®

CONTENTS
& CREDITS
Introduction...........................................................5 The Art of Awakened Unarmed Combat ........................ 26
Flowing Through Combat.....................................................27
SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYes............................. 6 Fists and Fingers..................................................................27
Fighting the Other Side .......................................................28
when peace isn’t an option.................... 10
Flow Enhancers ...................................................................28
The Art of Bloodshed...................................................... 11
Thoughts on Implanted Weapons....................................... 29
Various Styles of the Belligerent Arts.............................12
Game Information: New Weapons and Gear................... 30
Gangers/Criminals/Street Filth........................................... 13
Krime Gloves....................................................................... 30
Law Enforcement................................................................. 13
Cyber Canines...................................................................... 31
Corporate Security...............................................................14
Densiplast Reinforcement................................................... 31
Private Military and Mercs..................................................14
Ergonomic Optimization...................................................... 31
Regular Military................................................................... 15
New Edge Actions.......................................................... 32
Street Samurai and other Shadowrunners..........................16
C-Clamp................................................................................32
Fight or Flight.................................................................17
Escort Hold..........................................................................32
Fight..................................................................................... 17
Feint and Strike....................................................................32
Flight.................................................................................... 17
Haymaker.............................................................................32
Combat in the Post-Disian Shadow War..........................18
Joint Lock.............................................................................32
Fighting in the Shadows......................................................18
Fighting And the Military .................................................... 21 Knee Targeting.....................................................................32
Nerd Slap.............................................................................32
registered as a lethal weapon..... 23 Nose Strike...........................................................................32
Going Hands-On............................................................. 23 See It Coming.......................................................................33
What’s Your Style?...............................................................24 Shin Rake.............................................................................33

CONTENTS & CREDITS // 

bleeders and bone breakers.............. 34 Spilling Into the Shadows....................................................78
Welcome to Extreme Cyberweapons.............................. 34 Select Military Breakdowns........................................... 79
Hotmodded Cyberweapons: Aztlan...................................................................................79
What Are They and Are They Safe? .....................................35 California Free State............................................................79 3
Other Cyberweapon Enhancements .................................. 36 Confederated American States (CAS)................................. 80

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Polearm Dancing and Other Weapons........................... 37 EuroForce............................................................................ 80
Definition of a Polearm........................................................37 Japanese Imperial State......................................................81
Varieties of Polearm............................................................37 United Canadian and American States (UCAS)....................82
Why Polearms?................................................................... 39
The Polearm Perfected........................................................41 force projection (for profit)............. 84
More Exotic Weaponry.........................................................41 Twenty-First Independent Ranger Division....................84
Game Rules: Extreme Cyberweapons and Hotmods.......44 History................................................................................ 84
What is a Hotmod?.............................................................. 44 Order of Battle.....................................................................85
Extreme Cybernetic Weapon Features............................... 44 As a Corporation................................................................. 88
Extreme Cyberweapon Enhancements............................... 45 Current Deployments.......................................................... 88
Optional Rules for Exotic weapons..................................... 45 Free Marine Corps......................................................... 88
Game Information: Polearms............................................. 47 History ............................................................................... 89
New Martial Arts: Polearms............................................... 48 Combat Capabilities............................................................ 90
New Martial Arts Techniques.............................................. 48 Hellcats......................................................................... 92
Fields of Fire........................................................................92
sending it downrange................................ 49 Operating Theaters..............................................................93
The Weapons Locker...................................................... 50 Active Deployments.............................................................93
Conventional Small Arms: New for Desert Wars 2083....... 50 Future Operations................................................................93
Conventional Heavy Weapons.........................................51 The Iron Cavalry............................................................ 93
Machine Guns.......................................................................52 History.................................................................................93
Miniguns and Electric Gatling Guns ................................53 Order of Battle.................................................................... 95
Assault Cannons..................................................................53
Mobile Eingreiftruppe 2000 (MET2000)........................ 97
Chemical Weapons: Flamethrowers................................ 55 MET: The Full Story..............................................................97
Ares Inferno.........................................................................55
Order of Battle ................................................................. 100
Launch Weapons........................................................... 55
MET2000 as a Corporation................................................ 101
Grenade Launchers .........................................................55
Steel Storm..................................................................102
Rocket Launchers ........................................................... 56
What’s an ACR?..................................................................102
Mortars................................................................................59
Toys and Tools....................................................................103
New Weapon Tech: Railguns..........................................60
Service Vehicles.................................................................105
Terracotta Arms Ferrus Series ........................................... 60
Anatomy of the Storm.......................................................106
New Weapon Tech: Linear Kinetic Cannons .................61
Tsunami Inc................................................................. 108
New Weapon Tech: Small Arms Laser Weapons............. 62
History...............................................................................109
Ares Fire-Line Series............................................................62
Corporate Structure........................................................... 110
New Weapon Mods........................................................ 63
The Divisions.......................................................................113
New Drones................................................................... 65
Aztechnology Centipede..................................................... 65 frag orders......................................................... 116
Evo Nightwing..................................................................... 66 Subject: J3 Joint Operations Brief -
Renraku Kitsune................................................................. 66 Unconventional Warfare............................................... 116
Game Rules: Mil-Spec Comm Systems............................ 67 Fundamentals and Context of Unconventional Warfare.....117
Mil-Spec C3 Networks..........................................................67 Rules of Engagement......................................................... 119
Rampart Protocols ..............................................................67 Command and Control.......................................................120
Mil-Spec Comm Nodes........................................................ 68 Mission Types and Tradecraft ........................................... 122
Mil-Spec Commlinks ........................................................... 68 Subject: J7 Joint Magical Warfare Brief -
M-TOC Fob........................................................................... 68 That Old Black Magic....................................................124
New M-Toc Apps............................................................. 68 Subject: J6 Joint Communications Brief -
Hopper................................................................................ 68 Breaking the Chain.......................................................126
Flicker................................................................................. 69 Subject: J2 Joint Intelligence Brief - Know Before You Go....127
Subject: J4 Joint Logistics Brief - What Do You Need....128
playing in the sandbox.............................. 70 Game Information: Sixth World Warfare Considerations.... 129
Suggestions For Missions and Objectives..........................130
a new state of warfare.......................... 74 New Qualities .....................................................................131
Peace Through Superior Firepower?.............................. 74
Having the Biggest Stick......................................................75 mil-spec mayhem............................................ 132
Global Significance..............................................................76 Walking Vehicles........................................................... 132

 // CONTENTS & CREDITS

 Ares Model 301 “Shadowdancer” CVW.............................. 132 Bridge Layer (Manipulation)..............................................166
Ares Model 502 “Shadow Strider” CVW............................. 133 Dead Weight (Manipulation)..............................................166
Wheeled Vehicles......................................................... 133 Designate Target, a.k.a. “Frag That Guy” (Detection).......166
4 BAE Archer III high mobility artillery system.................... 133 Dirt Wave (Combat)............................................................ 167
BAE Bondsman Ammo Drone ........................................... 133 Earthworks (Manipulation)................................................ 167
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Hua Tuo MASH Vehicle ......................................................134 Emergency Stretcher(Manipulation).................................168

Otokar Jamal .....................................................................134 Fog of War (illusion)...........................................................168
Renraku Omukade.............................................................134 Forced March (Manipulation) ........................................168
Tracked Vehicles .......................................................... 135 Gale Force (Manipulation).................................................168
Ares-GD Vicksburg............................................................. 135 IFF (Detection)...................................................................168
CV 98-M “Devil Rat” APC................................................... 135 Practical Camouflage (Manipulation)................................169
Dassault Shadowstriker ....................................................136 Pit Trap (Manipulation)......................................................169
GMC Transcendent C3 Network Node/Drone Carrier.........136 Say Again (Health).............................................................169
Krupp 04-16 “Lamplighter” MLRS ....................................136 Sound Barrier (Manipulation) .......................................169
Ruhrmetall MA-220 “Groundshaker” Starlight Sight (Detection).................................................169
SPG 203 millimeter Howitzer............................................. 137 Treacherous Path (Manipulation)......................................169
Main Battle Tanks ........................................................ 137 Tyee! (Manipulation)..........................................................170
GD-CAS Stonewall-A8 MBT................................................. 137 Tactical Grimoire: Adept Powers..................................170
Rumors and Ghosts......................................................138 New Metamagics ............................................................... 172
Sukhoi-Evo SU-74 Sokol.....................................................138 Combat Rituals................................................................... 173
Saeder-Krupp Cyclops........................................................138
GTI Anubis Stealth Grav-Ship.............................................139 best of the rest.............................................174
Vehicle Mounted Weapons............................................139 New Armor and Protection...........................................174
Automatic Assault Cannons (AACs) Chain Guns................139 Ares Armored Survivalist................................................... 174
Multi Barrel Rotary Assault Cannons (RACs).....................140 Armored Backpack............................................................ 174
Smoothbore Cannons a.k.a. Tank Guns.............................140 Body Armor Bag................................................................. 175
Gun Artillery...................................................................... 141 Ghillie Suit.......................................................................... 175
Vehicle Mortars.................................................................. 141 Pneumatic Anti-Shock Garments (PAG) ............................ 175
S.O.L.D.I.E.R....................................................................... 175
Linear Kinetics / Railguns.................................................. 141
Armor Accessories and Modifications...........................176
Energy Weapons/Vehicle Lasers........................................ 141
Flotation Collar.................................................................. 176
Chemical Weapons.......................................................142
Groin Protection Panel...................................................... 176
Ares Hellfire.......................................................................142
ParaPlate ....................................................................... 176
Rocket and Missile Launchers........................................... 143
Quick Release..................................................................... 176
Naval Weapons.............................................................145
Medical Drones.............................................................176
Casemates and Turrets......................................................145
Ares Medical Assistant and Intervention Drone (MAID).... 176
Autocannons......................................................................146
Evo Orderly........................................................................ 177
AACs and RACs................................................................... 147 Renraku Attendant (RA).................................................... 177
VLS Cells and Missile Defense............................................ 147 Medical Drugs ..........................................................178
Laser Weapons................................................................... 147 Crash Plus.......................................................................... 178
Naval Guns......................................................................... 147 Cryo.................................................................................... 178
Linear Kinetics...................................................................148 Hemosynth......................................................................... 178
New Game Rules: Advanced Combat Options............... 149 Neostigmine....................................................................... 178
Mil-Spec Mod Rules............................................................149 Ondansetron ..................................................................... 179
New Vehicle Mods .............................................................149 Wraith Paint....................................................................... 179
Mil-Spec Design Options....................................................150 Medical Equipment/Gear............................................. 180
Advanced Weapon Rules.................................................... 152 Artificial Skin.....................................................................180
Advanced Attacks Against Vehicles...............................158 DocWagon HemoStatiX Dressing.......................................180
Vehicle Defense Summary................................................. 158 GE Statscan ...................................................................180
Called Shots to Systems or Weapons ................................ 158 Medkits..............................................................................180
Mage Pen .......................................................................180
mystical force multipliers................ 160 Monofilament Induction Tourniquet (MIT)........................ 181
War Magic 101.............................................................. 161 Valkyrie Module: MilSpec Version..................................... 181
What is War Magic?............................................................ 161 Valkyrie Pack..................................................................... 181
Magicians in Military Units................................................ 162 Vasotech Autoinjection Gun............................................... 181
Specialist Gear: Foci...........................................................164 Vasotech Rapid Infuser...................................................... 182
Tactical Grimoire: Spells.............................................. 166 Medical Spells ..............................................................182
Aerial Flare (Manipulation) ...........................................166 Medical Facilities..........................................................182
Astral Flare (Detection).....................................................166 Game Rules for Medical Facilities...................................... 183

CONTENTS & CREDITS // 

 Introduction
For such a complex endeavor, the word combat well as serving as an armory describing new and
exotic melee weapons.
5
has a relatively simple definition: a fight or contest
between individuals or groups. And like everything Sending it Downrange talks about guns, guns,

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

else in the Sixth World, combat is far from sim- and more (bigger) guns! Not much else to say ex-
ple. Even in the dirty, neon-lit streets of any given cept lock and load.
sprawl to the chaotic battlefields at any number of A New State of Warfare ventures into mil-spec
hot spots across the globe, combat is just as much territory by discussing the state of various national
an art as it is a science. While many think they’ve militaries in the wake of the Disian Shadow War
cracked this particular code and knows what it and the role they play in current events.
takes to be a warrior, there’s always something that Force Projection (For Profit) discusses the cur-
comes along that completely changes the rules. Be- rent status and capabilities of the most mercenary
cause no matter how good someone is, no matter companies in the Sixth World.
what weapons and gear they’re packing there’s al- Frag Orders is all about how to integrate basic
ways someone out there who is better skilled, bet- military tactics as well as mil-spec weapons and
ter equipped, or maybe just luckier. larger-scale units such as battle tanks, military air-
Deadly Arts takes a hard look at some of the craft, and even naval vessels into a combat scenar-
newest, bleeding edge combat advancements the io without becoming (too) overpowering.
Sixth World has to offer as well as featuring some Mil-Spec Mayhem takes the idea of modern Sixth
of its deadliest warriors. Because one can never World weaponry and kicks it up several notches by
truly anticipate who or what they’re going to en- featuring weapons, ordinance, and countermea-
counter where the shadows are the darkest. sures for use on mil-spec vehicles (mostly). These
When Peace Isn’t an Option discusses different include updates of classic weapons such as vehicle
styles of combat, philosophies, and tactics as well lasers, autocannons and miniguns, as well as a host
as the difference between a professional soldier, a of rockets, missiles, and other ordinance.
street samurai, a ganger, and when to fight … or Mystical Force Multipliers is all about new
when to run. magics being developed and deployed by military
Registered as Lethal Weapons is the spot for and paramilitary forces as well as how best to use
anything strictly hand-to-hand, and why going magical assets as force multipliers.
hands-on still matters in an age of magic, augmen- Finally, Made by the Lowest Bidder is a catch
tations, and smartguns. all for anything else a modern warrior may need on
Bleeders and Bone Breakers talks about the lat- the battlefield. This includes new armor, accessories,
est in melee combat weaponry and discusses the field repair kits for vehicles, communications gear,
philosophies, tactics, and utility behind them as and most importantly medical equipment.

CREDITS
Writing: Jerrick “Chopper” Black, Jim Greene, J. Keith Henry, Francis Jose, Interior Art: Paola Andreatta, Bruno Balixa, Marie Baumgarten, Jori Bolton, Ben
Jim Houston, Alex “Grendel” Lamb, Adam Large, Sasha Morlok, Louis Ray, Jon Giletti, Jack Hoyle, Gareth Keenan, Lukasz Matuszek, Victor Manuel Leza Moreno,
Sakuma, RJ Thomas, Bryan Young Steve Palenica, Marco Pennacchietti, Chris Peuler, Colby Richards, Júlio Rocha,
Ron Sanders, Andreas “AAS” Schroth, Brenton Smith, Anselm Zielonka
Proofing and Playtesting: Mason Hart, J. Keith Henry, Curtis Montgomery,
Louis Ray, Robert Volbrecht, Jeremy Weyland Design and Production: Nick Woods, Matt “Apex Predator” Heerdt

Senior Art Director: Brent Evans Shadowrun Line Developer: RJ Thomas

Shadowrun Art Director: Ian King RPG Creative Director: Jason M. Hardy

Cover Art: Lyss Menold

© 2025 The Topps Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Shadowrun and Matrix FIND US ONLINE:
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InMediaRes Productions, LLC.

First Printing by Catalyst Game Labs,

an imprint of InMediaRes Productions, LLC
5003 Main St. #110,
Tacoma, WA 98407
 // CONTENTS & CREDITS
 SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES
By Bryan Young boxer too heavy to compete. His nose looked so
repeatedly broken that he looked like a troll. He
I was in too much of a hurry to get to the meet with wore pretty standard street clothes—nondescript
Mr. Johnson and almost didn’t notice him tailing me. for a neighborhood like this. He bore no sign of any
But I caught a glimpse of him, reflected on the inside obvious enhancements, but not all enhancements
of my smartglasses. It’s an old trick: mirrored edges were obvious. He wouldn’t have been able to
so I could see anyone coming up on my six. tell by looking at me that my arms and legs were
Sometimes the old tricks worked best. bleeding-edge augmentations, nor could he detect
I gripped the hilt of my sword, hidden inside my black the dermal plates and bone lacing under my skin.
synthleather trench coat, and wondered if I’d have to use What you don’t know on the streets will get
it. He’d been following me for a while, and I didn’t want you killed.
to get sucked into a fight or street brawl. I had places to Making two different random turns down the
be, and tardiness could cost me a lot of nuyen. street, I confirmed he was following me.
I increased my pace, wanting to gauge what my I really didn’t have time for this drek.
follower would do. If a person knew me and my It was dark. Maybe he didn’t realize I was a
reputation, they wouldn’t be foolish enough to tail street samurai, as ready to sever limbs from his
me, let alone start anything. But maybe they were body as look at him if I had to. That’s just the way
simply ignorant street scum looking to score some life was in the sprawl.
quick nuyen via old-fashioned mugging. Gutsy Looking down the neon-drenched street, I
move on these streets, because you never knew eyed possible escape routes. The only place to
what someone was packing. fade away was a narrow alleyway across the
But sometimes people were desperate, stupid, street and ahead to the left. Crossing the street
or both. casually, I glanced back hoping to get a better
Like me, he was human, but taller, and he look at Mr. Tail, but he’d paused at the street
had the pronounced features of a heavyweight corner to watch me.

DEADLY ARTS // SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES

 The alley entrance was bathed in electric pink I sighed. I didn’t have time for this.
light spilling down from a bar’s flashing sign. The Using the edges of my glasses to again look
neon letters “The 16 Bit” were writ in an ancient, behind me, I then saw two more figures enter
blocky font. Some sort of dead nostalgia kitsch. farther down the alleyway. Standing there with
Waiting for a group of street folks to walk drek-eating grins on their faces was a troll and
by, I used them as cover and ducked into the another low-rent human, this one a lot smaller
alley. Dashing around the corner, I hoped that I’d than Mr. Tail. Both wore flashy street clothes and
confused Mr. Tail enough that he’d decide to find walked toward me with a purpose in their steps.
another mark. “Sonja Smokescreen?” the troll growled.
I glanced down the length of dark alleyway— Frag. They knew me.
bricks and shadows—and saw nothing but piles of It was an ambush. I should have known and
garbage and rot from the local businesses lining gotten out of there.
either side. They corralled me into the ally, a big mistake
A cat suddenly screeched at me. on their part. I spun on my heels to face them and
Turning back to check if Mr. Tail was still in one smooth motion, drew my sword and took a
following me, the hairs on the back of my neck defensive stance. “You’d best stop right there,” I said.
stood up. Yeah, something was definitely wrong. Against this troll and his pipsqueak of a sidekick,
An ARO in my smartglasses suddenly opened in and with their other compatriot somewhere
my field of vision and tagged Mr. Tail as he came behind me, I probably didn’t seem like too much
down the alley. The ARO zoomed in, and I got a of a threat.
better look at him. Still no significant marks, other That was going to be their mistake.
than the busted nose. He looked like he was in They kept edging toward me, bearing knives
his mid-forties and had black hair with blue eyes, and smiles, but I still had tricks up my sleeve.
while his complexion suggested a Central American With a quick motion, I used my off-hand to toss
heritage. I didn’t need any vision enhancements to a grenade filled with Seven-7 behind me. A potent
tell me the sneer on his face meant trouble. little cocktail, it would induce physical harm,
I then detected movement behind me, and my blindness, and nausea to any slag unlucky enough
suspicions were confirmed … again. to come in contact with it. Odorless and colorless,

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES // DEADLY ARTS

 it would create a buffer behind me in case Mr. Tail into flinching. They backed up another step, closer
came back. Maybe they wouldn’t notice when I to the gas cloud.
circled them quickly; maybe I could get them to “What do you want me for?” Maybe I could
8 back up into the cloud of pain. It was a long shot, distract them into talking more and buying myself
but worth a try. some more time. Or maybe I could come up with
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

With the canister hissing behind me, I charged some other way to escape and, as a bonus, find out
forward, my katana ready to strike. who sold me out or wanted to bring me in.
Thinking strategically, I knew I’d have trouble “Like I said, it’s just a job. If I knew who I was
against two mooks, let alone three. The human working for, I probably wouldn’t be working for
was the softer target. Eliminating him first would them,” Mr. Troll replied.
allow me the wiggle room necessary to engage the “Just surrender,” the wounded pipsqueak said.
troll if he managed to avoid the little Seven-7. “Or I’m gonna get real mad.”
My vision, enhanced by AR, removed the motion Lunging at them again in a feint, they backed
blur from my movements and made everything up even farther.
seem like it was happening in slow motion. Still not close enough.
Their reactions appeared slow and clunky, “Where?” a voice said from beyond the alleyway.
enabling me to step, feint, and step again, staying Mr. Tail.
outside of the human’s knife strike and slicing The pipsqueak human flicked the blood that
him with my katana. The blade sliced the cloth of had pooled in his hand to the pavement. My eyes
his shirtsleeve and cut into his bicep. He grabbed traced the spatter long enough to realize it must
the wound as I slid by, putting my foes between have been a distraction, because I didn’t notice the
me and the chemical agents billowing silently projectiles coming my way: throwing stars like he
behind them. Backing up a few steps, I resumed was some sort of ninja. It was a good move, but I
my defensive stance. side stepped.
“There a reward or something?” I asked. One star tore across the sleeve of my jacket, the
The troll nodded. “Oh, yeah, top-paying job here.” other two flew by harmlessly.
“You’re gonna have to earn it.” By that time, I made another aggressive move
“Always do,” he told me. forward as though I was going to slice at him again.
I could tell that he meant it. By that time, Mr. Tail had walked unawares into
The knives in his hands meant business, and the my cloud of Seven-7.
Ares Predator holstered in his pants seemed like In a steaming arc of bile, he vomited immediately.
appropriate backup. His hands clutched his stinging eyes. He tried to
The little dog sidekick human to the big dog speak, but another stream full of what reminded
troll cursed and spat. “Frag it. She sliced my arm.” me of rice and chunks of sushi flew from his mouth.
“Better get that looked at,” I said. Mr. Troll and Pipsqueak turned to watch Mr.
“Let’s just make this go nice and easy,” the troll Tail puke his fragging guts out and I took that
replied. If he was advocating nice and easy, whatever golden opportunity to move in, nice and quiet. This
their Mr. Johnson had hired them for, it included was exactly the edge I needed to finish this. In one
taking me alive. That meant they might try different quick motion I thrust the point of my katana into
means to subdue me than usual. They might have Pipsqueak’s neck. He had some cheap hardware in
traps of their own left for me. And it explained there with actual cables against his neck and up
why the guns were still in their belts and the knives into his skull. When I withdrew my sword, the
were in his fists. That, and a troll could probably hit blade cut right through those wires.
harder and do more damage with a knife than a gun He dropped like a dead connection. The troll
if they got in close. They were always the best muscle, simply stood there for a few seconds, looking more
unless you had yourself a quality street samurai. annoyed than anything else. Keeping the initiative, I
Naturally, I was quality. kicked Mr. Troll toward the Seven-7 trap. If I could
Otherwise there wouldn’t have been a price on get him and Mr. Tail both blind and puking, the rest
my head. would be null sheen and I could be on my way.
I still had to find an edge, though. It should have worked, but Mr. Troll turned when
The troll threw the first knife at me, twirling end my foot hit the side of his leg. He shuffled forward,
over end, and I tried to deflect it with my sword, sure, but he must have had reflex enhancements
but missed. Luckily, it missed me, too, flying into because his meaty hand easily snatched my ankle.
the distance behind me and hitting a wall with a Gripping it tightly, he shoved me back and spun me
clang. The second knife came at me, embedding around. He was lucky he let go, otherwise I would
into my trench coat. The coat was reinforced and have given him a hell of a shock.
the tip didn’t break skin, but it still hurt when I hit the pavement and rolled with it, trying
something that heavy hit you. to get to my feet before Mr. Troll could press the
“You’ll pay for that,” I said. attack. All the while, Mr. Tail kept alternating
I loomed forward with the sword, faking them between rubbing his eyes and puking. It wasn’t

DEADLY ARTS // SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES

pretty, but someone in the throes of a Seven-7 I tipped my center of gravity forward and
attack never was. charged. I threw the sword, end over end, at the
My chronometer reminded me of my dwindling troll. Then, on my way, I put a foot on the wall to
time schedule. If I didn’t cook this troll soon, he was the left and pushed off with it as he dodged the 9
going to cost me a lot more than my lost temper. katana. Using the extra air the boost from the wall

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

As I fumed in his direction, he had the temerity gave me, I leapt over him, back to the untainted
to laugh at me. side of the alleyway.
He just laughed. Like he had a leg up. In the same motion, I drew my piece—an Ingram
Did he not notice I just killed his sidekick? Did Smartgun, legend among legends—and raised it.
it not matter to him? Clearly he’d gotten the same idea, and he’d
Whether it did or not was immaterial to me. I drawn his bulky Predator. It looked almost
had to deal with him if I wanted that payday. comically tiny in his huge mitts. How he fit his
Before either of us could make the first move, claws in the trigger guard was beyond me, but it
Mr. Tail staggered forward and slipped in his own didn’t matter.
vomit, wailing like a screeching modem. Then he It all came down to reflexes, and I had to hope
started choking. It was a whole mess, but Mr. Troll to Ghost mine were faster. After all, I was Sonja
knew where to plug in his proverbial jack and Smokescreen, and these guys were nobodies. You
focused on me intensely. didn’t get a rep like mine without at least some of
Mr. Tail and Pipsqueak were nothing but the chops.
footnotes for him to ignore. We both fired, quick on the draw, quick on
“Just give up,” Mr. Troll said, stepping toward the trigger.
me as I scrambled to my feet and struggled to get Being quick didn’t matter as much as being accurate.
my sword between us. And well armored.
I looked around the alleyway, bathed in buzzing And having a gun that fired several rounds
neon and fading LED lights across a dozen colors, per second.
searching for any last advantage. My gut exploded with heat. He definitely hit
Still he came closer. me. Squeezing the trigger, I felt a blast knock
Creeping forward, I realized he was taller than me back, destroying my aim, but I’d aimed well
I thought. enough. With my augmented vision, I watched the
It would be a long reach for any move I could bullets riddle him, but then suddenly, I was on my
make with my sword, and I had to be careful to back dealing with that blossoming pain. Gasping
stay out of his circle of control. He could toss me for breath, I lurched up into a sitting position to
like a ragdoll, and I wouldn’t be able to do a damn see the remains of the troll.
thing about it. That was the problem with muscle; His head was firmly in the lap of the Pipsqueak,
they could trump finesse and nuance in combat or what was left of his head, I guess. They always
with brute force almost every time. say aim at the center of mass, and I thought I had,
He reached out to grapple me with both hands, but the kick to my gut pulled my aim up and it just
but I ducked below his reach and rolled between happened to work out.
his legs slicing his left leg with my blade as I moved. Mr. Tail raised a finger to me; his eyes must have
I stopped myself—maybe too short—but I been able to see a little by then. “Hey,” he said.
couldn’t go too far, else I’d end up in the same But I was done with all of it. Raising the Ingram,
state as Mr. Tail. I’d tried to build an immunity to I squeezed off another burst into Mr. Tail. If he was
Seven-7, but it never worked. That drek’s just bad going to entrap me once, I wasn’t going to let him
for everyone. do it again. Hauling myself to my feet, I retrieved
Me included. Me especially. my katana and stripped Troll and Pipsqueak of
Popping up to my feet, I glanced behind me to Nuyen and ID, hoping I could make some sense of
watch the pooling vomit leak toward my feet. I did what was happening and who wanted me captured.
the one thing I didn’t want to do, but I had no Then I figured I’d need to get a slap patch for
choice. That brute was going to crush me otherwise. my wounds at some point. But I was late enough
I had to do something drastic if I wanted to make as it was, so I decided that could wait until later.
my meet. I was already pressed for it. I just had to do it. Taking in the scene, I decided to hustle my hoop
I put my back to the trap. out of here. Not because I couldn’t be seen there;
The troll wheeled around, staring right through I just didn’t want to get myself caught up in the
me with narrowed eyes, squinting with annoyance lingering remnants of the Seven-7.
as much as rage. Shuffling my feet forward, looking I had a meeting to get to and had no interest in
for the right opening, I knew what I had to do. being delayed further.
The tables had to turn, and real damage had to It’s true that there’s never any rest for the wicked.
be done. Especially when you’ve got a price on your head.

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES // DEADLY ARTS

 When peace
isn’t an option
Posted by: Vx5 and hopefully my ramblings help a few of you runners live a bit
longer. If it doesn’t help, and you wind up dead, well, it won’t be
> Hypercapitalism and violence seem to go more and more in hand my problem, will it?
as the Sixth World winds on. This has never been more evident > Vx5
than in the wake of a literal extradimensional war. Combat and
money go together like bullets and guns, and no one knows this Conflict. If the universe were to end, if all that
better than a mercenary. Allow me to introduce Vx5 (that’s Five by
were left of our cosmos was two individual souls,
they would inevitably find their way into conflict
Five, you Neo-Luddites), a merc between companies and contracts
with one another. It is the nature of existence, and
hitting us from Hawai’i after a generous paycheck after the Disian
for those peace-loving folk who would dispute
campaign. I can’t think of anyone who can bridge the gap between this fact, they must do so while ignoring millennia
war and the shadows better than an operator in a related field. of unending strife and bloodshed. The world
Mercs, after all, are the well-armed cousins of runners. may change, the people may change, even the
> Glitch fundamentals of war itself might change, but the
instinct to beat, batter, and bloody an enemy will
> That’s debatable, but okay. never change.
> Brutus Ex-Mechina Shadowrunners are no strangers to this fact;
in truth, they often exist in between the bouts of
> Well, from around Hawai’i anyway, and I do prefer the term carnage, capitalizing on every gap in morality and
“security professional” or “professional military contractor” order that they can squeeze themselves into. Many
because it looks better on a business card. Glad to be here, perfect their combat skills, and some enjoy this
aspect of the world so much that they live within

WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION // 

it, joining professional fighting forces around the opponents, how great warriors studied martial arts
globe. But how does one thrive in this fighting and in order to become lethal weapons themselves, and
warfare? How can you perfect your application of how technology has been pushed ever onward by
these deadly arts to better suit your whims? Like the constant desire to protect and to destroy. It pays 11
any art form, it simply takes practice. to fall in love with the awful reality of violence in

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

This manual of violence provides the tools and this line of work, runner, and sell a bit of your soul
knowledge to help you flourish in conflict and away for some expertise with an invaluable tool.
exact devastation worthy of the Sixth World. This
means everything from breaking bones with your > Warfare isn’t just battlefields, chummer. Plenty of us were
own mitts to blowing your opponents to kingdom born on the street, and whether it was devil rats in the walls or
come with high-explosive ordnance. There is no gangers on the corners, you knew how to shoot around the same
wrong way to commit bloodshed, so long as you time you learned how to date.
make it out with no holes and your head still on > Chainmaker
your shoulders. You’ll also find dossiers on the big
names in the industry of “direct conflict,” whether > The glorification of war is a reparation and recruitment tool.
it be a national military or a privatized army. Few who’ve survived major conflicts come away thinking of
Because it pays to know the who and the how of
war in poetic terms, except to metabolize the trauma of such
those who will try and kill you.
violence. That said, it remains an unfortunate necessity, because
as long as rich folks want what the other has, there will always
> No holes? I settle for holes I can make it to the doc with.
be poor folks for them to use against one another.
> Prime Runner
> DangerSensei
> You are a no-class motherfragger, Prime, and I kinda love you
> I like to think of my combat experience as prime marketing
for it.
material; the corps always love to hear how you zeroed a poor
> Butch
soul in some warzone across the world. Never thought too much
of it as trauma. You learn something new every day!
> Vx5
Pacifism and the
Art of the Threat > A scar worn long enough simply becomes another story, no
There are plenty of ways to play Shadowrun that empha- matter its origin.
size alternative tactics to violence. Investigation, spy work, > Many-Names
negotiations, infiltration—there are as many approaches
to completing the objective as there are tables playing the Here’s a good story about a niche little corporate
game. Some groups even consider low to no body count a organization called Blue Gate Security Services.
desirable outcome. They’re accountants, largely, who are often sent in
For those groups that prefer non-violent or even pacifist to do corporate espionage and bookkeeping at high
runs, consider that their enemies do not share their qualms levels. Their agents gather info, usually valuable info,
about bloodshed. Even if combat is avoided, it is entirely and return it to their clients. This is what an agent
possible to use the contents of this book for the threat of of theirs was doing within a Renraku subsidiary
what can be done to the group if they are captured, cor- corp just a couple of years back. Blue Gate was
nered, or pursued. Always remember: The threat of violence hired to do some spying, on Renraku’s behalf,
can be just as effective as actual violence. because there was a suspicion that the subsidiary
was not being transparent with their financials. An
agent was implanted and began siphoning data.
Once said agent neared his extraction date, he
The Art went dark. It was ascertained that this agent had
decided to abscond with the data, having formed a
of Bloodshed personal relationship with some higher-ups at the
subsidiary. Blue Gate command were not pleased
War is such a beautifully awful thing, isn’t it? with this development. A little-known tactical unit
By extension, so is combat in all of its forms, I within Blue Gate was dispatched as a kill team
suppose. Just look in any history book, and you’ll to retrieve this rogue agent and the data he had
see it written in bold lettering. The thousands taken. Two t-birds, each carrying a tac squad of
upon thousands of wars, battles, and skirmishes. seven, located the agent within an apartment block
The untold horrors they wrought upon the world a few miles away from where he was last seen. He
in their time. But if you read close enough, pay had been trying to hide among the vast number of
really close attention; in those same books there residents who inhabited the residential tower. The
is admiration for the art of warfare as well. How tactical teams were deployed, one on the roof of
great generals used tactics and guile to outwit their the building, the other on the ground floor, and the

THE ART OF BLOODSHED // WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION

 t-birds provided air support. When all was said and there is a deal in place allowing the corp to obtain
done, the apartment block was left in ruins and an these vehicles for a good price?
untold number of innocent lives were lost. When There are many other questions one could ask,
12 law enforcement personnel responded, there were but I will leave you with these four examples.
no t-birds in sight, and none had survived to give Detach yourself from morality, and approach
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

a description of the heavily armed unit that had combat like a doctor would a surgery. You’ll read
wrought this destruction. The agent’s body was a lot of things that won’t sit right with you in this
never recovered. manual, runner, and if you hope to get anything
out of it, you’d better get yourself squared away.
> Y’know, how come we never heard about Blue Gate until
recently? > Some runners depend on a moral code. You can’t divorce
> 2XL yourself from ethics if you want to maintain some semblance of
anima. That said, if you have to be violent, tactics can minimize
> There’s lots of outfits out there if you know how to look, and far the terrible consequences.
too many for us to document all the time. Fact is, they’ve been > Red
around for a while, and probably will be for a while yet. And who
knows how many other operations are active, born, living, and > I will never stop finding the irony in a creature like you
dying in the time it takes for us to discover them? Blue Gate just preaching to people like us.
happens to be making a splash these days. > Rigger X
> Kia
What happened with the subsidiary? Nothing
> Don’t discount notice bias. A lot of people never notice worth talking about. Leadership was swapped out
runner activity until they’re a part of it. Or they don’t notice and the Red Samurai got to stretch their legs a
conspiracies until they’re in one. Or, hell, they don’t notice little bit. A happy ending.
couples until they fixate on how fucking single they are.
> Snopes
What’s My Motivation?
> I like to give myself a little credit where it’s due as well. Not Making enemies and organizations within your world
many of us are … unfortunate enough to be on the outs with the feel more alive and more real requires a bit of elbow
company. I traded Blue Gate for you lot, lucky me. grease. It might be helpful to approach these groups, no
> Wicket matter how reprehensible you might find them, with sim-
ple questions about why they do what they do. Answering
Now, runner, I want you to take a step back these questions gives one the tools necessary to make
from this and think about it real hard. Not as a these organizations feel organic. Making these entities
bystander, but as a combatant. If you do this feel more grounded is a fantastic way to breathe life into
correctly, your disgust will melt away and in its the world you are crafting.
place will blossom an appreciation for such a For instance, knowing the reasons why the Red Samu-
precise and horrific application of violence. Ask rai are so loyal to Renraku, and why they act so brutally
yourself these questions: on their behalf, will always be more interesting than sim-
Why deploy such a large hard-nosed force to ply stating the fact and leaving it at that. The same theory
retrieve one agent? For expedience? Two people extends to shadowrunners. A character with a specific
can kill more efficiently than one; imagine what style of combat, who has a reason for fighting that way,
fourteen guns could do. For surety? Combat isn’t will have that much more depth to their character and
about what’s proportionate; it’s about winning. offer deeper roleplaying opportunities.
Why inflict so much collateral damage? For
obfuscation? No survivors means no witnesses,
and that means your secret kill team stays a secret.
OpSec. For reputation? Branding is important, so
is sending a message, and violence is the ultimate
Various
exclamation mark.
Why deploy the tactical teams so far apart, in
Styles of the
two different locations? For coverage? Sandwich
the target between two units of trained killers,
Belligerent Arts
nowhere to go. For cohesion? Fourteen bodies You can tell a lot about someone by the way
in the narrow hallways of an apartment building they put a body to the ground. It teaches you how
might just be a hindrance. they think, how much they allow their emotions
Why t-birds? For supremacy? There might be to control them, if they’re immoral or not, and it
quieter birds, but there are none meaner than a even gives you a glimpse into their past more often
t-bird. Why settle for less? For money? Perhaps than not. This is useful on a personal level, lets you

WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION // VARIOUS STYLES OF THE BELLIGERENT ARTS

know if the runners you’re with are worth a damn general street dregs, but with more precision and
as an example, but it’s also an academic pursuit. tactical acumen. Know your audience. If you’re
How do different opponents fight? What’s the going up against an established crime syndicate,
difference between a ganger and a badge and how treat it with the respect it deserves, but ice ’em all 13
they try to zero you? Is a merc outfit going to make the same.

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

entry into your hideout the same way some corpsec
goons will? Asking yourself these questions might > It’s not unheard of for syndicates to hire out-and-out mercs for
well save your life, so put on that thinking cap. heavy hits, especially if you consider them a sledgehammer
Every person is unique, and so is the way they where you would see a runner as a precision instrument.
get down. This goes for groups too, perhaps even > Johnny No
more so. Outfits, gangs, and other institutions
all develop tactics and have their capabilities > Let’s not give either too much credit. Some runners are all about
evolve over time to better fit their various mission premium bang-bang, and some mercs operate with nothing less
statements. Whether they have an official mission than fine-tuned violence. The difference is academic at the best
statement or not is another matter. Let’s walk
of times.
through a few examples:
> Tommy Egg$

Gangers/Criminals/
Street Filth Notes on Gangers
Gangers and criminals, from go-go to infected,
Gangers are usually not well trained. Typically, they
are unpredictable. By nature, these groups exist
are street-level criminals who have banded together to
to use force outside of the bounds of the law for better their odds at survival and profitability. This is not
personal gain. This means their application of universally true, however, as some gangs could poten-
violence can be difficult to predict. Criminals and tially be born from more experienced backgrounds or be
gangs have been known to commit inexplicable funded by particularly lucrative enterprises for any num-
atrocities, killing and torturing people who simply ber of (likely illicit) reasons.
found themselves in the wrong neighborhood, and This means that there is a great deal of freedom of-
some for no discernible reason at all. However, fered to you when utilizing gangs within your game. Per-
those same groups have also been known to abstain haps the gang that your group faces has no formal train-
from lethal force in favor of horrific non-lethal ing but has gotten their hands on high-level weaponry.
violence, seeming to enjoy beating and maiming Or maybe the gang is a loosely connected group of highly
more than bagging and tagging. Sometimes it’s easy trained but disgraced military personnel who have found
to determine their level of violence, sometimes it’s themselves merely trying to survive on the streets of the
impossible. Perhaps we’re dealing with a lone killer metroplex. Gangs can be as challenging or as simple of an
who lurks in alleyways and uses a blade to carve encounter as you wish.
up some helpless grandmother, or maybe we’re
talking about an organized group that’s outfitted
with firearms to strike out at a rival gang. Often
it’s difficult to discern one from the other until it’s Law Enforcement
far too late. But this inability to predict, perhaps
ironically, leads us to a conclusion about how to Law enforcement personnel are far more
address them in a combat scenario. If you cannot predictable than their counterparts on the other
determine whether a gang wants to kill you or just side of the law. Most have a code of conduct that
rough you up, assume the worst and put ’em on ice. they adhere to, and they follow it with varying
levels of deviation. The standard badge most of you
will encounter is a privately owned patrol officer,
> “Go-go”? This is why I got out of the game, man.
likely from Lone Star, Knight Errant, or some
> King Jamon other big-name outfit. These cops are well trained;
they’re not special forces, but they can put lead
> You think a merc like this understands anything about territory? into you without much effort if need be. A badge’s
About respect? level of violence is often proportionate to the level
> Shamrocker of violence that they face. What this boils down to
for you, shadowrunner, is that you should always
> Respect is the smell of burning people. I wouldn’t have it any expect that a badge is out to zero you. No Lone
other way. Star patrol cop will see you running through the
> Scarecrow streets, shotgun strapped around your shoulders,
and think to play pattycake with you. Remember,
More advanced and organized criminal groups though, a badge’s true danger to you is not their
will operate with the same level of brutality as the firepower, but their ability to communicate. You

VARIOUS STYLES OF THE BELLIGERENT ARTS // WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION

 can dodge bullets and maybe even outgun a couple
of cops, but you can’t escape an all-points bulletin Dealing With
about your stupid hoop over the airwaves. Law Enforcement
14 If tac gets involved, be prepared to switch up
Law enforcement will pose a problem to any shadow-
your tactics. Depending on the type of badge
runner group on some level but will be a massive problem
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

you’re going up against, they might just be a

to some. As opponents, LEPs should pose a significant
straight-up military outfit wearing blue, and you’d
threat. An individual uniform might not be threatening
better be kitted out to deal with that sort of thing.
to your table on their own, but the seemingly unending
Elsewise you’re going to get geeked quicker than
waves of reinforcements that will come after them should
a wageslave would jump for a corner office. Cops
be a concern. Note also that different departments, or
aren’t out to engage you in honorable combat, corporations, often operate in very distinct ways. An area
there won’t be any duels, they’re there to put an patrolled by Knight Errant will not be the same as one
end to the “disturbance,” and they have no interest patrolled by Eagle Security.
in doing so by playing fair. It’ll be a fifty-to-one Badges can be used as a common opponent for your
fight, so good luck. table of shadowrunners, or as a tool to push your group
along. The threat of the police arriving is sometimes more
> It pays to remember just how similar cops can be to gangers impactful to a session than the police actually arriving. In
when it comes to prejudice. A troll is just flat-out more likely that same vein, if your players do not take the warnings
to get hassled by the police as any minority in history. It’s just of impending response seriously, or cannot escape before
harder to tell the so-called “good” cops from the bad. time runs out, badges can prove to be a stern and final
> Goat Foot reminder to your table as well.

> Even if you “win” the fight, that communication remains a thorn Whatever you’ve done on corporate lands to
in your side. They’ve got cams and files and forensics, and you’ll draw their ire, they’re not going to let it rest. You
end up on their shitlist for a while. Your best option when it want my advice? You’d be best served to pick up
comes to municipal opponents is to duck and run. Maybe the sticks and get out of dodge. Running outside of
merc is seeing it through the lens of immediate combat, but a their corporate jurisdiction into another corp’s
street operator needs to think about tomorrow, and having the jurisdiction, it’s a sure-fire get-out-of-body-bag-
fuzz breathing down your neck for last month’s indiscretion is a free-card. Security on corporate lands will have
good way to end your career in the shadows. a lot more freedom to aerate your form, though,
> Hard Exit when compared to what we’ve talked about so far.
These are the corporation’s direct troops. They’re
> Killing cops is bad for business, ain’t no two ways about that. We likely going to be greenlit to level you with a
don’t usually see stars and shields in warzones, though; they’re couple of t-birds if you’ve been a big enough pain
either already dead or have moved along with the people. That in the ass. Be prepared if you want to throw down,
being said, all the “civilized” jobs I’ve ever been hired on for, though you’d be better off just netting a couple
planted in some fuckin’ metroplex, the general rule of thumb more IQ points and getting out before corpsec
was to not ice any blue. Don’t need that headache. boots, who I promise you are itching for action,
> Vx5 get to take a shot at you and yours.

> Dodging through competing borders is Rigger 101, chummer. Tell

Corporate Security me something I didn’t know.
Depending on the corp, and on where you’re > Turbo Bunny
running into them, they’re going to move a lot
like badges do. Hell, they might be one and the > Everyone starts somewhere, B. Be chill.
same. Private security firms often move agents > Pistons
from corpsec duties to patrol contracts, depending
on whatever internal rotation process they’ve got > Remember that megacorps field their own military forces and
going on. Corpsec will be in good kit, with capable equipment. Say what you will about law enforcement, but corpsec
weaponry and the training to utilize it to neutralize
jumps from rent-a-cops to elite military really fucking fast.
most threats that they’ll face. Anything they might
not be able to handle one-on-one, they’ve got > DangerSensei
backup in tow and the corporate money to pay
for deployment of more exotic armaments. I won’t
waste too much time here treading the same water
it feels like, just going to be short and sweet.
Private Military and Mercs
Corporate security crew will move with purpose Corpsec on the juice. If you encounter mercs,
and overwhelming odds; they’re interested in you’ve either severely underestimated your
winning, not with being perceived as tough guys. operation or you’re looking for a fight. Private

WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION // VARIOUS STYLES OF THE BELLIGERENT ARTS

 how or the why, here’s a piece of advice: Best make
Corporate peace with yourself and hope you go quick.
Security Versus Badges
There are a lot of similarities between corporate security
> He might be stroking himself pretty hard over this, but that 15
doesn’t make him wrong. Bias aside, private military companies
and law enforcement personnel in the Sixth World. To your

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

shadowrunners, there might not be any tangible difference (PMCs) aren’t usually put in place for sec duty, and when
between the two at all, depending on where your sessions they are, it’s not peacekeeping, it’s problem-solving, with an
are taking place and what type of background your shadow- emphasis on solving problems with metal and velocity.
runners have. > Scattershot
What makes corpsec unique from badges is that your
group will almost certainly come into contact with them un-
der very different circumstances. Corpsec entities will typi-
cally be assigned to protect corporate assets, or perhaps pa- Oh Drek, Mercs!
trol around corporate territories, but not usually to execute
law-enforcement-type contracts. This means that your table Mercenary organizations are among the most undesir-
will almost always be at violent odds with these entities, able combat encounters for your shadowrunners. Private
as a shadowrunner’s bread and butter is taking from cor- militaries are hired for large-scale actions and direct con-
porations. Corporate security can be used as a much more flict. If your table is going up against an army of merce-
aggressive law-enforcement-like force. They’re also much naries, they’d best be equipped to handle it. Conflict with
more likely to be directly associated with a powerful corpo- organizations like this are best taken in bite-size pieces.
rate entity, like a CEO or some other high-ranking official, No group of shadowrunners should be put up against an
making them fantastic henchmen for some unreachable foe entire army, but bit by bit and piece by piece, your group
in your game. might be able to take on a larger force.
In general, mercenary companies will be well trained,
well equipped, and have the numbers to accomplish what-
military outfits won’t be deployed to any old ever it is that they’re after. For a group of shadowrunners,
facility; you’ll typically find them in war zones this means hard fights and a never-ending stream of foes.
and stationed at extremely-high-value sites at In many ways, a mercenary outfit should operate in-game
imminent risk of being assaulted. The quality of like an amalgamation of law enforcement and corporate
these outfits will vary, as every other goon with security entities: a never-ending supply of additional
a plate carrier and a long gun thinks they’re a units, often becoming more dangerous over time, who are
soldier of fortune. You’ll get the spectrum, starting armed to the teeth and ready to fight.
from outfits composed of friends of friends who
got funding by way of “just trust me,” to mean
outfits that have fought in more wars than state-
run militaries even talk about at their military
Regular Military
academies. It’s important to identify who you’re A rare thing in today’s world is a solely
up against, as that will give you the knowledge you government-run military. Much like badges and
need to decide whether you want to zero out a few corpsec, there is a lot of overlap here with mercs,
overconfident gunners or get to running from a so I won’t bloviate at you for very long. You’re
group of seasoned killers. Lucky for you, this tome going to run into soldiers in the same general places
of knowledge that you’re reading details quite a that you’d see mercs; they may even be battling
few of the major players in the industry. Study up. each other in those places. Just like with corps, the
Mercenary outfits will be well trained, and even quality of armies, and their soldiers, varies wildly
the goofy companies will likely be made up of folk depending on the nation under whose flag they fight.
who know what war is, so be ready for a scrap. The key difference you’ll want to note is that
Unlike badges or security, private armies will not soldiers aren’t in it for the money. They might
be a largely reactive force; they’ll be in play because have ambitions to use their combat experience for
whoever is paying them wants offensive capabilities. bigger profits in the future, but when they’ve got
This presents a problem for you runners, most of a flag on their shoulder they’re not fighting for a
whom are familiar with a whole different kind of check, believe me. Basically trading getting shot at
opponent. Put it this way: If crooks are coyotes, for a damn kibble card. This doesn’t necessarily
and badges are dogs, then mercs are wolves. Use of make them any more dangerous to you than mercs
armored fighting vehicles, which means tanks and would be, but it is something to remember. Think
other “oh shit” equipment, and air support will be you can bribe a checkpoint of soldiers because
commonplace for any outfit worth their scratch. they’re underpaid? Well, that might be an option.
If you’re going up against an army, you already But be careful, because you might just as well run
know the score, or at least I hope you do. On the into a patriot, one who would die for that flag on
off chance that you’ve found yourself being chased their shoulder, and that bribe will be sure to put
down by a company of mercs and don’t know the you in a casket. You should also take note that

VARIOUS STYLES OF THE BELLIGERENT ARTS // WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION

16
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

> Just as some gangers and syndicates use law enforcement as an

Regular educational experience for their up-and-coming soldiers, so too
Military Engagements do corps and especially merc outfits use military as a training
ground for their own recruits. Some soldiers with an eye on big
Soldiers might be a rare enemy for your shadowrun-
paydays are just putting in their tours for the resume before
ners; even in someplace like the UCAS you’re unlikely to
they make the big money with a merc outfit. These ones are
see soldiers operating in the same theater as your run-
ners. Similar to corpsec’s comparison to law enforcement, looking for praise over paychecks and consider refusing a bribe
it might be difficult for you to identify the difference be- a short-term loss toward their long-term goals.
tween soldiers and mercenaries. There might be no differ- > DangerSensei
ence at all, depending on where you find yourself.
Assuming there is a distinction, soldiers can be used
any number of ways in your game. They can be common-
Street Samurai and
place, if you’re participating in a war zone or an area other Shadowrunners
locked down by martial law, or they can be a harbinger of Saved the best for last, didn’t I? If you’re reading
a truly serious issue rearing its ugly head at your group. this manual, it’s likely that you’re a sammie
Your runners might not be prepared to deal with the full yourself. You runners like to kill each other almost
might of a government and its national military; indeed
as much as you like to rob each other blind; the
they might not even have been aware of the potential
nature of the business, I suppose. Razors are the
geopolitical issues their job could cause. It might also be
bread and butter of any team. Every group needs a
true that a military’s special forces units are a cut above
bit of muscle. The shape and form of said muscle
even the most prestigious mercenary organization’s elite
isn’t always so easy to pinpoint, though.
troopers, adding another layer of severity to the involve-
ment of a military force.
Street samurai come in all shapes and sizes,
many even from the previously detailed categories
of opponents. You never know what you’re going
unlike mercs, soldiers aren’t hired to do gunner
to get. Could be the street sam shooter is a former
gigs, so if you run into the mean greenies you’re mercenary, or maybe the razorboy has a ganger
either in a government installation or a war zone. past. Their past life is going to influence how they
For your sake, I hope it’s the former. move as a runner, so it pays to gather intel on your
opponent if you can, even more so than with the

WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION // VARIOUS STYLES OF THE BELLIGERENT ARTS

other examples, I’d argue. If you find yourself backed
into a corner and don’t have the time to gather Running with the Shadows
intel on the fragger trying to bleed you, it’s best to The wild card option. A shadowrunner foe is a danger-
remember that there’s no honor among thieves and ously unpredictable one. As enemies, they can be utilized 17
no professional courtesy among shadowrunners. any number of ways, from skilled combatants to quirky

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Zero before you get zeroed, runner. charlatans who are as likely to kill players as they are to
assist them. Many shadowrunners have a spine made of
> So, all mercs think all shadowrunners are street sams? steel (sometimes literally) and a code of honor that be-
> Sparks fits it, but some might be a bit trickier and prefer to stab
players in the back rather than in the gut. Shadowrunners
> That’s gonna make it a lot easier to sling their asses with spells. are never to be trusted, after all, and that goes double for
> EB those who aren’t known quantities.
Those runners who do stick around and decide to
> I like the cut of this guy’s jib! fight you and yours are dangerous opponents. Street
operatives can have any number of augments and are
> Prime Runner
often equipped with exotic weaponry. Not to mention
their potential ties to criminal and corporate entities
> You would.
alike. While an opposing runner could certainly make for
> Netcat a good opponent for your group to test their mettle, they
might be better utilized as a more “capstone” or “boss-
> There’s something to be learned in his assumptions, and our type” encounter.
own biases, too.
> Red
fangs out, whatever cool little saying you like to
Fight or Flight use—just be ready to take lives. Once those two
things are good, remember this final and most
You think you’re special, I know you do. You all important rule: bring enough ammo and the right
do. Big bad shadowrunner, got a few jobs under the gear, you dipshit. I cannot tell you how many
belt and suddenly you’re primed to square up and times I’ve seen some runner think that a magazine
knock a dragon flat on its hoop. Pump the brakes, would get them through a corpsec garrison. You
kid. If you’ve picked up this tome of violence, this ain’t hitting bodegas or rolling a wageslave for
treatise on carnage, then you’re probably a pro—I some easy creds anymore, runner, you’re going up
ain’t trying to take that away from you. But a real against professionals. Try acting like one in turn.
pro knows when to lock ’n’ load and when to get Put your dainty fingers to work, load some spare
the frag out. magazines, and learn to love the extra weight of
your gear. You may not have ever wanted to be
> I fucking hate that this makes sense. I’m a fan. a soldier, but you’d best try and emulate some of
> Clockwork their quirks if you’re in this line of work.

Fight > This chummer never heard the parable every runner should
tattoo under their eyelids. Everyone, say it with me: Shoot
The annals of history are filled with examples
straight, conserve ammo, and never cut a deal with a dragon.
of great battles, won with courage and tactical
> Stone
acumen. But you’re not Alexander the Great, so
don’t kid yourself. Even so, that doesn’t mean you
can’t plan ahead. A shadowrunner’s best friend is > Well, the wrong dragon.
a good Plan A, and a great Plan B (and so on until > Silk
there are no more letters left). Don’t mistake your
skill with a tool to cover all your bases. You could > They’re all the wrong dragon, chummer.
be the best shot in the West, but it ain’t going to > Chainmaker
save you if you get surprised by an enemy vehicle
or well-planned ambush. Once you’re all scouted Remember, if you’re going to fight, make sure
and planned out, be sure you’re mentally prepared. you’re square on three things: 1) Know your enemy.
Fighting ain’t pretty. Zeroing someone looks great 2) Be ready to do harm. 3) Bring enough damn ammo.
in the vids, but in reality watching someone go
limp after a round to the gray matter can be a bit
… staggering to the unprepared. You let yourself Flight
get lost in the sauce, even for a second, and you Tactical retreats don’t make it into the history
won’t have to worry about living with what you’ve books all that often, at least not in bold writing.
done. Put on your fighting face, get evil, get the But they’ve proven to be just as important as

FIGHT OR FLIGHT // WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION

 When players choose to engage in combat, they are The Better Part of Valor
choosing something for their characters that would be
Players might be averse to retreating, fearing the
18 incredibly perilous in-game. It is beneficial, from a role-
playing perspective, to consider how your characters deal
loss of opportunity and the potential prizes gained from
bouts of combat in-game. To make the option of flight
with the brutality of combat. Have they become used to
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

from combat enticing, one must make the prospect of re-

it due to their life as a soldier or mercenary? Maybe they
maining engaged in said combat extremely unenticing. It
justify it in their head by making every foe out to be a
might also pay to be explicit about how retreat is handled
comically evil caricature to avoid cognitive dissonance
at your table, and that it is not always a “quitting strat-
and to shield their psyches from the realities of what
egy.” Remember: runners stay alive by staying ahead of
they’re doing.
the competition more often than standing over them.
The rigors of battle can prove to be an extremely ef-
fective roleplaying opportunity for your table. Don’t ne-
glect the aftereffects and trauma of combat as long as Fighting in the Shadows
they add to the narrative potential of the game.
I’ve had a lot of thoughts running through my
head lately. Like, what happens when you fight so
standing your ground throughout the history of hard, for so long, and then suddenly it’s over? Or
warfare. There’s no shame in pulling back if you’re worse, when you don’t quite recognize the world
about to get your whole crew geeked. Regroup, you live in but still have to live in it, learn the new
rearm, and hit them back because a win is a win. rules. That’s the situation I and a lot of veterans of
When you retreat with enough skill, you can put a the Disian Shadow War find ourselves in.
lot of distance between you and your foes. Be like
the Imperial Japanese in the Second World War: > Welcome to the aspect of war that people often don’t think
Retreat from an island so well that your opponent about: when it’s over.
doesn’t even know you left. Give yourself some > Point Guard
time to breathe and maybe get clever about your
next move. Hell, speaking of, if you’re a clever It feels odd to call ourselves veterans. Most
sort, you might be able to use a retreat to goad people equate that as something military, or at
your opponents into a trap. Lay down some least mercenary. But I’m a simple street samurai
booby traps prior to going in hot, maybe ready trying to find his way through this rough world
some of your crew for an ambush, and fall back. and remain true to my code. And no shade on
Your enemy might just pursue you right into the them, because I fought beside a lot of mercs and
hell you’ve laid out for them. Don’t let yourself the few regular military who saw what the frag
get caught up in the drektalk, runner. There’s a was really going on. They fought just as hard and
difference between cowardice and intelligence. Be sacrificed just as much as the rest of us. The rest
sure you know that difference well. can go frag themselves, and I don’t give a drek if
they were in the dark or “just following orders.”
> Bread and butter for real bread for real runners, chummer. The truth is, now that I think about it, we are
> Prime Runner veterans in a sense. And like so many that have
come before us, we fought a war that most people
won’t ever know about. Those who do know, those
Combat in who fought, and those who defended will have to
carry everything we went through, everything we
the Post-Disian saw, for the rest of our days.
Okay, my train of thought is heading toward
Shadow War another track. Let’s get to why I suddenly feel the
urge to become all literary.
Posted by: Brutus Ex-Mechina

The Growing Disconnect

> At first I wasn’t sure if this was relevant enough to warrant a
posting here, as some of this borders on content already posted
Like a lot of people, I feel ragged, worn out.
I feel the cracks in my own foundation and my
in the Shoot Straight download. But after Orbital DK brought
own frayed edges. Some days, I feel like I’m not
this to my attention, and talking to Brutus directly, I think this is
really living, that I’m simply existing in a world I
something that needs to be said. Originally posted on the Asgard can’t really connect with anymore. There are times
Data Haven VPN, Brutus here also touches on some things I said I wonder what’s even real.
in the last part of the Lethal Harvest download about how things Hypervigilance has creeped into my very being.
in the shadows are already starting to change. I never realized how much I took for granted, the
> Glitch relative safety of the streets. I know that sounds
like an oxymoron, but before the shadow war,

WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION // COMBAT IN THE POST-DISIAN SHADOW WAR

there were certain things one could expect, certain because one of them thought the other was spying
rules that if followed gave you a reasonable chance on him. I’ve also been to several meets that fell
for survival. apart simply because someone refused to trust
Doesn’t feel like that anymore. verified paydata, or “they just had a feeling.” 19
Sometimes I find myself going to extremes to

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

protect myself. I trust people less, especially new > It’s worse than that. An adept I’ve recommended and personally
people. Frag, it’s becoming harder to trust people worked with for almost a decade went off on me during a
I normally would. Every little thing I do has to meeting with a Ms. Johnson and was convinced I was trying to
have some kind of tactical consideration behind frag them over. He tried to draw down on me, but thankfully my
it. I can’t even go to the Stuffer Shack or my dojo bodyguard was a hair faster.
without conducting a thorough recon first. At the > Cool Hand Duke
end of the day, I feel exhausted. It goes way beyond
the standard keeping your head on a swivel; it’s Now I’m not saying that everyone in the
like living in a constant state of … war. shadows is suddenly a walking case of PTSD, but
Damn. This is what they talked about, what the signs are there for some, and it’s becoming more
they tried to warn me about. And because of my of a problem. This is also leading to something else
pride, I didn’t listen. I’ll deal with that later. that I think—correction, I know—will become a
major problem in the future.
> Hopefully sooner than later. But you’re not alone, chummer.
Remember that.
> Bangswitch
Which Side Were You On?
I’ve been asked this by so many people in
> What is this, a therapy session? We all saw some horrible drek, the shadows over the past few weeks. At first the
but some of us kept it together. Quit whining about it and suck it question wasn’t quite so blunt or even accusatory. It
up, that’s what we do in the biz. If you can’t hack it, get the frag was more akin to fellow warriors talking about their
out. I’m so sick of these walking liabilities. exploits and sharing war stories over drinks, that
> Haze kind of vibe. It was assumed that you were either
part of the Defender Movement or allied with it.
> Okay. I get you. But based on what I’ve heard about some of the
It was when people got quiet or tried to evade
the question that things got awkward or in some
drek you pulled during the shadow war, I’d keep my head way
cases violent. See, no sane person wants to admit
down if I were you. You’re the last person to tell another to suck
they knowingly (or even unknowingly) worked for
it up or get the frag out. Oh, and you might want to watch your
the side that tried to literally end the world. It’s
back. From what I’ve heard, there’s a bag with thirty silver in it like being associated with the worst war crimes or
that has your name on it. atrocities the world has ever seen. On the flip side
> Brutus Ex-Mechina of that, there are a lot of people who lost loved
ones and friends to the Disians and their allies.
> Wait, what’s he talking about? Combine this with all the other drek I just talked
> Electric Blue about and now you have a growing population
within the shadows who are more than willing to
> Let it go kid, just let it go. enact some good old payback or street justice.
> Balladeer
> As it should be. I hope they all get their thirty silver soon.
Problem is, I’m not the only one who feels this > Lady Greenfire
way. There are scores of runners, mercs, and other
professionals who fought under the Defender > Okay, that’s the second reference to that, and I’m getting worried.
banner who feel the same way. It’s been easier for > Netcat
some of us than others to get back into what used
to pass as normal. And I can’t speak for anyone > *sigh* Okay. So this is all I know so far. There’s a group out
else, but I’ve had my good and bad days. But a there, I don’t know their name, or anyone involved, but bags
growing number of people in the shadows are containing thirty pieces of silver (or coins representing)
having bad days and it’s starting to cause issues.
have been showing up across the world. These bags are a
Trust in particular is becoming a big one.
message that the recipient has been judged to be a traitor to
It’s one thing to be skeptical of, say, a Mr.
Johnson or someone you may not have worked with metahumanity and has been marked for death. Some have
before. That’s one reason why rep is so important. been eliminated within twenty-four hours, while the longest
It’s another when people start questioning even I know of was twelve days. There is nothing connecting these
long-standing relationships or suddenly become assassinations, as all methods have been different. The only
bent out of shape over the most innocuous thing. commonality is the thirty pieces.
Just last week I saw two fragging brothers go at it > Balladeer

COMBAT IN THE POST-DISIAN SHADOW WAR // WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION

 > They are also seeking out any chimeras still living on the
material plane. More than once we’ve had to move to avoid
these people.
20 > Liberator
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

And some of these people don’t care about

things such as nuance or circumstance. Even if you
were duped or forced to work for Disian interests,
you’re a traitor to the species, and death is your
only reward. Those who eventually defected or
turned against the Disians are given some leeway
but are still mostly seen as opportunists who only
repented when they saw their side was going to lose.
Which is fragged up, considering we were literally
seconds away from annihilation. I personally think
it depends on the person and situation. If someone
judged me for my past and all the mistakes I’ve
made, I’d be completely fragged, too.
I’m not saying that every Defender or person
who fought against the Disians is a walking mental
timebomb. On the contrary, most of the movement
is banding together to help each other through
these dark days. But there are enough out there
who are letting their pain fuel them, and they’re
attracting more people of like mind every day.

> The shadows have never been black and white. Trying to impose
that kind of pseudo-morality is only going to cause more
problems.
> Thorn

> Not to mention those who are using this situation for their own
benefit. I had some drunk slag try and accuse me of being a
Disian puppet. Didn’t believe me even when I showed him my
Defender challenge coin. Fragger then tried to say I stole it just
so I wouldn’t get my hoop kicked. Thankfully, he was too drunk
to do anything about it. But I wonder how things would have
> Great.
played out if he’d been sober … or had friends.
> Slamm-0!
> Tauren
> Making matters worse are those who worked for the Disians in
some capacity and have zero regrets. Some try and play it off as Gonna Need a Bigger Gun
“just biz,” while others are certified psycho or sociopaths glad to My grandfather once told me that you can get
see the world die. further with a kind word and a gun than you can
> Butch with just a kind word. I took that to heart, especially
when I started working the shadows. But now I’m
> Going back to what Duke said. I’ve been having issues getting seeing people take this concept to the extreme.
teams together because some runners flat-out refuse to work During the Disian Shadow War, corps and
with anyone they even suspect was pro-Disian. manufacturers on both sides were pumping out
> Cosmo arms, armaments, and in some cases augmentations
> There’s also the rise of “chimera death cults” as a new kind of
with reckless abandon. And I’m not going to lie,
I personally used more of my fair share of them.
underground movement. I don’t have all the details, but what
When a pack of destroyer chimeras is charging
I’ve been able to piece together is that they’re convinced the straight at you with razor-teeth-filled jaws open,
Disians are coming back and are preparing a new chimera army you want more than just a standard rifle.
for them. And by preparing a new army, they’re kidnapping and And by Ghost did we get some crazy drek. Guns,
ritually mutilating people. Drek is still keeping me up at night. powered melee weapons, bleeding-edge ’ware, and
> Det. Gumshoe stuff called “dark tech” were all put out there. This
was drek I thought only existed on the trids. Some of

WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION // COMBAT IN THE POST-DISIAN SHADOW WAR

the latter was just as nightmarish as those we were to make their way back to their respective units.
fighting. But truth was, we needed every advantage Don’t ask me how, but my guess is that someone
we could get, even though we pushed a lot of moral ran interference for them. Or they took the hits to
and ethical borders while doing it. The only thing their jackets and considered it the price of helping 21
that the allied corps, and to a (thankfully) lesser save the world.

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

extent Defender leadership, cared about was that Anyway, it’s not just the people and the shadows
this stuff was being used against the Disians and who are rearming. According to my sources,
their allies. At the time, I was all for it. In retrospect, regular militaries across the globe are initiating
I’m not quite sure about it. But chalk that up to yet rearmament programs the likes of which haven’t
another thing we’ll eventually have to deal with. been since before the Great Ghost Dance. The
I bring all that up because when the war was justification for this varies, but they tend to follow
over, and everyone stood down, the weapons, gear, similar themes.
et al. were still out there, on the streets. Some of The first is that in light of recent terrorist
them became prized possessions, others were attacks and natural disasters, the governments of
sought after as prizes while entire runner teams the world are acting like the rest of us. They think
were paid simply in shiny new toys. that if they build their forces up, they’re more
Needless to say, this caused a bit of an arms race prepared for another … whatever happens. Ironic,
after the war. Having seen the potency of this new considering how they were mostly kept out of the
tech, of course everyone wanted their own new shiny shadow war.
toys. But it wasn’t just about the latest and greatest; it
was about having something, anything that could be > It’s not just that. During the Un-Awakening, there was a lot
used to protect oneself with. Sensible, reliable weapon of movement by various military forces. Most of them were
systems and gear just didn’t seem to cut it anymore. taking up defensive positions, while rumors persist that some
No, in the minds of many, only the biggest, most countries were mobilizing to initiate operations against nations
powerful stuff would do. Granted, they were full of that were essentially de-powered or at a major disadvantage
drek, but I understood the logic, or rather lack thereof. because of their loss of magical capabilities. But, because the
Un-Awakening was so brief, and no one was really certain that
> Fear is often a motivator that drives the sale of such weaponry. all magic was gone, no one pulled that particular trigger.
In reality, it’s the skill of the user that makes the weapon potent, > Colonel Cobra
not the weapon itself. But rationality is often one of the first
casualties in war. > There were a few skirmishes and probing actions, but nothing
> Red Anya significant on a military level. From what reports I’ve seen,
there were other, more clandestine operations undertaken to
> It’s not just weaponry; the demand for augmentations has eliminate specific targets.
skyrocketed. I’m still booked solid, and combat mods are all the > Point Guard
rage. And it’s not just in the shadows, either, as regular people
are starting to embrace cybertechnology on a level that I’ve > Like a lot of things, the worst happened in the shadows.
never seen before. Sure, most of it is cheap, off-the-shelf stuff > eX-Professor
or so over the top that it won’t stand up to a real razor or street
samurai. But that’s not the point. The current zeitgeist is calling The second is some not-so-subtle corporate
for people to become better, stronger, faster; all because of the influence. The corps have developed all this new
dangers that lurk out there. wiz-bang technology, but what’s the point if no
> Butch one buys it? Did anyone honestly think they gave
it to the shadows just to fight the Disians and save
> And of course the corps are gently feeding this fire and laughing the world? Frag no, that was just a byproduct. We
all the way to the bank. The fact that they’re able to project the basically field-tested their drek for free.
need to protect themselves “just in case” and that there isn’t
> My suggestion, both as a mercenary and professional armorer:
anything to fear at the same time … it boggles the mind.
check any and all gear and weapons you may have obtained
> Mr. Bonds
during the shadow war, even if they don’t seem to have wireless
> Cognitive dissonance, one of the handiest tools in the functionality. Check for any hidden data transmitters beyond
manipulation handbook. the standard RFID and wireless connection. Last thing you want
> Agent X is for the corps to be able to track you, or worse, find out at the
wrong time that they hid some kind of backdoor access or kill
code in your kit. Like the man said, they didn’t let you keep this
Fighting And the Military stuff out of the kindness of their hearts.
Remember when I said I knew a lot of slags in > Rifleman
the regular military? Well, a few of them managed

COMBAT IN THE POST-DISIAN SHADOW WAR // WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION

 The last reason is simply ego mixed with a healthy
dose of fear. The governments of the world looked
like inept chumps. Granted, some were hamstrung
22 by Disian influence, but that may even be worse
than being inept. Now most of them are trying to
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

save face and reassert some kind of dominance or

control. By increasing their respective militaries
and force projection capabilities, they hope to have
greater influence on future events.

> So they’re beating their puffed-out chests. Got it!

> Slamm-0!

What this means for us in the shadows is that

militaries may be dipping their toes into our
world more often than we’d like, if for no other
reason than governments proving they can. This
also means we may have to keep more of an eye
on what they’re doing regarding foreign and
domestic policies as well as the political leanings of
countries in which we operate. If we start making
more noise than they like, we may find ourselves
not just tangling with the usual corporate and
shadow threats, but the greyer elements of various
militaries and nations.
Just another thing to consider, because it’s
shaping up to become a much more brutal future.

> Very astute observations from a “simple” street samurai.

> Fianchetto

> What can I say, I’ve read the works of Sun Tzu, Musashi, and
more than a few books about Alexander the Great.
> Brutus Ex-Mechina

> Something else to consider regarding militaries. We may in fact

face them more in the future, provided this isn’t a knee-jerk
reaction to current events. But I’ve been getting feelers from
various sources regarding requests to work with or as auxiliary
forces for some of these militaries. Take that for what you will.
> Cosmo

> Maybe, but you’re still more likely to be recruited by an

intelligence agency than as part of a military force. And if you
are, be extremely careful, because working with a regular
military is a whole other thing that most shadowrunners are not
prepared for.
> Thorn

> No spoilers, but we’ve already got that covered later.

> Glitch

WHEN PEACE ISN'T AN OPTION // COMBAT IN THE POST-DISIAN SHADOW WAR

 REGISTERED AS A
LETHAL WEAPON

> Even in an age of magic and weaponry the likes of which

metahumanity has never before seen, sometimes you still have
Going Hands-On
to punch a motherfragger in the face. It was true when we were Posted by: Treadle
still running around in caves, and it still holds up today because
we might not always have access to a weapon. All we have “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000
available are our hands, feet, etc. And because hand-to-hand kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced
combat still deserves a mention, I reached out to some people one kick 10,000 times.” — Bruce Lee
who know a few things about it and gave them guest status so
they can share their thoughts and experiences. At the risk of sounding controversial, I’ll con-
> Glitch
fidently say that hand-to-hand, unarmed combat,
or whatever you want to call it is the purest form
of combat. Before we developed weapons, we
> Finally, something I can talk about and not feel like a
used our raw strength and limbs. It was only after
complete newb!
developing our brains a bit more that we start-
> Knucklebuster ed to use weapons, which ultimately led to our
modern ways of killing each other. Even after we
> I heard about some of the things you did during the shadow war; developed those bigger and better weapons, we
you may be new to the shadows, but you’re far from a newb. never truly forgot how potent unarmed combat
Cheers, mate. can be in the right circumstances. Because some-
> Chainmaker times, you simply have to give someone a good
old-fashioned beatdown.

GOING HANDS-ON // REGISTERED AS A LETHAL WEAPON

 I don’t have the time or bandwidth to go While I’d like to say that there is no one style,
over unarmed combat in detail. Over the course or more specifically martial art, that’s better than
of thousands of years, methods, philosophies, another, that isn’t quite accurate. Like I said, hand-
24 techniques, and even entire schools of thought have to-hand fighting is another tool. But to expand the
evolved around the advancement of hand-to-hand metaphor, it’s more like a set of tools, with each
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

fighting. This is where the martial arts and other tool being better for some situations than others.
unarmed combat tactics originate, with every new In other words, the right tool for the right job.
evolution and technique building on each other as So with that in mind, I also ask: What are you
they become more refined and potent. And that looking to accomplish with your unarmed combat
was magic. Because even in an age of awesome or martial arts?
magical power and technological marvels, a well-
timed strike, lock, block, or hold can save your life. > Riffing on this, my sensei also says to pick the best tools that
Think of this more as food for thought when it work the best for you. Not everyone can hit like an average
comes to unarmed combat. troll or dodge like an average elf. Recognize your strengths
Even though I said that unarmed combat is the and weaknesses and find techniques that work for you, that
purest form of combat out there, I’m not advocating complement your physical attributes. For example, as an ork I’m
that it’s somehow the best and all that one needs. I’m decently quick, but I excel in hitting hard and have conditioned
not that naïve. Unarmed combat is like any other
myself to be able to roll with or flat-out take a hit. Also the
skill; in order to be effective, it must be constantly
calluses on my hands are so fragging thick, I don’t really need
practiced in order to build and refine that skill set.
knucks. Heh. But that means I favor techniques that allow me to
Additionally, it’s simply another tool in one’s belt,
one that when used at the right time and utilized in get in close to deliver strikes as well as lock up my opponents.
the correct way can be extremely effective. Just like > Knucklebuster
if one finds themself in a gunfight, they better have
a gun. That same concept, and in my opinion more > But what happens if you can’t get up close?
so, is that if you’re going to throw a punch, kick, or > Mihoshi Oni
other kind of strike, you’d better know how to do
it properly. > Then, depending on the situation, I either go for my gun …
or run the frag away. Manhandling and skull-cracking is my
> Not just so that the strike is effective, but also because you’re specialty, but it’s not the only tool I use. And I’m not stupid
using your body as a weapon, you’re more likely to hurt yourself enough to try and rush someone with, oh I don’t know, a
than your intended target. And yet so many people forget this. machine gun as just one example.
> Earthquake Jones > Knucklebuster

What’s Your Style? Striking and Damage

One of the questions I get asked the most in This is what most people think of when talking
regard to my own skill set is: what’s your style? about hand-to-hand combat or martial arts: the power
Now, some of these questions are legit and the of the strike, dishing out damage, and overpowering
person asking the question is honestly curious. your opponent. We see it all over current and classic
But more often than not it’s more about seeing media’ the knockout blow, the last-second jab, or the
if I give the so-called “right” answer so they can ultra-secret technique that’s used only in the direst of
either affirm their own flavor of personal combat circumstances to finish off an opponent.
or martial arts style … or give them a reason to tell As wiz as all that is, the reality is that most hand-
another person that they’re wrong. to-hand fights aren’t about the single knockout
blow, and real fights are never that … clean. They’re
> Same concept as people who argue over which is the best gun, chaotic and messy. Unarmed combat is about
car, cyberdeck, sports team, etc. They don’t want to learn; they efficiency over form and flourish, maximizing
want to convince others of their rightness. If it works for you,
your advantages and situation while pitting them
against your opponents. This is especially true in
it’s good.
a professional or competitive setting. While single
> Scattershot
knockout blows aren’t uncommon, don’t make
it your goal. The goal is to win. And against any
> It’s one thing to have a healthy debate, but only posers start semi-competent fighter, that usually means wearing
real drek over it. The pros or people with real skills may choose down your opponent and (hopefully) opening them
a primary style, but will always look for ways to integrate as up for that final knockout blow. Or, while on the
many techniques and philosophies as possible. To do otherwise job, remove them as a threat. Also, know that your
means stagnation, and stagnation means getting your hoop opponent is trying to do the same thing to you.
handed to you. So make sure your skills regarding blocks, feints,
> DangerSensei and avoidance are also up to par, because simply

REGISTERED AS A LETHAL WEAPON // GOING HANDS-ON

 25

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

being a punching bag and taking hit after hit rarely > I’d also like to point out that when done right, unarmed combat
works out for anyone. And before anyone says is one of the most silent forms of combat out there. It often
anything, this goes for trolls, too. depends on how much sound your target makes when they hit
the floor.
> Sure, take all the fun out of it. *grin* But joking aside, this is an > Knucklebuster
excellent point. Even the toughest slags out there (especially
trolls) may be able to take the hits and keep on going, but that > Damn, chummer. Save some for the rest of us.
doesn’t mean your body isn’t taking damage. That drek tends to > Bull
catch up with you at the worst time. And trust me, it will catch
up to everyone eventually. > Sorry. Like I said before, nice to actually contribute instead of
> Earthquake Jones constantly asking questions.
> Knucklebuster
> And don’t count on ‘ware to always give you an edge or save
you. Even chromed up, your body can only take so much before > Null sheen. I remember that feeling.
it gives out. You’re stacking the deck in your favor, not giving > Bull
yourselves absolutes.
> Brutus Ex Mechina
Subduing and Disarming
In the shadows, of course, unarmed combat is Less known, at least to the general public, is the
a bit different. utility of unarmed combat to subdue or disarm an
You’re not (or shouldn’t be) squaring up to opponent. This goes back to my original question
confront an opponent like it’s a professional of what you want to use your unarmed combat
match. Instead, you’d better be using every dirty skills for. Because as much as we might want to
trick and advantage you have. Whenever possible, wreck someone, we don’t always have that option.
attack without warning or when your opponent is Depending on the conditions or nature of the
unaware. A great example of this is a sucker punch; run, such as a low or even zero body count situation,
using surprise to (hopefully) end the fight and take we may have to use as little force as possible against
down your opponent before it really begins. targets. This means that instead of, say, bashing

GOING HANDS-ON // REGISTERED AS A LETHAL WEAPON

 in their faces, we have to subdue them instead; limitations as well as the benefits in order to know
chokeholds, armbars, and other joint locks come the proper time to go hands-on.
to mind for this. Granted, knocking someone out First, it’s up close and personal. If you’re not
26 can achieve the same result, but that may take time comfortable or don’t have the training to go hands-
and runs the risk of causing more commotion than on, I’d recommend finding another method. But I
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

desired, which may alert other adversaries. also recommend knowing how to at least throw a
decent punch. Regardless, unless you’re working
> Not to mention if your main target or principal is less than from a tactical advantage, such as an ambush, or
willing. I’ve had to subdue more than my share of unwilling have an innate physical advantage (hand weapons
extractions over the years. such as knucks or adept powers like myself), don’t
> Hard Exit use them as your primary attack. Still, if you can
achieve that kind of surprise through your position
Note that what I just said tends to be reactive or sheer speed and skill, do what you have to do
or defensive in nature. When working to subdue and don’t hold back.
opponents or targets, doing so with means that can Second, read your situation. I’ve already given
be employed at a distance, or in a surprise or ambush two examples of how unarmed combat can be
situation, is always preferable. But as the old saying used and there are several others. Like any other
goes, no plan survives contact with the enemy, and combat situation, use the best tools you have. And
sometimes you end up on the wrong end of an ambush if that’s not unarmed combat, so be it. Don’t fall
or defensive in general. You may find yourself unable into the trap of being so good at unarmed combat
to use your primary weapon or attack and have to (or any other skill, for that matter) that you think
resort to unarmed tactics to deprive your adversary it’s the best or worse rely on it as your only tool.
of theirs. Not always the best of situations to be in, Third, know your limits in regard to unarmed
but that’s often how things go down. combat. Your punch may be utterly lethal, or you
may be a twentieth-degree black belt in Hoop-
Distraction and Disengaging Kick-Do, but if you’re not strong enough to do
enough damage or subdue someone—especially a
In the greater context of unarmed combat, there troll or spirit—don’t try it. Ego and overconfidence
are situations where you don’t have to take out or are among the fastest ways to get you hurt or even
subdue your opponent, but instead simply have to killed in a fight.
create a situation where you gain room to operate One last thing. No matter how good you may
or disengage. Case in point, I was running late for be, remember that there’s always someone better.
a meeting with a Ms. Johnson and some street Should you encounter them, I hope you have a
scum jammed a gun in my face. Out of reflex I plan on how to deal with them.
slapped him on the forehead, which confused him Hope all this helps.
for a half-second and allowed me to successfully
disarm him before kicking him into a nearby trash
pile and continuing on my way.
I still own that gun.
The Art
Or take the time I was jumped by about six
gangers who came at me with knives and other
of Awakened
melee weapons. One on one, I could have easily
wiped the floor with each of them. But this wasn’t
Unarmed Combat
that kind of fight, and I knew they’d dogpile me first Posted by: Canis
chance they got. My best option was to extricate
myself from the situation, so instead I rushed the > Given the adept’s reputation as being among the best unarmed
ganger I estimated to be the easiest target, quickly combatants out there, and with the number of touch spells
shattered his knee, and kept going through the available, I wanted to get their perspective on this specific
hole I just made in their line.
subject. Canis here was more than happy to share some of his
I could have just shot one of them, but I was in
an area where that could have brought on more thoughts on the matter … and then some.
heat than I wanted. So, using my best judgment > Glitch
and reading the situation, I decided on the best
possible course of action. Which brings me to my When I started teaching in a proper institution,
next point. I was lucky enough to be given carte blanche to
come up with my own curriculum. Sure, I had to
stick to the aims of the department and make sure
Knowing When to Throw Hands I was turning out mages and adepts who knew
For all its utility, unarmed combat does have what they were doing, but I quickly found that
its limitations, and one needs to understand those everything was about magic.

