Submachine gun
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| |
|---|---|
| Name | submachine gun |
| Appearance | submachine gun |
| Damage vs. small | 1d2 |
| Damage vs. large | 1d2 |
| To-hit bonus | -1 |
| Weapon skill | firearms |
| Size | one-handed |
| Base price | 250 zm (+10/positive enchant) |
| Weight | 25 |
| Material | iron |
A submachine gun is a firearm introduced in SLASH'EM. It is often found on soldiers and their senior officers. It is one-handed and fires bullets.
Select fire
A submachine gun is set on fully automatic mode by default, but can be set to burst mode (rate of fire cut to 1/3) or single-shot mode by applying it.
Rate of fire
In fully automatic mode, the submachine gun's rate of fire depends on its enchantment and skill of the user.
| Enchantment | Unskilled/basic | Skilled | Expert |
|---|---|---|---|
| -7 to -6 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| -5 to -3 | 3 | 3 | 1d2+2 |
| -2 to +2 | 3 | 1d2+2 | 1d3+2 |
| +3 to +5 | 1d2+2 | 1d3+2 | 1d4+2 |
| +6 to +8 | 1d3+2 | 1d4+2 | 1d5+2 |
| +9 | 1d4+2 | 1d5+2 | 1d6+2 |
Generation
Submachine guns are found on 50% of soldiers and 50% of lieutenants, making them the most common firearm.
Strategy
While the submachine gun is a good firearm, with its light weight, one-handedness, and good rate of fire, there is little reason to choose one over an assault rifle. The weight difference (15) is insignificant, the better accuracy matters little (becoming even smaller if you enchant your bullets and gun) and the the assault rifle's superior rate of fire means that it is typically dealing (at least) 50% more damage per turn than a submachine gun. One of the best uses of a firearm is to take out high-HP covetous monsters before they can warp away or flee up the stairs, and for that one wants as high damage per turn as possible.
Origin
Submachine guns were originally developed as a "trench sweeper" during World War I: a small automatic weapon that could deliver a hail of fire in close-quarters fighting in trenches. They usually fire pistol rounds, and have a magazine that often (but not always) acts as a foregrip. They typically have a folding buttstock. An iconic example of a submachine gun is the Uzi.
While submachine guns saw common use during both World Wars, they have largely been supplanted by assault rifles in modern armies. They are still used by police and special forces who expect to engage in close-quarters combat, as their size makes them easier to handle than assault rifles in such circumstances, and their low-power rounds are less likely to penetrate walls and cause collateral damage.
