistol after studying confiscated handguns from the Regular Army. To call this invention lightweight is an understatement, as the final product was a heavy pistol with an extended barrel that fired in three-round bursts with impeccable accuracy and could do so continuously without the risk of the barrel overheating. Though its conventional ammunition packs less stopping power in contrast to the Murder .50AE Handgun, this variant can use specialized pulse rounds to defeat all kinds of body armor. An optional integrated silencer is also available for covert purposes and silent takedowns. L-X8 fields this as his sidearm, and so do most Cyborg Assassins, Cyborg Commandos, and Future Rebellion Army soldiers, though the latter possesses an inferior version. Given its massive recoil from the three-round burst mode, it can only be used by mechanically enhanced troops. It has recently been introduced to the first three Adepts as the human forces acquired more working examples of this heavy pistol: Adept 01 Adam, Adept 02 Dean, and Adept 03 Sarah all use this as their sidearm.

Dark Desert Eagle: A firearm developed in a joint project between Israel and the United States, the Desert Eagle has been an iconic firearm in movies and video games alike because of its design and massive firepower due to its unique pistol cartridge. Fact and Fiction are far and few in between, so its status in reality is infamous to say the least - the fact it is prone to jams, breakdowns, and the employment of the highly unreliable .50 caliber handgun bullet which led to horrendous accuracy and recoil made it the black sheep of general firearm enthusiasts. However, Regular Army engineers turned to this once-trivial gun (at least in the sense of practicality) and decided to base the Murder .50AE Handgun's successor off of it; a handgun with enough massive stopping power to penetrate the armor of CABAL's Cyborgs was the result. Refined to the point with legendary reliability thanks to advances in military technology, the Dark Desert Eagle is now the primary sidearm for most Regular Army Commandos after the discontinuation of the Murder .50AE pistol.

Massacre Model-28 .45 Pulse Revolver: The successful deployment of the Dark Desert Eagle immediately prompted the SPARROWS Intelligence Agency to request a possible replacement for their aging Murder Model-1915 .38 Revolvers. Using the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle as a testbed, the Regular Army's Corps of Engineers eventually designed a revolver that chambered the more powerful .45 handgun round, but with a twist: it fired pulse rounds and gave it the ability to defeat conventional Kevlar body armor easily. The ease of development with this weapon meant that most the weapon's general schematic remained unchanged, allowing SPARROWS operatives to easily familiarize themselves with this reliable sidearm quickly. Just like its predecessor, it has a hardy lifespan and will perform superbly in even the filthiest environments.

Kampfpistole: German for 'combat pistol', this weapon is a pistol in name and appearance only - it is actually a high-velocity explosive projectile launcher and just so happens to be one of the standard sidearms for the Paranormal Division (with the other being an unidentified 9mm Handgun model usually seen in the hands of their officers). It is basically, in essence a sized-down M79 Grenade Launcher - resembling a revolver with a break-open action system, it accepts specially-designed 40mm explosives as ammunition and fires them without arcing for at least three hundred meters. How this is done so is unknown, but it is likely through an unspecified method of propulsion implemented into the explosive rounds. While its effectiveness against infantry is undisputed, it also poses a threat to lighter vehicles and even some main battle tanks, especially older variants fielded by the Rebellion Army. Owing to its compactness yet devastating firepower, the Paranormal Division has made some devious uses of it - from blasting entire infantry squads to shreds to crippling armored vehicles, the Kampfpistole's first appearances should not be underestimated, and their enemies have taken the liberty to loot and use them whenever the opportunity presents itself.

UAC 'Stunner' Plasma Pistol: The Union Aerospace Corporation, famous for its successes in the development of plasma energy for military applications, eventually realized that the standard handguns used by its security forces were a pointless part of their gear - especially when the Demonic Forces of Hell came knocking. A project intended to downsize the Plasma Rifle into a smaller weapon resulted in the creation of this futuristic sidearm. Essentially a heavily modified Heckler & Koch USP Pistol in terms of general design, the UAC 'Stunner' Plasma Pistol fires bolts of plasma energy designed to pierce and burn targets with plasma energy rounds. The gun itself is continually charged with a self-recharging plasma cell and since each bolt generated has a rather low energy consumption output, it never runs out of ammo. In fact, the user can shoot the weapon as fast as their trigger fingers will allow them to. Alternatively, the wielder can charge the weapon by holding the trigger down and fire a more powerful burst that burns and incapacitates the target in a similar manner of a Taser. This feature has earned it the designation 'Stunner', making it an ideal sidearm for emergencies, such as when heavier weapons are not available. While usually used by the UAC's security units, the USEF is also fond of making this energy pistol their primary sidearm - especially for their higher-ups.

M2040 Icarus Submachine Gun: While Adept Archangels were never meant to fight on foot (such a role was left to the Adept Berserkers) since they were designed for aerial warfare, the Kongou sisters were an exception to this rule. While the four siblings shone their brightest in the sky, there were times when they had to accompany those they had sworn to protect on the ground - while doing so, their signature weaponry were rendered useless as they were only designed to be used while they are airborne. Though each sister is armed with an advanced infantry weapon, using them against conventional enemies was deemed wasteful and the ammo available for them were finite compared to their other weaponry (Kongou has a Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle, Hiei is equipped with a Plasma Rifle, Haruna is armed with an Atchisson AA-12 'Devastator' Assault Shotgun, and Kirishima carries an experimental Cryogenic Rifle) and potentially dangerous to friendly troops in some situations - they asked for a portable firearm that could allow them to perform raids on the ground alongside their human partners. KMI adhered to their request for a new sidearm in the form of a modernized version of the legendary Thompson Submachine Gun. It fires the same type of ammunition used by the Salamander Automatic .45 Handgun that is loaded into a specially-designed thirty-round magazine that can regenerate spent rounds through nanites, granting it enough stopping force to rival that of a contemporary assault rifle.

