Approved Ranged Weapon VCH-12 "Ruinspool" Assault Chaingun

[VesperWorks]

VCH-12 "Ruinspool" ASSAULT CHAINGUN​

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent:To submit a powerful, rapid-fire high-explosive rotary chaingun for close-quarters ship-to-ship engagements, suitable for aggressive captains and close range-focused ships.
Image Source: MidJourney
Canon Link: N/A
Permissions: N/A
Primary Source: N/A

PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Vantablast Industries (Subsidiary of VesperWorks)
Affiliation: Vantablast Industries, VesperWorks, Project Vesper, Serina Calis, Atramentum
Market Status: Closed-Market
Model: VCH-12 "Ruinspool" Assault Chaingun
Modularity: No
Production: Minor
Material:

• Durasteel: The Ruinspool's primary structural framework and barrel housing are forged from industrial-grade durasteel, chosen for its universal availability, resistance to mechanical stress, and ability to withstand long-term exposure to explosive shock forces. Durasteel provides the necessary ruggedness to anchor the chaingun's rotary systems, while remaining serviceable for field maintenance and repairs. VesperWorks uses military-refined durasteel plating, reinforced along stress seams to delay fatigue under full-velocity cycling.
• Agrinium: A thin radiation-dampening layer of agrinium lines the inner breech housing and rear compartmental shielding. This reduces exposure to ionized gases and microplasma leakage from repeated shell detonations and coolant flashback. Agrinium was chosen for its non-conductive and anti-corrosive properties, preserving internal components and minimizing radiation bleed into nearby hull compartments.
• Phrik Mesh Tubing: Flexible phrik-woven mesh sleeves are used to encase the barrel jackets and ammunition feed conduits. Though rare, phrik is one of the few materials capable of withstanding plasma heat, frictional grinding, and physical sabotage, including lightsaber strikes. In the Ruinspool, its use ensures that vital feed lines and coolant tubing remain operational under direct fire, even during hull breaches or boarding engagements.
• Neutronium Alloy Bearings and Torque Ring: The central rotary assembly and inner core mount utilize neutronium-alloy bearings—an ultra-dense material commonly used in capital ship armor or structural cores. These stabilize the massive rotating quad-barrel system, allowing it to spin up without destabilizing the mounting platform. Neutronium alloy's immense inertia resistance keeps the weapon from tearing itself apart under full cyclic fire.
• Plasteel: Secondary housings, modular maintenance plates, and ejection covers are made of plasteel, a lighter, blast-resistant alloy that offers mild protection from spall and secondary explosions without weighing down the turret structure. Its flexibility and ease of replacement make it the material of choice for surface-access panels and outer shell guards.
• Thermoguard Gel Reservoir: Integrated throughout the barrel core and housing vents are pressurized nano-reflex gel cells, a next-generation thermal control compound adapted from starfighter plasma venting systems. This material rapidly absorbs and dissipates kinetic heat into vapor plumes, allowing the Ruinspool to fire longer and recover faster than traditional autocannons. The gel is recycled through a micro-cycling system during cooldown, making the weapon highly efficient despite its brutal thermal output.
• Fiberplast Wiring: The weapon's internal logic relays, power routing nodes, and coolant controls use fiberplast-insulated conduits, which are non-conductive, flame-resistant, and resilient against battlefield EMP shockwaves. While the Ruinspool is largely mechanical in function, it includes smart-system safeties to prevent overheating and autoloader misfires—all wired through hardened fiberplast sheaths to survive in combat-critical conditions.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Classification: Slugthrower (Rotary High-Explosive Chaingun)
Size: Very Large
Weight: Very Heavy
Ammunition Type: Cased High-Explosive Shaped-Charge Rounds
Ammunition Capacity: Very Large (250+ rounds per internal feed unit)
Effective Range: Average
Rate of Fire: Extremely High
Damage Output: High
Recoil: High