REGISTERED AS A LETHAL WEAPON // THE ART OF AWAKENED UNARMED COMBAT

> Wait, what? What’s so surprising about that? Isn’t that the point? of the students. And I’m glad those seeds have
> Stone borne fruit.
Starting sophomore year, we spend time
> In my opinion, it’s an overreliance on magic to the detriment of studying and learning physical combat. We 27
other skills. Ask the Awakened during the Un-Awakening how start with unarmed, then branch out into melee

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

they felt when their primary weapon and, for most, a major part weapons, and finally free training. I’m not going to
of their own self suddenly stopped working. pretend we don’t all love weapon foci and know
> Treadle why they’re perfect for mages and adepts, but they
are just tools. And without the skills, tools are
> I feel that. During those ten days, I felt like I was moving in next to useless. So spending time in the dojo or a
slow motion. Thankfully, muscle memory was still a thing. I boxing ring helps prepare the mind when learning
may not have had the same raw speed or power, but I had the
the intense flow of combat.
foundation, the basics that saved my hoop more than once.
> Knucklebuster Flowing Through Combat
Fighting is as much a mental game as it is
But digging deeper into the courses the a physical one, and I’ve found that training in
department offered, I realized that we weren’t unarmed combat skills helps one tap into the
just churning out mages and adepts; we were ebb and flow of a fight easier than if you were
creating academics. Don’t get me wrong, there’s practicing other combat skills. What do I mean by
nothing wrong with academia in the slightest; it the flow of a fight? For me, and this is probably
serves a useful purpose. After all, where would because I follow Wolf (who does like a good fight),
we be without the scholars who first dabbled in I define the flow as a combination of several things.
magic after the Awakening? We had the Native First, there is the cadence of the fight, which
Americans and others re-discovering shamanism, usually is determined by how many people are
but we didn’t have any of the other traditions we involved and the numbers on each side. But it’s also
have today. All of those had to be researched. how they’re fighting. Unarmed, melee, gunfighting,
The same was true regarding spells, summoning, spells, and even cybercombat has a flow. Second
and eventually foci. I’m not saying that backyard is the temp or speed at which everyone is fighting,
or basement discoveries weren’t happening, but the especially relative to each other. Is it a gun battle
majority of what we know about magic came from between two teams of heavily wired/enhanced
academics. And those researchers are still at it, individuals happening in the blink of an eye? Or is
diving deeper into the mysteries of the planes and it a schoolyard brawl between two eight-year-olds
magic itself. Frag, I’ve published several papers, all looking to blow off some steam?
of which were researched. Third is the weapons themselves. Are we looking
But deep down, I’m not an academic, I am a at two gangs with poorly maintained guns? Is it
hands-on, in-in-the-trenches kind of bloke. And we a shadowrunner team festooned with modern
need more than just academic magicians ready to firearms against a corporate HTR team? Or again, is
mass-produce foci in some sweatshop or dabble in it a schoolyard brawl with fists, elbows, and biting?
spell design in the hopes that their chimps-with- Finally are the stakes. Is it a little old lady
typewriters approach will yield something their being beaten for her pain meds by a strung-out
corporate masters can slap a label on and sell. We wageslave? Is it the schoolyard brawl where
also need people who can integrate this knowledge the worst results are cuts and bruises? Perhaps
and create practical applications and uses. you’re a shadowrunner being shot at, but the
corp sec is using Stick-n-Shock. Or maybe it’s
> Chimps with typewriters? Renraku Red Samurai attempting to cut your
> /dev/grrl head off with a katana.
By feeling the flow, one can increase their
> It’s an old saying—that if you give a room full of chimps situational awareness and know how best to
typewriters, given enough time you’ll end up with the collected respond. You can also determine when the flow is
works of Shakespeare. shifting either for or against you.
> Bull

But what does this have to do with unarmed Fists and Fingers
combat, you may ask? That’s simple: I teach If my hard-won experience as to the benefits of
my students martial arts. The first electives I the mental conditioning you get from learning and
originally offered are courses I still teach today. practicing unarmed combat isn’t enough, I guess
Only now they form the core of a specialized I’ll have to resort to practical examples.
degree program. Those electives are my combat Think about your daily life. What do you use
theory courses, which plant the seeds in the minds your hands for? For me, I don’t feel the need to

THE ART OF AWAKENED UNARMED COMBAT // REGISTERED AS A LETHAL WEAPON

 grandstand. I’ve never really needed to make any for its beauty and majesty but as another arena
waving and swiping gestures you see many people where we can do our jobs. After all, in the astral
make nowadays. plane, our meat bodies don’t matter, and our minds
28 determine what we can do. And any magician who
> To be completely fair, some use this purely as a method of hasn’t cultivated a mind strong in every way is
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

concentration and focus. Do they need to, no. But like many letting themselves down and leaving a weakness
other things, it helps put you in the mood. that could be exploited by their enemies.
> Treadle Then there are adepts. While they can’t project like
a magician, some have the power to perceive astrally,
> A large part of surviving in the shadows, hell, in life, is not thereby forming the necessary link to affect it and
telegraphing what you’re doing. Surprise saves lives, so being those within it. And despite their focus on the physical
subtle with your actions can easily be the difference between arts, when dealing with the astral plane, having a
life and death. Especially as “geek the mage first” is still a strong mind and will would benefit them as well.
common tactic.
> Vixen > Yeah, no. I’m not ready for that just yet. It’s hard enough beating
down people in the real world. Maybe someday.
Most of the time I’m using my hands to interact > Knucklebuster
with things and people. A lot of the spells I use in
daily life are touch spells—go ahead and look at I know a lot of Awakened have a weapon focus,
your grimoires, and you’ll see a lot of spells useful but not everyone has access to or the nuyen for
outside of combat are touch spells. But you’ll also foci, and mages on a budget may well prioritize
see that there are touch combat spells—the likes of other foci before a weapon focus. I can’t say I blame
Knockout and Punch being spells I frequently cast. them to be honest, as my first foci were a sustaining
You also have Shattershield and Ram, both of which and a power focus. This unfortunate state of
are extremely useful in the biz. Yes, I could cast those affairs means that those who haven’t trained their
spells as their ranged variants, but why would I? unarmed combat skills are at a disadvantage when
Touch spells drain less, so if I have to slap a fragger it comes to astral combat, both while perceiving
anyway, then why wouldn’t I use the touch versions? and projecting. And before anyone in the soynut
And that’s the crux of when it comes to touch gallery says anything, I know they’re not the same
spells. Sure, your chummer isn’t going to complain skills, but they are linked. After all, if you know
when you rest your hand on their shoulder and how to deliver a good uppercut using your meat
clear the alcohol or deepweed from their system body, you can do the same on the astral plane
before a big interview. But if you’re casting Punch, while projecting. I’d wager it would be stronger
or even one of the negative health spells, they’re than your meat body.
less likely to be so accommodating. The natural
reaction when someone you don’t trust tries to > This is … debatable, but I get the point you’re trying to make.
touch you is to defend yourself. If you’ve not My style of astral combat does not rely on translating or linking
trained in how to effectively hit someone, how my astral attacks to physical attacks. And I assure you, they are
can you hope to touch them when you want to quite effective.
whammy them with a spell? > Winterhawk

> The same goes for melee weapons, because you can use a The dovetail here is martial arts. I spent a long
bonded weapon focus to deliver touch spells as well. time brawling, without any real style or finesse. It
> Winterhawk wasn’t until I worked with an adept chummer who
showed me that proper martial arts can be used
> That’s one of the reasons I learned the spear; It lets me deliver while in astral combat. Since then I’ve worked to
touch spells from a distance. This is usually a massive surprise become proficient in several styles, from Karate
to mundanes and Awakened alike. and Kobudo to Kung Fu and Jeet Kune Do. I’ve
> Galen also picked up some HEMA and Ars Cybernetica
(yes, I know they are weapon-based, but there is
> This! This is one of those little things that many mages don’t significant overlap). The point is, learning martial
realize they can do, because they’ve never been told they could. arts allows me to use those techniques in astral
> Torch combat, thus greatly enhancing my options for
dealing with whatever situations arise.
Fighting the Other Side
Something that still surprises me are mages Flow Enhancers
who have an aversion to astrally projecting. Mages While combat skills and martial arts are
should relish traveling to the astral plane, not only beneficial, in close combat it often helps to have

REGISTERED AS A LETHAL WEAPON // THE ART OF AWAKENED UNARMED COMBAT

a weapon. But when dealing purely with unarmed and buy a pair of these. They turn your hands
combat, options are limited but not nonexistent. into tasers, meaning you deliver 50,000 volts on a
We would have to alter the flow of the fight. touch or strike. The older models were only your
Remember that risk and weaponry are parts of knuckles, which would trigger the discharge, but 29
determining the flow of a situation, so changing in the modern ones the discharge system is on the

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

from just bruising to breaking bones or lacerating palms and fingertips, too.
flesh changes the flow significantly.
I would propose three options: knucks, shock > The newer models of shock gloves allow you to discharge with a
gloves, and implanted weapons. Let’s look at how punch, a slap, and even just poking someone in the chest when
they can change the flow. you’re angry.
> Hard Exit
Knucks
Shock gloves serve the opposite purpose to
Knucks are the street slang generic term for knucks, as they’re meant to be non-lethal. Still,
anything that changes the weight or hardness of there are some nervous and cardiac conditions that
your hands, knees, or feet. This means you’ll hit can react badly to shock gloves, as well as tasers
harder, and in many cases, you’ll also break bones and stun batons. I should caution anyone who’s
via blunt force trauma as opposed to the less going to rely on the effects of a shock hand, or
significant injuries you’d normally cause. any taser-type weapon really, that nonconductive
The lowest tech variant of knucks you’ll find on armor and ’ware is becoming more common.
the streets nowadays are knuckle dusters or brass Having said that, for those with metagenic traits or
knuckles. These are pieces of metal that go around augmentations that cause your unarmed attacks to
and over the fingers when you clench your fist, so break bones, wearing shock gloves isn’t a bad idea.
when you punch someone, you do significantly
more damage. This same effect can be achieved
> Integrating shockweave in your clothing is becoming more
in several ways, such as simply holding a small
common, too. Used to be only useful if someone grappled with
cylinder of metal, a rock, or other chunk of hard
you—say a gropey guy at Dante’s or a sec goon. But the more
material in your fist. Ultimately, you’re adding
weight to your hand, which can slow you down. modern stuff is really wiz!
The tradeoff is that your blows hit with more > Paladin
force, thereby doing more damage.
The next form these come in is intended more Thoughts on
for martial artists, as you put shaped pieces of
densiplast on top of the foot, the knee, and the Implanted Weapons
forearm. These locations are all prime striking I’m going to take a slightly different path and
surfaces in many styles and have the effect of talk about chrome for a moment, because surprise!
turning elbow and forearm strikes, knee strikes, I’m not completely meat anymore.
and kicks into bone-crunching attacks. The added I’m not a fan of relying upon anything that can
benefit is that blocking and parrying weapons like be taken away; I’ve been on both sides of that too
a sword or blade is a little less risky. many times. That doesn’t stop me from advocating
heavily for both knucks and shock gloves, but as
> Most of these you can wear underneath your clothing, so you I’m sure most JackPointers know, if there’s a way
don’t stand out as much as you would think with densiplast to do something then there’s usually an implant to
strapped to your arms and legs. do it to. Unarmed combat isn’t any different, and
> Mika there are quite a few useful pieces of dirt-cheap
augmentations that I’ve either used or seen used to
The last variant of knucks is specialized great effect.
clothing. Ares Hardliner gloves and Bates-Brown The first is the shock limb. These are essentially
combat boots are fine examples of clothing items implanted shock gloves, and like shock gloves they
reinforced to enhance your striking power with coat the entire hand so you can discharge your
unarmed attacks. Several fashion houses and shock into your opponent no matter what part
clothing manufacturers make clothing that subtly of your hand you hit them with. But they can be
incorporates the densiplast striking plates I just implanted all over the body, so you could have one
mentioned in the correct areas. It’s a commonly in your leg—thus enabling knee strikes and kicks
available aftermarket option, too. to deliver the discharge—or even going all the way
up your arms. Modern shock limbs are a cut above
the shock hands of a few years ago, and I heartily
Shock Gloves recommend these to my chromed associates. I have
For decades now, we’ve had the option to go them in both hands myself, mainly because of bone
down to most Stuffer Shacks or Kong-Walmart lacing. Handy against drones, too.

THE ART OF AWAKENED UNARMED COMBAT // REGISTERED AS A LETHAL WEAPON

 Which is a nice segue into bone augmentations. The real kicker comes when you get into biospikes,
Changing the density of your meat bones, or lacing razors, spurs, and handblades. These all offer multiple
them with metals, can cause significant blunt force options for unarmed combat, but it’s more than
30 trauma with your strikes. It’s something a lot of that. Using these implanted weapons (or if you’re a
people forget; frag, I did when I got my first bone changeling with them) changes your flow significantly
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

lacing. A lot of my chummers were annoyed at me as you’re sort of using a different ‘weapon.’ Yes, these
for weeks because I’d forget my friendly bicep taps implants are primarily stabbing weapons mounted
did real damage. So if you’re heavily into unarmed on the hand or arm in such a way that a normal
combat (or any fighting, really), I’d recommend jab becomes a potential puncture wound, with one
looking at these pieces of ’ware. to four blades anywhere from 5 to 20 centimeters
Another implant that can turn your regular depending on what you’re using. From a technique
unarmed attacks into bone-crunching fists of standpoint, where on your opponent you would try
doom is hardening. I’m not talking about the to land your punch could also change, as would how
hardening you would want in your electronics and you move your arms – sure, they’re mainly thrusting
drones; I mean hardening of the flesh. They’re dirt weapons, but I can assure you, razors and spurs can
cheap, easy to find, and entirely unrestricted. For still be used for slashing.
someone who doesn’t want bone augmentation
but still wants to have their opponents pissing > The number of times I’ve seen someone walk out of my
blood after a good kidney punch, these will get clinic with new razors or spurs only to come back covered in
you there. You won’t hit as hard as the upper-end lacerations caused by their own weapons is staggering.
bone augmentations, but that’s because you’re not > Galen
changing the density of your hands (or feet, or
knees, or arms). > It’s just like with any new weapon; you have to spend time
Now I know Glitch asked me to talk about getting accustomed to it. Doesn’t matter if it’s a firearm, a
unarmed combat, but while I’m on the subject of sword, or spurs.
implants, I would be remiss to not cover the other > Hard Exit
implanted weapons while discussing things that
can change the flow of a fight and dovetail with
martial arts.
Firstly, we should probably look at the options
Game Information:
for the head (fangs, horns, and tusks) just to get
them out of the way. I do not recommend using
New Weapons
cybernetic or bioware implanted fangs—either the
vampire or werewolf varieties of both—as they’re
and Gear
not great weapons.
Tusks and horns can be useful. Sure, they’re New Weapon:
not the most ideal weapons for the metahuman Krime Gloves
form to use, but with a little work it’s not difficult
to adapt other techniques to the point that you The only thing harder than finding a set of
can use them effectively and safely. Thankfully, knuckledusters or stun gloves in a decent size is
the plethora of metahumans with these naturally figuring out which would be better to wear that
means it’s not hard to find info on the Matrix, day. Krime designers saw exactly that problem and
and a lot of martial arts instructors can help you thought, “Bah! We’ll make gloves that have both!”
out there. Incorporating recycled densiplast along with their
Skullwhomper™ stunpalm pad and some serious
> Sounds like a tool for posers, if you ask me. street style, these are gloves to be worn with pride!
> Beaker When the punks step up acting like hardcases, you
can knock them down even harder.
> Not a knock, but I find it odd that an Awakened person would
Before an attack, the user must choose which
kind of damage to employ. When attacking with
get any kind of ’ware. Is the benefit to losing magic that great?
electrical damage, the gloves inflict the Zapped
> Brutus Ex Mechina
status (p. 53, SR6). Krime Gloves are good for
ten charges before they need to be recharged (one
> Depends. Some Awakened will get small stuff like a datajack or a charge per minute) with a standard charging plug
smartlink because it takes relatively little compared to, say, wired or by induction, regaining one charge per half hour
reflexes. More commonly, it’s the burnouts who go that route to of wireless-enabled time.
get some kind of gain when they’ve lost some or all of their magic. The charge can be activated with a muscle
But this is a vicious cycle, and the rabbit hole goes deep. command, via wireless signal (which requires a
> Treadle minor action), or can simply be programmed to
shock on impact.

REGISTERED AS A LETHAL WEAPON // GAME INFORMATION: NEW WEAPONS AND GEAR

 Krime Gloves
ATTACK
TYPE

Unarmed
DV

3P
RATINGS
6/—/—/—/—
AVAIL

2
COST

1,050¥
31

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Unarmed 4S(e) 5/—/—/—/—

New Cyberware:

Cyber Canines
For those who want a more animalistic style,
cyber canines are variant cyber fangs that replace
both upper and lower canine teeth with more
robust versions suitable for use in combat. They
retract into the maxillary and mandible bones and
offer reinforced anchoring over the normal fangs
implant, allowing for a more bestial bite-and-tear
style. This version does not have the fangs reservoir
and capillary tube and thus cannot be used to dose
a target with a toxin.

Cyber Canines
ATTACK
ESSENCE CAP TYPE DV AVAIL COST
RATINGS
0.15 [3] Unarmed 3P 4/—/—/—/— 3(L) 750¥

New Armor Mod:

Densiplast Reinforcement
By weaving small beads of densiplast into
strategic locations of the item—typically knees, shins,
forearms, or elbows—it’s possible to drastically alter
the amount of energy imparted to a target when
struck. This allows an experienced wearer to turn any
unarmed strike they make with a body part clothed
in an item with this modification to inflict Physical
damage as if striking with knucks (p. 250, SR6).

Densiplast Reinforcement
CAPACITY AVAIL COST
[3] 5(L) 3,500¥

New Weapon Mod:

Ergonomic Optimization
By optimizing a non-standard weapon with
personal specs so as to maximize weapon balance,
edge bevels, and striking surface angles, it’s possible
to achieve the same result as a Personalized Grip
(p. 62, Firing Squad). This modification can be
applied to cyber-implanted weapons, or weapons
that are used for Unarmed Combat such as shock
gloves or knucks.

GAME INFORMATION: NEW WEAPONS AND GEAR // REGISTERED AS A LETHAL WEAPON

 Ergonomic Optimization
Haymaker
AVAIL SLOTS COST Any Attack
32 3 1 325¥
Sometimes, in a moment of pure desperation,
someone gets in a lucky shot. The Haymaker is a
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

wild swing where the attacker puts all they have

New Edge Actions into the strike and sacrifices accuracy for damage
potential. It’s performed simultaneously with an
C-Clamp Unarmed Combat strike. It does have drawbacks,
however, as the attacker suffers a –2 penalty to
Grapple their Unarmed Combat test. But, if successful, they
A technique sometimes used by law enforcement gain +2 to the strike’s DV. Cost: 3 Edge
or security providers to help overcome passive
resistance when a subject is in a sitting position,
or when the subject is standing but is unaware of
Joint Lock
the attack (such as a successful ambush or Stealth Grapple
roll). The C-Clamp is when an attacker hooks their
Whether it’s employing an arm bar, wrist or
thumb under the back of the subject’s jaw under
finger lock with an upright and walking subject, or
the ear while using their index (and maybe middle)
wrestling on the ground to wrap up an opponent’s
finger to grab the maxilla and squeeze. The result
leg, the Joint Lock targets a specific joint on an
is a sudden burst of pain from stimulated nerves,
opponent’s body and, through an Unarmed
causing the subject to move. This makes it easier
Combat test, secures that limb so it cannot be used
for the attacker to get them on their feet and move
until the subject succeeds and frees themselves
them after a successful Unarmed Combat roll. This
on an opposed Grappling test. This Edge action
will also give the subject 3 boxes of temporary Stun
can be used in conjunction with the Escort Hold
damage and penalties for as long as the C-Clamp is action. Cost: 2 Edge
being held. Cost: 4 Edge

Escort Hold Knee Targeting

Grapple Any Attack
Basically a called shot to the knee, the Knee
On a successful Unarmed Combat test or Targeting action adds the Hobbled status to the
Grapple check, the attacker can secure the subject target. Both knees can be affected by this Edge
and control their movements. The subject, however, action, giving the target the Immobilized condition.
must be able to walk. If the subject is already Because of their unique stature and size, the cost
under a C-Clamp, joint-lock hold, or is restrained for dwarves is –1. Cost: 3 Edge
by manacles or handcuffs, the Edge cost is –2 the
base cost. The Escort Hold does not need to be
performed by the one who initiated a previous Nerd Slap
hold. It can also be broken with an opposed
Grapple, Unarmed Combat test, or Karmic Escape Any Attack
Edge action. Cost: 4 Edge Designed as more of a distraction than an actual
attack, the Nerd Slap is a quick and unexpected
slap to the target’s forehead and is performed in
Feint and Strike conjunction with an Unarmed Combat strike.
Any Attack Instead of causing damage, the unexpected nature
of the Nerd Slap gives the target the Confused
First used in boxing and then again in MMA, status for 1 combat round. The attack, however,
the Feint and Strike is conducted simultaneously must be a surprise. The Nerd Slap will not work
with an Unarmed Combat strike. The attacker on a target already expecting combat. Cost: 2 Edge
looks like they are going to strike with one limb
(hand, knee, or foot), causing the target to focus
on the feint rather than the actual strike. The Nose Strike
target can avoid this either by the See It Coming
Edge Action or through a Perception (4) test. The Any Strike
attacker gains +2 to their dice pool for the strike. A somewhat-called strike to the target’s nose,
The real strike does not necessarily have to be of the Nose Strike also has the possibility of either
the same limb type. For example, a feinted jab can dislocating or even breaking it, causing severe and
be preceded by a knee strike or kick. Cost: 4 Edge ongoing pain for the target. Used in conjunction

REGISTERED AS A LETHAL WEAPON // NEW EDGE ACTIONS

with an Unarmed Strike, if the attacker succeeds, combat scenario, but rather can only be used
the target’s nose will be dislocated, giving them against imminent Unarmed Combat strikes by
the Dazed status for one combat round. If the canceling an attacker’s edge action. Cost: 2 Edge
attacker scores 4 or more net hits on the attack, 33
the target also receives 3 boxes of stun damage.
Shin Rake

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

This condition and stun damage can be removed
once the nose is repaired through standard healing Any Strike
means. Cost: 4 Edge
Targeting the subject’s shins, like the Nerd Slap,
this action is meant more as a distraction through
See It Coming pain rather than causing actual damage. On a
successful Unarmed Combat attack, the attacker
Any Strike rakes their shoe, boot, or other significantly
This Edge action allows the user, typically in shod foot down the opponent’s shins, causing an
a defensive position, to try and see through any immediate and severe painful stimulus. This grants
subterfuge or feints being employed against them the target the Dazed status for 1 combat round.
during an Unarmed Combat encounter. This does This Edge action cannot be performed if the target
not allow for overall insight for a larger fight or is using shin armor. Cost: 2 Edge

NEW EDGE ACTIONS // REGISTERED AS A LETHAL WEAPON

 BLEEDERS &
BONE BREAKERS
> There’s an old saying about necessity being the mother of
invention. Well, what happens when necessity is linked to
Welcome
something like, oh, I don’t know, the end of the world? That’s
a fair description of what happened in the shadows during
to Extreme
the recent Disian Shadow War. When faced with threats such
as chimeras, people often went to extreme lengths to combat
Cyberweapons
Posted by: Butch
those nightmarish adversaries. One such area was the realm
of melee and other close-quarter weapons. Not everyone who Full disclosure, I’m a street doc, not a razor
fought against the Disian threat had access to SOTA weapons;
or samurai. I tend not to deal with extreme
cyberweapons (XCWs) because they can be more
all they had was grit, initiative, and not a small amount of
trouble than they’re worth. But sometimes you
desperation. Below are just some of those examples that we’ve
simply have to give the customer what they want
uncovered … so far. and let them make their own decisions.
> Glitch Melee cyberweapons began in the early part of
the twenty-first century with carbon fiber inserts
over the fingers, knuckles, and back of hand, and
titanium braces in the forearm or lower leg. With
advancements in the cybernetic field, there’s still a
demand for cheaper but effective cyberweapons—
both for the street doc’s overhead and the lower
classes who can’t afford what corps produce.

BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS // WELCOME TO EXTREME CYBERWEAPONS

 Titanium and compressed carbon were the Hotmodded
standard materials for weapons for most of
the century. While less popular today, these Cyberweapons: What Are
materials are still used for tools and machinery. They and Are They Safe? 35
Monofilament and laser-edged are the preferred

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

choices, if you have the nuyen. As time marched > Of course not! No one in their right mind would think, “Wouldn’t
on, many razors and street samurai came to rely on it be cool if I replace my hand with a chainsaw?” Pray for
corporate-branded cybernetics. But with a brand Darwinian if they sneeze.
name comes a hefty price. This is where you move > Bull
from simple and affordable cybernetic weapons to
the DIY extreme cyberweapons to counterbalance > Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, chummer. They’re like any
what the corporations offer. other weapon. And many chimeras have fallen to my saw.
Large and often dangerous to both target and > Grindstone
user, most of these types of cyberweapons look
like they were ripped off of a construction site and Simply put, hotmods are extreme cybernetic
bolted to the hand or arm. Drills, saws of all kinds, customization made after purchase. This can be the
and other industrial tools often serve as the basis modification of the cyberware or modification of
for XCWs. Other times, they’re assembled from the cyberware’s use. For example, take a cybernetic
whatever the fabricator can get their hands on. eye. It’s been tested millions of times so that it’s
While the objective is to do as much carnage almost plug-and-play when installed. Then take
as possible, another selling point is intimidation. that same cybernetic eye and put it somewhere
A street doc can tell you that from a design else. Now you have to think about the structure,
perspective, XCWs aren’t finesse weapons. They’re the containment, even the user’s disorientation.
not built on designs tested by corporate engineers With hotmods, there’s always a risk; maybe it’ll
and measured for maximum kinetic energy or sales take a few whacks before it works or maybe it’ll
benchmarks. Extreme cyberweapon philosophy is simply blow up.
to win the battle through brute force or scare the Since there’s an extensive variety of hotmodded
enemy into capitulation. The wielder knows that cyberweapons, we don’t have time for an intimate
in achieving the intimidation, there is a certain loss look at each one. Rather, it would be better to
of control and even reliability of the weapon. list some of the more common ones that street
These kinds of weapons or mods are known on docs and armorers have built for their clientele.
the streets as hotmods. Variations of these and their features are based on
available materials, the theme of the threat, and of
> Not knowing the exact nature of the strike can add to the fear course what the client wants.
factor.
> Brutus Ex-Mechina > And for some, these can also be primitive limbs or attachments
to give the minimum quality of life.
> With enough antibiotics and disinfectants, anyone can > Butch
weaponize body modifications. For the bigger toys, it’s easier to
start with a cybernetic replacement framework. Buzzsaw
> Borderline
While there’s the store-bought version of the
Hotmodded cyberweapons have no standard buzzsaw, the original is more about the noise and
combat technique, no formal training except fast revolution of chains or belts. Sparks and or
practicing not to hurt yourself. It takes time smoke is preferred. Strikes must be done counter
and dedication to perform actions unique to the to the rotation of the chain, otherwise it’s virtually
weapon, and no muscle memory augmentations meaningless as the belt helps move the strike
will circumvent that process. quickly past the target. Thrusts are dangerous to
both the wielder and the target. Any accidental
> That reminds me of the Ash Arms Chainsaw. Some see twists could break chains or blades, turning the
corporations such as Ash Arms and Krime as taking advantage
melee weapon into deadly projectiles.
of entrepreneurs with their own interpretation of exotic melee
weapons. I tend to agree that they do this kind of exploitation. Cattle Prod
It’s like fashion designers promoting trash on a net and calling it This cyberweapon relies on quick reactive peg
an urban ghillie suit and selling it for an arm and a leg. inserts that can protrude like hedgehog spines
> Brutus Ex-Mechina along limbs. It’s a collection of cheap plastisteel
contraptions with triggering sensors and the
occasional DNI if they can afford them. While
short, they are meant for an irregular force

WELCOME TO EXTREME CYBERWEAPONS // BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS

 against a target in melee combat. Other versions Red-Hot Poker
are narrower, like needles or nails. In this case,
Using conductive metals and a power source, this
they attempt to pierce and irritate nerve clusters,
hotmod heats up metal studs or surfaces to burn
36 inducing muscle spasms.
and brand targets when striking. Such an extreme
weapon is also dangerous to the user, often leaving
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Electrocutioner burn scars. Iron coating to give the incandescent

This one requires full or partial cyberlimbs. In its glow of hot metal is extremely popular.
simplest form, internal components are exposed and
compromised to allow an electrical discharge into > Don’t be a poser with carbon filaments or gas illumination for
the surface of the cybernetic limb. Some street docs that “fire” effect. This isn’t a game show stunt. That will easily
strap additional batteries and capacitors to make get you shot first.
sure the weaponized limb has the right amount > Grindstone
of kick to it. A Jacob’s Ladder is considered a bit
over the top in making the weapon threatening. An The Original Claw
acoustic low-frequency hum and the smell of ozone
is a more effective yet subtle threat. A mass replication of a real extreme cyberweapon
with a pseudo lobster- or crab-shaped appendage
> No little shock limb accessory here. You’re either resuscitating and silly fake tagging with corporate logos. While
the dead or arc welding with this weapon! small vice grips and presses can be called the claw,
> Borderline it’s the strapped-on jaws of life or industrial rebar
cutters that bring home the truly intimidating
effects. Hydraulic or hissing pneumatic actuators
Four Thousand Newtons focus the pressure to cut through armor, bone,
This is the force required to break a human and whatever the owner gets their claws on, pun
femur. A normal cyberlimb has safety features and intended.
regulators built in so that it works like a flesh-and-
blood limb at approximately one-tenth that force. > This one was extremely effective against chimeras who had
To override this ability requires a combination similar bio-mechanical claws of their own.
of removing all safety features, overclocking the > Chainmaker
mobility servos, and adding some mass for good
measure. If overclocking the servos isn’t enough, the
hydraulic or pneumatic pistons from a jackhammer Wild Wave
or repurposing hydraulic jacks into a kick instead of a Like a crazy cat o’ nine tails, these phalanges
jump (especially if the weapon is in a leg) can suffice. extend several meters and are connected by cables,
Those financially strapped can add weight and extra wires, dangerous monofilament, or whatever was
straps to the limb to keep it from being ripped off available at the time. With weighted tips, they can
during combat. Heavy metals like lead are common, easily get entangled with whatever the subject hits
but banded ferroconcrete is an even cheaper option. with an attack. Depending on the skill of the street
Four Thousand Newtons is an unwieldy hotmod, doc, some may retract, while others detach after
and the user is prone to wild swings. entangling the target.

> Combat with this is akin to a waltz, as the attacker pivots and
turns with each strike, using their body mass and momentum to
Other Cyberweapon
make changes to the next swing. Enhancements
> Brutus Ex-Mechina Besides the previously noted features, there are
other enhancements that can be installed, if the
Meat Grinder price is right.
Sometimes it’s a pair of rotating screws, other
> Hardening, Shocklimb, and the blanketed “Custom Style” are
times toothed or serrated wheels replace the hand.
The concept is simple in grinding and crushing available with any street doc. Hell, if you go to Los Coronados
whatever gets between the wheels. The trick is to hit or Los Angeles, you can find street doc vending machines to
the soft or loose parts to grip and pull in the target. purchase bits and bobs, neon engravings, etc. It’s got a little
More complex or fancier designs have the wheels kiosk for you to figure out where you want to install it.
or screws pop out of the limb as a pincer then shred > Borderline
the target, disconnecting muscle from bone.
> Really? Self-service docs on street corners? What could possibly
> Also works with recycling cybernetics for scrap. go wrong?
> Borderline > Slamm-0!

BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS // WELCOME TO EXTREME CYBERWEAPONS

The Hurt Locker be a quarterstaff. In short, humanity’s first weapon
was the polearm.
This cybernetic weapon has a lot of pent-up
anger issues that the character has to work out.
Every motion actuator in the cybernetic limb has Definition of a Polearm 37
been overclocked, and any safety protocols have

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Many people will think of a polearm as a long
been overridden. The cybernetics will attempt to
stick with a blade or point on the end, and in a
perform beyond the thresholds of the muscle and
great many cases they’re not wrong. But it’s not
bones that they’re attached to.
that simple, because a very compelling case can be
made that a quarterstaff is a polearm, and a Dane
> Literally pulling a muscle … and finding it on the floor.
axe (such as the Zoé Heritage bearded axe) is
> Slamm-0!
also a polearm. Whenever you have a shaft longer
than 1.6 meters, you are essentially talking about
The Wrecking Crew polearms, regardless of what the head is.
While Hardening is a standard option in the Henceforth when I refer to a polearm, I am
lethality of a cyberweapon, the wrecking crew is referring to the classical medieval weapon, or at
all about industrial-grade tools and capacity. Tools least its Western equivalents. Because a side effect
for demolition and working with materials harder of the spear being the first weapon used by early
than bones and Kevlar. These things are made hominids is that every culture around the world
for the factory, not the metahuman body, both in has some form of spear, and in many cases those
attachment and functionality. This again ties in basic spears have evolved into other weapons.
with the philosophy of extreme cyberweapons as a Ghost knows we’ve loads of designs of polearm
threatening presence, not performance. from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries just in
Britain alone, with loads more in mainland Europe.
Of those hundreds or even thousands of
Polearm Dancing different head designs for polearms used in
medieval Europe, I am going to try to narrow
and Other Weapons them down and give you buggers an example or
two on the market today. Because I do approve of
Posted by: Pikeman
several arms manufacturers almost standardizing
> When I was putting together the list of contributors for this the more common types of polearms. Makes my
section, I reached out to eRic about melee weapons—mainly life easier, that’s for sure!
because aside from the cultures of the Far East, Europe was
the martial powerhouse of medieval times. He put me in touch > There is a mercenary unit out of Greece that operates as
with a London-based runner who goes by the name of Pikeman, hoplites, but they also have a small number of centaur cavalry.
an adept who specializes in spears and polearms but is also These centaurs are equipped with heavy armor and lances and
an expert in other forms of weapons. He tends to be very … are used to charge armored fighting vehicles and recon tanks!
detailed when it comes to polearms, but he’s got paydata on They’re fucking crazy, but damn effective!
other weapons as well. > Papa Jazz
> Glitch
> We prefer the term “extreme tactical mindset.” But yes, our
> I can vouch for Pikeman’s bone fides—he’s an instructor and methods have proven extremely effective.
medieval reenactor. He’s also bloody lethal with that spear of > Iron Cav Actual
his and is my go-to for magical nasties you want to keep at arm’s
length.
> eRic
Varieties of Polearm
Now that we understand the makeup of a
Before the Awakening, when anthropologists polearm, let’s dive into some varieties. I’ll split
spoke of the tools of early hominids, they often them based on their heads, as that’s the easiest
got into heated debates about what was the first way to classify polearms, especially European
weapon. Of the texts that I’ve managed to dig up, ones. But I of course will mention other cultures’
scholars were divided into three camps: rocks, weapons, too.
sticks, and pointy sticks. Given my name, I’m sure
you can guess which camp I fall into. Spear, Yari,
We can all agree that a pointy stick is a polearm.
Depending on the length, it might be a short spear Pike, Doru, and Lance
or spear (sometimes mistakenly referred to as a The original longarm, the spear is extremely
long spear), or a pike. And, truth be told, a longer simple to manufacture, which is largely why
stick used to lamp someone about the head would common soldiers in the medieval era had them.

POLEARM DANCING AND OTHER WEAPONS // BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS

 Consisting of a shaft and a pointed metal head, had a hook or spike on the back side of the blade
these are thrusting weapons with a slight ability socket for use against cavalry and binding your
to cut, as the heads were usually not long enough. opponent’s blade.
38 The Japanese yari sometimes had tips getting Now, I know there’s gonna be some tosser
into glaive territory (sometimes as long as 90 calling me out for the war scythe being nothing
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

centimeters), but the majority of them were in the like a glaive … well, I could tell you from personal
10- to 20-centimeter range, like the spear and pike. experience if you tried to use a normal scythe
Spear tips are often triangle-, leaf-, or diamond- in battle, you’d be right proper fragged! So, the
shaped, though that is by no means a hard and blade was turned to point forward and not at
fast rule. right angles to the shaft, enabling its use on the
In terms of shaft length, spears are typically battlefield and turning it into a slightly different
1.8 to 2.5 meters long, with the Greek doru being shaped glaive.
longer at 2.5 to 4 meters, and pikes being 2.5 to
6 meters. The yari could be as short as a Roman > In feudal Japan, the naginata was seen as the weapon of
hasta (1.8 meters) or as long as a pike. Lances were respectable and honorable women. They were forbidden from
roughly 3 meters in length but were much thicker, touching the katana, but the naginata was acceptable. Some
giving them added oomph on the charge. of the best and most well-known naginata users in Japanese
history are women from that period.
Winged Spear, Boar Spear, > Mihoshi Oni
and Bear Spear
Spears designed for hunting are often found Dane Axe, Bearded Axe,
with wings or lugs sticking out the sides of the haft and Combat Axe
below the spear tip. The idea is that when stuck To those who are swinging around these
in a boar or bear, something that you really don’t weapons, I hate to burst your bubble, but you’re
want to get close to you at all, it will hold them at using a polearm. Yes, they are almost entirely
the end of the spear and allow you to control the devoted to cutting and slashing, and yes, they
animal and make it easier for your allies to finish sacrifice a lot of the reach and defense of other
the beast off. polearms. But I can’t argue with their effectiveness,
The winged spear is an extension of this concept since they’ve survived since the Dark Ages, and
applied to war. The wings were usually longer and they are still potent weapons if you know what
more robust and were used against cavalry — you’re doing with them.
place the butt of the spear in the ground and let
the horse run on to the spear. Not only would you
thus have stopped the horse, but the rider (often Trident, Ranseur, Military Fork
a knight in heavier armor) may well have been I’m sure everyone is familiar with a trident:
unseated, and thus easier to engage. essentially a three-pronged spear, often seen in the
hands of Poseidon. The ranseur and military fork
Hewing Spear, a.k.a. Atgeir are derivations of the trident, extending the center
tine or taking one away in the case of the ranseur,
The hewing spear, or atgeir in Old Norse, had and elongating the tines and adding wings in the
a longer and broader enlarged head intended not case of the military fork.
only for thrusting but for cutting and slashing as These are purely thrusting weapons, their tines
well. This is sort of a halfway house between the being long and thin, making them ideal for dealing
spear and the glaive, and a good balance between with chainmail armor and leaving nasty wounds.
the two. Winged versions of the hewing spear exist,
and I personally find that to be the best tool for the > The fork isn’t just good at piercing chainmail: modern fabric
kinds of things we shadowrunners deal with. armor like your trusty armor jacket is just as susceptible.
> Armand
Glaive, War Scythe,
and Naginata Halberd and Bec de Corbin
The glaive is the first on my list of single-edged Late in the medieval period, when plate armor
polearms and consists of a shaft roughly 2 meters was becoming more prevalent, a way of defeating
in length and a single-edged curved blade roughly it was needed. The first way to combat someone in
45 centimeters long. Longer versions exist, with the full plate harness was to attack the gaps between
naginata head being the longest at 80 centimeters the plates, typically the elbow, armpit, backs of the
to 1 meter. As a single-edged curved blade, the knees, and potentially the inside leg. The other way
glaive is not suited to thrusting, but it is capable of was to use a hammer and cave in the plates, hoping
exceptionally strong slashes and cuts. Some glaives to wound the soldier inside the armor.

BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS // POLEARM DANCING AND OTHER WEAPONS

 To that end, we have the halberd, which is a > Bayonets are often issued to soldiers in national militaries, and
polearm with a long spike on the top, an axe blade some corporate ones, too, but they don’t train with them. In
on one side, and a spike or hammer on the other. merc circles it’s uncommon to come across anyone who owns
We also have the bec de corbin, which has the same or has used a bayonet. Those who do are scary fighters, both at 39
arrangement but a curved spike instead of the axe range and in close combat.

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

blade. Both weapons gave the normal infantryman a > Bangswitch
chance of dealing damage to those in plate armor, and
the halberd especially continued into the Renaissance
period. Hell, if you look at the Vatican, the Swiss Why Polearms?
Guard still carry a halberd. It’s made from modern In the modern age, why would anyone use
materials but combined with mil-spec armor in the a polearm? For starters, the polearm is a reach
same garish color scheme. Both the halberd and bec de weapon. Not only do you have the reach to keep
corbin would be between 1.5 and 2.5 meters in length. sword users at bay—and there’s a shit ton of those
in the shadows, as every fragger tries to use a
Poleaxe katana—but you can also dominate an area.
By the mid- to late fourteenth century, the > This isn’t the 2050s. Not everyone uses a katana, even among
warrior that popular culture teaches us is the street samurai. We use the weapon that is best suited or suits
“knight” was firmly established. Knights didn’t
our personal style.
always fight on horseback, sometimes they took to
> Brutus Ex-Mechina
the field on foot, as did their men-at-arms, who
also wore plate armor and used the same weapons
> But to be fair, a lot still do, and I have the fragging scars to
but weren’t landed gentry. When on foot, one of
the premier weapons a knight or man-at-arms prove it.
could use was the poleaxe. > Knucklebuster
Similar to a halberd, the poleaxe has a long
spike on the top with an axe blade on one side One of the advantages of spears especially is
and a spiked warhammer head on the other. These the combination of shield and spear. It’s a powerful
were attached to the squared shaft with long strips partnership, granting the user a solid defense and a
of metal called langets, which added both strength powerful offense. There’s a reason spear and shield was
to the poleaxe as well as a surface to parry with if the dominant combination for centuries in Europe, and
needed. There was usually a rondelle at the base of then the pike and halberd became the most dominant
the head, acting as a hilt, and a butt spike. once armor developed to the point you didn’t have to
From a distance, the poleaxe can easily be rely on a shield for your protection. The whole reason
confused with a halberd, but the poleaxe has a knights and men-at-arms used poleaxes when fighting
smaller axe head to concentrate the kinetic energy on foot was that they wore full plate harness and so
more effectively, plus has the langets and rondelle. could forgo a shield.
This is the kind of fighter I play when I do
medieval reenactment events. I’ve spent a pretty
Bayonet penny on full harness, and considering my size (I’m
The bayonet is the last type of polearm I feel I an ork for those who don’t know), that’s a lot of
should mention because it’s the one I run across steel to lug around all day, plus some rather high-
most often, especially in the hands of corpsec end weapons, so when I’m on the field, I’m a man-
goons. Dating back to the late medieval/early at-arms in full plate with a poleaxe and longsword.
Renaissance period, the bayonet was initially a
long spike that could be inserted into the muzzle > That’s all well and good, but what does this have to do with
of a musket (remember, those bad boys were really real combat?
long to begin with) and thus turn it back into > Flash Banger
essentially a spear. Over the centuries, the bayonet
has evolved into a knife that is either affixed to > Ask the Red Samurai, who are known to keep polearms in
the end of a longarm, or some form of retractable their armories.
blade that can be deployed when needed. > Sam-R-Eye
The British military, the UCAS, CAS Marine
Corps, and Free Marine Corps have never stopped I mentioned dominate an area a moment ago,
training with bayonets, but it seems they’re quite and for good reason. The medieval treatises we
uncommon in military circles nowadays. There are have on polearm fighting give a lot of minute
some corporate militaries and corporate security detail on the techniques used with these weapons.
agencies that love the bloody things, because the One of the things that surprised me when I got
only thing worse than a polearm is a polearm that seriously into reenactment was how easy it was for
I can shoot you with, too! a polearm user to own a spot of land and utterly

POLEARM DANCING AND OTHER WEAPONS // BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS

 decimate anyone who steps close enough for your and thus supposedly negate our advantage, we use
weapon to reach them. You can offend opponents the butt, we shift up the shaft, or we use techniques
at great distances, and you can do it to multiple quarterstaff users would recognize. After all, to a
40 opponents at once to boot. When outside of a HEMA practitioner, a quarterstaff is just a polearm
block of infantry, a good polearm user sets up shop without a metal tip.
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

at a spot and ain’t going anywhere! In sparring

matches, I’ve taken on up to five opponents armed > The Wardens of the Excalibur Division are all extensively trained
with longswords or sword and shield, without in all aspects of HEMA—look at any of the footage of them
my magic mind. I’ve faced similar odds on jobs, fighting and you can identify it quite easily. It’s frighteningly
though usually against corpsec goons, bugs, or effective, though not overly flashy, and their heavy Agincourt
feral ghouls, and with my magic … well, I’m still armor doesn’t hamper them at all.
alive to write this, ain’t I? > Gladiator

> Pikeman’s quality is known to us, and his efforts on behalf

> Not just Wardens. The Lady demands all who serve be proficient
of Her Majesty’s realm have not gone unnoticed. On several
in all weapons.
occasions, Pikeman has trod where others have fallen and stood
> Keeper Smith
his ground as one of St George’s get should.
> Keeper Smith > I’ve just found references to a HEMA treatise that covers
firearms usage … did the medieval Europeans have their own
Using Polearms in the Streets gun fu?
Now that we’ve had a love-in about why we > Chainmaker
should all be using polearms, and the kinds you
are likely to encounter, we should probably look Kobudo
at how to use one. No, I will not be going into
detail; if you wanna know that, speak to eRic and The skills taught by kobudo aren’t focused on
he’ll put you in touch with me for lessons. Instead sports matches, building character, or instilling
I’ll do a brief overview of polearm fighting styles social values. Kobudo is about life and death. It’s
and what they bring to the table. the ancient Japanese way of war. I won’t say that
there aren’t soft skills taught in kobudo, because
it’s impossible to learn any philosophy of warfare
Historic European without them. But kobudo is about preparing for
Martial Arts war and fighting for your life. I respect that, and
I’m sure you lot have heard of HEMA, also the lessons I’ve had have been enlightening.
known as “European Fencing,” in the Firing Squad Kobudo is divided into several skills, which can
download. The rediscovery of the treatises of a be learned singularly or together. In fact, I’d wager
plethora of martial artists from medieval times the pay from my next job you’ve all heard of some
has allowed us to recreate authentic fighting styles of these skills, maybe even be practitioners. I’m
for many different weapons used in the thirteenth talking about jujutsu, kenjutsu, and kyujutsu.
to eighteenth centuries. I personally teach the There are three skills within kobudo that are
use of polearms such as spears, halberds, and relevant to polearms. Kobudo narrows things
poleaxes. I’ve also trained in the use of the staff, down some, so you’ve got bojutsu, which teaches
longsword, and greatsword. One of the things I students how to use the bo (Japanese quarterstaff);
noticed about the greatsword, also known as the naginatajutsu, which teaches students how to use
claymore (and for all you weebs out there, you’ve the naginata; and sojutsu, which teaches the art of
got the nodachi), is that they can be used a lot like the spear. As kobudo is a combined holistic art,
the polearm. there is significant overlap between these three, and
HEMA polearm/greatsword usage isn’t about according to the kobudo sensei I know, between
flashy spins and twirls. It’s about planting a flag jujutsu and kenjutsu as well.
and killing—or at least preventing yourself from As one would expect from the martial art of the
getting killed by—anyone who gets within reach samurai, speed and reaction are highly prized, and
of said flag. That’s exactly what greatswords all the kata have an economy of motion that I can
were used for. Bodyguards carried them in polite appreciate. You won’t find many flips and twirls
society where no one was in armor, and soldiers here, either.
used their polearms similarly when not in a block
on the battlefield. We use thrusts and slices, we > Finding senseis who teach these styles outside of Japan isn’t
use trips, we offend at odd angles and in odd easy, but if you ask around ethnic Japanese areas, you might
directions. Most of all, we keep sword users at find someone.
bay. And should someone get within our reach, > Mihoshi Oni

BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS // POLEARM DANCING AND OTHER WEAPONS

Okinawan Kobudo for good reason, and it has tremendous value in
daily life.
I’m sure a great many people are familiar with
But Cougar Weapons has come to our rescue
the poster child of Okinawan martial arts, karate.
While karate translates to “empty hand,” many of
once again! The Cougar Collapsible Spear was 41
a true game-changer for us polearm users, as
the schools of Okinawan kobudo are in fact karate

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

schools that teach weapons, either as an option we now had a way to carry one around without
or as a requirement. This is where you will find anyone being the wiser. Even here in the UK, with
schools teaching the use of the bo, sai, nunchaku, our more restrictive weapon laws, carrying a knife
kama, and tonfa as part of a cohesive martial art. is perfectly legal. That meant I could walk around
These styles are what most people would associate with my spear shrunk down into the size of a small
with weapon karate, as they include kicks and flips knife and no one would bat an eyelid. That is, until
and twirls all day long. Not my cup of tea, but I I needed to whip my spear out and get all medieval
found out the hard way that they’re effective! on some poor fuckwits.
Then, a few years ago, Cougar Weapons came
out with the Long Tooth, another game-changer
> I remember that. Some out-of-town runners from Neo-Tokyo
for many. I was personally not the biggest fan of
rocked up a couple years ago. Still not sure who sent them, I
the detachable spear tip, as I found it wasn’t quite
think it was Shiawase but never found out for sure, but they
as securely attached as I would have liked. I know
had some unsavory habits that went beyond the pale. The local several people who love them, though, so more
rozzers asked a team to go and educate the visitors. It went bad, power to them.
and Pikeman was beaten black and blue, and had a few extra But now, we have what I personally consider the
holes for a while. ultimate in personal polearm design … the Cougar
> eRic Weapons Armsman. The Armsman isn’t just one
spear; it isn’t a wonder staff with a detachable
While Okinawan kobudo uses multiple spear tip like the Long Tooth. The Armsman series
weapons, not all schools teach all of them. For allows users to customize their collapsible polearm
purposes of this download, we’re focused on the to their own personal specifications. They have a
yari, bo, and nunti bo (a kind of trident), and one wide variety of heads (basically any I’ve mentioned
could argue that the sansetsukon (three-section above and then some!) and a choice of shaft
staff) can also be lumped in with polearms due to profiles and lengths, including the collapsed size
its versatility and reach. and a “midpoint” if you wish. All of this in a single
weapon, with no more detachable heads, through
The Polearm Perfected the use of memory alloys. I would point out that
this is a polearm, not a javelin/pilum—sure, you
Any of the above martial arts are extremely can throw it, but it’s not balanced for that purpose,
effective, and if you’re really keen you can learn so I would not recommend it at all.
all three and blend them together into your own
personal martial art of ultimate polearm doom! > So, Pikeman, will you be getting a collapsible pike now?
For those who don’t have the time, cred, or > Glitch
inclination, you can teach yourself how to use a
polearm effectively just like you can use a sword
> It’s held up in customs. I’ve been told it’ll be at least another
or a gun with just practice. I personally, however,
fortnight before I get my grubby mitts on it.
would recommend training to enhance your skills
and truly tap into the benefits of a polearm, but > Pikeman
I’m not going to be a dick about it. You do what
you feel you need to do for your own survival. > It’s with an artificer. You’re welcome.
What I will recommend is what I consider the > Keeper Smith
perfect polearm for the modern world. We just
went over how long polearms are 2 to 3 meters > You fragging what?!
long for your more common types, up to 6 or > Pikeman
even 7 meters for a pike—and I’m sure we can
all imagine how difficult it would be to carry one > Oh dear, Pike, seems someone found out about that nest you lot
around. The only people I see openly carrying took out.
polearms are the Yeomen Warders at the Tower of > eRic
London, the papal Swiss Guard in the Vatican, and
Wardens from the Excalibur Division. Sure, a piss
pot full of sec goons carry batons and the like, but More Exotic Weaponry
true polearms or quarterstaffs? Only those three At the opposite end of the spectrum, many
come to mind. We’ve also discussed how effective a exotic weapons require years of training, not only
polearm is in combat. It is the king of the battlefield for proficiency, but in some cases to avoid injury, as

POLEARM DANCING AND OTHER WEAPONS // BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS

 they are about as dangerous to the user as they are mark a target once they are down in a signature-
to the target. There are two philosophies regarding type maneuver.
them. The first is that the weapon has a unique
42 purpose other than to do damage. Any blunt > While it can be argued that the boot itself is not iconically racist,
object can be used as a weapon and anyone can its frequent use in hate crimes and race riots has cemented that
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

technically wield such a weapon. Exotic weapons evil context.

are designed to inflict a specific type of trauma. So > Borderline
the training becomes learning the proper use of the
weapon to gain an advantage over an opponent
with that knowledge.
Kusarigama
The second philosophy is that the weapon is The kusarigama is a traditional Japanese
extremely deadly, beyond just the skill of the user. weapon that has survived through the ages.
It is so dangerous that even the user is at risk. Consisting of a sickle hook (kama) and a short
Training goes beyond just proficiency. It is about chain with a heavy weight (kusari-fundo) similar
knowing and accepting the odds when using the to a manriki, it was used less on the battlefield
weapon. Those who use the weapon take more and more in single combat to prevent friendly fire.
risk and edge the margin of success. Glitches are a The chain was used to wrap around long-handled
part of life, and they roll with the loss. weapons like polearms and staves and pull them
out of the subject’s hands, while the kama was
used to hook the forearm, wrist, and hand in the
Chakram attempt to disarm the opponent. In more peaceful
While it’s well known as a thrown weapon times, law enforcement would use the kusarigama
(from numerous classic flat vids), it’s also a close- as a non-lethal deterrent.
quarter combat weapon, where the circular blade
allows interchangeable offensive and defensive > Neo-PD have personnel trained with the kusarigama. The main
maneuvers. Some chakrams have a central bar to reason is that too many toys can get bricked with embedded
grip like a handle, while other professional wielders technology. Plus, it looks cooler than, say, a taser.
wear a protective glove to grip the edge. Both make > Brutus Ex-Mechina
disarming the wielder a challenge. There are also
smaller, wrist-sized chakrams, called chakri, that
with a flick of the wrist become flying weapons, Meteoric Hammer/Flail
and with a tensing of the forearms also turn the With this weapon, a length of chain is attached
arms into bladed weapons without a street doc. to one or two heavy weights. While similar in
design to a bola, it’s not meant for throwing. The
Garrote “meteoric” part of the weapon is a rounded shaped
hammer weighing between three and six kilograms.
The garrote is a handheld weapon designed It’s connected to a three-to-four-meter-long chain,
to quietly kill via strangulation. It consists of a giving the user reach in melee combat as they add
central cable, usually a semiflexible wire of some kinetic energy to the hammers. There are two types:
sort, attached to a pair of handles used to pull the double- and single-head. The double-head hammer
weapon tight once it is wrapped around a target’s has a weight at each end of the chain. This allows
neck. Death is slow and unpleasant, as the target for more control with a counterweight. The single-
usually struggles intensely, so a strong stomach head hammer acts more like a weighted whip,
and skill are both required. bludgeoning the target or sweeping them off their
feet. Both types of meteoric hammers work well in
> Monowire garrote is used for a very niche assassin. It takes knocking down an opponent (by force or striking
fine skills to not lose your own digits, and even more skill not the leg). The double hammer, however, allows the
to decapitate with the device. I have the skill, it’s just not my user to simultaneously attack with one hammer
preferred method. It would be like a sniper killing with a spoon while parrying with the other.
instead of their rifle.
> Balladeer > In the barrens, I’ve seen bike chains wrapped around cinder
blocks as troll-sized meteoric hammers. Makeshift as they were,
Goblin Stompers turf wars end quickly when they swing.
> Borderline
A bit old-school with bigoted ties to Humanis
supremacists, who created them a decade or two
ago, these converted working boots have retracting Sai
spikes in the tread to inflict more damage on a The sai is a well-known weapon commonly
prone target. They also carry a capacitor and a featured on any martial arts trid, second to the
thermal-conducting brand, allowing the owner to katana. It is often a practice weapon for various

BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS // POLEARM DANCING AND OTHER WEAPONS

martial arts or as a performance display piece. The
sai consists of a central main prong (monouchi)
and two shorter side prongs (yoku). The side
prongs are parallel, but there are a few designs 43
that have them opposed. The monouchi can

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

have a sharp tip for better function as a piercing
weapon. The main advantage, however, is the
trapping and possibly breaking of the opponent’s
weapon, leveraging the yoku.

Urumi Sword
Also considered a steel whip due to the
flexibility of the blades, the urumi can vary from
a meter and a half to two meters in length and
can be multiple double-edged blades instead of a
single blade, depending on the wielder’s training
and preferences. The urumi originated in southern
India with the Kalaripayattu martial art, but has
since grown in popularity, with various trideo
games showing off deadly choreography using the
weapon.
The sword isn’t sheathed, but is slung around
the body, which is an advantage for concealment.
When wielded by a professional, it creates a
bubble of flying steel to defend against multiple
opponents. That flying steel is also why it should
be wielded by a professional, as it “cuts both
ways,” pun intended.

War Fan
The war fan is an underrated weapon. It has the
benefit of folding for concealment, plus it seems
harmless when unfolded. While the older war fans
had heavier iron or brass plates or wooden core
variants, modern technology allows for an even
more durable and lighter fan. The edge of each plate
has a molecular coating to give it a sharp slashing
blade. The rest of the plate can be carbon fiber
or genetically modified silk sandwiched between
decorative lacquered paper sheets to conceal the
lethal properties of the war fan.

> Sidenote to detractors of war fans: It’s common to decorate

them with bright colors or signs to warn patrons that the person
(or establishment) is under the protection of a gang or crime
syndicate, and to think twice about causing trouble. More subtle
and cheaper than having a full team of goons around.
> Brutus Ex-Mechina

As a weapon, the war fan can be expanded to

slash opponents. Attackers may use two in a deadly
martial dance. An expanded fan works as a shield
to fend off attacks, including darts and arrows.

> There’s a whole other side with fan communications. The

Imperial armies would use them to signal troop movement
on the battlefield in semaphore fashion. In the Victorian era,
they were used as secret communication to lovers across the

POLEARM DANCING AND OTHER WEAPONS // BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS

 ballroom. Even today, with all the espionage and technology, Building or Installing
this form of covert communication lives on.
an Extreme Cyberweapon
> Mihoshi Oni
44 Building an extreme cyberweapon is a Build/
Repair test using a Biotech (Cybertechnology) +
Game Rules: Extreme
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Logic (TN, 1 hour) Extended test. The threshold

is 8 + the number of functions and features being
Cyberweapons added to the cybernetic weapon. A critical glitch
on the test means you messed up good—the device
and Hotmods fails totally and must be restarted from scratch.

What is a Hotmod?
Example: Extreme Cyberweapon
Hotmods are an extreme customization of
cybernetic augmentations done after purchase, NAME TYPE FEATURES
voiding any warranty. These modifications aren’t Extreme
available in any store, and typically only a street Starting Cybernetic None
doc or someone with the necessary skills and Weapon
equipment can make these modifications. Hotmods Buzzsaw Blade
Buzzsaw,
are not available in custom grades, only standard hardening
and used. With hodmods, there’s always a risk to Claw,
Crab Claw Original
the cyberware and subject that something might Hurt Locker 1
not work correctly after the use of the mod. Four Thousand Wrecking Crew,
Wrecker
For every action using a hotmod, replace one Newtons Hurt Locker 2
regular die with a wild die (p. 48, SR6). In addition
to standard wild die rules, after a glitch roll, the MELEE
TYPE DAMAGE
ATTACK
WEAPONS RATINGS
hotmodded piece of ’ware fails and requires a
Starting
Biotech (Cybertechnology) + Logic test with a Extreme (No
threshold equal to the number of ones rolled to Cybernetic Features)
2P 3/—/—/—/—
bring it back online. Weapon
If a critical glitch occurs, the hotmod and Buzzsaw Blades 4P 3/—/—/—/—
possibly the whole cybernetic limb/eye fails.
Crab Claw Unarmed 5P 6/—/—/—/—
When applicable, the user gains the hobbled or
immobilized status (p. 52, SR6). With a critical Wrecker Blunt 6P 7/—/—/—/—
glitch, the hotmod requires repair. Repairing
damaged cyberware requires a Build/Repair test
using a Biotech (Cybertechnology) + Logic (6, 1 Extreme Cybernetic
hour) Extended test. The hotmod can’t be used
until it is repaired.
Weapon Features
Buzzsaw
How It Works: Very Deadly (p. 45).
Adding a Hotmod to
an Extreme Cyberweapon Cattle Prod
At character creation, the player designs this In substitution of damage on a successful
extreme cyberweapon starting with a basic (No attack, the weapon applies the Off-Balance status
Feature) cybernetic weapon. This starting extreme to the target. This lasts for a number of rounds
cyberweapon has a base DV of 2P. It also comes equal to the net hits (maximum 4). Duration isn’t
with the free features of reducing the edge cost cumulative with subsequent successful attacks.
of Intimidating Presence (p. 94, Firing Squad)
by 1 and is considered a Proverbial Double-
Edged Weapon (p. 46). Players can then choose
Electrocutioner
up to two features listed for the weapon below. In substitution of damage on a successful attack,
The character can also add a few cybernetic the weapon applies the Zapped status to the target.
enhancements listed. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to the net
Extreme cybernetic weapons can apply either hits (maximum 4). Duration isn’t cumulative with
damage or status effect to characters on a critical subsequent successful attacks.
glitch, gamemaster’s choice.

BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS // GAME RULES: EXTREME CYBERWEAPONS AND HOTMODS
Four Thousand Newtons Extreme Cyberweapon features
In substitution of damage on a successful
CYBERWARE
attack, the weapon applies the Disabled I status
to the target. This lasts for a number of rounds
FEATURE
ESSENCE CAP COST
45
Starting
equal to the net hits (4 maximum). Duration isn’t

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Extreme
cumulative with subsequent successful attacks. Cybernetic 0.1 [2] 500¥
With each successful attack while the target Weapon (No
has the Disabled status, increases the Disabled Features)
category (e.g., from Disabled I to Disabled II) for Buzzsaw 0.5 [6] 1,500¥
the new duration. Cattle Prod 0.4 [6] 1,000¥
Electrocutioner 0.3 [4] 800¥
Meat Grinder Extreme
0.2 [2] 500¥
Reduce the cost of Called Shot (Vitals) Edge Cyberattack
Action by 2. Four Thousand
0.5 [6] 1,500¥
Newtons
Meat Grinder 0.5 [8] 1,500¥
Red-Hot Poker Red-Hot Poker 0.3 [4] 700¥
In substitution of damage on a successful The Original
attack, the weapon applies the Burning [x] status 0.5 [6] 1,500¥
Claw
to the target, up to 4 net hits. Wicked Flail 0.4 [4] 1,000¥
Wild Wave 0.4 [4] 1,000¥
The Original Claw
In the use of a grapple attack, if the character’s Extreme Cyberweapon enhancements
Strength is less than 5, treat it as 5 for the attack.
CYBERWARE
ESSENCE CAP COST
ENHANCEMENT
Wicked Flail The Hurt Locker
0.2 [1] 300¥
In substitution of damage on a successful attack, Rating 1
the weapon applies the Dazed status to the target. The Hurt Locker
0.2 [1] 500¥
This lasts for a number of rounds equal to the net Rating 2
hits (4 maximum). Duration isn’t cumulative with The Wrecking
0.3 [3] 500¥
subsequent successful attacks. Crew

Wild Wave
Optional Rules
In substitution of damage on a successful
attack, the weapon applies the Hobbled status for Exotic weapons
to the target. This lasts for a number of rounds
equal to the net hits (4 maximum). Duration isn’t
Weapon Specialization
cumulative with subsequent successful attacks. When noting an Edge Action, the weapon can
perform the action without spending Edge. When
noting a Martial Arts technique, the character
Extreme gains +2 dice to the Skill test. In either case, with
Cyberweapon exotic weapons, replace the Close Combat skill
with the Exotic Weapon skill.
Enhancements
The Hurt Locker Proverbial
Rating 1: Add 3P to base damage and +3 to Double-Edged Weapon
Attack Rating. The weapon is dangerous enough that if the
Rating 2: Add 4P to base damage and +4 to character critically glitches with an attack, the
Attack Rating character hits themselves, resisting the base damage
Note: Can’t combine Hurt Locker with Hardening. of the weapon.

The Wrecking Crew Very Deadly

Doubles its DV when employed against a barrier. The weapon has a chance to do serious damage
if it hits just right. Add 1 wild die to the attack
with the weapon.

GAME RULES: EXTREME CYBERWEAPONS AND HOTMODS // BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS
 Wrecking Crew New Weapon Details
damage against Objects Rules
Ash Arms Combat Chainsaw (p. 14, Firing Squad)
46 If the weapon hits, instead of applying and resisting Custom Style, Proverbial Double-Edged Weapon
normal damage, the character can instead apply Wreck-
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

ing Crew damage against a targeted object/barrier based Ash Arms Combat Chainsaw
on comparing the DV of the weapon to a Structure Rating. Monofilament Variant (p. 14, Firing Squad)
Objects held/worn by an NPC get a Defense test based on Proverbial Double-Edged Weapon, Very Deadly, Weapon
the NPC stats. Armor and weapons are considered to have Specialization: Threatening
a Structure Rating of 8. Bates-Brown Combat Boots (p. 14, Firing Squad)
Weapon Specialization: Ground Fighter (p. 104, Firing
OBJECT EFFECT Squad)
If the modified DV is at least half
Bullwhip (p. 249, SR6)
the Structure Rating, reduce the
Custom Style, Proverbial Double-Edged Weapon, Weapon
Defense Rating by 1. If the modified
Specialization: Entanglement (p. 111, Firing Squad)
DV exceeds the Structure Rating,
Armor
reduce the Defense Rating by (DV Chakram (as melee weapon)
– Structure Rating). If the Defense Proverbial Double-Edged Weapon, Deadly Weapon, Weapon
Rating is reduced to 0, the armor Specialization: Iaijutsu
is destroyed (not repairable).
Chakri (as melee weapon)
If the modified DV is at least half Proverbial Double-Edged Weapon, Weapon Specialization:
the Structure Rating, reduce the Iaijutsu, Weapon Specialization: Iron Arms
Attack Rating by 1 from all ranges.
If the modified DV exceeds the Garrote
Structure Rating, reduce the Very Deadly, Garrote Grapple Rules
Attack Rating by (DV – Structure Goblin Stompers
Weapons
Rating). If any Attack Rating Same action as the Red-Hot Poker (p. 45)
is reduced to zero or less, the
weapon is no longer usable at that Kusarigama
range. If all Attack Ratings are Weapon Specialization: Wrest (Block) (p. 48, SR6)
reduced to 0 or less, the weapon Meteoric Hammer/Flail: Single Hammer
is destroyed (not repairable). Proverbial Double-Edged Weapon, Weapon Specialization:
Damage reduces the Structure Hamstring, Weapon Specialization: Sweep the Leg (p. 94,
Wall/Barrier Rating of the barrier. See Breaking Firing Squad)
Through (p. 112, SR6).
Meteoric Hammer/Flail: Double Hammer
Vehicle/ Apply damage to the vehicle’s Weapon Specialization: Sweep the Leg (p. 94, Firing Squad),
Drone condition monitor as normal. Weapon Specialization: Parry (p. 94, Firing Squad)
Damage reduces the Device Rating. Monofilament Whip (p. 249, SR6)
If the Device Rating is reduced Proverbial Double-Edged Weapon, Very Deadly, Weapon
to 0, the device is destroyed (not Specialization: Entanglement (p. 111, Firing Squad)
repairable). If the device has a
condition monitor, such as a deck, Manriki Chain (p. 15, Firing Squad)
Device Weapon Specialization: Called Shot (Disarm) (p. 47, SR6)
apply damage to the condition
monitor instead. If the device Sai
doesn’t have a Device Rating, Sensor Weapon Specialization: Weapon Breaker (p. 105, Firing
Rating (alternative device rating), Squad)
or condition monitor, default to 3.
Tonfa (p. 15, Firing Squad)
Weapon Specialization: Joint Lock (p. 104, Firing Squad)
Garrote Grapple Rules Urban Tribe Tomahawk Mk II (p. 15, Firing Squad)
Changed to Blade.
A garrote grapple starts with an attack using an
Exotic Weapon + Agility vs. Reaction + Intuition test. Urumi Sword
If successful, the target is considered garrote grappled. Proverbial Double-Edged Weapon, Weapon Specialization: Multiple
In addition, on this action, the net hits are added to Opponent Defense (p. 104, Firing Squad), Wrest (Block) (p. 48, SR6)
the hits on an opposed Strength check with this attack. “Xiphos” Tactical Gladius (p. 15, Firing Squad)
If that is also successful, the target gains the Muted Changed to Blade.
(p.106, Firing Squad) status and is also considered
War Fan
Hobbled (p. 52, SR6) while garrote grappled. Weapon Specialization: Feint (p. 104, Firing Squad)

BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS // GAME RULES: EXTREME CYBERWEAPONS AND HOTMODS
Subsequent actions for
attacker with a Garrote grappled target: New Exotic Weapons

The attacker can attempt to damage the target

with an Exotic Weapon + Strength vs. Strength +
WEAPON TYPE DV ATTACK RATING AVAIL COST
47
Reaction Opposed test. If the attack is successful, Chakram Exotic 2P 10/—/—/—/— 3(L) 200¥

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

the attacker applies the weapon damage plus net
hits. Note: An attacker cannot use Precision Strikes Chakri Exotic 2P 5/—/—/—/— 3(L) 75¥
Martial Arts with a garrote. As a dangerously
specialized weapon, instead of damage, the attacker Chakri Thrown 1P 5/4/1/—/— 3(L) 75¥
can apply Fatigue status to the subject, cumulating
ranks with each successful attack (maximum of Garrote Exotic 3P 8/—/—/—/— 4(L) 200¥
3). Duration of Fatigue equals the highest net hits
from any of the attacks and is not cumulative. Garrote
Defender stays fatigued until they have broken free (Razorwire)
Exotic 4P 10/—/—/—/— 6(I) 500¥
(duration countdown starts when they are free of
the garrote grapple). Garrote
Exotic 6P 10/—/—/—/— 6(I) 1,000¥
(Monowire)
Subsequent actions for
target while Garrote grappled: Goblin
Exotic 2P 3/—/—/—/— 4(L) 125¥
Stomper
The target can attempt to Break Free. In this
action, the defender tries to break out of the Kusarigama Exotic 3S 5/—/—/—/— 4(L) 150¥
grapple. This is a Close Combat + Strength vs.
Exotic Weapon + Agility Opposed test. If they Meteoric
succeed in the test, they do not do any damage, but Hammer Exotic 4P 8/—/—/—/— 5(I) 450¥
they are free of the garrote grapple. (Single)

Meteoric
Game Information: Hammer Exotic 2P 6/—/—/—/— 5(I)
500¥

Polearms (Double)

Sai Exotic 2P 4/—/—/—/— 4(L) 125¥

Cougar Weapons Armsman
Collapsible Polearm War Fan*
Exotic 1P 6/—/—/—/— 3(L) 175¥
(Offensive)
In response to popular demand, Cougar
Weapons has released a range of customizable *DR+1 when used Defensive, has cumulative quality (the DR bonus is
polearms for the discerning user about town. With cumulative with other worn armor).
a variety of head sizes and forms, customizable
ergonomics, a choice of shaft profile and heft, the
inclusion of a butt spike, as well as collapsed size
and two other size settings, the Armsman allows Cougar Weapons
users to create their ultimate polearm from state- Armsman Collapsible Polearm
of-the-art memory alloys.
When collapsed, the Armsman is the size of WEAPON TYPE DV ATTACK RATING AVAIL COST

a knife and can have any blade profile the user

wishes. The user then selects the final length of Knife Blade 3P 8/—/—/—/— 4(L) 900¥
their staff and the head of their polearm. The
Armsman also has a middle setting, which usually One-hand Blade 3P 9/—/—/—/— 4(L) 900¥
takes the form of a hatchet or one-handed sword
but is customizable to the user’s preferences. For an Spear Blade 4P 10/6*/—/—/— 5(I) 1,000¥
additional fee there’s a pike option, which allows
for lengths between 3 and 6 meters. This is in place Pike Blade 4P 11/7 †/—/—/— 5(I) 1,000¥
of the one-handed weapon setting.
The Armsman is not designed for throwing; * Maximum range is 4 meters
Near range bracket Attack Ratings are for melee † Maximum range is 7 meters
Wireless Bonus: Can extend or retract with Minor Action (normally this re-
attacks only. quires a Major Action).

GAME RULES: EXTREME CYBERWEAPONS AND HOTMODS // BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS
 New Martial New Martial
Arts: Polearms Arts Techniques
48 European Fencing (Polearms) Adder’s Ambush
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

The spear was the medieval era’s principal When performing the Trip Minor Action while
weapon of war, due to its versatility and ease of
armed with a polearm, you gain 1 die to your
manufacture. Its popularity extended from the
battlefield to civic policing to private duels, and attack pool and receive a free point of situation
countless treatises were written about the wide Edge that goes away if not used on the Trip test.
variety of polearms and their many uses. This Category: Weapon; may only be used with polearms.
variant of the HEMA school teaches students to
keep opponents away and dominate an area of Area Awareness
space.
Category: Weapon May use the Anticipation Edge Boost (p. 47,
Signature Technique: Multiple Opponent Offense SR6) for melee attacks with a polearm without
paying the Edge cost.
Naginatajutsu Category: Weapon; may only be used with
This is the Japanese art of the naginata, a polearms.
Japanese weapon akin to a glaive. Naginatajutsu
focuses on dynamic techniques and long katas, Multiple Opponent Offense
with movements such as jumps, movement and
turns with the body, and ascending and descending When engaged with multiple opponents in close
cuts used in alternation. combat, you gain +2 Attack Rating for every two
Category: Weapon (round down) opponents within your melee range.
Signature Technique: Adder’s Ambush Category: Weapon; may only be used with polearms.

Tokushinryu Whirlwind Slash

This is an Okinawan kobudo art that focuses Reduce melee range of your polearm to Close
on many different weapons, such as the kama, range bracket but attack every opponent in that
tonfa, sai, and nunchaku. It also includes the yari,
range. Roll Close Combat + Agility once and compare
or Japanese spear, in its teachings, and focuses on
combining weapon usage with spins and flourishes the number of hits to each opponent’s hits from their
to great effect. defense roll.
Category: Weapon Category: Weapon; may only be used with polearms.
Signature Technique: Whirlwind Slash

BLEEDERS & BONE BREAKERS // GAME RULES: EXTREME CYBERWEAPONS AND HOTMODS
 SENDING IT
DOWNRANGE
Posted by: Gundark While every shadowrunner needs a gun or two,
we don’t often go looking too far for something
> For those who don’t know him, Gundark spent a few years that fits the bill. Sure, it means a lot of runners use
as a freelance heavy-weapons specialist, bouncing from one the same weapons, but those weapons are com-
shadowrunner team or mercenary unit to the next before monplace and known workhorses that’ll get the
returning home to Seattle, hoping to become one of the rare
job done. An Ares Predator VI and an Alpha are a
ubiquitous duo for a reason.
few of us who manage to make a pile and leave the shadows. He
The militaries of the world don’t think like
enrolled in Seattle University as a Ballistic Sciences major, trying
shadowrunners do. Even mercenaries often don’t
to combine his hard-won hands-on experience with theoretical
have the financial backing that national and cor-
knowledge. When I started looking into the latest and greatest porate militaries enjoy. And let me tell you, chum-
mil-spec weapons, he seemed like an ideal person to tap to mers, the last five years or so have been anything
share his insights with the rest of JackPoint. but austere.
> Glitch I’ve heard of some breakthroughs in the world
of vehicle-mounted firepower, but that’s not real-
> Known in merc circles as the Big Red War Machine because he’s ly my bag. I’m all about the bang-bangs and big
a huge blood-red oni with excessive combat chrome, he’s come booms. And, ghost, are there some serious grade-A
back to the shadows recently, both as an armorer/gunsmith and pieces on the market now. Chances of us shadow
a shooter. folks getting our hands on them are slim (but not
> Rifleman zero), as the corps and governments hoard them
like dragons. But knowing what your opposition
could be packing increases your chances of not

 // SENDING IT DOWNRANGE
 only a mission’s success, but survival. Below is a The C Variant is a short-barrel carbine config-
list of some of the whiz-bang weapons and tech uration with foregrip, designed for urban combat.
out there, because putting things downrange in the It retains the A Variant’s gas-vent system, scope,
50 mil-spec world goes beyond pulling a trigger. and smartgun, while an underbarrel shotgun re-
places the grenade launcher, making it excellent for
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

breaching and close-quarter combat (CQC).

The Weapons
Locker Small Arms: Assault RiFLes

Below is a selection of the newest weapons out NAME TYPE DV MODES

ATTACK
AMMO AVAIL COST
RATINGS
there. Most are workhorse designs with storied Easifat SA/BF/
histories of proven reliability, while some are new- Ramlia A
Assault 4P
FA
4/10/10/7/2 50(c) 5(L) 4,200¥
er systems that show great promise. Grenade
Accessory Grenade SS 4/10/6/2/— 6(c)
Launcher

Conventional Small Note: Includes gas-vent, imaging scope (thermographic), smartgun

system: internal
Arms: New for Desert
Wars 2083 NAME TYPE DV MODES
ATTACK
RATINGS
AMMO AVAIL COST

Easifat SA/BF/
Ever had your Ares Alpha jam in the desert be- Assault 4P 2/11/12/11/5 50(c) 4(L) 3,150¥
Ramlia B FA
cause you didn’t break it down and clean it every
hour? Of course you have; so has everyone else. Note: Includes barrel extension, imaging scope (thermographic), rigid
Here’s a few new options for extreme desert condi- stock, silencer, smartgun system: internal

tions to fix that problem. For the thirty-eighth sea-

ATTACK
son of Desert Wars, Spinrad Global is equipping NAME TYPE DV MODES
RATINGS
AMMO AVAIL COST
their sponsored teams with the same weapons and Easifat SA/BF/
Assault 4P 7/13/9/7/— 50(c) 4(L) 3,700¥
gear issued to the Arabian Caliphate military forc- Ramlia C FA
es. SG is also offering these same weapons for sale, Shotgun Accessory 3P SS/SA 7/10/6/—/— 6(c) — —
technically only to LEPs, corp-sec, licensed mercs, Note: Includes gas-vent, foregrip, imaging scope (thermographic), short
and other “preferred” customers. But we all know barrel, smartgun system: internal
these will be on the black market soon enough.

Easifat Ramlia Caracal’aswad

Manufactured by Spinrad Global and Marduk Translated as Black Cat, the Caracal’aswad,
Munitions through their Turkish subsidiaries, the also called the Caracal, is a Caliphate-made heavy
Easifat Ramlia (Arabic for sandstorm) is consid- automatic pistol and the official standard-issue
ered a solid service rifle. Mechanically similar to sidearm of Caliphate forces. While very similar to
the Yamaha Raiden, this assault rifle also uses other smartgun-equipped pistols in its class, it has
electronic firing and caseless ammunition. But it’s two features that make it stand out: a burst fire
the sealed action that makes this weapon system mode and a gas-vent system in the form of an ex-
so resistant to dust, grit, and sand. To maintain tended top-vented muzzle brake.
the action’s environmental seal, all variants of Despite the quality construction, rumors have
the Easifat Ramlia use only caseless ammunition long circulated that the Caracal’aswad is prone
sold in preloaded, factory-sealed, 50-round dis- to jamming. The weapon does require an unusual
posable clips. amount of cleaning and maintenance, especially in
The A Variant has been the primary stan- desert terrain, and this has led to many troops car-
dard-issue assault rifle for Arabian Caliphate rying a different sidearm, if given a choice, usually
forces for several years now. Standard fea- the Sitat Nujum.
tures are a gas-vent, thermal-equipped imag-
ing scope, smartgun system, and underbarrel
mini-grenade launcher.
Sitat Nujum
The B Variant keeps the A Variant’s scope and While not a standard-issue weapon, the Sitat Nu-
smartgun system, adds a barrel extension and rig- jum or Six Star is a six-round heavy revolver that’s
id stock, and replaces the gas-vent system with a in high demand with Caliphate forces because of its
suppressor. While not a dedicated sniper rifle, this large caliber, rugged construction, and renowned
variant performs well at longer ranges, sacrificing reliability in hot, sandy environments. This weap-
some of its close-quarter effectiveness to increase on, usually with an add-on external smartgun sys-
its long-distance killing power. The B Variant does tem, is often carried by Arabian troops.
not include any underbarrel accessories.

