Unreviewed Thunderbolt II-type Rotary HVC

[Ethanael Halscott]

Thunderbolt II​

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Modernize the classic Thunderbolt rotary cannon into a high-volume, kinetic suppression weapon ideal for close-in defense, urban corridor fighting, and point-defense against swarm craft. Designed to bring the pain and the intimidation with a signature brrrrt rumble.
• Image Source: N/A
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: Thunderbolt-type Rotary HVC

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Primo Victorian Enterprises
• Affiliation: Imperial Commonwealth of Dosuun
• Market Status: Closed Market
• Model: CHC‑RVHC2-02 “Thunderbolt II”
• Modularity: Supports single, tri-barrel, and quad rotary mounts
• Production: Minor
• Material: Reinforced durasteel housing, Quadanium barrel assembly, Synthek-Boreas thermal stabilizers

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Rotary Hypervelocity Cannon
• Size: Very Large
• Weight: Very Heavy
• Ammunition Type: 25mm depleted-baradium slugs
• Ammunition Capacity: Very Large
• Effective Range: Personal to Average
• Rate of Fire: Very High (up to 2,000 rpm in quad configuration)
• Damage Output: Low–Average per round; High in volume
• Recoil: None

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Rotary Hypervelocity Operation: Rapid-fire suppression with signature brrrrt burst
  
  • 4-barrel counter-balanced assembly enables continuous high-volume fire with heat mitigation
• Rotary CIWS System: Multi-barrel, high-RPM weapon optimized for anti-fighter and close-in ship defense
• Synthek-Boreas Cooling Matrix: Keeps barrels and coils from overheating during sustained fire
• Thermal Dispersal Shroud: Prevents overheating during sustained fire
• Pulse-Fed Power Cycling: Maintains round-per-second pacing during capacitor drain
• Atmospheric & Exo Configurations: Designed to function seamlessly in vacuum, pressure zones, or turbulent planetary theaters
• AI-Enhanced Burst Regulation: Micro-burst control to maintain heat limits and ammo expel rhythm
• Heuristic Tracking Core: Learns flight trajectories of drones or fighters to improve burst accuracy
• Turreted, Gimbal, or Pod Mount Ready: Deployable on landing ships, assault dropships, capital ship hulls, or escort corvettes
• Flight-Adaptive Targeting Logic: AI burst regulators adjust for intercept geometry against fast movers (fighters, bombers, drones)
• Quick-Switch Ammunition Feeds (Starfighter Pod Variant): 2–3 ammo types selectable per combat load
• Support Rounds: Can fire three round types per loadout —
  
  • Barbette or Turret Ready: Designed for quick mounting on escort craft, skirmishers, or boarding ships
  • API-25 (Armor-Piercing Incendiary)
    
    • Purpose: Anti-fighter, light armor
    • Tungsten-tipped, ignites upon hull contact
    • Great vs. atmospheric fighters, strike pods, gunboats
  • HE-F (High-Explosive Flechette)
    
    • Purpose: Anti-infantry, anti-droid
    • Disperses tungsten shards upon proximity detonation
    • Excellent for "urban pacification" or anti-boarding defense
  • EMP-FRAG (Electro-Shock Shrapnel)
    
    • Purpose: Anti-electronics, drone-disabling
    • Frag casing delivers a brief, low-radius EMP pulse
    • Cripples shieldless ships, probe droids, and cockpit avionics
  • RIPSAW-25 (Kinetic Shredder Round)
    
    • Purpose: Anti-cockpit / Structural penetration
    • Subcaliber slug with high-spin rifling and casing-rupture design
    • Tears open wings, breaches cabins, splits canopies in half
  • KR-ICE (Kyromite-Fused Airburst Round)
    
    • Purpose: Atmospheric disruption, engine kill
    • Detonates in an ion-kyromite burst, freezing turbines and atmospheric flow ports
    • Designed to force crash landings or stall turns
  • HV-HEIAP (High-Velocity High-Explosive Incendiary Armor Piercing):
    
    • Tungsten-core with baradium gel lining; punches light armor and explodes internally with incendiary splash.
    • Core: Depleted neutronium-tungsten
    • Liner: Conflagrine‑14 gel & baradium dust
    • Effect: Punches through ventral hull, explodes inside, sets internal compartments on fire
  • Plasma-Tipped Smart Shards:
    
    • Electrified impact tip; causes micro plasma arcs and subsystem interference on glancing hits or near-misses.
    • Core: Microcharged duranium core with plasma arcing tip
    • Sensor: Heuristic shrapnel dispersal if bolt ricochets
    • Effect: Sticks to surface on near-miss → bleeds electromagnetic discharge into subsystems
  • EMP-Flechette Hybrid:
    
    • Saboted flechette burst with internal ion surge; disables local systems upon hull penetration (short-range EMP spike).
    • Payload: A saboted 25mm round that splinters into baradium microflechettes, with an ion-surge detonator
    • Effect: Microflechettes embed into hull → short-range EMP surge → localized power outages
  • Deuterium-Shock Sabot:
    
    • Condensed deuterium-tipped round; causes micro fusion reaction and localized flare breach on impact.
    • Core: Condensed deuterium-tipped sabot
    • Fuse: Microgravity-triggered detonation
    • Effect: Small-scale fusion reaction on impact = localized hull flare + interior breach
  • Corvette Suppression Mix (Alternating Fire Cycle):
    
    • Mixed-load pattern of HEIAP, plasma, EMP, and sabot — optimized to overwhelm small ship defenses and punish hull exposure.
    • 2 rounds HV-HEIAP
    • 2 rounds Plasma Tip
    • 1 round EMP Flechette
    • 1 round Fusion Sabot

STRENGTHS

• Dreaded suppression: The brrrrt effect is intimidating and suppressive
• Perfect for corridors or fixed lines against boarding craft or fighters
• Rapid-fire swarm breaker: Excellent at intercepting enemy drone clouds
• Ammo versatility: Switch between slug, flechette, or EMP rounds
• Scalable deployment: From escort corvette to landing ship point-defense

WEAKNESSES

• Short range only: Not suited for contested mid- or long-range duels
• Ammo sprawl: High-volume fire requires frequent reloads or ammo support
• Heat cycles matter: Fierce fire must be managed to prevent jams
• Kinetic-only: No shield disruption—needs pairing with disruptors for full defense

DESCRIPTION
The Thunderbolt Mk II lives up to its name and then some. Its quad-barrel mount lets it eat through corridors of fighters and drones like they're stuck in a cyclone of solid steel. Think of it as the Commonwealth’s answer to insurgency: overwhelming suppressive fire and a battlefield soundtrack that says "back off or get shredded."

Special rounds let it flex:

API for light armor penetration

HE-F for swarms

EMP-FRAG for electronics denial

Deploy it in tri-barrel clusters across boarding ships, escort corvettes, or orbital bunkers. It won’t kill showships— but will ruin their boarding parties and drone formations in seconds.