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Quad-Barrel Rotary Configuration (Counter-Rotational Stabilization):
  The Ruinspool's four rotating barrels are mounted on a neutronium-core drive ring, each cycling independently on a counter-balanced spin system. This reduces rotational wobble during continuous fire, enabling a smoother stream of high-explosive shells even at maximum velocity. The result is a weapon that can sustain a torrent of fire while minimizing misalignment or recoil buckling—vital for close-range saturation.
• Powered Feed & Ejector System:
  A belt-driven ammunition feed powered by a micro-turbine system continuously cycles rounds from a high-capacity drum into the autoloader. Ejected shell casings are shunted into rear-mounted dispersion ports, preventing overheating or jamming in the feed mechanism. This powered cycling allows the weapon to maintain fire under stress and continue operation even in low-gravity, zero-atmosphere conditions.
• Integrated Nano-Cooling Barrel Jacket:
  Each barrel is sheathed in a nano-reflex thermal gel sleeve, which actively wicks heat through a microchannel system during sustained firing. This system prevents cook-off and barrel deformation, and is programmed to trigger a full-cycle coolant flush when sensors detect thermal creep. While visible venting may compromise stealth, it ensures continuous operability in prolonged engagements.
• Shaped-Charge High-Explosive Ammunition Compatibility:
  The Ruinspool is designed specifically for shaped charge kinetic rounds that detonate milliseconds after hull contact, forcing internal overpressure and localized structural collapse. These are particularly effective against medium armor, weapon mounts, and subsystem cluster points. The fire control system recognizes munition type and adjusts fuse timing automatically.
• Armor-Melter Fuze System:
  Advanced munitions supported by the VCH-12 include delayed-penetration fuze logic, allowing each shell to embed a short distance before detonation. This significantly increases internal damage potential on thin- and mid-grade hulls, effectively melting through outer plating and delivering explosive payloads to inner compartments.
• Emergency Vent Override System:
  In the event of coolant cycle failure or power surge, the chaingun features an automated vent override. Blast shutters open along the barrel spine, allowing compressed heat vapor to escape in a single burst. While this renders the weapon temporarily offline, it prevents catastrophic barrel fusion or magazine explosion, buying time for repair crews.
• Shell Arc Control Lever:
  A mechanical lever system at the rear of the turret allows the operator to adjust barrel elevation through set notches, each corresponding to a basic engagement envelope. Though crude, it enables experienced crews to bracket targets over cover, station geometry, or battlefield debris with shocking accuracy—provided they're willing to calculate manually.
• Hardpoint Compatible with Fleetlink™ Targeting Suite::
  Designed to sync with VesperWorks' proprietary Fleetlink™ fire control system, the Ruinspool receives real-time targeting telemetry, priority tagging, and suppression order overlays. When installed on VESPER-commanded vessels, the gun can function as part of a coordinated kill network—funneling firepower against high-priority threats without manual retargeting.
• Barrel Sync Regulator (Mechanical Rhythm Compensator):
  A hidden gem of engineering, the Ruinspool includes a mechanical sync regulator that listens to micro-variations in rotation torque and adjusts firing pulses accordingly. This allows for rhythmic fire modulation, reducing stress on the loader arms and extending the barrel's operational lifespan. To the trained ear, the Ruinspool "sings" when firing properly—a staccato growl that signals everything is aligned.
• Drum Capacity Monitoring System (Manual):
  An analog display with a mechanical ticker dial shows remaining ammunition in the loaded drum. This feature is intentionally non-digital to ensure function under ion interference or battlefield jamming, though it requires trained crew to monitor and predict reload windows mid-combat.
• Shell Detonation Safeguards (Failsafe Fuse Scrub):
  If an unfired round becomes stuck in the chamber, the weapon's fuse scrub system deactivates the warhead to prevent chamber detonation during barrel clearing. This system only functions if the weapon remains powered, further emphasizing the importance of coolant flow and onboard stability.