SENDING IT DOWNRANGE // THE WEAPONS LOCKER

Rhipsalis SMG
New Weapon Rules
Also made by Marduk Munitions, the Rhipsalis,
named after a local cactus with poisonous barbs, Semi-auto assault cannons, such as the Panther XXL,
is promoted as an effective CQC weapon. Using should require a minimum Strength of 4+ to carry and 51
a technology mirroring the Ares Slivergun, it fires fire. All other Size 0 support weapons that do not have a

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

a hail of metal barbs at its targets, trading pen- specific Strength requirement listed, such as LMGs, snip-
er rifles, and rocket launchers, should have a minimum
etration for sheer volume. Using the same sealed
Strength of 2+ to carry and fire. This is an optional rule
action as the Easifat Ramlia, each sealed clip con-
to keep all of the other support weapons in line with the
tains the equivalent of 80 rounds of caseless flech- material presented in this book.
ette ammunition, and this is the only ammo usable Game Rules for Weapon Profile Changes and Additions
by the Rhipsalis. This adaptation of the slivergun (starting on p. 152), explain the profile changes and new
technology retains the silent operation of the origi- rules that apply to these mil-spec weapons. The “crew
nal while offering recoilless full-automatic fire and served” rules for using assistant gunners to reload weap-
a larger ammo capacity. The standard-issue mod- ons can be found there.
el includes improved gas-vent, flashlight (config- All assault cannons, machine guns, rocket launchers,
urable to normal, infrared, or lowlight), silencer, and sniper rifles, including those from previous books,
and internal smartgun system. are classed as Size 0 support weapons. These may be
carried and operated by a single person if they have suf-
> In case anyone didn’t notice, the Turks have a reputation for ficiently high Strength and Body attributes. For exam-
cloning modern designs. While some, maybe most, are nothing ple, MMGs and HMGs require a minimum Strength, while
more than cheap knock-offs designed for export, there are a few multi-barrel rotary guns require a minimum Strength
designs that improve on the original. and Body. A gyromount reduces both Strength and Body
requirements by –1. Any support (and emplacement)
> Hard Exit
weapon can use the Machine Gun “Blast Shields” (p. 73,
Firing Squad), not just machine guns. Support weap-
> It also depends on what sort of terms you’re on with said Turkish ons can be mounted on any tripod, in a vehicle or in a
manufacturers. drone’s heavy weapon mount, and they count as Size 0
> Red Anya when used in a mil-spec hardpoint.
Emplacement weapons are classed as Size 1 weapons
and can never be carried and fired by a single person re-
Small Arms: PISTOLS and SMGs gardless of Strength and Body. Usually these are mounted
ATTACK on a vehicle, but they can be transported in sections by a
NAME TYPE DV MODES AMMO AVAIL COST
RATINGS crew then assembled in position with a Engineering + Log-
Caracal’
Pistol 3P SA/BF 9/10/9/—/— 14(c) 3(L) 550¥
ic (12, 1 minute) Extended test (disassembly is the same
aswad test). If mounted on a wheeled tripod, it can be towed into
Note: gas-vent, smartgun system: internal position by a vehicle. Using one or two large Machine Gun
“Blast Shields” on emplacement weapons is also a com-
ATTACK mon practice. Once these weapons are assembled and
NAME TYPE DV MODES AMMO AVAIL COST
RATINGS loaded, they can be fired by a single operator, but reload-
Sitat ing is subject to the crew-served weapon rules.
Pistol 4P SA 8/11/8/—/— 6(cy) 3(L) 350¥
Nujum
SA/BF/ 12/11/10/—
Rhipsalis SMG 5P(fl) 80(c) 5(L) 850¥
FA /— metahumans. It’s actually quite the opposite. The same
Note: gas-vent (improved), flashlight, silencer, smartgun system: internal goes for mercenary units, but to a lesser degree. Either
way, it’s not often that you meet someone as heavily
augmented as I am in professional military circles.
I know most unaugmented metahumans won’t
Conventional have a problem lugging around a light or maybe
even a medium machine gun, but they probably
Heavy Weapons don’t have the strength to use it like a glorified as-
sault rifle. They’ll be looking to brace their weapon
I love heavy weapons; always have. Most of on things or use a bipod, and they can use it well
the time, when I’m outside the wire, I’m carrying enough to do the job their squad needs them to
a machine gun of some kind. I’ve used belts, clips, do. The issue comes when we get around to big-
and other ammunition solutions, but like many ger weapons—heavy machine guns and bigger.
larger metahumans I throw my MG around like They’re usually designed for use on a tripod in a
a regular unaugmented human would an assault crew-served role.
rifle. I’m just using a bigger personal weapon. Apologies to those who know, but “crew served”
And that’s all well and good, but military forces is military jargon for multiple people operating that
aren’t made up of thousands of heavily augmented one weapon. Usually, it’s a support or emplacement

CONVENTIONAL HEAVY WEAPONS // SENDING IT DOWNRANGE

 weapon big enough and powerful enough to make ammunition belts. The MAG holds a special place
up for it, and often it’s the heaviest weapon within in my heart as my first machine gun, and the cur-
an infantry formation. Crews usually comprise a rent iteration, the MAG-6, is the latest version of
52 gunner and an assistant gunner, but in some cases, this storied firearm. It still includes the integrated
especially with emplacements, you might have two gas vent but does away with the laser sight in favor
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

or even three assistant gunners. of an integrated smartgun system out the box.
These weapons can operate without the assistant
gunner; anyone who’s ever used a belt-fed machine Ultimax MMG
gun can attest to that. But for some weapons it takes
so much extra time to operate alone that your utility This puppy is one of the lightest and most er-
to your formation suffers, so if at all possible, you gonomic machine guns on the market today! As
will have the assistant gunner—even just linking the easy to use as an LMG, the Ultimax MMG has a
next belt to the current one can save time and lives. I well-deserved reputation as a go-to for an upgrade
should also note that emplacement weapons tend to to squad-level firepower. This is one of those times
be even bigger and bulkier than squad support weap- where the designers got everything exactly right
ons. This helps with recoil and heat management, and produced something truly exceptional.
and since they’re designed to be carried by multiple
people and used from a fixed position, this is not seen Ruhrmetall SF-10
as a downside. Even in the modern age of super-ad- The SF-10 is a new weapon system, but is al-
vanced materials, it’s still a lot cheaper to make the ready quite popular. Utilizing the same “bike
receiver of a chain gun out of plain old steel. grip”-style layout as its big brother the SF-20, the
SF-10 is designed to make the life of a mechanized
Machine Guns infantry machine gunner easier. As the SF-10 is an
MMG, it doesn’t quite have the stopping power of
The standard squad support weapon, machine the SF-20, but in urban scenarios this isn’t a bad
guns of various sizes can be found in every mili- thing. The SF-10 comes with a gas vent, a hip pad
tary force and mercenary outfit. They are inexpen- bracing system, and smartgun system as standard.
sive to create, operate, and maintain, and they are
available from dozens of manufacturers. Any belt-
fed machine gun can benefit from an assistant gun- Ruhrmetall SF-20
ner, even if it’s not listed as squad operated. When Originally designed at MET2000’s request, the
used in a fixed emplacement or installed in a vehi- SF-20 has become a staple in the “oversized per-
cle, belted weapons will use 1,000 round boxes of sonal weapon” arena. Nothing is quite like throw-
belted ammo or a custom-sized ammo bin. ing HMG rounds downrange. And thanks to the
“bike grip” design, the SF-20 stands out visually as
Ghadab Shadid well as how hard it hits! Like many, my first HMG
was an SF-20, and I still have it. Reliable and super
This light machine gun is named after an Arabic easy to use in confined areas, and the hip pad and
phrase meaning “intense fury.” Ghadab Shadid— gas vent make it very controllable for something
often shortened to just GhaSha—is part of the new throwing around 12.7 millimeter rounds like this.
Spinrad Global release. Manufactured through
Marduk Munitions, this LMG is the primary squad
support weapon issued to Caliphate troops and is Stoner-Ares M107
renowned for its reliability and high rate of fire. The M107 is the standard heavy machine gun in
Like the other new SG weapons made by Marduk, use by the UCAS armed forces and has been their
the Ghadab Shadidt’s ability to operate in harsh mainstay for close to thirty years now. You’ll find
environments is a feature of its sealed action and these normally on tripods or mounted on vehicles,
its belted, disintegrating-link, caseless ammo pre- but it can be pressed into service as a sub-optimal
loaded into a sealed 100-round box magazine, or personal weapon. Comes with a tripod, gas vent,
when tripod mounted a 300-round box magazine. and laser sight.
Note that the Ghadab Shadidt can’t use standard
belted ammo or any belted ammo accessories. Ruhrmetall Stachel
While Ruhrmetall is quite rightly known for the
FN MAG-6 SF-20, the Stachel is Ruhrmetall’s entry into the
The FN MAG has been a mainstay of infantry more mainstream machine gun market. The SF-20
support machine guns for over a hundred years and is not, due to the angled bike grip design, the best
is the stereotypical General Purpose Machine Gun. for mounting on vehicles and drones. The Stachel,
It can do everything well and is designed to be car- or “Stinger,” is a conventional HMG that comes
ried by one soldier, with others in the unit carrying with a gas vent as standard.

SENDING IT DOWNRANGE // CONVENTIONAL HEAVY WEAPONS

 Machine Guns Mil-Spec Ammo Rules
ATTACK
The mil-spec combat rules in this book fully incorpo-
NAME TYPE DV MODES
RATINGS
AMMO AVAIL COST

100(c)
rate the Assault Cannon Blasts, Improved APDS, and More 53
Ghadab Lethal Anti-Vehicular Rockets and Missiles rules from the
LMG 4P BF/FA 2/12/12/8/2 or 4(L) 4,600¥

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Shadid
300(c) Sixth World Companion (p. 149). All references to Assault
Cannon ammunition, APDS ammo, and Anti-Vehicular
Note: Includes bipod, gas-vent, imaging scope (thermographic vision),
smartgun system: internal.
projectiles (HEAT warheads) in this book makes use of
these rules.
ATTACK
NAME TYPE DV MODES AMMO AVAIL COST
RATINGS
50(c) of weight over a standard machine gun, pushing
FN MAG-6 MMG 5P BF/FA 2/11/11/8/7 or 4(L) 7,600¥ that category to the limit. All miniguns come with
100(belt)
a built-in smartgun system and are unable to accept
Note: Includes gas vent, smartgun system: internal. any barrel-mounted accessories or modifications.
All miniguns are belt fed. When mounted in a ve-
NAME TYPE DV MODES
ATTACK
AMMO AVAIL COST hicle or an emplacement they use boxed 1,000 round
RATINGS
belts or custom ammo bins. When carried, however,
Ultimax 50(c) or
MMG
MMG 5P BF/FA 2/12/12/9/7
100(belt)
4(L) 6,600¥ the enormous rate of fire almost demands a back-
pack ammo system such as the Ares Battle Buddy.
Note: Includes foregrip. Counts as a LMG for required Strength.

ATTACK Ares-GE Vindicator

NAME TYPE DV MODES AMMO AVAIL COST
RATINGS
Every weapon has a unique sound, but a Vin-
Ruhrmetall 50(c) or
SF-10
MMG 5P BF/FA 4/11/11/11/6
100(belt)
4(L) 7,300¥ dicator is something you never forget once you’ve
heard it! Capable of an astounding rate of fire
Note: Includes gas vent, hip pad bracing system, smartgun system: internal. thanks to its electrically operated six rotating bar-
rel design, the Vindicator is an absolute monster.
ATTACK
NAME TYPE DV MODES
RATINGS
AMMO AVAIL COST Often mounted on vehicles, where its voracious
Ruhrmetall 50(c) or requirements for LMG ammunition can be best
HMG 6P BF/FA 3/12/12/9/7 5(L) 10,700¥
SF-20 100(belt) served, some metahumans (including yours truly)
Note: Includes gas vent, hip pad bracing system, smartgun system: internal.
have been known to carry these around because
the ability to literally walk your rounds onto the
ATTACK target and guarantee they’ll take note no matter
NAME TYPE DV MODES AMMO AVAIL COST
RATINGS how fleeting is just too valuable with the prolifera-
Stoner-Ares
HMG 6P BF/FA —/9/10/12/5
50(c) or
5(L) 9,300¥ tion of reaction augmentations nowadays.
M107 100(belt)

Note: Includes gas vent, laser sight, tripod. Ares-GE Vengeance

ATTACK Slightly larger than the Vindicator and firing
NAME TYPE DV MODES AMMO AVAIL COST
RATINGS MMG ammo, the Vengeance is often used as door
Ruhrmetall
HMG 6P BF/FA 1/10/10/7/7
50(c) or
5(L) 8,900¥ guns for gunships and on small watercraft. I’ve also
Stachel 100(belt)
encountered these used for missile defense on small-
Note: Includes gas vent. er vehicles instead of a full point defense system.

Ares-GE Vanquisher
Miniguns and The largest of the GE miniguns, using 12.7 mil-
limeter HMG ammo, the Vanquisher is a truly awe-
Electric Gatling Guns some weapon. Seeing the look in your target’s eyes
Electric Gatling guns, often called miniguns, are as you walk your fire into them, and then watching
multi-barreled weapons capable of shredding just them get absolutely rocked … it’s something you
about anything that gets in their sights. With be- never forget! Vanquishers are often used on light
tween three and six barrels, rotated by an electric armored vehicles to give them a major punch. I’ve
also seen a giant use one with a gun shield and just
motor, they’re capable of astounding rates of fire.
… it was a sight to see, let me tell you!
Miniguns are often mounted on light armored vehi-
cles and attack helicopters, and are the teeth of point
defense systems. While technically still machine guns, Assault Cannons
and a man-portable support weapon, the extra bar- Assault cannons and automatic assault cannons
rels, gearing and motor adds a substantial amount are a variety of heavy rifled weapons with calibers

CONVENTIONAL HEAVY WEAPONS // SENDING IT DOWNRANGE

 This is the only weapon made by those IRM
Electric Gatling Guns fraggers I’ve had the chance to use, but they ob-
viously know what the fragger on the front-line
54 NAME

GE Vindicator
TYPE

LMG
DV

6P
SIZE

0
MODE

RB
ATTACK RATINGS

3/12/13/9/5
needs. The Sabretooth, like all their longarms
apparently, comes with an underbarrel weapon
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST mount, a shock pad, and integral smartgun system.
100(belt) MG 7(I) 5,600¥ I’ve found a carbine or grenade launcher are the
best options, mainly so you’ve something else to
Note: Includes smartgun system, internal. A Strength of 3+ and Body of
3+ are required for the Vindicator to be carried and fired. use while waiting for an opportunity to reload.

NAME TYPE DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS Ares Vigilant

GE Vengeance MMG 7P 0 RB 2/11/12/8/4 Automatic Assault Canno n
AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST Originally designed as a secondary weapon on
100(belt) MG 7(I) 5,600¥ small ships, the 20 millimeter Vigilant was one
of the first true automatic assault cannons on the
Note: Includes smartgun system, internal. A Strength of 5+ and Body of
5+ are required for the Vengeance to be carried and fired. market. These days the Vigilant can be found as the
primary weapons on IFVs, littoral gunships, attack
NAME TYPE DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS
rotorcraft, and C-RAM systems. The mechanical
simplicity and modular design with easy break-
GE Vanquisher HMG 8P 0 RB 2/11/12/9/5
down and assembly also makes this gun popular
AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST with infantry units as mobile emplacement pieces.
100(belt) MG 7(I) 10,600¥

Note: Includes smartgun system, internal. A Strength of 7+ and Body of Ares Victory
7+ are required for the Vanquisher to be carried and fired. Automatic Assault Cannon
The popularity of Grumman-Lockheed’s 25
starting at 20 millimeters. The “lightest” and sim- millimeter Bushmaster M25 chain gun as a prima-
plest are semi-automatic support weapons such as
the Panther XXL. A few, more mechanically com-
plex versions with burst fire, such as the Sabret- Assault Cannons
ooth, are on the market and still fall within the
realm of support weapons, but just barely. Fully NAME TYPE DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS
auto versions called automatic assault cannons or IRM Sabretooth AC 7P 0 SS/BF(4) 1/10/11/9/9
chain guns are almost always mounted on vehicles.
AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
These are the primary weapons on many infantry
32(d-2) AC 7(I) 17,500¥
fighting vehicles. The two smallest chain guns,
the Vigilant and Victory made by Ares, can also Note: Includes shock pad, smartgun system, internal, and underbarrel
be used as emplacement weapons, as they break weapon mount.
Crew Served (2): 1 additional Major Action required to reload this
down into components that can be man-portable. weapon. A Strength of 6+ and Body of 6+ are required for the Sabret-
AACs use 50-round linked ammo belts. Station- ooth to be carried and fired.
ary emplacements may have a 500-round box mag-
azine, but in a vehicle, they’ll have a custom-sized NAME TYPE DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS
ammo bin. Assault cannons and automatic assault
Ares Vigilant AAC 7P 1 BF/FA (10) —/12/10/8/8
cannons can fire standard ballistic rounds, APDS
ammunition, or HEX Assault Cannon Ammunition. AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
10(c-3) /
AC 6(I) 19,000¥
Ironmongers Incorporated 50(belt-3)

Sabretooth Autocannon Note: Includes smartgun system, internal.

Crew Served (3): 2 additional Major Actions required to reload this weapon.
I’ve had my eye on the Sabretooth for a while
before I was able to procure one as Moroccan army NAME TYPE DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS
“surplus,” and I assure you the recoil is no joke.
Ares Victory AAC 8P 1 BF/FA (10) —/8/12/12/10
Originally intended as a crew-served weapon sys-
tem for use in defensive emplacements or mount- AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
ing on vehicles, I quickly found out that while it is 10(c-4) /
B25 8(I) 23,500¥
not terrible as a personal weapon, carrying drums 50(belt-4)
filled with thirty-two 20 millimeter assault cannon Note: Includes smartgun system, internal—see ammo for vehicle weap-
rounds is rough. And trying to change them with ons (p. 139) for B25 ammo.
one hand is not for the faint of heart! Crew Served (4): 3 additional Major Actions required to reload this weapon.

SENDING IT DOWNRANGE // CONVENTIONAL HEAVY WEAPONS

ry weapon on light armored vehicles directly led
to Ares creating the Victory 25 millimeter AAC. As Rules For Ammo Backpacks
the Vigilant’s larger brother, the Victory shares the Backpack ammo systems allow a soldier to carry
same robust design and matches it in most catego- large amounts of ammo, but they come with specific 55
ries, but outshines its sibling in raw firepower. This rules. Different backpack ammo systems are available for

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

makes it the gold standard of light vehicle weap- spray weapons, machine guns, energy weapons, grenade
ons. As it shares the same easy breakdown and as- launchers, and even rocket launchers. Some of these like
sembly of the Vigilant, the Victory is also a popular the Ares Battle Buddy belt-fed system and Ares battery
heavy emplacement weapon. packs are generic, able to serve a wide range of weapons,
while others are designed for only one specific weapon.

Chemical Weapons:
Shouldering a backpack ammo carrier of any type and
attaching the fuel hoses, belt feed, and power cables to
the weapon takes approximately thirty seconds or ten
Flamethrowers combat rounds.
Replacing a fuel tank, battery pack (or capacitor pack),
Flamethrowers have seen a bit of a resurgence belt of ammo, or a rocket requires a Reload Weapon Major
on the battlefield of late. Good for clearing out Action per item, even if the weapon is equipped with a
hardened positions with relatively little damage, smartlink system. Replacing two flamethrower tanks re-
they’re also good against entities of a more … ele- quires 2 Major Actions while feeding ten 100-round belts
mental persuasion. of machine gun ammo into a 1,000-round backpack takes
10 rounds. Backpack ammo systems can’t be reloaded by
Ares Inferno the user while the backpack ammo carrier is worn, but
the crew served rules can apply. Up to three crew mem-
Currently the largest man-portable flame- bers can use their Reload Weapon actions to reload a
thrower on the market, the Ares Inferno has a rel- backpack system while it’s being worn.
atively short range but uses two link-fired spray More information on using backpack carriers with
nozzles and two fuel pumps on a single frame specific weapons can be found on p. 60, Lethal Harvest.
to deliver a truly devastating barrage of flame.
Only vehicle-mounted flamethrowers can rival Rules For Called Shots on
its destructive potential. On the downside, this
massive fuel demand requires a backpack tank Ammo and Tank Backpacks
for proper operation, as smaller weapon-mount- Fuel tanks (and other volatile devices such as the
ed fuel tanks are simply not practical. For those Ares Thunderbird’s capacitor packs) when mounted on
circumstances where a lower level of destruction a backpack carrier can be targeted with a Called Shot:
is acceptable, the Inferno has the option to only Break Weapon action. Instead of reducing the weapon’s
fire through one spray nozzle, throttling the fuel AR, the attack ruptures the tank and causes the wearer,
volume down to the level of a more conventional and anyone else in melee range, to take damage equal
flamethrower. to the weapon’s DV. These tanks have built-in armor and
a Structure rating of 16, requiring a modified DV of 8 or
Flamethrowers more to rupture.
Ballistic ammunition and standard battery packs are not
NAME TYPE DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS nearly as volatile, meaning this rule does not apply to them,
Ares Inferno Spray 7P 0 SS 15/13/—/—/—
but it’s up to GM’s discretion, based on the type of weapon
making the attack, as to whether grenades and missiles in a
AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST backpack ammo carrier can be set off when targeted.
20(tanks) Fuel 5(L) 3,400¥

NAME TYPE DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS

(when link

Launch Weapons
Spray 9P — SS 19/17/—/—/—
fired)

Grenade Launchers
AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
10(tank) Fuel 5(L) 200¥

Note: When both spray nozzles are link-fired, the Inferno uses 2 units As I previously stated, having access to immedi-
of fuel and has the higher DV and AR profile. When firing a single spray ate fire support is often the difference between life
nozzle, use the lower DV and AR with only 1 unit of fuel. The Inferno
uses two tanks in its backpack carrier and the standard rules for ammo
and death for any military unit, and the same often
backpacks apply as well as the special rules for flamethrower tanks. All goes for shadowrunners. Portable launchers on or
flamethrowers impart the Burning status on their targets, and while close to the front lines are often the best solution
this depends on several factors, the Inferno should start with a Burning
6 status when link fired and Burning 5 when firing a single nozzle for delivering that on-demand fire support.

CHEMICAL WEAPONS: FLAMETHROWERS // SENDING IT DOWNRANGE

 they can be broken down, moved, and set up in an
Using Launchers emplacement.
and Indirect Fire While the Decimator has two separate barrels
56 All launchers are capable of indirect fire using the
and actions, this link-fired setup is used to increase
ROF and there is no option for other methods of
rules outlined on p. 157, as well as making direct fire at-
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

tacks on targets that have line of sight to. Launchers are

link-firing. Airburst link and smartgun systems
not weapons in themselves and require a launched pro-
come standard.
jectile to be effective. Projectiles have their own profiles,
and most have a Capacity instead of a listed DV. Capacity
represents the warhead carried in a projectile and de- Grenade Launchers
pending on the type, the effect can vary a great deal. For
details on projectile profiles, the Capacity stat, and the ef- NAME TYPE DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS
fects of different warheads, see p. 145. As a squad support MGL-24 Launcher Grenade 0 SA/BF(4) —/8/9/7/6
weapon, launchers can benefit from an assistant gunner,
using the squad-operated weapon reloading rules. AMMO AVAIL COST
18(d) 7,500¥ 17,500¥

Note: Includes airburst link, smartgun system: internal. When using

> It’s rare you find missile launchers and mortars in a shadow
the drum magazine the MGL-24 requires a Strength of 3+ to carry and
team, but much can be said for one or two people having a operate, but when equipped with a backpack, the Strength require-
grenade launcher or the occasional disposable rocket launcher. ment is only 2+.
The rules for SA, BF, and FA with Blast Attacks can be found on p. 154.
> DangerSensei

NAME TYPE DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS

ArmTech MGL-24 Suppressor
MGL-48 Launcher Grenade 1 SA/BF/FA (10) —/8/9/9/7
ArmTech has been cranking out some of the best
grenade launchers on the market for more than a AMMO AVAIL COST
decade, and the MGL-24 Suppressor is one of the 30(belt-2) 9(I) 27,500¥

best they make. Roughly the size of a light machine Note: Includes airburst link, smartgun system, internal. The expanded
gun, the MGL-24 is intended to be a man-portable rules for link-firing weapons can be found on p. 154.
launcher for grenade barrages. The standard configu- Crew Served (2): 1 additional Major Action required to reload this weapon.

ration is for ammo to be fed from an 18-round drum

magazine, which can make the weapon somewhat Rocket Launchers
cumbersome for non-mechanized infantry. There is
also an option for a backpack ammo carrier, simi- al-Assad
lar to other backpack ammo carriers, that features a Another new release of Caliphate military gear
flexible armored connector from the backpack and from Spinrad Global, the man-portable, multi-tube,
the launcher’s magazine feed. The backpack can hold light rocket launcher system al-Assad, translated
up to 90 mini-grenades of a single type, in the same as “the lion,” is a rocket barrage-capable weapon.
30-round disintegrating link belt system used by the
The system uses Class 0 munitions that are longer
MGL-48. The MGL-24 comes with a smartgun sys-
and narrower than a standard Class 0 rocket, al-
tem and airburst link as standard.
lowing each detachable dual-launch tube assembly
to be only slightly larger than a standard launcher
ArmTech MGL-48 Decimator tube. Pairs of rockets or missiles are transported
Fire support has been a major aspect of warfare in these factory-sealed launch tubes until the op-
at all levels for a great many years at this point. erator is ready to load the munitions. Reloading
It’s why many infantry platoons have embedded the launcher requires detaching the empty set of
grenade launchers and sometimes even mortars, tubes and replacing them with new tubes contain-
so that the infantry unit has its own built-in fire ing fresh missiles, with each tube assembly needing
support. That’s all well and good for maneuver a separate Reload Weapon action. When separat-
units, but sometimes you need a heavy fire support ed from the firing tubes, the launcher frame and
weapon available at the local level—such as when controls fold into a compact configuration with a
defending a Forward Operating Base, or perhaps carry handle. The man portable al-Assad launcher
mounting something on a light vehicle. can be operated with one or two pairs of tubes,
ArmTech now has a solution for that, too: the launching up to four rockets in a single salvo.
MGL-48 Decimator. Sporting dual barrels with Standard al-Assad features on the launcher
opposing actions and a 30-round linked belt feed, frame are an airburst link, thermal-equipped im-
it’s capable of true fully automatic fire. These aging scope, AR interface for guided missiles, and
things are far too large to be man-portable—but an internal smartgun system.

SENDING IT DOWNRANGE // LAUNCH WEAPONS

al-Assad MLRS Option
The al-Assad launch tube system can also be
Expanded
used in a squad-level system where multiple pairs Rocket/Missile Rules
of tubes are set on tripods and placed across an The mil-spec rocket and missile rules in this book al-
57
area. Up to eight tube pairs (32 missiles) can be low for a wide variety of sizes, ranges, warheads, sensors,

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

networked together to a single launch control. and pilot programs. All of these factors affect the physical
Each pair of launch tubes can fire between one and size of the projectile, called the Class. These rules update
four missiles from any number of tripods (up to a previous launchers and rockets. The Aztechnology Striker
single volley of all 32 missiles) with a single com- and the Onotari Interceptor on p. 259, SR6 are now de-
mand from the central controller. fined as Size 0 launchers and can fire Class 0 rockets. The
rockets for these Size 0, portable launchers, described as
separate rockets on p. 264, SR6, all use a single profile for
Ballista II Missile System a Class 0, Capacity 16 rocket now that can use different
In the 2040 s, Saeder Krupp’s small arms subsid- warheads for different effects.
iary Onotari Arms released the first Ballista missile Most Class 0 rockets can also be purchased as missiles
system, a backpack-mounted multi-missile launcher with a fixed pilot and sensor rating at a higher cost and
with bleeding-edge targeting systems. At the time, it availability than a standard rocket. Details for rocket and
was the absolute definition of SOTA. Alas, the Bal- missile warheads are in Capacity Notes on p. 146
lista did not age well, through no fault of its own.
The targeting systems were never fully integrated NAME CLASS RANGE CAP PILOT SENSOR AVAIL COST
into smartgun technology of the past, and so it was Standard 0 (60mm
often difficult to use in a firefight. When the wireless Rocket x .5m)
1.5 Km 16 0 0 5(I) 2,000¥
Matrix and PANs became the norm, the Ballista was Standard 0 (60mm
1.5 Km 16 3 3 6(I) 4,500¥
able to cope to a limited degree, but it was a kludge. Missile x .5m)
The new Ballista II, released in 2081 to not-in-
significant fanfare, has corrected that oversight.
The integrated laser designator is still there for di- usually respond with a huge drek-eating grin and
rect fire targeting solutions, but the Ballista II is an expletive-laden statement professing undying
designed to operate with a PAN, and more impor- and eternal love for this weapon.
tantly to integrate into modern M-TOC tactical A recoilless rifle is an open-ended tube like a
networks and the Rampart Protocols. Of course, rocket launcher, but instead of a proper rocket
the Ballista II is fully compatible with the Artillery motor, it uses a powder charge, like what you’ll
Barrage and Target Artist Tac-Apps with an AR find in most guns. Due to the size and weight of
control adapter, allowing full remote operation of the round, however, shells have a huge charge,
guided missiles from a Ballista II. something like a small artillery shell; and even
The Ballista II also improves upon the older then, the rounds are noticeably slower than a
model by having a cylinder instead of a magazine rocket. The backblast is, if anything, worse than
for the rockets loaded into it. This allows, through most rocket launchers. The Carl Gustaf is shoul-
smartlink or a tactical network, for the right rock- der fired and breech loaded, with the rounds be-
et or missile to be selected for the task at hand, ing loaded one at a time, so you really do need
just as one would select the fire mode on a smart- an assistant gunner if you want to get the full six
gun-equipped assault rifle. The system then moves rounds a minute off.
the shoulder-mounted launch tube into position, Ruhrmetall makes a wide range of shells for
loads the round, and enables firing capability. The the Carl Gustaf, to the point where you can find
launch tube’s armature is designed so that it is im- CG shells in just about any type of warhead you’ll
possible for the back blast of a rocket being fired find for your more traditional launchers. They are
right next to your head to harm you. I would rec- unique to the CG, however, so you cannot share
ommend dampeners, though, as it can be quite loud. ammunition between one of these and any other
As with anything mounted on your back, you kind of launcher. As it is reusable, most CGs you’ll
need a chummer to reload the cylinder with rock- find have a smartgun system and airburst link al-
ets. Alternatively, you can take the pack off and re- ready installed.
load the cylinder yourself. Not something I would
recommend in the middle of a firefight. Northrup-Lockheed Man-
Portable Missile Systems
Carl Gustaf
Northrup-Lockheed has started promoting
84mm Recoilless Rifle their newest man-portable short-range mis-
Say “Charlie-Golf” to anyone who’s served in sile systems, the Vespae Anti-Air missile system
almost any military for the last century, and they’ll and Pilum Anti-Tank missile system. Both the

LAUNCH WEAPONS // SENDING IT DOWNRANGE

 fully autonomous guided munitions and their can be adapted to fit into a large weapon mount
launchers include Rampart-Protocol-compatible on a vehicle.
encryption that can link to any M-TOC system A unique feature is that both systems can re-
58 currently on the market. Their integrated pilot place the missile’s standard wireless connection for
and custom autosoft programing will also accept an unjammable and unhackable single-use control
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

painted targets from an M-TOC-linked smartgun wire spool providing a direct wired connection.
system or can simply be fired in a direction and Replaceable single-use spools attached to the por-
allowed to acquire a target with their own ad- table launcher are limited to 1,500 meters, but a
vanced algorithms. In addition to targeting with vehicle-mounted system can use a much longer
their internal systems, both the Vespae and the spool capable of controlling a missile to the end of
Pilum missiles can be guided to the target directly its 5-kilometer range.
from their launcher through AR remote control.
As with other portable missile launchers, these Pilum MPAT
The Pilum man-portable anti-tank missile
Rocket Launchers launcher is the direct replacement for the now
ATTACK
discontinued Javelin III MPAT launcher system.
NAME TYPE DV MODE
RATINGS Standard features are a thermal-equipped imag-
al-Assad Launcher Missile SS/BF(4) —/4/10/8/6 ing scope, internal smartgun system, AR remote
control interface, and a wired communication and
AMMO AVAIL COST
2(ml) per tube (c) 6(I) 13,500¥
control jack.
Note: includes airburst link, scope, smartgun system: internal, AR interface. Vespae MPAD
Crew Served: Each 2-rocket tube assembly is considered an “item” for
Reload Weapon actions. The recommended replacement for the now dis-
Game Rules: The rules for multiple Blast attacks are on p. XX. Typically continued Stinger IV MPAD launcher system is the
this MLRS setup would use guided missiles, however this system may
use unguided rockets for an indirect rocket artillery attack. To do this, Vespae man-portable air defense missile launcher.
each set of tubes on a tripod requires a separate Gunnery + Logic test Standard features are a thermal- equipped imaging
to set the target. This attack uses the Indirect Fire rules for unguided scope, internal smartgun system, airburst link, AR
munitions on p. 157.
remote control interface, and a wired communica-
ATTACK
tion and control jack.
NAME TYPE DV MODE
RATINGS
Ballista II Launcher Missile SS(2) —/5/9/9/8
Rockets and Missiles
AMMO AVAIL COST
4(cy) 6(I) 11,900¥
NAME CLASS RANGE CAP PILOT AVAIL SENSOR COST
Note: Includes airburst link, AR interface, internal smartgun system. al-Assad 0 (40mm x
1.5 km 16 0 0 5(I) 2,000¥
Rocket 1m)
ATTACK
NAME TYPE DV MODE Ballista II 0 (60mm x
RATINGS 1.5 km 16 0 0 5(I) 2,000¥
Rocket 0.5m)
Carl Gustaf Launcher Missile SS(1-3) —/6/10/9/9
Carl
1 (84mm x
AMMO AVAIL COST Gustaf 1.5 km 20 0 0 5(I) 1,800¥
0.5m)
1(br-3) 6(I) 6,500¥ Shell

Note: Includes airburst link, internal smartgun system. Note: The C-G shell may be Guided as if it were a Class 0 rocket.
Crew Served (3): 2 additional Major Actions required to reload this weapon.
Guided
Missile
NAME TYPE DV MODE ATTACK RATINGS
Option for 3 3 +1(I) +2,500¥
Pilum MPAT Launcher Missile SS —/8/8/10/10 (5km) Class 0
Rockets
AMMO AVAIL COST
2 (130mm
1(br) 7(I) 95,000¥ Pilum ATM 5 km 30 3 2 7(I) 12,500¥
x 1m)
Note: Includes airburst link, AR interface, internal smartgun system. 2 (60mm x
Vespae SAM 5 km 20 5 3 8(I) 11,000¥
1.5m)
NAME TYPE DV MODE ATTACK RATINGS 1,500-meter
control wire - - - - - 6 900¥
Vespae MPAD Launcher Missile SS — /— /6 /8 /10 (5km)
spools

AMMO AVAIL COST 5,000-meter

1(br) 8(I) 83,000¥ control wire - - - - - 7 1,500¥
spools
Note: Includes airburst link, AR interface, internal smartgun system.

SENDING IT DOWNRANGE // LAUNCH WEAPONS

Mortars with ammunition carried by all members of the
unit. Generally, heavy infantry mortars are used
Mortars are a tried and trusted system to deliv- by mounted or even mechanized infantry, where
er mortar shells, called bombs, in a high parabolic the additional weight of the mortar itself and the 59
trajectory. This means the bombs come down near- bombs is not a factor, I know of several infantry
ly vertically, enabling attacks on fortifications and

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

platoons that use heavy infantry mortar.
dug-in positions that even air-timed grenades and The M8330 emplacement mortar, while still
rockets may not be able to achieve. muzzle loaded, uses the same shells as light vehi-
Modern mortars fall into one of two categories: cle mortars. The tube, baseplate, and frame are all
large breech-loading mortars on vehicles and muz- substantially heavier than the lighter infantry mor-
zle-loaded infantry mortars consisting of the tube itself, tars and require time to set up. The heavier com-
the targeting system, a large baseplate, and a bipod. ponents and bombs also mean that the M8330 is
Firing muzzle-loaded infantry mortars requires normally assigned a crew of three.
the gunner to place the bomb at the muzzle then
drop it down the smoothbore mortar tube. Most
modern mortars immediately fire at this point Onotari Arms
due to a fixed striker at the bottom of the tube, Trebuchet Mortar System
the striker detonating the cordite charge at the Ever since the great wars of the twentieth cen-
base and projecting the bomb out of the tube and tury, before rocket launchers and grenade launch-
downrange toward its target. ers, the mortar was the infantryman’s fire support.
Infantry mortars tend to come in three size cat- They were also used as field artillery, and truly
egories, with light infantry mortars at 40 millime- massive mortars were used as siege weapons.
ters and heavy infantry mortars at 60 millimeters. Carrying a light infantry mortar in an infantry
Emplacement mortars and light vehicle mortars formation was commonplace, and once infantry
are both 80 millimeters, while dedicated vehicle learned to be mechanized, larger models were car-
mortars are 120 millimeters and 180 millimeters. ried—first the heavy infantry mortar and then vehi-
cle-mounted ones in armored formations. The issue
> We generally have light infantry mortars at the platoon level, with traditional mortars is the setup time, as while
be it a rifle platoon or weapons platoon, and heavy infantry a well-trained crew can have their infantry mortar
mortars in the mortar platoon of the weapons company. set up and firing usually within 5 to 10 seconds, in
> Sgt Maj Bandito the modern world of augmented combatants and
mages, that can be far too long. The solution was to
> A lot of armies do it that way, as it provides great organic fire have a mortar always set up, but there hadn’t been
support plus good mobility. a way to go about always having a mortar ready.
> Hard Exit Enter the Trebuchet.
Building on the success of the Ballista over
> Mortars are not the easiest weapons to mount on a vehicle; the years and taking advantage of the power of
all of them I’m aware of are purpose-built designs meant to the tactical network and the latest crop of tac-
operate mortars. I would imagine that makes their use by apps in the same way the Ballista II does for
shadowrunners less common. indirect fire, the Trebuchet Mortar System is a
> Papa Jazz true terror! As a light infantry mortar, the Tre-
buchet is light enough to be carried by one per-
son, though additional bombs are still going to
Infantry Mortars be spread around the unit to allow for prolonged
These are your normal infantry mortars, as used firing. The cylinder of the Trebuchet holds six
by dozens of militaries around the world both cor- bombs, which like the Ballista II can be of any
porate and national. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll use type desired. Once the round to be fired is select-
the UCAS designations, as that is what most mil- ed, the armature takes the bomb and places it at
itaries have dubbed them, but bear in mind these the muzzle of the mortar tube, then the whole
three are not the only mortars out there. armature and tube assembly elevates to the cor-
Both the M1330 light infantry mortar and the rect angle for the round. To make the transition
M2330 heavy infantry mortar entered service easier, you can either treat the Trebuchet like a
shortly before the Euro Wars, but have been up- normal mortar and drop the bombs down the
dated as time goes by. The UCAS army is up to A5 tube, or reload the cylinder.
with both models. I’m sure it’ll come as no surprise that the Tre-
Light infantry mortars are carried by infantry buchet comes with a smartgun system and airburst
platoons, usually by a dedicated two-person mor- link. The Trebuchet can be used for indirect fire, or
tar team attached directly to the platoon leader, it can target anything within line of sight directly.

LAUNCH WEAPONS // SENDING IT DOWNRANGE

 industry-standard form factors, so their own
Mortars weapons use those same units. And of course
they produce their own versions. This has had
60 NAME

M1330
TYPE

Launcher
DV

Mortar
SIZE

0
MODE

SS
ATTACK RATINGS

—/—/5/10/10 (3km)
the added benefit of making the various power
units noticeably cheaper.
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST

Speaking of Ares, they have an entirely new line-
1(z) m60 5(L) 5,500¥ up of laser weapons hitting the market using the
same, now generic, battery power packs, with a new
NAME TYPE DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS ad blitz to promote it. The new Fire-Line series is an
update of their older lineup of laser weapons with
M8330 Launcher Mortar 1 SS —/—/—/10/12 (10km)
an improved rate-of-fire, changes in output frequen-
AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST cy, and a new look.
1(z-2) m80 7(I) 9,250¥

Crew Served (2): 1 additional Major Action required to reload this weapon. Terracotta
Arms Ferrus Series
NAME TYPE DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS
Terracotta Arms has miniaturized railgun tech-
Trebuchet Launcher Mortar 0 SS(3) —/4/7/12/12 (3km)
nology to the point they’re offering a series of small
AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST arms: the Ferrus series of railguns. The Ferrus se-
6(cy) m40 6(I) 12,750¥ ries comprises the Ferrus Minor (a heavy pistol that
competes well against the Predator VI), the Ferrus
Crew Served (2): Includes smartgun system, internal, airburst link. Major (a SMG-sized firearm), the Ferrus Prime (a
very competitive assault rifle I feel will do well in the
Mortar bombs future), and the Ferrus Maximum (an anti-materiel
NAME CLASS RANGE CAPACITY PILOT SENSOR AVAIL COST
rifle designed to compete with the Barrett Model
122). The whole Ferrus series comes standard with
m40 0 3 km 16 0 0 4(L) 750¥
smartgun systems and are intended for use with
m60 1 7 km 20 0 0 5(L) 900¥
power clips, but they can accept other sources if de-
m80 2 10 km 25 0 0 7(I) 1,600¥
sired. I should also point out that the small calibers
Guided
Option for
used in these firearms mean they function as if they
Mortar
3 3 +1(I) +2,500¥ were APDS rounds.
Bombs

Game Rules: All man-portable mortars use the Exotic Weapons (Launch- Ferrus Minor
er) skill and may use the indirect fire rules described on p. 157. If there
The Ferrus Minor is a heavy pistol with a lon-
is line of sight to the target, the attack counts as direct fire and uses the
launcher’s Attack Rating Profile, even though the bomb still travels on a ger-than-normal barrel and slide, making it one
high parabolic arc. While uncommon, any infantry mortar bombs can be of the longest semi-automatic pistols on the mar-
acquired with a guided munition package for the same cost and availability ket today. The power clip inserts into the grip of
modifier as the larger vehicle mortar bombs.
this firearm, where you would normally load the
ammunition in a traditional pistol. Due to the
small size of the penetrators (roughly 4 millime-
New Weapon ters), a good-sized clip fits into a block in front
of the trigger guard. Only the rear portion of the
Tech: Railguns slide reciprocates when firing, purely as a form of
recoil mitigation.
So now we get to the good part: futuristic
weapons! One of the major innovations in the last Ferrus Major
several years has been the resurgence of railguns. The Ferrus Major is an SMG/PDW weapon in-
Railguns have been mounted on tanks and war- tended for use by those who need something that
ships since before I was born, and for a few years hits hard and can lay down a decent volume of fire
now we’ve had the Ares Thunderstruck gauss in a compact and portable package. The Major is a
cannon on the market. But the technology didn’t bullpup style weapon with a collapsible stock and
miniaturize very well. Until now. foregrip. The inherent benefits of the layout, with
Terracotta Arms and Yamatetsu Naval Tech- the clip for the penetrators—the same 4 millimeter
nologies have produced some excellent weap- ones used by the Minor - slot in behind the grip.
ons systems and have decided the portable The four power clips slot into the top of the weap-
power systems Ares brought to the market— on to lie flush, and thanks to the very short barrel,
power clips, the satchel power pack, and the this weapon is one of the most compact SMGs on
power backpack—are to become sort of the the market.

SENDING IT DOWNRANGE // NEW WEAPON TECH: RAILGUNS

Ferrus Prime
The Ferrus Prime is exactly what it says it is: a Terracotta Arms Ferrus Series
prime assault rifle and no doubt! A slightly upscaled
version of the Major, in that it is a bullpup layout NAME TYPE DV MODE ATTACK RATINGS 61
with its four power clips fitting into the sides of the Ferrus Minor H. Pistol 2P SA/BF(4) 12/12/10/—/—

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

weapon, the Prime is unmistakeable as anything
AMMO AVAIL COST
but an assault rifle. If you’re fond of the Ares Al-
20(c) + Energy 3(L) 850¥
pha, then I guarantee you’ll like the Ferrus Prime! It
comes with an underbarrel weapon mount as stan- Note: Includes smartgun system, internal. Uses 0.5 Energy per projectile fired.
dard, allowing you to choose which option best fits
your style or your mission. I should point out that NAME TYPE DV MODE ATTACK RATINGS
while the penetrators for the Prime are the same 4 Ferrus Major SMG 2P SA/BF/FA(10) 16/12/8/—/—
millimeter caliber as the Minor and Major, they are
over twice as long to allow for the greater range and AMMO AVAIL COST
stopping power of a rifle-type weapon. 40(c) + Energy 4(L) 875¥

Note: Includes collapsible stock, foregrip, short barrel, smartgun system, in-

Ferrus Maximus ternal. Uses 1 Energy per projectile fired.

The Ferrus Maximus is a sniper rifle, or an- NAME TYPE DV MODE ATTACK RATINGS
ti-material rifle if you prefer. Using the same long
Ferrus Prime Rifle 3P SA/BF/FA(10) 7/12/11/9/4
penetrators as the Prime, the Maximus does away
with the bullpup configuration for a more conven- AMMO AVAIL COST
tional rifle layout. The oddity with the Maximus is 40(c) + Energy 5(L) 2,350¥
that the power clips do not fit flush, with all six of
Note: Includes smartgun system, internal, underbarrel weapon mount. Uses 1
them sticking out the side of the rifle allowing for Energy per projectile fired.
easy access without breaking your grip and com-
ing off the rifle. This allows the Maximus to be NAME TYPE DV MODE ATTACK RATINGS
operated more easily by a single shooter in a hide,
thus maximizing the benefits of the range, power, Ferrus Maximus Rifle 5P SA(2) —/11/15/22/19

and accuracy of this weapon. AMMO AVAIL COST

The Maximus is not a subtle weapon by any 12(c) + Energy 7(L) 16,850¥
means, thanks to the extended barrel, rigid stock,
and bipod. The stock also has a monopod to allow Note: Includes barrel extension, bipod, rigid stock, smartgun system, internal.
Uses 5 Energy per projectile fired.
for maximum comfort for long stretches on the General Note: Railguns require both an Energy source (p. 141) and ammunition.
gun in a sniper’s hide. Small caliber railgun ammo is 3x the normal cost for the weapon type (Heavy
Pistol, Rifle) and is not interchangeable with any type of ballistic ammunition,
including APDS.

New Weapon eryone ooh’d and ahh’d at the majesty of these

Tech: Linear new types of linear guns, and for good reason.
Everybody and their uncle expected these kinds
Kinetic Cannons of weapons to be limited to naval use, as there
was no way they could miniaturize this tech. Ev-
Ares Thunderstruck Gauss Rifle erybody was wrong.
The introduction of the Thunderstruck back in The YNT Nashorn is the world’s smallest coil-
the 2070s was initially heralded as a master stroke gun, intended to act as a crew-served autocannon.
and one of the greatest innovations to the small arms It is just on the cusp of being man-portable. The
market in years, and I can’t say I disagree. Railguns Nashorn has an extremely short barrel, but a long
have come a long way, but the Thunderstruck was and heavy receiver to offset the punishing recoil of
the first to market. Originally classified as an assault such a powerful round being fired this fast. I won’t
cannon variation, it’s now a highly-regarded and its say that it cannot be used as a personal weapon,
own weapon type. The Thunderstruck fills a niche but I can’t. It’s just that brutal. A troll … maybe. I
for those who need greater armor penetration than should point out that there is no power clip port on
a normal assault cannon can provide. the Nashorn, but since it is intended to be used in
a crew-served capacity, there are two ports to hot
swap satchels or packs. The Nashorn is fed from a
YNT Nashorn Coilgun 40-round drum magazine, but due to the size and
In the past handful of years, YNT brought the weight of the drum, it is hard to change with one
first coilguns and chemrails to the market. Ev- hand. It’s supposed to be crew-served, after all.

NEW WEAPON TECH: LINEAR KINETIC CANNONS // SENDING IT DOWNRANGE

 Terracotta ferrus minor
Terracotta
ferrus Maximus
62
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

YNT Nashorn Coilgun

Terracotta ferrus major

Terracotta ferrus prime YNT Colossus Chemrail

YNT Colossus Chemrail the Colossus has a muzzle blast on par with that
of many rocket launchers.
When the Nashorn was announced, those of us
who keep a close eye on the firearms industry were
shocked at the idea of a man-portable coilgun. But
they won’t miniaturize the chemrail any time soon, New Weapon Tech:
we all said to each other. Three months later, our
jaws dropped. Small Arms Laser
The Colossus is a huge shoulder-fired chemrail,
designed as a crew-served weapon. Because it is just Weapons
a big tube a little over 2 meters long, the first time I
saw one I assumed it was a new man-portable rock-
Ares Fire-Line Series
et launcher. But on closer inspection, I noticed that Ares is using Desert Wars this year to kick off
the rear 1.2 meters of the tube is 50 percent larger a big PR push for its new Fire-Line brand of la-
diameter than the front portion, and half a meter ser weapons. Most of the Ares-affiliated teams
from the rear is the huge half-meter-diameter drum are sporting at least a few of the new weapons,
magazine for this thing! Thankfully there is a fore- with the Firebird being especially prominent in the
grip to help hold on to the damn thing. squad support role.
As a chemrail, the Colossus fires a penetra- When comparing the Fire-Line system to the
tor that has an initial powder charge and then older Ares laser technology, the most obvious
accelerates it using a normal railgun. However, change—other than the massive price drop—
YNT has gone one step further and included a is literal fire. Ares has decided to lean into the
forward-projecting ionized gas cloud that has the “fire” theme with a large percentage of the weap-
effect of extending the length of the rails without on’s output in the far infrared range, creating en-
physically extending the barrel. Because of that, hanced thermal shock. This makes it likely that

SENDING IT DOWNRANGE // NEW WEAPON TECH: SMALL ARMS LASER WEAPONS

 configuration uses a power clip, this is impracti-
Linear Kinetic Cannons
cal for most field operations. Replacing the clip
ATTACK with a satchel power pack or even a power back-
63
NAME TYPE SIZE DV MODE
RATINGS
pack is a common practice.
Thunderstruck AC 0 7P SA(2) 3/11/12/10/6

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

AMMO
10(c) + Energy
AVAIL
6(I)
COST
14,200¥
Ares Firebird
The Ares Firebird is the much smaller and light-
Note: Includes laser sign, shock pad. The Thunderstruck requires a Strength of er replacement for the older Archon Heavy MP
4+ to carry and fire. Uses 1 Energy per projectile fired.
Laser. Unlike its larger predecessor, the Firebird is
ATTACK
only the size of a conventional MMG (requiring
NAME TYPE SIZE DV MODE
RATINGS 3+ Strength to carry and operate it). The Firebird
YNT Nashorn AC 0 5P BF(4) 3/12/14/11/11 also increases the Archon’s slow rate of fire with
the same technology as the rest of the Fire-Line.
AMMO AVAIL COST
With its higher power output, the Firebird has
40(d-2) + Energy 8(I) 27,400¥
both improved range and damage potential over
Note: Includes smartgun system, internal. the smaller weapons in the line. This increased
Crew Served (2): 1 additional Major Action required to reload this weapon.
The Nashorn requires a Strength 10+ and Body 8+ to be carried and fired as a
power requirement also means the Firebird gets
man-portable weapon. Uses 5 Energy per projectile fired. a power backpack as a standard feature, as the
smaller power clips are impractical.
ATTACK
NAME TYPE SIZE DV MODE
RATINGS
YNT Colossus AC 0 9P SS(1) 5/16/17/17/17
New Weapon Mods
AMMO
10(d-2) + Energy
AVAIL COST
9(I) 31,000¥
Underbarrel Carbine
Note: Includes barrel extension, foregrip, smartgun system, internal.
The world and his dog knows the value of
Crew Served (2): 1 additional Major Action required to reload this weapon. underbarrel weapons, but when it comes to
The Colossus requires a Strength 10+ and Body 8+ to be carried and fired as a some of the largest portable weapons, especial-
man-portable weapon. Uses 10 Energy per projectile fired. ly those intended to be crew-served, which are
General Note: Linear Kinetic Cannons require both an Energy source (p. XX)
and ammunition. Ares Fire-Line Series Lasers
Linear Kinetic Cannon Ammo is 3x the cost of Machine Gun ammunition and
is not interchangeable with any type of ballistic ammunition, including APDS. ATTACK
NAME TYPE SIZE DV MODE
RATINGS
Firebolt Pistol — 5P SA/BF(4) 16/14/10/—/—
any flammable target hit will combust under the
weapon’s beam. AMMO AVAIL COST
Laser weapons use a set amount of Energy for Energy 5(I) 1,250¥
each shot from an external power supply. The Fire- Note: Includes smartgun system, internal. Uses 1 Energy per individual
bolt and Firebrand come with power clips as stan- shot fired.
dard, while the Firebird has a power backpack as
its standard power supply. NAME TYPE SIZE DV MODE
ATTACK
RATINGS
Firebrand Rifle — 6P SA/BF(4) 18/16/12/6/—
Ares Firebolt
AMMO AVAIL COST
Replacing the well-known Ares Redline, the Energy 5(I) 2,750¥
Firebolt laser pistol is a long-awaited update to the
older model. While the Firebolt has a similar dam- Note: Includes smartgun system, internal. Uses 2 Energy per individual
shot fired.
age profile to the Redline, advances in energy con-
version technology have reduced the heat generated ATTACK
by the pistol, allowing for an increased rate of fire. NAME TYPE SIZE DV MODE
RATINGS
Firebird AC 0 8P SA/BF(4) 18/18/14/10/—

Ares Firebrand AMMO AVAIL COST

Benefiting from the same advanced energy Energy 6(I) 9,300¥
conversion technology as the Firebolt, the as- Note: Includes power backpack, smartgun system, internal. Uses 4 Energy per
sault-rifle-sized Firebrand has an improved rate individual shot fired.
of fire over its predecessor, the Lancer MP. The
General Note: The power connection point is universal, so all three weapons
longer “barrel” also allows for an increase in can make use of any of the power systems on p XX. The specific rules for using
beam cohesion, making the effective range much laser weapons can be found on p. XX.
greater than the Firebolt. While the standard

NEW WEAPON MODS // SENDING IT DOWNRANGE

 difficult to reload alone, it’s advantageous to Powered Heavy Tripod
have a secondary gun handy. To that end, sev-
Normal tripods are simple affairs, a few piec-
eral manufacturers have released a carbine de-
es of steel tube and the appropriate hardware to
64 signed to fit under a larger weapon. It has lim-
mount a weapon. For normal machine guns this
ited ammo capacity, and because of its smaller
is all well and good, but when it comes to crew-
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

size, it isn’t good at longer ranges. But when

served weapons, they are just a little too flimsy, un-
push comes to shove, it’s good to allow yourself
able to hold either the weight or handle the recoil
to fight to cover.
forces involved.
For crew-served weapons, you are going to want
Underbarrel Carbine a Powered Heavy Tripod. Not only is it a tripod
ATTACK
designed for the weight and recoil of a crew-served
TYPE DV MODE
RATINGS
AMMO AVAIL COST weapon, it has micro-servos built in to help with
Rifle 4P SA/BF/FA 4/9/7/7/— 20(c) 3(I) 1,875¥ traversing these weapon systems. They can also be
broken down into manageable loads for two peo-
ple and are designed for fast setup and breakdown.
Ares Battle
Weapon Mods
Buddy Belt Feed Pack
One of the most annoying things to do in the MOD MOUNT AVAIL COST
middle of a firefight is to change an ammo belt. It Ares Battle Buddy Belt Feed Pack — 2(L) 700¥
takes valuable seconds that you can ill afford when
Game Rules: The Battle Buddy turns a weapon’s belt fed ammunition rating to
rounds are zinging past you and chewing your 1000 (belt). This mod does not take a mod slot. The Battle Buddy follows the
chummers up. Machine guns exist to provide a base standard rules for backpack ammo systems.
of fire to allow others to maneuver safely, so getting
your gun back up is of the utmost importance. Sure, MOD MOUNT AVAIL COST
many machine guns nowadays have clip feeds, too,
Personal Drone Rack — 3 2,200¥
but not all of them, and sometimes you need the fire
security that a belt feed can provide. Game Rules: Up to two personal drone racks can be mounted on any rigid
For those situations, you need a Battle Buddy! framed backpack such as those used for backpack ammo systems; they could
This fun little toy provides you with the stowage also be attached to heavy or mil-spec armor, with GM approval.

for a 1,000-round belt, plus the feeder to go on

your gun. On top of that, it is compatible with all MOD MOUNT AVAIL COST
modern assault or day packs, as well as gyromount Powered Heavy Tripod Under 5(L) 3,500¥
harness, as the ammo box sits either high up near
Game Rules: The powered heavy tripod counts as a Size 0 mil-spec hardpoint
your shoulders or low near your hoop, thus al- with an Open Weapon Mount able to handle a single Size 1 weapon. The con-
lowing you to ensure you’re as combat effective as nection counts as an Underbarrel mod slot for the weapon. It negates the At-
possible. There’s even a dedicated spot to attach a tack Rating adjustments for Semi-Auto and Burst Fire and offers a +3 Attack
field medical kit. Rating for Full-Auto when properly deployed. The weapon can be attached/
detached with a Major Action, and setting up or breaking down a powered
tripod takes 2 Major Actions. If a powered heavy tripod is attached to a Size 0
Personal Drone Rack support weapon, it is possible to move the weapon with the tripod while fully
deployed. This adds +2 to the Strength requirements of the weapon. and while
Like the vehicle-mounted drone rack (from p. holding the weapon –tripod assembly it is not possible to do the Sprint Major
143, Double Clutch) or the cyberware version of Action. A Size 1 emplacement weapon on a powered heavy tripod remains im-
mobile (unless it’s wheeled—see below).
the personal drone rack, the Personal Drone Rack
described here is usually mounted to a backpack
ammo carrier. It comes in two versions, one for MOD MOUNT AVAIL COST
mini-drones and the other for a small drone (both Reinforced Smart Firing Platform Under 6(L) 12,000¥
have the same availability and cost). Either ver-
Game Rules: The reinforced smart firing platform is identical to the smart fir-
sion can launch a single drone as a Minor Action ing platform (p. 260, SR6), except in the following ways: The reinforced smart
or land a single drone as a Major Action using the firing platform counts as a Size 0 mil-spec hardpoint with an Open Weapon
same rules as other drone racks. The mini-drone Mount able to handle a single Size 1 weapon. The device rating and the rating
version has storage for three drones while the of the Targeting autosoft are increased to 5. It also can be modified with a
rigger interface in the same way as the basic smart firing platform.
small drone version can only carry a single drone.
MOD MOUNT AVAIL COST

Wheeled Heavy Tripod Under 5(L) 4,500¥

Game Rules: It takes one combat round to change the wheeled tripod from a
stationary to a rolling configuration.

SENDING IT DOWNRANGE // NEW WEAPON MODS

Reinforced
Smart Firing Platform Notes on the
Ares Thunderbird’s
The smart firing platform is a handy thing to
Capacitor Packs 65
have lying around. Not just a cheap way to auto-

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

mate a gun, they also can provide a lot of options The Ares Thunderbird from p. 159, Lethal Harvest uses
in any situation where you have time to prepare capacitor packs not battery packs. The rate of discharge
ahead of the lead being swapped. Unfortunately, and the energy density are far higher in the capacitor
like the good old-fashioned tripod, these platforms packs, and this makes them susceptible to detonation if
really don’t like heavier crew-served weapons. The breached, as described on p. 160, Lethal Harvest. If used
electronics are also very low-end for those with ac- in other types of energy weapons, each Thunderbird ca-
cess to mil-spec gear. Thankfully, we now have the pacitor pack has an energy capacity of 100. The Thun-
smart version of the heavy tripod. I keep a few of derbird can also operate on conventional battery packs,
these lying around, as you never know when you drawing 10 energy on stun and 20 energy on lethal. A
need to set up some heavy fields of fire. glitch, however, melts down the battery pack, destroying
By the way, in case you didn’t know, it’s also it, as the Thunderbird draws power faster than the bat-
tery can handle.
possible to wire a rigger interface into both the
normal and reinforced smart firing platforms, so
you can jump in and get your rig on! ble is the power backpack, which is about the size
of a large tactical fanny pack. The last is the static
Wheeled Heavy Tripod power bank, often called the powerhouse, as it’s
roughly the size of a kennel for a medium-sized
Take a powered heavy tripod, add a set of dog. It’s used for static positions, although you’ll
wheels, servo-powered tripod legs, a detachable sometimes find them bolted to the bed of a truck in
coupling for a vehicle connection, and you have older vehicles not designed to provide this sort of
the wheeled tripod. This device can keep a weap- power draw. All three of these have retracting snag
on mounted while transporting the entire assem- free cables that connect to the appropriate ports
bly behind a vehicle, or have the crew push it on weapons that need power. Despite claims on
around, by simply raising the tripod legs enough some untrustworthy Matrix sites, all these power
to get the wheels on the ground. Once in position, storage devices will not explode.
the tripod legs can be lowered, lifting the wheels
off the ground for the normal operation of the
powered tripod. New Drones
From the beginning of the century, drones have
Weapon Power Supplies been an important force multiplier in warfare. The
Railguns, lasers, and other weapons need ener- largest drones can fill the role of tanks and aircraft,
gy to fire, and it must come from a peak discharge while smaller drones excel at scouting operations.
battery pack—no hooking your Thunderstruck to While the topic of drone models used in combat
your wall outlet and expecting it to fire. Battery and their applications in warfare could fill an en-
packs come in four sizes, though one of them is tire data drop by itself, right now I’m only going
most definitely not man-portable. The power clips to highlight a few new scout drones and one new
are the smallest, about the size of a pistol clip, and infiltration drone that’s just hit the market.
slot into the weapons that need them. Then we
have the satchel power pack, which is roughly the Aztechnology Centipede
size of a canteen and mess tin and fits in appropri-
ately sized pouches or can be clipped to a belt or The smaller cousin of the Aztechnology Crawler,
other tactical gear. Most soldiers I’ve worked with the Centipede is set to become the premiere stealth
call this the power bottle. The largest man-porta- scout minidrone. Patterned after its namesake, this
crawling insect-style drone is multi-legged, low to
Weapon Power Supplies the ground, and fast. It’s small enough to hide in
whatever cover is nearby, and its passive stealth
TYPE ENERGY AVAIL COST features make it even harder to spot. The advanced
Power Clip 10 4(L) 500¥ sensor array allows it to gather information on
Satchel Power Pack 40 5(L) 1,200¥ targets, and while it doesn’t carry a conventional
Power Backpack 80 5(L) 2,500¥ weapon, it does have a toxin injector—typically
Power Bank 240 7(L) 10,000¥ loaded with Narcoject—that can deliver quite the
Note: Weapon power supply batteries recharge at a rate of 1 energy per 10
“sting” to an unsuspecting sentry.
minutes when connected to an appropriate power supply.

NEW DRONES // SENDING IT DOWNRANGE

 Evo Nightwing
Minidrones
This scout minidrone is a fixed-wing glider with
66 a small ducted fan to allow for relatively long- NAME HAND ACCEL
SPD TOP
BODY
INTERVAL SPEED
range recon missions. Designed to fill the role of Centipede 3/4 6 15 30 1
a forward observer, painting targets for indirect
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

artillery fire, it lacks any weaponry and is instead ARMOR PILOT SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
equipped with a smartgun link and an M-TOC 0 4 4 — 4(L) 19,250¥
network connection. This allows it to paint tar- Note: Includes fangs (p. 48, Body Shop), passive stealth features.
gets for other weapons on the network without a
metahuman observer onsite. The Nightwing has a SPD TOP
NAME HAND ACCEL BODY
round-trip range of 70 kilometers, allowing it to INTERVAL SPEED
spot targets for artillery barrages and return, or if Nightwing 4 15 30 90 1

needed, make a one-way trip to spot targets for ARMOR PILOT SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
intermediate range missiles. 0 4 4 — 4(L) 12,500¥

Note: Includes improved economy, passive stealth features, smartlink sys-

Renraku Kitsune tem with M-TOC fob.

Set to dominate everything else on the infiltra- medium drone

tion drone market, the Renraku Kitsune can han-
dle a wide range of tasks that previously could NAME HAND ACCEL
SPD TOP
BODY
INTERVAL SPEED
only be carried out by a metahuman infiltration Kitsune 3/4 10 15 30 5
team. Standard features on this stealthy fennec-
fox-styled, four-legged drone are an advanced sen- ARMOR PILOT SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
sor array that includes full audio and visual, EM 5 6 6 — 8(L) 65,000¥
(bug scanner), olfactory, motion, and ultrasound Note: Includes chameleon coating (2), fangs (p. 48, Body Shop), integrated
sensors. It comes with a complete stealth suite us- cyberarm (x13, four legs, nine tails), passive stealth features, retractable
ing both active and passive technology, plus full of- hand (foot) razors, standard weapon mount (pop-out concealment).
fensive capabilities with claws, fangs—backed by
a Narcoject-filled toxin injector—and a standard
weapon mount behind the jaws, typically mount-
ing a Renraku-branded flamethrower. The real in- with four opposable digits they’re each about as
novative feature of the Kitsune, however, are the useful as a pair of hands, and the other seven have
nine extendable prehensile “tails” mounted on the a modular specialty tool attachment. Among the
rear of the drone. Two are always manipulators, many popular choices to help fill the B&E role of

renraku
kitsune

SENDING IT DOWNRANGE // NEW DRONES

the Kitsune are an autopicker, data tap, directional can be thought of as an isolated private grid, or
jammer, laser microphone, maglock passkey, mini- demi-grid. These grids include the central trans-
welder, RFID sensor tag dispenser, and the always mission node and all the locally connected devices.
useful detachable grenade mount. They allow communication between each device 67
on a demi-grid as well as with any central com-

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

mand hosts connected to the WAN.
Game Rules: At the final layer of communication, each vehi-
cle and squad-level comms officer in a WAN has
Mil-Spec a full ASDF mil-spec comm node such as Micro-
deck’s Citadel Series that includes an integrated
Comm Systems Pantheon Industries M-TOC (Mobile Tactical Op-
erations Center) Mark II, protected by the Ram-
The backbone of command and control is com- part Protocol Encryption, linking the individual
munications. The ability of commanders to receive members of the squad or crew together.
data from the field and relay information back
to the troops is a crucial function of any military
operation. Communications are vital for coordi- Rampart Protocols
nating actions, moving troops to press an attack The Rampart Protocols encompass three key
or reinforce weak positions, locating enemy vul- features; first is the isolated, self-contained nature
nerabilities, and requesting resupply and medical of the WANs used in mil-spec communication sys-
assistance. Without a robust, secure communica- tems, second is the layer of encryption hiding and
tions network, modern military units simply do protecting each access point, and third is the dedi-
not function. cated agent running on each mil-spec comm node
in the network.
Mil-Spec C3 Networks The WAN or demi-grid used in mil-spec sys-
tems covers an extended area around a ground
The key challenge of all mil-spec communica- transmitter and connects the comm nodes and
tion systems is the ability to provide ease of use other devices within its range. These networks are
and reliability while maintaining a secure network inaccessible from the outside Matrix, as they are
that prevents outside infiltration—hacking—and not directly connected to it; access from the pub-
is robust enough to withstand electronic counter- lic Matrix is only possible through a command
measures. Like the solutions to most other complex center host. That makes it possible, but extremely
problems, mil-spec communication tech has taken difficult, to work from a host, down through the
a multilayered approach to tackling the issue. communications lines connected to the host, into
As an initial core system, all command centers the individual devices in the field. As a secondary
are protected behind secure hosts (rating 8 or 9) effect of these isolated networks, mil-spec WANs
with a small footprint (scale 1, 2, or rarely 3), con- are overseen by combat deckers filling the role of
nected to each other directly through the Matrix. system spiders, so any accumulated OS will draw
These systems are usually framework hosts, but their attention instead of the local demi-GOD. For
with their large power requirements of physical an invading hacker that distinction may be irrele-
processors, some forward locations will rely on vant, as the results will be similar. All devices con-
Foundation hosts instead. Past the central hosts, nected to the WAN are protected by the Rampart
the backbone of the comms network is usually a Protocols and will be running silent on the net-
laser-based point-to-point system where high-alti- work. Locating a protected device requires being
tude drones, or even a LEO satellite constellation, within a ground-based transmitter’s range—about
act as signal repeaters connecting a secure central 50 kilometers—and either having a physical line of
location to forward comm centers. These repeater sight to a device or by making a successful Matrix
units receive the transmission beams and relay the Perception test to locate a silent icon on the net-
information to ground-based transmission systems work. Once a device is located, the Rampart Pro-
like the GMC Transcendent and its network of Mi- tocol encryption is accessible.
crodeck comm nodes. In the event of an interrup- The Rampart Protocol creates a layer of en-
tion of this primary point-to-point system, backup cryption at every I/O point, invisible to devices
pathways include tight beam radio networks and containing the proper encryption key, but prevent-
even encrypted and isolated private grids on the ing access without one—or at least making it much
standard Matrix infrastructure. more difficult. Unauthorized access requires crack-
On the local level, these transmission nodes ing the protocol’s encryption; this must happen be-
generate an encrypted radio frequency network to fore accessing any protected device, even with out-
link up devices in their immediate area. Instead of sider access. A hacker needs to reverse-engineer the
generating a full host, these systems create a sim- encryption at a single point in the system and forge
plified wide area network structure, or WAN, that a temporary access key. This requires a Cracking

GAME RULES: MIL-SPEC COMM SYSTEMS // SENDING IT DOWNRANGE

 + Logic ([FW + DP] x2, 1 combat turn) Extended with the focus on Firewall and Data Processing.
test. This action generates 2 OS per combat turn The comm node’s icon is locked to the device’s
plus any OS gained from running illegal programs. physical location and may not be moved within
68 This key is only for the targeted device and only the network. As such the comm node is a purely
remains usable for 1D6 minutes. Once the proto- defensive device; they may not be used to initiate
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

col is cracked, the hacker can connect to the de- Brute Force, Probe, or Backdoor Entry actions.
vice with outsider access and can issue commands All comm nodes will be running two programs as
using that level of access. Gaining User or Admin SOP; first is the Rampart Protocols and the second
access still requires additional Matrix actions as is a dedicated agent. Other standard features in-
normal, and any type of access gained only lasts clude a built-in Pantheon Industries M-TOC Mark
for as long as the hacker maintains the connection. II running apps appropriate to the unit’s role. Mir-
The final layer of protection is an embedded codeck’s Citadel Series comm nodes have three
Agent program running on each protected mil- standard configurations: the Commander, a base
spec comm node. These agents have a rating equal unit attached to field command units and trans-
to the rating of the device they are on, all tests for mission centers; the Outrider, a vehicle comms unit
any Matrix action uses a dice pool equal to 2 x built into some command vehicle consoles; and the
the rating (p. 60, Hack and Slash for details on Guardian, an infantry version carried by a squad’s
using agents). Agents will usually be carrying out comms operator.
two tasks.
First, they run regular Matrix Perception tests Mil-Spec Commlinks
watching for any potential hacks, such as attempts
to forge an encryption key, changes in the access The last link in the military chain of command
log that would indicate a Probe attack, or a Brute is the soldier in the field. Standard-issue commu-
Force attack. In the case of a suspicious event, the nication gear for most professional military out-
agent will notify its operator. If there is an actual fits is a mil-spec commlink such as the Microdeck
Brute Force attack on the system, it will also send Ranger, sold as part of its Citadel series. Mil-spec
an alarm to central command, alerting the combat commlinks do not have any standard Matrix ac-
deckers protecting the network. cess and can only communicate on the WAN they
Second, agents monitor all the devices connect- are attached to. They generate a PAN for the rest
ed to its comm node, looking for irregularities in- of the trooper’s gear and are networked together
dicating a security compromise. For example, if an under the unit’s comm node. Each commlink will
agent sees a system access from a comm issued to also be running a copy of the Rampart Protocol
a now-deceased trooper, or even if the biometrics encryption and included an integrated M-TOC
don’t match the assigned user, it will alert both its network fob, allowing each trooper to be fully tied
operator and central command of a potential secu- into the C3 structure of the outfit, while remaining
rity breach, along with requesting a system spider protected against outside Matrix infiltration.
to investigate.
M-TOC Fob
Mil-Spec Comm Nodes This device, called a network fob or M-TOC
Each field unit within the military command fob, creates the connection between the main Pan-
structure will have its Matrix infrastructure pro- theon Industries M-TOC (Mobile Tactical Op-
tected by a comm node, its dedicated agent pro- erations Center) system, typically operated by a
gram, and its operator. Although many megacor- squad’s communications specialist as part of the
porations offer their own brands of comm unit’s comm node, and the individual soldier’s
hardware, Microdeck currently has the edge, with PAN. These devices are part of the Pantheon Indus-
its Citadel Series sold as a package with the GMC tries tac-net and allow the user’s data to be shared
Transcendent. Units assigned a comm node may be with the rest of the network. Fobs are included as
an infantry platoon or squad, a battery of artillery, part of the M-TOC systems and are generally not
or a single main battle tank. The comm node is sold separately.
the unit’s connection to the outfit’s C3 (command,
control, and communication) structure as well as
the unit’s protection from digital attack or infil- New M-Toc Apps
tration. The PANs generated by each individual
trooper’s commlinks are networked behind, and Hopper
protected by, the unit’s comm node. An ECCM (electronic counter-counter mea-
The Microdeck Citadel Series is typical of most sure) tac-app program that allows a WAN to
comm nodes on the market. It is a cybertermi- synchronize a pattern of frequency hopping and
nal-like device, far larger and bulkier than a cyber- modulation to minimize the effects of jamming. All
deck, providing a non-configurable ASDF array, units on a network using this type of ECCM must

SENDING IT DOWNRANGE // NEW M-TOC APPS

 69

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

tial transmissions gained when attempting to con-
Mil-Spec Comm Nodes nect to a device running Hopper, If this tac-app is
NAME DR ATTR PROGRAM AVAIL COST ran parallel with the Flicker tac-app, use a –5 / +5
Microdeck noise modifier instead.
Citadel 6 4/8 8/9 8 7(I) 355,000¥
Commander
Microdeck Flicker
Citadel 5 3/7 7/8 6 6(I) 235,000¥
Outrider Another ECCM program, Flicker, is a data
Microdeck compression algorithm that allows for informa-
Citadel 4 2/6 6/7 5 5(I) 115,000¥ tion to be transferred in a series of rapid pulses
Guardian
across multiple redundant frequencies, minimizing
Note: All three of these mil-spec comm nodes include an M-TOC Mark II. the effects of jamming. These packets of data are
recompiled by a copy of Flicker, using the same
Mil-Spec Commlink encryption key, on a receiving device.
Flicker reduces noise from ECM jamming by –3
NAME DR ATTR PROGRAM AVAIL COST for devices in the same WAN if the networked de-
Microdeck
Ranger 5 2/2 3 4(I) 7,300¥
vices are each running a copy of the Flicker tac-app
Mil-spec with the same key. Devices connected to the network
that are not using Flicker, or have the wrong key,
Note: Includes an M-TOC Fob. have their noise increased by +3 through the infor-
mation loss caused by reading the compressed data
be running a copy of the Hopper tac-app, and each packets. If this program is combined with the Hop-
device requires the same pattern key. per tac-app, use a –5/+5 noise modifier instead.
Hopper reduces noise from ECM jamming by
–3 for devices in the same WAN if the networked New Tac-Apps
devices are each running a copy of the Hopper app APP AVAIL COST
and have the same pattern key. Devices that are Hopper 5(I) 300¥
not running Hopper or have the wrong pattern Flicker 5(I) 300¥
key, have their noise increased by +3 from the par-

NEW M-TOC APPS // SENDING IT DOWNRANGE

 Playing in It’s taken me years, but I now realize my trou-
the Sandbox ble started when I was talked out of the Special
Forces and began working with the Department of
Strategic Intelligence (DSI). I thought it would be
By Jim Greene & Jim Houston great because, unlike the UCAS, where intelligence
duties and covert operations were split among dif-
As I downed another shot, my chummer Merl ferent agencies like the CIA, DIA, NSA, or Penta-
swirls the amber liquid in his glass, watching the gon, the CAS had all its intelligence and covert ops
ice cubes clink gently against the sides as I listen to under the sole authority of DSI.
him. We didn’t know each other in our early days, Well, except for the Extraterritoriality Registry
but later became friends and stayed that way for and Liaison Agency, or ERLA. It’s unique in that it
decades. It’s the kind of friendship where you can falls under the Bureau of Commerce and registers
go years without seeing one another, but the cama- all extraterritorial corporations and their domains
raderie is always instant, the reunion is as if you’d with the CAS. Officially, that’s what they do. In real-
never left. It’s the best kind of friendship. ity, the ERLA spies on those extraterritorial corpo-
“James, I didn’t know you could fly helicop- rations for the CAS and has the authority to conduct
ters,” said Merl, raising an eyebrow as he took a covert ops within their designated areas. In short,
sip of his drink. the ERLA is a spy agency whose sole purpose is to
I chuckled and shook my head. “I can’t. Nev- monitor those corporations. As an old acquaintance
er got the chance. I left that line of work before I in economic warfare once said, “You don’t mess
could learn.” with the almighty nuyen; it can destroy a nation or
Merl looked surprised. “Really? What made land you cold and in a ditch faster than any bullet.”
you decide to leave?” What the hell am I doing here? I asked myself yet
I leaned back, a wistful smile forming on my again. I’m a jungle chummer. I’ve been a jungle chum-
face. “I met someone.” mer my entire career, and now look at me, stuck in a
Merl asked, “Oh, your wife?” fragging sandbox. But because of some sort of kar-
Shaking my head again, the smile faded slightly, mic retribution for mocking the 2nd Airborne, I’m
“No, not my wife, someone else.” now on special assignment with sand in places that
Merl looked intrigued and leaned in closer. should not have sand. Yeah, this is some bulldrek.”
“Sounds like it’s time for another story.” All I did ... all we did was have some fun at
the expense of the 2nd, repainting their vehicles

DEADLY ARTS // PLAYING IN THE SANDBOX

from woodland to sand. They’d been tapped for Sergeant Sweet, and another Sergeant—I think her
this mission, not us. What harm was there in hav- name was Kleckner—made our way to the top of
ing some fun? It’s not like they didn’t give us drek the dune while the other nine members of the team
when the last three operational deployments were pulled rear guard. When we reached the top, we saw
all located in South and Central America. It’s the an observation post (OP) about half a click away.
way the games are played. If you can’t give the Yep, it was going to be a problem.
guys in another unit a hard time, what’s the point? Nothing was mentioned about observation
So off we went and, aside from the change in posts. Did they simply not know, or missed some-
camo and situation, the whole thing stank. The thing? Seemed unlikely. Satellite and fly-over sure-
brass broke up my usual team. The whole point of ly had this area well-photographed. Was the ob-
having a team was that you got to know each oth- servation post put up between the last actionable
er. You knew how everyone would react in pretty intel burst and now? That too seemed unlikely.
much every situation; there’s comfort in that. Com- Something like this would take a while to get up
fort and safety. But this … this was something else. and operational. Did they know and just not tell
I’d been around long enough to know some- us? Maybe, but what advantage would there be
thing big was going on. Not only were teams bro- in that? Or did they just drop the ball? Whatever
ken up and reformed, but we’d also been working the reason, anything that got dropped was usual-
with places and people we normally don’t; even ly blamed on a local magician or something along
some we outright despised. So now, I got stuck those lines. But an old team sergeant once told me,
with this team and told that because of all the in- “Always bet on stupidity and incompetence.”
terference and manasphere issues, we had to set Things could always be worse, and there was
out laser designators. an upside: plenty of cover between us and the OP.
We’d been out for days, with only three more The downside was that what was supposed to be
nav-points left to hit until we can call for extraction. a poorly patrolled area now had five armored as-
The day was nice, relatively speaking, but still over- sets—three GMC multi-purpose utility vehicles
cast and generally miserable. We were moving up to (MPUVs), which were cheap, ugly, heavily armored,
the next dune when the point man heard the sound and easy to mount weapons on, and two LAV 98-M
of armored vehicles and troops. They were close— Devil Rat APCs—along with two squads of infan-
not immediate, but close enough to be a problem. try. The troops looked like line infantry at best,
We had a schedule to keep, however. If we possibly a reserve unit called up for some mindless
didn’t hit our nav-point by the time the strikes were security duty, but still. There were two squads with
launched, there’d be no guidance and no joy. Myself, automatic rifles, and that was going to be a prob-

PLAYING IN THE SANDBOX // DEADLY ARTS

 lem. You could be the most elite unit out there and After the first gunfire, the enemy knew we were
still get dragged down by peasants with pitchforks. there, and the firefight went on for what seemed
So I got on the comms: “Victor Bravo Eight, like forever. We were outnumbered and besieged
72 this is Victor Bravo Three. We have Tango. Details by enemy forces with better cover than ours—defi-
as follows: Distance is approximately half a click nitely not ideal.
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

north. Five vehicles. I say again, five vehicles. I I got concerned when Sergeant Meyer shout-
count three battle buses and two APCs. I say again, ed, “Where’s that air support? They should have
five armored assets and twenty-seven personnel. made it back by now.” Then, as if summoned by
We have not been observed. Awaiting instructions.” the grizzled veteran, a distant roar pierced through
Sergeant Meyer, the senior NCO, called us back. the chaos.
This seemed like a lot of unnecessary movement From behind us, I heard the unmistakable
that could draw attention to us, but Sergeant Mey- sound of low-flying helicopters. There were two
er had a lot of engagements under his belt, so he Hughes Stallion WK-6s and three Nissan Wolf-
might have known more than me. hounds, all in gunship configurations, moving up
The team started discussing the problem and to our position and unleashing a barrage from
the best way to handle it when someone chimed in; their 30-millimeter chain guns. As they hovered
I’m not exactly sure what her background was, but almost directly over us, a hailstorm of disintegrat-
she seemed pretty green. “How many rockets do ing links and hot brass fell on us as the AP rounds
we have?” she asked. went to work.
“Five,” someone answered. The enemy forces scattered like dry leaves in a
“Awesome,” she replied. “If each one destroys winter gale. Then, as quickly as it started, it was
an armored vehicle, that leaves only the troops to over. The only sound was the thudding rotors of
deal with.” the helicopters and the groan of distressed metal
I smiled at her and said, “That won’t happen. that used to be armored vehicles. As the helicop-
You know that, right?” ters continued to provide cover, we moved forward
She looked dejected for a second, but took it to assess casualties and found no enemy forces re-
in stride. After about ten minutes of discussion, mained. Sergeant Meyer looked up and gave the
Sergeant Meyer motioned for everyone to shut the helicopters a thumbs up. As the Hughes and Wolf-
frag up and said, “Suck it up, we’re the CAS, and hounds were leaving, one of the Hughes made a
we’re never outgunned.” tight circle and banked hard to the side. It was at
I knew exactly where this was going and went that point we all had a clear view of the pilot as
back to the comms, “Momma, this is Vermillion he rendered a crisp hand salute … a job well done.
Badger. Fire mission, fire mission.” That’s when I decided I wanted to learn how to
That was all that needed to be done. Our For- fly. But, mission first.
ward Operations Base (FOB) now knew where we That took care of the OP, vehicles, and a good
were within ten meters. They knew the target de- percentage of the troops. We still had to ensure that
scription and our distance to fire. The circumstanc- the soldiers running in every direction couldn’t do
es weren’t ideal for a single strike to take care of to us what we had just done to them, however.
the issue—there was just too much there. So we More importantly, we needed to make certain they
knew we would likely have to engage the troops couldn’t radio back and report the contact.
after the armor had been slagged. Then came the The hunt was on.
part we all hate. We waited. Fortunately, there were only so many directions
Without warning, two Fed-Boeing Eagle-Cs they could run, and we assumed they’d head back
dropped out of the cloud cover. It was like being to the FOB from where they came. I spotted a group
at a local airshow when I was a kid. That thought of three heading southeast from the OP and a pair
faded when they launched missiles. Thick smoke moving in roughly the same direction. Two of them
billowed from craters where anti-tank missiles were running southwest, splitting up as they ran.
had obliterated enemy defensive positions. Twist- We switched comms to blanket the southeast
ed metal, shattered equipment, and scorched sand area with white noise, hoping to smother any com-
marked the once-secure post. Even after the smoke munication attempts by our fleeing enemies. This
passed, the air was thick with the acrid smell of was a good idea, but it also meant we couldn’t call
burning materials. The strategic strike had suc- for additional support.
cessfully neutralized the enemy’s armor, but that Our sniper team stayed back and took out the
wasn’t the only threat. two guys heading southwest, while the rest of us
Our commanding officer, Captain Campos, or- focused on the remaining five. We made short work
dered us forward to engage the infantry as the air of them. Chasing those running for help is always
support left the area. I was hoping they would cir- the worst part of any operation. Most of the time,
cle around and make another pass, so I got on the engaging the enemy is fast and furious. Someone
radio, “TIC, TIC, TIC. Vermillion Badger Three to suddenly yells, “Contact!” and then a direction;
FOB22. Be advised, enemy contact remains. I say that’s when the rounds start flying. There’s no time
again, enemy contact remains.” to think about anything else. No time to consid-

DEADLY ARTS // PLAYING IN THE SANDBOX

er the families they might have. No time to think finished building the observation post, and the infan-
that it’s now your job to make sure they never get try we engaged were its first occupants. None of the
home. But the alternative is worse. The troopers on electronics were even turned on. They died simply be-
your team also have families, and this is the only cause they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. 73
way to make sure they get home to them. Next, we searched the bodies of all enemy com-

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Being idealistic at moments like this is bad, so I batants. We found some official-looking ID cards,
took off. I hate running in the sand. The dry air makes but most of them had nothing—no ID, no dog tags,
it even worse. Being wet and cold is the absolute worst, nothing. Three of them didn’t even have ammuni-
but dry and sandy is right up there. You can feel your tion for their weapons. Likely they were drafted by
legs burning, every step sinking into the grains, mak- a smaller unit needing to pad its numbers with ex-
ing you work twice as hard to move forward. pendables. These were the worst casualties. I came
After a few minutes of running, the fleeing en- across the corpse of a young woman. Not sure if she
emy combatants slowed down, and were swiftly was a combatant, or another case of wrong place,
eliminated from the threat pool. This was where wrong time. But she looked so young, so innocent.
better conditioning and ’ware paid off. Two down, And for some reason, this one stuck with me.
three to go. One of the three stopped after crest- We deployed a drone for a perimeter search, and
ing a dune, dropped into a prone supported po- it looked clear. Tracks in the sand confirmed the di-
sition, and started firing back at us. This fragger rection of the enemy FOB. We radioed back our sta-
had training and possibly combat experience. He tus, requested a medevac for our one casualty, and
wasn’t a half-bad shot, either. waited. This kind of work involved a lot of wait-
With incoming fire, we all hit the ground, but ing—mostly boredom punctuated by intermittent
one of his shots found its mark. I don’t recall his chaos. The waiting often left you with too much time
name, but he took a shoulder wound—through and to think, and that’s never good in this line of work.
through. Our medic quickly treated the wound, Once the chopper came and left, we continued
but now we had two fewer bodies to fight with: to nav-point six for marker deployment. It was
the injured soldier and the medic. Not ideal. The a long and uneventful walk—the absolute worst
medic worked fast, opening the wounded trooper’s kind. Like I said, time to think is not a soldier’s
uniform, applying antibiotics, and bandaging the friend. Your mind wanders to places you’d rather
wound. He was in pain but stable, but was effec- it didn’t—old memories, the faces of the people,
tively out of the fight. of friends you’ve lost, the weight of the decisions
With that crisis averted, we had to assume the you’ve made.
remaining two combatants were still heading back
to their FOB or trying to get out of our jamming
range to call for help. We couldn’t let either of Merl gives me one last quick salute before he
those happen. Standard ammo load for us was 200 heads out the door. He promises not to wait so
to 300 rounds. We had no idea what these enemy long to get in touch again. We’ll see. Not that it
troops were carrying, but we had to assume it was botheres me.
similar to ours. The slag on the dune had fired off The memory of that day still lingers with me.
about 60 rounds, probably using 30-round maga- The sound of missile launches and chain guns. The
zines, so they likely had about 240 rounds left. drone of aircraft engines and the reek of burning,
Sergeant Meyer peeled off with three shooters twisted metal. It’s odd. In the moment, during the
to flank the remaining enemies. I’d anticipated this chaos, it feels like it’s happening to someone else,
move even though I barely knew Meyer. I wasn’t like you’re just an interested observer or watching
sure if that was good or bad, but it was what it a trid. But in hindsight, you know it was you. The
was. His decision-making was spot-on, matching weight of it settles in your bones, a heavy reminder
what I would have done in his place. of the cost of every decision.
Meyer’s group moved about half a click and During the daily chaos, it never crosses your
opened fire on the fleeing combatants. The shots were mind, but in the quiet times, it’s always there. It’s
long, but it appeared they had cleared our jamming a constant companion, a reminder of the harsh re-
area and had started setting up comms. Several rounds alities of war. The faces of those men, the ones we
hit their marks, and they were no longer an issue. lost and the ones we took, haunt the silence. They
Our friend on the dune had gone through an- are ghosts in the shadows of your thoughts, never
other hundred or so rounds. He stopped shooting, quite gone. This is the burden we carry, the price
probably to see what happened to his compatriots, we pay for survival.
and found they’d been dropped. He turned back to It’s a constant reminder of all the chaos and
us, likely setting up to start firing again when he the close calls. But now, as I sit in the plush leath-
went limp. His rifle dropped to the sand, and so did er chair of a dimly lit, upscale bar, the contrast
he. Our sniper team had adjusted their position, couldn’t be any starker. The clinking of glasses
and taken the shot. and the murmur of hushed conversations create a
After that, we checked the OP for intel and found soothing backdrop, a far cry from the deafening
nothing. It looked like their combat engineers had just roar of gunfire and the stench of the battlefield.

