Unreviewed Beskar Caltrop

[Gel Karn]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create an inexpensive and nearly undetectable area denial weapon.
• Image Source: Wikimedia Commons.
• Canon Link: Caltrop.
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: Wookieepedia.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer:
  • Gel Karn
  • Iron Covenant Armorers and Forgesmiths
• Affiliation: Iron Covenant.
• Market Status: Closed Market.
• Model: Beskar Caltrop.
• Modularity: No.
• Production: Minor.
• Material: Beskar.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Nearly indestructible
• Physically small and difficult to spot
• When thrown, always lands with a "point" facing upwards
• Effective against organic infantry, Sithspawn and Groundcars
• Barbed heads makes removal from the body much more difficult

STRENGTHS

• Small: Beskar Caltrops are quite physically small, making them rather easy to conceal and difficult to spot
• Simple: Beskar Caltrops can be constructed by even the most novice armorsmiths, allowing them to be produced in enormous numbers
• Painful: Stepping on a Beskar Caltrop is highly likely to cause serious injury, potentially incapacitating anyone unlucky enough to step on one
• Barbed: Beskar Caltrops are barbed, making them much more difficult to remove from the body once stepped on
• Indestructible: Beskar Caltrops are incredibly durable and nearly impossible to destroy, allowing them to function for years at a time without failing
• Psychological warefare: The mere notion of Beskar Caltrops being deployed onto the battlefield is often enough to give enemy organic units pause

WEAKNESSES

• Passive: Beskar Caltrops rely on the enemy stepping on top of them, making them quite passive weapons
• Droids: Though Beskar Caltrops can damage droids with legs, they are far less effective against mechanical units
• Repulsorlift: Beskar Caltrops are essentially useless against anything that hovers or utilizes repulsorlifts
• Inefficient: Scattering Beskar Caltrops around a battlefield can be time consuming and inefficient, though this can be made much faster if dropped from vehicles or starships
• Double edged: Beskar Caltrops do not discriminate against friend or foe, and allied forces who are careless may end up stepping on their own Beskar Caltrops
• Wasteful: Some might make the argument that using a rare metal like Beskar for Caltrops is wasteful, and those who make such an argument are not entirely wrong

DESCRIPTION

One of the most dangerous weapons in Gel Karn 's varied arsenal is also a deceptively simple one: the humble Caltrop, an area denial weapon that has existed for thousands of years throughout galactic history. The versions made by Gel and those in the Iron Covenant are constructed primarily out of Beskar, making them nearly indestructible and capable of functioning without failing for decades, if not centuries.

Resembling an oversized Jack, each Beskar Caltrop contains four exceptionally sharp points, and because of the way that the weapon is constructed, one of these four point will always end up facing upward no matter how the Beskar Caltrop is dropped or thrown. After being thrown or strewn about, one need simply to wait for an enemy to step on top of the Beskar Caltrop, delivering grievous damage to their foot or feet and potentially taking them out of commission.

Beskar Caltrops are similarly effective against Sithspawn and Groundcars, being able to puncture the toughest hides and tires, and can easily pierce through metal boots on some of the most durable powered armor systems, making them potent weapons against both armored and unarmored infantry. Unfortunately, Beskar Caltrops are vastly less effective against droids and mechanical units, and are essentially useless against anything that hovers or flies. When used correctly or in large numbers however, Beskar Caltrops become potent psychological weapons, and the mere notion of these weapons being deployed onto a battlefield is often enough to slow an enemy's advance down to a crawl.