This weapon is classified as a handgun for two specific reasons: it is a sidearm for Adept Archangels (and for them only), and it uses pistol rounds for ammunition. It was given the codename 'Icarus' as it draws reference to the famous Greek legend - except this time, the weapon is employed in the event the Archangels themselves have to depart from their havens in the sky to do battle on the ground. For the time being, only the Kongou sisters have access to this weapon - like the Salamander, the recoil is far too tremendous for a human to handle should it be fired on full-automatic. This hasn't stopped the four sisters from shooting them with one hand or in very rare instances, dual-wielding them with borderline impossible accuracy.

Assault Rifles

Having first emerged in 1944 in the form of the Sturmgewehr 44 Assault Rifle, this class of weaponry has remained an important element of human armies even after a century. Every human soldier is expected to carry at least one weapon from this category as their primary loadout, unless they are heavy assault troops.

XM29 Assault Rifle/Tactical Laser Rifle: Abbreviation for the Experimental-29 Objective Individual Combat Weapon, this futuristic firearm was developed in a joint project by American and German weapons manufacturers to replace their aging series of M16 and G36 assault rifles, respectively. However, a series of issues, mainly due to expenses and impracticability of the weapon system, led to the project being discontinued and forgotten entirely. It wasn't long before the Rebellion Army eventually developed an interest in it and after salvaging the researches that concerned it, began working on a new model to supplement their elite troops with this automatic and explosive firearm. This unconventional weapon has an assault rifle that fires 5.56mm rounds, and a supplemented laser-guided grenade launcher allows it to pinpoint the exact distances of their targets so the explosives can detonate with ideal and maximum efficiency. It is the standard-issue weapon for the Future Rebellion Army's legions of Commandos and Elite Cadres and is normally not available to members of the SV-001 Commando Unit. However, there are rumors that Clark Still has possession of one, given his specialty of collecting firearms of all types.

A tactical variation also exists; instead of the traditional 5.56mm rifle bullets, this one employs a beam of high-intensity laser that allows it to defeat most types of body armor and inflict significant damage to lightly-skinned vehicles with ease. The grenade launcher can also be opted to fire conventional explosives or shrapnel-contained rounds. These were implemented after the Regular Army captured stolen XM29s and were dissatisfied with their overall initial parameters. While it is an assault rifle/grenade launcher hybrid at heart, many prefer to use it as a marksman rifle given the pinpoint accuracy of the laser beam. Tanya Adams has one of these rifles, albeit with heavier energy output in contrast to a conventional one.

STG-88 Assault Rifle: The Rebellion Army's Paranormal Division was obviously the superior branch of General Donald Morden's international rebellion force - while the Rebellion Army in general often relied on older weapons and vehicles often taken from surplus military stockpiles from the armed forces of almost every nation in the world, the Paranormal Division personally tailored their hardware to their own liking as they were much better funded through clandestine activities that often took place in the criminal underworld of Europe. The Rebellion Army lacked a 'true' automatic rifle that was dedicated to their foot soldiers and even if they had them (mostly in the form of the M16 and AK-47) they were rarely utilized amongst their general infantry forces - the Rebellion Army's Paranormal Division was not about to repeat their mistakes as they ordered the development of a superior automatic weapon that would be used for their frontline soldiers. The end result of this program was the STG-88 Assault Rifle: a true worthy successor to the first assault rifle ever manufactured by the Third Reich, the Sturmgewehr 44.

The STG-88 Assault Rifle fires the 7.62mm round (the same variant used by the M60 Machine Gun) and with its vicious muzzle velocity of 1,250 meters per second, packs a devastating punch against both armored and unarmored foes alike. A reliable feeding system prevents the rifle from malfunctioning from jams easily, while its heavier weight somewhat compensates for the massive recoil that the weapon generates. Similar to the AK-47's stubborn lifespan, this weapon is just as equally durable when it comes to wear-and-tear and accidental misuse. For added carnage, an underbarrel rocket launcher can be attached to the rifle - this launcher system fires miniature explosive rounds about the size of a 12-gauge shotgun shell. Though the explosives' effectiveness against tanks leave much to be desired, it has a devastating effect against thinner targets such as cars, military jeeps, and personnel in general. Fed with a forty-five round magazine for the firearm itself and packs of five rockets for the complementary launcher system, the STG-88 Assault Rifle is the premier weapon for their forces, especially for their elite troops - and it still sees use even in the face of advanced weaponry, such as the UAC's Plasma Rifles.

Considering its rugged reliability and lethal firepower, paramilitary units and criminal organizations alike also favor it as their standard automatic weapon of choice, as its legendary status is on par with that of the Soviet Union's AK-47. Even Adepts should be cautious if they have to face enemies wielding this rifle, as its murderous firepower can and will heavily damage them under prolonged gunfire.

Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle: A highly successful yet experimental military firearm designed by Kanegawa Military Industries in order to replace the aging series of conventional gunpowder-propelled weaponry, this unorthodox weapon (given its tendency to cause immense and unnecessary collateral damage) resembles a heavily modified M16 Mk. II Assault Rifle with increased bulk. In reality, that was the case; as the standard-issue United States Marines assault rifle already had a sturdy and reliable design that proved its worth through multiple conflicts in every type of theater, KMI decided to build a variant of it that was designed to fire explosive rounds instead of the conventional 5.56mm NATO round via a pulse-action mechanism. While its predecessor was mainly a general-purpose assault rifle, the Rattlesnake Assault Rifle was built with one purpose in mind: bombard its targets with a barrage of 10.62mm caseless pulse rounds while providing excellent portability yet possessing incredible firepower to deal with just about any kind of opposition on the battlefield, short of the most well-defended combat units.

Sustained and continuous automatic fire from this futuristic assault rifle can easily destroy a car, consume an entire storefront with fire, or dismantle a Cyborg Prototype with just a quarter of its magazine but its effectiveness against tanks and heavier cybernetic troops is average at best - however, there is little short of the heaviest war machines that can survive an onslaught of gunfire from this weapon and live to tell the tale. For extra firepower, it comes with a built-in pump-action grenade launcher/shotgun module that can hold five rounds each before having to reload (while the grenade launcher is easily the more viable option, some soldiers prefer the shotgun loadout due to its acceptance of various types of shotgun rounds - incendiary shells included). There are three firing modes available: semi-automatic, a four-round burst, or full automatic. Built and refined with a classified alloy that can resist the intense heat generated by the pulse rounds, it has a stubborn lifespan and requires very little maintenance. For additional ease of use, it has a built-in electronic interface that displays how much ammo the weapon has left, possible targets, and even how much health the enemy has left (judged by a simple targeting AI). While it was planned to be the new frontline automatic rifle for the Regular Army and the agencies under its command, the expenses of doing so meant that the weapon was only available to certain units. Nevertheless, it is a very powerful counter against CABAL's Cyborgs, as the pulse rounds are specifically designed to pierce through their armored structures. Unfortunately, the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle is extremely costly to produce and procure, which makes it only available to specialized commando units. This led to the development of the .30 caliber M16 Mk. IV Heavy Assault Rifle as a cheaper and more affordable, if less powerful, alternative.

This weapon has earned the name 'Rattlesnake' due to the rhythmic rattling sound it makes if fired continuously for prolonged periods of time, and the fact the mere sounds that this weapon generates has a demoralizing effect against enemies - similar to how a real life rattlesnake would warn its would-be aggressors with its signature tail rattle. It has quickly garnered the attention of many soldiers that had the opportunity to witness it in action, as the sheer devastating firepower it was capable of changed the nature and role of small arms weaponry on the battlefield forever. Another variant, dubbed the 'Prototype Tech Pulse Rifle' outfitted with advanced foe-tracking computer systems has seen experimental testing on the battlefield.

The inventors behind this weapon have admitted that their inspiration for this rifle came from a very popular film about hostile extraterrestrials, and a team of crack United States Space Marines from said film utilized pulse rifles as their standard automatic firearms against the aforementioned aliens. Its usage against the Plutonians by the United States Marines in the sixth conflict only bolstered the popularity of this weapon even further - to the point where a movie featuring a fictional counterpart of the USM called the 'United Nations Colonial Infantry Combat Unit' fighting for survival against yet another exaggerated counterpart of the Plutonians.

United States Experimental Forces (USEF) Storm Rifle: The US Experimental Forces, known for their vast usage of mostly stolen equipment in order to arm their military units with, were obviously caught by the attention of the Kanegawa Military Industries-developed Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle. However, the designs and schematics of the aforementioned weapon were highly safeguarded - in fact, the only personnel that were allowed to use them were often KMI security personnel with years' worth of experience or individuals that the company trusted, such as Matthew Rossi (his father, being a Regular Army General, more or less had to rely on the Japanese defense contractor's hardware on the future battlefield). This meant that acquiring a working model for the US Experimental Forces was pretty much impossible so in a bid to keep up with a foreign competitor and to outgun them, the minds behind the organization decided to tinker with what they knew and quickly manufactured more or less an almost carbon copy of the famed assault rifle.

The United States Experimental Forces Storm Rifle is basically a Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle with some aesthetic differences and varying functionalities. Because the companies that designed the weapon were unable to replicate the 10.62mm caseless pulse rounds made by KMI, they had to settle for less - instead, it utilizes the 7.62mm plasma explosive-tipped rounds. Once the weapon fires, the chemicals within the round heat up and once they hit their target(s), they will detonate and inflict burns once the energy is released. The weapon is built with an experimental alloy-titanium compound in order to counteract the intense heat generated from continuous fire. Keeping up with traditions of futuristic assault rifles, it comes with a pump-action all-purpose launcher designed to fire grenades, explosive shotgun buckshot/slug rounds, and even a portable flamethrower unit that shoots ignited plasma. But possibly the most lethal feature of this weapon is the built-in computer module that is programmed to uplink with military satellites - the electronics system can help the wielder reconnoiter the environment, track targets from over a hundred kilometers away, designate a zone for air and/or artillery strikes, and even assess the threat levels of quarries. Last but not least, this weapon has notorious accuracy in the hands of a skilled sharpshooter - meaning it can be used as a marksman or even a sniper rifle, though this may require the aid of a scope system unless the user is confident with the iron/laser sights.