PLAYING IN THE SANDBOX // DEADLY ARTS

 A NEW STATE
OF WARFARE
> The Disian Shadow War continues to leave its mark. In a
previous part of this download, our new chummer Brutus
Peace Through
started talking about the state of combat and conflict within
the shadows and briefly touched on some interesting points he
Superior Firepower?
heard from his military and merc contacts. After pondering his Posted by: Kay St. Irregular
words, I decided to conduct some inquiries of my own, and to be First off, let me say that this isn’t exactly a brief-
honest, I was less than pleased at what I found out. So, like the ing. Instead, think of it as an extended heads-up on
good admin I am, I reached out to other chummers, old and new, the current geopolitical fraggery and mindset that’s
to see if we could get some additional paydata concerning the infecting a lot of governments in the wake of the
state of modern militaries and the mercenary trade. Because if Disian Shadow War. And while I wish I could give
only some of what I’m hearing is true, down the road this could a comprehensive breakdown on every single coun-
turn into a major headache for those of us in the shadows. try that’s buying into this line of thinking, I simply
> Glitch don’t have the time, the resources, nor the contact
network to hit every major nation out there. Be-
> A warrior without a war or enemy to fight will find … or make one. sides, have you looked at a map lately? Way too
> Many-Names many countries out there. Instead, best I can do
is give an honest assessment of what I do know
regarding some of the biggest players, those who
are the most likely to start throwing their weight
around, and those most likely to cause the biggest
headaches for us in the shadows.

A NEW STATE OF WARFARE // PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER?

Having the Biggest Stick > For better or worse, governments around the world have chosen
their courses of action and must now deal with the consequences.
Until the ascent of corporate power and extra-
> Deadline
territoriality, the world was pretty much driven 75
by various nations who, by no coincidence, had
> The illusion of provided safety is arguably the largest weapon
the military strength (and in some cases nuclear

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

arsenals) to back up their international policies the corps and governments have over the people. Take that
and throw their influence around. Nations like the away and watch how fast things turn to chaos.
former United States and Soviet Union during the > Old Crow
Cold War era of the mid-to-late twentieth century
come to mind. To paraphrase former U.S. president > One only has to look to history. Shame no one seems to
Teddy Roosevelt, they had the biggest sticks and at remember let alone learn from it.
times weren’t afraid to remind others of them … or > Fianchetto
occasionally use them.
Fast forward to now, and we still have a lot of > Considering the Disian threat was mostly magical and extra-
countries that use their militaries not only as a “de- planar in nature, most of these fancy toys and gizmos won’t do
fensive measure,” but as a tool of foreign policy squat against something similar. Just ask the poor slags from III
and force projection. This is where the current is- Corps and Dutchville.
sue comes into play. > Elijah

The New Scotophobia > What? A government working on a solution for the wrong
(Fear of the Dark) problem? Surely you jest!
> Borderline
Despite most governments and nations offi-
cially denying the existence of the Disian Shadow
War, the whole affair still sent shockwaves through > Let’s not fool ourselves. This buildup is more than
them that will be felt for years if not decades to simply enhancing conventional forces. Black operations,
come. experimentations, all the fun stuff that goes on behind the
It was a nightmare scenario on multiple levels. scenes is also being ramped up, if not more so.
Not only did a hostile alien force manage to infil- > Thorn
trate an alarmingly large number of megacorpo-
rations at extremely high levels of power, but they > I’ve heard disturbing rumors that several corps and
also managed to do the same within national gov- governments are trying to reverse-engineer what little Disian
ernments, which almost resulted in complete glob- tech is out there to recreate the Un-Awakening.
al annihilation. Even then, some don’t truly know > eX-Professor
just how close the world came to destruction.
A major factor in the initial Disian success was > Bounties on liberated chimeras are also on the rise.
the fact that these infiltrators and quislings man- > Liberator
aged to occupy or co-opt these positions of pow-
er. Most governments and by proxy their military
forces were either rendered completely inert or in Radical Rearmament
some cases duped into carrying out orders that fur- When a government or any large group begins
thered Disian interests. acting out of fear, it’s never a good thing.
The grand and technologically advanced mil- So to address the Disian fallout, several govern-
itaries that were designed to protect their home- ments of the world have begun a fair and honest
lands against such a threat were effectively side- internal accounting of the policies, strategies, and
lined and manipulated. For these governments, factors that lead to the current situation to create
this was not only embarrassing and a major blow nuanced plans to enact meaningful changes and …
to their collective egos but was (and still is) a di- okay, I started that sentence as a joke to prove a
rect challenge to their sovereignty and security. To point, but I can’t finish it. This whole situation slots
say that the Disian Shadow War was a wakeup me off and frankly frightens me, because instead
call about the threats out there would be a gross of doing the right thing, too many governments
understatement. The governments were reminded are giving into knee-jerk reactions and beginning
just how inept and vulnerable they really are. massive rearmament programs. Instead of actually
dealing with or solving the problem, they’re simply
> It’s also why most governments, or even corporations, will never own building bigger and “better” weapons in case other
up to or even publicly acknowledge the Disian Shadow War. It would threats decide to rear their ugly heads.
only confirm their ineptitude, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. Not While the exact details will vary by nation and
exactly a winning strategy if one wants to maintain power. government, the overall prevailing idea is that in or-
> Sunshine der to better protect themselves against any future

PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER? // A NEW STATE OF WARFARE

 “threats,” nations need to further enhance and up- > Or one corp fragging with another’s production lines. Oh, things
grade their military capabilities so that an incident are about to get busy.
like the Disian Shadow War never happens again. > Mika
76 As of this posting, the industrial might of the corps,
as well as a few nationalized businesses, are ramping > Good thing I keep a generous stockpile for just such an
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

up their operations to meet this new demand for war- emergency. And if worse comes to worse, I may be willing to
time and related materials. Assembly lines and associ- part with some of it … for a fair price.
ated facilities such as shipyards and mining operations > Kane
to name a few are gearing up for their production lines
to start running 24-7 in the very near future. > Pillaging no longer doing it for you? Having to resort to other
forms of piracy?
> I bet the corps just love this. Governments finally finding the
> Slamm-0!
backbone to stand up for themselves and the firepower to
match. > Just like any good business, diversifying helps ensure survival.
> Flash Banger > Kane

> Wait, are you serious?

> DangerSensei Global Significance
Metahuman nature is simple: If you have a
> There’s always one. Look, chummer, who the frag do you think is thing, you want to use a thing.
supplying governments with all these shiny new toys? You think In this context, we have several nations and gov-
it’s a coincidence that so many governments are simultaneously ernments rapidly expanding their military forces in
embarking on massive rearmament programs? Yeah sure, on order to, as they claim, better protect themselves
paper, this could lead to nations having military forces that would against threats. Problem is that the threat to which
wipe out a corporate military and security force with ease. But they allude (and can’t talk about) is basically over.
what happens if a corp, or corps through Corporate Court or UN Or they’re trying to plan against some nebulous
decree, decides to say “Nah, we’re done supplying you with new and undefined future one.
parts, ammo, and fuel,” and starts cutting them off? That nice
> And it’s not like any of these governments will ever use the ideas
new war machine you spent millions if not billions of nuyen on is
of these threats to justify all sorts of heinous actions.
going to come to a screeching halt really fragging quick. Wake up
> Old Crow
and smell the soykaf. This whole initiative is nothing more than
coordinated fearmongering aimed at getting these countries to
While having a standing military or some kind
buy whatever warfighting material the corps want to sell.
of defense force is prudent for any nation, in this
> Corporate Raiders case the threat or mandate for these forces is most-
ly undefined, which means that very soon there will
> We’ve spent so much time worrying about Disian infiltration be a bunch of militaries standing around looking
over the past several months that we’ve forgotten that the corps for something to do or someone (or thing) to fight.
have infiltrated and dug into these nations just as deeply. Add into the mix a heightened sense and fear of
> /dev/grrl what could be out there, combined with the need
to eventually justify your existence and expense,
> That is putting it mildly. From my best estimates, orders to Ares and you have a recipe ripe for disaster.
Arms are up almost 200 percent over the last quarter. Colt,
Ruger, Izom, Shiawase, Onotari, and Terracotta Arms … even > Bush wars and regional conflicts between mercenary and
Krime’s orders are up by at least 150 percent. And that’s only paramilitary forces are bad enough; I shudder to think what
what I’ve been able to confirm and doesn’t even begin to cover would happen if peer or near-peer military forces start slugging
mil-spec vehicle and armor manufacturers. it out for no other reasons than to show who’s got the bigger …
> Red Anya ah, stick.
> Bangswitch
> I’ve heard rumors through my contacts that ammo prices are
going to spike in the coming months as new orders and current > Well, we haven’t had a true world war in a while. Maybe we’re
production runs are now being prioritized for select government about due.
contracts and other preferred customers. > Scattershot
> Hard Exit
> Please don’t say that. I know too many people with itchy trigger
> This also means that runs for and against the black market will fingers as is.
increase. Not sure how I feel about that, but sometimes nuyen is nuyen. > Brutus Ex-Mechina
> Turbo Bunny

A NEW STATE OF WARFARE // PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER?

 Now can I say for certain that someone will > I’ve got data regarding specific militaries. It’s not much, but it’s
eventually do something stupid, or that there will a start. I’ll post my findings after I finish some research.
be another threat on the level of the Disians? No, I > Colonel Cobra
cannot. But what I can say is that the current zeit- 77
geist and mindset among those creating or expand- I don’t have a crystal ball to see into the future.

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

ing their militaries is that they all have something Instead, I’ll simply suggest that we all pay closer
to prove. Maybe not to their citizenry, but to them- attention to what actions governments take. The
selves. Their pride and egos have been damaged, corps still have them mostly under their thumbs
they were caught off guard at best and made to for the time being, but we’ve also in recent histo-
look like fools at worst. And these are the people ry seen what can happen when the wrong people
making the decisions about when to use and not to make the wrong decisions.
use the forces they’re creating.
Let that sink in for a bit. > As we’re so fond of saying: just another Tuesday in the shadows.
> Stone
> What you’ve just described has been an issue with mankind
since time began. It started with sticks and rocks, now we have > With all this talk about the buildup of regular military forces, I’m
magic and nukes. But the state of being remains the same. curious as to how this is affecting the mercenary trade. Are they
> Scattershot in danger of going out of business or something?
> Knucklebuster
> That sounds rather cavalier.
> Netcat > Oh, frag no. I admit I’ve gotten more than a few offers to
reenlist, complete with (frankly pitiful) signing bonuses. But
> Yep. Because I’ve learned that in order to survive the chaos that
then I remember why I got out in the first place. Anyway, the
is this world, you sometimes have to be that way. Otherwise,
offers to join up with a unit or even sign on as an independent
you’ll kill yourself with worry. Do what I can when I can but
contractor have only gone up since this whole up-armament
recognize that there are things that are simply beyond my
thing started. One offer was as a firearms trainer at my old duty
control and roll with it.
station. I actually thought about that one just to see the look on
> Scattershot
the face of my old CSM who made my life hell and my decision to
leave easy. I’d be the one giving him orders!
> It’s the “what I can control” part that I worry about. I’d rather be
> Bangswitch
proactive and get out of the tsunami’s way before it hits.
> Netcat
> He’s correct. In recent decades, professional military contractors
> I get what you’re saying, Cat, and agree with you in principle. and regular military units have formed a kind of symbiotic
But a lot of this seems rather hyperbolic. Do we have specific, relationship. With all but the most prosperous nations (and
concrete data regarding these claims? Or is this simply sometimes even they need to hire out on occasion) unable to
conjecture and educated guesses? field a standing army or armed forces, these governments often
> Icarus turn to mercenaries to form the core of their military forces or
to augment as needed. Not to mention it’s sometimes cheaper
> I would think that this expansion of military power in itself is a and quicker to simply hire those already trained.
good indication. Carrier battle groups can and have been used > Colonel Cobra
for humanitarian purposes, but what good are, say, armored
infantry divisions, for example? > Which is also a bit ironic, as most mercs come from the regular
> Bangswitch military, only to sometimes end up back with the same armed
force, sometimes unit, where they started from.
> I think we need to remember what Kay said earlier about > Hard Exit
not being able to go into detail regarding every nation
currently undergoing military expansion. We’re getting the > Nice. But I have a question, too. I recently had some army-type
broad strokes here, which should be more than enough to slag come into the club I often work for. He was looking to
cause concern. recruit “irregular types.” Guy tried to be slick, but failed, not
> Fianchetto wanting to come out and even say “shadowrunner,” like it was
a curse word. Fragger got laughed out of the joint. But is this
> Exactly. Some countries and areas got legit hammered during becoming a thing?
the Disian Shadow War. And it’s to be expected that part of the > Earthquake Jones
current buildup is looking at how to better respond to such a
situation and not just build massive forces. > Yeah, it is. Military forces, often encouraged by their respective
> Hard Exit intelligence agencies, are starting to make more and more use
of runners. It’s not for everyone, but it is becoming another

PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER? // A NEW STATE OF WARFARE

 possible source of jobs and income. Just be aware of what you’re
getting into.
> Colonel Cobra
78
> I need to look into that.
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

> Glitch

Spilling Into the Shadows

So what does all this mean for us in the shad-
ows?
What first comes to mind is that military forces
may become more of a factor in jobs going for-
ward. Increased numbers means more chances of
increased deployments, which leads to increased
chances of encounters. And I don’t know about
anyone else, but I wouldn’t want to tangle with
military assets or get caught in a military crossfire.
Mil-spec is nothing to sneeze at.

> Please, most military gear is made by the lowest bidder, and
depending on the nation, the training ranges from decent to
pure drek. I have better weapons and gear now than I had when
I was in service. But it’s not the regular military you necessarily
have to worry about. It’s the special forces types you’re more
likely to encounter, because they do similar jobs as we do in
the shadows. The main difference is that, depending on the
specific unit, they often have a drek-ton of logistics, intelligence,
electronic, and fire support to back them up on an operation.
Also their respective governments have a substantial investment
in these slags, especially their tier-one operators. Their training
is top-notch and all of their gear and ’ware is going to be
bleeding-edge.
> Bangswitch

Second will be the political side of things. Not

something we in the shadows think about, but I want
you to start. Militaries are often the instrument of
policy, and policy is dictated by the so-called lead-
ers. This means that if you’re doing a run and sud-
denly Country X takes an interest in local affairs,
be wary. Because if they haven’t already, they’ve got
assets on the ground and that could make the job a
lot more challenging or deadly.
Thirdly, militaries are starting to pay more at-
tention to people like us. The Disian Shadow War,
despite shadowrunners largely being responsible
for saving the world, proved just how potent a
force we can be under the right circumstances.

> I resemble that remark.

> Thorn

This means that we have become a factor in

their planning, or in other words: We are now con-
sidered legitimate threats in the eyes of military
planners. As such, active shadow communities can
become legit targets for any military operation.
Some of us already were during the shadow war,

A NEW STATE OF WARFARE // PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER?

and that was scary enough. If they’re going to tar- eliminating any troublesome elements within the
get us, we need to make sure we’re keeping an eye Aztlan military. Since her promotion to general of
on them as well. So buff up or get some military the army shortly after the Amazonian War, she has
contacts if you haven’t already. Because it looks worked tirelessly to streamline the Aztlan military 79
like regular militaries are looking to become a big- structure. The army consists of five complete army

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

ger part of biz. corps and fifteen regimental-sized expeditionary
groups. These units do not, however, account for
the various Aztlan special forces, such as the infa-
Select Military mous Blood Daggers and Blood Panthers.
Unless there’s a dire emergency, Aztlan military
Breakdowns doctrine dictates that the five army corps remain in
Aztlan territory, with four protecting the borders
Posted by: Colonel Cobra
and providing the general defense, with a fifth act-
With talk about militaries possibly sticking their ing as a reserve. These corps also regularly rotate
noses into shadow-biz more often, I thought it best units and personnel through the various expedi-
to give a bit of paydata regarding the militaries tionary units to help ensure combat effectiveness
that are most likely to do this or the ones ramping and readiness.
up the most. This isn’t a comprehensive list, be- The Aztlan Navy is advanced and extremely ef-
cause policies and priorities vary from country to fective. With a total of approximately 100 combat
country and often change depending on what day ships divided into Pacific and Atlantic Fleets, the
it is or what phase the moon is in. But it’s enough navy is primarily used to defend Aztlan shores and
to get us started. enforce maritime law. As such, they’re composed
Enjoy, and keep your heads down. of mostly smaller, faster vessels such as cruisers,
destroyers, corvettes, and a currently unknown
number of submarines and submersibles. Al-
Aztlan though, with the current military expansion pro-
It’s an open secret that Aztlan is nothing more gram, the keels for what appear to be a new class
than an Aztechnology puppet, a fact they’re barely of drone carriers have been spotted in Aztlan ship-
trying to hide anymore. Despite this, or maybe be- yards. Currently the navy is under the command
cause of it, Aztlan boasts one of the most advanced of Admiral Miquel Reyes, a relatively young com-
and highly trained military forces on the planet. mander who made a career dealing with pirates
Over the past thirty-five years, Aztlan has been and smugglers in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
involved in several major military conflicts. The first The Aztlan Air Force has gone through a re-
was the Yucatan Rebellions of the early 2050s and cent transition in both material and leadership.
again in the 2060s. Despite Yucatan gaining and During the Disian Shadow War, the former AAF
holding on to their independence, Aztlan forces commander was found assassinated in his home,
made the victory almost Pyrrhic in nature. In 2072, roughly twenty-four hours before Salazar’s take-
with the aid of Aztechnology, they engineered a jus- over. An interim commander, General Carlos Del-
tification to declare war against Amazonia. Emerg- gato, who fought against the dragon Sirrurg, has
ing victorious, Aztlan gained new territories in and since been named, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be
around Bogotá. And most recently, Aztlan troops replaced anytime soon. Of all the Aztlan military
were key elements in the Disian Shadow War, co- branches, their air force is the most advanced,
vertly helping spearhead the Week of Death before boasting state-of-the-art aircraft, including the new
being ordered to stand down by Aztechnology. Blood Hawk fighter-bomber, as well as a host of
While rumors continue around Aztlan and the advanced drones courtesy of Aztechnology. With
part they may have played regarding the recent fifteen manned fighter wings spread across Aztlan
ascension of Aztechnology’s new CEO Armando territory, the AAF is a force to be reckoned with.
Salazar, their military forces as a whole survived
the shadow war mostly intact. However, this hasn’t
stopped Aztlan from gladly accepting Aztechnolo- California Free State
gy’s upgrades. Given its size and relative population, Cal Free
Currently, Aztlan boasts a potent army, navy, has never had a major military force. Rather, it
and air force. boasted what amounted to an amped-up national
The leader of the army and current de facto guard, equivalent of two divisions’ worth of rel-
head of all Aztlan military forces is General Con- atively underfunded and trained troops. Instead,
suela Sanchez, a longtime Aztechnology supporter they’ve relied on mercenaries and other military
who served with Salazar when he was a colonel contractors to deal with situations like the contest-
in the Aztlan army. Rumors suggest that during ed border with Tír Tairngire, which threatens to
Salazar’s takeover, Sanchez was instrumental in become a flashpoint yet again as the Tir reportedly
selling the idea to the rank and file while also deals with fallout from the Un-Awakening.

SELECT MILITARY BREAKDOWNS // A NEW STATE OF WARFARE

 In the wake of the Disian Shadow War, the Cal tion (of both Disians and Defender agents) of any
Free government has authorized the expansion North American nation is a serious point of con-
of mercenary contracts within the small nation, tention within the CAS government and military
80 effectively tripling the number of contracts from command. Of all the nations currently pursuing
four to twelve. Only ten are planned as long-term, military upgrades, the CAS is the most adamant
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

however. The Cal Free government is looking for and has reallocated twenty percent of its national
established units to assist with training up the Cal budget into upgrade programs. It also doesn’t hurt
Free Military while they await the arrival of new that Ares is offering the CAS sweetheart deals and
weapons, vehicles, and gear. favored customer status.
As of this download, only three out of the Even before the planned upgrade, the CAS mil-
twelve contracts have been fulfilled, but negotia- itary machine was formidable. Having inherited
tions are ongoing as scores of individual merce- a sizable number of military forces, bases, and
naries rather than whole units are making their production facilities when they split from the old
way to Cal Free. The first named unit to sign on United States, the CAS was still able to maintain
was Warrior’s Pride. After their near decimation their status as a military superpower. The constant,
during the Disian Shadow War, they’re acting more low-level skirmishes with neighbors Aztlan and the
as advisors and trainers while they replenish their Native American Nations have kept skills sharp
ranks. The second unit was Hasting’s Guardians, and long been a justification for maintaining their
an all-infantry company under the command of military force.
recently promoted Captain Jordan Hastings when The current CAS Army boasts five army groups
the previous commander was killed during the (also called “armies”). Each group is made up of
shadow war. Working to overcome a somewhat mixed units such as infantry (regular and armored),
dubious reputation, the Guardians also boast a fair mechanized, artillery (air defense and regular), and
amount of armored personnel carriers and some support units. In addition, the CAS maintains an
light mechanized vehicles. elite cadre of Special Forces, most of which are not
Finally, Cal Free has gained a significant boost acknowledged by the CAS military command and
to its airpower. Four squadrons from the 180th In- whose names are constantly changed to prevent
dependent Air Regiment have signed on for at least intelligence gathering. They also have a significant
a two-year deployment. The first squadron is a tra- reserve and national guard to supplement both the
ditional manned combat unit consisting mainly of army and air force as needed.
newer F-B Eagle-C fighter-bombers. The second and The CAS Air Force is just as robust. Boasting
third are unmanned, fielding a mix of aerial drone twenty fighter, twelve bomber, and thirty airlift
types and the accompanying mobile drone com- wings, the CAS is able to project sufficient airpow-
mand centers. The final squadron consists entirely er across North America and into the Atlantic as
of V/TOLs and transports and geared more toward well as the Gulf of Mexico.
search and rescue (with a secondary mission of fire The CAS Navy is also formidable and is one of
suppression) and reconnaissance missions. the few navies to still operate carrier battle groups,
although their two carriers are lighter than those
of the JIS and UCAS. The keel for a new CAS su-
Confederated percarrier (class and name classified) was laid in
American States (CAS) 2080, however. The new carrier is reportedly due
to launch sometime within the next two years.
Since breaking away from the UCAS, the CAS In addition to their navy, the CAS has also pre-
has always maintained one of the largest and most served their Marine Corps. Ten divisions strong,
effective standing militaries in the world. the CAS Marines act as a rapid-response and
As such, they were also prime targets for both Di- sometimes anti-terrorist force. CASMC Ferrets are
sian infiltration and sabotage efforts by the Defender considered some of the most elite special forces op-
Movement during Operations: Seraphim and Data erators in the world.
Bomber. The first wanted them on a leash while the
latter wanted them completely kenneled. Ultimately,
both sides got what they wanted. Reports suggest EuroForce
that CAS Marine Special Operations Forces (known The dream of a unified European army is an
as Ferrets) were used at least a dozen times to prose- old one and began in the wake of WWII, but the
cute Defender targets. Conversely, the efforts of Ser- idea was postponed in favor of the old North At-
aphim and Data Bomber in the CAS were complete lantic Treaty Organization (NATO). But with the
successes; although rumors indicate that anti-Disian beginning of the new millennium, the old NATO
elements within the CAS military hierarchy assisted. alliance dissolved, and the EuroForce concept was
While ultimately this worked out for the CAS as revived. While former Warsaw Pact countries like
the Disians failed to destroy the material plane, the Poland, Czechia, and Hungary joined the alliance
fact that the CAS had the highest level of infiltra- in 1999 and a further expansion of Eastern Eu-

A NEW STATE OF WARFARE // SELECT MILITARY BREAKDOWNS

ropean countries was planned, then-U.S. President tic Fleet (Brest, France), the Second Atlantic Fleet
Lynch cut his defense budget by nearly half. This (Bergen, Scandinavian Union), and the Mediterra-
drastically affected NATO’s capabilities, as its Eu- nean Fleet (Tarent, Italy). A fourth fleet, stationed
ropean members couldn’t fill the gap, as they were in the Baltic Sea, is currently planned. 81
reducing their military in the post-Cold-War era

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

as well.
Lynch’s successor Martin Hunt was more con-
Japanese Imperial State
cerned with the Resource Rush and giving corpo- Of all the nations undergoing the current wave
rations like early Ares Industries extraterritoriality. of military upgrades, the JIS has proven to be the
So, the planned expansion for 2004 was postponed most restrained and organized. Rather than going
by Hunt and others and eventually dropped— all-out like the CAS and UCAS, the JIS military is
which is exactly when the Eastern Europe Border exceptionally prudent in their upgrade program,
Wars (2005–2009) occurred. During the war, NA- focusing on quality over quantity. As such, they’ve
TO’s failure to adequately support Poland alienat- enacted a gradual and systematic replacement pro-
ed other countries and sent them seeking for other gram across their armed forces that is scheduled
partners. From 2017 on, the USA began to steadily to be completed by mid to late 2086. Older equip-
withdraw troops from Europe. By 2018 the EU es- ment and gear is being systematically phased out
sentially stopped functioning. With the establish- (so keep an eye on the surplus and black markets)
ment of the office of Lord Protector in 2025, the as newer and better models are being introduced
UK left the EU and NATO, then Turkey followed as units receive proper training. This will ensure
in 2028. that current force levels and combat readiness are
With the Crash of 2029, the EU was finally maintained throughout the upgrade program.
abolished, and the remnants of the USA and Can- It should also be noted that most of the JIS mil-
ada also left NATO. When the Euro Wars (2031– itary’s upgrades come primarily from Shiawase
2036) came, the Europeans tried to reestablish Arms or other Shiawase subsidiary companies.
NATO with the hastily formed Euro Defense Force Material and gear normally provided by Renraku
in 2031. After the wars, the EDF was transformed has slowed to a trickle as the JIS military com-
into a formal alliance in the EuroForce Accords of manders are attempting to nullify certain Renraku
2037, becoming NATO’s successor. Because it was contracts. The reason for this is currently unclear,
the only pan-European treaty still in effect when but rumors suggest that a disagreement between
the NEEC was formed—besides those that kept Shiawase, Renraku, and the Imperial Throne has
the Euro alive—it was integrated in the Constitu- something to do with it.
tional Act of the NEEC in 2062. Of the current military superpowers, the JIS has
EuroForce isn’t a European army in the sense the weakest army in terms of raw numbers. But as
that it replaced all national armed forces of the per current JIS doctrine, what they lack in numbers
NEEC member states, but like old NATO it pro- they make up with quality and mobility. While
vides additional permanent forces that can be technically a standing army, the JIS Army operates
used in crucial areas of operation as a rapid-re- more like marine forces of other countries. Orga-
sponse force and first line of defense. The units nized into quick-deployment divisions with full
are not taken from the NEEC member militaries; transportation abilities, the JIS Army can react to
they form independent units staffed by soldiers any threat or natural disaster within mere hours.
from the NEEC member states in a system of ro- These forces are highly trained and well-equipped
tation. Each member has a quota for soldiers it with the latest gear and weapons, and are currently
has to provide (based on their total population considered to be special-forces-capable.
and GDP). Countries that can’t or don’t want to In keeping with their current doctrine of high
fulfill this quota have to pay additional funds, mobility and threat response, the JIS Navy is the
which are used to hire private military companies largest military branch the empire currently fields.
like MET2000, 10,000 Daggers, or smaller units Like most navies, such as Aztlan, the JISN’s 175
to take their place. hull fleet is mostly defensive in nature and relies on
EuroForce consists of five task forces, each smaller hull types to intercept intruders and threats
made up of five divisions of combined air and as well as maintain Japanese maritime sovereignty.
ground forces, including armor, artillery, air force, Combined with one of the most sophisticated ear-
and logistics, united under a single command. The ly-warning nets ever created, the JISN is capable of
task forces are North (Scandinavian Union/Baltic), detecting, intercepting, and dealing with anything
Center (France/Germany/Netherlands), South- or anyone who enters their territorial waters. And
west (Spain/Portugal), Southeast (Austria/Czech if those forces aren’t adequate, the JISN currently
Republic), and East (Poland). The EuroForce also has four carrier battle groups available.
has three fleets under their command, combining While the JISN’s naval aviators are considered
defensive capabilities with anti-piracy and contra- some of the best in the world, the JIS Air Force
band interdiction. These fleets are the First Atlan- is also highly regarded and capable. Composed

SELECT MILITARY BREAKDOWNS // A NEW STATE OF WARFARE

82
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

of the typical manned and unmanned units, the said that the level of Disian infiltration within the
JISAF currently fields ten manned air wings and UCAS and their military was significantly lower
seven unmanned. While still largely relying on im- than their neighbor to the south.
ported airframes and drones, there are rumors that With Ares relocating to the CAS, this left the
Shiawase is working with a currently unnamed UCAS without a primary weapons manufacturer
subsidiary to design a new fighter bomber that is and distributor. Because of their attempt to leave
expected to go toe-to-toe with Aztlan’s advanced the business accords, other manufacturers were less
Blood Hawk. than enthusiastic in offering any support. When
they did, there were reports of rampant price goug-
ing and delivery of sub-par and defective equipment.
United Canadian and At the beginning of 2083, the UCAS’s military
American States (UCAS) branches faced a worst-case logistics scenario.
Everything their warfighters needed was running
The past few years haven’t been kind to the critically low as stockpiles dwindled. Throughout
UCAS. But the one thing they’ve (somehow) man- 2082, ammunition, spare parts, even foodstuffs
aged to keep a hold of is their military forces. This, and medical supplies were all rationed in order to
however, may be changing, as all branches of the maintain some level of combat readiness. This had
UCAS military face significant challenges that di- the additional effect of less training, which threat-
rectly affect their military forces. ened combat effectiveness.
After the events of 2080 and 2081, the UCAS To stave off complete catastrophe, the UCAS
experienced widespread blackouts and unrest that government began selling off whatever material
ultimately led them to attempt to nullify the Inter- they could, if for no other reason than to not have
national Business Accords within their boundaries. to maintain it. Naval vessels, mechanized vehicles,
This resulted in a cascade effect that almost shat- and aircraft were all sold to offset operating costs.
tered the country. All that held them together and It’s projected that by the end of 2084, the UCAS
kept the literal wolves at their borders in check will have sold off approximately twenty percent of
was their military might. This may not be the case their war material.
for much longer. The fact they were targeted by Despite all this, the UCAS has endured and even
the Defender movement in the same way the CAS begun their own version of an upgrade. Taking a
was didn’t help their situation either. But it can be cue from their Marine Corps, the entire UCAS mil-

A NEW STATE OF WARFARE // SELECT MILITARY BREAKDOWNS

itary structure embraced a “leaner and meaner” maintenance. To offset this, the air force has in-
mindset, finding creative ways to make do with creased their number of unmanned aerial vehicles.
whatever material they could obtain and embrace The UCASAF now boasts nineteen air wings, eight
lower-tech (read: cheaper) options whenever pos- manned and twelve unmanned. 83
sible while focusing on improving individual com- This leaves the UCAS Navy and Marine Corps.

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

bat skill sets. Despite selling off a sizable number of their hulls,
This also resulted in an interesting side effect, as the UCASN still boasts a 101-ship fleet, which in-
several cottage industries and regional businesses cludes three Colin-Powell-class aircraft carriers,
within the UCAS formed to help produce every- two Ranger-class battlecruisers (which are planned
thing from body armor to ammunition, and help to go operational in late 2083), and their respec-
maintain and refurbish weapons, although fuel tive battle groups. To transport the Marines, the
supplies continue to be problematic. navy still has six older amphibious landing ships.
Also of note, in a controversial move, the UCAS The rest of the fleet is composed of the typical
has begun a kind of pilot program to integrate “ir- smaller vessels used for patrol and maritime de-
regular assets” into the services in an attempt to fense. Current doctrine has divided the navy into
offset personnel and material losses.
roughly three fleets, two of which are on patrol
Despite these cutbacks and cost-saving mea-
while a third is to remain at their home ports as an
sures, the UCAS still fields one of the largest militar-
ies in the world. The UCAS Army currently boasts “emergency reserve” and rotated out when replen-
four army groups as well as thirty “detached divi- ishment from one of the other fleets is required.
sions” that are used to rapidly reinforce and patrol As for the marines, they’ve taken “leaner and
the borders, supplemented by an Army Reserve meaner” to a whole new level. Down to three Ma-
and National Guard of approximately 300–350 rine Divisions, the UCASMC is still the UCAS’s
thousand troops. The one area the UCAS military rapid response force and is also considered special
has not tampered with is their special forces units. forces capable. Interestingly, the UCAS Marines
All UCAS SF units still receive the best equipment are developing a reputation for improvisation and
available while their training budgets have not completing missions with whatever materials they
been changed. can scrounge in the field. This has given rise to the
The UCAS Air Force suffered the most during rumor that Marines are under a general order to
this period of downsizing and reorganization. deprive enemy forces of their warfighting material
Roughly forty percent of all combat aircraft were by strategically transporting equipment to alter-
sold because of their high fuel requirements and nate locations whenever possible.

SELECT MILITARY BREAKDOWNS // A NEW STATE OF WARFARE

 FORCE
PROJECTION
(FOR PROFIT)
Posted by: Various
> In modern warfare, mercenaries play a large part. Most
Twenty-First
countries can’t afford to maintain a standing military, and those Independent
Ranger Division
who do still turn to mercs to augment their forces … or for
various other reasons. Mercenaries and shadowrunners made
up the majority of combat forces within the Defender Movement Posted by: Colonel Cobra
during the Disian Shadow War. This resulted in a lot of death Officially registered and sanctioned by the Interna-
and shattered units, something the industry is trying to recover tional Mercenary Association on September 17, 2083,
from. Still, some units came out okay, and in some cases better. the Twenty-First IRD was formed in the wake of the
And because mercs have become a larger part of the shadows in Disian Shadow War from the remnants of several
recent months, I’ve reached out to get a read on prominent units mercenary commands and independent operators.
that could be the face of the industry going forward. Please note
that this isn’t a complete or comprehensive list. Some units, History
especially some of the old stalwarts, are trying to fly under the
Despite being a new mercenary command, the
radar and aren’t being forthcoming with their current status for majority of the Twenty-First is composed of a com-
various reasons. bination of battle-hardened veterans and tier-one-
> Glitch ranked operators. The bulk of these forces came
from the former Sixty-First and Seventy-Seventh
Independent Rangers, both of which have long

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // TWENTY-FIRST INDEPENDENT RANGER DIVISION

histories and served on the front lines of the Di- > And if they follow the Sixty-First’s lead, they never will, at least
sian Shadow War as integral parts of the Defender publicly. Never advertise exactly what assets you have; it keeps
Movement. Additionally, members from shattered the enemy and competition guessing.
units were recruited into (or sought out) the Twen- > Bangswitch 85
ty-First to further bolster their numbers and en-

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

hance their capabilities. The current CO of the Twenty-First is Brigadier
General Nathan “Rifleman” McCord, a veteran
> This included troops from multiple national militaries who knew mercenary and “former” shadowrunner who is
about the Disian threat and actively worked against their own well known among both circles. I’ve talked about
governments to help stop it. This created complicated situations, him at length in other downloads, so go look up
because these governments couldn’t acknowledge these trooper’ his bona fides elsewhere. For those of you who
actions because it could reveal the Disian secret. And yet, they won’t bother, just know that he’s one of the best
couldn’t keep these individuals within their ranks. Therefore, most operators and marksmen on the planet, and that’s
of these warfighters were allowed to separate from service under before you consider his other combat skills and
various circumstances. Some were even allowed to (quietly) retain
command skills.
their benefits, while others got the shaft.
> General, huh? Should I offer congrats or condolences?
> Kay St. Irregular
> Bull
> And most who got shafted simply took their gear and weapons
> Yes. I hate staff work, but sometimes the duty chooses us, not
with them as severance pay.
the other way around. I also made a promise to Picador to take
> Scattershot
care of her people.
> Rifleman
> I heard that an armor crew from the CAS took their infantry
fighting vehicle with them!
> And we’re grateful for that.
> Osprey
> Sgt Maj Bandito
> The Twenty-First isn’t just taking on new recruits; they’re doing
their best for the dependents of those who died fighting the Sixty-First Ranger Group
Disians. A lot of people, and not just mercs and runners, owe the When the Twenty-First was formed, all the
Twenty-First a lot. I’m amazed they’re doing this. Sixty-First did was change their designation from
> Brutus Ex Mechina “IR” to “RG.” Still known as “The Reapers,” the
Sixty-First’s primary focus remains on conducting
> It helps that they’ve partnered with those of similar goals. unconventional and asymmetrical warfare as well
> Silk as any kind of special forces operations; something
they’re extremely proficient at. As such, their ex-
During the Disian Shadow War, the units that act numbers and disposition are a closely guarded
eventually combined into the Twenty-First IRD secret. But it’s estimated that they currently field
formed the core of the Defender Movement’s strike at least two, maybe three companies’ worth of SF
capabilities. They fought the longest and suffered troops that are broken down into operational de-
the heaviest casualties as a result. Despite this, they tachments and are augmented by units from the
also pulled off some of the greatest victories during Support Services Group.
the Shadow War, including the famous Operation: Before and during the Disian Shadow War, the
Rampart and the dismantling of the Disian’s Mo- Reapers prosecuted most of the highest-value tar-
bile Harvester Network. gets. Disian or metahuman, it didn’t matter. Like
their namesake, when a Reaper OD appeared from
the shadows, death soon followed. They were so
Order of Battle efficient that Aztechnology had numerous boun-
Currently, the Twenty-First is divided into four ties, worth millions of nuyen, on the heads of any
main components: the Sixty-First Ranger Group, member of the Sixty-First.
the Seventy-Seventh Ranger Group, the Support
Services Group, and the Training Reserve Group. > You can always judge a person by the quality of their enemies.
Designed to operate together for large operations, > Many-Names
these groups can also break down into detach-
ments or task forces as operational needs require. In the past, the Sixty-First was considered peer
Because the Twenty-First is still a new unit and to other first-tier special operations units such as
continues to gain recruits and material, it hasn’t the Wildcats, SEAL Team Six, Task Force Delta,
yet finalized its organizational structure and Table Ferrets, and SAS, to name just a few. On e-paper,
of Organization and Equipment (TO&E). the new Sixty-First looks damn solid. But since

TWENTY-FIRST INDEPENDENT RANGER DIVISION // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 they haven’t (officially) undertaken any known they’re bringing with them. Some of it is nice, but it conflicts
missions, combined with recent losses and influx with the battle doctrine the Seventy-Seventh has been using for
of new recruits, it’s difficult to say if the new Reap- years if not decades.
86 ers are still at that level. > Osprey
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

> “Officially.” I like that. The Seventy-Seventh’s current CO is Lieutenant

> Silk Colonel Sterling Matthews, a long-time Seven-
ty-Seventh veteran, former company commander,
> I know that operators from several of those units just and unit XO who was promoted to that position
mentioned, the ones who were released from their previous when former XO, Alonzo Blake, was KIA during
service, have found their way to the Sixty-First. the beginning of the Shadow War. A solid if un-
> Red Anya imaginative tactician and leader, Matthews is a
proponent of massed, overwhelming firepower
> They’re also still on good terms with other vaunted mercenary over finesse.
compaines, paramilitary units, and shadowrunners who are
> Rumors persist that Matthews only got the XO job because the
more than happy to engage in exchange programs and training
four other officers before him were killed in action. Not that he’s
exercises.
a bad leader; he’s simply a hammer-and-nail guy.
> Quicksilver
> Bangswitch
The Sixty-First’s current CO is Lieutenant Col-
onel Faith “Point Guard” Raddick, General Mc- > I’d worry more about the rumors that Matthews is losing it, that
Cord’s former XO and hero of the Shadow War the drek he saw in the Shadow War got to him. I’ve heard more
in her own right. I’ve also profiled her before, but than once he’s frozen during live-fire exercises and almost got a
again for the lazy out there, she’s an exceptional platoon geeked.
field commander and staff officer who has the un- > Flash Banger
canny ability to read a situation, battle, or plan
and adjust on the fly. If combat was a game of > Got anything to back that up, or you just talking drek, omae?
chess, Raddick could play three or four boards at > Sgt Maj Bandito
once while shooting hoops … and still win.
> Just passing along what I heard. But if this is true, you need to
> In merc circles, Colonel Raddick is known as a “walking M-TOC.” seriously look into your own house. But hey … not my problem.
> Scattershot > Flash-Banger

> Sounds like she’s a technomancer. Are we sure she’s not? During the Disian Shadow War, the Seventy-Sev-
> Clockwork enth was the go-to direct-action combat unit for
the Defender Movement. When something need-
> No, I’m not. And even if I was, you wouldn’t want to try me. ed to be assaulted, El Cuadrilla got the call. When
> Point Guard something needed to be destroyed, El Cuadrilla got
it done. When the Defenders needed a cavalry to
ride to the rescue, if El Cuadrilla was anywhere
Seventy-Seventh nearby, they were there. As such, they suffered the
Ranger Group greatest number of casualties of any unit or group
Formerly (but still unoffiically) known as “El in the Defender Movement. One of them was their
Cuadrilla,” the Seventy-Seventh (like the Six- beloved CO, Colonel Carmen Lopez y Cabrera,
ty-First) is almost exactly the same as they were better known in the shadows as Picador. She fell in
before becoming part of the Twenty-First. action during Operation: Rampart while holding
Originally organized like the Ranger regiments the line against Disian forces.
of the former United States, the Seventy-Seventh
has expanded its ground warfare role and now of- > No. If you’re gonna tell it, tell all of it, don’t fragging water it
ten integrates with armor, drone, and mechanized down! Gotta do everything myself.
units from the Support Services Group, making > Deadline
them more akin to a light infantry company when
the situation calls for. This, however, does not > Before anyone starts armchair-quarterbacking about how
change the Seventy-Seventh’s primary mission of Picador was gambling with our lives and should have blown the
being a direct-action assault force. portal, first, frag you, second, she had the charges linked to the
unit’s M-TOC. They were set to blow if the last task force member
> From what I’ve heard, leadership is still working on exactly in the chamber died or if they were tampered with.
how to integrate and organize all the new recruits, and the toys > Deadline

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // TWENTY-FIRST INDEPENDENT RANGER DIVISION

> I was going to write something myself, but I don’t know if I could
have done it. The Valiant Last Stand
> Rifleman of Colonel Carmen
“Picador” Lopez y Cabrera 87
> Si. On behalf of the rest of El Cuadrilla, our families and friends,

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

thank you for your words. We will never forget her. Posted by: Deadline
> Sgt Maj Bandito I was there during Operation: Rampart, embedded to
relay real-time intelligence and get a proper accounting of
things. Picador was the commander of this op, an assault on
Support Services Group the Disian stronghold known as Site Triple-Zero. It was their
The largest group within the Twenty-First, the main portal to their home metaplane, and our job was to
SSG is commanded by Lieutenant Commander Kira secure it so the Disian’s couldn’t use it and to make sure the
forces of Operation: Cheshire could make it home from their
Donovan (the only officer in the division allowed mission to the Disian metaplane.
to use a naval rank), a former UCAS Navy Seabee Despite the Disians throwing everything they had at
and engineer. The SSG’s purpose is to provide any us, we fought tooth and nail past their nightmare chimera
support service the division may require, both in troops, past their lethal defenses, and into the heart of the
and out of combat. This is also the group where facility. Through brutal, close-quarters fighting, we eventu-
any odds and ends within the division’s TO&E are ally penetrated several sub-levels underneath the earth to
assigned until they’re assigned to another group. the portal chamber. And despite being exhausted, low and
While still evolving per the current re-organization, ammo, and taking an un-ghostly amount of casualties, Pica-
dor kept us together.
the SSG has the following core units. But that wasn’t all. While the portal was open, allowing a
team to enter and link up with Cheshire, the Disians launched
Matrix Support Unit another assault. Scores of chimeras, metahuman quislings, and
even several Disian war forms surged into the chamber. Picador
This unit is in charge of all Matrix activity and had already ordered demo charges to be set around the portal,
security on post or in the field. During combat op- and some of her staff were begging her to blow the portal and
erations, detachments from the MSU embed with exfil because we were seconds from being overrun, and all this
other groups as necessary to secure Matrix and would have been for nothing.
alternate means of communication. Additionally, Despite the odds, Picador refused to leave anyone be-
MSU combat deckers (and a few technomancers) hind. Through sheer grit and force of will, she got everyone
are tasked with conducting offensive Matrix oper- to fight on. Frag, even I contributed. But it wasn’t until a
ations as required during active operations. war form broke through our lines that we almost failed. It
went right for Picador, grabbing her in a massive claw and
started crushing her, despite her mil-spec armor. Instead of
Logistical Support Unit giving up, she fought on through pain I could only imagine,
The LSU handles all division requirements re- emptying her weapon into the thing and blowing off bloody
chunks, but seemingly having zero effect. My bodyguard
garding supplies and administrative functions. Be- Dash and I tried to help, but it was no use. Out of options,
cause it handles mostly non-combat roles within she buried a custom dagger-shaped HE grenade into the
the division, it’s the only unit that allows non-com- thing’s face! It did something to a marking on its forehead,
batants or civilians, although everyone is required which killed it in a burst of energy.
to have some defensive skills. But as the Disian dropped, its chummers surged forward.
Then, like in something out of a fragging trid, our link-
Thaumaturgical Support Unit up team and the first members of Cheshire started pouring
out of the portal. From there, we were able to force them
The smallest (yet in highest demand) support back and begin our exfil. Even then, Picador downplayed her
unit in the division, the TSU are experts in anything wounds and ordered medics to tend to others first. Stead-
related to magic. Currently composed of twenty to fast to the end, she was the last of the wounded to be evacu-
thirty Awakened individuals, detachments or indi- ated … and unfortunately died of internal trauma before we
could reach a MASH unit.
viduals from the TSU are assigned to other groups I didn’t know Colonel Cabrera very well. I knew her from
as needed. When not engaged in active operations, JackPoint, read her dossier, and only met her mere hours
the TSU is tasked with providing magical security before Rampart kicked off. To be honest, I don’t think she
for bases, garrisons, and other posts. wanted me there. But in that short time, I realized just what
kind of person she was. She was a soldier, a warrior, and she
Vehicle Support Unit was a leader. She refused to give up and put everyone in her
command’s well-being before her own, even if it meant her
If it can fly, drive, or float, it’s assigned to the death. In the ultimate show of compassion and love for her
VSU. Like the rest of the SSG, elements of the VSU fellow metahumans, she sacrificed herself. Not just for her
are often detached to other groups on an as-need- friends, her unit, or even for the cause … but for the rest of
ed basis. According to their TO&E, the VSU boasts metahumanity as well. Because of her actions, we’re all still
an impressive (if somewhat eclectic) number of alive. And for that, she deserves our eternal respect.
We will remember you.
combat vehicles and drones of various types. These
include helicopters, gunships, VTOLs, APCs, drone

TWENTY-FIRST INDEPENDENT RANGER DIVISION // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 carriers, light combat, infantry fighting, and recon known simply as Sentinel Futures, a weapons cus-
vehicles. Rumors also persist that at least a dozen tomization shop known as Tactical Concepts LLC
crews brought their main battle tanks (MBTs) with (or simply Tac-Con), and several private investors.
88 them when they signed on with the division. The
backbone of the VSU, however, is its moderate but > For the curious, Sentinel Futures is shell company that we’re
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

efficient fleet of transport vehicles and aircraft de- still trying to track down data on while Tac-Con was started by
signed to get groups, units, and their gear wherever General McCord back in the early ’60s and has been keeping his
they need to go as quickly as possible. As such, command’s weapons SOTA for over two decades.
they also work closely with the LSU. > Corporate Raiders

Training and Reserve Group > Tac-Con makes sense; it’s one of the best shops of its kind out
After the Disian Shadow War, scores of merce- there and only deals with select clientele. I’ve heard McCord has
naries were looking for new homes. As a result, been using them to help with recruiting but also to make sure
several new units formed, such as the Twenty-First. the dependents of those who fell during the Shadow War get the
To handle the influx of new personnel, the TRG support they need.
was formed. > Red Anya
The goals of the TRG are:
First, to familiarize all members (veteran and
recruit alike) to the division’s current battle doc- Current Deployments
trine, tactics, and methodology. This is also a way As of this posting, the Twenty-First is not fulfill-
to weed out potential problem elements or those ing any known contracts as they’re currently con-
who don’t meet the current standards as well as centrating on training and force integration. Their
develop new doctrine. Second, to give those with- primary HQ is Fort Cabrera in Lisbon, Portugal,
in the division who were injured in previous ac- but they currently operate several smaller regional
tions a chance to recover. Those who are fit but bases and training centers worldwide.
not quite ready for combat will have the option
of performing light duty with the LSU or garrison
and security duty. Third, have a reserve cadre to re-
plenish combat losses, to rotate troops, or to form
Free Marine Corps
ad hoc units to respond as needed. And fourth, as Posted by: Broadside
mentioned above, to have a cadre of garrison and Considering themselves to be the true succes-
security forces ready to provide security for both sors to the United States Marine Corps founded in
primary facilities and forward operating bases. 1775, the Free Marine Corps formed in 2035 after
The TRG is currently commanded by Major the United States of America split into the UCAS
Remy “Gator(bait)” Dupre, former XO of the Six- and CAS. The new Free Marine Corps vowed to
ty-First under McCord who retired in the early uphold the legacy of their forebears regardless of
2070s which allowed Faith Raddick to take the petty geopolitics and borders. To them, maintain-
position. The cranky old ork came out of retire- ing the spirit and purpose of the corps was more
ment to fight the Disians and almost retired again, important than anything else.
but was convinced to stay on and lead the newly
formed TRG “as long as he always has cigars on > Extremely effective in combat, the FMC is also known for taking
hand.” this idea of honor seriously, almost to cult-like extremes. They
also only take contracts where there’s little to no chance they’ll
As a Corporation have to engage with CAS or UCAS Marines.
Like most mercenary units, the Twenty-First is > Colonel Cobra
registered and fully recognized by the Internation-
al Mercenary Association as an independent mili- > Funny thing is, marines from both nations have that same
tary service provider. As such, it’s afforded all the unwritten order. No one will officially admit it, but it’s accepted
legal rights and protections under the IMA charter. that marines don’t fire on marines.
As far as shareholders and investors, the Twen- > Hard Exit
ty-First has only a few. General McCord is considered
the majority shareholder, having inherited enough The FMC constantly strives to maintain their
stock shares from the late Colonel Cabrera to main- own code of honor and integrity, even when faced
tain complete operational and corporate control of with morally ambiguous situations. This has been
the division. Officers and enlisted are offered stock tested in recent years. Overall, the Free Marine
options in addition to their base pay and bonuses, Corps have lived up to their standards, but also
but every division member has at least one share. earned the reputation as one of the best mercenar-
The other known investors are a holding company ies in the business.

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // FREE MARINE CORPS

> Even though sometimes their own integrity bites them in the hoop. controversial, as the FMC previously stayed out
> Clockwork of that conflict because their forces weren’t suit-
ed for such action. Rumors persist that then-CO
History Colonel Hal Mitchell knew what kind of a drek- 89
show it was going to be and purposely kept his

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Officially registered and recognized by the IMA marines out of that conflict. But then he caused
in 2035, the Free Marine Corps originally had the great confusion when he did a one-eighty and
FMS Green Bay and some cheap cargo vessels to took the peacekeeping contract after the war
get from point A to B. For the next few decades, it ended. While the payout for that contract was
worked, as marines make do with what they have or considerable (it allowed the FMC to purchase
can get hold of. During these first years, they helped several new ships and material afterward), it
patrol the waters around the Carib League, as part wasn’t without cost.
of that contract allowed the FMC to operate out of During this three-year contract, the FMC was
the old Roosevelt Roads Naval Base and eventually besieged on all sides. The locals saw them as yet
take it over through a separate lease-to-own deal. another occupier, while the Aztlan forces in the
It wasn’t until 2055 when the FMC got their area constantly provoked the locals. Caught in
first real recruitment boost. Despite occasional- the middle was the FMC, who took considerable
ly pilfering recruits from bases like Parris Island losses from guerrilla and insurgent-style attacks.
in the CAS and Quantico in the UCAS (where By the time the contract was over and Aztlan took
the FMC still has a number of covert recruiting full control, the FMC lost over a quarter of their
agents), recruiting was difficult. In that same year, forces in the area.
the Compensation Riots drove scores of new re-
cruits into the FMC’s arms. Some of them were > I’ll give the FMC credit, they kept their cool and their responses
slotted off at what had happened, but it was also to all the drek were proportional. Instead of lashing out at
a convenient way to avoid prosecution for others.
civilians, they relentlessly hunted down exactly who was
Those who met the standards became marines.
responsible for any attacks and dealt with them accordingly.
The next major change came in 2061, when the
FMC was gifted the old USS Iwo Jima, an amphib- Eventually, the locals realized it was best to leave the FMC alone
ious assault ship, from an anonymous donor. Still and target the Azzies. Unfortunately, when the marines left, the
intact, it was refurbished and brought up to mod- Azzies took their revenge.
ern specs and for years served as the FMC’s flag- > Marcos
ship. Soon the FMC also acquired the FMS New
Orleans and purchased several more modern ships Between 2074 and 2076, the FMC stayed out
to add to their fleet. of major conflicts and focused on training, re-
organization, and integrating new assets. From
> Oh sure, gloss over how I gifted the Iwo back in the day. How 2077 to 2081, the FMC was active around
easy people forget. the Carib League (with whom they still have
> Kane long-standing contracts) and within the Gulf of
Mexico (or Aztlan, depending on where you’re
> Wait, you? I thought the FMC was like all honorable and drek. Why from), conducting anti-piracy and smuggling op-
would they accept a gift from, no offense, a bloodthirsty pirate?
erations. It was during this period that the FMC
purchased several Wavecutter M-PAC patrol ve-
> Knucklebuster
hicles to be incorporated into the newly reorga-
nized Raider units.
> None taken. But, like cops with a CI, we have an understanding.
During the Disian Shadow War, the FMC was,
I needed their help for a special job, a rescue mission if you
like many other units, hamstrung by the IMA
will, and that seemed like a good way to get them on my side. contract crisis. Fortunately for them, they were
Afterward, we went our separate ways knowing that if we did already under contract with the Carib League,
meet again, it was back to biz. Still, I’m smart and respect them which allowed them to continue their maritime
enough to stay out of their way and maybe offer them some patrol and enforcement duties. What the marines
paydata every so often. didn’t know at the time was that the Carib League
> Kane government had secretly started working with
Grey Cell (and later the Defender Movement) to
> And threw a few parties … identify and break up Disian-sponsored metahu-
> /dev/grrl man trafficking operations.
In early 2082, the FMC leadership was approached
The FMC didn’t see any major action until by Grey Cell representatives and asked to join the
the aftermath of the Amazonian War, when they fight. Reportedly, it took current FMC CO General
were contracted by the UN as a peacekeeping Logan McKittrick all of two seconds to agree, and the
force in Bogotá. This decision was somewhat Free Marine Corps was officially in the war.

FREE MARINE CORPS // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 > That’s because the Disians were the kind of righteous targets the tions, amphibious operations, and rapid response.
FMC loves. No gray areas, no worrying about right or wrong, no In their maritime role, the FMC is often contract-
politics, just a threat that needs to be stopped at all costs. ed in mostly escort and patrol duties when the local
90 > Scattershot smugglers and pirates start to play rough. Despite
their spectacular successes during Cold Fury, the need
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

At first, FMC involvement was covert, with for amphibious assaults are few and far between. But
Raider units stepping up their anti-smuggling and their naval and air transport assets allow them to be
interdiction operations. They also expanded their rapidly deployed to hotspots and flashpoints.
operations to hit Disian ports, harbors, or any oth- Currently the FMC is divided into three major
er maritime targets within the Gulf of Mexico and components: the First and Second Free Marine
along the North American east coast. Highly dan- Expeditionary Units and the Free Marine Raiders.
gerous because they risked dragging the UCAS and Those not serving with these units are stationed
CAS militaries into open conflict, the Raiders avoid- at the FMC’s primary base at Roosevelt Roads at
ed any such entanglements. FMC Raiders would lat- Borinquen in the Carib League. While exact num-
er be instrumental as part of Operation: Seraphim, bers are currently unknown (which is how the
conducting numerous operations against CAS mili- FMC likes it), estimates indicate approximately
tary units. ten to fifteen thousand personnel across the en-
tire corps; this includes sailors, marines (including
> There’s more. Some members of the CAS Marine Corps knew Raiders), aviators, and support staff.
of or were told about the Disian threat and actively assisted
their FMC “family” during Seraphim. And when they had to > Even after Cold Fury, I doubt these numbers. The FMC is
conveniently retire from CAS service afterward, the FMC notorious for obfuscating their true strength. Best bet is to take
welcomed them with open arms. whatever number they offer, and up it by at least fifty percent.
> Point Guard > Scattershot

While the Raiders were causing havoc, the FMC First Free Marine
fleet and expeditionary force was secretly working
toward one of the largest amphibious operations Expeditionary Unit
in recent history, Operation: Cold Fury. With the Composed of the FMS Belleau Wood, Green Bay,
difficulties and logistics of getting a large combat Coronado, and Daniel J. Daly, the First FMEU is the
force to Antarctica, the FMC was tasked with pro- largest formation within the FMC. Their primary
viding not only one half of the operation’s combat mission profile is to project force ashore, although
force but security while the task force sailed to the they’re just as capable of conducting maritime secu-
Antarctic shores. Once the operation began, the rity and interdiction operations as they are human-
Free Marines charged the frozen shores while their itarian responses. The First also features the newest
naval and air assets provided fire and air support. ships in the fleet, the flagship Belleau Wood and the
In the aftermath of Cold Fury, the FMC found Daniel J. Daly, both of which joined the fleet just
themselves severely mauled, down to approximate- in time to participate in the final operations of the
ly sixty percent combat effectiveness, but they still Disian Shadow War. These newer vessels, combined
considered themselves combat ready … because with the older and recently refurbished Green Bay
marines. Currently, the FMC has stayed out of ma- and upgraded Coronado, represent the pinnacle of
jor actions to allow their forces to recover. FMC power projection.
> Not exactly. You see, the FMC has always had a close and
interesting relationship with the vodun practitioners within the
Second Free Marine
Carib League. In 2062, the FMC helped these priests, priestesses, Expeditionary Unit
and their kin from New Orleans deal with a shedim threat. Since Composed of the oldest ships in the FMC fleet,
then, the two groups have always maintained close ties and the Second FMEU is more of a reserve fleet than an
mutual assistance. When the Un-Awakening happened, the vodun active one because of ongoing wear, maintenance
found refuge and protection within FMC ranks from those who issues, and damage. The Iwo Jima, the former flag-
attempted to do them harm. Attempted being the key word there. ship that has seen literally decades of service, was
> Arete damaged by a missile strike during Cold Fury. As
such, FMC leadership decided to drydock her and
the other ships of the Second in order to get them
Combat Capabilities back into fighting shape. There is some concern
Since their formation, the FMC has become one that the Iwo could be too far gone for combat op-
of the premier mercenary units in the world and erations. Similarly, the New Orleans almost broke
boasts the largest private military naval force. They down during the return from Antarctica but was
specialize in the following areas: maritime opera- saved thanks to the herculean efforts of her engi-

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // FREE MARINE CORPS

 Gamemaster and Player Notes: Free Marine Corps Fleet, Circa 2083
FMS Iwo Jima (LHA-7) FMS New Orleans (LPD-18) 91
and FMS Green Bay (LPD-20)

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

The original FMC flagship, the Iwo Jima is an Amer-
ica-class amphibious assault ship that mysteriously dis- Refurbished and upgraded San Antonio-class amphibi-
appeared in the early 2020s but was re-discovered and ous transport dock ships, the New Orleans and Green Bay
gifted to the FMC decades later. Upgraded with modern are some of the oldest ships in the FMC fleet. While still fully
technology, the Iwo is starting to show her age, as mainte- capable, like the Iwo Jima, both ships are starting to show
nance and system issues are becoming more prominent. their age, and maintenance is becoming a problem, especial-
ly with the New Orleans.
SPD TOP
HAND ACC BODY ARM PILOT SEN SEAT
INT SPD SPD TOP
HAND ACC BODY ARM PILOT SEN SEAT
5 10 7 40 50 40 5 6 2,800 INT SPD
4 12 7 50 50 40 5 6 2,500
Standard Equipment: Amenities (middle), command and control comms,
electronic countermeasures 5, flight deck (large), improved stability 1, in- Standard Equipment: Amenities (middle), command and control comms,
creased capacity, increased structural integrity 25, integrated Matrix de- electronic countermeasures 5, flight deck (small), improved stability 1, in-
vice (satellite link x3, RCC x5, 30 x ports), life safety system 2, living space creased capacity, increased structural integrity 20, integrated Matrix de-
(middle) x 60, living space (low) x 500, milspec plate 6, network sharing vice (satellite link x3, RCC x5, 30 x ports), life safety system 2, living space
enhancement, passive stealth features, RAM plating 4, rigger adaptation, (middle) x 60, living space (low) x 400, milspec plate 4, network sharing
rigger cocoon, weapon mounts x 4, well docks enhancement, passive stealth features, RAM plating 4, rigger adaptation,
rigger cocoon, weapon mounts x 4, well docks
FMS Belleau Wood (LHA-25)
FMS Independence (LCS-2), FMS Coronado
Purchased from the cash-strapped UCAS when it was
only eighty percent complete, the Hazard-class assault carri- (LCS-4), and FMS Daniel J. Daly (LCS-16)
er Lake Erie was re-christened Belleau Wood after the FMC Experts in maritime interdiction and patrol, this trio of
took possession of her. Designed to be rugged and reliable, Hunt-class frigates are also the first line of defense for a
the Belleau Wood has modularity built into her construc- FMEU. Equipped with advanced fire control systems and sen-
tion, allowing for customization and ease of maintenance. sors, these ships are also excellent fire-support platforms.

SPD TOP SPD TOP

HAND ACC BODY ARM PILOT SEN SEAT HAND ACC BODY ARM PILOT SEN SEAT
INT SPD INT SPD
5 12 8 60 60 40 6 7 3,000 5 15 15 70 44 30 5 8 300

Standard Equipment: Amenities (middle), command and control comms, Standard Equipment: Amenities (middle), electronic countermeasures 3,
electronic countermeasures 6, flight deck (large), improved stability 2, in- improved stability 2, increased structural integrity 1, life safety system 2,
creased capacity, increased structural integrity 30, integrated Matrix de- living space (middle) x 50, living space (low) x40, Milspec plate 4, network
vice (satellite link x3, RCC x5, 30 x ports), life safety system 2, living space sharing enhancement, ram plating 2, rigger adaptation, rigger cocoon,
(middle) x 60, living space (low) x 500, milspec plate 6, network sharing weapon mounts x 6
enhancement, passive stealth features, RAM plating 4, rigger adaptation,
rigger cocoon, weapon mounts x 4, well docks

neering crews. Only the Independence, which is M-PAC patrol vehicles, modified Banshee LAVs, or
just over a decade old, is considered combat ready an assortment of other VTOL aircraft (or a com-
and is kept in reserve to help defend Roosevelt bination of all three) with a full crew and com-
Roads or support other FMC units as needed. plement of Raiders (between eight and ten), and
drone support. Raiders operate from modified car-
> I’ve also heard rumors that the FMC commissioned shipwrights in go vessels known as “Corsairs” that act as a mo-
Casablanca to build new vessels for their transport and maritime bile base of operations.
security operations. Basically cargo ships modified into Q-Ships, Specializing in swift precision strikes on or near
these vessels should allow the FMC to expand the scope of their the water, Raiders are also masters of ship board-
operations and take the burden off some of their older ships. ing and seizures, as many smugglers and pirates
> Sounder
can attest. As such, they have the best personal
equipment and weaponry among the FMC.
Free Marine Raiders > They also tend to be the most highly augmented with ’ware.
Considered the FMC’s special forces, the Raid- Internal air tanks and implanted weaponry are common among
ers are made up of several squadrons, with each Raider teams.
squadron consisting of three to five Wavecutter > Kane

FREE MARINE CORPS // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 Hellcats One of the organization’s primary contracts
since their inception was to provide counterintel-
Posted By: Gramius ligence against the Amur Tigers group and their
92 Created in 2074 as a contractor licensed in Ya-
incursions into Yakut territories. Since then, the
Hellcats have been at the center of changing how
kut, then with the NAN Council, Algonkian-Man-
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

parts of Yakut operate.

itou, and Salish-Shidhe. Within six months, the li-
In addition to their growing naval assets, the
censure included a dozen more nations worldwide.
Hellcats employ over ten thousand individuals and
During this time, significant shadow purchases
have units spread out across Yakut providing se-
were made regarding hardware and other resourc- curity for MetaErgonomics and Saotome’s infra-
es. The largest of these were through the Popov structure division.
Law Firm of Vladivostok and Artyom, who acted The Hellcats have recently established sev-
as a holding company that also purchased large eral new facilities. The first is a training center
amounts of dockside real estate in Nizhneangarsk at Severobaikalsk near the northern tip of Lake
on Baikal’s northern shores. Eventually, it added Baikal. After obtaining the facility during the last
properties at the border of the Salish-Shidhe and months of the Disian Shadow War, it was severely
eastern Snohomish County to the Hellcat portfolio damaged during the fighting but was made opera-
In the beginning, most of the Hellcat’s oper- tional only three weeks ago. The second is the gar-
ations focused on hostile extractions involving rison they maintain at the Everett Naval Yards that
Awakened parties as well as disrupting metasapi- is shared with other extra-corporate/extra-nation-
ent trafficking operations, then getting the victims al assets as per the contracts with Emerald City.
to sanctuary locations.

> They got shapeshifters, nagas, sasquatchs, and similar beings Fields of Fire
out of places they weren’t wanted and into welcoming Yakut The Hellcats normally take supporting roles
lands. when operating beyond the borders of Yakut, act-
> Stone ing as security escorts for larger assets, especial-
ly those associated with Awakened and Emergent
> They take individuals to where they need to go. They’ve populations. They excel in mobile insertion ac-
transported people to Asamando, Amazonia, the Indian Union, tions, specializing in naval assets and isolated facil-
Aztlan, and other locales, and they still do this. ities. They maintain HSCTs and VT craft hangars
> Sounder
in Yakutsk, Severobaikalsk, Magadan, and with-
in the Salish-Shidhe Nation at Lake Moses. They
In 2079, the Hellcats filed for official recognition have another training facility and service depot in
Quito Ecuador near the old airport service area.
with the IMA shortly after they acquired their first
two naval vessels. The first has been refitted and
> The place in Quito is unassuming and hires the fewest people,
christened MNV Hellcat, which recently finished its
two-year contract with the government of Seattle. It perhaps no more than a hundred present at a time. But they are
now remains partnered with the Everett Naval Yard well stocked, and security is terrifying.
in the free city as extended security and logistical > Quito Mole
support. Captain Daniel Cooper remains in com-
mand of the vessel and sits at the table in Ft. Lewis. > Nearly all of the Hellcat’s larger deployments utilize their naval
The Hellcat is a Hosho-class Amphibious Assault assets. Their second carrier, the MNV Dominion, rolled out
Carrier with a crew of five hundred sapients and of Magadan in March 2083, right before the more apparent
significant Matrix host improvements. engagements involving the Disians started. It never had a
The second is the submarine MNV Arrowbring- proper shakedown and was enlisted by Evo-NT a month later,
er, with Captain Rigel Bobrov in charge. The story where it participated in several actions within the Western
of the acquisition of the Arrowbringer includes the Pacific. Throughout June, it fought alongside Maersk Marines
hostile acquisition of a Russian asset caught in Ya- and TPA operatives in the Aleutian Islands and provided cover
kut waters. and surveillance support. Their first captain, Isobella Fermi,
was killed by chimera troops when they breached the command
> The Russians need to stop thinking the Yakutians are all dumb deck in late April 2083. After that, the crew petitioned for and
animals. Those individuals pulled a full-on infiltration and received recertification of the vessel to MNV Fermi in her honor.
takeover of the Arrowbringer by methods that have yet to be > Sounder
disclosed. The Russians attempted to file a piracy suit but failed
because they didn’t recognize the Yakut Nation. The Hellcats > It’s uncertain how the MNV Hellcat became part of Seattle’s
filed salvage rites, claiming they procured it from the Yakutians, independence movement, but most say it was the right place at
who verified this with the international courts. the right time.
> Kane > Broadside

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // HELLCATS

Operating Theaters > A major mana vortex manifested in those waters before the Great
Nap. Maersk, Evo-NT, and Shiawase also have vessels in that area.
As one of the younger mercenary enlistments, Something is there, and it has the attention of many folks.
the Hellcats are still growing. They’ve been operat- 93
> Plan 9
ing in their native Yakut for nearly a decade, build-
ing up their enrollment within the nation’s bor-

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

> Arrowbringer and a large pod of other submersibles are also in
ders, away from prying eyes. Their training teams
those waters.
report to senior officials and the owning partners
> Eeroo
four times a year and are involved in developing
and training a full-fledged reservist militia, some-
thing the Russians aren’t happy about. Future Operations
During the Disian Shadow War, it was discov- Currently, the Hellcats continue to fulfill mul-
ered that the Wizard of Olkhon was Disian and tiple security contracts worldwide, as well as up-
had been building one of the larger Harvesters be- grade their hardware and training programs. Ru-
neath the island, and it was the Hellcats who led mors are circulating that, starting in October 2083,
the charge to deal with the situation (see the Lethal the Hellcats will begin training and outfitting a
Harvest download for more details). new metro-police force for Yakutsk, Magadan,
and Severobaikalsk, working in tandem with con-
> Among the events leading up to the end of the DSW was the sultants from Eagle Security from Cheyenne and
utter slaughter of the Amur Tigers mercenary organization. Vedacorp out of Sri Lanka.
I won’t repeat their history; it’s there to read. During the

The Iron Cavalry

conflict around Baikal, the Hellcats provided direct support
for what turned out to be Disian-led forces. Several Amur and
Hellcat units engaged head-to-head on Olkhon, only to come Posted by: Liberator
under indirect fire from both sides. When the dust cleared, the
Amur Tigers were no more. I can confirm now that the Amur
Within the mercenary community, they’re
known by many names, most of them derogatory,
Tigers have suffered a ninety-eight percent loss, including all
such as Freak Show Brigade, the Fighting Circus,
leadership positions. Any remaining members have gone dark
the Zoo Crew, and the Animal House, just to name
and are being sought out with a zeal only rabid animals possess a few. And while they still have their narrow-mind-
(yes, I had to go there). ed detractors, in the past few years the Iron Caval-
> Balladeer ry has, through sheer grit and tactical acumen, also
earned the respect they deserve.
Active Deployments
Lake Baikal remains their largest deployment History
for months as they spearhead operations to root Known for being primarily composed of metasa-
out and eliminate any lingering constructs, chi- pients and SURGEd individuals, the Iron Cavalry
meras, or “world traitors.” They also oversee the formed in 2063 as part of the Hastings’ Guardians
transition and reparations to the region’s peo- mercenary command. Centered around the veteran
ples and along the Trans-Siberian Rail Corridor centaur mercenary Nikopol, the unit started out as
to ensure relief supplies and business operations the First Special Scout-Cavalry Regiment (SSCR),
return to normal as soon as possible. Evo, Wux- even though they were at best company strength at
ing, Eastern Tiger, and several subsidiaries of the time. It was originally considered somewhat of
Saeder-Krupp are using the Hellcats’ resources to a gimmick the Guardians could use more for PR
coordinate security escorts for shipping and per- and promotional purposes, sending the unit out on
sonnel transport in the corridor. what amounted to glorified sentry duty.
Most ground-based operations occur in East
Asia and North and South America. So far, their > There were also a lot of internal command problems, as no one,
maritime contracts are focused on the northern Pa- even the lowest NCOs and grunts, wanted to take orders from or
cific Rim, as far as Los Angeles and San Diego in work with a bunch of “animals and freaks.”
North America and, of course, the coast of Ecuador. > Colonel Cobra
The MNV Hellcat and her crew remain based
out of Everett Naval Station in Seattle for now, but Tired of such treatment and the overall lack
is set to relocate to Vancouver, if and when a differ- of aggressiveness from his chain of command,
ent contract is signed. The MNV Fermi is currently Nikopol began to creatively re-interpret his orders
escorting freight and research vessels between the and actively engaged enemy forces wherever and
Aleutian Islands and Kamchatka. The deployment whenever he could. The First SCCR quickly began
mission parameters and details are restricted. outperforming every other unit in the command
despite their command’s best efforts to sabotage

THE IRON CAVALRY // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 and rein them in. But success was the First SCCR’s put down roots and establish a permanent HQ in
best revenge. northern Greece.
Things eventually came to a head in 2063 when
94 Nikopol clashed with his immediate commander, The Disian Civil War
Lt. Colonel Robert Graham. While accounts vary
The true nature of the Disian threat took many
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

as to how the situation started, ultimately it ended

with Graham pulling his sidearm on the centaur … by surprise, including the Iron Cavalry. Unlike
and getting his ribs kicked in before going through most, they were approached early on by represen-
a wall. tatives of Grey Cell who tried to recruit them into
While cleared of any wrongdoing by the IMA, their ranks. Skeptical at first, that such a threat
the First SSCR was disbanded and all members even existed and on that level, Nikopol was even-
were released from service with the Guardians. tually convinced when Disian agents, afraid the IC
Rather than seek another command, Nikopol sim- would be used against them, attempted to remove
ply registered a new one with the IMA and the them from the playing field.
Iron Cavalry was born. While that plan ultimately failed, it was signif-
The new unit quickly earned their pay while icant enough to convince Nikopol that the threat
operating as a recon and raiding detachment in was real. He and the Iron Cavalry wasted no
hotspots, skirmishes, and brush wars in Eastern time pledging themselves to what eventually be-
Europe. They were so successful they were con- came the Defender Movement. During the Disian
tracted several times by various Saeder-Krupp Shadow War, the Iron Cavalry became experts in
subsidiaries and were even tapped by the UN to scouting the rough terrain and rural areas of Eu-
participate in raids against the infamous Winter- rope. Their primary mission was to seek out any
night terrorist group. This continued for the next Disian forces as well as any Harvesters being con-
several years as the Iron Cavalry’s ranks continued structed in the region.
to grow with new metasapient and even metahu-
man recruits. > Because of this, they also managed to avoid most of the
unpleasantness that was the Week of Death. Hard to go after
> They were also one of Lowfyr’s go-to units during the Dragon someone when they’re off in the deep forest and mountains.
Civil War. Reports are sketchy, and the IC won’t confirm, but > Hard Exit
there are rumors that the Iron Cavalry pretty much acted
like Gold-Scale’s personal hit-squad. But it wasn’t until their > They also played a vital role in supporting Grey Cell ops in the
contract in the Disputed Bosnian Territories (at the time) that area by gathering intelligence and establishing alliances with
the relationship with S-K started to sour. Supposedly Nikopol the various clans, tribes, and other nations that preferred their
was ordered to hit a target that was outside of the confines of rural homes. I even rode with them for a while through Hungary;
the IMA’s charter and Articles of War. Rumors say that when he we managed to avoid several chimera patrols on our way to
initially refused, a drake in S-K’s employ threatened to take it Budapest.
out on the unit’s dependents. Reluctantly, Nikopol complied, but > Traveler Jones
later chose not to renew that or take any more S-K contracts.
I’ve heard their actions in Bosnia still haunt Nikopol to this day. Those weren’t the only duties the Iron Cavalry
> Scattershot would perform during the Shadow War.
As the war commenced, Grey Cell discovered
For the next decade or so, the Iron Cavalry that a small percentage of chimeras were able to
continued to take contracts throughout Europe, resist the mental brainwashing part of the mutila
but in the early ’70s expanded their horizons and … conversion process and retained not only their
completed several contracts throughout the Med- memories but their very souls. An initiative was
iterranean, North Africa, and the Middle East. quickly launched to find and if possible extract
They were smart and avoided the Amazonian War these individuals from chimera control. Because
because the dense jungles provided too many chal- of their own unique status, the Iron Cavalry was
lenges for Iron Cavalry troops. made a key part of that initiative. Soon the IC, as-
sisted by Grey Cell operatives, were liberating doz-
> More like Nikopol saw the writing on the wall and knew a bad ens if not more of these chimeras. And those who
situation when he saw it. Which makes me respect him even more. wished to fight against their former masters were
> Colonel Cobra welcomed into the Iron Cavalry ranks. Together,
they became one of the most potent fighting forces
By this time, their ranks had also increased, as in the Disian Shadow War.
the IC was now a full three companies, which is
impressive considering how relatively few metasa- > First time I ever saw an Iron Cavalry raiding party with chimeras
pients and SURGEd are actually in the mercenary in it, I thought I was going insane. I was working with a group
trade. Previously nomadic, the unit was forced to getting refugees into Prague when a unit of Disian-aligned

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // THE IRON CAVALRY

 mercs augmented by about a dozen chimeras hit us hard. We > Word is that Nikopol is looking to retire within the next few
held for three hours and were almost ready to fold when, just years. Seems not even that old war horse can keep going
like their namesake, the IC came charging onto the battlefield forever. No word on who may replace him (yet), but his three
and tore into the enemy ranks with a focused fury that gave me sons are looking to join the ranks within the next year. 95
chills. Turns out they just happened to be in the area. I’m glad > Colonel Cobra

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

they were.
> Brutus Ex Mechina > I’ve heard that all the surviving liberated chimeras left the Cav
and departed to places unknown. Anyone have paydata on that
Soon, the Iron Cavalry became experts in fight- and where?
ing (and defeating) the Disians’ chimeras. But their > Flash Banger
finest hour of the Shadow War came when they par-
ticipated in and were a key component of Opera- > They have, and their current location is none of your, or anyone
tion: Rampart. During the battle, the Iron Cavalry else’s concerns. Leave them be or gain us as an enemy.
was vital in countering the chimera threat. Because > Iron Cav Actual
of the liberated chimeras in their ranks, the Di-
sian-controlled chimeras seemed to have a savage Tactical Doctrine
bloodlust regarding their former brethren. This was Despite their growing numbers, the Iron Cavalry
used as a tactical advantage as the IC was used to remains a highly mobile cavalry unit specializing in
not only draw out chimeras but force them into po- raiding actions and long-range extended recon op-
sitions and situations of disadvantage where they erations. As such they don’t possess any heavy vehi-
could be eliminated. And if that failed, the Iron Cav- cles such as battle tanks or artillery. The heaviest ve-
alry simply did what they do best: charge in. hicles in their inventory are a few APCs, IFGs, drone
During the Shadow War, the Iron Cavalry, like carriers, and several beat-up old half-track style
most Defender combat units, suffered significant trucks used to haul supplies to staging areas. The
losses. While they’re hesitant to give exact num- types of vehicles they do regularly employ are Mil-
bers, it’s estimated that the IC lost approximate- spec variants of the Tata Hotspur, Jeep Trailblazer,
ly thirty to thirty-five percent of its total combat and scores of ATVs. During the war, they were also
forces. Given that the majority of these forces were gifted several Honda-GM Diamondback light recon
various metasapients, their numbers have been dif- vehicles for added speed, range, and firepower.
ficult to replace. This, however, has been offset by Given their primary mission profile, the Iron
the fact that more … traditional recruits have been Cavalry prefers small arms and man-portable
joining the Iron Cavalry ranks in ever-increasing weapon systems. If it can’t be carried with a stan-
numbers. dard ruck or easily within the vehicle, it stays
behind. Weapons with shorter lengths such as
> About time the Iron Cav got the respect they deserve. bullpup-style assault rifles or short-barreled are
> Cayman preferred, but battle rifles serving as designated
marksman rifles are also common. For troops of
larger stature, such as trolls and sasquatches, heavy
Order of Battle weapons like machine guns and assault cannons
Throughout its history, the Iron Cavalry has are likewise common. For those of unusual stature,
never been a large unit and often took contracts as custom weapons, harnesses, and gear are typically
supplementary units to larger commands or to per- provided by their friends at Tactical Concepts.
form specific operations for a unit of their size and
type. They relied more on their exceptional skills > What kind of customs?
and experience rather than numbers. > Knucklebuster
At their peak before the Disian Shadow War, the
Iron Cavalry fielded between two and three hun- > For starters, we’ve made a custom battle harness for Nikopol
dred troops, roughly the size of an enhanced com- and other centaurs in the unit. Gyroscopic hardpoints on the
pany. This allowed the unit to remain mobile and flanks allow for weapons up to rocket launchers and MMGs to
relatively easy to maintain. With the introduction be mounted with space for ammo cases and attached belts, or
of liberated chimeras and the increased number a small drone rack, on the back. Drone software and smartlinks
of standard metahuman recruits into their ranks allow these weapons to be operated hands-free, allowing for
during the Shadow War, the Iron Cavalry’s num- other weapons to be employed. And that’s just the base model;
bers rose to approximately six hundred, organized we’re cooking up something new for them.
into three ad hoc companies. Post-war, despite bat- > Rifleman
tlefield losses, these numbers have remained the
same thanks to the influx of new recruits and wea- > With a little tweaking, those also worked quite well on a
ry veterans looking for a new command. liberated destroyer chimera I fought with during Rampart.
> Liberator

THE IRON CAVALRY // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

96
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Another tradition within the Iron Cavalry that Known Units

helps them stand out from other mercenary units
Like other mercenary units, the Iron Cavalry is
is their apparent love of melee weapons. Sabers,
going through a rebuilding, reorganizing, and re-
axes, spears, lances, and most notably the new line
of polearms from Cougar Arms are quite common armament period following the Shadow War. As
among the IC ranks. During the Shadow War, it was of this posting, these are the unit’s three primary
discovered that most of these weapons were espe- companies, at least for now. All three companies
cially effective against larger chimeras. It wasn’t un- have their own support staff and units as part of
common for centaurs or troops riding fast vehicles their TO&E.
to employ cavalry tactics that were more common
in medieval times than on a modern battlefield. Able Company
Commanded by Colonel Nikopol himself, Able
> Scary enough seeing a squad of centaurs with polearms Company was the first to complete their refit and
charging a battle line; it’s entirely another when you see a rearmament after the Shadow War. It also has the
modded-up Jeep filled with sasquatches and trolls with lances largest number of Iron Cav veterans and is almost
doing the same fragging thing. Normally, I’d call that crazy, fifty-fifty split between metasapient and metahu-
maybe even suicidal. But damn me if it didn’t work. man troops. Able is currently contracted by an
> Brutus Ex-Mechina anonymous employer to hunt down rogue (not
liberated) chimeras that are reported to still roam
> Something else to note. Despite all these crazy images of literally the dense forests near the AGS and Austria.
charging into battle, don’t discount the IC’s stealth and infiltration Designed to strike a balance between stealth and
skills when outdoors. When they’re not getting medieval on someone’s firepower, Able prefers to use Milspec models of ci-
hoop, they’re in the brush, completely invisible. Sometimes they’re vilian vehicles, primarily Jeep Trailblazers, various
simply watching and taking notes, other times they’re about to end trucks, and ATVs. This allows them to not only
your existence on this plane. One of the best scout-snipers I know is a traverse rougher terrain, but also leave a smaller
SURGEd dwarf who goes by the name Mighty Joe. Back in the ’60s, his operational footprint compared to armored and
arms and legs changed into something akin to an ape’s. Now he has
mechanized vehicles while consuming far less fuel.
zero problem moving through the woods or jungle.
> Balladeer

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // THE IRON CAVALRY

Baker Company the MET isn’t just a ragged bunch of mercenaries,
Commanded by Captain Eline “Mama Bear” but actually a full “Ersatzmilitär” (“replacement
del Ray, a SURGEd ork with ursine (or bear) like military”), with an army, navy, air force, and even
ears and senses, Baker is the heaviest and most limited access to weapons of mass destruction. 97
mechanized company in the unit and operates a

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

mix of APCs, IFVs, and drone carriers. While Able > Wait … what?
is more about balance, Baker is more concerned > Slamm-0!
with firepower. As such, Baker operates the heavi-
est weapons in the unit and is designed to operate > C5ISRM stands for command, control, communications,
with and support a larger, heavier assault force. computers, combat systems, intelligence, surveillance,
To operate these vehicles, Baker currently has the reconnaissance, and magic. It’s an advancement of the
highest number of metahumans, but still has at old US Army and NATO doctrine of C5I (command, control,
least three platoons of metasapients trained spe- communications, computers, cyber, and intelligence). It
cifically to operate as forward scouts and spotters. describes fully integrated warfare, which depends on the
Baker is currently in the middle of their refit cooperation and interconnectedness of reconnaissance,
and training cycle. Barring any emergency, they’re leadership, and weapon systems to create information
scheduled to go back on active duty in early 2084
superiority, leading to a joint military superiority on the
and are already considering several contracts in
complete range of military operations. Global Strike stands for
the Middle East.
the capacity to be deployed worldwide at any time, where “at
Charlie Company any time” depends on the customer and ranges from within
two hours and a week. Full-Spectrum Dominance also has its
Commanded by Captain Darrel Sawtooth, a roots in United States, CAS/UCAS, and Ares military doctrine.
wolf shapeshifter, Charlie is the exact opposite of It is the theory that true military superiority can only be
Baker in that they employ the least amount of ve-
achieved when there is full control of all dimensions of the
hicles and mechanized units, and boast the largest
battlespace. That means the physical battlespace (air, surface,
number of metasapients and Awakened in the unit.
Their primary function is recon, and as such most and sub-surface), as well as the electromagnetic spectrum, the
of the members operate on foot whenever possible information space, and the astral space. This theory earns a
or use light vehicles specifically modified for stealth. lot of criticism, because it is seen as impossible in symmetric
They’re also experts in “going dark” and use the warfare, outside of simulations.
bare minimum of wireless technology in order to > Colonel Cobra
help further prevent detection. Other than sat-
phones and a few wireless signal scanners, Charlie’s > Wiz, but not the question I was asking. What about the weapons
gear is extremely low-tech compared to modern of mass destruction?
Sixth World gear. Normally this would be consid- > Slamm-0!
ered a liability, but Charlie makes up for this appar-
ent deficiency with skill and magical capability. > I’ll elaborate on that later.
> Heisenberg

Mobile > Fragging kidding me …

Eingreiftruppe > Slamm-0!

