Sundog

The primary body plans on earth - arthropods, quadropedal vertebrates, worms and radial animals - are dominant for only one reason: Pure chance. Those body plans survived the upheaval of the Cambrian Extinction Event. We have found numerous OTHER body plans in pre-extinction fossil beds- but they didn't live through it. Given it was pure luck that our body plan survived HERE, I don't think we can make ANY accurate guesses as to what any other environment might produce.

If it was an IT company, would that make it an Oafish Oarfish Orifice Online Office?

Low velocity flechettes would be my guess for defeating such devices. Of course, a layer of more conventional armour could defeat those...

Sound's about right. But remember that that version was only used in the Battle of Berlin, and previous models were not as impressive.

Are you sure you aren't thinking of the Krag-Jorgenson? That used a single side feed magazine, but it predated the Garand.

And still be awesome.

No, they're actually projectile firing weapons, coilguns. But they utilize the "mass effect" of the game's title - they use an eezo (Element Zero) core to reduce the projectile's mass to virtually nothing, accelerate it as fast as the coil will send a near-massless object, then once it;s outside the effect field of the eezo, it regains it's original mass - without slowing down. handgun and longarm versions aren't actually much more efficient than a regular rail or coilgun would be. Dreadnought-mounted spinal guns, on the other hand...

Given that, I'd actually call it +2OCV vs range modifiers.

Water effects could include a defensive suite - desolid (water-body flows around the attack) vs physical, enhanced DCV (water moves away from the attack), increased armor (how do you hurt water?) etc. You could also make a nice EB with it - double KB, Continuous (water cannon).

I'm not sure he hit the state...

Could have been any of a number of Eucalypts. They're all hardwoods, and remarkably tough. I'd suggest Jarrah because it has the property of being very workable while fresh, but hardening to a consistency that resists almost anything once it dries out. (The sleepers for much of the London Underground were originally made of Jarrah. Back in the 1980's they surveyed many of the lines, intending to replace them, as they were then about 120 years old. In most cases, they left the original sleepers in place - no rot, no damage, little wear!)

Tanfoglio isn't an English-Language first company, is it? Because if they deliberately named their gun the "Witness Hunter"...

Don't worry about making it out of metal - that would likely be too obvious. Instead, make it out of Jarrah wood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_marginata. All the durability and weight, but electrically resistant and a fine polished color too.

Take a leaf from Daredevil - include a grapple line and hook system for greater mobility.

It isn't the barrel tolerances as much as it's the blow-back or recoil operated mechanisms that make a semi-auto work. Too much pressure on small metal parts and springs and things can go very bung very quickly.

R is for Reaver?

According to the EU, the second Death Star rerouted the exhaust heat through hundreds of small ports over a large area - none larger than about a centimeter across. Get a Proton Torp down THOSE, space wizards!

Psychological Complication: Obedient/Terrified of Crimelord, (Uncommon. Strong) 10pts Psychological Complication: Code of Police (Common, Moderate) 10pts Distinctive Feature: Broken (Not Concealable, Causes Major Reaction, Detectable only by Telepathy/Psychological Analysis) 10pts Dependence: Painkillers (Easy to Obtain, 1d6 Damage + Weakness per Day, Addiction) 5pts

Yes. The Raiders also used the PIAT weapon on occasion - in both cases, the sheer cruddiness of Japanese armour allowed these (otherwise somewhat obsolete) devices to fulfill their original purpose.

Many bayonets were stamped out fast of not partcularly good steel. Simply put, it doesn't need to be all that sharp to slash or stab an uarmored human being.

Not sure about that one, Bubba. Steelheart has a lot of modern attitudes and concepts, for all the pulpy aspects of the setting.

You can throw the Sykes-Fairbairn, but the balance is a little off (slightly hilt-heavy) compared to dedicated throwing blades. On the other hand, most of those would be quite useless in a hand-to-hand fight.

Nice blade, but give me a Pattern 07 Bayonet every time. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/REL/07076.001

About halfway through Steelheart now. Enjoying it immensely (though i suspect I've already realized the central question's answer).