The original designation for this weapon was going to be the USEF Stormtrooper Rifle, but the name was quickly changed as the more zealous members of the military did not want to associate themselves with the Third Reich - stormtroopers more or less referred to the paramilitary of Nazi Germany prior to Adolf Hitler's rise to power. The name was changed to its current designation, but the weapon is still not without its criticisms. Members of the Regular Army call it a 'shameless ripoff' of the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle that might as well be 'made in China during Mao Zedong's chaotic Cultural Revolution years' and 'something that would see more use amongst terrorists than actual conventional military forces'. These comments often refer to the rather notorious reputation of the weapon with the US Experimental Forces, and the fact it basically copied the more successful version in a bid to keep up with the arms race that it (sort of) had with Kanegawa Military Industries.

It is usually painted with a chrome-dark charcoal finish to differentiate itself from the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle, which is presented in a grey and olive-colored scheme. Despite the weapon's shortcomings such as the smaller caliber of ammunition utilized, it is just as dangerous and potent and can easily surpass its Japanese counterpart in terms of firepower and performance. Adept 03 Sarah uses a stolen one for her primary weapon, but large criminal organizations are also known to use it given its cheapness and the questionable funding connections that the USEF maintains to fuel its war machine. In spite of its notoriety, Americans have also seen the weapon as the current era's variant of the Thompson Submachine Gun - it is favored by civilians, police units, criminals (both the ridiculously wealthy and the dirt poor types), and soldiers alike for its high-powered destructiveness.

M16 Mk. IV Heavy Assault Rifle: The M16 Mk. II assault rifle was truly a weapon that changed the course of war for the United States Marines - when it entered service against the Rebellion Army and all of its followers, the firearm earned an iconic status of being what the M16A1 wished to be. The latter rifle became infamous when it was introduced to the jungles of Vietnam; a tiny magazine count of only twenty rounds, vulnerability to cartridge jams due to the dirty and humid jungle environment, and tendency to wear down overtime due to its plastic construction made it a satisfactory weapon at best, at least when the rifle wasn't broken. The M16 Mk. II, developed as a successor to the M16A4, featured several improvements such as a rust-resistant finish, increased magazine capacity, and improved firing mechanism to prevent jams. Though it served with distinction, it was all but an ineffective weapon against foes that brought heavier armor with them on the battlefield.

Kanegawa Military Industries once again stepped onto the stage as they reworked the weapon entirely. Instead of tinkering with its general design, they built the entire weapon from scratch. The doctrine was rapidly changing, as anti-Cyborg operations relied on heavier weapons that could either saturate their sensitive mechanisms or outright annihilate them before they had a chance to return fire. In addition, the reliance on numbers by the Future Rebellion Army meant that soldiers needed weapons with high ammunition capacities, lest they get overwhelmed in a tidal wave of irate clones. The M16 Mk. IV HAR is the end product of the program: a large yet compact automatic rifle with virtually no overheating problems and stubborn reliability in all environments. Equipped with a one hundred round box magazine that uses .30 caliber ammunition and a rather bulky design to compensate for recoil, this futuristic automatic rifle allows a soldier to lay down heavy suppressive fire - this allows one to quickly mow down an entire horde of FRA troops with impunity. To call this weapon a simple reworked version of its older brother is an understatement, as it has several new features that its predecessor doesn't. These include, but are not limited to: a built-in micro-missile module similar to the one used by the STG-88 Assault Rifle, a red-dot scope, and a simple electronic interface console installed below the handle of the rifle that acts as an ammo counter and selective firing controls. The red-dot scope can be swapped out for a computerized sight which basically transforms the weapon into an automatic sniper rifle (with lesser accuracy than a conventional one).

Though the M16 Mk. IV is definitely inferior to other weapons portrayed here, this is the go-to weapon for any United States Marines personnel that wish for some good old portable automatic firepower for anti-personnel work, but can't acquire the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle.

Plasma Rifle: Another weapon that the Union Aerospace Corporation provided to the Regular Army and its allies (and possibly some questionable customers) is this state-of-the-art firearm. The UAC was one of the primary suppliers to the United States Marines next to KMI, and both defense contractors were in an arms race to supply the biggest (and most effective) guns to their respective customer. As the company forwarded its research in the weaponry department, their successes with the BFG9000 prototypes prompted them to harness that knowledge for a weapon of a smaller scale. A specialized and heavily modified rifle that fired charged spheres of neon green-colored ionized gas on a specific magnetic frequency, this weapon unleashes explosive bolts of supercharged plasma energy that allows it to burn through flesh and armor alike with devastating ease. It also comes with an electronic interface that acts as an ammo counter and a target analysis system that can recognize friend-and-foe statuses should the weapon be aimed at them.