2000 (MET2000) MET: The Full Story

Posted by: Heisenberg The German Bundeswehr was reduced in size
and capabilities, effectively becoming a territorial
defense army after German reunification and the
> I was wondering if someone was going to mention these slags. fall of the Soviet Union. While that happened, a
After suffering some bad years after the Amazonian War, looks loose idea began in some military and conservative
like they’re back and in full force. circles to form a German Foreign Legion, which
> Colonel Cobra would help Germany take a more proactive role
in international politics. These conversations never
Known as MET2K, MET2000, or “Mobile went very far—so they say. In fact, there are many
Intervention Force 2000” (in English). In the last myths, legends, and rumors about the formation of
several years they’ve been the victims of fake news, the German PMC. Maybe this idea existed, but the
misconceptions, and smear campaigns orchestrated founding of the MET2K was ultimately the logical
by their competitors. I want to bring you a native conclusion of the Seretech and Shiawase Decisions
German perspective on one of the few true private (1999 and 2001) and their German equivalents
military companies. If you haven’t heard it before, (1998 and 2011).

MOBILE EINGREIFTRUPPE 2000 (MET2000) // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 Despite what some historians claim, the Euro
Wars weren’t unforeseeable. The first plan for MET2000
creating the MET2K was made in 2030, months Shareholders Prior to 2064
98 before the war’s outbreak and pushed forward
AGS: 34%
by General Horst Stöckter (head of the German
IFMU: 21%
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

coup government 2008-2014), who came out of Ruhrmetall: 18%

retirement along with like-minded politicians and JIS: 12%
corporate managers. Stöckter saw that Europe, Ares: 5%
the crumbling remnants of NATO, and specifically ECC Eurotronics Consortium: 2%
Germany, were ill prepared for a full-scale war. Note: Remaining shares were free floating
While he would have preferred it, he already
knew that the expansion and modernization of
the Bundeswehr were out of reach. But addition-
al forces were needed for the upcoming war, and vance eventually slowed down because enemy Ji-
he didn’t care under what banner they were as- had forces switched to guerrilla tactics, the Euro-
sembled. He hand-picked officers and NCOs who pean forces made steady territorial gains, fighting
were disappointed by the state of the Bundeswehr their way down the Balkan. Other MET forces
(or expendable), as well as capable. On the oth- were sent with the French Foreign Legion to Spain,
er side, Germany and the Frankfurt Bank Associ- throwing the Jihadist invasion force back into the
ation (the main financiers), as well as IFMU and sea. Later, MET would participate in the liberation
Ruhrmetall (the main suppliers), negotiated with of the Mediterranean Islands and Greece.
the Japanese military (as the consensus represen- After the Euro Wars ended, the day-to-day busi-
tative for the Japanacorps). Specialized equipment ness as a corporation began. MET acquired real
was developed in corporate labs, within the SOX estate in Hanover and set up their new headquar-
radiation zone. After finances, officers, technology, ters. In the following years, Germany would sell
and equipment were secured, the only thing miss- MET former NATO, U.S., and Bundeswehr mili-
ing when the war finally broke out was personnel. tary bases and training grounds. Soon, their first
While Poland was overrun and the attack on assignments came pouring in.
Berlin was repelled, the MET (which hadn’t even It started with the short-lived South German
been named yet) began to gather and train recruits League (2038–2044) campaign and continued with
from various sources. Prior to this, assigned Bunde- action in Gobi, Kenya, and Peru. Then came regular
swehr soldiers, corporate forces, volunteers, and participation in the Desert Wars and contracts in the
Japanese “military advisors” (who brought some SOX (since 2053). There was also joining the Eu-
of the first military-grade cybernetics with them) ropean Crisis Group and operating alongside other
integrated into smaller mercenary forces. These EuroForce forces to pacify the Balkans (increasing-
volunteers had various origins. Some of them were ly since 2062). Protecting water supply at Hoch-
former refugees who came to Germany during the schwab (since 2054) became part of their long-term
Border Wars. Others were old veterans and reserv- contracts and provided a steady income. There were
ists, European Muslims, soldiers of overrun states, also temporary deployments in India, Russia, Cen-
and even disillusioned former UCAS soldiers, who tral Africa, and various locations in South America.
disagreed with defunding the military, downfall of The first big changes to MET came with the sec-
NATO, and the withdrawal from Europe. ond Crash of 2064. After the marriage of Emperor
Yasuhito and Hitomi Shiawase, Japan sold their 12
percent share to Ares, due to a conflict of interest
So It Begins: The Euro Wars between the MET and Tsunami (which Shiawase
A small contingent of proto-MET combat units had invested in). During and after the Crash, big
stopped a second major Russian offensive on Ber- German and European shareholders IFMU and
lin in September 2032. They became known for ECC became insolvent and were eventually divid-
their anti-armor ambushes, where they coordinat- ed up by the corporate sharks. The FBA managed
ed their artillery-spotting assets and missile infan- to secure IFMU’s share for themselves, becoming
try. With the help of this new mercenary unit, the the second biggest shareholder overnight. Yet the
Euro Defense Force was able to stop the last major MET continued to flourish, becoming the poster
Russian offensive in December 2032. child of the IMA, while earning the envy of their
After MET officially got their name, they re- competitors. Then, Bogotá happened.
ceived their first official mission to attack Neo-Ji-
had forces. In 2035, the now fully formed MET2K > Sounds like an ominous line from a disaster movie.
was deployed alongside the newly formed Ger- > Sunshine
man First Army Corps. Together they attacked
the “Sword of Justice” corps, penetrating nearly Even today nobody knows the full extent of
eighty kilometers on the first day. While the ad- what happened, but what I could gather is that

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // MOBILE EINGREIFTRUPPE 2000 (MET2000)

when MET accepted Amazonia’s contract, the cor- Based on IMA reports of MET and Tsunami
porate management overruled CMO (Chief Mil- sent to South America, only thirty-two and twen-
itary Officer) Adrian Geertz’s decision to send a ty-nine percent respectively were still “combat
small force. Corporate probably saw it as a big ready” when the war ended. The wounded and 99
promotion opportunity as it was the first major those needing furlough were sent home with the

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

war since the Euro Wars. All the others were either Third Division, while the rest refilled the Second
small skirmishes or civil wars, and the suits wanted and Fifth Divisions. This Pyrrhic victory for MET
to go all in. But apparently “all in” was misunder- had dire consequences. Because of the heavy loss-
stood by many. es, the IMA dropped MET’s unit rating, which
As mentioned before, MET had to withhold resulted in Ares and some minor shareholders
forty percent of their total strength for Germa- selling their stock. Again the FBA stepped in and
ny. Other forces were (and still are) committed to increased their share to forty percent. Because of
long-term contracts for the SOX and the Balkans. the reorganization to create the ad hoc task force,
Management had to shift things around, detach many of the other contracts were behind sched-
units from existing ones, put together new units ule, often due to insufficient personnel. In addition,
from fresh recruits, cancel minor contracts, or as- CEO Alfred Detweiler was fired and replaced with
sign other units. Richard Cronenberg (German Federal Minister of
What they eventually assembled was, more Defense, 2066-2074, and constant supporter of
or less, everything that was available, not every- MET) in 2074. In the following years, MET tried
thing that MET could bring to the table. Yet the to replenish their numbers while also fulfilling their
ad hoc task force, which consisted of three divi- open contracts. Fortunately for them, their failings
sions, one air wing, and a special fleet, increased in Bogotá didn’t have any major consequences on
their overall size—at least on paper. At that point their long-term contracts. Yet MET2K’s revenue
nearly all MET units were under strength, which stream became smaller despite making huge new
was later revealed by internal documents and investments. The rescue—so some say—came in
witness accounts. 2074 in the form of Angela Schmitt.
When the MET task force finally arrived, it
realized that a mechanized combined arms force > Schmitt served in the Euro Wars as part of the First Army Corps
was not a good fit for a mostly jungle environ- in the Balkans. She then became part of the EuroForce and
ment where the enemies used asymmetric warfare. fought a guerrilla war against remaining Jihadist militias, terror
So MET mostly deployed in and around Bogotá, cells, and nationalist insurgents. Her most famous exploit was
fighting Aztlan and other mercenaries, while only the destruction of one major terror cell near Sarajevo in 2060.
smaller units and their special ops fought in the Afterward, she was personally recruited by Nachtmeister to join
jungle. Then, in the final days of the war, MET forc- the ranks of FBA’s corpsec. Later she joined Sternschutz (private
es came in contact with forces sent by Tsunami, the
security and police replacement) after it was acquired by the
second biggest merc force at that time. Some say
banking corporation.
MET wanted to hunt down their biggest competi-
tor, while others say Tsunami wanted to dethrone > €spion
the IMA’s poster child. Here eyewitness accounts
get confusing. Unit commanders seemed relent- > Didn’t she also claim MET’s copyright?
less, and the soldiers bloodthirsty. The battle that > Stone
followed wasn’t a fight between two armies, but
a slaughter. Many have already pointed out that > No, that seems to have been a misunderstanding. The money she
dark magic, perhaps blood magic, was involved. “invested” into the company wasn’t her own, but loans from the
FBA. No copyright switched hands. Nonetheless, it’s a real thing.
> As I said back then, the whole area north of Bogotá is magically A mercenary unit is considered a business, and their name,
contaminated. Looking back, I’m not sure if this contamination accompanying logos, unit symbols, and so on are copyrighted
came purely from the magic that was wielded on the spot, or if it material. And with any company that goes under, someone can
was inflicted on the site from somewhere else. buy out said copyright. We’ve seen this process, for example in
> Winterhawk 2070, when the Thunder Corps was reestablished by a different
group, after the original unit was wiped out in Yucatan back in
> I mean, when blood magic is involved, you can guess where it’s 2062. But as Heisenberg has established, MET2000 was never
coming from. disbanded, nor had Germany any interest in disbanding or
> Pyramid Watcher reforming it, as this would put their privileges in danger. So for
Schmitt to completely take control over the whole MET2000,
> There are also some rumors that this was actually one of the claiming the copyright wouldn’t be enough (and impossible), she
first attacks from Dis on our world. Remember that some of the would need to buy the company outright—which didn’t happen.
soldiers who returned in 2081 were from that conflict. > Mr. Bonds
> Glasswalker

MOBILE EINGREIFTRUPPE 2000 (MET2000) // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 With new loans from the FBA, Schmitt request- deployed as a whole, but rather split into small-
ed to be put in command of the units that served er task forces. The Sixth Division, under Schmitt’s
in the Amazonian War. She was promoted and command, is considerably smaller than the pre-
100 formed the new Sixth Division from those veter- vious two. It’s usually deployed as a whole, or at
ans (later nicknamed the “Fighting Sixth” in En- least on assignments nearby, and is often deployed
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

glish-speaking media) and accepted a contract in as a quick response force on crucial missions when
Peru to hunt down ghost cartels. Not making the things go wrong and extra firepower is needed.
same mistake twice, Schmitt made sure the Sixth The last division isn’t numbered. Main Com-
wasn’t a mechanized infantry division but rather mand MET2000 (MCOM) in Hanover has the
a highly flexible “air mobile” division, capable of size of a division in itself, while obviously they are
jungle, guerrilla, and urban warfare. not an active combat unit and consist mostly of the
With her experience and the new unit reorgani- military leadership and its staff, the administra-
zation, she fulfilled this one-year contract in seven tion, and the medical as well as the training staff. It
months. Over the next two years, she and her new- also includes MSOD, or the MET2000 Special Op-
ly formed division accepted the most dangerous erations Division. This unit encompasses, coordi-
jobs in South America and Africa, which eventu- nates, and trains MET’s special forces worldwide.
ally restored MET’s reputation and prestige in the MSOD classifies their operations into two tiers.
world’s eyes. Tier One is normally black operations, while Tier
In 2079, MET gained an additional contract in Two is gray, which is on the edge of legality but
Kenya: protecting the Kilimanjaro Mass Driver. could be justified under the right circumstances.
Then finally on August 13, 2080, the FBA made MSOD encompasses three special units. First
their move. A major shareholder of the MET, is the Tactical Assault Groups, or TAGs, which is
Ruhrmetall and the German DocWagon equiva- a Tier One unit. This is your “normal” spec ops
lent BuMoNA, FBA initiated the friendly takeover unit, deployed for missions like anti-terrorism and
of BuMoNA by Ruhrmetall in 2076, and then hostage rescue. The second Tier One unit is the
they organized the fusion of Ruhrmetall, and the Recon Infiltration Commando, or RICO. RICOs
MET2000. Shortly thereafter, a new corporation are deployed in short, fast, precise missions or on
was formed from these three, called Trikon Hold- long covert operations. They are only used in black
ing. All three corporations still operate as indepen- operations with full plausible deniability, usually
dent entities, while Trikon functions as an umbrel- behind enemy lines. Typical missions are target-
la. All former shareholders of those three corps ed assassinations, recon operations, asymmetrical
accepted a stock swap, giving up their shares for and unconventional warfare, as well as direct com-
new Trikon shares. Trikon soon gained an AA rat- bat operations. The last unit is the CBRNe Ops.
ing and became one of the fifteen Eurocorps, that CBRNe stands for chemical, biological, radiologi-
is a member “state” of the NEEC. cal, nuclear, and enhanced (improvised) explosives.
While MET now is a Trikon subsidiary, they Because of their specialized skills, CBRNe Ops are
still operate as before. While Schmitt and her Sixth among MET’s most requested special forces, and
Division along with other units also participated in they work well alongside police, military, and gov-
the Battle of Detroit, they still have their long-term ernmental agencies. They are sometimes deployed
contracts and are still bound by their founding to actively use one of those threats against an en-
treaty and special relationship to Germany, who emy as well.
now owns shares of Trikon directly. A smaller Asia Command MET2000 (ACOM),
a legacy of when Japan was still a shareholder, is
located near the Osaka/Kansai Sprawl. It coor-
Order of Battle dinates all contracts and operations within Asia
MET2000 is organized like a traditional mil- and serves as the main logistics hub, medical cen-
itary with an army, navy, and air force. Its army ter, and training facility in the region. The small-
consists of seven divisions. The First Division, also er UCAS Command MET2000 (UCOM) was set
called Special Task Force SOX, protects the radia- up at the former Gander Air Force Base in Maine
tion zone and (first and foremost) the corporate re- (Newfoundland) in 2055. It serves as a logistic hub
search and production facilities within. The Fourth and saw “real action” for the first time during the
Division is located in Graz (Austria) and Sarajevo blackout crisis and MET’s deployment in Detroit.
and is part of the European and UN-Mission to
pacify the Balkans. > Motor City, thank you very fragging much.
The Third Division is located in Hanover and > Johnny Redline
eventually became the primary training and fur-
lough unit. For every European soldier, a “trans- The remaining navy and air force are often
fer to the Third” is a ticket home. The Second and overlooked. The navy consists of two fleets, both
Fifth Divisions are deployed worldwide to fulfill located in Bremen, which are usually split up into
the various contracts the MET holds. They aren’t Einsatzgeschwader (literally “mission squadrons”,

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // MOBILE EINGREIFTRUPPE 2000 (MET2000)

but internally called Task Fleets). Currently there now a 100 percent subsidiary of Trikon), the per-
are three active units: Task Fleet Adria in the Medi- centage of votes only changed slightly. There’s still
terranean Sea, Task Fleet Pitcairn in the North and the AGS, having 34 percent of the votes, with Dr.
Baltic Sea, and finally Task Fleet Madeira, operat- Isabelle Harder as the Aufsichtsratsvorsitzende 101
ing in the North Atlantic between Iceland and the (chairwoman of the supervisory board), alongside

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

North American East Coast. Germany’s current Minister of Defense, Maximil-
The air force has its HQ at Ramstein Air Base ian Huber, who still has a guaranteed seat with her
near Kaiserslautern, which is also home to the First on the board, while Richard Cronenberg is still
Air Wing. Its main mission is to provide air support CEO of the Vorstand.
and air surveillance for the SOX. The Second Air
Wing is based near Hanover, the Third in Sarajevo > That’s a lot of politicians sitting in a corporate boardroom.
and Graz, and the Fourth at Gander in Newfound- Wonder how long Trikon will tolerate that.
land, while a smaller training unit is also deployed > Clockwork
in Osaka.
Now, let’s talk weapons of mass destruction. > Just because they all smile in photos doesn’t mean they all get
Of course MET2000 doesn’t sit on a pile of
along. Cronenberg and Huber are from opposing parties, and
nukes. Back when Ares and Japan were still share-
while Cronenberg was always a MET supporter during his terms,
holders, there were agreements that under certain
circumstances MET forces could access their nu- Huber is in favor of the Bundeswehr, currently restructuring,
clear arsenals. Now those options are gone, as rebuilding, and undoing some of the failures and damage dealt
Germany is still prohibited from owning WMDs to them during Cronenberg’s time as Minister of Defence. They
because of the Two Plus Four Agreement of 1990. only work together because it was an order from chancellor
Yet MCOM still regularly considers if a limited Anikka Beloit and the Trikon leadership.
use of biological, chemical, or nano weapons might > €spion
be a valid solution for any given contract—though
only when the client provides potential access to Alongside them there is Sarah Danner, who rep-
them. It’s known among the German shadows that resents the FBA and about thirty-three percent of
when Proteus built their Treffpunkt: Raumhafen the votes, and Theodor Minzer, retired Oberst (col-
space station, they cooperated with Ruhrmetall onel) and the multiple-times-leónized 112-year-old
not only on the construction of station parts but Euro War veteran and corporate Methuselah, who
also on a secret project for orbital weapons. Some represents Trikon and their thirty-three percent,
rumors say that Ruhrmetall have also built their and sits on the board of Trikon and Proteus (where
own satellites, which MET2K could utilize. he represents Ruhrmetall/Trikon).
Another potential source for MET2K’s WMDs The military leadership prior to Bogotá was in
is that their CBRNE Ops may defuse any such de- the hands of CMO (Chief Military Officer) Adri-
vice they find (as ordered), but never destroy them. an Geertz, who was the first CMO not to serve in
Instead, they store them in an unknown location the Euro Wars. And while he was against sending
for when the time comes. a bigger force into the war, he was ultimately re-
sponsible for the operation. While he stayed as the
> What is this Winternight bulldrek! Is this fragger serious? CMO after the war, he showed a trait rarely seen
> Borderline in his position: responsibility. He felt that he failed
his soldiers, which is why he resigned from his
MET2000 as a Corporation post—at least, that’s what you hear from MET sol-
diers. The new CMO is his former second-in-com-
MET2000 was originally incorporated as a mand, General Ben Yıldız, a German-Turk and
so-called “ÖAG,” meaning a partly public stock son of one of the European Muslims who joined
corporation, with Germany and Japan being the the MET during the Euro Wars. But Geertz didn’t
two main national investors. It had extraterritori- leave the corp, as he became an active field com-
ality in Germany via national laws and eventually mander again—around the same time that Schmitt
obtained an A-rating from the Corporate Court. joined. Apparently, they don’t get along.
As a stock corporation, it has the typical German
two-tier board structure, with an Aufsichtsrat and > Some say Schmitt ultimately joined to take Geertz’s former job,
a Vorstand. But due to its military nature, it also
others argue she’s more than happy to be a field commander
has a military leadership, with the Chief Military
Officer (CMO) as its head. From its inception to and has no interest in joining the General Staff. There are
the Second Matrix Crash, its shareholders stayed also arguments that she joined on her own behalf, or on the
more or less the same. When the FBA became the behalf of Monika Stüeler-Waffenschmidt (commonly referred
biggest shareholder, it allowed them to orchestrate as MSW), CEO of the FBA. These rumors and the fact she’s still
the Trikon merger. And while the percentage of considered as a “stranger” by most of the troops (except her
ownership changed with that merger (MET2K is own unit) show that many in MET still distrust her. On the other

MOBILE EINGREIFTRUPPE 2000 (MET2000) // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 hand, Geertz still has the respect of most troops, even though, > Why in the frag is a Desert Wars team featured as prominent
or maybe especially because, he’s not in the news 24/7 and mercenaries? I know of better units that deserve the bandwidth.
his assignments are less prestigious. There’s a movement to > Flash Banger
102 bring him back as the CMO, and time will tell if he’ll have to run
against Schmitt for the job. > Because they don’t just do DW, they do other work. They’re also
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

> Red Anya known for fielding some of the newest, bleeding-edge gear and
weapons out there.
When looking at the corporate side, we can’t > Slamm-0!
ignore the fact that even MET, as a former A-rated
corporation and now subsidiary, tried to diversify Howdy, all! After our rebuilding year, Slamm-0!
itself and has multiple subsidiaries on its own. Of invited me here to give JackPoint an update on the
course, they have recruitment agencies in most of Eleventh Independent Armored Cavalry Regiment,
the major cities and sprawls on this planet, and a.k.a. the Steel Storm. Well, I can assure you, we
even merch stores, where you can buy cheap ap- are better than ever and chomping at the bit to get
parel or their official cameo patterns for your cars this season started!
and weapons.
When it comes to true subsidiaries, Argus is
probably the most well-known. A full-fledged in- What’s an ACR?
telligence agency for hire, with about 8,000 sal- For those who don’t know, an Armored Caval-
aried employees and a myriad of freelancers and ry Regiment is a brigade-sized armored unit cre-
sources, it’s headquartered on the former proving ated by the U.S. Army during the Cold War to act
grounds of Baumholder, now known as Zentrum as a self-contained reconnaissance and screening
für Auskunftsverwaltung (Center for Inquiry Ad- force for an armored division. We’re a combined
ministration). They provide several services like arms formation that acts as the forward eyes of a
normal intelligence, analysis, counterintelligence, division. We find the enemy’s recon assets and wipe
secret operations, and even military police service. them off the map. We then fix the enemy in place
Assault Cargo Lift was one of the first, founded while the heavier brigades push through our lines
back in the ’30s as a joint venture with Lufthansa and start rolling up enemy forces.
(now part of Mærsk). They own a fleet of armed This means we’re heavy on tanks and infantry
cargo planes, so MET can bring everything any- fighting vehicles. But we have our own artillery,
where. While the joint venture still runs smoothly, support, and air units. We’re light on infantry,
ESUS made a new bid to gain Lufthansa’s job, now which means we’re poorly suited to holding ter-
that Ares has left. rain. We’ll happily scout it out and kick the teeth
in of anyone who happens to be there, but we can’t
Steel Storm hold it.

Posted by: Papa Jazz The Renraku Incident

> Last season was a bit of a wash for the Steel Storm, as they had In the 2081 season of Desert Wars, we’d been
over fifty percent of their veterans either KIA or WIA the season contracted by MCT to act as the recce force for
before due to the Renraku cheating incident. It takes time to train their 109th Armored Division. We’d done pretty
new people, and it takes time to adapt to new equipment. This well, the Boss and the MCT general in charge got
coming season, I’m expecting a full-on force five showing from the along well enough for us to actually be involved in
Storm, and I’ve bets down to match! Papa Jazz is going to give us the planning of the larger matches.
a full rundown on how they’re doing. I’m confident those with an
eye for Desert Wars will see why I’m betting on the Storm. > Fair is an understatement. The Steel Storm was leaping up the
> Slamm-0! rankings of reconnaissance regiments and had even won a good
old-fashioned slugging match against a CAS armored brigade
> Did you receive the patches and merch I sent, Fred? The Boss with MacArthurs.
sends her regards, and the whole regiment appreciated the > Slamm-0!
show of faith.
> Papa Jazz > It was a couple of companies of MacArthurs, something like 35
spread throughout two battalions, but still impressive.
> Little Jack is running around shouting the names of your > Hard Exit
squadrons as he smashes things. And we can’t get him to take
off the Thunderhead hoodie. It was late in the season, and we had a match
> Netcat scheduled against Renraku’s Fifth Armored (Re-
con) Brigade. When the match started, we didn’t

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // STEEL STORM

notice anything different. My billet at the time was This year we’re back up to full strength. Well, we’re
as the EWO in a drone carrier, part of C Troop at the right numbers, but I’ll let this coming season
First Squadron. We went out ahead, on the east determine whether we’re at full strength yet.
side of the line of advance. I won’t go into detail 103
but suffice to say my troop was hit hard by enemies Armored Fighting Vehicles

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

we couldn’t see, then the rest of the squadron was
chewed up. Second squadron had the same thing There’re so many terms used for the various ve-
happen at roughly the same time on the other side hicles that make up a modern military force, so I
of our line of advance, and Third Squad took artil- guess I’ll do my best to explain the ones I’m using
lery fire that was far too effective before our own as I go along. AFVs are the main fighting vehicles
artillery got involved. Thankfully, gunships rolled we use—comprising main battle tanks and infan-
in and dealt with the artillery hammering Third try fighting vehicles and armored personnel car-
before clearing the areas around First and Second. riers. But it also includes command post vehicles,
Later we found out that the Renraku brigade drone carriers, mortar carriers, and more. I use
had cheated by hacking the spectator cameras to AFVs to denote the fighting vehicles, as opposed
target us (which is a major rules violation). We suf- to the armored service vehicles like the supply
fered a lot of casualties, and almost all the wagons tracks and armored recovery vehicles or engineer
of both First and Second squadrons were destroyed. vehicles. After the Renraku incident I suspect the
Thank ghost for our rigger cocoons and per- regiment would mutiny if we didn’t have anti-mis-
sonal armor, as the support people had a devil of sile systems on everything, so even our support and
a time extracting crews from tracks. They literally service vehicles have AMS now.
had to peel wrecked hulls apart to access the co- Let’s start where the rubber hits the road. The
coons. It was a dark nightmare filled with heat and main battle tank is the primary heavy hitter in any
smells no one should have to endure let alone for armored formation. We’ve traded away our old
hours, and that’s for the lucky ones. My legs were BAE Centurion IIs (many were wrecked anyway)
torn off by part of the hull of my carrier cutting for a ground effect combat vehicle—hover tank to
open my cocoon, so I had the full effect. the layperson. It’s like the MacArthur, but a little
less … well, it wasn’t designed by a committee who
> I had a lump in my throat as the air cavalry came screaming wanted to make the Uber-tank! The BAE Lance is
over the dunes. It was epic! I could see it was bad, but I didn’t fast and surprisingly maneuverable, plus well pro-
know just how bad until the feeds cut off. tected for a vehicle its size, and mounts a Ruhrme-
> Slamm-0! tall Dornenwerfer chemrail. In addition, there is a
coaxial HMG, a secondary remote mount on top of
The IMA had to enlist a whole battalion of in- the main turret, and some wicked electronic war-
fantry from one of the other units to secure our fare gear. We considered missiles like on a bunch
people, because every single one of us wanted of modern tank designs, but our Master Gunner
blood. Some of our crew are heavily augmented, advocated hard for applying the KISS principle.
and some of our mages are quite powerful. I heard The Lance has a crew of three, all of whom are
that it took almost a whole company just to guard riggers in cocoons buried deep within the wagon’s
twenty or so of our crew. hull. We naturally also field an Armored Recovery
The Desert Wars producers and the IMA, as well version, called the Lance ARV.
as some Renraku generals, went and dealt with We had been using Appaloosas as the basic chas-
the Fifth Brigade. Then the lawyers got involved, sis for our other AFVs, but we’ve now switched to
and a settlement was reached. I still don’t know another BAE ground effect model. The designers
how much it was, but I know the Boss hasn’t gone call it the “Killer Kitty” series, which makes most
through it yet. We’ve all been under the knife— of us cringe, but I can’t argue with their effective-
both for treatment and for augmentations—and ness. First you have the Tiger, our main infantry
we’ve finished replacing our destroyed vehicles. fighting vehicle. It’ll go anywhere the Lance will,
Operating as a single cavalry squadron last sea- but not as durable. But it’s a bloody IFV, so it ain’t
son hurt our standings but let us blood some new meant to be! The Tigers mount a nice autocannon,
troopers. The last eighteen months have been the again with coaxial HMG, and a vertical launch
hardest of my life, but they’re over now. Time to system (VLS). Each one has a crew of three, all rig-
look forward, and time to vent our rage. gers, and carries four fully outfitted cavalry troop-
ers. The Tigers are stealthy vehicles, and our cav-
alry scouts double down on that stealthiness with
Toys and Tools their ruthenium-coated armor.
Before I get into the nitty-gritty of our TO&E, Our APC is called the Lynx, and since it’s lost
it’s best to do a little show and tell. Due to our loss- the turret and most of the armaments—it has an
es, all we could field last season was a reinforced HMG—there’s plenty of room for a dozen people
cavalry squadron with a hundred or so wagons. inside, though it isn’t very comfy. Lynxes have only

STEEL STORM // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 a single rigger aboard, as they don’t really need the potential range of any unguided munitions,
a separate gunner. We also use slightly modified but there are times when lobbing sixteen artillery
versions of the Lynx as our field ambulance—the rockets at a target 120 kilometers away sends a
104 Nightingale—and we have an armored recovery useful message.
variant (called the Lynx ARV).
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

> Other times, the missiles speak loud and clear.

> Okay, I give up. What’s the difference between an IFV and an > Hard Exit
APC?
> /dev/grrl Our third artillery system is the Trebuchet, a
capable long-range missile artillery track. The Tre-
> One has a turret, the other has more passenger space. Not buchet has two VLS pods on the back that must
entirely that simple, but that rule of thumb works. be elevated vertically before firing. Currently, we
> Kane have surface-to-surface cruise missiles and theatre
ballistic missiles—both capable of attacking land
Our command post, or CP, vehicle is the and sea targets out to extended ranges. However,
Wretch—a Franken-track where it looks like a word is during this coming season we should be
shipping container tried to mate with a Kitty chas- taking delivery of the new Thales Spite and Wrath
sis. It’s ugly, but it has plenty of space for use as a low observable hypersonic missiles. These are a
CP. Again, it only has a single rigger, but this time ballistic and a cruise missile respectively, and the-
we have the option of installing more cocoons for oretically will double the range and quadruple the
whichever officer and their staff is using the CP to lethality of the Trebuchet battery.
jack into the net for greater fidelity and a swifter
decision-making cycle. The Wretch has a remote > I’ve seen footage of test firings of the Spite and Wrath from
operated HMG to defend itself. ship-mounted VLS. The fact you can get hold of them is
Our second most numerous variant of the Kit- extremely impressive.
ties is the Lion, an elongated version with space for > Bubbles
a driver in a cocoon, a commander, and four co-
coons for the drone/electronic warfare operators. Our last artillery system is the Crossbow, our
There’s also space for drone landing racks, and a theatre air defense (THAD) system capable of en-
refit/resupply system to do minor field repairs or gaging airborne targets out to over 500 kilometers.
rearm the drones. It’s basically a ground effect ver- It’s the centerpiece of our Stormfront aerial defense
sion of the GMC Chariot, though more durable. net, which integrates all anti-aircraft and anti-mis-
It’s also this larger variant we use as the base for sile systems into a cohesive whole with multiple
our combat engineer track, the Golem. redundant kill webs protecting the entire regiment,
The last two variants aren’t common but are and using M-TOC protocols to allow it to inte-
vital. One is the Longbow, our kinetic AA track. grate into similar systems used by other units we
I’ve been assured it’s the best CIWS on the market might be fighting alongside.
right now on a track with a VLS for SAMs. The
other is the Liche, our mortar carriers. They carry Aircraft
a 120 millimeter mortar and a shedload of bombs
for the damn things. We’ve been using the GMC Gryphon and Ban-
shee since we started, and honestly, I don’t expect
that to change any time soon. The Gryphon is
Artillery Systems our gunship, and with the nose-mounted Vendet-
We have four kinds of artillery systems with- ta rotary autocannon they provide peerless close
in our regimental artillery battalion, all of them air support for the regiment. The attack troops in
self-propelled on tracked chassis. Our primary Fourth Squadron are without a shadow of a doubt
artillery is the Catapult, a self-propelled medium some of the most balls-out fuckers to ever strap on
howitzer (155 millimeters in this case). The Cata- a LAV! Nape of the earth to them is high enough
pult has an AMS and an HMG in a remote weap- to decapitate a normal human, and their presence
ons station on the top of the main turret and has is always felt when the Thunderhead rolls in! Not
good sensors to allow for independent usage or only do the Gryphons have their big gun, but they
to enhance the capabilities of the regiment’s fire also have rockets and missiles and bombs of all
finder efforts. kinds. As a gunship the Gryphons are crewed by
For our medium artillery, we have the Onager. two riggers, one to handle flying the ship and one
It has four pods on an erector launcher capable to handle interacting with us on the ground. The
of firing several types of guided missiles as well Banshee has been a workhorse LAV since they re-
as unguided artillery rockets. The pods cannot be placed the Thunderbirds, and they are worth every
elevated above thirty-five degrees, which limits bit of the legacy of the t-birds.

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // STEEL STORM

> The Banshee may be an older design, but they’re still the with most vehicles, the missile tubes can be a li-
benchmark by which all other LAVs in the air are measured. ability, but most of the time it’s not a huge issue
Most come up wanting. and the added versatility helps. We’ve found the
> Turbo Bunny Gunrunner GR-02 to be a better platform for fire 105
support—usually we’ll mount grenade launchers

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

We use the Banshee as our do-everything bird. on them to use as micro artillery pieces. Our land-
All our utility/lift birds are armed with Vanquish- based drone fleet is rounded out with several Iron
ers as their door guns, and most of the utility Scorpion engineer drones, and lots of Proletarian
troops will happily strap on some missiles and go IIIs embedded within our entire service and sup-
get stuck in with the rest of the regiment. But they
port organization.
know their worth, and know that while we give
them shit, it’s a sign of respect. After all, it takes a For aerial drones, we make use of the LDSD-64
certain kind of pilot to fly a largely unarmed utility Condor as high-altitude OPs to look down on our en-
bird into a furball because they need to drop off tire battlespace. We also have FB Unicorns up to deter
ammo for a cavalry platoon. enemy air assets and drones, and we have HS Thun-
We also use the Banshee for our Medical derbolts embedded with our Air Cav attack troops.
Emergency Response Teams, something both We also have a dedicated rigger on our MERTs
the Boss and I brought across from the Brit- whose job it is to handle the quartet of Thunderbolts
ish army. Basically, take a flying trauma cen- escorting each one—not only to deter threats to the
ter, staff it with docs, nurses, and paramedics aircraft, but if the medics on board want a piece of
who’ve forgotten more than most ER person- terrain, the Thunderbolts get it for them.
nel will ever know, then give them an on-board Obviously, these are all large and medium
security detail who were born not knowing drones, which are not suited to a recon role.
what frags are, let alone ever gave one, who are For that we use the Lockheed Optic-X2, as it’s a
also wearing the most bleeding-edge hardened world-class recon and surveillance drone. How-
armor and carrying enough firepower to lev-
ever, we combine it with the FB Sky Command-
el a city block. Seeing those four apes thunder
down the stern ramp of the MERT birds, liter- er and HS Bat drones, allowing us to optimize
ally ready to turn you into a puddle of giblets our coverage. And since part of the job of being a
if you get between their medics and the casual- screening force is to eliminate the enemy screen,
ties… you feel it deep down. That sense of “oh we have a lot of Dragonfly-Alphas and Quadro-
fuck, I ain’t getting in their way!” combined tors to act as our offense.
with the knowledge that if you’re ever down,
so long as one of the MERTs can get to you,
you’re going to be fine. And trust me, I’ve been
Service Vehicles
that casualty. When Angel Flight says they’ve I’ve mentioned most of the armored service
got you, they’ve got you. vehicles already: the Nightingale battlefield am-
bulance, the Golem engineer track, and the Lance
> I’m looking over what I can find on MERTs, and they look like a and Lynx ARV variants. We also have a bridge-lay-
DocWagon HTR team on steroids. Four gunners, two advanced ing Lance variant, just referred to as the Bridger.
paramedics, a nurse, and a doctor. All level 1 trauma certified. A
And we have a Lynx variant with a flatbed that can
accept a wide range of hoists and tooling, allowing
good capability for a military unit to have.
us to move supplies on a chassis as mobile as our
> Galen
main combat forces.
We also make extensive use of cargo trucks,
> The Storm also has normal medevac birds; they save their
fuel tankers, and especially water bowsers. Most
MERTs for the worst cases. of the rolling stock in our logistics train is Ford
> Slamm-0! or GMC, with some designs from BMW. It com-
plicates the maintenance of those vehicles some,
Drones but they are based on normal vehicles you’d find
in any city in the developed world, so it isn’t too
We use a lot of drones. We’ve probably got
hard to service them.
as many drones as we do wagons, if not more. I We also have many GMC Trooper GPMVs.
should point out that we lost surprisingly few These are mostly used in garrison, but we do take
drones during the Renraku Incident, so many of some out into the field as they are part of the train.
our drones are a few years old at this point. But As a wheeled vehicle they’re easy to maintain and
don’t fix what ain’t broke. light enough to be flown around our area of oper-
We use the Ajax for our primary ground com- ation if needed. But they’re utterly crap for any sit-
bat drone, usually packing machine guns or au- uation where they’ll face anything but the smallest
tocannons, as they act in a direct action role. As of small arms fire.

STEEL STORM // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 Combat Gear way” more than milspec armor, miniguns with gun
and Personal Weapons shields on gyro mounts, and Ballista IIs.

106 The Steel Storm is a cavalry unit with caval- > DocWagon needs to up their game!
ry traditions. But we also have others within the > Kalbruin
regiment who aren’t cavalry. So, while in garrison
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

you might not see as many Stetsons as you might In terms of firearms, I guess the Boss got a good
expect from a cavalry unit, you’ll also find lots of deal with Onotari Arms a while back because that’s
berets of different colors. Out in the field, the only what we use currently, though I’ve heard rumors
difference between a cavalry trooper, a sapper, a Renraku is falling over themselves to get some of
medic, or an artilleryman will be the melee weap- them new Terracotta Arms Ferrus railguns to us.
on they have on them. We issue a combat knife as Until then, we’ll keep using our Kali II carbines,
standard, which can be used as a bayonet, but we War Hound assault rifles, and JP-K51 DMRs.
also issue a sword. The reason for this is twofold; We’ve a lot of Ballista and Ballista II missile sys-
one, it’s part of dress uniform. The second reason tems and some Trebuchet mortar systems, too. For
is some people like to fight with melee weapons, or our machine guns, we’ve gone with Ruhrmetall—
at least have one in hand. Mostly this is the Awak- MET2000 were a great advertisement for them,
ened—mages and adepts love to get them enchant- and the SF-10 and SF-20 work wonders for our
ed and make them an active part of their loadout. people. We use their Stachel as both the coaxial
But you have to remember, we’re a mercenary or- and top mounts of our tracks. We don’t have many
ganization. We take anyone who wants to fight, re- snipers in the regiment, as in proper snipers as op-
gardless of their background. Some of those people posed to designated marksmen in infantry squads,
are more used to a sword than a rifle. but those that we have use venerable Model 122s.
As a cavalryman, my saber is with my battle-rat- We’ve also large numbers of ArmTech MGL-6, -12,
tle next to my cocoon. However, you’ll see arming and -18 spread throughout the regiment, and the
swords worn by the artillerymen, our support and combat engineers have a few MGL-50s for those
services people are issued a falchion, and our com- situations where we laager up. We also have many
bat engineers take as much pride in their cutlasses Panthers and other assault cannons.
as we cavalrymen do in our sabers. Some of our We try to limit the number of random weapons
Awakened have other weapons enchanted for op- we use at any given time, as logistics wins wars,
timized use on the battlefield—both physical and but sometimes we don’t have a choice. Our loggies
astral—but even then, they still carry their swords. do what they can, buying and scrounging weapons
Everyone in the regiment is issued SecureTech and spares on the white, grey, and black markets.
Invisi-Shield armor (with thermal dissipation nat-
urally) as well as BDUs. Vehicle crews like myself
are also issued helmets and MEMS tactical vests as Anatomy of the Storm
well as SecureTech PPP for our shins and forearms I guess now would be a good time to go through
that slip inside our BDUs. Most of us who live in our TO&E and show you how we, as an inde-
cocoons have our pack, vest, helmet, and person- pendent ACR, have set ourselves up. Some of our
al weapon staged next to our cocoons for ease of subunits are substantially larger than one might
access; we’re supposed to wear our BDUs and a expect for a formation our size, but we must do
war belt with our sidearm and knife while inside everything, or as much of everything as we can, in
our cocoons. The RSM is constantly chewing out house. To do that, we have several subunits which
troopers who don’t. cover all our capabilities. They are:
> Not surprised, you folks need to be ready to literally bounce out
of your cocoons and get stuck in.
Regimental HHT
> Hard Exit 1st Cavalry Squadron (Hurricane)
2nd Cavalry Squadron (Typhoon)
For those who must dismount and fight, they 3rd Cavalry Squadron (Cyclone)
have big game hunter armor with MEMS har- 4th Air Cavalry Squadron (Thunderhead)
nesses plus helmets. This includes crew chiefs in 1st Artillery Battalion (Firestorm)
the birds, our service personnel, and combat en- 1st Combat Engineer Battalion (Dust Devil)
gineers. The Boss is trying to get enough suits of 1st Regimental Support Battalion (Blizzard)
mil-spec for all our scouts if nothing else, but right
now big game hunter with RACS is the best we can Regimental HQ &
do for standard issue. The only people in the reg-
iment who have mil-spec currently are the MERT Headquarters Troop
Apes, because nothing says “your existence means The HHT is where you’ll find the Boss—Colo-
less than nothing to me so get the fuck out of my nel Rachel Raddick—and her staff, as well as the

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // STEEL STORM

 107

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

executive officer Lt. Colonel Dermot McElridge Air Cavalry Squadron
and Regimental Sergeant Major Charles “Titan”
The Air Cav squadron is where most of our air
Leach. In the HHT you’ll find the usual “shops” assets reside. Outside the usual HHT (two Gry-
such as personnel (S1), intelligence and security phons and two Banshees), the squadron is made
(S2) and operations (S3), apart from S9 (civil af- up of three attack troops (fourteen Gryphons
fairs). We do have a few troopers who handle that, each), a utility troop (fourteen Banshees), and
but they’re purely a liaison to the IMA and Desert a drone troop (a Tiger, a Lynx, and eighteen Li-
Wars producers. This is also where you’ll find the ons controlling thirty-six Unicorns and fifty-four
Master Gunner, CW5 Niamh “Cloverleaf” O’Con- Thunderbolts). The only air assets not in this
nor, and the Master Signaler, yours truly. squadron are the MERTs, as they’re part of the
Support battalion.
> Before anyone asks, no, Colonel Raddick and I are not related.
> Point Guard
Artillery Battalion
Cavalry Squadron (x3) Our artillery battalion is considerably bigger than
a normal artillery battalion, as it has the THAD bat-
Each Cavalry Squadron is a combined arms tery and Stormfront system as well as the heavy mis-
formation consisting of its own HHT, three caval- sile battery. These would normally be division-level
ry troops (A, B, C), a tank company, an AA troop assets, but even though we are essentially a brigade,
(one Lynx, one Wretch, and fourteen Longbows), we still must have those capabilities.
and a drone troop. To break this down further, a We keep our artillery batteries simple. Each has
cavalry troop is composed of HQ section (two Ti- an HQ section and fire director/controller that
gers, one Lynx, one Wretch), three cavalry platoons comprises a Tiger, a Lynx, and a Wretch, and four
(six Tigers each), and a mortar section (two Liche). fire sections. In each of the three howitzer batter-
The tank company has fourteen Lance tanks and ies, the fire sections are four Catapults each; the
a single Lynx. The drone troop has an HQ section missile battery has four Onagers per fire section;
(two Tigers, one Lynx, one Wretch), three drone the heavy missile battery has four Trebuchets per
platoons (six Lions each). The squadrons have a fire section; and lastly the THAD battery has two
howitzer battery and a forward support company Crossbows and two Lynxes with the Stormfront
attached to them. system.

STEEL STORM // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 Combat Engineer Battalion the Distribution Company of the RSB, who serve
as the central logistics hub for the regiment, and
Sappers are crazy. Their job is incredibly varied,
anything the FSCs cannot repair themselves is sent
and often at the very front of our lines—it’s hard
108 to de-mine an area or clear obstacles from the rear,
to the field maintenance company for more exten-
sive and time-consuming repair work.
after all. Our switching to ground effect vehicles
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Our support battalion is far larger than you

for our combat arms has helped them, as there ar-
would usually find in a unit our size, in part be-
en’t many things that you can do to block a road
cause we have assets that normally would be at the
for us anymore. But they still must be protected
divisional level, but also because we stand alone. As
while doing their job. This means they’ve all sorts
mercenaries, we don’t have a national or corporate
of weird variants of the Lynx, the flatbed ones with
supply and organization to back us up. Thankfully
task-specific equipment on to allow a specific sap-
we have several private benefactors who support us
per team to do what they need to do. The Bridgers
are all found here, as well as several Lances and each season, along with IMA and Desert Wars funds
Tigers modified to help clear mines. from subscriptions, gambling, and our merchandise.
So far, it’s been enough to keep us afloat, along with
pay for actual mercenary services, but it sometimes
Regimental Support Battalion gets tricky. The Boss is determined to avoid any
An ACR is no different than any other military long-term partnerships with any nation or corpo-
organization—we need supply and support, and ration, including sponsorships and adverts on our
that means logistics. The Regimental S4—Lt. Col- wagons—something some units proudly sport. So
onel “Mad” Matt Docherty—commands the Sup- if you want to see the Steel Storm continue to rage
port Battalion. across the desert, show us some love. Because who
The RSB consists of the HHC, with all the usual knows, one day you may be in a jam, with the shit
staff and command functions for the battalion. I well and truly hitting the fan, and maybe the cavalry
should note that the Chaplain and his staff reside will be actual Cavalry. For the Storm!
here, though you’ll almost never find the Chaplain
in his office; he’ll likely be touring the regiment > I’m signed up for a Super Orichalcum Family Package for the
counselling those in need, or at the field hospital Storm, and I’m looking forward to seeing their full wrath. It’s
beseeching Allah to show His mercy to the righ- going to be EPIC!
teous warriors of the regiment. The Chaplain is > Slamm-0!
mundane, but seeing him call down the Almighty’s
blessings on the wounded, I sometimes wonder.
The regimental medical company sits within the
RSB. They’re the ones who run our field hospital
Tsunami Inc.
Posted by: Wicket
out of cargo containers and tents, and they do an
amazing job. We are fortunate that a lot of our
medical company’s personnel are Awakened, so we > In recent weeks, Tsunami has been hitting the promotional and
get the benefit of ritual healing magic and excep- recruitment trail hard, hoping to fill holes left after the Disian
tionally skilled and experienced medical profes- Civil War. Most of the following was lifted right from their main
sionals. The MERTs of Angel Flight also sit here, sales and recruitment site.
and they are the only birds in the regiment with the > Colonel Cobra
Red Cross on them (alongside our armored am-
bulances, aid stations, and the field hospital). The Tsunami Incorporated, typically referred to as
Geneva Conventions have largely been done away “Tsunami Security” or simply “Tsunami,” is a pri-
with in modern times, but the one about attacking vate military corporation based in Kurihara, Miy-
or harming medics showing the Red Cross or Cres- agi, JIS. A once proud and efficient private military
cent being a war crime is still in full effect. Woe force based out of the Japanese Imperial State, the
betide any Desert Wars units who do that! corporation has recently reemerged as a prom-
inent figure in the private security and military
> The IMA stripped an entire infantry battalion of their industries. Tsunami was a shell of its former self
accreditation and aided in their prosecution at the Hague a few for some time and struggled to return to its for-
years ago, after one of their fire teams “accidentally” shot up an mer glory after being devastated by the Amazonian
ambulance. They’ve got a zero-tolerance policy for drek like that. War. The Japanese security division lost a nearly
> Colonel Cobra unfathomable amount of personnel and billions
of nuyen worth of arms and armament during the
The RSB has six forward support companies, war. To this day, industry analysts are shocked that
who are attached to the other squadrons/battal- the security firm even still exists, as some experts
ions and form the logistics trains for those units. claim that Tsunami lost approximately 98 percent
The FSCs themselves receive their supplies from of its operational capability during the conflict.

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // TSUNAMI INC.

> Captured Tsunami gear became a bit of a trophy vogue for AZT War. When the conflict broke out between Aztlan
troopers after the conflict. There are photos from journalists at and Amazonia, Tsunami quickly accepted multiple
shrines with entire stands of Tsunami rifles lined up by the altar. contracts from the Amazonian government. Tsu-
> Southlander nami contractors were largely charged with hold- 109
ing newly taken strategic points at the forefront of

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Today the firm is led by Maki Anderson, a fresh- the conflict. This meant lucrative contracts, but in-
ly installed leader who is credited with possessing credibly dangerous tasks. Tsunami contractors in
a superb business acumen. Anderson is loath to the field suffered high mortality rates, as they were
call herself a “General,” believing it to be an un- stationed where the fighting was most intense, and
suitable title for her vision of the company’s fu- reinforcements were not always an option. When
ture. She changed her title to “Administrator” and Aztlan made their push into Bogotá, Tsunami
works tirelessly to expand Tsunami’s global reach. troops were quickly and thoroughly routed by Az-
Currently, Tsunami operatives are most com- tlan forces.
monly found protecting high-value nouns (peo-
ple, places, and things) around the globe. Recently > Huh … no mention of the clash with MET2000. Interesting.
however, the company has stunned the industry by > Marcos
returning to mercenary work, taking on multiple
small to mid-level direct conflict contracts. Still, Tsunami’s forces were generally well-re-
garded in the aftermath of the war, with accounts
History of them refusing to back down even when up
against insurmountable odds being a common tale
Tsunami Incorporated, originally named Tsuna- told among Aztlan veterans when asked.
mi Security Services, was founded by Kazuo Kubo,
a former Japanese Imperial Marine, bodyguard, > Ah, sorry, no. Aztlan didn’t hold them, or anyone for that matter,
and shadowrunner. Kubo intended the firm to be a in high regard. Tsunami got their hoops handed to them, but
small-time outfit that primarily dealt with protect-
it was more by MET than Aztlan. And no mention of the blood
ing VIPs with deep pockets. The founder wished
for his newfound security company to be easy fever. Typical.
money for him and his handful of agents. Unfortu- > Deadline
nately, this was not meant to be.
Kubo was a fantastic networker in his previous But while the reputation of the dead was in
career, and the contacts he made found themselves good order, the reality of the corporation was far
in similar situations as their old friend Kazuo from it. Though he was advised by the board of
as the years went on. Indeed, many of his close directors to obfuscate the number of dead when
friends and business associates had found their speaking to the public, behind closed doors Kubo
way into high-level management positions at vari- was well aware of his troops’ disposition.
ous AAA-rated corporations. And so, the calls nev- Kazuo never recovered from the shame, and
er stopped. though his reputation among shareholders was
At first, this was good news. A flood of contracts, still in good standing, the old Imperial Marine
close protection detail after close protection detail: never could forgive himself for not being there in
it was everything Kazuo had imagined. The nuyen the fight with his troops. The Founder of Tsuna-
flowed into his accounts like water into a barrel. mi became obsessed with rebuilding his company
But soon, he was getting calls for bigger contracts, and began a massive recruiting push. The standard
more violent missions, more in-depth jobs, and the veins were tapped for new recruits, with mixed
nuyen being offered for these contracts was … un- success, and eventually Kubo would do something
real. Soon Tsunami Security Services was incorpo- most unusual: He went to Yomi Island and began
rated, rebranded, had accepted sizable investments recruiting oni en masse.
from corporations like Renraku and Shiawase, and Not much is known about what happened af-
was now better known for their mercenary outfits terward, and only rumors persist of Kazuo Kubo’s
than their protection details. final days. Many stories about him exist from this
The new Tsunami Inc. cemented itself as one of time. For example, it is said that he fell in love with
the best mercenary corporations in the business. an oni woman, had a son, and became a changed
Accepting contracts around the globe, and seem- man. Other stories about him training a specialized
ingly involving themselves in every armed conflict oni unit or becoming friends with a rogue AI, seem
that graced the news reels, the company became to change every time they are told and are likely
known for fielding well-equipped operatives who just fantasy. What is known for sure is that certain
were as professional as they were merciless. shareholders were not pleased about the recruit-
This good fortune would not last forever, as ment of oni into Tsunami’s ranks, and some were
the company would suffer a cataclysmic fate when very vocal about this distaste. Two months after
they chose to dive headfirst into that Amazonian the Yomi Island recruitment began, General Kazuo

TSUNAMI INC. // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 Kubo was found dead in his office. The cause of > According to some of my better sources, Maki Anderson’s
death was listed as suicide, and the autopsy photos installation was pushed heavily by Renraku, the majority
showed it clearly suicide … by a gunshot wound to shareholder of Tsunami. Maki’s connection to Renraku is
110 the back of his head. unclear, but based on my observations of her, she doesn’t
appear to be a Renraku agent. Perhaps she promised Renraku a
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

> Absolutely crazy stuff. more favorable cut? Perhaps ’raku was just damn tired of all the
> Plan 9 failures appointed before her? It is unclear at this time.
> Wicket
> I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.
> Snopes
Current Events
> Nope. No shoes. Just a barefoot sad story. I will say there’s some Like many mercenary units at the time, Tsuna-
potential about the whole oni recruitment, sure. I mean, that’s mi was somewhat paralyzed by the contract freeze
just weird for a traditionalist Japanese soldier. Weirder when imposed by IMA and backed by the Corporate
you consider political relations between the island and Japan.
Court. This meant that throughout most of the
Disian Shadow War, they spent most of their time
> Plan 9
on the sidelines, heading back to their home bases
until the matter was resolved.
> No theories, then?
This was until March 2083, when it was ru-
> Snopes mored that Tsunami’s leadership met with repre-
sentatives from Renraku and Grey Cell. The ex-
> No evidence, but I can smell weird a thousand kilometers away, act details of that meeting are still unknown, but
and I smell weird. I just don’t have any idea what or why. large detachments of Tsunami military forces were
> Plan 9 shipped out to parts unknown and remained that
way for several weeks.
> Then start by putting a gun to the back of your head. That’s The next confirmed sighting of these forces
not how you commit suicide. Even less so when you follow was during Operation: Cold Fury, when those
traditional codes and own the proper blades. units fought alongside the Free Marine Corps and
> Sam-R-Eye other units in Antarctica to secure an Aztechnolo-
gy black site. By all accounts, Tsunami acquitted
> The suicide isn’t the mystery, here. That was obviously a coverup. themselves well during that operation, although
The question is why he went recruiting persona non grata. there are rumors that Tsunami commanders were
> Plan 9 too conservative in their attack strategies and put
off the heavy fighting to the FMC and other units,
The oni recruited by the late Kubo were ex- allowing them to remain relatively and compara-
pelled, post haste, from the ranks of Tsunami and tively unscathed when the operation was over.
the company faded into obscurity. The few agents
who remained, numbering in the low sixties, pri- > As captain of one of the many private ships that composed the
marily worked in the Matrix Security Division. For naval detachment for Cold Fury, I can confirm that there was
years, nothing significant happened to Tsunami Inc. friction between the FMC and Tsunami leadership. The free
A number of leaders were installed and promptly marines wanted to push hard and seize the tactical initiative,
terminated, having failed to do anything of note. It but the Tsunami commanders seemed more concerned about
seemed as though the company was doomed to be maintaining “good battle order” than achieving objectives. This
picked apart by the shareholders. That is, until the could simply be that the FMC and Tsunami have radically different
appointment of Maki Anderson. styles when it comes to warfare. But more than once FMC and
Anderson, a savvy businesswoman with a other units got the drek shot out of them because Tsunami
background in Matrix security, is the new head refused to move and support until they were good and ready.
of Tsunami. Her work thus far has been that of > Broadside
an incredibly clever leader. She has bolstered per-
sonnel through a foreign-egion-like unit, offering
professional references (or sometimes even just Corporate Structure
outright employment) to the highly selective Jap-
anese AAA corps in exchange for service to Tsu- The Board
nami. She has ensured that state-of-the-art tech is The official ranks of Tsunami are currently in
at Tsunami’s disposal, despite their lack of sub- flux as the organization undergoes radical chang-
stantial income, in exchange for field-testing their es under its new leader. One thing that is certain,
shareholder’s goods. And she has proven to be a however, is that the Tsunami Incorporated Board of
cutthroat negotiator. Directors hold the reins and have the final say. The
board is responsible for overseeing Tsunami and

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // TSUNAMI INC.

its assets and has been directly appointed by the was put in charge of the Internal Security Division,
corporate shareholders who own the security firm. the arm of Tsunami charged with rooting out cor-
The edicts laid down by the board are funneled ruption and protecting the company’s leadership.
through the head of Tsunami operations, currently Below is a brief overview of the current Retain- 111
Maki Anderson, and are expected to be executed ers for Tsunami’s divisions:

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

with expediency and efficiency. During the times of
Kazuo Kubo, the board were very much advisors, > A note, as it is currently an important element of the politics
“toothless” some might say, second to the founder within nu-Tsunami, Koriyama is rumored to be Anderson’s
of the organization in every respect. After Kubo’s longtime lover. I’m here to tell you that it is not a rumor, it is
mysterious passing, the board hit the ground run- the truth. Anderson wants her beau close. Normally, I might
ning and grew fangs. Currently, the overseers of fault her, but I can’t say that I’d trust the corp that zeroed
Tsunami are known to be unforgiving and harsh
out its founder either. Putting Koriyama, a Japanese Imperial
to an almost tyrannical degree.
Marine Special Forces veteran and rumored former agent
of the Imperial House itself, in charge of protecting her and
> Sounds like any Japanese corp to me.
rooting out the ne’er-do-wells, is a good idea regardless of their
> Baka Dabora
relationship. Still, his placement has ruffled some feathers, and
> Hey, merc work is a service industry. some of the long-serving Tsunami crew feel slighted.
> Beaker > Wicket

> I’ll be sure to let the kid who pulls my soy slushies know they’re Hideki Koriyama, Retainer
a sugar mercenary. of the Internal Security Division (ISD)
> 2XL A tall, muscular Japanese man who appears to
be in his early thirties, Koriyama is Maki Ander-
The Administrator son’s rumored lover and is the head of its internal
security forces. Hideki was a longtime servant of
In the internal documents I’ve acquired, Maki the Imperial State and bears the scars to prove it;
Anderson is referred to as the General of Tsunami even his clean-shaven head is marred with deep
Forces. Anderson herself has expressed a level of scars. During his short tenure as a Retainer, he has
disdain over this title, feeling that it has aged poor- proven to be a competent manager of his forces
ly and is not fitting. Anderson is more frequently
and has placed a great emphasis on secrecy among
referred to as “Colonel,” her former rank within
his staff. The ISD agents under his command rarely
the Japanese Imperial military, in internal com-
speak of their duties to fellow Tsunami members,
munications. The newly installed leader is in the
and are quickly gaining a reputation as insular,
process of changing her official corporate title to
cold, and frightening.
Administrator of Tsunami Incorporated. Regard-
less of what she is referred to as internally, Ander-
> Of all the people she could have had for a bedmate, her own ISD
son is the highest-ranking member of Tsunami and
is the most powerful member of the organization. leader couldn’t have been a better choice.
She answers only to the board and has been given > Thorn
the responsibility of restructuring and revitalizing
Tsunami Inc. > Sure. Until someone else thinks it’s a little suspicious when the
boss is dating the accountability department.
The Retainers > Dr. Spin

Directly below the Administrator are the Re- > Ah, but who will you report it to?
tainers. Sometimes referred to as Bannermen or > Thorn
Commanders, these are the leaders who most Tsu-
nami personnel will know by name or reputation. Arnold Klippinger, Retainer
Retainers are charged with leading divisions of
of the Intelligence Division (ID)
Tsunami Inc. Historically, these were loyal com-
panions of Kazuo Kubo who were entrusted with The sole non-Japanese member of the Tsuna-
helping lead the company to prosperity. In the pres- mi command staff, Klippinger was a friend of Ka-
ent, their ranks are composed of the longest-serv- zuo Kubo and has served as the “spymaster” for
ing Tsunami operatives who have demonstrated a Tsunami since its inception. The American-born
high degree of expertise, with one notable excep- Retainer is a convicted criminal in his country of
tion. Upon her elevation, Administrator Anderson origin; charged with espionage and treason by the
immediately appointed a close confidant to a cov- UCAS government, his freedom was purchased by
eted Retainer position. A man named Hideki Ko- Renraku for an undisclosed amount. Since then,
riyama, a longtime companion of Maki Anderson, he’s made his home in the JIS, working for Renra-

TSUNAMI INC. // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 ku and the Imperial family in special circumstanc- amored with modifying and installing any num-
es. As a Retainer he is said to be taciturn and has ber of custom cyberware pieces to her already
a quick temper. Since his friend Kubo’s suspicious heavily augmented body.
112 demise, he has expressed a great deal of distrust to-
ward the corporate shareholders. Surprising as it is > It’s easy to dismiss Itsuko as another corp-brat running away
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

that he still retains his position, it is unknown how on her own just to piss off her parents, because it’s true. What’s
much of that has to do with how skilled he and interesting is that it’s not the whole truth. She’s got more
his operatives are at thwarting attempts on his life. going on than you might think, certain needs the company
can’t provide for, and actually does live up to her reputation. If
> This guy is a survivor through and through. If you do shadow Tsunami, or her own private compulsions, don’t get her killed,
ops for Tsunami, there’a a good chance this is the guy doing the she might be one of the greats in the years to come.
hiring, and maybe a fifty-fifty shot whether it’s for the company > Shinda Kogo
or Klippinger himself.
> Saturday Jones Tokuo Watari, Retainer
of the Armor Services Division (ASD)
> He’s got a lot of favors to call in, both within the UCAS and JIS,
and if rumors are true, with the Japanese Royal Family itself.
The silver-haired leatherneck who oversees the
Tsunami combat vehicles, drones, and automated
Just something to keep in mind.
combat applications, Tokuo is a loyal and boorish
> Shinda Kogo
man. Along with Eto and Klippinger, Watari was
one of the original members of Tsunami and was
Jorge Eto, Retainer a good friend of Kazuo Kubo. The Retainer of the
of the Military Services Division (MSD) ASD spent the majority of his life in Japanese Im-
Eto, an enormous man by any standard, was perial armor divisions before being reassigned to
born to a Japanese father and a Puerto Rican oversee combat drone applications for the Impe-
mother. He is an old soldier, having seen more bat- rial military. Tokuo works closely with Jorge Eto,
tlefields than many have even heard of, and was a his oldest friend, and is known for being a curt and
close friend of Kazuo Kubo. Jorge is one of the few offensive man who would nevertheless die for any
Tsunami agents to have made it back alive from one of his soldiers if need be.
the Az-Am War, and only because he was called
home from the frontlines to assist Kubo with ne- > A reputation well earned. Any of his men would be glad to die
gotiations for another prospective contract. The for him. Rare to find leaders in the front, but damn if Watari
Retainer of the MSD bears the shame of not dying isn’t that kind of old warhorse.
on the field with his men, and of being unable to > Red Anya
save his friend Kazuo, with immense sorrow. He is
a somber figure, a skilled leader, but many say he Taeko Uechi, Retainer
has lost his acumen with the passage of time. This of the Financial Services Division (FSD)
is only ever said outside of Eto’s earshot, though.
The tall, lithe, and immaculately manicured
form of Tsunami’s financial powerhouse is a com-
> Whether that’s out of fear, respect, or both is anyone’s guess.
manding presence in any room that she occupies.
> DangerSensei
She is sometimes referred to as the “Devil in High
Heels.” Taeko is as gorgeous as she is ruthless and
Itsuko Iwata, Retainer
is in charge of all of Tsunami’s financial matters.
of the Matrix Services Division (MXSD) From the final signature on contracts to the wages
The youngest member of Tsunami’s lead- of those in her own organization, the money flows
ership team, Itsuko is a petite Japanese wom- through her. Uechi is always seen dressed immac-
an who has been described as a savant and as ulately, sporting impossibly expensive name-brand
having a dangerous addiction to cyberware. She attire with a countenance so flawless that one
is the daughter of a prominent Iris Firmware could mistake her for a painting. The bolt of silver
executive, and most think she earned her posi- that runs through her hair is the only sign that she
tion through nepotism. While this is not entire- might be a day over thirty. She has been known to
ly false, there are few, perhaps none in her age hand-pick male Tsunami agents to be her “body-
group at all, who are more skilled at navigating guards.” The FSD Retainer has been quick to warm
and exploiting the Matrix. Her mother’s sta- up to Maki Anderson, stating that she sees “a lot
tus within the Renraku subsidiary undoubtedly of herself” in the young lady.
opened doors for her, but it is Itsuko herself who
walked through them. As a leader, there is room > You’d save us a lot of time if you just said she was a black widow.
for improvement. She is said to be distant, diffi- > Thorn
cult to communicate with, and is often more en-

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // TSUNAMI INC.

> She doesn’t discard her lovers in any lethal capacity, if that’s > I wouldn’t call them assassins, at least by design, but they have
what you mean. And word is all that control is constant, silenced a few “security threats” in ways you’d equate to wetwork.
bedroom to boardroom. You’re talking about someone with > Icarus
ruthless control who never stops loving it. Even her body is a 113
testament to her desire for everything to be just so. In some Intelligence Division (ID)

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

professions, that’s an asset, but in one’s personal life, I have to
Workforce: 70-100 (est.)
wonder what strain that creates.
> Red The spy nest of Tsunami, the Intelligence Divi-
sion is the hub of clandestine operations and duplic-
> Personal experience? itous action within the corporation. Spies, or intel-
> /dev/grrl
ligence operatives, are not offered for direct hiring
by clientele–spy services are not the sole service that
Tsunami offers. Instead, the ID is expected to assist
> Not remotely. Secondhand info, for what that’s worth, and my
and support all Tsunami divisions across the board,
own speculation.
meaning that its value proposition is that from the
> Red MSD to the FSD, there is a possible involvement
of Tsunami spy forces that have paved the way for
The Divisions greater operational success. ID staff are given a
great amount of autonomy, as most spies are, and
These are the specialized units that the aforemen- only answer to their Retainer, ISD operatives (when
tioned Retainers oversee. It is here that the compa- necessary), and the Administrator herself. Most in-
ny’s many services live and are showcased to pro- telligence agents, from what can be gathered, have
spective clientele. These divisions have not changed a surprising corporate lifestyle in comparison to
since the corporation’s inception, with all of them many of their equivalents across the private mili-
having been put into place by Kubo, even prior to tary industry. Many report to the Tsunami HQ on
the IPO of his firm. With the exception of the Finan- a day-to-day basis and are sent out on assignments
cial Services Division, there is no set number of op- when deemed an appropriate fit. Upon relocation
eratives assigned to each outfit, but by nature, some for said assignment, they’re left on their respective
are staffed more robustly than others. duties for as long as necessary, extracted by Tsu-
Below is a brief overview of the current organi- nami forces, and are typically returned to Tsunami
zation of Tsunami Inc.’s Divisions. HQ for debriefing. The ID is seen internally as a
support division, whose purpose is to ensure that
Internal Security Division (ISD) other divisions are as successful as possible in the
course of their duties. Externally, the ID is viewed as
Workforce: 200 (est.)
a second-class intelligence outfit, and there is some
As the name would suggest, this is Tsunami’s truth to that claim.
internally focused, secret police entity. The Internal
Security Division, usually referred to by the initials > I don’t know that they’re second-class, per se. Spies? No. Intel
“ISD,” is responsible for the oversight of all Tsuna- and recon? Sure, they’re good at that.
mi Inc. personnel and the protection of high-val- > Fianchetto
ue Tsunami staff and/or leadership. Their typical
day-to-day activities are largely classified and are Military Services Division
difficult to ascertain, but it’s known they perform
internal security audits, arrest and interrogate staff Workforce: 8000+ (est.)
who are accused of corporate espionage (or other The largest division of Tsunami Inc. and its main
things deemed harmful to the corp), and are ru- offering to prospective clientele, the Military Ser-
mored to carry out assassinations and/or execu- vices Division is the combat applications branch of
tions of Tsunami staff deemed “disposable.” Op- the corporation. After the devastation of the Ama-
eratives of Tsunami Inc. and outside observers are zonian War, the MSD lay in ruins for years, boast-
highly unlikely to witness the ISD agents acting in ing a staff of no more than 100 bodies at any given
their more secretive capacities, and most only ever time. With the recent appointment of Maki Ander-
catch a glimpse of this elusive division’s staff when son, however, the MSD has seen a stunning rise in
they are assigned to Personal Protection Details of employees in a very short amount of time. Ander-
Retainers or the Administrator herself. In this more son’s connections to the Japanese Imperial Military
official capacity, they are largely indistinguishable and some clever recruiting tactics have led to this
from most bodyguard-like entities seen in the cor- revitalization of the division, which has permitted
porate world; ISD PPD agents wear attire fitting to Tsunami to truly reenter the private military indus-
the environment their principal is in and are armed try. Currently the Military Services Division is orga-
with state-of-the-art weaponry and armor. nized into three general subdivisions.

TSUNAMI INC. // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 Ground Forces (Infantry) Tsunami operatives in the Foreign National
Named so because Founder Kubo frequently Infantry are housed separately from other MSD
referred to them as the “boots on the ground,” staff, are not given any security clearance, and
114 these are the highly trained infantry forces of Tsu- each squad is overseen by a commanding officer
nami. These forces are organized into platoons of from the Ground Forces–not the Foreign Service
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

approximately sixty operatives apiece. Any opera- Ground Forces ranks themselves. These troops
tive wearing the ground forces patch is a qualified are among the cheapest services that Tsunami of-
professional who is personally vetted, trained, and fers, but they are not permitted to be hired with-
owned by Tsunami Inc. The ground forces are out- out at least one platoon of Ground Forces op-
fitted in the best gear that their corporate owners eratives in tow … an interesting and potentially
can provide and are extremely efficient with said sinister policy.
gear. Trained to operate as teams with multiple ca-
pabilities, from snipers to combat engineers, these > I’ve gone over the recruitment incentives, and there’s no
platoons have a vast amount of operational flexi- concrete promises of work, let alone a SIN (corporate or
bility. The Ground Forces are the second most ex- otherwise) for service, which is something you’d otherwise
pensive offering from the MSD, but they typically get with standard tours in the armed forces. Rather, it’s the
are part of the most lucrative contracts, as multiple non-official promise of introductions and references, and
platoons are usually “bulk hired” by clients. the concrete assurance that you can put it on your résumé.
If it never actually worked out, their recruitment rates would
> I’d say this is what you think of when you think of Tsunami, and be abysmal, but they have enough “winners” to entice more
it’s definitely what they advertise as. Everything else is either disposable cannon fodder to keep the ranks filled out.
behind the scenes, unmentioned, or only available on request. > Saturday Jones
> Vx5
Special Forces (The “Sharks”)
Foreign Service Ground
Forces (Foreign National Infantry) A single platoon, divided into two sections
of approximately twenty operatives apiece,
A battalion of Japanese-led foreign nationals composed of the best that Tsunami has to offer.
who have exchanged years of service with Tsunami Colloquially referred to as “Sharks,” the special
for potential job opportunities with their various forces unit of Tsunami Inc. is a highly selective
AAA-rated shareholders. Administrator Anderson, group of elite operatives. Most of those with-
in an effort to exponentially boost recruitment, de- in the SF have been with Tsunami for a great
vised this unit herself. Modeling it after France’s many years, a rare few since its inception, with
historical use of their French Foreign Legion, those who are new often coming from highly
and perhaps also a bit on the modern-day Légion skilled backgrounds from within and from out-
Étrangère’s lax recruiting policies, Anderson creat- side the firm. These newcomers must pass an ex-
ed an infantry unit that would allow non-Japanese tensive testing process to be permitted an inter-
citizens to fight for her company, without displeas- view with the Special Forces Command. Once
ing the board of directors. Learning from Kazuo cleared, the newcomer may undergo the gruel-
Kubo’s mistake, Maki utilized the board’s disdain ing trials required to become a member of Tsu-
for the gaijin as a tool to convince the board to nami’s Special Forces. Most don’t survive this
allow her to recruit them. indoctrination process. Those who do come out
Foreign nationals who wish to find lucrative the other end as ruthless killers and incredibly
work in the JIS, or even just a new life in the Land of efficient corporate soldiers. Sharks are the most
the Rising Sun, might not have a better opportuni- expensive offering that Tsunami can sell to cli-
ty than this. Prospective recruits are offered a deal: ents, and they do not always get hired alongside
sign a six-year service contract with Tsunami Inc. the bulk of the MSD.
and at the end of this contract, assuming they are
alive and did not disparage or damage Tsunami in > Sharks are the kind of force you don’t have to advertise; like
any way, the foreigner will be offered promotional
the money room in a fine jewelry shop, you know to ask if
opportunities within Tsunami or job references with
any of the corporations on the board. In some rare you’re the kind of person who knows what they’re doing and
instances, job placement in a specific AAA corpora- can afford them.
tion might be available as well. An intriguing deal, > Vx5
but one that is fraught with risk. The FNI are used
almost exclusively as cannon fodder and live test > They’ve got a fair amount in common with runners, insofar as
subjects. They are outfitted with the most experi- small unit tactics go. There’s fair odds you’ll encounter these
mental tech that the board wants field-tested and professionals in the field with that kind of crossover.
are sent into the thickest fighting, sometimes before > Kia
the Ground Forces are even deployed.

FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT) // TSUNAMI INC.

Matrix Services Division (MXSD) the technicians who service said machines. Since
the Az-Am War, the ASD has primarily been re-
Workforce: 150+ (est.)
sponsible for combat drone deployment and op-
This relatively small outfit is composed of Ma- erations, though Tsunami’s application of those 115
trix security analysts, deckers, and a small number services has been minimal at best. As Administra-

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

of technomancers. The unit is regarded as small tor Anderson revitalizes the military components
but elite. The Matrix Services Division has been of her corporation, the ASD has seen a rapid ex-
the most profitable division of Tsunami since the pansion and a huge influx of funds. There are
Amazonian War–thriving even when the military numerous reports of large convoys making their
arm had been decimated. The division operates way to Tsunami HQ, delivering untold amounts
globally, taking contracts with many overseas of heavily armored monstrosities to the stirring
entities, but has found a lucrative foundation in corporation’s doorstep. Armor Services Division
acting as faux attackers for some of their corpo- operatives are currently being trained to utilize
rate benefactors in the JIS. Tsunami MXSD has the newly acquired armored fighting vehicles,
long been used as a Red Cell–like entity among something that Tsunami has not utilized since
their shareholders, testing the effectiveness of their their near-downfall at the hands of the Aztlan
own Matrix security practices with an almost- armed forces, and drone operatives are similar-
in-house group of professionals. Tsunami agents ly learning how to operate their newly acquired
are hired to attack their client’s Matrix defenses, state-of-the-art combat drones.
and then generate detailed reports on what they
found, thereby providing invaluable insight into > I’ve had a chance to check out the shipment manifests, and it’s
where improvements need to be made. From the a full spread. The latest model Steel Lynx, all kinds of gunner
documents that have been gathered, it appears as rotodrones, high-atmospheric surveillance dirigibles, a whole lot
though Renraku frequently utilizes these services, of signal boosters, too. And that’s before we got to the stuff that
both for themselves and their subsidiaries. Initial only has prototype designations. Exciting stuff. Shame I couldn’t
impressions suggest that Maki Anderson, who is get any of it …
an accomplished decker herself, has “big plans” > Red Anya
for the MXSD.
> Anya, darling, how much would you charge for your connections
> While speculation is fine, I’d pay very real nuyen for real intel to those shipments?
about these plans. Given the talent they have at work here, to > Kane
say nothing of the Colonel’s own past, I have every reason to
believe there may be significant movement with Tsunami taking > Knowing what you’ll do with that information? Enough that
on a whole new client subset in the digital field. those contacts and myself can take a long vacation afterward.
> Icarus > Red Anya

Armor Services Division (ASD) > A bargain at twice the price!

> Kane
Workforce: 300+ (est.)
Heavy ordnance and drone warfare are com- > Then I’ll double my fee.
ponents of Tsunami Inc. that have been relatively > Red Anya
dormant for some time but are poised to make a
rebound with the rest of the firm. This division is > Okay … a bargain, then.
composed of the operators of war machines and > Kane

TSUNAMI INC. // FORCE PROJECTION (FOR PROFIT)

 FRAG
ORDERS
Posted by: Glitch
Subject: J3 Joint
> During the Disian Shadow War, not a lot of regular military
forces got involved. Those that did sometimes acted as Disian
Operations Brief -
proxies. Some of them didn’t know, others were simply following
orders. Still, even before that war, militaries sometimes made
Unconventional
use of shadowrunners (or, as they like to call us, “irregular
forces”) for unconventional types of warfare. It’s not that
Warfare
Presenter: Lieutenant
common, but it does happen. But, it’s also on the rise. And, like
Commander Mark “Toll” Booth, UCASN
every government entity, they have rules and procedures. So I
reached out to some contacts for paydata regarding what that In May 2061, UCAS special forces augmented
kind of arrangement could look like. Here’s one example of what by teams of local Seattle shadowrunners fought
I got back. I shaved out a lot of extraneous stuff and overblown through the layers of security constructed by the
jargon, so you’re welcome. rogue AI Deus and successfully eliminated it from
> Glitch
the Renraku Arcology’s host. The Seattle runners
were instrumental as guides to the local terrain,
“Let your plans be as dark and impenetrable logistical support for teams operating inside the
as night, and when you move, fall like a thunder- SCIRE, and by conducting preparatory operations.
bolt.” — Sun Tzu, The Art of War In June 2078, a Joint Corporate UCAS military
task force interdicted the re-emergence of insect
spirits from inside the Chicago Containment Zone
(CZ). Shadowrunner teams operating inside the

FRAG ORDERS // SUBJECT: J3 JOINT OPERATIONS BRIEF - UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE

CZ were employed as auxiliary assets. Corporate eign policy. But some background information will
and military forces performed area denial and di- make the following discussions more productive
versionary operations that kept the hives’ attention and provide essential context.
focused on the waterfront and the CZ’s southern First, unconventional warfare (UW) is a policy 117
border. This allowed embedded runner teams to option to the government. The UCAS uses diplo-

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

strike directly at the forces guarding the queen. matic, informational, military, economic, financial,
These cases highlight how a synthesis between reg- intelligence, and law enforcement means to pur-
ular military units and irregular shadowrunner teams sue global objectives. Most of these are routine
can serve as a force multiplier in certain situations. and follow openly acknowledged, peaceful, and
The unpredictability of shadowrunners, however, well-established procedures. As an instrument, the
sometimes complicates joint operations. Therefore, a military plays a supporting role to the other instru-
standardized approach is required in order to max- ments of the UCAS government’s power.
imize the chances of success of any such operation. In cases where the UCAS government chooses
Welcome to Unconventional Warfare: Joint Op- to utilize UW, congress has authorized the military
erations Between the Military and Shadowrunners. to maintain the capability to organize, train, equip,
and support host nations, regional partners, or in-
> He’s actually using the term “shadowrunner”; how quaint. digenous populations in pursuit of UCAS govern-
Normally we’re called “irregular assets.”
ment foreign policy goals.
In plain language, UCAS Special Operations
> Scattershot
Command has the means, the methods, and the
money to engage with non-state actors in order to
> Because in confidential or classified documents, they tend to
conduct operations in support or as the focus of
speak the inside words out loud. UCAS foreign policy. Which is where irregular as-
> Thorn sets, such as shadowrunners, come into play.
As shadowrunners, we’re used to a few unwrit-
My name is Lieutenant Commander Mark ten laws of the urban jungle. The Johnsons will
Booth, callsign Toll. The overall classification of this never tell you the whole truth. Corporations will
brief is Confidential, although the information con- always betray you. Never make a deal with a drag-
tained within, when aggregated with other material, on. That’s all well and good when you’re negotiat-
can quickly rise to the Top Secret level. ing for a job with the corps, but those laws aren’t
A majority of the references here are from UCAS applicable when you’re dealing with the military.
military doctrine manuals, and thus the tactics and
procedures presented are applicable primarily to > What’s this “we” drek? Where does this fragger get off on calling
the UCAS and its NATO, Pacific, and corporate al- himself a shadowrunner? News flash, chummer, you sold out
lies. The concepts, though, will be nearly universal. and have a nice government pension waiting for you. You may
Some of you might be wondering why a Navy occasionally work with us, but you lost the right to call yourself
Lieutenant Commander is giving you a brief about a runner.
shadowrunners coordinating with various special > Flash Banger
operations forces. I was born SINless among the
shadows of San Francisco during the Imperial Jap- > Agreed. Quit trying to sell that drek. We know governments
anese occupation. Sixteen years ago, my team and
consider us tools to be used and thrown away when things get
I provided support to a navy search and rescue op-
too hot, just like with everyone else. Don’t try to say you’re any
eration. For my efforts, I was offered the opportu-
different.
nity to enlist, no questions asked. Five years later,
I was selected for an officer training program and > Old Crow
qualified as a rotary wing aviator. I did eight de-
ployments before becoming a Rotary Wing Weap- > Hey Banger, didn’t you get kicked out of the CAS Army for
ons School instructor at the Naval Air Warfare blowing up your barracks?
Development Command. My background, opera- > Electric Blue
tional experience, and focus area is Special Opera-
tions and Unconventional Warfare. > So? I served my time and got out, mercs and real runners do it
Enough about me. Let’s get started. all the time. I didn’t go back and try to hold on to my street cred.
You don’t get to play both sides of the fence.
> Flash Banger
Fundamentals
and Context of > If you say so.

Unconventional Warfare > Thorn

I’m not going to dive too deeply into the legal First and foremost, the military wants whatever
and political framework that surrounds UCAS for- mission you’re tasked with to succeed, and they

SUBJECT: J3 JOINT OPERATIONS BRIEF - UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE // FRAG ORDERS

 will make available as much support as they can in > Oh joy. I can’t wait.
order to ensure that success. A military command- > Clockwork
er isn’t going to withhold vital information just for
118 personal whim like a Johnson will. They may not The second major difference between the cor-
divulge where or how they got the intelligence in porations and the military in tasking shadowrun-
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

order to protect either human or technical sources, ners is the kind of material support they offer. By
but they’ll at least give you all of the information show of hands, how many of you have asked for
you’re cleared to receive. gear from a Johnson in order to complete a run,
only to have them ask you to fill out a receipt so
> “Cleared to receive”—key words there. Does this slag honestly that you either get charged for its use or have to
think we’re that stupid? turn it back in after completion of your mission?
> Haze
> What the frag? He really is talking to a bunch of runners. What
The caveat, though, is that you can’t just frag kind of self-respecting shadowrunner would put up with obvious
off if things aren’t going your way. Accepting drek like this?
a mission from the military is akin to making a > Borderline
covenant with your fellow soldiers. Your mission
might be limited in nature, but it may be the key > One who is open to opportunity. My company often subcontracts
to a successful operation by other conventional or with various governments, which often means we have to work
unconventional forces. Failure doesn’t jeopardize
with military components such as security forces or military
your payday; it puts your fellow soldiers’ lives at
police. I get why most people are salty, but like someone already
risk.
said, the military is simply another Mr. Johnson who has terms
> I can’t? If things go sideways and you try and frag me over … and conditions for the job. Military is no different.
watch me! To me, the military is just another kind of Mr. Johnson. > 0rkCE0
> Stone
> This from someone who hid like a coward during the shadow
I know you’re all familiar with the bond of war. How much did that last so-called security gig pay you to
comrades in arms; you wouldn’t be here if you work for the Disians?
weren’t part of a successful team. And successful > Balladeer
teams work together to ensure everyone is taken
care of and no one is left behind. The same is true > Listen you ***2.2 Mp deleted by SysOp-03***
of the special operations forces with whom you’ll
be coordinating. They’re fiercely loyal to one an- > Take it elsewhere. Ban-hammer comes out next time.
other. The only way for you to win that loyalty > Slamm-0!
and their respect is to accomplish the mission you
are tasked with, abide by the rules and laws of war, > All personal feelings aside, the military is like another Mr.
and protect yourselves and your fellow soldiers. Johnson with their own pros and cons. Do your due diligence and
legwork before you sign up.
> Corps say similar things, like “we’re all family here.” And who
> Thorn
was he talking to? It’s like he’s giving some kind of speech to
actual runners. But I’d bet my cyberarm he’s talking to a bunch The military views support as the price of suc-
of other military, government, or agency types. cess for accomplishing goals and objectives. This
> Brutus Ex-Mechina means that nuyen isn’t the limiting factor when it
comes to determining what support is available.
> I can’t help but taste the salt here. The availability and type of support are set by the
> Bull operating environment: whether it’s permissive,
semi-permissive, or denied. And even in a denied
> Fragging right. During the war, my group was hit by some of environment, some support will be available. No
those very same SF-types working as puppets for the Disians. one goes into battle alone.
So yeah, I won’t be working for, or trusting, the UCAS or any We’ll talk more about joint operations later, but
military anytime soon. for now the concept of supporting forces dovetails
> Brutus Ex-Mechina into our next topic, the Laws of War. I figured that
might earn a chuckle. But yes, there are laws that
We’ll talk more about mission briefings when affect how war is conducted. And if you contract
we get to the section on C2, where we describe with the military, then those laws are going to af-
how a commander will deliver a brief and outline fect you, too.
what criteria need to be met in order to assess a How? Let me explain rules of engagement.
mission as successful.

FRAG ORDERS // SUBJECT: J3 JOINT OPERATIONS BRIEF - UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE

Rules of Engagement
Officially defined as “directives issued by com-
petent military authority that delineate the circum- 119
stances and limitations under which United Cana-
dian and American States forces will initiate and/or

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

continue combat engagement with other forces en-
countered,” these rules extend to all local and auxil-
iary forces. You may believe rules don’t apply to you,
but a military unit cannot allow a breach of the ROE
by auxiliary or irregular forces and claim ignorance
as a defense. This means you must abide by the es-
tablished ROE. Otherwise you’ll find yourselves at
odds with the soldiers you’re operating alongside.
The only instance you’d be exempt from the
ROE is if you were operating completely separate
from military forces. That includes intelligence and
logistical support as well as reinforcing and sup-
port forces. Which basically amounts to your team
facing off against opposing military forces alone.
For those who have a problem with ROEs, I
suggest not working with the military.
Partnering with the military is not an excuse
for excessive force and disregard for collateral
damage. The firepower utilized under the Rules of
Engagement are focused by tactics and directives
to maximize effectiveness and minimize collateral
damage—or worse, friendly fire. This is why the
military spends so much effort on the F2T2EA
process. That’s Find, Fix, Track, Target, Engage,
Assess, for those unfamiliar with the initials.
The last point I want to make when talking
about the Laws of War is what distinguishes a
combatant from a non-combatant. And if the mil-
itary is using shadowrunners to allow them to
blend in with a civilian population, how can we
justify classifying them as lawful combatants and
not insurgents or terrorists? The answer lies in the
following criteria based on international law.
Members of other militias and members of
volunteer corps, including those of organized re-
sistance movements belonging to a party to the
conflict and operating in or outside their own ter-
ritory, even if this territory is occupied, provided
that such militias or volunteer corps, including
such organized resistance movements, fulfill the
following conditions:
1) that of being commanded by a person re-
sponsible for their subordinates.
2) that of having a fixed distinctive sign recog-
nizable at a distance.
3) that of carrying arms openly.
4) that of conducting their operations in accor-
dance with the laws and customs of war, inhabi-
tants of an unoccupied territory, who on the ap-
proach of the enemy spontaneously take up arms
to resist the invading forces, without having had
time to form themselves into regular armed units,
provided they carry arms openly and respect the
laws and customs of war.

SUBJECT: J3 JOINT OPERATIONS BRIEF - UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE // FRAG ORDERS

 > What gets me is that this fragger fails to mention the articles next boundary is the Fire Support Coordination
of war laid down by the United Nations under the International Line (FSCL). The zone between the FLOT and
Mercenary Association’s charter, which were enacted decades the FSCL represents the area over which friendly
120 ago to prevent a lot of these hassles and legal issues he’s forces intend to maneuver. However, because con-
trying to address. Because in a lot of cases, it’s common for trolling the FSCL is a C2 function rather than a
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

governments to augment their militaries with mercenary forces. tactical or operational function, it does not pre-
> Scattershot clude the use of Close Air Support (CAS) or other
joint fire support such as artillery.
> Some governments simply hire mercenaries instead of going
Because our SOF platoon has their own drone
support (both intellligence, surveillance, and
through the hassle of maintaining a standing army. And it’s no
reconaissance [ISR] platforms and loitering mu-
secret that some of these merc groups are simply better than nitions), a Restricted Operations Zone (ROZ) has
some militaries … and most regular militaries look still look been established over their target, thus allowing
down on the mercenary trade. the SOF team unlimited use of that airspace from
> Hard Exit the surface to one thousand meters (indicated as
1km). The diameter of the ROZ is typically five ki-
> Jealousy is an ugly color and esprit de corps will only take you so lometers but can be adjusted based on the number
far. I went merc after I got sick of all the bulldrek I had to put up and type of drone systems the unit is employing.
with in the regular military. The skill and professionalism I now Additionally, the enemy has multiple Sky Shield
work with have increased tenfold. Also make a drek-ton more, anti-access/area denial (A2AD) installations whose
too. weapons engagement zone (WEZ) covers the oper-
> Bangswitch ating area. Therefore, only unmanned aircraft are
available for CAS and ISR support. To coordinate
any CAS, the platoon’s Joint Terminal Air Con-
Command and Control troller (JTAC) will have direct and backup comms
The next topic we’re going to cover is Com- with the Joint Air Support Operations Center (JA-
mand and Control. In this context, we’re referring SOC) via their MTOC CAS app.
to the frequencies and protocols by which a unit, In conjunction with the CAS and ISR assets, an
and by extension its auxiliary elements, reports to Electronic Maneuver Company (EMC) will engage
higher headquarters and the chain of command in Suppression of Enemy Access—Matrix (SEAM)
As runners, we’re used to a very simplistic chain operations at H-hour. They’ll do targeted intrusion
of command. Mr. Johnson hires a team for a task and jamming since the enemy’s unmanned systems
that’s defined by a set of parameters. We complete utilize frequencies very close to those of friend-
the task within those parameters and get paid. End ly forces. EMC will initialize electronic warfare
of story. drones to support their mission safely behind the
Similarly, a military unit can be tasked with FLOT. The SEAM operations will be coordinated
completing a mission. That mission comes with by the SOF platoon’s Matrix and Electronic Effects
its own set of parameters outlining what defines Coordinator (MEEC) via the embedded MTOC
success and what the unit may or may not do in app. The EMC has a dedicated radio frequency for
pursuit of that success. The significant difference coordinating Matrix support that also serves as a
here is that the unit will also receive instructions back-up in case the primary MTOC coordination
on how to integrate assets tasked to accomplish channel is compromised.
the mission. Operational Planners (J3) and the friendly forc-
Here’s a simplified example to illustrate. es’ Intelligence Directorate (J2) anticipate that once
the EMC commences their operations, the enemy
will be alerted and respond by reinforcing the area
Joint SOF and being targeted. In order to confuse and delay the
Irregular Asset Assault: enemy’s response, diversionary raids against a sec-
ondary target are planned. The details of that op-
Elements and Support eration are available to the SOF platoon via a sec-
A special operations forces (SOF) platoon is ondary briefing packet, but for planning purposes
gearing up to assault a series of bunkers and sin- the only information that is relayed directly is the
gle-story concrete buildings being used as a weap- C2 channel being used to provide situation reports
ons cache and fighting position. As part of their (SITREPS) on the demonstration raid. The SOF pla-
briefing, they’ve received the following AR imag- toon’s lieutenant and senior NCO will monitor that
ery download that defines the battlespace they’re channel via their MTOCs in order to maintain over-
going to be operating in. all situational awareness of the battlespace.
Their targets lie ahead of the Forward Line of The enemy is also employing astral picket
Own Troops (FLOT), an imaginary line marking forces in conjunction with its physical forces. In
the most forward positions of friendly forces. The order for the SOF platoon to maneuver success-

FRAG ORDERS // SUBJECT: J3 JOINT OPERATIONS BRIEF - UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE

fully, Awakened elements of a supporting Brigade able Low Probability of Intercept Low Probability
Combat Team will conduct Suppression of Enemy of Detection (LPI/LPD) communications methods.
Access—Astral (SEA-A) operations, commencing The assumption being that in any war between
thirty minutes after H-hour. The delay is to allow peer or near-peer competitors, both satellite-based 121
other units involved in supporting the diversionary communications and satellite-based navigation

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

operations to redirect and support the main attack systems would become unusable. Unfortunately,
if needed. Monitoring and coordinating the mag- that solution remains elusive.
ical support is the responsibility of the platoon’s Not even current technology used by the
Astral Local Effects Coordinator (ALEC). They’ll MTOC network is enough to reliably obscure it
use the embedded MTOC app to communicate from Matrix attacks. This is why you’ll see units
with the Joint Theater Magical Operations Cen- deploying with tethered quad copter drones like
ter (JTMOC). The JTMOC also has access to the the LDSD-64 Condor, each mounting a directional
dedicated backup radio frequency to coordinate laser communicator. Although optical communica-
with magical and astral operations, in the case of tion systems are limited to line of sight and heavily
an interruption to primary communications or the affected by atmospherics, they’re still resistant to
MTOC network. interference or jamming and are the current back-
There are also additional support consider- up method of choice. Unfortunately, optical com-
ations: medevac, logistics and resupply, quick reac- munication for unmanned systems simply isn’t re-
tion force (QRF), and additional ISR assets. Not to sponsive enough nor does it have the range of RF
mention follow-on actions by conventional forces communications.
in response to the SOF platoon’s breach and sei- One last comment on communications before
zure of the enemy weapons cache, including sensi- we proceed to the next topic. Some of you might
tive site exploitation (SSE). be wondering why such a complex network of
This is the level of complexity that every soldier communication frequencies and protocols is nec-
must deal with. This is the reality of war on the essary. The answer is that there will be an array
battlefields of the twenty-first century. of airborne assets supporting the maneuvering unit
and ensuring those assets are employed safely to
> Did anyone else understand any of that? I think I got the the best of their abilities. This necessitates the cur-
basics, but my brain suddenly hurts and I’m seeing nothing but rent communication architecture.
acronyms when I close my eyes.
> It’s also a redundancy, to make sure lines of communication
> Knuckebuster
are secured and aren’t compromised during a critical moment.
Deviance from those protocols is a good indicator that
> Imagine being a grunt on the ground, or worse a field
something has gone wrong.
commander. But like any skill, it gets easier the more you learn
> Point Guard
and use it.
> Fianchetto
A Look at Close Air Support
> Fair enough. Still, life is easier when all I need to know is who to Let’s look at a typical stack of airborne assets
punch in the face. consisting of both manned and unmanned ISR
> Knuckebuster platforms as well as both manned and unmanned
CAS assets. You can’t simply pile them up in the
> Truer words have never been spoken. order that they arrived. Rotary wing assets operate
> Bull at lower altitudes, less than two thousand meters,
whereas fixed wing assets can typically operate
at four to five thousand meters, while ISR assets
Importance of Communications can vary depending on which altitudes give them
The military relies heavily on their MTOC net- the better views. Atmospherics can interfere with
works and their embedded voice, data, and text electro-optical sensors, requiring lower altitudes in
capability during operations. To simplify and order to obtain the necessary resolution for com-
standardize the required reports from the maneu- manders and ground forces. And any time you’re
vering units up to command, blank templates are shifting aircraft into and out of the stack, or re-
pre-loaded onto the MTOCs. With a few quick shuffling altitudes, those need to be coordinated as
ARO taps, everyone up the chain of command has well.
an immediate and accurate situational picture. While all of those details affect the soldier on
Given their level of importance, MTOC net- the ground, they’re far too numerous and ultimate-
works are a primary target of enemy Matrix oper- ly too onerous for them to control. That’s why Air
ators. The electronic battlefield is just as hostile as Operations Support Centers were established, as
the physical one, and just as hotly contested. For well as airborne “stack wardens.” That way support
years, the military has searched and developed reli- requests flow from a single point on the ground

SUBJECT: J3 JOINT OPERATIONS BRIEF - UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE // FRAG ORDERS

 element to a single individual who maintains the The second is intelligence operations. These
necessary situational awareness to answer those re- missions can involve surveillance, developing a
quests in the most efficient manner possible. pattern of life for enemy forces, or looking for a
122 We haven’t even mentioned the additional co- specific high-value target. It may also be shaping
ordination required when supporting other assets operations involving sabotage, disinformation, or
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

like fire support or medevac. All of which require other techniques that degrades the enemy’s ability
additional airspace coordination since, as the say- on the battlefield. These missions also take advan-
ing goes, incoming fire has the right of way, and no tage of a shadowrunner’s ability to move quickly
one wants to shoot down your medevacs. and blend in with the local populace.
The third category is direct action. Shadowrun-
> Oh yeah. Fastest way to slot off the grunts, take a shot at Doc. ners or other irregular assets attached to a military
Never mess with Doc. unit that engage in combat operations against an
> Hard Exit enemy. This category covers a broad range of mis-
sions, often entirely dependent on the battlefield,
> Can confirm. local disposition of troops, and overall command-
> Bangswitch er’s intent. Obviously, this set of missions is the
most dangerous for all involved.
Magical Support > Be careful of this one. It’s not uncommon for military
Calling for Matrix support sounds exactly like commanders to use people like us as cannon fodder. Because
calling for close air or artillery support. The one who would they rather risk first; people who technically don’t
area that remains unique is thaumaturgical, or exist or some SF trooper they’ve spent years and unknown
magical, support. amounts of nuyen to train?
A unit’s Astral Local Effects Coordinator > X-Prime
(ALEC) will request support from the Joint The-
ater Magical Operations Center (JTMOC) via > Again, it goes back to doing your due diligence before signing
MTOC or radio channels. But once astral support
on. But to be fair, some militaries are better than others, and
is on site, a different form of communication is re-
among those militaries some units are better than others. Still,
quired. In order to coordinate the support and pin-
point where astral effects are needed the most, the I’d rather do some spook work than assault a fortified defensive
ALEC will use plain language since that’s audible position.
from both physical and astral space. ALEC-qual- > Cayman
ified soldiers as well as supporting magicians go
through specialized training to familiarize them- > What about those alphabet or intelligence agencies? I hear they
selves with code words and phrases used. like to contract out a lot.
This is one area where shadowrunners and oth- > Knucklebuster
er irregular assets are most often integrated into
military operations. Many units lack the full com- > Oh, that is a whole other can of worms; too much to discuss
plement of Awakened individuals they’re designed there, my friend.
to have. This can leave squads or even full platoons > Fianchetto
without necessary magical support. Having local
or irregular assets fulfill that role is a frequently The last category is operations other than war.
employed stop-gap measure. There can be a multitude of these, but the one I
This brings us to the next topic of discussion, want to focus on is called Humanitarian Assis-
the types of missions a shadowrunner team might tance and Disaster Relief, or HADR. This is when
find themselves tasked with when operating with military units are mobilized to aid civilian organi-
military units. zations after a major disaster like an earthquake,
volcanic eruption, flood, hurricane, etc. Shadow-
Mission Types runners can be exceptionally useful in HADR op-
erations due to their network of local contacts as
and Tradecraft well as their ability to operate forward with little
The first mission type is logistics. These types of mis- logistical support.
sions can be anything from delivering critical supplies
to forward or isolated units, to escorting conventional > Most of the time, you’ll imbed more with national guard or
supply forces, to establishing caches of ammunition and reserve units for stuff like this, at least in North America.
supplies for recovery by special operations or conven- > Kane
tional forces. These types of missions take advantage of
a shadowrunner’s knowledge of the local terrain and > A lot of rigger and smuggler chummers of mine were paid a
their ability to blend in with the population. metric drek-ton of nuyen to assist with search and rescue as well

FRAG ORDERS // SUBJECT: J3 JOINT OPERATIONS BRIEF - UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE

 as relief efforts in Australia after the Disian Shadow War. Don’t on how the plan is expected to commence. The first
get me wrong, I love shooting things up as much as the next subparagraph contains the Commander’s Intent of
person. But actually helping people was nice for a change. what they want or expect to happen and the stated
> Osprey goal of the operation, as well as what units are to do 123
once the objective or goal has been achieved.

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Mission Briefs: Op Orders The second subparagraph, or scheme of opera-
tions, talks about how each unit and element will
One of the things that I wanted to talk about operate during the operation. It also details the
is how units brief a mission so that you’ll under- Fire Support plan, which explains what assets are
stand what to expect. When briefing a mission, available and how to call on and coordinate them
commanders will use a format known as the Five if or when they are needed.
Paragraph Order. The mnemonic SMEAC, which The Tasks paragraph lays out the specific tasks
stands for Situation, Mission, Execution, Admin that must be accomplished by each subordinate
and logistics, and Command and signal is used to element of the unit. You can think of each task
describe the contents of the order. statement as forming the mission statement of the
When giving a briefing, a commander will first smaller elements of the unit. In that way, the Five
orient their unit, using a terrain model. This is often Paragraph Order is kind of recursive, and useful
an augmented reality construct prepared by friendly for each subordinate unit leader to develop their
forces’ Joint Intelligence Directorate (J2). The model own order to orient and instruct their troops on
includes the unit’s present position, the direction of the upcoming mission.
attack, and the location and terrain of the objective. The Coordinating Instructions details that tie
Once the unit’s subordinate leaders are oriented, the the operational plan together. Common items ad-
commander will deliver the order as follows: dressed here include: the times of departure and
attack, order of movement (this includes from the
Situation assembly area, through the assault position, and
The situation paragraph contains necessary in- to the objective), security and sectors, and tactical
formation on the disposition of both friendly and control measures.
enemy forces in the area. It often contains three
subparagraphs that provide specific information Administration and Logistics
on both enemy forces and friendly forces, as well This paragraph contains all the details and in-
as attachments and detachments. structions necessary for the unit and its subordi-
For the enemy forces, this paragraph will pro- nate elements to coordinate their resupply, recov-
vide the following information: size of enemy force, ery of equipment, and evacuation of wounded and
their activity, last known location, their equipment prisoners. Additional topics include any transpor-
being used, and the time they were last observed. tation considerations either before or after the ac-
The friendly forces paragraph will provide only tions on the objectives are carried out.
that pertinent information the unit needs to ac-
complish its mission, such as: higher unit mission Command and Signal
and objective, any adjacent units with their loca-
tions, and supporting units. This paragraph contains information regarding
Most important to any irregular or auxiliary command, control, and communications functions.
units is the attachments/detachments paragraph. It has two subparagraphs: Signal and Command.
This will include any and all assets seconded to The Signal paragraph details how the units
the unit in order to accomplish the mission or el- will communicate. These methods include but are
ements that have been detached from the unit to not limited to prearranged signals, passwords and
accomplish other tasks and therefore may not be counter-signs, unit radio callsigns, frequencies, ra-
available for the mission at hand. dio procedures, emergency signals, pyrotechnics
and smoke, and any communication restrictions.
Mission The Command paragraph is key because it identi-
fies the commander’s location on the battlefield rela-
This should be a clear and concise statement, tive to the unit tasked with the mission, as well as sub-
preferably a single sentence that summarizes ordinate unit leaders and their locations. Additionally,
the unit’s primary task. The mission statement the succession of command (that is, who takes charge
should always emphasize the desired outcome of if the commander is killed/ incapacitated/ incommuni-
the mission. cado) is delineated here so that all members of the unit
know who to turn to in case of emergency.
Execution
The execution paragraph contains guidance for > This is a stripped-down explanation of an operational order.
how the unit should accomplish the mission. It usu- While five paragraphs may not seem like a lot, trust me, the
ally contains several subparagraphs that offer details amount of detail that goes into this can make law books look like

SUBJECT: J3 JOINT OPERATIONS BRIEF - UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE // FRAG ORDERS

 light reading. But those details can mean the difference between
success and a massive cluster-frag.
> Colonel Cobra
124
Those are the basic five paragraphs of the opera-
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

tional order, but before the briefing is complete, the

commander will address two final items. First they
will take questions from the troops they’ve finished
briefing. This is the time to clear up any confusion
or misunderstandings, as well as for subordinates to
suggest possible alternatives based on their knowl-
edge of the terrain or tactical situation. A good com-
mander should recognize that they may not have a
comprehensive grasp of the situation at hand and
should be willing to listen to input from their subor-
dinates. The final task is a time hack to ensure that
everyone’s clocks are synched. This is often pro for-
ma since most units operate on MTOC time, which
is synched across the entire friendly force.
I know that was a lot of information and I ap-
preciate everyone hanging in there. I’m confident
this information is of value to any shadowrunner
hoping to operate on the battlefields of the Sixth
World. Which brings me to the last subject we’re
going to discuss, that of tradecraft.
I won’t spend a lot of time telling you how to
do your business; you wouldn’t be here if you still
needed to learn lessons on that. I will tell you that
working with military personnel will be unlike any-
thing you’ve ever experienced. Esprit de corps and
the comradeship of arms are intangibles until you
witness them firsthand. The military personnel you
work with will be dedicated to one another, to their
unit, and their mission. They’ll have skills they train
to perfect on a daily basis, and they take their jobs
seriously. If you’re going to operate alongside, you’d
best bring your A-game. Hopefully everything we’ve
talked about today gives you a leg up in preparing
for that opportunity. Thank you, and good luck.

“Once we have a war, there is only one

thing to do. It must be won. For defeat brings
worse things than any that can ever happen in
war.” — Ernest Hemingway

Subject: J7 Joint
Magical Warfare
Brief - That Old
Black Magic
Presenter: Commander
Leon “Dice” Clay, UCASN
Now that Toll has given you the primer on uncon-
ventional warfare, let me take you down the rabbit
hole into an even more unconventional space: inte-
grated thaumaturgy combat operations, or Magical

FRAG ORDERS // SUBJECT: J7 JOINT MAGICAL WARFARE BRIEF - THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC
Warfare. My name is Lieutenant Commander Leon on possessed. Duress codewords are a thing, and
Clay, callsign Dice. I was the former Chief Magi- they’re useful for assessing whether or not some-
cal Officer for Toll’s group of special operators. In one is being coerced by magic.
the UCAS Navy, we were assimilated into the N7 Another key aspect of Awakened support is 125
directorate for joint warfare and development in reconnaissance in astral space. On the battlefield,

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

the 2020s. In some units, I am just referred to as they don’t post the eight-digit grid coordinates on
the “7,” as in the J7 or N7 department head. That’s the nearest tree or hilltop. This means astral nav-
right, chummer, military jargon is a real dialect, so igation is just as important as land navigation.
plan on boning up on military etiquette before try- Magicians train diligently with the J2 Intel shop
ing to integrate into high-tempo operations, even if to memorize terrain features to allow them to tri-
you are just short-time augmentees. angulate enemy troop positions when they return.
Despite being replete with acronyms, often used Hell, I’ve known a few spec ops magicians who
twice, the jargon offers two unintended benefits. are crazy enough to use celestial navigation to get
One, a common sense of language creates group them where they need to go.
identity and enhances esprit de corps. In a mili- When conducting reconnaissance, identify the ma-
tary setting, it’s useful to inculcate an almost tribal gicians with a concise and timely Astral Report (AS-
sense of belonging, of being part of a tightly bond- REP), including number and strength of Awakened
ed comradeship of arms. Language is an important individuals, spirits, active foci, and spells. Do not en-
aspect of constructing that sense. Two, jargon of- gage in astral space unless absolutely necessary. Get
ten confuses our adversaries. Have you ever tried back to your body to report and pass coordinates to
to eavesdrop on a conversation in a second lan- your fire support team. They haven’t devised a spell
guage only to get spun around by dialect, idioms, yet that can shrug off a 155 artillery stonk.
and acronyms? It takes extra calories for linguists
and extra seconds for linguasoft agents to catch > Do you want another Ghost Dance? Because arrogance like this
up, and they often both miss the mark on context. is how we get another Ghost Dance.
In combat, those seconds count. > Arete
As the magical lead, my job is to ensure the
optimal thaumaturgical support of the ground as-
> Okay, but is he right?
sault force through all phases of operations to in-
> Knucklebuster
clude planning, briefing, execution, and debriefing.
There’s a tendency to think of magical support as
primarily offensive or defensive in nature, such as > Some things are best left undiscovered.
having high-force spirits by your side or spell-sling- > Orange Queen
ing combat mages along with the breaching squad,
as well as enough spell defense on friendlies to ne- As the magical lead, I typically operate at the
gate any attempt by the enemy to use magic. That’s battalion level and supervise a cadre of magicians.
only scratching the surface of what magical sup- Typically, a platoon’s four squads operate in close
port can do. enough vicinity that a single mage can cover them
The first thing I want to emphasize is having effectively. Of course, there’s never enough magi-
a magical counter-detection plan. Giving away a cians to go around, so many units will have gaps.
carefully concealed assault force because someone When that occurs, it’s important for platoons to
left an unmasked spell up is unacceptable. Surprise cross-train with each other to ensure that everyone
and shock of violence are key advantages for any knows where the magical support is and how to
unit, and unmasked spells, foci, et al. will betray get it to their location the quickest.
your presence to enemy magicians like neon signs Just because you don’t see a mage operating
at midnight. This means understanding astral space with a maneuvering unit doesn’t mean they don’t
that goes way beyond wiz-gangs in the sprawl. have magical support. It’s only seconds away if the
Improved Invisibility is useful and all in physical team calls for it. The on-duty magician will project
spaces, but spells are harder to hide if the terrain is using astral fast movement. A good unit will incor-
sparsely vegetated or without living cover. porate astral support as well as enemy astral con-
Having a plan is meaningless if it doesn’t func- siderations when briefing for an operation. Don’t
tion properly. Another support function of your hesitate to reach out to the Awakened staff at the
Awakened teammates is to assess your own troops battalion or company level to assist in developing
for any weakness or vulnerabilities that an op- that aspect of the brief.
posing magician could exploit. This goes beyond If you weren’t listening when Toll talked about
unmasked spells and foci, although those are key it earlier, I’ll reiterate it here. The modern battle-
aspects of it. Astral assessments include training on field is a fast-paced, brutal, transparent environ-
how to identify when you or your battle buddy are ment. Only those units that have mastered com-
being manipulated by Control Thoughts/Control bined arms integration across physical, Matrix,
Actions spells. Or worse, when your buddy is full- and astral realms can survive. Only those units

SUBJECT: J7 JOINT MAGICAL WARFARE BRIEF - THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC // FRAG ORDERS
 that are supported by a robust and rapidly respon- to when things were physically printed on cards,
sive joint fires network can hope to triumph. but these days data chips with the frequencies and
That’s the end of my brief, I appreciate protocols are distributed and slotted. Data chips
126 your attention. come with multi-factor encryption and often data
bombs to discourage enemies from slotting chips
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

they find. A sample list of communication nets and

Subject: J6 Joint their protocols are included in your AR notes for
this topic; make sure you look them over. I’ve high-
Communications lighted a few important things such as the language
structure when calling for fire support, as well as
Brief - Breaking the personnel recovery net and how its comms are
allotted priority over most others when there’s an
the Chain active PR mission underway.
Our friendly forces typically use a pair of de-
Presenter: Chief Warrant Officer Melissa
vices to coordinate communications. The first is
Diamond, UCASA (UCAS Army) M-TOCs (Mobile Tactical Operations Center), the
If you are engaged in a contested warfare envi- second is an Allegiance Control Center rigger com-
ronment with magic, electronic warfare, and hy- mand console (RCC). The RCC allows not only
per-kinetic effects, two things will be true. One, if a more robust firewall but because of its built-in
you talk at the wrong time, you’re dead. Two, if drone command functions it reduces the need for
you don’t talk at the right time, you’re dead. The soldiers to carry an additional electronic device to
old axiom from the Soldier’s Manual of Common control any of their organic unmanned assets. This
Tasks to shoot, move, and communicate is still the communications setup is common for all of our
key to survival. My associates are far more qual- conventional maneuver forces. Some of the SOF
ified than I to speak about shooting and moving; units will have more whiz-bang tech available to
my domain is assured communications, and that’s them, but those are typically one-off machines cus-
where we will focus. tom built for that particular unit.
Hand signs and verbal comms within ear- As mentioned before, the key to coordinating
shot remain the foundation of small unit tactics. fires means having assured communication. If
However, the need for assured communication you’re calling in fires manually and you transpose
at distance is the foundation of combined arms a digit on a grid coordinate, that could mean the
operations and especially joint fire support. And artillery you just requested lands on your team in-
by “joint,” I do mean from any and all capable stead of the enemy.
platforms in the battlespace. Hypersonic weap- Nowadays that coordination is done with the
ons can deliver a conventional payload almost Artillery Barrage TacApp on MTOCs. Note that
anywhere in the world in 20 minutes, hunter/ our responsibility only extends to ensuring the
killer agents can traverse the Matrix in a mat- comms path is accurate and secure. It’ll be the
ter of seconds, and astral support can literally J3 that sets up the available fire support selec-
walk through walls. But the kill chain needed to tions inside the TacApp. All that being said, part
conduct that level of coordination and support of our training is how to operate in a comms
depends on long-range communications. degraded or denied environment, including a
The J6 is more than just comms. Our domain is Matrix denied or degraded environment. Don’t
often referred to as Command, Control, Commu- slack on your knowledge of manually determin-
nications, Computers, Cyber, and Intelligence; or ing grid coordinates and passing them via back-
C5I. Unlike the J2 directorate, which handles di- up voice channels. The goal is, of course, never
gestion and dissemination of intel, my department to have to resort to these methods, but time and
is tasked with the research, development, and ac- again we’re confronted with anecdotes of troops
quisition of all of C5I components and ensuring having to overcome unusual circumstances. I
they are interoperable with all units. This guaran- know you’ve heard the stories of units calling in
tees units can communicate both horizontally and fire support via personal commlinks, or having a
vertically across the force. As embedded personnel, mage call for fire coordinates via watcher spirits
you’ll likely be loaned the proper communications to the battery commander. Soldiers are nothing
gear to maintain secure comms with your team if not inventive. But paying attention to comm
leaders. Additionally, we’re the ones who establish protocols and strictly observing encryption secu-
and maintain the communications networks for rity will go a long way toward never having to
the structure, often just referred to as “nets” (i.e., resort to stop-gap measures.
Command Net, Fires Net, Mage Net). All comm The flip side of my job is to attempt to exploit
nets use specific commcodes with pre-identified weaknesses in the enemy’s C5I structure. Meacon-
encryption that are listed on a reference called the ing, intrusion, jamming, and interference (MIJI) are
“card of the day.” The reference hearkens back techniques utilized in electronic warfare to disrupt

FRAG ORDERS // SUBJECT: J6 JOINT COMMUNICATIONS BRIEF - BREAKING THE CHAIN

the enemy’s information flow and introduce delays The intelligence cycle is often referred to as the
into their OODA loop. For those of you not famil- Tasking, Collection, Processing, Exploitation, and
iar, OODA stands for observe, orient, decide, act. It’s Dissemination cycle. The goal of intelligence col-
a way to characterize tactical decision-making that lection is to provide timely and accurate actionable 127
was developed by U.S. Air Force Colonel John Boyd. intelligence to decision-makers and warfighters.

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

By introducing uncertainty into any of the first three The tasking phase is important because collec-
steps of your opponent’s OODA loop, you gain time tion assets are typically low-density/high-demand
for your own loop to complete. It’s described as “op- platforms, with their sensors being requested to
erating inside your opponent’s loop,” that is, complet- service large numbers of targets. This actually
ing the sequence faster than they do. MIJI is one of the works in the favor of irregular forces, because in
ways that the J6 can sabotage your opponent’s loop. order to bridge gaps in collection capabilities, units
Meaconing equates to the use of false naviga- can contract local personnel to provide addition-
tion aids to pull an adversary aircraft off course. al coverage. Missions of this nature could include
Intrusion means intercepting an enemy signal and monitoring a target location over a period of days
introducing false information. Jamming is just like to identify the enemy’s pattern of life, or infiltrat-
it sounds, disrupting an enemy communications or ing front line positions to install collection devices
radar path by overwhelming the signal with elec- like bugs, sensors, spyware, etc.
tronic noise. Common techniques include barrage The collection phase means having the right
jamming and spot jamming. Jamming isn’t some- gear to intercept and record priority data. For a
thing we resort to frequently, as it tends to bleed small unit, this may be getting in close enough to
over onto friendly nets, causing problems for our record with magnified cybereyes, laser and shot-
own force. It’s also energy-intensive and tends to gun microphones, positioning drones for a closer
attract attention from enemy anti-radiation mis- look, or recording other special signals. Probing
siles. Interference covers a class of unintentional enemy wireless defenses and perceiving things in
disruption of signals, often from civilian broad- the Matrix is key intel in the digital domain. Un-
cast sites such as radio towers, airport radars, and derstanding a host’s rating and currently config-
power generation sites. MIJI as warfare is taught ured attack, sleaze, data processing, and firewall
over the course of months, not just a quick hour- values as they shift over time allows cyber mission
long lecture; this is meant solely as familiarization planners to optimize the chances of success. In the
of terms and concepts for when you’re receiving a end, that’s what intel is all about: maximizing the
mission briefing. chance of success and minimizing surprises. But
note, just because we try to minimize the possibil-
“Intelligence-gathering requires constant ity of a negative outcome, that chance never goes
vigilance and an unflinching commitment to to zero. There’s risk inherent in everything we do.
service, no matter what the cost.” — General I mentioned the concept of establishing a pat-
George Washington tern of life earlier, but I’d like to expound on it
for a moment. A typical shadowrun is a short-term
operation, where a team may only case a location
Subject: J2 Joint for a few hours, or sometimes not at all. Contrast
that with military operations, where the actual ki-

Intelligence Brief - netic phase won’t last long but the preparation for
that phase might last weeks or months while intel-
ligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) as-
Know before you go sets establish an adversary pattern of life. When do
Presenter: Lieutenant metahumans wake up at the target location? When
do they go outside the compound (office, residenc-
Commander Ken “Harvard” Daisho
es, etc.)? How many metahumans are present at
Intelligence collection is often the key to a suc- different times of day? When is Matrix security
cessful operation and especially important for mit- present? When is astral security present? The list of
igating blue force losses. We break intelligence col- questions a ground force might have is extensive,
lection into several categories: ACINT or acoustic and answering those questions drives the afore-
intelligence, MHUMINT or meta-human intelli- mentioned tasking phase. The key thing for the
gence, IMINT or imagery intelligence, SIGINT or intelligence team to do is to integrate closely with
signals intelligence, and MASINT or measurement the ground force in order to anticipate questions
and signals intelligence, which also covers things like and provide actionable intelligence and answers to
RADINT or radar intelligence. As a side note, we those questions.
break out RADINT in particular because of the abil- Processing, exploitation, and dissemination
ities of active electronically scanned arrays and syn- are often connected in a single step. Once key
thetic aperture/inverse synthetic aperture radars to information elements are collected, then the intel
identify distinguishing silhouettes of imaged targets. team needs to gather all of the various sources

SUBJECT: J2 JOINT INTELLIGENCE BRIEF - KNOW BEFORE YOU GO // FRAG ORDERS

 into one repository to paint a picture. Raw data door in a secure facility, but higher experimen-
such as radio frequencies, images, acoustic re- tal ratings are known to exist as well. Healthy
cordings, etc. might be gathered in snippets and questions are encouraged, but if a briefing of-
128 snapshots strung together to create a coherent ficer tells you that information is beyond your
picture. The ability to time-stamp every iota of need to know, don’t push them on it. That’s a
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

data becomes key to creating a reliable chronol- good way to get disinvited from the party.
ogy. Also, being able to extract geolocation in-
formation from photos, trideos, and simsense > Maybe that’s not a bad thing.
recordings is a useful intel task. > Borderline
As an aside, this also presents an opportunity
for deception. If you understand when and how an > I get there is due diligence, and paranoia is a survival trait.
adversary collects information, you can disrupt or But there’s also taking it too far. Sometimes we don’t need to
introduce doubt into their conclusions by planting
know everything; we only need to know enough to keep our
competing pieces of data. Two images with the same
hoops intact. Sometimes knowing too much makes you a loose
time stamp creates ambiguity that algorithms don’t
like. This is why intel sources and methods are close- thread that eventually needs to be tied up. Learn to know the
ly guarded, even if no metahuman assets are at risk. difference.
Exploitation techniques depend on the type > DangerSensei
of intel (ACINT, GEOINT, MHUMINT, SIGINT,
etc.). A SIGINT exploit might hack into enemy > True, but on the same note, some people don’t care and will
MTOC feeds and display where all of the adver- remove everyone, just to be safe.
sary troops are. A GEOINT exploit might use > Balladeer
imagery to come up with precise coordinates for
a cruise missile or drone strike. An MHUMINT Understanding the intelligence process is im-
exploit might use an asset close to the target to portant, not only to get as much out of it as pos-
leave an RFID tag that allows pinpoint tracking. sible but also to gain an awareness of what the
An ACINT exploit might understand an acoustic enemy is trying to do. All of the things that we
signature on a naval vessel or track support ve- as blue force J2 look for, I can guarantee that the
hicles along a resupply route, either for intercept red forces are looking for as well. So the more
or for targeting. An ASINT exploit might use the you obscure your own signals, your own pat-
knowledge of astral signatures to allow your team terns, the more you cover your tracks and stay
to slip in by altering their own with flexible sig- unpredictable, then the more difficult you make
nature metamagic. In the intelligence business the their job, and the more successful you make ours.
tradecraft is always advancing, so creativity and
innovation are encouraged and often funded with > I almost removed this next part, but then I realized that if some
deep research and development accounts. of you decide to work with regular military forces, you’ll need
Dissemination is the act of getting the ac- to be aware of this as well. When most think about militaries,
tionable intelligence out to all the forces where
they think of kick-hoop units, heavy firepower, and electronic
it can do some good. In a large organization
wizardry. What they don’t tell you about is the sheer amount of
like the military, that means having a set of in-
formation controls that puts out just the right paperwork you’ll have to do. And trust me, I’d rather take on an
amount of information at the right time. Man- ultraviolet-rated host than deal with this drek.
aging clearance levels and need to know be- > Glitch
comes a full-time job. It takes a lot of attention
to detail to ensure sources and methods are not
compromised when releasing the information Subject: J4 Joint
they collected. This means shadowrunners hired
to assist a special unit may have temporary ac- Logistics Brief -
cess to relevant mission data to achieve short-
term objectives, but you won’t have access to What do you need
other information. Every organization does this Presenter: Captain
differently, but usually there are a handful of
James “Git-R” Buchannon, UCASA
access levels that have compartments used to
manage smaller projects. In the modern Matrix
era, usually SIN rating and host rating are good “Amateurs talk strategy; professionals talk
guides. All intel agencies conduct thorough logistics.” — attributed to Gen. Omar Bradley
background checks using regular checks of a
user’s SIN and with spot checks into their as- Toll already outlined some basic logistics. What
sociates. You can count on rating six credstick I have for you is the forms to requisition gear. All
readers and a full suite of biometrics on every gear needs to be checked out and accounted for af-

FRAG ORDERS // SUBJECT: J4 JOINT LOGISTICS BRIEF - WHAT DO YOU NEED

ter your return, but I am here to get you what you itary (for just one example) has spent enormous
need to execute. The difference between a small effort, both system-wise and procedure-wise, in
outfit and our operation is that we have stock- developing the concept of joint, networked fires,
piles. You need an Aerospace Jumpmaster for an it’s easy to imagine what would happen given an 129
operation? If it’s on your authorized gear list, you additional sixty years of development.

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

can check out four for your next HALO infiltra- The joint fires concept and implementation
tion. You need gas grenades? Are those thrown, mean that even relatively small units can request
launched, or mini? You need micro drones, we got and accurately place fires from widely disparate
you. You need comm gear, that you will need to sources: conventional tube-based artillery and
check out from J6, we don’t do crypto, but we got mortar fire, rocket artillery, naval gunfire support,
the batteries for your comm gear. Think of us as both land- and sea-based cruise missiles, and both
the team that gets the team the gear it needs to fixed and rotary wing fires. Those fires could be
win. Nobody thinks it’s as glamorous as those Tier pulled from any source up to one hundred kilo-
One fellas doing all the door-kickin’ and runnin’ meters away or more and delivered with precision
and gunnin’. But let me tell you, those folks are accuracy. Even in an environment where satel-
the happiest ones to see the supply convoy rollin’ lite-based navigation is degraded or denied, infan-
in with all the fuel, bullets, and chow that they try could still use laser designation to mark tar-
used up getting the job done. I ain’t one for much gets or provide local sensor-based targeting from
talking, and I don’t have any pretty pictures like MTOC or other handheld sensor devices.
them other briefers do, but that’s the only thing in That’s not even considering unmanned support.
short supply. Get it? Ha! Anyway, thanks, and I’m In current world conflicts, we’ve already seen long
here for any questions you might have. duration airborne unmanned systems be on station
providing ISR updates, as well as direct fire sup-
port, plus smaller, expendable loitering munitions
Game Information: circling over the battlefield awaiting targets of op-
portunity. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to
Sixth World think that on the battlefields of the Sixth World,
infantry squads will advance under a flock of ded-
Warfare icated loitering munitions just waiting to be direct-
ed against a target that presents an obstacle to the
Considerations squads’ mission.
There’s also firepower on the physical plane.
Before introducing military operations, gear, Military units will always be conducting com-
munitions, and tactics into a Shadowrun game, bined arms operations, supported by both magical
the gamemaster should consider the balance be- and Matrix allies. And those units will bring fire-
tween the roleplaying opportunities versus the power of their own to the fight: quickened spells,
potentially destabilizing effects such forces rep- high-force spirits, weapon foci, high-rating agents,
resent. Unlike the security and law enforcement mil-spec hosts, specially constructed decks. The list
agencies that shadowrunners are used to interact- goes on.
ing with, military units do not operate in congest- Essentially this means that even in an ambush
ed civilian environments. The battlefields of the situation, a team of shadowrunners could find
twenty-first century are transparent, networked itself rapidly outgunned and under increasingly
areas fought over by combined arms units that heavy return fire in all domains: physical, elec-
employ effects in the physical, astral, and electro- tronic, and astral. This will likely be lethal in short
magnetic domains. And they do so at a high-tem- order, unless, of course, your runners are toting
po, high-precision pace. around equivalent military weapons and have ac-
The primary obstacle the gamemaster must cess to the same resources. At which point, are they
confront when considering whether or not to in- even really shadowrunners anymore? Or are you
troduce military units into a Shadowrun campaign just creating a campaign centered around small
setting is the vast disparity in firepower that the unit actions in a battlefield environment?
military brings to the game. Consider that a sin- There is an opportunity, though, in that the
gle squad of infantry consists of nine personnel, Joint Fires concept allows a gamemaster to intro-
seven of whom carry standard assault rifles while duce military firepower without it becoming over-
two will have light machine gun-class weapons, powering or the focus of the campaign. The hazard
while a platoon consists of three “line” squads when handing over new toys to player characters
plus a weapons squad that will have two medium is they immediately want to take them out and use
machine gun-class weapons. And that organic fire- them, and the urban milieu isn’t suited for the kind
power absolutely pales in comparison to what a of unbalancing power that high-rating military
unit can call down if it finds itself outgunned by gear can bring. The solution is to give them the
the enemy. Given that the modern-day U.S. mil- means to employ that firepower without access to

GAME INFORMATION: SIXTH WORLD WARFARE CONSIDERATIONS // FRAG ORDERS

 the gear itself. And that’s simple when you apply apt to adhere to rules and regulations and to hold
the Joint Fires concept. accountable those who don’t. Personnel staffing
checkpoints and on duty as guards and watches
130 Suggestions For will be more observant than the security personnel
that runners are used to dealing with. Additionally,
Missions and Objectives
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

those guards will remember and report anything

Gamemasters can send player characters out unusual or suspicious. So much of military life is
on any imaginable kind of battlefield mission, as boring, repetitive, and routine that any circum-
long as they have access to an MTOC or the abil- stance that breaks that monotony will stand out.
ity to call in a limited amount of supporting fire. If shadowrunners are attempting to infiltrate a
It may be that their mission is to infiltrate behind military location or to pass through a checkpoint,
enemy lines and destroy a key piece of infrastruc- their best chance of success is to look just like any
ture: a bridge, a power relay station, a fuel de- other personnel stationed on that base or part of
pot, a Matrix device, etc. And rather than giving that unit. That means facial hair and haircuts within
them demolition charges, let them use MTOCs to the prescribed regulations, no facial tattoos or pierc-
paint the target for a hypervelocity cruise missile ings, no outlandish hair colors, etc. Military dress
strike, or a brace of JDAM-ERs from a stealth manuals typically specify the style and size of ear-
drone overhead. rings that can be worn by personnel, as well as color
Rather than being the focus, Joint Fires could be and type of nail polish. To maximize their chances of
a supporting effort on their mission. Their MTOCs successfully impersonating military personnel, run-
might list a handful of effects that they can call ners should pay attention to those types of details.
in to defeat heavy opposition: loitering munitions Likewise, embracing the routine pattern of life
to strike at enemy bunkers or machine gun nests, for a military unit, ship, or base will significant-
an air weapons team with anti-tank weapons to ly improve the chances of runners being able to
deal with the appearance of enemy armor, or may- sleaze their way past guards and checkpoints. If
be a strike drone with a handful of 150 kilogram the supply convoy to a base arrives every Tues-
bombs to destroy a building where an enemy mage day afternoon around 1400 (2:00 p.m.), then the
has set up a ritual lodge. This scenario has the runners need to have their fake convoy arrive on
added benefit of forcing your players to consider a Tuesday afternoon around 1400. If the harbor
the logistics of their fire support. Do they want to pilot meets an incoming ship at the second set of
use that artillery strike now? Or can they sneak navigational buoys, then guess what? The runners’
around the obstacle, avoiding conflict and saving boat better be at the second set of buoys or the
those fires for use at a later date? sailors on that ship will get pretty suspicious. If the
guards on duty are always relieved by three indi-
viduals, then the runners better have three people
Military NPCs impersonating guards on the relief shift.
When developing NPCs for an encounter using Speaking of guards and sentries, the military
military units or a military campaign, the game- has specific standing orders when it comes to how
master should keep a couple of points in mind. to stand watch and protect installations, bases, and
First, the military draws personnel from across ships. Military watch standers will be more obser-
the social spectrum. All races, religions, genders, vant and more adherent to regulations than the av-
metatypes, and orientations serve with distinction erage corporate security guard. After all, although
in the armed forces. But the military prides itself we talk frequently about conflict in the urban set-
on uniformity, so although a unit might comprise tings of most shadowruns, military personnel are
a variety of metatypes and genders, every member often standing guard in actual combat zones, with
will be expected to adhere to the dress and uni- enemy troops actively trying to infiltrate and de-
form standards. stroy bases. A lot of the armed forces operate on
Second, just like in any other organization, there a “trust but verify” mindset; that is, the company
will be good, bad, and mediocre members of the commander trusts that their subordinates will ex-
armed forces. On the whole, when describing an in- ecute their guard duties correctly, but occasionally
dividual in the military, you’re talking about some- they will conduct random guard checks to veri-
one who believes in the service aspect of the armed fy that their trust is not misplaced. Which means
forces. Someone who ascribes the ideals of loyalty that the platoon leader is going to conduct random
to the unit, to the service, and to the country. There guard checks of their own, because they don’t want
are plenty of other jobs or professions where some- to get in trouble if it turns out that the company
one can earn a living; it takes a dedicated mindset commander checked the guards from their platoon
to commit to a workplace where part of the job de- and found them slacking. This means that the squad
scription is to regularly go into harm’s way. leader is going to conduct random guard checks as
What this means for shadowrunners is that the well, because they don’t want their squad to get
military personnel that they’ll encounter are more caught slacking by the platoon leader. In turn, the

FRAG ORDERS // GAME INFORMATION: SIXTH WORLD WARFARE CONSIDERATIONS

poor grunt who’s actually standing guard is defi- personnel. Additionally, both your Heat and any
nitely not going to slack off, because they know negative Reputation are ignored for the duration
they’ll be in a world of drek if any of those three of the encounter.
random guard checks finds anything amiss. 131
Just like in any other organization, the military Black Mark

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

has weak points that can be exploited. Standard
Operating Procedures are great tools that allow Discharge (Negative)
for rapid response in emergency situations, but Breaking the rules finally caught up with you,
they also make for predictable responses. Creative and your time in uniform was unceremonious-
and clever runners can manipulate those situations ly cut short. This flaw encompasses negative dis-
to their advantage. Bear in mind that when deal- charges from military service, including other than
ing with military forces of any kind, a runner’s ad- honorable (OTOH), bad conduct (BCD), and dis-
vantages are their speed and mobility. Any kind of honorable (DD).
pitched conflict will quickly evolve into a situation Bonus: 8 Karma
where military forces bring incredible amounts of Game effect: You cannot spend edge on a So-
firepower to bear. Runners need to execute their cial test involving military personnel. If you engage
plans and break contact as quickly as possible, in a Teamwork test to assist a Social test, no one
exiting the area and ensuring little to no trace is on the team may spend edge. Additionally, the dis-
left behind that pursuit could detect. Military units charge remains in military databases, and provides
are neither forgetful nor forgiving when it comes an additional point of Edge to anyone conducting
to anyone attempting to infiltrate, influence, sabo- a Matrix search for the individual.
tage, or steal from them. Runners should be under
no misconception that their plans must cover mul- Military Medicine (Negative)
tiple contingencies, and that any missteps along
the way could have rapidly lethal consequences. Constant training and high-tempo operations
takes a toll on the body. Unfortunately, you fell
through the cracks of the medical departments of
New Qualities the various units you were a part of, and never re-
ceived proper long-term care.
Trusted Veteran (Positive) Bonus: 10 Karma
Serving in uniform leaves an indelible mark on Game effect: You begin each day with one box
an individual, and your time in the service stays of Physical damage and one box of Stun. These
with you regardless of where you go. wounds cannot be healed through normal rest and
Cost: 8 Karma recovery. They can only be healed through a suc-
Game effect: You gain 1 Edge for Social Tests cessful First Aid, Medkit, or Magical healing test
involving military, security, or law enforcement (see p. 119, SR6).

GAME INFORMATION: SIXTH WORLD WARFARE CONSIDERATIONS // FRAG ORDERS

 MIL-SPEC
MAYHEM
Posted by: Rifleman also called the Hive, the two current versions were
used extensively during Operation: Cheshire and
A download on mil-spec gear wouldn’t be com- are currently being marketed as rough-terrain
plete without discussing military vehicles and the scout vehicles.
weapon systems they employ. Given the sheer num-
ber of designers and manufacturers in the industry, Ares Model 301
there are scores of different designs and variants
that can also be further modified or customized “Shadowdancer” CVW
to meet specific needs. With that in mind, here are The smaller of the two Shadow series CVWs,
some of the most common and capable currently the Shadowdancer was originally a spin-off of
on the market. Remember that for every example the Ares Encounter Suit program using exoskele-
I mention, there are dozens of other models and ton technology to increase the operator’s strength
offshoots. merged with a personal propulsion system for
greater mobility. The program eventually moved
Walking Vehicles to larger designs using anthroform cyberlimbs,
with the operator “riding” inside the body of the
The CVW (combat vehicle: walker) is the re- vehicle, and it eventually lost the “jetpack” fea-
sult of an Ares program to develop combat systems tures. Due to the vehicle’s still relatively small size,
capable of moving through the typically relatively pilots must be relatively short, and trolls cannot
small openings of metaplanar gateways. Originally fit inside the cockpit. The approximately three-
designed to operate in the bugs’ home metaplane, meter-tall Shadowdancer has cyberlimbs with the

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // WALKING VEHICLES

full metahuman range of motion that can manip- side, and a light mil-spec weapon mount (Grade
ulate troll-sized gear and weapons. Typically, the 1) at the lower front. Typical loadouts are an Ares
Shadowdancer does not have a dedicated weap- Firelance II laser in the front with a combination
on mount and instead the operator will employ of heavy flamethrower, heavy machine gun, or 133
the cyberlimbs to operate an assault cannon or a multi-tube missile launcher in the side mounts.

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

heavy machine gun, with perhaps a large combat
axe or a power maul as a melee option. > I swear I saw something like this on an old flat-vid, battling what
looked like … small bears?
> Electric Blue
Shadowdancer

Wheeled Vehicles
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
2/2 15 20 70 5 10 1

SENSOR SEAT
4 1
AVAIL COST
7(L) 73,500¥ BAE Archer III high
Standard Equipment: Anthroform cyberlimbs (2x Arms STR 9, AGI 8, 2x mobility artillery system
Legs STR 9, AGI 4), ceramic plate, hydrocarbon fuel converter, mil-spec
comms I, passive stealth features, removed manual controls, rigger inter-
Hailed as a true third-generation artillery sys-
face, suncell. tem, the new BAE Archer III retains the LG155
Note: While moving up to 10 meters per round, this vehicle is approxi- Gun Howitzer used in previous models but re-
mately as maneuverable as a metahuman and does not require a Pilot- places the modular solid propellant charge system
ing test for actions within the normal range of metahuman motion. Pilots
must be Body 5 or smaller; trolls cannot operate.
with a new liquid binary propellant design capable
of generating exact projectile velocities. Mounted
on the newly updated, all-electric Oshkosh 10x10
heavy wheeled truck, the ammo storage and binary
Ares Model 502 propellant tanks are contained in the armored au-
“Shadow Strider” CVW toloading turret at the rear of the vehicle. The driv-
er, commander, and gun operators are protected in
Developed in parallel with the Shadowdancer the extended front cab that includes a fire-control
and designed to provide heavy firepower to teams system, C3 center, and living quarters.
engaged in metaplanar combat missions, the Shad- The Archer III is typically accompanied by one
ow Strider has several unique features. In addition or two BAE Bondsman ammo drones able to re-
to being a walker able to handle all types of ter- supply the autoloader and propellant tanks with-
rain, it breaks down into three separate compo- out any active assistance from the crew.
nents, each small enough to be moved through a
metaplanar gate. Reassembly is relatively fast and
doesn’t require tools; simply maneuver the sections Archer III
into position.
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
While the locomotive style of the Shadow Strid- 5/4 10 15 110 24 16 3
er matches the Shadowdancer, the similarity ends
there. The heavy backward-jointed mechanical SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
legs, boxy armored pilot compartment, and lack 4 4 8(I) 1,120,000¥
of cyberarms has earned the four-meter-tall vehicle Standard Equipment: Dedicated primary weapon: BAE- LG155 Gun Howitzer,
nicknames like the Death Chicken and Baba Yaga’s heavy weapon mounts x2, mil-spec comms I, rigger interface, smart tires.
Hut.
To fill its role as fire support, the Shadow Strider
includes two heavy weapon mounts, one on each
BAE Bondsman Ammo Drone
Shadow Strider This large wheeled drone has become a com-
mon feature in many outfits, running shipments of
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
ammunition from supply depots to the front lines
2/2 10 15 80 10 (14) 16 3
without risking the life of a metahuman driver. The
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST Bondsman has two large top-mounted mechanical
4 1 8(L) 115,000¥ arms able to unload a shipment from its armored
Standard Equipment: Anthroform cyberlimbs (2x Legs STR 12, AGI 3),
storage bay, and can even load most ammo bins
ceramic plate, easy assembly and disassembly, heavy weapon mounts x2 without assistance.
(left and right sides), hydrocarbon fuel converter, increased structural in-
tegrity (4), mil-spec comms I, mil-spec hardpoint: Grade 1 (front), rigger
interface, suncell.
Note: For reassembly, it requires a Logic + Engineering (10, 1 minute) Ex-
tended test.

WHEELED VEHICLES // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 igun, which can be used offensively by the driver
Bondsman if needed.
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
134 4/3 10 15 90 10 10 3
Otokar Jamal
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

2 – 5 18,000¥
The Jamal is an 8x8 wheeled infantry fighting
vehicle and common weapon platform manufac-
Standard Equipment: 20 CF cargo space, 2x strength 10 large mechanical tured by Otokar, a Marduk Munitions and Spin-
arms, smart tires, suncell.
rad Global subsidiary, and is the primary troop
transport for Caliphate forces. Typical of many
Hua Tuo MASH Vehicle wheeled IFVs on the market, the Jamal is a highly
mobile, well-armed and armored troop transport.
The Hua Tuo is a fully functional MASH fa- Standard features of the Jamal include smart-
cility available through Wuxing subsidiary, ESSY tires, active multi-terrain suspension, amphibi-
Motors. Slightly longer and taller than an Ares ous operation, mil-spec frame, and plate with a
Roadmaster, the semi-double-decker vehicle must Grade 3 mil-spec hardpoint. Standard models are
be parked before it can be set up as a field hospital. equipped with a turreted GDC-105 smoothbore
The driver and a support tech use the front seating, cannon, but other turreted Size 3 weapon config-
while up to six medical personnel have seats in the urations are common, such as a Ruhrmetall Don-
rear. After being leveled on its internal hydraulics, nergrollen-120 mortar.
both side panels deploy outward, doubling the us-
able space inside the vehicle.
As a Rating 2 medical facility (see p. 183), the Otokar Jamal
Hua Tuo has two separate operating theaters, each HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
accommodating a single patient, with space to tri- 3/5 20 20 140 18(24) 20(+3) 3

age four additional patients and post-op recovery SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
for four more. Four automated mil-spec Valkyrie 3 2/10 6(I) 115,000¥
modules are accessible from the rear doors of the
Standard Equipment: Amphibious operation, mil-spec comms I, mil-spec
vehicle, separated from the surgery center. The low frame (6), mil-spec hardpoint (Grade 3), mil-spec plate 3, multi-terrain sus-
double-decker level above the surgery suite has pension: active 2, rigger interface, smart tires.
sparse accommodation for up to eight, and storage
for medical supplies.
While not specifically armed, the Hua Tuo is Renraku Omukade
protected by an MDS system and Vindicator min-
The Ōmukade is a perimeter defense system
made up of a series of “cars” designed to be sep-
Hua Tuo
arated and deployed over a wide area. This land
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT train-style vehicle system has a primary com-
4/6 6 15 120 18 18 2
mand car as the only crewed component. The
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
command car transports a series of up to twelve
2 2/6 5 872,000¥ secondary cars behind it, each containing a spe-
cialized defensive system or offensive weapon.
Standard Equipment: Heavy weapon mount (Vindicator minigun: Turreted,
linked to MDS), living space 8 (low), MDS, mil-spec comms II, 4x mil-spec
When separated, the secondary cars are all au-
Valkyrie Modules, portable facility (biotech), rigger interface, suncell. tonomous wheeled drones that can operate un-
der their own pilot programs.

Renraku Omukade

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // WHEELED VEHICLES

 Most of the secondary cars feature an exterior
weapon mount attached to their Grade 1 mil-spec Tracked Vehicles
hardpoint. This allows a car to externally mount Ares-GD Vicksburg
up to a Size 3 weapon. A typical anti-aircraft load- 135
out may be a 30 millimeter RAC in a high traverse While most modern battle tanks are either a

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

cradle or a Size 3 missile pod with four SAMs. high-speed VTV (Vectored Thrust Vehicle) or a
Other role configurations may swap out the SAMs slow but stealthy infiltrator, this partnership be-
with four anti-armor missiles or provide light fire tween Ares and General Dynamics offers a third
support with a 105 millimeter howitzer. Other op- option. Popular with smaller militia groups and
tions include racks for support drones. outfits conducting urban defense operations, the
Some cars, informally called “battle wagons,” Vicksburg focuses on armor and firepower while
are designed to handle front-line contact with ene- sacrificing maneuverability. The main turret uses
my forces instead of a support role. These cars are a GDC-140 cannon as its main armament paired
far more survivable, with upgraded armor and an with a coaxial mounted Ares Victory AAC. The
enclosed turret containing a Size 1 weapon, typi- heavy weapon mount on the top of the turret adds
cally a railgun, 30 millimeter chain gun, or a short- a Vanquisher minigun as a close range, anti-infan-
range missile defense setup that twin links a MDS try weapon.
with am Ares Firebird laser.
When the cars are connected in land train con- Ares-GD Vicksburg
figuration, the individual car drives are discon-
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
nected and function as trailers being pulled by the 4/2 10 20 120 24(34) 24 (+5) 3
command car.
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
3 3 6(I) 1,745,000¥
> Although in an emergency, the drivetrains can be reengaged
if the command car’s engine is disabled, but at half speed. But Standard Equipment: Dedicated primary weapon: GDC-140 cannon, dedicat-
don’t try and engage all drivetrains at once thinking it will grant ed primary weapon: Ares Victory AAC, heavy weapon mount: Vanquisher min-
igun, mil-spec comms I, mil-spec frame 10, mil-spec plate 5, rigger interface.
extra speed … it won’t, because the system isn’t set up for that.
It’s a great way to burn out drivetrains, though.
> Clockwork
CV 98-M “Devil Rat” APC
A common sight in most military units, the
Renraku Omukade CV (formerly LAV) -98, more commonly called
the Devil Rat, is an armored personnel carrier
command car
that has been in production since the late ’40s.
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT The updated M version keeps the amphibious
3/5 10 25 120 16 16 4 operation and single heavy weapon mount of
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
its predecessors while adding side gun ports and
4 2 6(L) 645,000¥ slightly better armor. Other than those small
changes, it’s still the same basic box on tracks
support car the Devil Rat has been for decades.
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
4/5 15 15 75 12 12 4 CV 98-M “Devil Rat” APC

SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
4 – 6(L) 27,000¥ 4/2 10 15 120 18 18 3

SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST

battle wagon
2 2/12 6(L) 77,500¥
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
4/5 15 15 75 12(16) 16 4 Standard Equipment: Amphibious operation, gun ports x4, heavy weapon
mount (turret), mil-spec comms I, rigger interface.
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
4 – 6(L) 43,500¥

Command Car Standard Equipment: Cargo hauler, ceramic plate, com-

mand and control comms, heavy weapon mount (turret), mil-spec comms II,
multi-terrain suspension: active 2, retrans unit, rigger interface, smart tires,
suncell.
Support Car Standard Equipment: Mil-spec hardpoint (Grade 1, exterior
mount), smart tires, suncell.
Battle Wagon Standard Equipment: Ceramic plate, increased structural in-
tegrity 4, mil-spec hardpoint (Grade 1, turret), smart tires, suncell.

TRACKED VEHICLES // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 stealth features and will deploy a cloud of re-
Dassault Shadowstriker peater drones across a wide area to both boost
its transmissions and act as decoys for anyone
136 trying to locate the actual C3 node’s physical lo-
cation. The number and types of drones carried
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

by a Transcendent also makes it excellent at both

E-War operations and gathering intelligence on
enemy locations and movements.
In addition to its transmitter and comm sys-
tems, the Transcendent has launch tubes for ten
Aerodesign Systems AEW-03 Screamers, with
drone racks for thirty Federated-Boeing Sky Com-
manders, and twenty Aerodesign Systems LDSD-
64 Condors. For physical defense, the Transcen-
Dassault Shadowstriker dent will typically be protected with two separate
MDS units paired to either Ares Firebird lasers or
Instead of the high mobility of the typical VTV Ares-GE Vindicator miniguns, which can be used
main battle tank, the Shadowstriker focuses on offensively if needed.
stealth to infiltrate behind enemy lines, striking
hard with its Mixcoatl railgun from a hidden posi-
tion, before quietly moving on. The bleeding-edge
GMC Transcendent
stealth systems include enhanced noise cancella-
tion and visual systems that extend into the far HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
infrared, EM shielding around its power and drive 3/2 10 30 120 22 24 6

systems, and a full radar-absorbing outer surface. SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
6 2 12(I) 3,495,000¥

Standard Equipment: Ceramic plate, chameleon coating (4), command and

Shadowstriker
control comms, 5x drone racks: medium with 3x expanded storage, 2x drone
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT racks: mini with expanded storage, 5x drone racks: small with expanded stor-
4/2 20 40 180 22 (30) 20 (+4) 5 age, 2x heavy weapon mount (turret) Firebird or Vindicator, 2x integrated Ma-
trix device: Ares Red Dog RCC, living space (2, low), 2x MDS, mil-spec comms
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST III, network sharing enhancement, passive stealth features, RAM plating (4),
6 2 14(I) 5,855,000¥ retrans unit, 2x rigger cocoon, rigger interface, suncell.

Standard Equipment: Chameleon coating 4 (enhanced), dedicated primary

weapon: Mixcoatl railgun (turret), electromagnetic shielding 4 (enhanced),
mil-spec comms I, mil-spec frame 8, mil-spec plate 4, passive stealth features
4 (enhanced), ram plating 4 (enhanced), rigger interface.
Krupp 04-16
Game Rules: The enhanced “passive” stealth features contain active “Lamplighter” MLRS
noise cancellation that increases the threshold of a Stealth test by 4. The
Invisible (Improved) status of the vehicle extends to thermographic vi- One of the more popular vehicles used to de-
sion. The enhanced EM shielding and RAM plating also extend the effects ploy rocket artillery in the field, the lightly ar-
of the Invisible (Improved) status to devices that detect electromagnetic mored Krupp Lamplighter uses four preloaded
emissions or use radar.
“cells” similar to the VLS cells used in ships.
Each cell is loaded with either one intermedi-
ate-range Krupp Bombard guided missile or
four short-range Krupp Trebuchet guided mis-
siles (or occasionally four unguided Onager
GMC Transcendent C3 rockets). Reloads are transported inside cells
Network Node/Drone Carrier and can be carried by drone or truck. The Lamp-
One of the central components of modern lighter uses what is basically a large autoloader,
military C3 systems, the Transcendent and vehi- dropping spent cells off and loading fresh cells
cles like it are communication hubs for military into position relatively quickly from a resupply
field units. As the end target of encrypted point- transport. While on the move, cells lay flat in
to-point laser communication lines from central the rear of the vehicle, but for operation, the in-
command, the Transcendent uses its powerful line launcher system must be elevated to at least
radio transmitters and an array of Microdeck 45 degrees. The launcher must then be dropped
Citadel Commander comm nodes to maintain back down before the Lamplighter can move to
lines of communication with all troops within a a new location.
50-kilometer radius. In order to keep from being
spotted while operating, the Transcendent has
a number of bleeding-edge active and passive

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // TRACKED VEHICLES

 Krupp 04-16 Lamplighter Other Main Battle Tanks
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT The profiles for the Centurion and MacArthur MBTs
5/3 15 15 90 20 16 3
from Double Clutch only include options found in that 137
book; they do not include any of the mil-spec weapons

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
3 2 8(I) 98,500¥ or design options presented here. These revised profiles
are presented as an option to take full advantage of the
Standard Equipment: Dedicated primary weapon: unguided rocket launcher
expanded mil-spec features found in Deadly Arts.
w/ 4x Size 3 cells (external mount), mil-spec comms I.

BAE Centurion II
Ruhrmetall MA-220 HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
“Groundshaker” SPG 203 5/5 20 30 150 24 (30) 20 (+3) 3

millimeter Howitzer SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST

3 3 8(I) 2,000,000¥
As the core of many field artillery units, this
self-propelled gun by Ruhrmetall, nicknamed the Standard Equipment: Drone racks (medium, x3), heavy weapon mounts
(turret), mil-spec comms I, mil-spec frame (6), mil-spec hardpoint (Grade 4,
Groundshaker by UCAS troops, is a time-tested turret), mil-spec plate (3), rigger cocoon, rigger interface.
system for delivering sustained heavy ordnance Notes: The listed cost of the Centurion II does not include any weapons. Any
on targets. The A203 shells can accept a wide va- Size 4 weapon can be mounted in the turret.

riety of warheads, allowing the MA-220 a lot of

GD/CAS MacArthur
flexibility in the missions it can tackle. As a rela-
tively slow vehicle it is vulnerable to counter bat- HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
5/5 25 30 160 26 (34) 20 (+4) 4
tery fire, but the crew compartment, rear-mount-
ed autoloading BAE-LG203, and its armored SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
magazine make it a durable combatant and al- 4 3 9(I) 4,000,000¥
lowing it to survive anything but a direct strike. Standard Equipment: Electronic countermeasures (5), 2x dedicated primary
Reloading the ammo bin on this beast is a noto- weapons: missile launchers (Size 4, hot VLS cells, x8 Class 3 missiles each),
riously difficult chore, requiring a crane-equipped x2 heavy weapon mounts (turret), mil-spec comms II, mil-spec frame (8), mil-
spec hardpoint: Grade 4 (turret), mil-spec plate (4), RAM plating (4), rigger
vehicle and four extra crew that show up with the cocoon, rigger interface
ammo truck. Notes: The listed cost of the MacArthur does not include any weapons other
than the missile launchers. Any Size 4 weapon can be mounted in the turret.
The rocket launchers can load sixteen Class 3 missiles in any mix; typical load-
outs use Scorpio ATMs, Trebuchet GRAs, or Warhawk SAMs.
Ruhrmetall Groundshaker
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT mechanics have experience working on the Stone-
5/3 5 15 60 24 (30) 24 (+3) 3 wall. For the main gun the A8 offers a choice be-
tween the GDC-120 cannon or a General Dynam-
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
3 2 6(I) 855,000¥ ics copy of the Mixcoatl railgun, but other options
are available as special orders. The secondary tur-
Standard Equipment: Dedicated primary weapon: BAE- LG203 Gun Howitzer
(front 90 degree turret), mil-spec comms I, mil-spec frame (6), mil-spec plate
ret can be fitted with any heavy support weapon,
(3), rigger interface. but the Ares Inferno heavy flamethrower seems to
be the current favorite.

Main Battle Tanks GD-CAS Stonewall-A8

HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT

GD-CAS Stonewall-A8 MBT 5/5 20 30 140 22 (26) 20 (+2) 3

Although the Stonewall is one of the oldest SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
3 3 6(I) 1,985,000¥
vectored thrust MBT designs still in operation, it
remains popular with smaller militaries and many Standard Equipment: Heavy weapon mount (turret), mil-spec comms I, mil-
mercenary outfits. The A7 series, using refurbished spec frame (4), mil-spec hardpoint: Grade 4 (turret), mil-spec plate (2), RAM
plating (2), rigger cocoon, rigger interface.
tanks, sold well enough that General Dynamics Note: Price listed is for base model without weapon loadout.
put an updated A8 model back into active produc-
tion. With plenty of the previous versions out in
the field, spare parts are easy to acquire, and most

MAIN BATTLE TANKS // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 Rumors down to 120 klicks before stalling out, and the
afterburners can boost the acceleration to Grav-

138 and Ghosts Tech levels. The main armament is an inline G-L
Diamondback MBRC-40; secondary is a pair of
The arms race never ends; every manufacturer in line MCT-General Motors Orochi rocket pods,
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

is trying to outdo the others while keeping their each loaded with 64 Kiba ATG rockets. Air-to-air
own tech secret. It’s the nature of the beast. All capability—in addition to the Diamondback—in-
three of these entries come from solid sources, so I cludes under-wing rails for eight Class 4 AAMs,
think there’s a high probability that they all exist, usually a mix of Saab-Saaker AIM-11Vs and the
and some of you may encounter them. longer-range Loral-Vaught Pit Vipers.

> And if so, send images!

