Weapons

Weapon Name

K-17 Kinetic Rifle

Weapon Class

Rifle

Weapon Principle

Plasma

Weapon Location

Heavenfield

Weight

Calibre

Magazine

Rate of Fire

Weapon Description

During the period when Otto Kandinsky was in training, the Exiles mainly used the K-17 Kinetic Rifle. It is a weapon that was both loved and loathed throughout the Wraiths, being heavy, unwieldy, and slow to fire and reload. But, despite its flaws, many Exiles still favoured this gun, even when the energy variants came onto the scene.

A standard, late-issue K-17 Kinetic Rifle as used by the Exile regular army troops.

Inception

Developed from a requirement for a weapon that used no explosive compounds, the Exile science-teams came up with a device that ran off a power charge from a backpack unit, which in turn fired a tungsten projectile.

A charge-up from a kinetic energy flywheel unit in the backpack was initialised upon pulling the trigger, causing an intense power surge. A plasma arc formed within the soft core of the bullet casing, reacting with the blended metal compounds, rapidly expanding the plasma to propel the projectile along the barrel in a similar fashion to a conventional bullet.

The unmistakable whine of the power surge is also the tell-tale sign of its main weakness: the time taken for the power surge and the shift in chemical states of the projectile’s core. This translates into a definite lag, a delay between pulling the trigger and the bullet leaving the gun.

Many users found this unacceptable, which was why the MX Energy Rifle was rushed into service. But some forgave the K-17 this flaw, and were able to adequately compensate for it.

They valued the ruggedness of the design, as well as its surprising simplicity.

Although not especially accurate, the Kinetic rifle did have incredible stopping power, enhanced by the use of different materials in later-model bullets. The soft core of some projectiles could be vaporised upon firing, which caused an explosive effect upon impact, or even air-burst capability. Utilised with heavy penetrator tips, the K-17 could also provide a good armour-piercing capability.