Initial working models were delivered to the United States Marines during the later stages of the Third Rebellion War, where they quickly rendered other weapons such as the Regular Army-issued Rocket Launcher, Drop Shot, Iron Lizard, and Laser Rifle obsolete; the Plasma Rifle could easily substitute for all the aforementioned weapons, and even more so when it came with a self-recharging cell that could be reloaded even faster with specific energy cells. Ever since then, it has become the primary firearm for certain USM soldiers, though it rarely sees action due to its long recharging time, rarity of energy cells in the battlefield, and the fear that the Rebellion Army could potentially reverse-engineer them for their own nefarious reasons. It is, however, one of the primary go-to weapons for Flynn 'Mack' Taggart and Bella Heart on the future battlefield where bullets can only scratch the surface of merciless killing machines that are nigh-invulnerable to all forms of conventional weaponry. Though its killing power against infantry, Cyborgs, and softer targets is undisputed, it is only moderately effective against tanks unless certain weapon spots (such as the fuel tanks and engine) are targeted. Needless to say, there is little that can survive sustained fire from the Plasma Rifle.

The UAC is known to arm its security forces with this high-technology rifle as a standard issue weapon, making their security personnel some of the most formidable combatants in the battlefield should they become involved in any sort of conflict - which is often, considering the corporation often ends up fighting the Demonic Forces of Hell whenever one of their major experiments goes horribly wrong.

Type-99 'Ronin' Heavy Tactical Assault Rifle: Kanegawa Military Industries' ingenuity to quickly replace traditional assault rifles on the battlefield with the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle and the M16 Mk. IV Heavy Assault Rifle was perhaps the primary reason why the Regular Army managed to stave off the onslaught of its enemies and survive against enemies beyond their wildest imagination - where standard-issue rifles that used the 5.56mm and 7.62mm NATO rounds failed to stop the Cybernetic Federation Army's deathly advances against the defenders, the 10.62mm pulse rounds and .30 caliber machine gun bullets did. While these newly-introduced assault rifles saved countless lives on the battlefield, they were still limited in deployment (usually to commando units) since they were rather expensive to be issued to frontline troops. As conventional forces soon found themselves facing enemies beyond the traditional foot soldier during their battles against CABAL, the Future Rebellion Army, and the Paranormal Division in the new timeline, it became clear that a standard assault rifle would not be sufficient - but with all of KMI's resources being spent on the development of advanced military vehicles, it was evident that they didn't have the time to develop a cheaper variant of the Rattlesnake and M16 Mk. IV rifles.

When the AR-20 Super Automatic Rifle was reintroduced for service with the Regular Army, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the remnants of the United States Marines immediately requested for a similar weapon - since both factions were separate from the Regular Army, they wanted their own signature weapon. The talented armorers at Kanegawa Military Industries decided to take the best of both the Rattlesnake and M16 Mk. IV rifles and combined both of them to form a respectably powerful weapon - the final prototype was designated the Type-99 'Ronin' Heavy Tactical Assault Rifle. The firearm was given the callsign 'Ronin' as the term means a samurai without a master, and the surviving Marines are mostly tough-as-nails veterans that survived the revolutions back in the US, yet the majority of their commanders did not. Appearing as a bulky futuristic firearm bearing a strong resemblance to the Belgian-manufactured FN F2000 Bullpup Assault Rifle, it was designed to be a (slightly) cheaper alternative to the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle, but far superior to the M16 Mk. IV Heavy Assault Rifle damage-wise. As the Rattlesnake was a rare weapon with an obscenely expensive price tag for its ammunition and the M16 Mk. IV became less effective against targets such as heavily-armored Paranormal Division stormtroopers, the Type-99 'Ronin' was intended to be an alternative for both weapons instead of a permanent replacement.

The Type-99 'Ronin' Heavy Tactical Assault Rifle is an advanced automatic firearm that utilizes the massive 12.7mm/.50 BMG round, but with a nasty surprise: the bullets themselves are loaded with tungsten, providing these weapons with exceptional firepower against both armored infantry targets and most vehicles - unarmored enemies are more or less history once they are struck by the incendiary shells. Loaded into the weapon via a fifty-round magazine in a bullpup manner and outfitted with an advanced ammunition feeding system adopted from the legendary M2 Browning Heavy Machine Gun, jamming problems are almost nonexistent. In order to solve the problem in regards to ammo supply, all models of these weapons are provided with two specially-designed nanite box magazines - once all ammunition have been exhausted, the tiny machines within the container will begin a complicated process to mold new rounds (the extra magazine provided is to ensure the wielder can continue the battle by swapping the empty one out with the loaded one, while the former proceeds with the ammunition regeneration process) There are reported instances of service members sellotaping both nanite box magazines together to speed up the reloading process, and to prevent losing them out of clumsiness during heated firefights. To boost its hefty firepower even further, it has a pump-action launcher module that accepts the same type of ammunition used by the Atchisson AA-12 'Devastator' Assault Shotgun by standard configurations. It is limited to carrying only five rounds, however.

Like its predecessors, the Type-99 'Ronin' can be outfitted with advanced targeting equipment such as computerized and laser sights. With the increased risk of frontline troops facing EMP weapons though, most of the high-tech accessories available to its older brothers were eschewed as they would only serve as decorations once they were disabled. While nowhere near as powerful as the AR-20 Super Automatic Rifle, this sleek assault rifle has gained respectable acceptance within the JSDF and USM alike (both organizations now field it as their standard-issue rifle against unconventional enemies, such as the Paranormal Division) for its ease of use, portability, and reliability.