> Turbo Bunny Saeder-Krupp Cyclops

Sukhoi-Evo SU-74 Sokol

Saeder-Krupp Cyclops
A good friend of mine liberated the data on
this fusion-powered behemoth a while back, and
I’ve heard rumors about something big from S-K
moving out for “field testing,” so I’m assuming the
Sukhoi-Evo SU-74 Sokol Cyclops will make an appearance at some regional
This one is most likely to be real, as Evo’s PR hotspot sooner rather than later.
machine has been actively leaking rumors about From the paydata I have, this is a testbed for
it for a year now. An associate of mine got a an assortment of new technologies, primarily a
copy of the actual specs, and I thought I should new type of energy weapon. It’s got the code name
share them. Kali Vajra and apparently lives up to it. This new
First, this is a conventional fixed-wing jet energy weapon, described as a “particle cannon,”
aircraft focused on ground support, but it’s no contains six separate linear accelerators that push
slouch with air-to-air combat either. Dual oper- argon atoms up to a significant percentage of light
ators (in rigger cocoons, of course) with network speed, then combines them into a single actinic
sharing and a predictive pilot-assisted rigger in- blue beam. From the test data I’ve seen the effects
terface. Top-of-the-line flight surface controllers, are devastating: it should be able to one-shot any
a ceiling of 18 kilometers with a 1,200 kilometer other piece of armor on the field or level a fortifi-
range; pushing out 2,000 kilos of thrust sets the cation in just a few hits.
top speed at Mach 1.9, but it can slow all the way Just in case you’re thinking you only need to
avoid the main gun, there are plenty of second-
Sukhoi-Evo SU-74 Sokol
ary weapons. Two sets of twin-linked Vanquisher
miniguns are in ball mounts on each side, in case
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT anyone gets too close. These are each paired to an
3 90 (180) 200 2,000 14 (20) 12 8
MDS for any pesky incoming missiles. On top are
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST two turreted Ruhrmetall Dornenwerfer Chemrails
5 1 18(I) 6,950,000¥ (naval weapons, in case you don’t recognize the
name), along with an internal cold launch VLS cell
Standard Equipment: Airframe ceramic plate, electronic countermeasures
(4), dedicated primary weapons: (inline mount) Diamondback MBRC-40 RAC,
array carrying a dozen Saab-Saaker AIM-11Vs
2x dedicated primary weapons: (inline mount) Orochi rocket launchers: Size converted into SAMs.
5 (x64 Class 1 rockets each), improved stability (3), increased structural in- Now … how is all that packed into one vehicle?
tegrity (6), mil-spec comms II, nanomaintenance repair system (4), network Simple: it’s a superheavy about the size of a small of-
sharing enhancement, nitro boost (afterburners), RAM plating (4), x2 weapon
mounts (inline, open) Size 4 drop rails (x4 Class 4 missiles each), 2x rigger fice building. But superheavies never work, you say;
cocoon, rigger interface. they sink into the ground, and you can’t transport ’em

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // RUMORS AND GHOSTS

 it’s a fragging good one. But the one thing I can’t
S-K Cyclops find out is their location. It looks like ten of these
land have already been built, and the nuyen on Grav-
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
itational Technologies Inc.’s bottom line is real 139
4/2 5 20 60 32 (44) 28 (+6) 9 enough. But whoever is purchasing them is doing a

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

stellar job of keeping them hidden.
Gravatic Anyway, the specs say it’s approximately 60
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
meters in length, 10 across, and three decks high,
6 10 40 200 — — — with the capacity to transport a small company
of troops. It’s sporting better than bleeding-edge
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST RAM plating, EM shielding, active and passive
9 18 — — camouflage, more armor than any tank on the
Standard Equipment: Dedicated primary weapon: Kali Vajra particle
field, and a weapon loadout on par with a naval
cannon, dedicated primary weapon: 2x Dornenwerfer Chemrails (turret), destroyer. Add all that to a proper grav tech drive
dedicated primary weapon: x4 twin-linked Vanquisher miniguns (turrets), capable of hypersonic speed with orbital capabili-
mil-spec comms III, mil-spec frame (12), mil-spec plate (6), network sharing ty, and you really have something to talk about …
enhancement, 6x rigger cocoons, rigger interface.
except no one is talking about it.
S-K Kali Vajra Particle In addition to the basic specs, I have some data
Cannon (experimental) on what they have been kitted out with, as Grav-
itational Technologies only makes the hulls and
DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AVAIL COST the drives. It looks like the main weapon on all the
50P 8 SS (1-6) —/28/32/28/20 (5km) — —
prototypes is a shiny new Svetlyak Coilgun from
Note: The Kali Vajra uses the same special penetration rules as lasers but is YNT, mounted inline right down the center of the
unaffected by distance or smoke. hull. Secondary weapons are all over the board, but
they mostly look like lasers and missile racks. One
on anything. Remember I said it was a testbed for sev- thing worth mentioning is everything is in pop-up
eral new technologies, and this thing is using grav tech mounts, so if you do see one of these you won’t
to offset its mass. With the drives at low power, it only really know what it’s packing till it starts firing.
“weighs” about 70 tons across its four tracks, light
enough to let it move on even soft ground. If they shut GTI Anubis
down all the weapon systems, the drives can go to full HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
power and the monster can actually get a few meters 2 120 300 5,000 48 (60) 32 (+6) 8
off the ground. Not like a true grav ship, mind you; I
assume the knock-off grav tech drive isn’t that good SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
(yet). And it’s not very maneuverable, but it can travel 7 20 / 120 — 450,000,000¥
about as fast as a railcar, without the rails, plus it can Standard Equipment: Chameleon coating (4, enhanced), dedicated primary
move over water as easily as it does land. weapon: (in-line mount) YNT Svetlyak Coilgun, electromagnetic shielding (4,
enhanced), living space (20 low, 10 medium), mil-spec comms III, mil-spec
frame (12), 1x mil-spec hardpoint: Grade 8 (pop-out turret), 4x mil-spec hard-
points: Grade 6 (pop-out turret), 8x mil-spec hardpoints: Grade 5 (pop-out,
GTI Anubis Stealth Grav-Ship inline mount), 12x mil-spec hardpoints: Grade 4 (pop-out turret), mil-spec
plate (6), passive stealth features (4, enhanced), RAM plating (4, enhanced),
network sharing enhancement, 10x rigger cocoons, rigger interface.
Note: See the Shadowstriker (p. 136) for the rules on “enhanced” stealth
mods.

Vehicle Mounted
Weapons
Automatic Assault
Cannons (AACs) Chain Guns
GTI Anubis Grumman-Lockheed has gone head to head
Stealth Grav-Ship with Ares in this segment of the arms market for
Last, we have something that’s practically a decades. Directly competing against the Victory
ghost. I’ve seen lots of data regarding the design and Vigilant platforms, it eventually expanded its
specs, layouts, even a lot of images. If it’s a hoax, market share by offering heavier caliber options.

VEHICLE MOUNTED WEAPONS // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 Grumman-Lockheed Automatic Assault Cannons
NAME DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
140 Bushmaster M25 8P 1 FA (10) —/4/8/12/14(2km) 300(belt) B25 8(I) 23,500¥
Copperhead M30 9P 2 BF(8) —/2/10/12/14(3km) 250(belt) B30 8(I) 27,000¥
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Black Mamba M40 10P 3 BF(4) —/—/12/14/14(4km) 200(belt) B40 9(I) 32,500¥
King Cobra M50 11P 4 SA (2) —/—/12/14/14(5km) 150(belt) B50 10(I) 39,000¥

Grumman-Lockheed Multi-Barrel Rotary Assault Cannons

NAME DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
Sidewinder MBRC-20 12P 2 RB 8/10/12/12/9(2km) 1,600(belt) AC 8(I) 28,500¥
Massasauga MBRC-30 14P 3 RB 5/9/12/12/12(2km) 1,200(belt) B30 9(I) 42,000¥
Diamondback MBRC-40 18P 4 RB —/4/8/12/14(3km) 1,000(belt) B40 10(I) 64,000¥

Automatic assault cannons, also known as chain Ballistic Ammunition

guns, use an electric motor and circular chain to regular HEX Assault Cannon
cycle the weapon’s action, loading and extracting
COST COST
shells, instead of using the gas pressure of a shell’s SIZE AVAIL
PER 10
BLAST PROFILE AVAIL
PER 10
propellant charge. Automatic assault cannons use MG 2(L) 15¥ — — —
the same types of ammunition as the semi-auto- AC 2(L) 15¥ 6P(1m)/4P(3m)/— 4(I) 50¥
matic assault cannon, carried into larger calibers. B25 3(I) 130¥ 7P(1m)/4P(3m)/— 5(I) 450¥
Like assault cannons, chain guns can accept all B30 4(I) 350¥ 8P(1m)/5P(3m)/1P(4m) 6(I) 1,200¥
standard ballistic ammo types or use explosive B40 6(I) 800¥ 9P(1m)/5P(3m)/1P(4m) 7(I) 2,600¥
HEX assault cannon rounds with a Blast effect. B50 7(I) 1,250¥ 10P(1m)/6P(3m)/1P(5m) 8(I) 4,400¥

Multi Barrel Rotary

Assault Cannons (RACs) Ballistic Ammunition Notes
As the primary competitor of Ares-General Ballistic ammunition doesn’t have a Capacity and is
Electric in the electric Gatling gun market, Grum- used in machine guns, assault cannons (ACs), AACs, RACs,
man-Lockheed has shifted their focus to manu- and autocannons (under naval weapons). These weapons
facturing larger caliber weapons than those of the may use regular ammunition and the optional ballistic
original Ares-GE V-series. While the production types, APDS, explosive, flechette, and gel, as a modifica-
numbers are smaller and the cost per unit much tion of regular ammo (p. 262, SR6). These weapons (except
MGs) may also use HEX assault cannon ammunition (that
higher, these weapons are often part of specific
has a Blast profile).
vehicle designs built around them, guaranteeing a
Large ballistic ammo notes can be found starting on
consistent demand.
p. 154. These include rules for RB Mode weapons and for us-
Rotary assault cannons use the same ammo as
ing HEX assault cannon ammunition.
automatic assault cannons, but the enormous vol-
ume of shells going downrange increases the base
damage in the same way that focusing burst fire on
a single target does. between autocannons, their smaller cousins, and
their big brothers, naval guns. Tank guns are made
by almost every arms manufacturer and have a
Smoothbore Cannons wide range of calibers and combat roles. Current-
a.k.a. Tank Guns ly General Dynamics has the largest percentage of
the smoothbore cannon market, and as they sell
Straddling the line between conventional ballis-
worldwide these guns can be found on numerous
tic weapons and artillery are smoothbore cannons,
vehicles made by many other manufacturers.
also called tank guns. These weapons all fire a pro-
jectile containing a warhead, similar to an artil- Unlike artillery, smoothbore cannon ammuni-
lery shell, but on a relatively flat trajectory. While tion contains its own propellant charge, normal-
tank guns normally need a direct line of sight to ly as uncased ammo. The types of warheads that
the target, they do have some capacity for indirect can be included in smoothbore cannon shells are
fire near the end of their range. Unlike artillery, APDS, CHEM, FRAG, HEAT, HEX, and HEX-P.
smoothbore cannons can be fired while the vehicle Cannon shells may also have the Guided or Rocket
is on the move. Assist options.
While these guns are generally thought of as
only being on tanks, they can be found on ships in

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // VEHICLE MOUNTED WEAPONS

 General Dynamics Smoothbore Cannons
NAME DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
GDC-105 By Shell 3 SS(1) —/2/10/12/14(3km) 60(br) C105 8(I) 59,500¥ 141
GDC-120 By Shell 4 SS(1-2) —/—/12/14/14(4km) 50(br) C120 8(I) 71,000¥

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

GDC-130 By Shell 5 SS(1-3) —/—/12/14/14(5km) 40(br) C130 9(I) 84,000¥
GDC-140 By Shell 6 SS(1-4) —/—/14/15/16(5km) 30(br) C140 10(I) 117,500¥

BAE Autoloading Gun Howitzers

NAME DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
BAE - LG105 By Shell 3 SS(1-2) —/2/6/8/10 (20km) 40(br) A105 8(I) 45,000¥
BAE - LG155 By Shell 4 SS(1-4) —/—/4/10/12 (20km) 35(br) A155 9(I) 85,000¥
BAE - LG203 By Shell 5 SS(1-6) —/—/2/10/14 (20km) 30(br) A203 10(I) 135,000¥

Smoothbore Cannon Shells Artillery Shells

SIZE CAPACITY AVAIL COST SIZE CAPACITY AVAIL COST
C105 20 8(I) 1,900¥ each A105 20 8(I) 1,500¥ each
C120 25 8(I) 2,600¥ each A155 30 9(I) 2,200¥ each
C130 30 9(I) 3,400¥ each A203 40 10(I) 3,100¥ each
C140 35 10(I) 4,200¥ each

Gun Artillery Linear Kinetics / Railguns

These weapons are primarily designed to fire in Using an electromagnetic pulse to fire a tungsten
a high arc, engaging targets beyond line of sight projectile at hypersonic velocities, railguns require
with indirect fire. Gun artillery also has to traverse both a substantial energy source and ammunition,
low enough to directly fire on targets they have but the ammo takes up far less space than shells
line of sight on as well. BAE Industries has been with chemical propellants. Aztechnology has been
one of the premier manufacturers of modern au- the dominant player in the railgun market for de-
toloading howitzers for decades. As a result, its cades, starting with the Xicohtencatl or “Angered
modular solid propellant charge system and style Bumblebee” in the 2050s and continued with a va-
of autoloader are common features of many artil- riety of successful railgun systems. Following Az-
lery systems across the globe. technology’s lead, other manufacturers have made
Vehicles must be stationary and braced to fire essentially the same weapons, with several such as
gun artillery (this doesn’t apply to ships). Ex- YNT and Terracotta Arms far surpassing the orig-
tending the bracing on a gun artillery-equipped inal railgun technology.
vehicle down to the ground takes a full combat Railguns (and other linear kinetic weapons) re-
round. Warheads available to gun artillery are quire both power (from the vehicle) and ammuni-
CBU, CHEM, FAE, FRAG, HEX, HEX-P, ILL, and tion. As simple machined blocks of tungsten, there
SMOK. While uncommon, they can also direct fire are no ammunition options available for railgun
APDS and HEAT rounds. Artillery shells may also
ammunition. The only special rules for railguns are
use the Guided or Rocket Assist options.
that they use the penetration rules of APDS rounds.

Vehicle Mortars Energy Weapons/

Unlike muzzle-loading infantry mortars, the type
of mortar mounted in combat vehicles, typically in a Vehicle Lasers
turret, uses a cannon-like breech with an autoload- Extending the new Fire-Line brand of laser
er. Mortars have a near-vertical traverse and are not weapons, Ares is updating its Firelance vehicle
capable of direct fire. But like grenade launchers, if laser, reworking the Fire Blossom platform into
there’s line of sight to the target, the attack still uses a three-barrel full auto system, and adding a few
the weapon’s Attack Rating, even though the muni- larger lasers (pushing against Winter Systems’ pat-
tion travels on a high parabolic arc. ents). These all also have the same enhanced ther-
Mortar bombs may use CBU, CHEM, FAE, FRAG, mal shock as the smaller versions, causing flamma-
HEX, HEX-P, ILL or SMOK warheads and may also ble targets to combust.
use the Guided option. Like gun artillery, vehicles
must be stationary and braced to fire mortars.

VEHICLE MOUNTED WEAPONS // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 Ruhrmetall Autoloading Vehicle Mortars
NAME DV CAPACITY SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
142 Hammerschlag-80 By Bomb 20 2 SS (1-2) –/4/9/12/12 (10km) 80(br) M80 7(I) 32,000¥
Donnergrolle-120 By Bomb 25 3 SS (1-4) –/2/6/12/12 (10km) 60(br) M120 8(I) 48,000¥
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Erdbeben-160 By Bomb 30 4 SS (1-6) –/–/4/10/12 (10km) 40(br) M160 10(I) 85,000¥

Aztechnology Vehicle Railguns

NAME DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
Estolica 9P 1 SA (2) —/6/7/12/10 (3km) 20(c) + Energy LK1 8(I) 32,000¥
Xicohtencatl 11P 2 SS (1) —/4/7/12/12 (9km) 50(br) + Energy LK2 9(I) 148,000¥
—/—/10/12/12 (16km)
Relampago 18P 3 SS (1) LK3 9(I) 282,000¥ 135,000¥
40(br) + Energy
Mixcoatl 24P 4 SS (1) —/—/8/14/12 (24km) 40(br) + Energy LK4 10(I) 345,000¥

Note: If the Estolica is used in an emplacement it draws 10 Energy per shot fired.

Ares Vehicle Lasers

NAME DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AMMO AVAIL COST
Firelance II 12P 1 SA/BF(4) 16/18/20/18/14 Energy 9(I) 43,500¥
Fire Blossom MB 12P 2 SA/BF/FA(10)18/18/18/16/12 Energy 10(I) 97,000¥ 148,000¥
Fire Serpent 16P 2 SS/SA(2) —/16/22/20/16(2km) Energy 10(I) 126,000¥
Firestorm 20P 3 SS(1)—/14/20/22/18(4km) Energy 12(I) 172,500¥ 345,000¥

Note: If the Firelance II is used in an emplacement it draws 10 Energy per shot fired.

Ares Hellfi re Vehicle Flamethrower

ATTACK
NAME TYPE DV SIZE MODE AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
RATINGS
Hellfire Spray 10P 3 SS(1) —/18/12/—/— 20 (tank) Fuel 14(I) 83,500¥

Mortar Bombs Notes on Vehicle Lasers

SIZE CAPACITY AVAIL COST Vehicle lasers use a set amount of energy for each shot,
M80 20 7(I) 1,200¥ each
typically drawn from the vehicle’s power supply, but this is
M120 25 8(I) 1,800¥ each
only an issue for the Firelance II when it’s being used as an
M160 30 9(I) 2,600¥ each
emplacement weapon, as the power bank has a relatively
limited energy storage capacity.
The specific rules for using laser weapons can be found
Railgun Ammo
on p. 155.
SIZE AVAIL COST
LK1 6(I) 40¥ each

Chemical Weapons
LK2 6(I) 90¥ each
LK3 6(I) 210¥ each
LK4 6(I) 600¥ each
Ares Hellfire
Vehicle Flamethrower Fuel Considered a terror weapon by some, vehi-
cle-mounted flamethrowers are no longer a com-
AVAIL COST
6(I) 300¥ per shot mon sight on modern battlefields. There are,
however, commanders who feel it’s the best tool
Game Rules: The Hellfire turret-mounted flamethrower can only make a for certain missions. And where there’s a demand
Straight Attack, but it produces a 10-meter radius area of flame around the
targeted point, with a 10-meter minimum range. Any target within this area there’ll be a supply. Mechanically, the Hellfire is an
is treated as being hit with the Straight Attack. All flamethrowers impart the upscaled Ares Inferno with higher pressure and a
Burning status on their targets, and while this depends on several factors, the
Hellfire should start with a Burning 10 status.
greatly expanded fuel capacity.

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // CHEMICAL WEAPONS

Rocket and Guided missiles, however, need little more than
a storage location to hold them until they’re fired.
Missile Launchers Launch or drop racks are the most basic, being
The various types of rocket and missile launch- nothing more than an anchor point with a release. 143
ers, from simple racks to cold launch VLS cells, are VLS (Vertical Launch Systems) cells also require

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

missiles to operate and can either be a hot launch,
not actually weapons by themselves. The rockets
with the missile firing while inside the cell, or a
and missiles carried cost as much, if not more, than cold launch type that propels the missile into the
the weapon system or launcher itself. Unguided air before its engine ignites. It’s also worth point-
rockets require the launcher (or the vehicle itself for ing out that unguided rockets may not fire from
inline mounts) to calculate the trajectory and set the a missile launch system, but the opposite is often
rocket’s direction and elevation, as well as the struc- true with launchers designed to fire rockets often
ture to hold the rockets in place before launch. carrying missiles instead.

Unguided Launcher
SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
1-6 up to FA —/8/12/12/10 By Size / Class Rocket 5(I) + Size 12,000¥ + [4,000¥ x Size]

Note: Turreted launchers protect the rockets inside of the turret’s armored shell, while launchers using an open weapon mount are simple racks that leave the rockets
exposed to incoming fire.

Launch / Drop Rack

SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
1-6 up to FA Missiles Only By Size / Class Missile 4(I) + Size 1,000¥ + [500¥ x Size]

Note: Launch and drop racks always use an open weapon mount with the missiles exposed to incoming fire.

VLS Cells
TYPE SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
Hot 1-6 up to FA Missiles Only By Size / Class Missile 6(I) + Size 3,000¥ + [1,500¥ x Size]
Cold 1-6 up to FA Missiles Only By Size / Class Missile 8(I) + Size 18,000¥ + [8,000¥ x Size]

Note: VLS cells always use an inline weapon mount. Cold launch VLS cells add 10 percent to the maximum range of the missile, as the launchers’ systems give the
missile enough initial velocity to clear the launchers’ immediate area before starting its engine.

Rockets and Missiles

NAME TYPE CLASS RANGE CAPACITY PILOT SENSOR AVAIL COST
Loral-Vaught Pit Viper AAM 4 (90mm x 4m) 40 km 20 7 5 12(I) 112,000¥
Saab-Saaker AIM-11V AAM 4 (130mm x 3.5m) 10 km 25 8 7 15(I) 145,500¥
MCT-GM Kiba ATG 1 (90mm x 1m) 10 km 20 0 0 6(I) 4,200¥
Northrop-Lockheed Pilum ATM 2 (130mm x 1m) 5 km 30 3 2 7(I) 12,500¥
Northrop-Lockheed Scorpio ATM 3 (150mm x 2m) 10 km 30 5 3 10(I) 45,500¥
Krupp Bombard GRA 5 (320mm x 3m) 160 km 40 5 3 11(I) 47,000¥
Krupp Onager RA 3 (140mm x 3m) 40 km 30 0 0 7(I) 9,800¥
Krupp Trebuchet GRA 3 (140mm x 3m) 40 km 30 3 2 9(I) 27,000¥
Ares Warhawk SAM 3 (130mm x 3m) 10 km 25 7 5 14(I) 82,500¥
Northrop-Lockheed Vespae SAM 2 (60mm x 1.5m) 5 km 20 5 3 8(I) 11,000¥

Warheads Available
ROCKET / MISSILE TYPE WARHEAD TYPES AVAILABLE
AAM (Air to Air Missile) APDS, FRAG, HEAT, HEX
ATG (Air to Ground) CBU, CHEM, FAE, FRAG, HEX, HEX-P
ATM (Anti-Tank Missile) APDS, FRAG, HEAT, HEX
GRA / RA (Guided / Rocket Artillery) CBU, CHEM, FAE, FRAG, HEX, HEX-P, ILL, SMOK
SAM (Surface to Air Missile) APDS, FRAG, HEAT, HEX

CHEMICAL WEAPONS // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 List of Warheads and Options
HEX (High Explosive) CBU (Cluster Bomb)
144 The standard baseline warhead for most types of projec- The most common variety of cluster bomb warheads con-
tiles. For HEX (high explosive) munitions the Capacity relates tains hundreds of high explosive sub-munitions, called bomblets,
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

directly to DV at Ground Zero and the maximum range brack- that are released far above the target area, covering a radius of
et on the Blast profile is Capacity meters. (Capacity x 2) meters. Every target inside this area is hit with 3
bomblets equal to a high explosive grenade. Each bomblet falls
FRAG (Fragmentation) 1D6 meters from the target (with 1 being GZ, up to 3 being Near),
Fragmentation warheads all include a proximity sensor that treating the combined DV as a single multiple Blast attack.
detonates the charge in the air above the target (or near airborne CBU warheads have a +2(I) availability modifier and x2
targets), showering the area with shrapnel. FRAG warheads have nuyen cost modifier.
a lower DV than the same Capacity HEX warheads and the max-
imum range bracket is increased to Capacity x 2 meters. FRAG CHEM (Chemical)
warheads also have a –4 to their AR (minimum of 1). Chemical warheads are canisters designed to release
gaseous toxins in a targeted area. CHEM warheads follow the
FAE (Fuel-Air Explosive) rules for Gas Attacks (p. 116, SR6) with a Range of 1/2 Capacity
Fuel-air explosives, also known as thermobaric warheads and are loaded with Capacity x 5 Doses of a Toxin.
or vacuum bombs, are devastating weapons. The initial blast CHEM warheads have a +1(I) availability modifier and x1/2
disperses a cloud of flammable chemicals, and a second nuyen cost modifier (+ the Toxin cost).
smaller charge sets the chemical compounds ablaze, creat-
ing a massive fireball and blast wave. For targets in the GZ ILL (Illumination)
area, normal cover provides no protection as the combustible Used in mortar bombs, artillery shells, and rocket artillery,
cloud moves around barriers. While not primarily an incendi- illumination warheads eject a large flare with a parachute at
ary weapon, FAE warheads do cause a Burning # Status of 1 about 500 meters. They have two varieties that either produce
for each 10DV of Base Damage applied to a target in a range regular white light or black light (thermographic only) over a
band. [Capacity x 10 meter] radius area for 1 minute.
This warhead has a –1(L) availability modifier and x1/2
HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) nuyen cost modifier.
Also known as anti-vehicle, anti-armor, or shaped charge
ordnance, HEAT rounds use a shaped high explosive charge SMOK (Smoke or Thermal Smoke)
that cuts through heavy armor with a focused, superheated Smoke and thermal smoke warheads are canisters de-
jet of gas. Projectiles using HEAT warheads can only target a signed to release a cloud of smoke in a targeted area, obscur-
vehicle larger than a motorcycle, large drone, or a large crit- ing vision and inflicting the Blinded I Status for anyone acting
ter (10 + Body). With a hit, or with Scatter reduced to zero, the through the smoke, or Blinded II for anyone trying to act from
target suffers the full force of the shaped charge, resulting in within the smoke. The cloud lasts for approximately 10 com-
double GZ DV. Any secondary targets in the surrounding area bat rounds and uses the rules for Gas Attacks (p. 116, SR6).
suffer Blast Damage as normal. Smoke clouds have a Range of 1/2 Capacity.
Note: HEAT and HEX-P have the same Blast profile and SMOK warheads (both smoke / thermal smoke) have a
cost/availability modifier despite the different effects. -2(L) availability modifier and x1/2 nuyen cost modifier.

HEX-P (High Explosive Penetrator) WARHEAD OPTIONS

These warheads, called bunker busters or anti-runway
Guided
rounds, have a thick hardened outer case and a delayed fuse
This option adds a Rating 3 Guided Munition Pilot Pro-
set to explode after penetrating some depth into the ground
gram ( p. 159) and Rating 3 Sensor Array, with maneuverable
or a fortification. When striking the ground, these warheads
guidance fins to any normally unguided cannon shell, artil-
produce a crater equal to the GZ radius and targets outside of
lery shell, or mortar bomb. Unguided rockets may not use this
the GZ area only take 1/2 DV. When targeting a barrier, other
option as it would make them missiles, but this option does
than vehicle armor, a HEX-P warhead halves the Structure rat-
combine with Rocket Assist.
ing and if it penetrates the normal blast profile occurs on the
This option has a +1(I) availability modifier and a +2,500¥
other side of the barrier; if not, it produces a crater as above.
cost multiplier.
HEX-P warheads gain no special penetration effects against
vehicle armor or hardened armor.
Rocket Assist
Rocket Assist doubles the maximum range of a projectile.
APDS (Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot)
The effective Capacity of the warhead is reduced by 5 (while
APDS rounds use a high-velocity kinetic penetrator with a DV
still paying the full price for the listed round). Most artillery
equal to the Capacity number and a +2 AR for each 5DV of the
shells and cannon shells can use a Rocket Assist. A Capacity 20
base DV (the -1P / 5DV modifier is already accounted for). These
warhead drops to 16, and Capacity 16 projectiles are too small
warheads do not have a Blast effect and only hit a single target.
to use this option.
APDS warheads have a +1(I) availability modifier and x2 nuyen
This option has a +2(I) availability modifier but has no ef-
cost modifier.
fect on the cost.

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // NAVAL WEAPONS

Notes on Rocket warhead types
and Missile Launchers TYPE CAPACITY BLAST PROFILE AVAIL COST

Vehicle-mounted launchers can fire up to 10 rockets or

Hex 16 16P(1m)/10P(3m)/4P(16m) — — 145
20 20P(2m)/14P(4m)/5P(20m) — —

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

missiles (or up to their maximum capacity if less than 10) 25 25P(2m)/17P(5m)/7P(25m) — —
in a single combat round and follow the rules for Mode–SA, 30 30P(3m)/20P(6m)/8P(30m) — —
BF, and FA with Blast Attacks on p. 154. Launchers are list- 35 35P(3m)/23P(7m)/10P(35m) — —
ed by type and have a Size that directly relates to the Class 40 40P(4m)/26P(8m)/12P(40m) — —
and number of ordinances they can carry. See p. 155 New
Weapon Stat–Class for more information on the relationship TYPE CAPACITY BLAST PROFILE AVAIL COST
Frag 16 12P(2m)/6P(6m)/2P(32m) — +100¥
between launcher Size and ordnance Class.
20 15P(4m)/8P(8m)/3P(40m) +1(I) +200¥
All rockets and missile launchers are capable of indirect
25 19P(6m)/10P(10m)/4P(50m) +1(I) +300¥
fire using the rules outlined on p. 157, as well as direct fire
30 23P(7m)/11P(12m)/6P(60m) +1(I) +400¥
attacks on targets within line of sight that use the launch- 35 26P(8m)/12P(14m)/7P(70m) +2(I) +500¥
er’s Attack Rating profile. Range is always set by the type of 40 30P(9m)/15P(16m)/8P(80m) +2(I) +600¥
rocket or missile. Rockets and missiles all have a Capacity
stat representing the warhead carried, and depending on TYPE AVAIL COST
the type, the effect can vary a great deal. Details on projec- APDS +1(I) x 2 Base Cost
tile profiles, the Capacity stat, and the effects of different CBU +2(I) x 2 Base Cost
warheads start on p. 145. x 1/2 Base Cost +
CHEM +1(I)
[Capacity x 5 Doses of a Toxin]
ILL –1(L) x 1/2 Base Cost
Capacity Notes SMOK –2(L) x 1/2 Base Cost
Rockets and missiles, along with cannon, mortar, and ar-
Warhead options
tillery shells, are extremely flexible weapons because they
can be fitted with different warheads to fill different roles on TYPE AVAIL COST
the battlefield. In order to represent the size of the warhead Guided +1(I) +2,500¥
Rocket Assist +2(I) —
they can carry, they have a Capacity rating instead of a DV
rating or Blast profile. Depending on the exact type of ordi-
nance used, a warhead can range from conventional high As I mentioned in the Double Clutch download,
explosives, an inert APDS sabot, or a chemical gas weapon. weapon systems used on warships are … extremely
The listed availability and cost of a projectile in the powerful. A light naval railgun hit will turn even the
weapon profiles is a HEX warhead. Other types of warheads most heavily armed and chromed troll into chunky
have specific rules for how Capacity is used, as noted in that salsa in an instant. They’re simply on another level
type’s description; some have their own Blast profiles with to anything you’ll see on the streets.
special rules; and most also modify the warhead’s cost and I’m sure many of you know that warships and
availability. naval craft aren’t the only things that use these sys-
The AR for unguided projectiles is set by the launcher if tems, at least on the smaller end. After all, the Az-
there is line of sight or they follow the rules for indirect fire technology Relampago railgun will fit in the turret
on p. 157. The AR of guided munitions are always set with of a tank just as well as in the turret of a destroyer,
Using Vehicles / Drones as a Weapon (p. 200, SR6). and a rotary assault cannon will work just as well
Note: With these expanded rules for missiles and rock- for anti-missile defense of a divisional command
ets, the separate rockets described on p. 264, SR6 are all post as it will as part of a CIWS on a cruiser or
now Capacity 16 rockets with different warheads. The an- the gun on a fighter jet. With that in mind, I won’t
ti-vehicle rocket is now a HEAT warhead, the fragmentation cover the overlap; just the weapons that are either
rocket is a FRAG warhead, high explosive rocket is a HEX too big to go on anything but a ship or are usually
warhead, with chemical and smoke now using CHEM and just found on ships.
SMOK. When using the expanded rules for missiles and rock-
ets, these profiles replace the profiles in the core rulebook.
Casemates and Turrets
In the Double Clutch download, I mentioned
Naval Weapons a railgun that’s the size of an apartment block
Posted by: Bubbles
and fires shells that weigh as much as a small car.
That’s not hyperbole. These are not small pieces of
Hoi, chummers! Reports of my demise were greatly equipment, and they carry nuyen values to match!
exaggerated. I’m alive, I’m still hurting, and it’ll be a Mil-spec mounts used on ships for these sorts of
while before my nervous system can handle a rig again, big weapons are called casemates, and are almost
but I’ve been told I’ll make a full recovery. So, while I always built around the weapon itself. This makes
have some downtime, let’s talk naval weaponry. swapping out weapon systems very time consum-

NAVAL WEAPONS // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 ing, almost always requiring a major refit or even armaments. While there is no real reason not to
rebuilding part of the vehicle. use them in land vehicles, they seem to be uncom-
For example, changing the gun turret on a de- mon in that role. For ships, however, they remain
146 stroyer is a significant operation involving work popular, with merchantmen nowadays moving
on many decks—the magazine and elevators may into the heavier end of the autocannon market.
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

need to be changed or reconfigured, the turret itself A chummer of mine is involved in the initial sea
needs to be swapped out while power and control trials of a newly refitted merchantman that now
lines need to be rewired. To that end, while I’m sports several 75 millimeter super-rapids, as well
sure most people with access to JackPoint won’t as other extras.
need to be told, I’ll spell it out anyway—the weap-
ons described here do not fit in the normal mounts, > I’ve heard on the grape vine that the USS Ranger, that
even a regular mil-spec mount. They take a signifi- battlecruiser the UCAS Navy put to sea a few years ago, will be
cant investment in time and nuyen, if you can even getting a short refit with four Oerlikons as tertiary armament.
get the weapons themselves since they are almost > Sounder
always built to order. I can’t imagine you’ll ever
find a 406 millimeter naval gun on the market.
Game Rules: Autocannons
> It depends on which markets you go to, but the markup for even
Autocannons trade range for firepower, so they
grey market mil-spec heavy weapons is stupefying.
lack the Capacity stat of larger ordinance. Like smaller
> Red Anya AAC’s, autocannons may use regular ammunition (of the
proper caliber) and the listed optional ballistic types;
> While Bubbles is correct, she ain’t as familiar with armor APDS, explosive, flechette, and gel, modifying the price
as I am. I can confirm that some of our wagons do indeed of regular ammo (p. 262, SR6). These weapons may also
have autocannons and VLS cells and the like in them, and of use a version of HEX assault cannon ammunition, sized
course we use plenty of artillery and other things. But all of for autocannons.
them are purpose-built vehicles designed around the weapon While not common on anything outside of ships, auto-
systems they carry. They are most definitely not slapped-on cannons can be mounted on any vehicle with an appropri-
afterthoughts like most mounts a runner might find. ately sized mil-spec hardpoint.
> Papa Jazz

The same goes for the turrets. They’re not the Ares Dauntless Autocannon
store-bought, mass-produced things you find at The Dauntless range is the benchmark for many
your local Weapons World or repo yard; they’re in my profession, what with being over 30 years
custom built around the casemates and will include old now as a weapon system. But, like a lot of
dedicated optical and electronic sensors, rangefind- Ares weapon systems, they just work and work
ers, autoloaders capable of shoving a troll into the well. The Dauntless is a 60 millimeter autocan-
breach of a gun faster than the most bleeding-edge non, often seen mounted in twin side-by-side or
street monster can react, backup manual controls, over-under mounts as the primary armament on
and of course the crew (if there is one). Some tur- the smallest warships such as gunboats, and even
rets even include dedicated repair drones to keep some corvette and frigate classes use them, often
the guns working. When you’re spending tens of in single mounts, as secondary armaments due to
billions of nuyen on a warship, you don’t skimp their reliability and (relatively) small size.
on things like that. And remember, casemates and
turrets are often designed to have multiple weap-
ons linked together.
OTO Melara Super Rapid 75
Another oldie but goldie, the OTO Melara
Super Rapid 75 has been around since the mid-
Autocannons dle of the twentieth century. Ruhrmetall updated
A nice and easy one to get started—the auto- the Super Rapid around 2082 to the most modern
cannon. Operating on a gas blowback system in- standards to ensure it keeps its role as a mainstay
stead of a chain drive, these guns come in various of several navies’ secondary armament policies. I
sizes. Smaller and faster than the larger cannons must confess I have a soft spot for the Super Rapid
found in tanks, but bigger and slower than auto- 75; due to its versatility, the 75 millimeter shells
matic assault cannons, autocannons range from can fit a much more sophisticated fuse and spe-
60 millimeters all the way up to 90 millimeters cialized ammunition types. It can be used to deal
and have rate of fire in the 70 to 90 rounds a min- with other vessels, critters of all sizes, and even air
ute range. These relatively fast-firing weapons are defense. If you can only have one mil-spec weapon,
versatile, with numerous round types available. you can’t go wrong with the OTO Melara.
They form the backbone of many smaller ships’

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // NAVAL WEAPONS

 Autocannons
NAME DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
Dauntless 12P 2 SS/BF(4) 6/6/8/12/14 (14km) 100(belt) B60 6(I) 34,500¥ 147
Super Rapid 75 15P 3 SS/BF(4) 4/6/10/12/14 (20km) 75(belt) B75 7(I) 49,000¥

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Oerlikon-90 18P 4 SS/BF(4) —/5/12/12/16 (32km) 50(belt) B90 8(I) 63,500¥

most any warship will be equipped with at least

Autocannon Ammunition some VLS (vertical launching system) cells and
regular HEX Assault Cannon most defensive systems will be focused on taking
SIZE AVAIL
COST
BLAST PROFILE AVAIL
COST down incoming missiles. Cell arrays can carry an
PER 10 PER 10
B60 8(I) 2,500¥ 12P(2m)/6P(4m)/1P(6m) 6(I) 7,500¥
assortment of different missiles, determined by the
B75 9(I) 4,500¥ 15P(2m)/7P(4m)/2P(8m) 7(I) 14,000¥ exact mission. Possible loadouts are the Krupp
B90 10(I) 6,500¥ 18P(2m)/11P(4m)/3P(10m) 8(I) 22,000¥ Blitzeinschlag hypersonic anti-ship missile, the
Northrop-Lockheed Venator and Aquila multi-
role missiles or its new Bellator interceptor. De-
Ruhrmetall Oerlikon-90 pending on the size of the ship, the VLS cells on it
According to the bosun of the first armed mer- may carry a handful of missiles all the way up to
chantman I ever served on, who was one of them massive arrays with hundreds of cells. In addition
spike babies, when Ruhrmetall bought Oerlikon to the VLS, smaller missiles such as the Ares War-
around the time of the Awakening, many thou- hawk and other SAMs are carried in conventional
sands of salty sea dogs went and got very drunk— launchers paired up with the ballistic CIWS.
they were mourning the loss of one of the best au-
tocannon manufacturers in the world. About three Laser Weapons
years later, they all got well and truly drunk again,
when Ruhrmetall announced they would continue Lasers have one big advantage over other types
making autocannons under the Oerlikon brand. of weapons: they never run out of ammo, at least as
The Oerlikon-90 is, without a shadow of a long as the ship has power. Compared to the other
doubt, the most powerful autocannon on the mar- options, they’re also basically free to fire, making
ket today. At 90 millimeters, it fires shells that lasers especially popular for CIWS systems. That
weigh as much as a 10-year-old human child at means the laser systems you typically find mount-
staggeringly long ranges for something that fires at ed on land vehicles and aircraft can be found on
80 rounds per minute! I haven’t heard of any cargo most ships, too. Lasers do have disadvantages,
or passenger line putting these on their ships, but I mainly loss of beam cohesion at range. They’re
know several sailors who are practically salivating also 100 percent line-of-sight, limiting their range
at the mouth while waiting to get their hands on to the horizon. This doesn’t mean there are no big
one of these beauties. ship-mounted lasers out there. Winter Systems has
offered the Mercury ship laser for decades, adding
the Mars to its line a few years ago and unveiling
AACs and RACs the Jupiter just last year. While these monsters can
Automatic assault cannons and rotary assault only target to the horizon, anything within line of
cannons both use smaller calibers than autocan- sight is in real trouble.
nons, typically running between 20 and 50 mil-
limeters. They’ve been covered pretty well in the Naval Guns
previous section, but I do want to mention that
I won’t bore everyone with a lesson in naval
you’ll find both of these weapons on board most
artillery and gunnery. But I do need to mention
ships. These don’t rate as even tertiary armament
that naval guns, like land-based artillery, are still
on anything but the very smallest ships; they’re
in use. Like rifled gun howitzers, they’re designed
used as defensive weapons. Both AACs and RACs
to operate in the howitzer mode (indirect fire) or
are the core of most AA (anti-aircraft), CIWS the gun mode (direct fire). This allows the gun to
(close in weapon systems), and other point defense be used in a multitude of ways. I shouldn’t have to
systems protecting naval assets. say this, but even with modern autoloaders, these
guns are slow. I can already hear the cheap seats
VLS Cells and shouting, “Why do we use these things in 2083?”
The answer is: shells are simple, they’re cheap, you
Missile Defense can carry a lot of them, and they’re very versatile.
For decades, a lot of the offensive capability It was a hard lesson for the navies of the world
of most ships has been the missiles they carry. Al- to learn back in the twentieth century, but it was

NAVAL WEAPONS // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 learned well. Not only are guns useful for smaller The first of these is the coilgun. Instead of a pair
targets not worth the multiple millions of nuyen of parallel conductors with the projectile acting as
on a missile, but they can be used for gunfire sup- the armature connecting the two polarities togeth-
148 port for troops on land. er, the coilgun uses multiple coils of wire to gen-
erate a magnetic field and turns them on and off
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

> Shore bombardment is one of the uses of naval guns I use least, in rapid sequence to accelerate the projectile. The
as I don’t often put marines ashore. But I do appreciate the advantages of the coilgun are that the projectile
effectiveness and economy of a good old-fashioned deck gun. doesn’t have to touch the sides of the barrel, reduc-
> Kane ing wear on the barrel lining, and coilguns can fire
faster. I’m not a physicist, so if you’re curious as
While we aren’t getting into the specifics, there to how that works, I suggest you go look it up on
are more kinds of naval guns than you can shake Aetherpedia! All I know is that coilguns fire faster
a stick at! It seems like every corp makes some, but are slightly less powerful.
whether it’s the nice little 105 to 155 millimeters The third type of kinetic weapon that uses
you’ll find in the bow turret of most corvettes, a linear accelerator to launch the projectile, is a
frigates, and destroyers; to the 203, 254, and 305 “chemical railgun”—also called a chemrail. These
millimeters found on cruisers and monitor ships. combine a traditional chemical charge like you’d
The trio of 406 millimeters that the UCAS Navy find in any normal gun, with a railgun. This means
have gone and mounted in the B turret of USS they can accelerate the rounds to even greater ve-
Ranger were, according to press releases, special- locities, and thereby hit even harder. Again, I drive
ly commissioned from Ruhrmetall. According to boats for a living, so if you want the finer details
the UCAS Congressional Library, it took over two go look them up. I just know these babies can take
years to make six guns. normal railgun rounds of the same caliber but are
designed to have the extra acceleration of the cord-
> For those who don’t know, the USS Ranger’s turrets are A, B, X, ite charge going off. This means that the rounds
and Y. It looks like A and Y will be twin, possibly triple railguns, are super specialized, and we are back to having
and X is the VLS array. I should point out that the UCAS Navy a magazine and a shell storage, as opposed to the
have followed the British Royal Navy tradition of having UCAS railguns we’ve had for a few decades now that do
Marines manning a turret. It should be X, but that’s VLS cells, so not need a magazine to store powder.
the UCASMC will be operating those 406s.
> Sounder > We have it a little easier in our wagons, as the rounds come as
one piece for the smaller chemrails. Fun fact: the first few tanks
> She also has the four secondary turrets with twin Oerlikon-90s BMW made, they forgot to include the proper safety precautions
and six CIWS, each with a Vulcan RAC and short-range missiles. for having chemical charges again. Only killed four crews before
I haven’t heard what they’re planning to load up the main VLS they figured that one out. Arseholes.
array with, and I say main as I heard someone is considering > Papa Jazz
adding more cells. Where they’d put them on her, I have no idea.
She will also be armed with two side-facing triple packs of 324 Ruhrmetall
millimeter anti-submarine torpedoes, and I’m aware of plans Dornenwerfer Chemrail
to outfit the later ships in the class with two bow-mounted 533
The lightest of the vehicle-mounted chemrails,
millimeter heavy anti-ship torpedo tubes as well.
this beauty is finding its way into the turrets of
> Bubbles
tanks and warships with the announcement by the
Royal Navy that they’re replacing the bow 203
Linear Kinetics millimeter naval guns on HMS Jubilation, a Type
I’m sure most on JackPoint know what a rail- 57 Destroyer. The Admiralty hopes that they can
gun is: a weapon that uses an electromagnetic field fire 105 millimeter shells as well as the normal
to accelerate the projectile to hypersonic speeds. chemrail rounds from this “thorn thrower.” If their
Railguns have a distinct sound when fired, that su- experiment goes as they hope, we may have seen
per high-pitched whine followed by a crackle, then the end of the dedicated chemical gun.
the boom of the round leaving the barrel. We’ve
already covered the older Aztechnology railguns > Our latest wagons have these, as do the Challenger X. It’ll
in the smaller vehicle weapon section, so instead leave a mark, but I’m hopeful we can treat these puppies as
I want to focus on the bigger vehicle linear kinetic smoothbore 105 millimeter guns. That would give us back our
weapons in this section. ability to deal with tracks. We’ll see, as the blind man says, but
Why didn’t I call this section railguns? That’s given how much they cost, I don’t think I’ll be able to convince
because of the other two types of weapons that the Colonel to let me have a batch.
also use electromagnetic fields to accelerate a pro- > Papa Jazz
jectile. They just do it slightly differently.

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // NAVAL WEAPONS

 Linear Kinetics
NAME DV SIZE MODE ATTACK RATINGS AMMO TYPE AVAIL COST
Dornenwerfer 26P 4 SS(1) —/8/10/12/14 (20km) 200(br) LK4 16(I) 4,800,000 149
Vaporizer 30P 5 SS(1-4) —/—/5/11/11 (25km) 100(br) LK5 14(I) 1,720,000

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Tetsu no Yari 43P 7 SS(1-4) —/—/—/14/16 (25km) 80(br) LK7 – 8,000,000
Svetlyak 46P 8 SS(1-3) —/—/—/14/14 (30km) 60(br) LK8 – 17,000,000
Kazan-ho 75P 10 SS(1-6) —/—/—/14/16 (40km) 40(br) LK10 – 32,000,000

name. You see, the Kazan-ho is using ionized gas

Linear Kinetic Ammunition to essentially increase the barrel length, thus giving
SIZE AVAIL COST the 254 millimeter penetrator additional acceler-
LK4 6(I) 600¥ each ation. Upon seeing this red/yellow gas come out
LK5 6(I) 1,400¥ each of the muzzle, the Empress said “It has the beauty
LK7 — 4,200¥ each and power of the volcano.”
LK8 — 9,500¥ each
LK10 — 24,000¥ each > For anyone wondering why Empress Hitomi was getting a
demonstration of the Kazan-ho, it is because the Imperial
Ares Vaporizer Heavy Railgun Japanese Navy has commissioned a new flagship. The IJS Kami
No Umi will be a battlecruiser, along the same lines as the USS
Old and slow, that’s all we can say about these
Ranger, and will have a brace if not a triple in each turret.
things. They fire slower than most in their catego-
> Thorn
ry, but they do get the job done. Ares has updated
the Vaporizers somewhat over the years, but they
are getting a bit long in the tooth. As are the ships
they’re mounted on, to be fair.
New Game
YNT Tetsu No Yari Chemrail
Rules: Advanced
Yamatetsu Naval Technologies called this Combat Options
weapon the “iron spear,” and I think it fits. I’ve
seen footage of the first time they fired one from Mil-Spec Mod Rules
the new Evo flagship, the cruiser Shizukana Nami. Mods can either be factory-installed features or
The test was set up to symbolically hand the reins aftermarket mods added to the vehicle.
from their old flagship to their new one, and let me Aftermarket modifications are those detailed in
tell you, the brace of Tetsu no Yari mounted in the the Making it Yours chapter of Double Clutch (p.
bow turret utterly annihilated the old flagship in 119) and the MDS (Missile Defense System) listed in
under an hour. It was impressive. this book. These mods may be installed in mil-spec
vehicles, with GM approval. Also, build / repair tests
YNT Svetlyak Coilgun on a military vehicle are always a difficult task (with
a +8 to the threshold as noted in p. 95, SR6).
The first coilgun that made it to market, I’ve Factory-installed features are listed in the vehi-
heard that the Monads left the designs for this be- cle profile. While some may duplicate the features
hind when they departed. Whether that’s true or of an aftermarket mod, they do not use mod points
not I don’t know, but I do know that the “Fire- but are part of the vehicle’s design, and are installed
fly” is an impressive piece of hardware. As it’s a during construction. Others are treated as design
coilgun, it fires a little faster than a similarly sized options and are part of the vehicle profile. The GM
railgun, but as a tradeoff it doesn’t hit quite as can decide to create variant models of an existing
hard. Having said that, it’s still a heavy naval class vehicle, making changes such as swapping a stan-
kinetic weapon, which means it leaves anything dard hardpoint for a mil-spec hardpoint, or they
I’m likely to be working aboard in a very bad way, can design new military vehicles using the rules
very quickly. from the Build Your Dreams chapter from Double
Clutch (p. 147) with these additional options.
YNT Kazan-Ho Chemrail
Perhaps the most powerful weapon system that New Vehicle Mods
metahumanity has ever created, the Kazan-ho or
“volcano” is an absolute monster of a gun. I’ve seen MDS (Electronic Mod)
footage of the YNT reps giving Empress Hitomi a Smaller than true point defense systems, the
demonstration. In fact that’s where the gun got its missile defense system is designed to protect light,

NEW GAME RULES: ADVANCED COMBAT OPTIONS // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 high-value military vehicles such as C3 network damaged armor panels replaced with a matching
nodes and field hospitals. It’s not uncommon, how- factory component. Airframe ceramic plate armor
ever, to see this system installed in security vehicles may not be repaired in the field with conventional
150 or even high-end civilian models. The system con- tools, and non-specific armor panels may not be
sists of a specialized sensor system to detect and altered to fit the vehicle in the field.
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

calculate the trajectory of incoming high-velocity Cost: 2 Design Points x Armor Rating
objects. It then uses a linked weapon on the vehi-
cle to intercept the threat. The overall effectiveness Heavy Mil-Spec Plate
of the system is largely dependent on what weap-
ons are tied into it, multi-barrel rotary guns and A heavy version of mil-spec plate (p. 133, Dou-
laser weapons being the best performers, but any ble Clutch) that represents the very heavy armor
full-auto weapon is usable. found on main battle tanks and other similaly well
Game Rules: Unlike most mil-spec systems, the armored vehicles.
MDS may be installed as an after-market option in The listed rating of heavy mil-spec plate is an
a security or civilian vehicle with the use of Elec- extension of standard mil-spec plate to Rating 4,
tronic Mod Slots and an appropriate mount for Rating 5, and Rating 6. Mil-spec plate, both the
the linked weapon system. It can also be installed heavy and standard versions, reduces the DV of
as a single module, “twin linked” in a Grade 1 mil- incoming attacks by its Rating. When used with-
spec mount with a single heavy weapon. out being offset by the ranks of a mil-spec frame,
The MDS works by making an attack against it also reduces Speed Interval by 5 x the Rating.
the incoming projectile using the linked weapons’ Only one layer of one variety of specialty armor
Targeting Autosoft rating and the MDS Sensor rat- (airframe plate, ceramic plate, mil-spec plate) may
ing of 6 (only usable against incoming fire). Lasers be used on a vehicle; multiple types/layers do not
and miniguns gain a point of Edge for this test. The stack.
base DV of the linked weapon plus the hits on this Cost: 5 Design Points x Rating
test are added to the Defensive test. If the vehicle
is immobile, it will still get a Defensive test against Mil-spec Comms (I, II, III)
the projectile, using the dice pool from the MDS. The vehicle has full integration into the secure
comm system used by the military organization
to which it’s attached. For most of the unit’s vehi-
NAME MOD SLOTS AVAIL COST
MDS (Missile Defense System) 2 6(L) 15,000¥
cles, this will be an in-console Microdeck Ranger
mil-spec commlink with an M-TOC fob running
the Rampart Protocols (I). Unit command vehi-
cles may be upgraded to an in-console Microdeck
Mil-spec Design Options Citadel Outrider (II), with company command
and above using an in-console Microdeck Citadel
These mil-spec design options should be consid- Commander (III).
ered an expansion of the Double Clutch rules on Cost: 5 / 20 / 30 Design Points
p. 150–155.
Mil-Spec Frame (1-12)
Airframe Ceramic Plate
Unlike civilian, security, and even most light
Weight is one of a military aircraft’s prima- military vehicles, heavier military vehicles such as
ry design concerns and is the reason behind the main battle tanks are built over a rigid composite
development of these light but tough composite alloy frame with an upgraded suspension. This in-
armor systems. By removing the heavy densiplast creases the Body of the vehicle by its Rating when
polymer compounds that form the base of stan- resisting damage in the same way as the Increased
dard ceramic plate armor and replacing them with Structural Integrity mod. Every 2 points of mil-
layers of nanolattice semi-crystalline polymers, a spec frame also allows a vehicle to carry a level
tougher, far lighter composite can be created. This of mil-spec plate armor without the Speed Interval
material is extremely difficult to work with, and penalty. A mil-spec frame is limited to an addition-
field repairs and modifications are nearly impossi- al 50 percent to the vehicle base Body rating and
ble, so any damage to a panel typically requires a is mutually exclusive with the Increased Structural
new replacement panel. Integrity mod.
Game Rules: Airframe ceramic plate provides Cost: 10 Design Points + 5 Design Points x Rating
one half of the vehicle’s Armor rating as a dice
pool bonus. If a vehicle with this type of armor
takes any boxes of damage, the armor over the Mil-Spec Hardpoints
damaged section must either be repaired with a While some military vehicles are designed
nanomaintenance repair system mod or have the around their primary weapon system, most vehi-

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // NEW GAME RULES: ADVANCED COMBAT OPTIONS

cles have more flexibility with weapon systems and limited firing arc, such as guns mounted on the side
are designed with open mil-spec hardpoints, espe- of a large vehicle; while technically still full turrets,
cially for secondary weapons. Of course, some mil- they may only have a maximum firing arc in the
itary vehicles are so large that these “secondary” 180 degree range or even a 90 degree arc. 151
systems are larger than the primary guns on a main Game Rules: The Grade of the required MHP is

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

battle tank. Vehicles sold with open hardpoints the same as the Size of the weapon system.
may be called CWPs (common weapon platforms),
and they rely entirely on hardpoints and modular Inline Weapon Mount
weapon systems.
Mil-spec hardpoints, sometimes abbreviated Generally, this is only an option for vehicles
to MHP, have a Grade listed that represents the that have a fair amount of mobility, such as fighter
Size of the weapon that can be mounted to that aircraft, or systems that use guided munitions that
can target and maneuver under their own power.
hardpoint. A vehicle may mount a weapon with a
Inline weapon mounts have a 0 degree firing arc
Size, modified by the type of weapon mount, the
and either the vehicle or the munition must ma-
same Size or lower as the hardpoint’s Grade. The
neuver to acquire a target.
default configuration for modular weapon systems
Game Rules: An inline mount reduces the Grade
is a turreted weapon mount. All varieties of mount of the required MHP by 2. Weapons in this style
also include space for the weapon’s magazine as of mounting, including unguided rocket launchers,
well as reinforcement of the frame and suspension must replace the standard Engineering (Gunnery)
to carry the weapon’s weight. Each Grade of mil- test to acquire a target with a Piloting test.
spec hardpoint has a minimum vehicle Body listed
that it can be installed in. “The minimum required
Body for a mil-spec hardpoint is [5 + (5 times the Open Weapon Mount
Grade of the hardpoint)]. For example a standard, Typically seen on smaller weapon systems, an
Grade 3 mil-spec hardpoint can only be installed open weapon mount is not a weapon mount in
in a vehicle with a Body of 20 or higher.” the same way as a turret. It is a simple connec-
Cost: 5 Design Points x Grade tion point to mount a weapon outside the ar-
mored shell of a vehicle, providing power and
control. This is often the preferred method to
connect rocket pods and smaller chain guns or
Notes on Hardpoints miniguns. This type of installation leaves the
The military vehicles listed in Double Clutch do not weapon vulnerable to potential damage, as it
have mil-spec hardpoints shown on their profile, but in- does not receive any protection from the vehi-
stead have a number of smaller hardpoints. The GM may cle’s Armor or Body rating.
decide that there are variant models and refits of a vehi- Game Rules: Reduce the Grade of the re-
cle available that swap out a single large hardpoint, or quired MHP by 2. When a Called Shot: Target-
several regular hardpoints, for a mil-spec hardpoint of a ed Fire attack is made against an open-mounted
Grade that can fit within the vehicle’s Body. weapon, the DR is the weapon’s Size, not the
Armor and Body of the vehicle. If the attack hits,
resist the damage with 2x the weapon’s Size. As
Dedicated Primary Weapons with any other weapon system, filling a number
of boxes equal to the weapon’s Size disables it
Unlike systems designed to be installed in a (filling Size +8 boxes destroys it), but unlike a
hardpoint, primary weapons systems designed and normal Called Shot: Targeted Fire, the boxes of
built into the vehicle during its construction tend to damage are not applied to the Damage track of
be lighter and take up less space. More accurately, the vehicle and only affect the open-mounted
the vehicle is designed and built around the weap- weapon.
on. These systems are permanent and may not be
changed without a full factory redesign and refit.
Primary weapons have a smaller minimum Body
Pop-Out Weapon Mount
requirement than an equivalent mil-spec hardpoint A common option for dedicated stealth vehicles,
(calculated as a hardpoint one Grade smaller). a pop-out set-up hides the weapon inside the body
of the vehicle until it’s needed, then it moves out
through a concealed movable panel. This can be
Turreted Weapon Mount added to either an open mount or a turreted mount.
This is the mounting system most used on mil- Game Rules: Deploying a pop-out weapon is a
spec vehicles and is the baseline option. Full turrets Major Action. Increase the Grade of the required
are typically located on the top of a ground vehicle MHP by 1. In addition to the cost of the larger hard-
or the bottom of an air vehicle to provide a 360 point, this option has a separate Design Point cost.
degree field of fire. Some full turrets may have a Cost: +5 Design Points x Grade

NEW GAME RULES: ADVANCED COMBAT OPTIONS // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 Twin Linked and Quad Linked is higher than the caliber of the weapon would
normally indicate, on the assumption that several
Another mounting option is twin-linking iden-
tical weapons in the same mount or quad-linking rounds will strike each target. In addition, each net
152 four identical weapons together in the same mount. hit from the attack increases the DV by more than
Attacks with twin- and quad-linked weapons fol- 1 point. Smaller rotary barrel weapons, typically
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

low the regular rules for a Linked Fire Action. called miniguns, using machine gun ammunition
Game Rules: Twin-linked increases the Grade add 2 points to the attack’s DV for each net hit.
of the required MHP by 1, quad-linked increases Larger 20, 30, and 40 millimeter rotary barrel
it by 2. In addition to the cost of the larger hard- weapons, called rotary assault cannons (RAC),
point, this option has a separate Design Point cost. cause an additional 3 DV (Size 2, 20 millimeter),
Twin Linked Cost: +3 Design Points 4 DV (Size 3, 30 millimeter), or 5 DV (Size 4, 40
Quad-Linked Cost: +5 Design Points millimeter) to each net hit scored.
Rotary barrel weapons can make use of any
standard or alternate ammunition types, gaining the
Weapon Profile listed effect on the AR/DV profile, stacking with the
Changes and Additions benefits of the RB Mode. For HEX Assault Cannon
Mortars, energy weapons, cannons, artillery, ammunition, the hail of shrapnel from the closely
missiles, and other mil-spec weapons can some- overlapping Blast effect of these rounds simply adds
times have very different characteristics and fea- to the effectiveness of the area attack; each attack
tures than the weapon systems runners typically against a target inside the area of fire gains a +2 DV
encounter. This may be the ability to deliver indirect and +4 AR to the weapon’s base profile, with an
fire, generate higher damage values, require several additional +1 DV to each net hit.
people to operate, have vastly longer ranges, and
sometimes extremely slow—or very fast—rates of Mode Modifier: ROF
fire. To cover the wide variety of characteristics
Unlike the RB mode, other large weapons have
found on these weapons, the following additions
a relatively slow rate of fire compared to man-por-
and changes to the standard weapons profile and
table weapons, and this affects how some firing
regular weapon rules are presented here.
modes can be used. A limited ROF is represented
by a number in parentheses after the available fir-
Advanced Weapon Rules ing modes and is the maximum number of times
per combat round that a weapon can fire. In the
New Mode: RB (Rotary Barrel) case of a dash followed by a second number, this is
They may be called rotary barrel assault cannons the number of combat rounds that it takes between
(RACs), electric Gatling guns, or miniguns, but they shots (1–3 is one shot fired every three combat
all have extraordinarily high rates of fire that far rounds). Multiple Major Actions may be taken by
exceed normal automatic weapons. These weapons the operator during a turn, or over several turns,
are all designated by a new firing mode, RB (Rotary between shots, but the number of shots may not
Barrel), and use a 50 round/one-second Short Burst exceed the maximum ROF regardless of the speed
or a 150 round/three-second Long Burst. of the operator. For example, a weapon with SA/
The RB mode firing a Short Burst uses 50 BF (4) could fire one BF attack in a combat round
rounds and makes an attack against every valid (or two SA attacks if the operator had two Major
target within a 2-meter radius. One attack roll is Actions available).
made, but each defender rolls individually. Unlike
FA, this attack does not decrease the Attack Rat- Breech-Loaded Weapons
ing, and the area may not be increased.
A three-second RB Long Burst, firing 150 Many types of very large caliber weapons are
rounds, increases the area of the attack with walk- loaded through a breech at the rear of the barrel.
ing fire that covers a strip of ground. With an RB This is noted by a (br) in the ammo capacity. This
Long Burst, the area under fire can be expanded means that a shell must be moved from the weap-
by 1 meter in a single direction, multiple times, on’s magazine, either by hand or with an auto-
by lowering the Attack rating by 1 for each meter. loader, the weapon’s breech opened, the shell and
This extends the center point of the area of attack, maybe a propellant charge inserted, and the breech
essentially creating an AOE 4 meters wide and (4 closed before a shot can be taken. If cased ammu-
meters plus the number of meters walked) long. nition is used instead of a propellant charge, the
The distance the center point can be moved is lim- extra step of ejecting the spent casing must also be
ited by the Attack Rating of the weapon, which added. Breech loading is one of the primary factors
must remain above 0. for a slow ROF on large vehicle weapons.
Due to the high number of rounds used by rota- The ammo number listed for breech-loaded
ry barrel weapons, the base DV rating of an attack weapons is the amount of ammunition contained

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // NEW GAME RULES: ADVANCED COMBAT OPTIONS

in the ammo bins accessible by the autoloader (or quantity shown in the ammo heading. Reloading
crew). Vehicles may carry additional ammunition, these ammo bins, especially on large vehicle weap-
but those ammo reserves would need to be moved ons, is a time-consuming task that cannot be done
into the weapon’s ammo bin (see Reloading Vehi- in combat. Reloading is a narrative task lasting as 153
cles below) before it could be used. long as the GM decides it does: several minutes for

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

some of the smallest systems, up to hours for larg-
Crew Served Reloading er guns, or even several days with dozens of crew
members for the largest naval weapons. A vehicle
The listed ROF is the maximum mechanical may also carry reserve ammo stores, but moving
firing rate of a weapon, but for some man-por- it to a weapons magazine still counts as reloading.
table and emplacement weapons this assumes a
sufficient number of crew members on hand to
load, aim, and fire the weapon. The Crew Served
Mode SA, BF,
designation will be noted below the weapon pro- and FA for Large Weapons
file with a recommended number of crew and the Larger-caliber ballistic weapons cause more
number of additional Reload Weapon Actions damage per projectile, and this makes semi-auto
needed between shots fired. This is also noted un- and burst firing these weapons more damaging.
der the ammo heading, showing the total number Instead of the normal +1 or +2 increase in DV for
of actions needed after the ammo storage type. For these firing modes, each 5DV of the weapon’s base
example, a Crew Served (3) weapon with a (br- DV (or fraction thereof) contributes a +1 / +2. For
3) reload needs three Reload Weapon Actions be- example, a 12DV weapon making a SA attack adds
tween shots. Each assistant gunner may carry out +3 DV, with a narrow burst BF attack adding +6
their own Reload Weapon Action each turn, simul- to the weapon’s DV. This rule is only for ballistic
taneously, as a team. Until the number of required weapons and does not apply to other weapon types,
Reload Weapon Actions are finished, the weapon but blast weapons have their own similar SA and BF
can’t fire, meaning a smaller-than-recommended rules. Larger weapons have no effect on FA rules.
crew will slow down the weapons rate of fire. Not Enough Rounds! For larger weapons that
Breech, muzzle-loaded, cylinder, or maga- are short on the number of rounds needed with
zine-fed (c, d) crew-served weapons may not be a BF attack, use the same base DV multiplier as
reloaded and fired in the same turn. Any belt-fed when increasing the firing mode bonus. Using the
weapon, however, may use one or more assistant example above, a narrow burst BF attack with 3
gunners, even if it’s not designated as crew served. rounds would only add +3 to the weapon’s DV
The assistant gunners are simply working at the while reducing the AR by 3 instead of 4. For FA
end of the belt, making sure new belts are con- attacks where the number of rounds is short, re-
stantly added. duce the AR by 1 point for each round short of ten;
All Size 1 weapons used in emplacements by this is in addition to the regular –6 AR reduction
an infantry crew will also be Crew Served, since for FA attacks.
it takes that number of people to carry the com-
ponents into place and assemble the weapon. Any Mode SA, BF,
Size 1 weapon can be used in an emplacement, but
only a few have profiles in the chapter on man-por- and FA with Blast Attacks
table weapons. All Size 1 weapons not specifically Weapons that create multiple Blast Attacks in
spelled out as Crew Served require a crew of five a single combat round, such as launchers with SA,
to move and assemble, but only a single operator BF, or FA modes (as well as link-fired launchers),
needed to fire it (this assumes an autoloader is on are resolved in a different manner than standard
the weapon). weapons with those modes. The mode sets the
Modern vehicle weapons (and vehicle weapons maximum number of projectiles in a single salvo:
used in emplacements) will normally have auto- two for SA, four for BF, and up to ten (or the limit
loaders and not require any dedicated crew to load of the weapon’s ROF) for FA. The operator may ei-
rounds, but some older vehicles and weapons may ther target a single point in an attempt to increase
still be in service that could require multiple crew the strength of the attack at that location, similar
members to load and operate. to a link-firing action, or the operator can spread
the points of impact across a wide area, covering a
larger area with multiple overlapping blasts.
Reloading Vehicle Weapons Each projectile in a salvo is subject to Scat-
The ROF rules, when applied to vehicles, also ter, deviating either from a single point or from
assume there are sufficient rounds in the weapons separate target points along a line one (1) to ten
magazine for the autoloader (or crew) to draw (10) meters apart from each other. Any overlap-
from. Most vehicles will have a custom bin capable ping area of damage adds +1DV for each 5DV
of holding a large quantity of ammo and this is the of the weapon’s base DV number (or fraction

NEW GAME RULES: ADVANCED COMBAT OPTIONS // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 thereof) to each overlapping range band of the Attack Ratings:
explosive, for each blast zone that overlaps. For Maximum Range
example, two link-fired frag grenades, hitting the
154 same target with zero scatter, would have a DV Many larger vehicle weapon systems have rang-
GZ of 20, a DV Close of 12DV and a DV Near es far exceeding those of portable weapons. This is
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

of 5DV. For blasts further apart, only add the noted by a number in parentheses after the AR pro-
extra DV to the areas of overlap on a target. For file that represents the limit of the Extreme range
example, a target 4 meters away from the GZ band in kilometers. For example —/—/—/10/13
point of two blasts would be hit with a single DV (20 kilometers) may be the profile for a howitzer
Near of 5DV. with a 20 kilometer maximum firing range.
Direct-fire ballistic weapons with a relatively Attacks made over a long distance may end up
flat trajectory, such as chain guns using HEX-load- with a projectile in the air for an extended length
ed munitions, do not roll for scatter, as a missed of time between firing and landing. While the exact
shot may go dozens or hundreds of meters past the time depends on a number of factors, especially for
target. Instead, they follow the normal SA / BF / FA rockets and missiles, and is outside the scope of
rules for large weapons, with the rounds either hit- these rules, a good rule of thumb is one combat
ting their target or missing entirely. Any secondary round in the air for each kilometer traversed.
targets within the shell’s blast radius, centered on
the first target, will however also be hit as normal New Weapon Stat: Size
with a Blast attack. The stat listed as Size relates to what Grade
of mil-spec hardpoint (modified by the weapon
Link Firing, Expanded Rules mount) a weapon system can be fitted into. A tur-
The link-firing action in p. 143, Double Clutch reted weapon, with a standard load of ammo, re-
is expanded with the following rules. quires a mil-spec hardpoint with a Grade equal to
Instead of each link-fired weapon of “5DV or or greater than the weapon’s Size. Some types of
over” adding a flat +2 DV to the attack, each 5DV weapon mounts can raise or lower the effective Size
of the weapon’s base DV number, or fraction there- of a weapon system, as do dual-linked and quad-
of, contributes a +1DV to the link-fired attack. linked set-ups.
This is similar to the above rules for SA and BF for
Large weapons, with two twin-linked 12DV weap- Large Ballistic Ammo Notes
ons creating a single 15DV attack. Large caliber versions of APDS, explosive,
When identical slow-firing weapons are twin- flechette, and gel rounds all exist (but no oversized
linked, the ROF can be added together and in- Stick-n-Shock) for ballistic weapons, with the list-
creased instead of increasing the power of a single ed price adjustment multiplier (this does not apply
attack. For example, twin linking two weapons, to railgun ammo, or anything with Capacity on the
each with a ROF of SS(1-4), can be set up for al- profile instead of a DV). Just as with link-firing and
ternating fire, effectively making it a single SS(1- Burst Fire of large weapons, the modifiers for al-
2) weapon. This may also make new firing modes ternate ammo types are applied once for each 5DV
available, such as two SA(2) weapons can be twin- bracket. So, a B25 (25 millimeter) APDS round
linked for a single SA/BF(4) system. (base of 8P DV) would have a 6P DV and a +4 AR
Link-fired Spray weapons increase both the at- across all ranges (along with the special penetra-
tacks DV and AR. All linked Spray Attack weapons tion rules of APDS). Note that explosive ammuni-
must use the same Spray Attack pattern and have tion and HEX assault cannon ammunition are two
the same targets. For each additional linked Spray different things, with explosive ammunition only
weapon, each 5DV of the weapon’s base DV num- adding a +1P DV / 5 base DV and HEX loaded
ber, or fraction thereof, contributes a +1DV and a +2 assault cannon ammunition, including autocannon
AR (Close and Near only) to the link-fired attack. HEX rounds, having an actual Blast effect. The
For Blast weapons fired simultaneously with Blast profile for all sizes of HEX assault cannon
a link-firing action, the DV of the attack may be ammunition is listed on p. 146.
increased for each additional Blast weapon in the
salvo that hits close enough to overlap. Each pro-
jectile rolls Scatter separately, and any overlap- APDS Ammunition Notes
ping area adds +1DV for each 5DV of the weap- In addition to the [–1P DV and +2 AR] / 5 base DV,
on’s base DV number (or fraction thereof) to each APDS ballistic ammunition has the following special
overlapping range band of the explosive. This is effect. APDS ammunition halves (rounded down)
the same method as with multiple Blast Attacks Structure ratings (p. 113, SR6) when attacking tar-
from SA, BF, or FA mode launchers targeting a gets through a barrier (p. 111, SR6) as well as halving
single location. (rounded down) the rating of any DV reducing effects

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // NEW GAME RULES: ADVANCED COMBAT OPTIONS

a target may have, such as mil-spec plate or hardened
armor. This includes hardened armor gained via Im- Simplified Scatter and Artillery Chart
munity to Normal Weapons (p. 225, SR6). SIMPLIFIED
Lasers and railgun rounds gain the same pen- TYPE THRESHOLD
RANGE
MULTIPLIER
SCATTER
DIRECTION
155
etrating ability of APDS ammunition, but the DV Thrown projectile 3 x0.5

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

and AR modifications do not apply to these types of Hand-held launcher* 3 — 1
weapons, as they are already figured into the profile. Unguided Crew–
4 — 2
operated Artillery*
Unguided Vehicle
Laser Weapon Notes Artillery 1–5km 4 x2 4–5
range*
All laser weapons have a high AR and excel at
Unguided Vehicle
penetrating barriers, using the same rules against Artillery 6–20km 5 x3 6
barriers, hardened armor, and mil-spec plate as range
APDS rounds. Any flammable targets may also be Unguided Vehicle
set ablaze, gaining a Burning status from a hit, with Artillery over 20km 6 x4 —
range
the number being one for each full 5P of the weap-
Guided Munitions
on’s DV (as modified by range and smoke). This is targeting Coordinates
4 — —
a cumulative effect, and the Status may increase Guided Munitions
further with additional hits on the same target. using Sensors / Pilot
4 — —

All laser weapons lose beam coherence due to Guided Munitions

dust and particulates in the air, suffering a –1P DV with Painted or 3 — —
Sensor Lock
reduction at Medium and –2P DV at Far range as
Guided Munitions
smaller lasers. Foggy or hazy conditions add an ad- using Remote 3 — —
ditional –1P DV penalty at all ranges. Any smoke Control*
cloud, from a grenade or other device, between the
shooter and target also adds an additional –2P DV *If a launcher has an Airburst Link equipped and enabled, and the opera-
penalty to all ranges. These penalties do not scale tor has LOS to the target, or eyes on the target through remote control, the
threshold number for targeting and scatter is one lower, with scatter being
with the base DV of the weapon; the same penal- 1/2 the normal multiplier—for example, for an unguided vehicle-mounted 1-5
ties for range and smoke apply to all sizes of lasers. kilometer system this would be a threshold of 3 and a scatter multiplier of x1.
All man-portable lasers use the Exotic Weapons
(Laser) skill.
past the target. This means that the Blast of a bal-
Railgun Notes listic weapon—when it hits its target—is always
Like laser weapons, railguns have a high AR centered on that target.
and excel at penetrating barriers, hardened ar- The initial test (Skill + Attribute) with a thrown
mor, and mil-spec plate, using the same penetra- or launched weapon is an attempt to hit a specific
tion rules as APDS rounds. Railguns use both an targeted location within line of sight, not a specific
energy charge and physical ammunition; while target, with a threshold for the test set by range.
they have the same properties as APDS rounds, Attacks against targets with no line of sight must
railgun ammunition and ballistic APDS ammuni- also use the indirect fire rules requiring a Called Shot:
tion are not interchangeable. Indirect Fire Minor Action and either an Edge Action
All man-portable railguns use the Exotic Weap- or a -4 dice pool modifier. Matching or exceeding the
ons (Linear) skill. threshold means the projectile hits the target location
(whether the actual target is still there or not is an-
other matter entirely). If the test fails, the number of
Optional Rule: hits short of the threshold number becomes the base
Simplified Scatter number for the scatter. Both the threshold and the
Attacks with any thrown or launched para- number used for scatter can be changed by modifiers
bolic arcing weapon with a Blast effect, such as such as weather, spotters, or guided munitions.
a grenade, mortar bomb, artillery shell, rocket, or For this chart, “Artillery” may include grenade
missile, that misses its intended target will still hit launchers, mortars, gun artillery, and rockets/mis-
something nearby. Due to the large area of effect siles. This chart factors indirect fire into the calcu-
from these blast weapons, it’s important to know lation of the Threshold, and the Scatter modifier
the actual location of the impact. Ballistic weap- listed under Indirect Fire does not apply to these
ons, such as the smoothbore cannons on tanks, alternate rules.
may also have a Blast effect but do not use the To figure scatter, roll 1D6, with a 1 being long
Scatter rules due to the flat trajectory of the at- going past the target location, a 2 is long and to
tack; these weapons either hit or miss their target, the left, 3 is long to the right, a 6 is short of the
with a miss landing perhaps hundreds of meters target, with a 5 and 4 being short right and short

NEW GAME RULES: ADVANCED COMBAT OPTIONS // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 left respectively. The number of meters the round DV Profile for
scatters is the number of hits short of the thresh- Large Projectiles
old, times the original threshold in meters, times a
156 range multiplier for ranges past Extreme. Projectiles with a Capacity of 18 or more us-
Example One: A thrown grenade has a thresh- ing explosive warheads have a larger area of effect
than the Ground Zero (1 meter), Close (3 meters),
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

old of 3 and the test only has 1 hit. This is 2 hits

short, so the scatter is 3 meters (threshold of 3, and Near (out to Blast radius) bands of smaller ex-
times 2 hits short, with a 0.5 multiplier) past the plosives like grenades. As such, each of the profile
target to the right (a 3 on the roll). characteristics describing the DV of the explosion
Example Two: A piece of gun artillery is at- are followed by a number in meters for the range
tacking a location 30 kilometers away with rock- of that DV band. These explosive bands are not set
et-assisted artillery shells. The threshold is 6 us- by the distance of any specific range.
ing unguided munitions. The operator has a very For example, an A155 millimeter, Capacity
good roll with 4 hits on the test, leaving it only 30, HEX artillery shell would be described as:
2 hits short. Scatter is 48 meters short of the in- 30P(3m) / 17P(6m) / 7P(30m), with the third listed
tended target (threshold of 6, with 2 hits short, radius setting the Blast radius, instead of DV GZ/
and a x4 range multiplier, with a roll of 6 on the DV Close/DV Near/Blast Radius.
scatter die).
New Weapon Stat: Class
Simplified Scatter Class, short for size classification, is a stat related
for Guided Munitions to weapon Size and is only used with rockets and
missiles. It is a measure of the relative size of the
Guided munitions targeting a set of coordinates missile or rocket and defines how many projectiles
with GPS or inertial navigation have a scatter can be carried. A Size X launcher, frame, rack, or
threshold of 4 with no additional range multiplier, pod always holds four Class X missiles. Each point
regardless of the actual range. Acquiring a target increase in the weapon Size of the pod doubles the
with a Pilot program guided by sensor input also number of rockets a pod can hold and each increase
uses a scatter threshold of 4 with no additional in Class halves the number it can hold.
range multiplier. Having a sensor lock or a paint- For example, a Size 4 Launcher can carry x4
ed target assisting the Pilot program reduces the Class 4 missiles, x2 Class 5, or x1 Class 6. Going
Scatter Threshold to 3, again with no additional the other way the same Size 4 launcher could in-
range multiplier. Using remote control to guide a stead carry x8 Class 3, x16 Class 2, x32 Class 1, or
projectile to a target also uses a scatter threshold 64 Class 0 missiles. Note that this is only a relative
of 3 with no additional range multiplier, regardless measure of the launcher Size and the actual launch
of range. cells still need to be designed to carry a specific
Class and type of projectile.
Projectile Notes
Projectiles are extremely flexible weapons, as Indirect Fire
they can be fitted with different warheads to fill The standard rules for ranged combat, includ-
different roles on the battlefield. To represent this, ing the AR profile, require a direct line of sight to
they have a Capacity rating for the size of the war- the target, but there are several types of weapon
head they can carry instead of a DV rating or a set systems with arcing projectile trajectories capable
Blast profile. of hitting targets with no line of sight. Weapons
capable of indirect fire are missiles, rocket artillery,
New Weapon Stat: Capacity gun artillery, and mortars (as well as grenades).
Targeting with no direct line of sight first requires
Capacity is a stat associated with mortars, artil- a weapon capable of indirect fire. Second, there must
lery shells, and cannon rounds, as well as rockets be a target location; at a minimum this can just be
and missiles. Capacity, as a rating for these projec- a point on a map. Once the coordinates are set, the
tiles, is a measure of the payload carried. For stan- operator makes an Engineering + Logic test with a
dard HEX (high explosive) munitions, Capacity Called Shot: Indirect, Minor Action (or the Edge Ac-
relates directly to Damage Value or DV at Ground tion Called Shot: Lucky Shot) and then applies scat-
Zero. Other types of warheads, such as APDS sab- ter to the shot. Unless the attack involves a spotter
ots, CHEM (chemical) munitions, or CBU (clus- or guided munitions, the test is resolved in the same
ter bomb) munitions, have specific rules for how way as a standard projectile attack (against the loca-
Capacity is used. Certain weapons can only use tion, not a specific target). For unguided, unassisted
certain types of munitions as noted in the ammu- indirect fire on targets where there is no line of sight,
nition listing. the AR of the attack is always 1.