STRENGTHS

• Devastating Rate of Fire – A Torrent of Explosive Force:
  The Ruinspool is one of the most aggressive weapons in the VesperWorks catalog, with an extremely high cyclic rate that turns it into a ship-scale buzzsaw. Once engaged, the quad-barrel assembly unleashes a continuous stream of high-explosive shaped-charge shells, saturating the immediate battlefield with kinetic fury. It is not a precision weapon—it is a force multiplier that relies on volume, not finesse. The effect is psychologically as well as tactically devastating; most captains who face a Ruinspool up close don't survive the encounter long enough to register what hit them. In dense fleet combat or during boarding support, the gun's raw output makes it a dominance tool, silencing smaller vessels and tearing through exposed flanks before return fire can be organized.
• Integrated Nano-Cooling – Fires Longer, Fights Harder:
  Unlike most rotary autocannons, which burn out barrels or jam after sustained use, the Ruinspool is equipped with an advanced nano-reflex cooling system embedded directly into the barrel sleeves. This allows it to maintain high-volume fire far beyond standard operating durations without seizing up or overheating. The system cycles thermal energy into vapor exhaust and reflexively adjusts coolant flow in real time, giving commanders the confidence to maintain suppressive fire during prolonged assaults or hull breaches. In close-quarters combat, where seconds matter, this ability to fire continuously without pause gives Ruinspool-equipped ships an overwhelming edge.
• Shaped-Charge Round Optimization – Armor Disruption at Point Blank:
  Each shell fired by the Ruinspool is optimized for shaped-charge detonation, meaning the warhead is engineered to focus explosive force in a single penetrative direction, rather than in a wide blast radius. This makes the weapon incredibly effective at cracking light to medium armor plating, especially at close range where the shell's full velocity and force can be delivered before dispersion occurs. These rounds don't just damage ships—they rupture bulkheads, compromise reactor shielding, and shred internal systems. Against shield-drained enemies, the Ruinspool is a surgical weapon of brutality, erasing ship sections in seconds.
• Extended Engagement Capacity – Suppression Without Pause:
  The Ruinspool's powered feed system and oversized drum magazine allow it to maintain a near-unbroken rate of fire for an extended period. This is particularly valuable during boarding actions, interdiction runs, or breaching operations, where the ability to suppress enemy defenses is paramount. While other weapons may need to stagger bursts or undergo frequent reloads, the Ruinspool keeps firing—pinning enemies behind cover, destroying turret emplacements, and overwhelming reactive shields through brute volume. This extended capacity also allows it to function as a deterrent on patrol routes or as a suppression tool during area denial maneuvers.
• Psychological Weapon – A Gun That Terrifies:
  There is a uniquely terrifying sound to the Ruinspool: a low, churning growl that rises to a thunderous mechanical scream as the barrels spin up. It is a sound of inevitability—a weapon designed not to warn, but to declare. Ships outfitted with Ruinspools are feared in close-range skirmishes, not because of exotic design or sleek technology, but because they announce their intent without ambiguity. The gun becomes a character in battle, its distinctive rhythm a signal that subtlety has been abandoned. For captains who understand the value of fear as a weapon, the Ruinspool is an amplifier of presence.
• Fleetlink™ Integration – Coordinated Kill Efficiency:
  When linked into the VesperWorks Fleetlink™ command suite, the Ruinspool becomes more than a standalone weapon—it becomes a node in a coordinated firestorm. Fleetlink enables real-time targeting data, adaptive suppression targeting, and priority focus routines across multiple units. This allows Ruinspools across a battle group to synchronize fire on exposed or weakened systems, coordinating turret angles and barrage windows with almost no delay. The result is systematic, overwhelming localized firepower, often overwhelming defensive crews before they can react. It's a symphony of saturation—conducted by code, executed by fire.