AR-20 Super Automatic Rifle (SAR): There was no doubting the AR-10 Automatic Rifle's impact on the Regular Army's history. It was regarded as one of the best assault rifles ever manufactured, its legacy almost being as influential as the legendary AK-47 and the controversial yet stubborn M16. But everything has to eventually come to an end, and the emergence of newer weaponry such as the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle eventually sent the AR-10 into obscurity - the high-powered pulse rounds could do more damage in ten rounds than two-hundred rounds from the iconic automatic rifle. The Regular Army Corps of Engineers made no effort to revive this weapon given the time constraints and focus on other projects, so it was obvious to many that the final resting place of the AR-10 would be in some military museum or in the hands of conservative Regular Army troops that stubbornly refused to swap out their aging rifles for contemporary armaments - the firepower and reliability of the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle were not enough to convince the combat-hardened pundits.

Only many years later (at least two decades) did the AR-10 make a reemergence. The original designers of the very first SV-001 Metal Slug Super Vehicle brought forth the blueprints and a fully-functional prototype of the next-generation automatic assault rifle to the board directors of Kanegawa Military Industries and insisted it as a standard-issue weapon for all Regular Army commando units. KMI's weapon designers and armorers were immediately perked by its specifications and production was scheduled at top priority until an order was issued to cease all development on the project. The reason was simple: KMI's Board of Directors realized the AR-20 was a weapon of mass destruction, and the Japanese defense contractor had a strong ethical stance against mass production of high-powered portable weaponry - it was the same reason why the Experimental Beam Rifles were never widely deployed, and the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle was never a standard-issue rifle for frontline troops. While the project was discontinued, the blueprints were entrusted to Professor Namro 'Izzy' Nakao in the event the company changed its mind.

The AR-20 Super Automatic Rifle got its chance to shine once again when the Regular Army Future Forces and the remnants of Kanegawa Military Industries traveled into the past on their mission to prevent the First Rebellion War from ever happening. Once the forces from the future made contact with their past counterparts, its blueprints were provided to both the Regular Army Corps of Engineers and KMI, and considering how badly outgunned they were against the Rebellion Army and the Paranormal Division, both teams formed their own respective development groups and within a few months, the first successful models of the AR-20 SAR were ready for deployment and became the permanent replacement of the older AR-10 for the Regular Army. Special operations units, however, retained their usage of the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle and stolen United States Experimental Forces Storm Rifles as they were far more familiar with them than a new weapon that wasn't really tested - yet. However, there is no denying that all enemies of the Regular Army fear this weapon with a mixture of hatred and respect at the same time.

Appearance-wise, the AR-20 Super Automatic Rifle bears a strong resemblance to the AR-10 Automatic Rifle, except it is far more bulkier in vein of how the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle looks like a beefed-up M16 Mk. II Assault Rifle. The weapon itself has an unique ammunition adaptation system that can accept all known assault rifle rounds - for example, it can take both the 5.56mm AND the 7.62mm NATO rounds. An advanced feeding and self-cleaning system also solves almost every jamming problem, a major issue that plagued older assault rifles. While the automatic rifle portion is already an eye-opener, it is the underbarrel grenade launcher attachment that caught the attention of military commanders. While the AR-10's attachment was limited to explosive weaponry, the AR-20 SAR's version can fire Flamethrower rounds, Devastator shells, and even Desolator projectiles (a solidified variant of the dreaded Desolator Wave Cannon's radiation beam) without causing any ill side effects to the wielder. Recently, Siegfried's introduction of Cryogenic weaponry has also given the AR-20 to launch Cryo-laced projectiles at targets with similar albeit slightly downgraded effects to the Cryogenic Cannon. By default, the attachment is designed to fire 12.7mm/.50 BMG High Explosive Armor Piercing Rounds that surpass the ones used by the Type-99 'Ronin' Heavy Tactical Assault Rifle, and the usage of nanotechnology in the launcher itself grants the weapon infinite ammunition. The nanites stored within the weapon continuously generate and resupply the ammunition at such a complex level that only an essay-length mathematical equation could explain it coherently. In a nutshell, the AR-20 SAR's grenade launcher attachment has access to infinite ammunition, making it an extremely effective weapon against just about anything.

As for that working prototype? It was lost during the final stages of the Classified Mission codenamed 'Vortexes of Time', and the last person seen wielding it was Supreme General Marco Rossi during the final defense of the Chronosphere in Kagoshima. Whether the General himself is still alive or the original AR-20 is still in working order are both speculations that will likely never be answered.

This weapon did not earn a spot in the Mass Destruction Weapons category as while this rifle is astronomically expensive to produce, some of its features have been removed for the mass-produced models. For starters, the very original version can be adapted to fire even BFG9000 projectiles - all it needs is a BFG9000 energy cell attached to it. Therefore, KMI was correct about this weapon belonging in the same category as the likes of the Experimental Beam Rifle and Desolator Wave Cannon - it can bend the laws of physics and adapt any kind of ammunition possible.

Shotguns

The nature of the shotgun has evolved to a whole new level in contrast to the modern ones. Now capable of utilizing specialized rounds and transformed into something more than a flesh-tearing terror at close ranges, these weapons are a threat to anything on the battlefield - including snipers in an ironic twist, as they often saw shotgunners as easy prey. Some have even considered them to be heavy weapons as (except for the Ravager) they carry undisputed firepower, often in the form of the famous explosive 'Devastator' rounds.

Each shotgun has a callsign to emphasize their natures and roles in the battlefield.

Double-Barreled 10-Gauge 'Ravager' Shotgun: Double-barreled shotguns were never seen as practical weapons in pitched combat, as they had a very clunky and slow reloading mechanism, had horrendous accuracy, and military/police-grade shotguns were better than them in almost every aspect. However, the Rebellion Army Paranormal Division's invasion of Europe meant that the resistance fighters and militia there had to use everything on hand to fight back against the aggressors - including this weapon, which had proven itself to be a deadly force to be reckoned with if used properly. In addition, the United States Marines noticed the effectiveness of this weapon against the Demonic Forces of Hell - while their standard-issue weaponry was often more than enough to deal with the fiends, this shotgun from the ages of the Wild West was a death sentence for any melee-oriented enemy.

Though obviously inferior to many of the weapons featured here, it still sees use with the USM and various police forces around the world - in fact, it has been a favorite weapon for KMI security personnel; especially when it came to patrolling corridors or places where it would be impossible for adversaries to escape the pellet spread from this weapon. It has earned the nickname 'Ravager' because of its tendency to utterly dismember and splatter its targets, especially when both barrels were fired at the same time. Some soldiers have even sawed the barrels off in order to enhance its portability and transforming it into a deadly double-shot sidearm in lieu of a pistol. Keep in mind that it reloads slowly, as new shells have to be inserted into the weapon via a break-open action system.

There are two variations: one is found in the hands of civilian militia while the other is a special model used by the military. The civilian model packs less punch and is less portable due to its size, but it will still get the job done if there are no other weapons available. The military-grade one has a shorter barrel but is slightly more accurate, making it the perfect death-dealer at both close and mid-ranges. Both models are also seen in the hands of wealthy criminal organizations given the iconic nature of the double-barreled sawed-off shotgun as a notorious symbol of organized crime.

XSG-13 'Executioner' Automatic Shotgun: Although CABAL had a dramatic flair for laser and plasma-based weaponry, he didn't abandon the prospects of incorporating human weaponry into his arsenal - especially when his slain foes had left so much materiel behind once his mechanical nightmares had driven them into the ground under their steel-laden heels. His Cyborg Assassins were found to be particularly vulnerable if they were discovered at close ranges; while their Energy Swords were formidable, they needed the element of surprise to make it tactically valuable, and the Laser Sniper Rifle was inadequate in close quarters. The sinister AI's solution was to issue a fully automatic shotgun to the stealthy machines that wanted to go about their dirty work up close and personal.

A heavy automatic shotgun resembling a light machine gun that uses a drum-fed magazine, the XSG-13 is CABAL's answer to all the human manufactured shotguns throughout the late 20th to the 21st century. It is even bulkier and longer than a M249 SAW in length and only carries twenty rounds at most, but the added weight and size of the weapon is to compensate for the massive recoil when this weapon is fired in full-automatic mode (field tests have proven that the shotgun can break a human's shoulder if fired on full-auto for more than ten rounds). Using a variety of special 12 gauge shells such as buckshot, slug, flechette (needle projectiles), and shredder (razor-sharp discs) rounds, this weapon is gruesomely effective against all humanoid targets - both of the armored and unarmored types. This weapon can also accept the recently developed 'Devastator' rounds, which are basically 40mm armor-piercing rocket-propelled shells designed to perforate through smaller obstacles while inflicting moderate fragmentation damage against larger foes. There have been recorded instances where Adepts have used them as sniper rifles in a sense; while the conventional shotgun rounds are only useful for close encounters, an XSG-13 equipped with Devastator rounds is the ultimate anti-sniper weapon (especially if the quarry is holed up in a bunker or pillbox) with some careful aim. Though meant for a cybernetic wielder or just someone with lots of physical conditioning, a human soldier can easily use it though they might have to discard their current primary weapon or other necessary gear due to the firearm's weight of being on par with a light machine gun. This also brings up another point as to how the firearm is an excellent melee weapon due to its size, weight, and stubborn durability.

While the primary user of this weapon is usually the Cybernetic Federation Army, Kanegawa Military Industries was able to replicate an almost-identical copy after studying captured models and building them with the information garnered from the series of heavy automatic shotguns. This is L-X8's primary weapon prior to his acquisition of the Experimental Beam Rifle, and Adepts 01 Adam and 03 Dean also field this - in fact, it is nearly the always preferred firearm for the KMI Adept Divisions due to its customization potential and tremendous firepower it was capable of delivering. Because it is not usable by a human being without extreme physical conditioning, it has led to the development of the AA-12 'Devastator' as an alternative for human soldiers.

Atchisson AA-12 'Devastator' Assault Shotgun: When the Regular Army's Future Forces decided to replace all the older models of their standard-issue shotguns due to the ever-increasing durability of their enemies, they were met with a rather problematic dilemma - older models of shotguns, such as the Benelli M4 and Mossberg 500, were not useful against the hordes of the Future Rebellion Army or the armored terrors of the Cybernetic Federation Army as they lacked the firing rate and stopping power to deal with them effectively - in addition, they could not be equipped with newer shotgun munitions. Though the XSG-13 'Executioner' Automatic Shotgun somewhat mitigated this drawback, it was only usable by physically strong humans and Adept units and wasn't produced in large numbers. The Future Forces immediately requested for a weapon that was efficient at both close and long ranges and had the necessary firepower to defeat both armor and numbers. Unable to scale down the XSG-13's massive recoil and weight, US Military veterans pitched in the idea of reviving a scarcely-used shotgun that was first developed by Maxwell Atchisson in 1972 but did not see service until the early 2000s. The weapon was quickly picked up by the Regular Army's Corps of Engineers, where it was refined and quickly produced to be the standard-issue shotgun for the remnants of the United States Marines.