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // NEW GAME RULES: ADVANCED COMBAT OPTIONS

 Spotters on Static Targets
New Fire Actions and Statuses If a spotter is sending coordinates for an in-
Called Shot: Indirect Fire direct fire attack against a static target, then the
The standard application of indirect fire made by tar- attack can only be as good as both the spotter’s 157
geting a location defined by a set of map coordinates. This information and how it’s interpreted by the op-

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

requires a Minor Action to Call a Shot. Without using Edge erator. This type of attack requires the spotter to
or targeting data from an M-TOC connection, this test has calculate the map coordinates and relay the in-
a –4 called shot modifier to the Engineering + Logic test.
formation to the operator, who then programs in
the target’s location. When the spotter is provid-
Called Shot: Targeted Fire
ing map coordinates, the spotter and the shoot-
Instead of a standard attack to a vehicle, with damage
applied in a general manner, the Called Shot: Targeted
er both make an Engineering + Logic test with a
Fire focuses the attack on a specific profile sub-system of Called Shot: Indirect Fire Minor Action, and the
a vehicle. This requires a Minor Action to Call a Shot. If an less successful of the two tests is the one used for
Edge Action is not used in connection with this attack, the the attack.
test has a –4 called shot modifier. A far more reliable method is painting a tar-
get through an M-TOC network using the Artil-
New Edge Action: Called Shot: Expose a Weak Point lery Barrage and Target Artist apps, connecting
Take a Called Shot: Targeted Fire action against a spe- the spotter to the operator. The spotter may then
cific weapon or profile system without the standard –4 simply mark the target with a smartlink-enabled
penalty. This Edge Action has a cost of 4 Edge. weapon, giving it the Painted status. The spotter
is not required to take an Engineering test while
New Edge Action: Called Shot: Lucky Shot the target is Painted through an M-TOC with
Take a Called Shot: Indirect Fire action without the the proper apps. Only the operator’s test is used,
standard –4 penalty for not having targeting data from an and the –4 called shot modifier is negated by the
M-TOC connection. If the attack is using a spotter, take the M-TOC’s software. The weapon’s normal AR is
higher of the two tests instead of the lowest. Cost: 4 Edge. used as if the shooter has line of sight.
New Status: Painted
If a smartlink-enabled weapon maintains line of sight
Guided vs. Unguided Munitions
to the target while connected to an M-TOC network, the All launched projectiles can be divided into
smartlink can send the target’s location data out, and two groups: guided munitions that can adjust
the target acquires the Painted status. There is no test their trajectory in flight and those that can’t, sim-
associated with acquiring the Painted status. As a form of ply called unguided munitions. Rockets fall into
Sensor Lock, Painted is like the Locked-On status (p. 140, the unguided category; once a trajectory is set at
Double Clutch), in that the target may not spend Edge launch, the targeted location can’t be changed.
against attacks from any system sharing the Painted sta- The Engineering + Logic test made by the oper-
tus through an M-TOC network. The Painted status can be ator is the primary factor in whether these un-
ended by the target gaining Cover IV relative to the spot- guided projectiles hit their targets. The AR for
ter or losing line of sight some other way. A Break Sensor
these weapons is either set by the launcher, if
Lock Action is ineffective against the Painted status.
there is line of sight, or 1 if they are targeting
map coordinates. Missiles, on the other hand, are
When applying scatter to indirect fire attacks rockets with a pilot, sensors, and a guidance sys-
(and not using the optional rule: simplified scat- tem that allows for adjustments to the targeted
ter), targets up to 5 kilometers away (but over location. This guidance system can be as simple
1,000 meters) have a x2 multiplier to both the as heat-seeking thermal imaging, a link through
initial scatter number and each net hit used to an M-TOC to a Painted target, or remote-control
reduce scatter. For targets 5 to 20 kilometers dis- piloting by an operator. The AR of guided mu-
tant the multiplier is x5, and over 20 kilome- nitions is Pilot + Sensor (or Piloting + Sensor if
ters it is x10. For example, a gun howitzer firing remote operated) in the same way as Using Vehi-
artillery shells at a target 25 kilometers away cles/Drones as Weapons (p. 200, SR6).
would scatter [(2d6) x10 meters] – [(net hits – 6)
x10 meters]. Guided Munition
Options for indirect firing with unguided muni-
tions include firing on coordinates without a spot- Pilot Programs
ter, using a spotter calling in a location, or painting The Pilot programs used in guided munitions
a target through an M-TOC network. Indirect fire are a modified version of the Pilot programs used
can also benefit from guided munitions, with or in drones and vehicles. They include custom pro-
without a spotter, or remote operation. gramming that duplicates the Clearsight, Eva-
sion, and Maneuver autosofts. Projectiles never

NEW GAME RULES: ADVANCED COMBAT OPTIONS // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 use the full versions of any autosofts and will use
Sensor + Pilot for any tests they need to make. Advanced Attacks
158
The test for hitting a target is a Maneuver test.
Projectiles can never make a Stealth test. Any Against Vehicles
E-War test to reduce noise on the projectile must Shooting at a mil-spec vehicle is a bit different
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

be made from a different device on the same net- than a normal attack at a person or even a drone.
work as the projectile. For some vehicles it can be like shooting at a build-
ing, and it can be just as ineffective.
Using Guided Munitions
For attacks against target locations within line Vehicle Defense Summary
of sight, guided munitions allow for last second Shooting at the vehicle is a normal Weapon
changes to trajectory that can improve accuracy. Skill + Linked Attribute test, with the AR being set
For indirect fire without line of sight, guided muni- by the range profile of the weapon. A vehicle’s DR
tions do not necessarily require exact coordinates, is always Piloting (or Evasion Autosoft) + Armor,
as the projectile’s guidance system can reduce the but the dice pool used in defense depends on how
role of the operator and spotter, or even entirely re- the vehicle is currently being operated.
place it. Guided munitions can either be allowed to Operated by a driver: The defense dice pool is
maneuver on their own internal controls, with or Piloting + Reaction.
without external assistance, or be fully controlled Operated by a jumped-in rigger: The defense
externally through AR or VR. dice pool is Piloting + Intuition.
When attempting an indirect fire attack against Operated autonomously: The defense dice pool
a mobile target, guided munitions are really the is Evasion Autosoft + Pilot (or Pilot + Sensor for
only option. Attacking a moving target requires Guided munitions).
both constant input on the target’s location and In addition to a general attack against the ve-
a way to adjust the trajectory in response to those hicle, attacks may instead target the weapons, the
movements. This input could be a spotter painting vehicle’s sub-systems, or the crew compartment
the target, internal sensors of the projectile sent to with a Called Shot: Targeted Fire, resolved using
the Pilot program, or a remote operator guiding the Advanced Attacks Against Vehicles rules. If a
the round into the target. Guided munitions can be vehicle has Open and Standard construction, the
used in several ways: crew can be targeted normally but will possibly re-
For attacking a set of programmed coordinates, ceive the benefit of Cover.
either using inertial guidance systems or GPS sig-
nals, the Pilot program acts as a helper in a Team-
work test, rolling a Pilot + Sensor test and adding
Called Shots
the hits to the operator’s dice pool. Then make the to Systems or Weapons
operators roll and use Scatter as normal. Some vehicles may be so massive, tough, and
For attacking a target acquired by the projec- well-armored that the only effective attack is to
tile’s sensors and programming, without outside focus fire on one small but critical area of the vehi-
aid, such as a heat-seeking missile targeting a jet’s cle. Targeting a specific weapon system, or one of
engine, roll a Pilot + Sensor test and the projectile the vehicle’s profile items such as Sensors or Speed
acts as a vehicle or drone making a ramming at- Interval, requires a Called Shot: Targeted Fire. A
tack, with the added mechanic of scatter. successful hit against a sub-system or weapon will
For attacking a target with the projectile’s degrade its abilities and may eventually take it out
sensors and programming while connected to an of commission.
M-TOC network and assisted by the target being
Painted by a spotter, add +4 to the AR and add
a +4 dice pool modifier to the projectile’s Pilot +
Resolving
Sensor test. Note that the target may not use Edge Attacks Against Systems
while Painted. A successful Called Shot: Targeted Fire Action
For attacks against a target using remote con- has the following effects:
trol, either AR/VR, treat the projectile as if it were For attacks against a weapon in an Open
a drone and the attack is a Pilot + Reaction Ma- Mount, see the Game Rules for Open Weapon
neuver test, with Scatter. The pilot program, sen- Mounts on p. 151 to resolve this attack, as these
sors, or Painting by a spotter has no effect on this systems are vulnerable and can be taken out of
roll, except Painted will prevent the target from commission relatively easily. Attacks targeting an
using Edge. open-mounted weapon system do not accumulate
on the vehicle’s condition monitor.

MIL-SPEC MAYHEM // ADVANCED ATTACKS AGAINST VEHICLES

 Internally mounted weapons located in turrets
and other internal mounts are protected as part of
the vehicle’s armored shell. A successful attack is
resisted by the armor and body of the vehicle nor- 159
mally, and any boxes of damage are applied to the

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

vehicle’s damage track. If the accumulated boxes
of damage, dedicated to targeting the same weap-
on system, exceed the size of the weapon, that
weapon system is disabled. Any boxes of damage
applied to degrade a weapon system do not count
toward degrading the vehicle’s profile systems.
Attacks made against a vehicle, without a spe-
cific target, will increase the Handling by 1 point
for every 3 condition monitor boxes filled. A Called
Shot: Targeted Fire may be used to directly attack
other systems and degrade other aspects of the
vehicle’s performance instead. These attacks can
target the Acceleration, Speed Interval, Top Speed,
or Sensors. Every 3 boxes of damage specifically
targeting one of these systems reduces that profile
stat by 25 percent of its original number.

Attacks Against Crews

Attacks made directly against occupants of a ve-
hicle do not always require a Called Shot, but have a
number of specific rules. If the vehicle is not totally en-
closed, the attack may be handled normally, with the
crew gaining some cover. An attack may either target
the crew directly or target the vehicle’s structure.
If the vehicle is totally enclosed, the attack must
use a Called Shot: Targeted Fire, attacking the crew
compartment. Successful attacks made directly
against the crew compartment in a totally enclosed
vehicle will also fill one condition monitor box of
the vehicle. This will be an area attack against the
entire crew regardless of the actual weapon type
due to spalling and overpressure inside the vehicle.
Attacks against vehicle crews follow the clarifica-
tions to attacking occupants of a vehicle made on p.
132, Double Clutch. A summary of these rules are:
Occupants of a vehicle may swap the driver’s
Pilot skill for their Body when calculating DR.
Vehicles that are not totally enclosed may still
grant Cover I – IV to the occupants.
The crew of a totally enclosed vehicle may not make
attacks personally unless the vehicle has gun ports.
Occupants of a totally enclosed vehicle target-
ed by an attack cannot be seen and are granted a
point of Edge.
Attacking through Vehicle Armor counts as attack-
ing through a barrier, with the crew behind it, where
the unmodified DV of all incoming attacks is reduced
by half of the vehicle’s Effective Barrier rating.
The Effective Barrier rating of a vehicle is the Ar-
mor rating with Ceramic Plate increasing the Effec-
tive Barrier rating by 1 point for every 4 base points
of Vehicle Armor. While not specifically called out in
Double Clutch, mil-spec armor applies its full rating
as a reduction to DV before calculating the Barrier
rating of the vehicle’s regular armor.

ADVANCED ATTACKS AGAINST VEHICLES // MIL-SPEC MAYHEM

 MYSTICAL FORCE
MULTIPLIERS
> It doesn’t take a professional soldier or even a magician to > The main reason for that is numbers. There are simply too few
know that when magic came on the scene, it changed … no, it magicians in the world, let alone those with the capabilities and
completely upended the rules of warfare forever. Just ask the mentalities to serve in a military hierarchy, to base an entire
old United States Army—oh, wait, you can’t. Okay, magic is only military force around magical force projection. Don’t get me
one reason for that, but the way Daniel Howling Coyote and his wrong: when militaries or specific units have potent magical
Ghost Dancers smacked the U.S. military around was a wakeup resources, they’re an absolute terror on a battlefield.
call that still resonates today. And not just in military circles, but > eX-Professor
around the world. For a while, magic became the thing we all
feared, displacing even nukes for a hot minute. Some nations, > Which is why military magicians and magic in general tend to
such as the two Tírs, have used this to their advantage by using be seen and used as force multipliers that enhance their unit or
the threat of their uber-powerful magics as a deterrent to any group’s capabilities. Let’s not forget, this situation has also led to
kind of invasion or threat. But while magic is still respected, it’s militaries developing tactics and doctrines specifically designed to
not quite feared the way it used to be. Well, the Disian Shadow neutralize magical threats via mundane means. A magician slinging
War may change that. And while the threat of magic becoming fireballs or conjuring spirits is still susceptible to a sniper, an
the new doomsday weapon never really materialized, militaries artillery barrage, or an aerial strike, just to name a few. When used
worldwide have nevertheless jumped on it in order to integrate properly, magicians or other types of Awakened are deadly. When
it (read: weaponize it) onto their battle doctrines whenever they’re not, they’re simply another costly weapon system to waste.
possible. So while it’s not the juggernaut it could have been, it’s > Colonel Cobra
still a major consideration during any military operation.
> Glitch > “Geek the mage first” has never been more prevalent than in the
military.
> Scattershot

MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS // 

War Magic 101 War magic, on the other hand, is not about
combat spells. At least, not about casting them. It’s
Posted by: Covenant about using magic to enhance the capabilities of
When most people, or even shadowrunners, your unit, and your parent formation, to complete 161
think of magic, they picture the flashy spells seen both tactical and strategic objectives as efficiently

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

in trids, or the utter destruction you see when as possible.
shadowruns go bad and make the news. Or they I’ll give you an example. Your team has been
think of weird dreams and people suddenly drop- hired to kidnap rich young heiress X and keep her
ping dead in the streets. I’m not going to say those on ice for three days. The first step is your legwork,
things don’t happen, because we all know they do. and the war mage will have an assortment of spells
That is not, however, all magic. and abilities that can be useful in reconnaissance
In my humble opinion, too many magicians don’t as part of a holistic strategy with the mundane and
truly appreciate magic, only the power it gives them. technological members of the team. The combat
When they cast a spell or summon a spirit, that’s actu- mage may have those same spells and abilities, but
al power that can be seen, felt, and measured. That’s may not integrate them as effectively.
using magic to exert your will on a given situation. The next step is the snatch, and it’s here that
the war mage truly diverges from the combat
> Kind of a bleak way of seeing things, don’t you think? mage. The combat mage will be in the thick of it,
> Winterhawk throwing around spells or fighting with a weapon
focus—the stuff we would expect from a mage on
> Come speak to some of my students or witness the street mage a shadowrunner team. The war mage will be in
punks you find in most parts of the sprawl, then tell me it’s a spot where they can continue acting as intelli-
bleak. It’s accurate, supported by empirical data. gence and overwatch after using spells to enhance
> Canis some or all of their team. The war mage knows
their value, and that they’re not always a front-
> I can second that notion. line combatant.
> eX-Professor Let’s say the getaway was mostly clean; may-
be some spirits were sent after you, maybe a few
Magic can be so much more, but also so much drones. Either way, they were taken out and you’ve
less. Those of us with the gift in this business know gotten away to the safe house you’ll use to keep
what combat spells can do—we’ve seen it and the heiress on ice. The combat mage will be ready
done it ourselves. When I’ve introduced the con- for an extraction team, no doubt. But the war
cept of war magic in class, I’ve seen way too many mage will use manipulation and illusion spells to
wannabe combat mages mouthing off about how obstruct the terrain and to ensure anyone coming
powerful their Ball Lightning or Fireball spells are. in gives themselves away. They may even erect
So we let the students come up and fire their best wards to help protect and warn you against as-
spells at an old Ares Mobmaster we “acquired” tral intrusion. They will have precautions in place
and watch them fail to leave more than a scratch. to deal with multiple contingencies, and they will
The point of humbling students on their first be ready to once again enhance their allies. Their
day in the course is to prove a vital point—combat worth is not in throwing spells and getting kills;
magic is nothing like war magic. it’s in making sure everyone else is fighting as best
Let me define the two points, so we’ve a common as they can. Or better.
frame of reference. Combat magic is magic used in
combat, mainly combat spells but also all other cat-
egories of spells. More importantly, combat magic is What is War Magic?
a mindset—you’re on the front lines using magic as The best war mages are utility mages, with sim-
a weapon in your arsenal to best meet your tactical ilar combat and field skills as a mundane soldier.
objectives. Most so-called combat mages nowadays They’re mostly defensive, with the ability to use
have the mindset most of the way there, though magic to make their fellow troops’ and allies’ lives
they do sometimes get target fixation and forget the easier. One major example of this is medical aid,
objectives, but they rely on magic as their primary but that’s a universal need in every walk of life.
weapon. Sometimes as their only weapon. And in Another would be using illusions and manipula-
small-unit engagements like we often encounter as tion spells to fool your enemy’s recon efforts and
shadowrunners, that’s fair. Most of the time. to ensure your own side’s efforts aren’t similarly
outfoxed. Then there’s using spirits and manipula-
> I know Canis agrees with me that a mage should have mundane tion spells to alter the battlefield to your advantage
weapons and the skills to use them properly, but I also know that and your enemy’s disadvantage, such as creating
most mages won’t put the cred or the effort into those areas. earthworks and other entrenched positions, clear-
> DangerSensei ing minefields, and generally being useful.

WAR MAGIC 101 // MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS

 > One of the mages in our combat engineer squadron specializes Astral Security Teams
in all things earth. Ghost, does she know how to make a sweet
Security teams are defensive, often tasked with
hull down position! And fast, too, quickest I’ve ever seen, and
dealing with spirit incursions during offensive ac-
162 can do enough for a whole troop—that’s fourteen or more tions and maintaining astral patrols at other times.
wagons—before she has to sit and rest for a bit. This role isn’t that much different to corporate as-
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

> Papa Jazz tral security work, except it happens over a much
wider area and requires more coordination—the
I’m not saying combat spells don’t have a place in team providing security for the Divisional CP needs
warfare, because we all know that they do. The issue to be aware of the location and arrangements for
is that outside of the great dragons, there are maybe the Battalion CPs and so on and so forth. They
half a dozen living creatures on this plane of exis- use the same tricks, though they don’t often have
tence that can hope to damage an armored fighting physical structures to work with. Wards and other
vehicle with a combat spell, and I would imagine two defensive and protective rituals are quite common,
or three who could even scratch a main battle tank. if there is time to set them up. If not, then the mag-
es will do their best with what they’ve got.
> I would be inclined to agree with those numbers. You’re talking The security teams are the closest you’ll find
spells of tremendous power that would cause most mages to to a true combat mage in a military setting, as
instantly keel over and die from the drain. should an incursion occur, the BARCASP (BARri-
> Frosty er Combat Astral Patrol) need to be able to deal
with it quickly.
> Which is why when you do encounter most military combat
mages, they tend to be in special forces or similar detachments. Combat Engineer Teams
They may not be able to take out an MBT, for example, but
Combat engineers are widely regarded by those
dropping a Fireball or other combat spell into a room full of
who serve in frontline military and mercenary
hostiles is a completely different story.
units as both completely batshit crazy and good
> Point Guard people to know. Can’t say I disagree with that sen-
timent, because most combat engineers and com-
War magic focuses on using magic to quickly bat support engineers I’ve ever met have taken it
and efficiently do the impossible, or considerably as a point of pride to be viewed by the infantry,
more difficult, with mundane methods and to tankers, and artillery as utterly out of their minds!
counter the efforts of the enemy’s war mages. That Combat engineer mage teams assist with mine
means apotropaic magic. And lots of it! clearance and deployment, EOD duties, create
earthworks and bridges, and tear down those same
> Now it all makes so much more sense! structures when needed. They have specialized skill
> Slamm-0! sets and spell lists, spend a long time training to
use their magic, and have the same mundane skills
Magicians in Military Units combat engineers have been fostering for a century
or more. And they’re pretty darn good at it!
For too long magicians in military units were
treated as special/heavy weapons teams, only in-
> Combat engineers are good people, the right kind of crazy and
stead of carrying an autocannon or anti-tank
with all sorts of cool kit and magic to get us people who do
rockets or mortars, they carried their power as
magicians. This kind of thinking, however, has the fighting what we need. I know I can rely on them because
changed in the last decade or so. With magicians they’ve come through time after time after time.
being in relatively short supply, and not always > Papa Jazz
suited as frontline combatants, they’re simply as-
signed where their particular talents and skill set > Combat engineers are always useful, but when augmented by
will prove most valuable. Often they’re attached at some of the magical stuff, it’s truly wondrous. If they have the
the upper echelons of a formation, such as at the time to use all their tricks.
division or brigade level, and then filtered down > Point Guard
to the battalion or even company level as part of a
detachment as needed. Combat engineering mage teams make use
Many of the military and mercenary units we’re of rituals for bridges and earthworks when they
familiar with tend to split mage teams—in this have the time, and regular spells and spirits when
instance usually two to four magicians, though they don’t or are under fire. It’s a tough role, as
aspected magicians of all kinds can be included they have to be ready to drop tools and pick up
depending on the type of team—into three main rifles at a moment’s notice, but combat engineers
types of specialist team, plus a couple of other have been doing that for a long time—so long
noteworthy areas. that it’s in their blood. I wouldn’t expect com-

MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS // WAR MAGIC 101

bat engineers to rely on magical attacks, not un-
less their position was beset with spirits or other
magical nasties, and even then I would expect the
BARCASP to quickly intercept. 163

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

> I knew an ex-navy Seabee mage a while back. Dude knew one
combat spell for when he needed to mix it up in astral space, but
he damn near knew every other spell we ever needed of him. He
had an entrenching tool enchanted as a weapon focus and knew
his way around pretty much any gun we ever handed him.
> Kane

Reconnaissance
In this instance, I’m not talking about some
high-speed special forces team, but teams of mages
who use their sorcery to provide information and
intelligence to their chain of command while deny-
ing it to their enemy.

> Reconnaissance has been the key to victory countless times in

warfare; hell, that’s what an ACR is designed for. Adding mages
into our recon and counter-recon efforts helps quite a bit—if
nothing else, having advanced astral presences to prevent
enemy spirits or mages from detecting our forward recon assets
is invaluable.
> Papa Jazz

Where the security teams are the BARCASP,

some recon teams will advance astrally either with
or ahead of the formation, clearing a path and
dealing with enemy mages and spirits. Other recon
teams will use detection spells and ritual magic to
try to locate the enemy, and others still will use
illusion spells to frag with enemy recon efforts—
in all areas of the modern battlespace, illusion
magic can do something to help, but it can be a
double-edged sword. It works often enough that
militaries keep putting magicians into these roles,
despite the fact the mages assigned to recon teams
seem to have the highest mortality rates. Astrally
projecting in a combat or engagement zone isn’t
for the faint of heart!

> I imagine these mages get a lot of mileage out of those astral
illusion spells.
> /dev/grrl

> Not as much as one might expect. All spells have an astral
form while active and leave an astral signature once they end.
The issue with the astral illusion spells is you’re asking the
spell to mask itself, something that it cannot do, as that’s the
domain of the Masking metamagic technique. If Manasphere is
cast by an initiate with Masking, and that Masking holds, then
there’s an excellent chance your illusion won’t be given away
that way. Then you have the issue with all illusion spells; they
are passively resisted. You’re reliant upon the caster being an
excellent spellcaster and being powerful enough to maintain

WAR MAGIC 101 // MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS

 Masking against mages who’re trained to sniff out your illusions ily need to be dedicated mages. Foci are always
and dispel them, and by the way, work alongside your opposite in need, and while most armorers can work with
number in the enemy formation, so they know all your tricks. weapon foci as mundane melee weapons—edge
164 > Canis repairs and sharpening and the like—it is best to
have an armorer who is also an artificer do those
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

> The same goes for any kind of recon: We’re going up against repairs and maintenance.
people who know all our tricks. It’s about stacking the deck and My sister is an alchemy specialist, so I’ll let her
trusting in your skills and those of your people. chime in on what one could expect from that side
> Point Guard of things.

> Don’t get me wrong, I’ve nothing but respect for these guys. I > Thanks, sis. Alchemy is a tricky thing to use, but it is always
just have a problem with a lot of militaries using uninitiated, helpful when you can pull it off. The reason is that alchemy is
or newly initiated, mages in roles that require an initiate of literally magical preparation made form. Knowing what you’re
a reasonable level of power and experience plus masking going up against is important, as it lets you tailor the spells
metamagic to even stand a chance at being effective, and then you’d use in your preps. Some are universal, like healing preps
wondering why they keep dying. in an aid station or barrier preps in a command post or other
> Canis sensitive areas, and I’ve even heard of military units deploying
contact trigger preparations as mines that don’t show up on
Medical conventional mind-seeker gear. I’ve also heard of units that have
security personnel keep enhancement preps handy to use in a
One area where you’ll always find mages in the similar way to combat drugs like jazz.
military is in the medical field. Properly trained > Exile
mages make for great doctors, nurses, or paramed-
ics. Almost any kind of medical profession dove-
> Personally, I would never use an alchemical preparation for Heal
tails nicely with mages who know even the most
spells or others that will only be of benefit long term. Treat,
basic health spells.
Sterilize, and Healthy Glow are great as preparations, however,
> Knowing Heal doesn’t make you a healer, especially as I feel every as they do not need to be cast by a powerful spellcaster but will
spellcaster should know it. But there are several spells that can help regardless.
help tremendously at field hospitals and collection stations, and > Galen
there are rituals that can help a lot! I use some of them in my
clinic, mainly Circle of Healing to boost aspects of the body and > I’ve seen alchemy used as booby traps several times in the
mind by essentially having area Increase Attribute spells ongoing. shadows, and I’ve even seen a few groups try using combat
They also have the added benefit of lasting for days at a time for a preps. Personally I favor the street hockey puck turned into an
few hours’ effort, so anyone who steps inside the ritual area gets area combat spell prep.
the benefit of whichever spell was used in the ritual. > Canis
> Galen
Specialist Gear: Foci
> The ability to read auras is vital when it comes to medical
Almost every magician and adept in a military
care. A well-rounded adept with soldiering skills and strong unit should ideally have a weapon focus—they are
knowledge of first aid is an excellent choice for ambulance/ melee weapons, after all, so fit within the soldiers’
evacuation personnel. I imagine that would work for embedded skillset, especially things like knives.
medics as well.
> Kalbruin > Our dress uniforms include a sword of some kind—sabers,
arming swords, or falchions depending on what you do within
I’m in no way saying that every medical profes- the regiment—and we issue a combat knife that can be used as
sional in the formation needs to be Awakened; far a bayonet on our standard long arms (assault rifles, DMRs, and
from it. But having a couple of people to cast the
combat shotguns). And we have a cadre of mages who carry
odd spell or read auras can dramatically improve
the efficacy of a MASH or battalion aid station. collapsible spears or combat axes.
While a reasonably sized ritual team is best for the > Papa Jazz
healing rituals one would usually expect in these
sorts of situations, an experienced ritualist can pull Power foci are incredibly useful, as are qi foci.
them off solo. Due to the cost of both, they are uncommon, but
they will have a presence within the Awakened
population of a large military unit and definitely
Enchanting among the magical services people. The same can
Enchanting is quite useful for a military forma- be said for metamagic foci. I would expect Shield-
tion to have available, though it doesn’t necessar- ing and Masking foci to both have a place within

MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS // WAR MAGIC 101

the roster of mages in a unit, but I doubt they’d
be common. I would be surprised if all the mages spotting Focus
were initiates, but Shielding and Masking foci are The Spotting focus is a spell focus for purposes of cost,
not the most popular kinds anyway. availability, and bonding cost (p. 168, SR6). The Spotting fo- 165
cus must be bonded to one member of the ritual team, pref-

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Foundation Focus erably the ritual leader. Once the foundation is established
in Step 3 of casting the ritual, the spotting focus can be given
Speaking of foci, there are two I would expect to another person, or even placed inside a vehicle or drone.
to find in abundance among the ritual teams. Both The magician bonded to the spotting focus sees as if they
are a kind of Spell focus and have different but were at the spotting focus’ location and dual natured, with a
important uses. The first is the Foundation focus. radius of Force x 100m.
This is an object, usually a receptacle like a bowl
or a goblet, but I’ve seen quite a few that took the tions still degrade, but preps last for months now
form of candlesticks. The focus works by allow- instead of hours, which is a huge boon for making
ing the ritual leader to sacrifice an awful lot of re- sure you have the right preparation available when
agents to create the foundation for one ritual. you absolutely need it!

Foundation Focus > I love the new vaults! So much easier to deal with. Sucks that it’s
not indefinite storage like the older models, but months is still
The Foundation focus is a spell focus for purposes of cost,
better than hours.
availability, and bonding cost (p. 168, SR6). The Foundation
> Winterhawk
focus must be bonded to the ritual leader. When carrying
out ritual magic, during Step 3: Set up the Foundation, the
ritual leader may sacrifice 50 drams of reagents for every Vault of Ages
hour the ritual will take (before time reductions, such as Ef- TYPE POTENCY TOTAL AVAIL COST
ficient Ritualist metamagic) to perform. This allows a ritual Small Chest 60 12 3(L) 5,000¥
foundation to be set up outside of a magical lodge. The ritual Large Chest 240 45 4(L) 7,000¥
duration cannot exceed Force of the focus multiplied by 2. Cabinet 720 150 4(L) 12,000¥

Note: Total Potency of all alchemical preparations stored within the

Vault of Ages may not exceed the Potency total for the size of the vault.
While stored within the vault, preparations degrade at a rate of [Potency]
months, instead of the usual [Potency x 2] hours.

Spotting Focus
The second Spell focus I would expect to be in
extensive use is the Spotting focus. This focus is Mobile Magic Lodges
one of the few that do not need to be held by the One of the weaknesses of apotropaic magic is
mage it is bonded to in order to work. proximity, as the magician providing the defense
must be close to the intended target of a spell
> Since UMT ruined the world, it’s the only one I’m aware of that for their protection to apply. This isn’t too much
doesn’t need constant physical contact to remain active. of a burden in small units, such as one would
> Canis find in a special operations team, and most law
enforcement and shadowrunner contexts. But
The Spotting focus is placed on a person or when you’re dealing with bigger objects to pro-
thing and allows the would-be spotter to remain tect, you must do something extra. In those sit-
inside the foundation and see as if they were at the uations, you will want to cast the Circle of De-
location the focus is once the ritual is sealed. Both fense ritual, for example.
are powerful additions to the arsenal of a ritualist! The problem becomes: Where exactly do they
conduct this ritual?
Vault of Ages Generally, the average trooper or forward-op-
erating unit doesn’t think too much about or uti-
The vaults of ages have been around for a few lize rituals. Because of the complexity of rituals
years, but in the last year or two they’ve been im- in terms of time, materials, and execution, they’re
proved upon and refined to the point where they more common at operating bases or areas far
are easier to obtain. Vaults of ages come in three away from combat operations. Still, the military
sizes, one that is about the size of a picnic cooler is designed to be a mobile force, and even bases
and can store roughly a dozen preps, one the size of need to be moved at a moment’s notice. The same
a portable cooler that can store around 45 preps, goes for ritual lodges. To help with this, militar-
and one the size of a medium-sized wardrobe that ies have developed various methods to allow their
can store approximately 150 preps. The prepara- magicians access to ritual lodges or workshops.

WAR MAGIC 101 // MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS

 Sometimes these lodges are simply converted car- metamagics can defend against this spell; all others
go containers, trailers, or cargo trucks and vans. must make a Magical Resistance test at –2 dice.
Anything with sufficient space within a vehicle or
166 cargo container can be converted into a lodge. Bridge Layer (Manipulation)
Standard kits for mobile magical lodges (MML)
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

are available on the open markets. Similar to mo- RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
LOS(A) P L 6
bile workshops, the exact materials and layout of
these mobile lodges vary and are specific to the end
user (such as wood panels, hydration, and light Bridge Layer is used when troops or vehicles
systems for vines and plants). They feature com- need to traverse treacherous ground or across nat-
mon components used by most magicians. ural obstacles. When cast, the magician shapes the
bridge into whatever form is needed or desired.
The bridge must be horizontal and connect two
New Vehicle Mod: solid surfaces to each other. The total bridge area
Mobile Magic Lodge (CF)
(length and width) is equal to the magician’s Mag-
ic rating x 50 meters and can be adjusted to be
MOD SLOTS RATING AVAIL COST COST longer or wider. If insufficient for the task at hand,
25 or 50 CF — 9 80,000¥ 2
the magician (or multiple magicians) can cast the
spell multiple times and stack them together. These
bridges use a form of levitation and can hold up
to a total of 100 metric tons, which is enough for
Tactical Grimoire: low-altitude VTOLs, such as main battle tanks, to
work off of. The bridge can be sustained up to a
Spells number of minutes equal to the magician’s Magic
x 5, at which point the spell ends unless the magi-
cian recasts the spell, which restarts the clock.
Aerial Flare
(Manipulation) Dead Weight
RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
LOS P L 6, 8 (Manipulation)
The Aerial Flare provides emergency illumina- RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
tion before or during a combat engagement. Cast- LOS(A) P L 4

ing magicians can put the flare at an altitude of

their choosing up to 200 meters, determine the rate Intended to slow or pin down enemy troops
of descent, duration time (up to 60 seconds), and without (intentionally) causing physical damage,
adjust the flare’s area of illumination up to their the Dead Weight spell targets not the individual,
current Magic rating x 100 meters in diameter. The but their gear, armor, and weapons by increasing
spellcaster can also increase the flare’s intensity to their weight by several magnitudes. The spell’s area
that of a flash grenade and impart the Blindness of effect is s two-meter radius, which can be ex-
status if a target doesn’t have flare compensation panded with the Increase Area effect. Its maximum
or avoids the attack. If used offensively, the spell’s duration is Magic x 5 minutes. Those targeted
DV increases to 4. with this spell can resist with a Reaction + Will-
power test or a Reaction + Strength test, which-
ever is higher (all other resistance rules apply), or
Astral Flare (Detection) by removing and dropping their affected gear and
weaponry. Those who successfully resist continue
RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
LOS(A) M I 5
to move normally. Those who don’t are pinned to
the ground and are considered grappled. This spell
Used to detect spirits on the astral plane not yet cannot be used against vehicles or large drones.
manifested, spell effects, Awakened, astral project-
ing magicians, and dual-natured beings in hiding, Designate Target, a.k.a.
the Astral Flare spell is operated just like a military
flare. Launched into a target area, the Astral Flare “Frag That Guy” (Detection)
sends out a pulse of magical energy that reacts RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
with any of the previously listed entities or beings, LOS M L 3
causing them to brightly glow for approximately
1 minute. The area of illumination is equal to a Sometimes a person or thing simply needs to
two-meter radius sphere, which can be expand- stop existing. And sometimes people and even
ed with the Increase Area adjustment. Masking technology need help locating that person or

MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS // TACTICAL GRIMOIRE: SPELLS

 167

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

thing that needs to stop existing. To assist in this ants off their feet. When cast, the spell creates a min-
process of making that person or thing stop exist- iature earthquake and wave-like effect through the
ing, there’s the Designate Target spell, also known ground. This wave is typically enough to set off ex-
in military circles as the “Frag That Guy” spell. plosive mines, booby traps, or IEDs; or at the very
If successfully cast, the target is painted with a least uncover them when they’re buried. When used
magical beacon that is visible in both the materi- as a sweeper, the spell’s DV is 2. When used offen-
al and astral planes up to (the casting magician’s sively, because Dirt Wave is an area effect spell, it
Magic rating x 100) meters. The beacon persists can target enemy combatants even if they’re behind
while sustained, up to a maximum of 5 minutes. cover. The area of this attack is a two-meter radi-
This beacon can look like whatever the spellcast- us, which can be expanded with the Increase Area
er wishes. Popular variations include: a bullseye, effect. Considered an Indirect Attack, if the targets
a pointing finger (sometimes middle instead of fail their defense test, they gain both the Dazed and
index), an arrow, or a “shoot here!” sign. This Prone statuses.
beacon follows the target wherever they go and
cannot be defeated by any kind of cover or con- Earthworks
cealment. The only way to defeat the spell is by
the initial Body + Willpower resistance test, using (Manipulation)
Countermagic techniques, or getting out of range RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
before they stop existing. Touch P I 5

Used to quickly move and reshape the earth, this

Dirt Wave (Combat) spell is often used to make everything from small
RANGE TYPE DURATION DV foxholes to large trenches, to tunnels and earthen
LOS(A) P I 2, 6 embankments. When cast, this spell can move up
Originally designed to be employed as a mine to (the caster’s Magic rating x 10) kilograms of
and IED sweeping spell, the Dirt Wave spell proved soil per casting. With an additional Minor Action,
to be equally effective at knocking enemy combat- this displaced soil can be immediately used to cre-

TACTICAL GRIMOIRE: SPELLS // MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS

 ate defensive embankments near the newly created + Intuition test, the threshold being equal to the
hole with a Structure rating of 14. number of net hits the spellcaster obtained when
casting the spell. When using this spell, the ma-
168 Emergency Stretcher gician can only control their walking pace. Any
attempt to bypass the foot speed of the slowest
(Manipulation)
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

member of the group (typically dwarves), going

over harsh or uneven terrain, having to traverse
RANGE TYPE DURATION DV obstacles, or break in the spellcasting magician’s
Touch P S 2
concentration will automatically break the spell.
Sometimes an injured or wounded soldier needs Those who are conscious can attempt to break
to be quickly removed from the battlefield, but the spell at any time and the magician can drop
there are no means by which to do this. For these the spell at any time.
situations, the Emergency Stretcher spell can be
employed. By using magical construction means, Gale Force (Manipulation)
the caster can reshape whatever raw materials are
on hand (even dirt or soil) into a makeshift stretch- RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
LOS P I 4, 5, 6
er that can be used by either one or two individ-
uals. This emergency stretcher can remain in use Turning wind into a weapon, this spell cre-
as long as the magician maintains their concentra- ates an immensely powerful blast of air focused
tion. Should they lose it for whatever reason, the at a single target. Designed to knock these tar-
stretcher falls apart into its material components. gets off the ground or out of the air, this spell has
three levels. Level one is meant for most metahu-
Fog of War (illusion) man-sized and weighted objects (including trolls
and up to medium-sized drones). Level two is
RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
LOS(A) M S 6
meant for large-sized drones and small vehicles
(such as motorcycles and cars), while level three
Used to conceal or deny movement on the is meant for larger aircraft such as VTOLs. DV
battlefield, both offensively and defensively, this for level one of this spell is 4, level two is 5, and
powerful illusion spell creates a large area of three is 6. When attacked, the target must make a
magical fog that severely limits standard vision, stabilization check. For metahumans and critters,
vision enhancement, and visual sensors (treat as this check is Athletics + Reaction. For anything
thermal smoke, p. 263, SR6). Additionally, sen- being piloted, it’s Piloting + Reaction. The thresh-
sors of all kinds are hindered (–2 to their ratings), old for these tests is the net hits of the magician
and all Perception tests within this illusionary casting the spell. If this test is failed, anything
fog bank are at –3 dice. The downside is that this on the ground gains the Dazed and Prone status.
spell does not discriminate; anyone within the fog Anything airborne (drones or aircraft) is unable
suffers the negative penalties. Sonar or any kind to act in the current combat round and in the next
of echolocation methods can be used to defeat round must make another Piloting + Reaction test
at –1 or risk crashing.
this spell, as well as any abilities or powers that
counter blind fighting.
IFF (Detection)
Forced March RANGE TYPE DURATION DV

(Manipulation) Touch M S 3

RANGE TYPE DURATION DV In the chaos of combat, especially when com-

LOS(A) M S 6 munications are down or disrupted, and visual
identification is limited, it’s sometimes difficult to
A controversial spell among most militaries, know the difference between friend and foe. Sim-
the Forced March spell not only allows the spell- ilar to the Detect Enemy spell, the IFF (Identifi-
caster to remove any Fatigue statuses the sub- cation: Friend or Foe) spell allows the subject to
jects may be feeling, but it also allows the spell- identify those who are friendly and those who are
caster to force those under their spell’s control hostile within (the caster’s Magic + net hits) me-
to continue marching at their normal foot speed, ters. If sustained, this spell also allows the subject
even if they are or become unconscious. The to track the movement of those identified as long
number of subjects the spellcaster is able to con- as they remain in range.
trol is equal to (their Magic rating x 10). Nor-
mally, this spell is cast with compliance from the
subjects, but it can be resisted with a Willpower

MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS // TACTICAL GRIMOIRE: SPELLS

Practical Camouflage in the heat of battle. It also allows the subject a
chance to replay and reexamine those last few
(Manipulation) seconds in case they may have missed something,
RANGE TYPE DURATION DV such as overlooking something or someone hid- 169
Touch P P 2 den. This could give them the opportunity to

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

make a necessary Perception test. The second way
A simple spell often used in the field when is to grant the subject a +2 on any Memory test.
moving from one type of environment to another, This spell cannot be used to simply try again on a
Practical Camouflage allows the caster to change failed Perception test.
the color patterns of a vehicle, object, gear, weap-
on, and even person. This spell can be done for
multiple items at the same time, such as a fully
Sound Barrier
kitted-up soldier. It can also be used to cancel or (Manipulation)
change a previous pattern. The spell’s effects are RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
not truly permanent and will fade in a number of Touch P S 3
hours equal to the caster’s Magic rating at time of
casting. For those camouflaged by this spell, they This spell creates a barrier within an area or
gain a +2 to all Stealth (Sneaking) tests while in around an object or people that prevents sound
the appropriate environment. If the subject of the from traveling and therefore being heard. Sounds
spell leaves the environment they’re camouflaged from one side of the barrier (such as inside) can
for and enters a completely different environment, be heard; they simply don’t travel past or through
such as desert to arctic, then they will have a –2 the barrier. For example, if the spell is cast on a
dice pool penalty to all Stealth (Sneaking) tests. VTOL aircraft, sounds made inside the barrier
(such as the crew and passengers talking among
Pit Trap (Manipulation) themselves) can still be heard inside the barrier.
Beyond the barrier, the aircraft or associated nois-
RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
es cannot be heard. This makes this spell ideal for
LOS(A) P I 4, 2
covert operations and insertions. This spell can be
a double-edged sword, as those inside the barrier
Sometimes disparaged by modern militaries, the also cannot hear anything from the other side.
Pit Trap spell is often used as a security measure
while operating in the field. When cast, this spell
creates a pit in natural ground with a radius of two Starlight Sight
meters, which can be expanded using the Increase (Detection)
Area adjustment. The depth of the pit is the cast-
RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
er’s Magic attribute in meters. At the bottom of the Touch P S 2
pit are sharp, stalagmite-like spikes that cause 3P
damage to anyone who falls in. The trap’s opening
can be concealed by local vegetation or by a sup- Useful when moving in near-dark conditions,
plementary spell casting at a lower DV. This cover this spell grants the subject low-light vision and
will not support any weight over approximately 3 also provides flare compensation protection. In ad-
kilograms; anything weighing more than this will dition, it gives the subject a +1 on all Perception
fall in. A Perception + Intuition test with a thresh- tests in the dark.
old equal to the magician’s net hits when casting
the spell will detect the trap. An Athletics + Re- Treacherous Path
action test equal to (the magician’s net hits when
casting the spell + 2) will prevent a target from (Manipulation)
falling in and taking damage. RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
LOS(A) P P 3

Say Again (Health) Designed to slow an enemy’s progress or ad-

RANGE TYPE DURATION DV vance, the Treacherous Path spell creates an area
Touch P I 2 that is difficult for those on foot as well as ground
vehicles using wheels or tracks. The exact kind of
This spell can be used in two different ways. difficulty is determined by the environment. For
First, when cast, it allows the subject to immedi- example, swampy or forested areas become ex-
ately recall the last several seconds (caster’s cur- tremely muddy, desert areas clogged with sand or
rent Magic rating). This is beneficial when receiv- rocks, or arctic areas slick with ice and snow. Re-
ing a garbled communication or when a message, gardless of the environment, anyone attempting to
order, or direction/instruction was misunderstood travel through the area can only do it at one-half

TACTICAL GRIMOIRE: SPELLS // MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS

 their speed. The effects of this spell can be coun- ny aura of calm and serenity, or they have a knack
tered by the Earthworks spell, as any rough areas for getting people fired up and mobilizing them.
can be smoothed out or simply removed or by ap- Regardless of their style, those adepts with Com-
170 propriate adept powers. mand Presence find their natural charisma and
leadership abilities heightened so that their words,
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

commands, and actions carry greater weight.

Tyee! (Manipulation) When these adepts speak, people listen, and more
RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
often than not, follow. This is especially beneficial
Touch P L 3 in combat situations, when troops may be hesitant
about going into harm’s way or when convincing
Developed by a combat mage while attending others theirs is the best plan. As such, those with
UCAS Airborne School, the Tyee! spell is a varia- Command Presence gain +2 to dice pools and +1
tion of the Levitation spell designed to help con- Edge when making Influence (Leadership) tests.
trol the direction of their descent, helping prevent Additionally, thresholds for Small Unit Tactics
them from missing a drop zone because of adverse tests are reduced by –2.
weather conditions or even mechanical failures.
This spell can also be used when making shorter Fortitude
jumps or falls, helping the subject avoid obstacles
in their path of descent or those on the ground by Cost: 1.0 PP
offering a limited degree of steering. In game terms, Activation: Minor Action
it grants the user a +3 to their appropriate Athlet- Adepts with this ability can focus their inner
ics test. The spell ends when the subject reaches strength to power through adverse conditions im-
the ground. posed on them. In game terms, they can counter
and negate the effects of the following statuses:
Chilled, Confused, Dazed, Fatigued, Frightened
Tactical Grimoire: (includes critter power), Immobilized, Nauseat-
ed, Panicked, and Stilled. To activate and use this
Adept Powers power, the user must focus their willpower to push
past the effect. This involves the use of one Minor
Bloodhound Action and making a Willpower + Magic test. The
threshold for this is equal to the net hits of what-
Cost: 0.25 PP
ever or whoever caused the status to be placed. On
Activation: Passive
a glitch, this test automatically fails.
Adepts with this power have powerful olfacto-
ry senses like those of a canine or similar animal.
This power can be used in a variety of ways. First, Hip Shooter
the user can employ their senses to track a specif- Cost: 0.5 PP per level (max 3)
ic item or even person based on their scent with Activation: Passive
a standard Outdoors (Tracking) + Intuition test. Prerequisite: Quick Draw
The threshold for this test can be made using the Conjuring images of a Wild West shootout, ad-
guidelines on p. 36, SR6. Second, the user can iden- epts with the Hip Shooter ability are more accu-
tify people by their scent using a standard Memory rate at employing a holstered pistol when in close
test. Third, the user can use this ability to literally quarters or when they’re under imminent threat of
sniff out possible dangers or people in the imme- or actually being engaged in close combat or when
diate area with a Perception + Intuition test. Fac- grappled. At the first level, the AR ratings for the
tors such as environment, the strength of the smell, Close and Near ranges on the adept’s holstered
how common the smell is, and familiarity can help pistol increase by +2 and the adept also gains +1
or hinder those with this ability. Adepts with this to their dice pool for the first attack with the weap-
ability are more affected by inhaled irritants such on after a succesful Quick Draw action. Dice pool
as pepper balls and have a –1 dice pool penalty bonuses increase by +1 for each additional level.
for resisting their effects if they don’t have proper Note: If grappled, the bonuses do not apply, but
protective measures, such as a mask. the adept can employ their weapon.

Command Presence Knife Fighter

Cost: 0.5 PP Cost: 0.5 PP per level (max 3)
Activation: Passive Activation: Passive
Prerequisites: Charisma Attribute 4 or greater, Influence Prerequisite: Quick Draw
(Leadership) 4 or greater. As a defense of last resort or when things get up
There are some individuals to whom others close and personal, adepts with the Knife Fighter
look in times of crisis. They may exude an uncan- ability are more accurate at employing a sheathed

MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS // TACTICAL GRIMOIRE: ADEPT POWERS

blade when engaged in close combat or grappled. ing multiple opponents, this ability allows the ad-
At first level, the AR for the Close range on the ad- ept to take advantage of their enhanced speed to
ept’s sheathed blade increases by +3 and the adept quickly and accurately engage multiple threats. At
gains +1 to their dice pool for the first attack with first level, the adept can tap into a supplemental 171
the weapon after a succesful Quick Draw action. dice pool equal to their Magic rating to distribute

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

These dice pool bonuses increase by +1 for each among targets in addition to their standard dice
additional level. This power is not compatible with pools when engaging multiple targets. For every
implanted weaponry. Note: If grappled, the bonus- additional level, the adept gains a +1 to their sup-
es do not apply, but the adept can employ their plemental pool. This ability can be used by adepts
weapon. using firearms or melee weapons. For melee weap-
ons, the adept must be able to get within Close
Long Gunner range of their targets.
Notes: The adept cannot take more ranks
Cost: 0.5 PP per level (max 3) in multi-targeting than they have ranks in In-
Activation: Minor Action creased Reflexes. They also cannot use this pow-
Those with this ability have a keen, almost sixth er against a single target or in conjunction with
sense when it comes to aiming and employing a called shot. This power can also be used in
weapons at extreme distances. This includes weap- conjunction with using 4 Minor Actions to take
ons that can engage targets in the Far and Extreme one Major Action, but use the same dice pools as
ranges such as hunting rifles, sniper rifles, EBRs, previously stated.
machine guns, mortars, and man-portable rockets.
At the first level, the AR for the Far and Extreme
ranges on the adept’s weapon increase by +2 and Multitasking
the adept gains +1 to their dice pool for the first Cost: 1.0 PP
attack in an engagement. These dice pool bonuses Activation: Passive
increase by +1 for each additional level. Note: These Adepts with this ability have the mental fac-
bonuses do not apply to launch weapons mounted ulties to process multiple sources of information
on a vehicle, aircraft, or naval vessel. Also, these bo- simultaneously. For example, an adept could be
nuses cannot be used on weapons that cannot reach processing information from their M-TOC or
the Far and Extreme ranges. commlink while having multiple conversations
and also actively engaging with an enemy. This
Motion Sense ability also grants the adept two additional Minor
Actions and the ability to Observe in Detail as a
Cost: 0.5 PP Minor Action.
Activation: See Notes
This ability grants the adept a magical kind of
sixth sense that allows them to read minute dis- Nail Driver
turbances in the local manasphere, enabling them Cost: 1.0 PP
to detect the motion of animals, objects, or peo- Activation: Passive
ple within a certain distance even if they would be Extremely useful in a close quarters battle,
unable to detect them through other means such adepts with this ability have extremely steady
as sight, smell, and sound. The distance the adept hands and, coupled with enhanced hand-eye co-
can utilize this ability is equal to (their Magic rat- ordination, can achieve supreme accuracy and
ing x 2) meters. To employ this ability, the adept tight groupings out of their firearms at Close
will need to make a Perception + Magic Rating (3). ranges. For firearms being employed at the Close
If the target is deliberately trying not to be seen, and Near ranges, their ARs are increased by +2.
change this to Perception + Magic vs. Stealth + The adept also gains a +1 to their firearm’s dice
Agility. If the target is detected, reduce any penal- pool when engaging targets in the Close and
ties for blind fire by –2. Near ranges.
Notes: If used passively, this ability cannot detect
movement through astral barriers or spells. If the adept takes Quick March
their time and uses this ability as a Major Action, they can
pierce through any such veils if they succeed on an opposed Cost: 0.5 PP
Perception + Magic Rating test. Activation: Minor Action
By channeling their inner magic, adepts can in-
crease their foot speed over land while maintain-
Multi-Targeting ing an accelerated pace for longer periods of time
Cost: 0.5 PP per level (see notes) and not feel fatigued. Adepts with this ability can
Activation: Minor Action double their walking speed for a number of hours
Prerequisite: Increased Reflexes equal to their Magic rating or sprint at one-half
Extremely useful and often deadly when fac- (round up) hours equal to their Magic rating.

TACTICAL GRIMOIRE: ADEPT POWERS // MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS

 Radar Sense (Astral) tors, bio-sensors, or noise detection systems. Those
Cost: 0.5 PP
looking to find adepts with this power have an
Activation: Major Action
automatic –2 dice to their Perception + Intuition
172 Prerequisite: Astral Perception
tests. Spellcasters using detection spells suffer an
Adepts with this ability can concentrate and automatic –1 die when casting. Adepts can hold
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

send out a small pulse (often called a ping) of this stillness for (their Magic rating x 2) hours be-
magical energy into the local astral plane that acts fore having to re-activate it again with a Minor Ac-
like a radar signal to detect hidden individuals or tion. Any movement will automatically deactivate
beings. If successful on an Assensing test, this sig- this ability. Combined with a disguise or a ghillie
nal alerts the adept to all active astral signatures, suit, these adepts are almost invisible to detection.
unmasked entities, dual-natured creatures, and Note: this ability does not prevent detection via
possibly masked entities or magicians within a dis- astral means.
tance of (their Magic rating x 10) meters. Masking
metamagic can be used to counter this ability. New Metamagics
While magic in general is used more as a force
Radar Sense (Mundane) multiplier in most military and paramilitary orga-
Cost: 0.5 PP nizations, combat magic and related effects or en-
Activation: Major Action hancements are still sought after on smaller scales
Prerequisite: Motion Sense or within smaller groups, such as special forces
Adepts with this ability can concentrate and teams or even law enforcement high threat response
send out a small pulse (often called a ping) of mag- teams. To that end, the following represent some of
ical energy that acts like a radar signal. This sig- the newest military metamagic techniques.
nal acts like echolocation and allows the adept to
gain a basic mental picture of everything within a Spell Blade
distance of (their Magic rating x 10) meters. This
mental picture lasts for 3 combat rounds, or un- Building off the spell shaping ability, the spell
til the next ping, and allows the adept to traverse blade metamagic ability allows the user to craft
an area even in complete darkness. This picture, a blade-shaped construct out of any Touch spell.
however, is limited. It does not give details such as This allows the spell to either be “held” in reserve
text and is only as up to date as the last time the until the magician uses it or use it immediately as
adept employed this ability. Anything or anyone a Touch attack up to 4 meters out (Close range). If
hidden behind objects might remain undetected. If the spell is held in reserve, the magician must treat
anything moves or if the area changes in between it as a melee weapon for purposes of attack. This
pings, the adept might not detect them until they effect can be maintained, without needing con-
ping again. centration, for a number of minutes equal to the
magician’s Magic rating. If something comes into
contact with the spell blade, the spell is immediate-
Starlight Sight ly activated. The magician can also dispel the blade
Cost: 0.5 PP at any time but will still have to pay the Drain
Activation: Minor Action costs. While in construct form, the spell is visible
As per the spell, this ability grants the adept and emits light based on the spell used. While this
low-light vision and also provides flare compen- ability is called a “blade,” the user determines the
sation protection. In addition, it gives the adept a construct’s exact shape and design. Note: The ma-
+1 on all Perception tests in the dark. This ability gician must also have the spell shaping metamagic
can also be turned on or off as needed; requiring a ability to use spell blade.
Minor Action to activate but not deactivate.
Spell Grenade
Stillness Also building off the Spell Shaping ability, the
Cost: 0.25 PP Spell Grenade allows the magician to create a small
Activation: Minor Action spherical construct that contains an area effect
Adepts with this power are able to slow down Combat spell. This allows the spell to be “held”
and control their body functions to such a degree in reserve until the magician decides to employ it.
that they can not only stay completely still but This effect can be maintained, without needing
can remain so for extended periods of time. This concentration, for a number of minutes equal to
ability is coveted by adepts who act as scouts, snip- the magician’s Magic rating. If used in this fash-
ers, sharpshooters, or observers. In game terms, ion, it is considered a thrown weapon for purposes
when an adept with this ability remains complete- of attack, although unlike a grenade, it does not
ly still, they are immune from any motion detec- scatter; the spell activates immediately on impact

MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS // TACTICAL GRIMOIRE: ADEPT POWERS

with another object. The magician can also dispel ters). The Boosted Defense lasts for a number of
the sphere at any time but will still have to pay hours equal to the combined Magic ranks of all
the Drain costs. While in construct form, the spell participants.
is visible and emits light based on the spell used. 173
While this ability is called a “grenade,” the user Triage (Anchored, Spell)

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

determines the construct’s exact shape and design.
Note: The magician must also have the Spell Shap- Threshold: 6
ing metamagic ability to use Spell Grenade. Taking 30 minutes to perform, and lasting 4
hours, the Triage ritual is a modified version of
Circle of Healing, except it can only be used to
Stealth Effect cast the Diagnose spell. The net hits from sealing
One of the biggest problems with utilizing mag- the ritual determine how much information the rit-
ic is that some spells are extremely flashy and overt. ual leader gains on each life form that enters the
This often alerts others to the magician’s intent and area of the ritual minus the radius of ritual leader’s
location. Stealth effect was developed to counter magic in meters.
some of these drawbacks and allow magicians to
covertly use their magical abilities. When used in
conjunction with a spell, the light around the spell
effect is essentially camouflaged, similar to how a
chameleon suit hides its wearer. The spell emits no
light or visible effect on the material plane (but it
can still be seen on the astral plane) until it comes
into contact with the target or another surface.
While extremely useful in certain situations, using
stealth effect can be difficult. Spellcasters must also
use an additional Minor Action to help hide the
magical effect. The spell’s Drain Value is also in-
creased by +2 in addition to any other effects.

Combat Rituals
Circle of Defense (Anchored)
Threshold: 8
The Circle of Defense ritual is used to generate
a large area protected by a single Boosted Defense
zone and combines the Counterspelling abilities of
all the participants in the ritual. Taking 4 hours to
cast, the net hits from sealing the ritual take the
place of the Sorcery + Magic test normally rolled
as part of Boosted Defense; however, this is mul-
tiplied by the number of participants in the ritual.
If any participants have the Shielding metamagic,
their Initiate Grade is added to the total number of
dice available as normal. If any participant knows
the Absorption or Reflection metamagics, they can
choose to use them in response to a spell, but the
Drain for Reflection and Absorption mana charges
going critical is resisted by all participants equal-
ly; non-initiate mages may never fully resist this
drain, they will always take 1 box of Stun damage
regardless of the result of their Resistance test. Ap-
plying dice from spell defense, or using Absorption
or Reflection, is an Anytime Minor Action for any
member of the ritual team—if a metamagic is used,
the Minor Action must be taken by that initiate. If
any of the participants leaves the area of the ritual
once it is sealed, the ritual collapses. The area of
the boosted defense has a radius of (the leader’s
Magic + Number of Ritual Participants x 10 me-

TACTICAL GRIMOIRE: ADEPT POWERS // MYSTICAL FORCE MULTIPLIERS

 BEST OF
THE REST
Combat goes beyond weaponry and displays inating from Ares’ security companies operating in
of force; it’s about safeguarding the fighters and dangerous territories, these suits offer a wide array
ensuring they have the appropriate equipment. of features. They prioritize functionality over style,
This chapter is about the additional gear, the odds so unless they’re in a rural area, users will look out
and ends that can tip the scales in your favor or of place. When purchased, select an environment
save your chummer’s life. It starts with new armor (arctic, desert, forest, jungle, urban, etc.). Players
and protective gear. Following that, it highlights receive a point of situational Edge when attempt-
advanced medical solutions to treat and save the ing a Survival test in that environment.
injured such as enhanced first aid kits, tools for
critical injuries, medications for pain management Armored Backpack
and boosting combat performance, and mobile
field hospitals. By 2084, backpacks have undergone multiple
improvements, typically incorporating an inter-
nal frame for added support. They feature ergo-
New Armor nomically designed shoulder and hip pads, along
with modular compartments both internally and
and Protection externally. Generally, these backpacks can accom-
modate up to 25 percent of a player character’s
normal lifting capacity (10 kilograms for hu-
Ares Armored Survivalist mans). Overloading a backpack won’t compro-
This suit is crafted to shield against the environ- mise its structural integrity, but users may find it
ment and bullets, making it ideal for hunters. Orig- challenging to fit in extra items. Additionally, only

BEST OF THE REST // NEW ARMOR AND PROTECTION

half of the weight in the backpack counts against and reacts to the wearer’s thoughts in real time.
the character’s normal Lift/Carry capacity (p. 68, Fitted with motors and actuators to assist the
SR6). Armored and unarmored versions are also user in their movements by providing mechanical
available, both boasting a capacity of 2. power, these suits are mainly used to enhance hu- 175
man strength and endurance, enabling individuals

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

to lift heavier objects, carry out repetitive tasks with
Body Armor Bag less fatigue, and maneuver through difficult terrain
The originals were designed by shadowrunners more comfortably. All models have a biometric
for shadowrunners but were picked up by under- monitor and connect to the Matrix. If the user is no
cover agents around the world. A large, bulky bag longer “combat effective,” a command can be sent
typically used to carry a firearm, it can be quick- for the unit to return to a predetermined position.
ly unzipped and slipped over the wearer’s head to The basic models allow the average person some
function as an armored vest. Perfect for scenarios level of enhancement and protect critical sections of
where donning armor upfront isn’t feasible, yet it the body. Becoming very popular in nuyen-strapped
enables the wearer to swiftly equip armor by trans- nations and companies, they’re inexpensive in the
forming into protective gear. long term (specifically maintenance costs, rapid de-
ployment, and being able to be used buy multiple
Ghillie Suit similar-sized troops) to upgrade local indigenous al-
lied forces. Though they provide enhancements sim-
At first glance, this looks like a colored mesh ilar to cyberware, they cannot use cyberware over-
on a shelf. In practical use, it represents the pinna- drive. Additionally, SOLDIERS do not work with
cle of simple camouflage. When purchased, select other augmentations that increase Agility, Strength,
an environment (arctic, desert, forest, rainforest, or Reaction and are highly susceptible to damage.
urban, etc.). Available in designs suited for every
major environment, there’s even an “urban decay”
version perfect for blending into litter-strewn back Basic Model
alleys and debris of dilapidated structures. When The basic model increases the user’s Strength
not moving, or moving very slowly, and hiding in a and Agility attributes by 1.
location for which the suit environment is appro-
priate, a ghillie suit provides a –2 dice pool mod- Recovery Model
ifier to Perception tests to spot the user as long as
they remain immobile; if the character is moving, Designed to be used by military mechanics and
reduce the modifier to –1. engineers, this model requires some training before
one can properly use it (must have Piloting skill).
The unit has four additional arms located on the
Pneumatic operator’s back. This unit, however, does not pro-
Anti-Shock Garments (PAG) vide Strength and Agility improvements like the
basic model, as that power is required to support
This is a flexible, lightweight protective suit the extra weight. Each arm functions like a cyber-
equipped with pneumatic compression mecha- arm (Agility 2, Strength 6) and is equipped with a
nisms across the torso and limbs. It is typically coprocessor, telescoping modification, and tentacle
worn discreetly under clothing. It includes a bio- modification.
metric monitoring device that, when it detects The lower arms are typically used under the op-
bleeding, applies targeted direct pressure to stem erator’s arms and contain built-in utility kits, elec-
blood loss and functions as a network of tourni- tronics for the left, engineering on the right. The
quets to reduce blood flow to the injury site. Pres- upper arms come equipped with a mini-welder on
sure can be sustained by the suit for 1 hour. the right and a monofilament chainsaw on the left.
Game Effect: When active, the PGA provides
the character with 2 additional Damage Overflow
boxes and stops the Bleeding status. Shield Bearer
This model is similar to the Basic model but em-
S.O.L.D.I.E.R. phasizes Strength. It provides +2 to Strength. Ad-
ditionally, the unit comes with an Ares Rampart
Putting cyberware into soldiers is time-consum- Mk3 Deployable Barrier Shield (p. 147, Tarnished
ing and expensive. The Synapses Operated Logis- Star) that attaches to either arm.
tics and Defense Integrated Exosuit Reinforcement
was designed to be an overall cheaper alternative.
These exosuits are made up of rigid and semi-rigid Twitch
structures that encompass the wearer’s limbs and Affectionately named, this model focuses on
torso, offering support and steadiness. They’re speed and agility and increases the user’s Agility
controlled through direct input from a datajack and Reaction attributes by +1.

NEW ARMOR AND PROTECTION // BEST OF THE REST

 Vulture Groin Protection Panel
This model increases both Strength and Agility This piece of armor protects the wearer’s groin
attributes by +1. Additionally, it has a device on and lower abdomen. This armor modification is
176 the back that functions like a set of cyberwings but either added material or a visible panel that hangs
holds enough power for 10 minutes of flight. down in front. It provides 1 point of situational
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Edge for resisting damage.

Wrecker
A common variation of the Recovery model, ParaPlate
the lower arms don’t feature the utility kits and act Developed by Parashield to help offset the dan-
like an additional set of legs when moving or pro- gers of magic, ParaPlates consist of a modified
vide outrigger support when stationary. The upper version of their Mystic Weave technology, which
arms feature a heavy implanted weapon mount (p. can absorb mana before it is destroyed. Like other
49, Body Shop). Additionally, this model features a trauma plates, they’re designed to protect the cen-
milspec plate rating 1 (p. 133, Double Clutch) that ter torso against lethal damage and are stored in
reduces the Damage Value of any attack by 1 point. specialized cloth pockets.
Available in ratings 1 through 3, this enhance-
Armor ment reduces incoming Damage Value (DV) by 2
DEFENSE times its rating for magical or dual-natured attacks
ITEM SOCIAL CAPACITY AVAIL COST
RATING only. After one use, the plate becomes useless and
Ares
requires replacement.
Armored 3 –3 6 3 1,500¥
Survivalist Game Notes: Multiple plates of varying ratings
Armored can be integrated into armor as long as there is
2 –1 2 3 250¥
Backpack sufficient capacity. If using multiple plates, the user
Backpack 0 0 2 2 50¥ can select which plate to use. ParaPlates cannot
Body Armor
2 –4 3 2 750¥ stack; only one plate can be used per attack.
Bag
Ghillie Suit 2 –4 4 4 600¥
PAG 0 0 4 3 500¥ Quick Release
This design system allows the armor or clothing
to be quickly removed with a single Major Action,
SOLDIER either manually by pulling a simple catch or via a
wireless link.
DEFENSE
ITEM SOCIAL CAPACITY AVAIL COST
RATING
Basic 4 –7 0 5(I) 45,000¥ Armor Accessories
Recovery 4 –8 4 6(I) 100,000¥
GEAR CAPACITY AVAIL COST
Shield
6 –8 2 6(I) 47,500¥
Bearer
Flotation Collar [3] 3 100¥
Twitch 2 –7 0 5(I) 35000¥
Vulture 2 –8 2 8(I) 110,000¥ Groin Protection
[2] 2 75¥
Wrecker 4 –8 4 7(I) 105,000¥ Panel
ParaPlate [Rating x 2] 9(I) Rating x 3,000¥

Quick Release [3] 2 400¥

Armor Accessories
and Modifications Medical Drones
Flotation Collar Ares Medical Assistant and
People wearing armor (or concrete shoes) tend Intervention Drone (MAID)
to sink. This safety mechanism offers an essential
lifesaving feature for anyone near bodies of water, (Medium/Large Anthro Drone)
aboard ships, or on the bad side of a criminal or- The Ares Medical Assistant and Intervention
ganization. When activated manually or through a Drone (MAID) is an anthropomorphic drone that
PAN, the system inflates multiple airbags, provid- transcended its original design as an independent
ing sufficient buoyancy for the wearer and 5 kilo- combat medic and casualty protection model to
grams of equipment (not included in the armor or become a status symbol for the rich and ailing. The
clothing) to stay afloat.

BEST OF THE REST // ARMOR ACCESSORIES AND MODIFICATIONS

base military model (Combat MAID) stands 1.5 combat one added with a shock limb (p.291, SR6)
meters tall and has basic realistic features to make in each arm to provide some form of security and
it harder for the enemy to target it in the field. protection for their users and patients.
When ordered, the purchasers can select outward 177
features relating to gender and metatype. Only hu-
Evo Orderly

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

man, ork, and elf are available on the civilian mar-
kets, while a troll variant is available for military (Medium Anthro Drone)
clients. Underneath these realistic features, milspec
plates protect the joints and all vital systems. Designed to help care for the elderly, the Order-
Rumors indicate the Nurse MAID version came ly is a popular model that has been on the market
into being when a potential customer purchasing a for decades. Equipped with sensitive touch feed-
large sale of Combat MAIDs asked the Ares sales back systems, it aids fragile elderly individuals and
rep if they could get a civilian version to watch comes with a built-in medkit to dispense medi-
over her mother. Not wanting to miss an opportu- cations as needed. In the event of complications,
nity (and a large bonus), the rep said “sure.” They control can be transferred to an offsite doctor,
promptly went back to the office, and after several allowing them to be on call for hundreds of pa-
high-end bottles of bourbon exchanged hands with tients simultaneously. Riggers require no medical
the engineering department, the first Nurse MAID expertise to use this drone; they can simply rely on
was created and quickly became a best-seller. the drone’s comprehensive medical database until
Lacking the milspec armor of the original, emergency medical services arrive.
Nurse MAIDs have a higher top speed. The bio-
tech autosoft has also been improved, and a close Evo Orderly (medium anthro drone)
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
Combat MAID (medium anthro drone) 4/5 5 5 10 4 2 3

HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
3/4 5 5 10 8 6 4 2 — 4 5,500¥

SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST Standard Equipment: Anthroform cyberlimbs (Strength 3), integrated med-
3 — 4(I) 50,000¥ kit (rating 4), realistic features 1.
Note: Tactile sensors grant +2 dice for all Biotech tests when AR/VR controls
Standard Equipment: Anthroform cyberlimbs (Strength 3), biotech autosoft are being used.
(rating 4), medkit (rating 4) milspec plate (rating 1), realistic features 1.

Combat MAID Troll (Large anthro drone)

HAND
3/3
ACCEL
5
SPD INT TOP SPD
5 10
BODY
10
ARMOR
8
PILOT
4
Renraku Attendant (RA)
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
(Medium Anthro Drone)
3 — 5(I) 55,000¥ The Renraku Manservant line was losing mar-
Standard Equipment: Anthroform cyberlimbs (Strength 5), biotech autosoft
ket shares to the Shiawase Bi-Drone Butler. They
(rating 4), medkit (rating 4), milspec plate (rating 1), realistic features 1. “reimagined” the line and changed it to Renraku
Attendant (RA), targeting medical facilities that
Nurse MAID (medium anthro drone) needed cheap labor but couldn’t find the help they
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT
needed. So far, it’s worked, and their household
3/4 5 5 15 8 6 4 drone line developed into a low-cost, medically
specific product that focuses on weaknesses and
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST limitations to avoid being imposing.
3 — 4(I) 57,500¥ The RA is a medium anthro drone designed to
Standard Equipment: Anthroform cyberlimbs (Strength 3, shock limb), bio- appear slightly smaller than the average human,
tech autosoft (rating 6), close combat autosoft (rating 4), integrated medkit adopting a humble posture. Its leg joints are de-
(rating 4), realistic features 4. liberately designed to limit its walking speed, al-
lowing any ambulatory or elderly person to out-
Nurse MAID Troll (Large anthro drone) pace it. While its hand and arm strength falls at the
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT human average, it can double its lifting capability
3/3 5 5 15 10 8 4 by locking its arms and leveraging its leg strength,
making it great for helping elderly or bedridden
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST
3 — 5(I) 62,500¥
patients get out of bed or off the floor. Additional-
ly, it’s incapable of offensive leg movements, as its
Standard Equipment: Anthroform cyberlimbs (Strength 5, shock limb), bio- hip joints are designed to prevent kicking.
tech autosoft (rating 6), close combat autosoft (rating 4), integrated medkit
(rating 3), realistic features 4.
To meet higher security needs, all RAs sold
are equipped with a shutdown button that can

MEDICAL DRONES // BEST OF THE REST

 be mounted in multiple locations, based on the • Effect: While under the effect of cryo, the
owner’s preferences. Pressing it causes the drone time does not count toward the 1 minute (20
to shut down, while a second activates the panic combat rounds) to receive First Aid.
178 button, alerting local law enforcement or hospital Cryo is a combination of potent paralytics, pain-
staff to investigate.
killers, and sedatives used to significantly reduce a
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

This approach of “dehumanizing drones” and

person’s metabolic rate, inducing a state similar to
reassuring owners of their safety has proven high-
suspended animation akin to slab (p. 117, Body
ly successful worldwide, particularly in Japan,
which boasts the highest household drone own- Shop). Administering it effectively requires a rapid
ership. Another advantage of the RA is its abil- infuser (see Medical Equipment/Gear, p. 180). This
ity to work continuously around the clock, per- substance extends the window for providing First
forming domestic tasks such as laundry, cleaning, Aid. Once the infusion stops, cryo’s effects swift-
and food preparation without ever experiencing ly dissipate. Its typical duration is approximately
fatigue or agitation. When not in use, they can thirty minutes, although for larger metahumans,
be easily stored in out-of-the-way spaces thanks this duration is shorter. While under its influence,
to its Powered Breakdown. RAs are also notably the individual is incapacitated and unable to act.
quiet, enabling them to continue working even When the drug wears off, the character regains
while the owners sleep. consciousness after (Body) combat turns. Subse-
quently, they suffer a –6 dice pool penalty to all
tests, decreasing by 1 every combat round until it
Renraku Attendant reaches 0.
(RA) (medium anthro drone)
HAND ACCEL SPD INT TOP SPD BODY ARMOR PILOT Hemosynth
4/5 2 2 3 3 0 2 • Vector: Injection
SENSOR SEAT AVAIL COST • Speed: 4 combat rounds
3 — 2 3,500¥
• Duration: 2D6 hours or until the patient re-
Standard Equipment: Anthroform cyberlimbs (Strength 2), passive stealth ceives medical treatment.
features 1, powered breakdown 2.
• Power: 7
• Effect: Gain situational Edge on the next
Medical Drugs Biotech or natural healing test for someone
with this in their system.
Crash Plus HemoSynth is an advanced blood replacement
product containing genetically engineered plasma
• Vector: Injection proteins with a high oxygen-binding capacity. The
• Speed: 4 combat rounds compound aids in natural healng. To be effective,
• Duration: 10 x 1D6 minutes it must be administered before any First Aid, med-
kit, or Natural Healing test. The only known side
• Power: 8 effect of the compound is that users have reported
• Effect: Heals 1D6 + 1 Overflow Damage and excessive appetite afterward.
gains High Pain Tolerance.
Crash is an injectable formulation containing Neostigmine
potent vasoactive and stimulant drugs typically • Vector: Injection
found in a trauma patch. A recent modification
added a cocktail of common drugs that depress • Speed: 4 combat rounds
the central nervous system, slowing down the pain • Duration: 10 x 1D6 minutes
signals to the brain. Once its effects have worn off,
Crash Plus users experience Fatigue for a duration • Power: 8
equal to the initial effect’s duration. • Effect: Removes the Dazed status and makes
the user immune for the duration.
Cryo Neostigmine is a well-established medication
• Vector: Injection used in many law enforcement organizations.
It possesses a slight healing property that aids
• Speed: 4 combat rounds in treating bruising, but its primary function is
• Duration: (30 – Body) minutes to counteract many of the toxins found in nerve
agents such as Neuro-Stun.
• Power: 10

BEST OF THE REST // MEDICAL DRUGS

 179

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

Ondansetron novocaine gel available in various colors, although
it naturally appears clear. Applied to the skin using
• Vector: Injection
a swab or brush, it temporarily numbs the covered
• Speed: 4 combat rounds areas. While under the influence of wraith paint,
• Duration: 10 x 1D6 minutes characters lose tactile perception in the affected ar-
eas. To accurately assess their own injuries during
• Power: 7
this time, characters must make a First Aid + Log-
• Effect: Removes the Nausea status and ic test. A single supply can be used twenty times
makes the user immune for the duration. when treating injuries, or is sufficient to cover a
Ondansetron, a potent anti-emetic medication, dwarf, human, or elf, whereas orks and trolls re-
swiftly acts on the central nervous system to alle- quire two doses for complete coverage.
viate nausea.
drugs
Wraith Paint DRUG POWER AVAIL COST (PER DOSE)

• Vector: Injection Crash+ 8 5L 800 ¥

• Speed: 4 combat rounds

Cryo 10 7I 1,000 ¥
• Duration: 1D6 hours
HemoSynth 7 4L 2,000 ¥
• Power: 9
Neostigmine 8 3L 100 ¥
• Effect: High Pain Tolerance 3.
Before being repurposed as a local numbing Ondansetron 7 3L 50 ¥

agent by medics, wraith paint was also known as

Wraith Paint 9 2L 100 ¥
“Nopaint” and favored by intercity gangs with a
tribal motif. It’s a medical-grade, water-resistant

MEDICAL DRUGS // BEST OF THE REST

 Medical A standard medkit can store five sets of supplies
but is bulky and difficult to hide. By reducing the

180 Equipment/Gear supply capacity to three sets, you can opt for a tuck-
able medkit, which can be concealed under a jacket
for those times when you want the reassurance of
Artificial Skin
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

having a medkit without it being visible. For even

Stored in a one-use aerosol bottle, artificial skin greater concealability, the pocket medkit holds only
quickly and cleanly adheres to natural skin and one set of supplies. Details on concealability can be
tissue, preventing bleeding and infection. Scars re- found in the core rulebook (p. 246, SR6).
sulting from wounds sealed by artificial skin, how- A new device, the advanced medkit, merges the
ever, tend to be slightly larger than those from nat- standard medkit with the Mobile Medic app from
ural healing process. When a character sustains 2 M-TOC. This version is only available in the bulky
or more points of Physical damage that penetrates medkit size. It offers users additional guidance and
the skin, they have the option to apply a dose of continuously updated emergency medical informa-
artificial skin, reducing the damage by 1 point in- tion, providing more comprehensive step-by-step
stead of resorting to First Aid, a medkit, or magical instructions for administering aid. It functions like
healing. The application of artificial skin is a Ma- a normal medkit but gives the user one point of
jor Action. Individuals with platelet factories do situational Edge.
not derive any benefit from artificial skin. The military and organizations that rely heavi-
ly on augmentations have developed what is now
DocWagon known as the milspec medkit. This unit resembles
a normal medkit, but some of the standard medical
HemoStatiX Dressing supplies are replaced with nanites specifically de-
Developed by DocWagon in collaboration with signed to treat or repair augmented ‘ware enhanc-
Apex Pharmaceuticals, the HemoStatiX dressing ing treatment for heavily augmented individuals.
efficiently and promptly treats bleeding in the field It’s less effective for those with little or no augmen-
through a combination of mechanisms. The dress- tation, however. When performing a Biotech test
ing is infused with hemostatic drugs, which activate with this medkit, always assume the patient has an
upon contact with blood, initiating a contraction of Essence of 5 to 6.
the dressing that applies pressure to the wound.
Applying the HemoStatiX dressing requires a
First Aid + Logic (2) test and takes 9 seconds (3 IMPROVISED MEDICAL
combat rounds). If successful, the patient can re-
ceive First Aid up to 1 hour after the end of the
SUPPLIES (OPTIONAL RULE)
combat encounter, instead of the normal 1 minute, In certain situations, a proficient medical practitioner
and the Bleeding status is removed. might find themselves without access to conventional medi-
cal supplies. In such instances, a resourceful individual, such
as a runner, can utilize everyday objects or materials to im-
GE Statscan provise necessary supplies. For instance, they could use a
The STATscan is a handheld medical imaging belt as a tourniquet, tear clothing to create bandages, or
tool that uses multimodal imaging technology, pre- even perform basic surgery with a drone repair toolkit.
dictive simulation, and advanced computer tomog- When a character needs to improvise medical supplies,
raphy to generate an augmented reality (AR) rep- they must use a Major Action and make a First Aid + Intu-
resentation of a patient’s internal anatomy. It can ition test. Each successful hit on this test reduces the –2
also emit visible light on the patient, perceptible to modifier for lacking medical supplies (p. 119, SR6) by 1, with
any onlookers. During a First Aid test, the STATs- a minimum reduction to 0.
can provides a +2 bonus to the user’s dice pool. Ultimately, it’s up to the gamemaster to determine
Additionally, it can be integrated into a cyberhand whether sufficient materials and time are available for the
but requires 2 available capacity slots. character to improvise effectively.

Medkits
Medkits and autodocs function differently Mage Pen
depending on whether they are used by a skilled Permanent markers have become the pre-
medic or an untrained individual. Typically, these ferred writing tool for military forces worldwide
devices are operated directly by a metahuman user. for two main reasons. Firstly, they don’t smudge,
The standard medkit is a common tool in many even when used on plastic film. Secondly, unlike
legal and illegal operations, where conflict often crayons, soldiers are not prone to eating them.
drives ingenuity, leading to unique modifications The ink in the mage pen incorporates an Awak-
on the market. ened plant’s chlorophyll. The manufacturer has

BEST OF THE REST // MEDICAL EQUIPMENT/GEAR

developed a technique to suspend this chlorophyll Valkyrie Pack
in the urethane resin commonly used in permanent
markers, creating a marker whose marks are also Like the larger Valkyrie Module, the Valkyrie
visible in the astral plane. Pack uses smart materials and self-assembly tech- 181
While not ideal for use in headquarters or other nology to fold up into a backpack-sized package
when not in use. More than just a high-rating med-

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

high-security areas due to its visibility in the astral,
the mage pen is valuable in specific scenarios. It kit, the Valkyrie Pack auto-doc counts as a rating 1
proves particularly useful for leaving covert mes- medical facility and is in fact a small-scale, porta-
sages at clandestine meetings or for combat medics ble, automated emergency medical system.
who need to write on and attach documentation When deployed, the system will unfold and set
directly to casualties. Importantly, it allows Awak- itself up in about 10 seconds. The Valkyrie Pack
ened medics to read these notes while simultane- forms a stretcher with a carbon fiber frame hold-
ously perceiving the patient in the astral. ing a smart-fabric patient support. The frame can
stand a meter off the ground with extendable legs,
and it can be carried by a two-person team. The
Monofilament frame also forms the track for a rolling diagnostic
Induction Tourniquet (MIT) and treatment unit containing the auto-doc, med-
kit supplies, assorted drugs, and a host of diagnos-
With advancements in limb replacement and tic equipment.
regrowth, triage techniques have evolved signifi- Once a patient is in place on the stretcher, the
cantly. One such innovation is a medical device auto-doc will run a full body scan and deploy a
resembling a thick cable tie, which includes an
meter square sealed “operating theater” above and
embedded strand of monofilament and a small in-
below the wounded area. The system can then se-
duction heating mechanism. To use, the device is
date the patient or anesthetize the wounded area
wrapped around an appendage and activated by
while the sealed workspace and the wound are
pulling a safety line. The induction mechanism
sterilized. Once treatment is complete and the
heats the monofilament, causing it to tighten sud-
denly and sever the limb cleanly while cauterizing stretcher is no longer in use, the Valkyrie Pack can
the wound simultaneously. be set to reassemble into the backpack transport
Applying the Medical Induction Tourniquet configuration.
(MIT) requires a First Aid + Logic (2) test and takes The built-in software of the auto-doc system is
about 9 seconds (or 3 combat rounds) to complete. equal to a Rating 6 Biotech autosoft. The systems
Any negative wound modifiers resulting from a tar- on the Valkyrie Pack are equivalent to a rating 6
geted shot to the arm or leg can be disregarded after milspec medkit. As with the larger Valkyrie Mod-
application. It is important to remember, however, ule, this system provides either 12 dice for First
that the affected appendage will no longer be at- Aid and medkit healing when functioning autono-
tached. mously or providing a teamwork test and a point
of Edge to a med-tech operating the system re-
motely (or use a default of 14 dice).
Valkyrie Module:
MilSpec Version Vasotech
This is a milspec version of the standard civilian
Valkyrie Module, requiring the same 1 Mod point
Autoinjection Gun
or 2 CF to install. It uses an upgraded rating 6 This autoinjector gun is highly regarded by both
Biotech autosoft running an auto-doc medical sys- military and civilian emergency medical personnel.
tem and includes ten supplies of a rating 6 milspec The small, handheld device operates similar to a
medkit. This system counts as a rating 1 medical pistol. Upon contact with a person’s skin, it swiftly
facility. When used autonomously, it provides 12 sanitizes a localized area and delivers a dose from
dice for First Aid and Medkit healing (see p. 119, its multi-use drug chamber The MD-9 model holds
SR6) with the additional milspec medkit rules. The a larger reservoir capable of storing up to nine dos-
auto-doc can be used as a remote operating bed es, while the newer MD-3X model features three
with a med-tech “jumped in” as if the system were smaller reservoirs, each holding up to three doses.
a drone. When employed in this way, the autosoft Using a Vasotech Autoinjector Gun allows a
participates in a teamwork Biotech tech test to as- trained person to administer an injectable drug to
sist the remotely operating medic (or you may just a willing subject with a Minor Action. