Approved Ranged Weapon Cataclast-type Close Combat System

[Ethanael Halscott]

Cataclast​

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create violence, with caltrops in space.
• Image Source: N/A
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: N/A

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Primo Victorian Enterprises, Commonwealth Naval Engineering Bureau
• Affiliation: Primo Victorian Enterprises, Dosuunian Commonwealth
• Market Status: Closed-Market
• Model: CCS-CDS-X4 "Cataclast"
• Modularity: No
• Production: Limited
• Material:
  
  • Launcher:
    
    • Judicite Composite Frame
    • Crystalamnium Internal Sheathing
    • Crystaplast Reactive Coating
    • Insulating Liner: Durasilk Thermafoam
    • Insulating Medium: Gravmire Gel
  • Recoil Mitigation System:
    
    • Inertial Dampeners
    • Gravmire Gel Liners
    • Servo-Braced Armature Mount
    • Counterblast Exhaust Ports
    • AI-Synced Firing Compensation System
  • Caltrops:
    
    • Outer Shell
      
      • Condensed Durasteel
      • Songsteel Tips
      • Crystadurium, for EMP/Magnetic Payloads
    • Internal Structure
      
      • Agrinium-Lommite Foam
      • Reinforced Duraplast Lining
    • Adherence Layer
      
      • Plasma-Adherent Coating, Magseal Layer
    • Flechette Pod
      
      • Micromesh Fragments, Ardanium-coated

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Slugthrower / Explosive Ordnance, Spike Launcher / Railscatter Delivery System
• Size: Large
• Weight: Very Heavy
• Ammunition Type: Cataclast Spikes (solid explosive tetrahedral projectiles)
• Ammunition Capacity: Depends on launcher, likely Small to Average, considering spike size and launcher configuration. Sake of the submission, Average.
• Effective Range: Point Blank to Personal
• Rate of Fire: Low to Average, since it's a burst/volley-based system. Sake of the submission, Average.
• Damage Output: High
• Recoil: Low

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Tetrahedral Impact Design – Four-pronged caltrops embed easily into hulls, armor seams, or plating.
• Directed Breach Charge – Detonations blast inward, maximizing internal damage and minimizing external dispersal.
• Flechette Pod Option – Can include secondary shrapnel burst for anti-personnel or soft-infrastructure impact.
• Sticky Embedding – Plasma-adherent or magnetized coating allows clinging to energy shields or hulls.
• Delayed or Staggered Detonation – Can be programmed for near-simultaneous or cascading explosions.
• Multiple Payload Variants:
  
  • Standard Shred Charge
  • Plasma Cauterizer Core
  • Cryo-Flex Core
  • EMP Burst Pod
  • Seismic Mini-Core
• Multi-platform Launch Capability – Compatible with turreted, broadside, belly-port, or rotary dispersal systems.

STRENGTHS

• Brutal Hull Breaching – Excellent for close-range combat, especially against immobilized or clustered enemies.
• Versatile Payload Options – Situationally adaptive munitions allow strategic flexibility.
• Area Denial & Spall Damage – Effective for anti-boarding, suppression, and disabling exposed infrastructure.
• Delayed Detonation Control – Enables precise timing for breaching sequences or tactical traps.

WEAKNESSES

• Limited Range – Ineffective at long distances; relies on close engagement to function.
• Collateral Risk – Not ideal in environments where friendly units or infrastructure are nearby.
• Shielded Targets – May be less effective if spikes fail to embed due to strong deflector shielding or high-speed maneuvering.

DESCRIPTION
The Cataclast Spikes represent a fusion of savage simplicity and explosive engineering. Modeled after medieval caltrops and repurposed for the void of space, each spike is a tetrahedral nightmare—designed not just to strike, but to stick and shred. Once launched in shotgun-like bursts or rail-driven volleys, these munitions slam into hulls and armor with terminal intent.

Upon impact, each spike anchors itself—plasma-adherent coatings or magnetic bindings latching to physical and energetic surfaces alike. A brief delay allows for full embedding before detonation. The result? A focused inward blast designed to rupture plating, cause internal spall, and ignite any vulnerable compartment in reach.

Modular payloads allow for a range of tactical applications—from thermobaric overpressure in boarding zones to cryogenic breaching to disable hull integrity. Whether launched from the “Spitewheel” rotary turrets or belly-bay cluster pods, Cataclast Spikes serve as a brutal tool in the Commonwealth’s doctrine of close-range annihilation. Against immobilized or entangled enemies, they are a promise: you will break.

 

[MANIAC]

Ethanael Halscott

Another amazing sub.

Approved.