The Atchisson AA-12 'Devastator' Assault Shotgun combines both the close-ranged firepower of a conventional shotgun and the firing speed of a semi-automatic handgun. Resembling more like an assault rifle at first glance, this weapon delivers a variety of ammunition with a muzzle velocity strong enough to tear straight through lesser targets while delivering enough kinetic force to literally blast through moderately-protected barriers with a single shot. Just like the XSG-13, it can be armed with buckshot, slug, and even the Devastator rounds that was originally exclusively meant for the shotgun manufactured by CABAL himself. When armed with the Devastator shells (which usually comes in a twenty-round revolver-style drum magazine) only the heaviest of tanks can hope to survive a prolonged onslaught from this weapon. With some assistance from the Union Aerospace Corporation, a plasma shell was developed and supplied to users of the AA-12 - this customized round fires blue-hot plasma buckshot shells which inflicts both piercing and burn damage at the same time, making it a deadly tool even against the Cyborg Prototypes. Like the Rattlesnake Pulse Rifle, this automatic dealer of destruction is a very famous weapon that is favored by all units of the Regular Army.

Though this heavy automatic shotgun is usable by both humans and Adepts, proper training and physical conditioning is required since it is still considerably hefty in weight, though it is much lighter than the XSG-13. Using this as one's primary weapon will usually mean having to forsake their other main weapons, as the AA-12 and the ammunition that accompanies it are notoriously heavy. It has earned the nickname 'Devastator' given the damage it was capable of inflicting once it was equipped with explosive shells - it can easily replace conventional anti-tank weapons in a pinch and despite being a shotgun, many service members have eschewed their standard-issue assault rifles for this portable cannon.

Pancor Jackhammer 'Punisher' Anti-Materiel Shotgun: Possibly one of the rarest firearms to ever exist and revived for service by the Regular Army Future Forces. The Pancor Jackhammer is an elusive firearm that never left the prototype stage and was largely forgotten years after the company that designed it, Pancor Industries, went bankrupt due to a lack of customers that showed interest towards the automatic shotgun. From its original blueprints and documentations, it was supposed to be an automatic 12-gauge shotgun that was meant to compete with two other automatic combat firearms of the same class - the South Korean USAS-12 and the American Atchisson AA-12. For unspecified reasons (possibly due to the cost, weight, design, and nature of the weapon being so unwieldy), the Pancor Jackhammer was never able to make it into the firearms market and only three known prototypes are known to exist - with two of them having been destroyed during firing tests. The weapon was also prone to jamming, as its revolver-style ammunition feed system could not handle excessive firing speeds matching that of an automatic pistol. Like the Atchisson AA-12 'Devastator' Assault Shotgun, it was originally designed to fire exotic ammunition rounds. In the end, this weapon only received the chance to star itself in a variety of fictionalized works and was largely forgotten for many years to come.

When the Regular Army Future Forces introduced the Knightframe Armored Combat Mechs into their arsenal, they had to find an equally powerful weapon that could complement the armored exoskeleton suits and provide them with the necessary hardware for all types of engagements - in particular, dealing with massive droves of enemies at once in urban environments. An anonymous Future Forces commander brought up the idea of reviving the Pancor Jackhammer for battle and use that as the standard-issue weapon for all Knightframes - because technology was still primitive (at least compared to the contemporary times where the Future Forces operate) when the automatic shotgun was invented, said commander had a staunch belief that the refined understanding of firearms and advanced resources that they had access to would allow the Pancor Jackhammer to become a plausible weapon of war, just like how the Atchisson AA-12 'Devastator' Assault Shotgun was revived (as that weapon was also designed during a time when portable automatic weapons had its own fair share of problems, but later technologies negated that drawback).

Now serving as the primary weapon of all Knightframe Armored Combat Mechs, the Pancor Jackhammer 'Punisher' Anti-Materiel Shotgun is exactly what it says on the tin - it is a firearm that is not just meant to be used against human targets, but also against armored foes as well. While the original Pancor Jackhammer was meant to be a handheld weapon, this one isn't - it has to be mounted on a Knightframe, as the sheer recoil generated from shooting it would send the gun flying out of a human wielder's hands. Because of the very nature of the firearm, the weapon has been sized up to resemble less of a handheld shotgun and more like of a portable automatic cannon that is attached to a hardpoint system on the exosuit's right arm. Loaded with high-velocity projectiles and fired at speeds that is equal with a 30mm cannon, these specialized shells will instantly splatter human targets into bloody mist upon impact and armored vehicles will be in for quite some damage under sustained fire - even heavier tanks run a risk of being destroyed if exposed to prolonged fire from these weapons. They are no slouches against aircraft either, as no air unit will remain unscathed if they fly low enough and allow themselves to be hit by the armor-piercing rounds. Fed through a fifty-round box magazine that can be reloaded with ease by the operator of the Knightframe, this automatic death-dealer knows no equal with the exception of the hardware noted under the Mass Destruction Weapons category. This is a Knightframe ACM-exclusive weapon and cannot be used through any other means, although the shotgun itself has been utilized as a potent anti-infantry base defense system in some bases.