WEAKNESSES

• Poor Turret Rotation Speed – The Price of Weight and Power:
  Despite its devastating close-range effectiveness, the Ruinspool suffers from severe turret traversal limitations. The weapon's immense mass, combined with the lack of a standardized Vantablast governor module, causes notably sluggish horizontal and vertical rotation speeds, especially on ships with standard or budget-grade rotator mounts. This makes the weapon difficult to aim quickly, particularly against fast-moving targets or those crossing lateral arcs. Captains must often manually maneuver their entire ship to bring the gun to bear—a dangerous tactical restriction in dynamic, fast-paced fleet engagements.
• Short Effective Range – Death Up Close, Irrelevant at Distance
  Designed as a brutal short-range brawling weapon, the Ruinspool rapidly loses effectiveness beyond medium engagement envelopes. Its shaped-charge shells suffer from dispersion, velocity loss, and inaccuracy at longer ranges, and its rotary system isn't built for sniping or precision bombardment. In a traditional broadside engagement or long-distance fleet maneuver, the Ruinspool becomes dead weight, unable to contribute meaningfully until the enemy closes the gap—or is foolish enough to be caught.
• High Recoil – Stress on Mountings and Structural Bracing:
  The Ruinspool's sheer output generates tremendous torque and mechanical recoil, especially during prolonged fire. This places constant stress on the gun's mounting brackets, recoil dampeners, and the surrounding superstructure of the host ship. Over time, this can lead to bracing fatigue, hull microfractures, or alignment drift, particularly on ships not designed with internal reinforcement for such a weapon. Without regular maintenance and recalibration, accuracy may degrade—and in worst-case scenarios, the weapon may damage its own housing during sustained fire.
• Thermal Signature – Impossible to Hide:
  Even with its integrated nano-cooling system, the Ruinspool vents significant heat during use. Every barrel cycle creates a visible vapor plume and a detectable infrared signature, compromising any attempt at stealth, emissions control, or passive sensor evasion. This makes it completely unsuitable for covert operations, ambush deployments, or low-observable patrols. The moment it fires, the ship might as well light a flare in the void.
• Overheat Cascade Risk – High-Reward, High-Risk Engineering:
  While the Ruinspool's thermal system is advanced, it is also delicate and tightly wound. In the event of coolant loss, damage to the nano-gel reservoir, or improper vent cycling, the gun can enter a thermal cascade state, locking barrels mid-spin and potentially igniting ammunition still inside the chamber. Without emergency vent override or auto-disconnect systems, this can result in internal explosions, ammo cook-off, or turret destruction, disabling the weapon or crippling the host ship in the middle of combat.
• High Maintenance Demands – A Hungry Machine:
  The Ruinspool's complexity comes at a cost: it requires frequent inspection, realignment, and part replacement to maintain peak performance. Its cooling channels must be flushed. Its feed system recalibrated. Its recoil systems retuned after extended use. Crews must be specially trained in VesperWorks maintenance doctrine, and spare parts are not commonly available on the open market. In long campaigns or on unsupported deployments, the Ruinspool may degrade to suboptimal performance—or fail completely if neglected.
• Ammo Consumption – Brutality Isn't Cheap:
  The Ruinspool burns through ammunition at an alarming rate, with every extended engagement depleting reserves rapidly. A single firefight can empty an entire drum magazine, leaving the ship vulnerable during reloads—or entirely disarmed if spare munitions aren't available. Logistics crews must plan around the weapon's appetite, and ships carrying Ruinspools often dedicate substantial hold space to spare shells. Without a well-stocked cargo bay or access to rearmament docks, the Ruinspool is a finite beast—a lion that runs out of teeth.

DESCRIPTION

The VCH-12 "Ruinspool" Assault Chaingun is a weapon of singular philosophy—domination through saturation. Developed by Vantablast Industries under the auspices of Project: Vesper, it was never meant to be elegant, efficient, or versatile. It was meant to end fights quickly, violently, and up close.

Where most ship-grade weapons strive for balance, adaptability, or precision, the Ruinspool is unapologetically one-dimensional. Its quad-barrel rotary system delivers a continuous storm of high-explosive shaped-charge shells, each engineered not just to hit, but to drill, melt, and annihilate. The fire rate is obscene. The noise is deafening. The recoil is seismic. But the result—the wholesale unmaking of enemy ships within close proximity—is indisputable. Against light corvettes, escorts, or exposed flanks of larger vessels, a single sustained burst can reduce armor plating to slag and force internal overpressure collapses in seconds.

The weapon was originally commissioned in response to repeated failures of traditional turbolasers in dense, point-blank fleet skirmishes, where tracking data degraded, target acquisition lagged, and precision systems overloaded. VesperWorks' answer was not to refine those technologies—it was to abandon them entirely. The Ruinspool would not aim. It would not think. It would brute-force its way through space like a circular saw through sheet metal.

But that power comes at a cost. The weapon's sheer mass makes it nearly impossible to rotate quickly, often requiring ships to pivot their entire hulls to track fast-moving targets. Its thermal footprint is massive, making it impossible to hide. If its cooling system fails—or is sabotaged—the resulting thermal cascade can cripple or detonate the entire turret housing. And its appetite for ammunition is legendary, with most ships burning through drum after drum in a single engagement. It is not a weapon you bring unless you intend to end the fight—or die trying.

And yet, it is loved.

Among "melee captains"—those rare commanders who favor close-range, high-risk tactics—the Ruinspool has become a badge of honor. To operate one effectively is to embrace chaos. To run one flawlessly is to bend that chaos to your will. Vessels that carry it are feared not for their class or their armor, but because their intent is known the moment the barrels start spinning: they are coming closer. They are not going to miss. And they are not going to stop.

The Ruinspool is not a standard armament. It is a philosophy made manifest, a challenge to the distant warships of the galaxy, and the promise of pain delivered in high-velocity increments. In the cold doctrine of VesperWorks, it has only one designation:

Clear everything in front of it. Leave nothing behind.

 

[Delsin Shaw]

VesperWorks

Approved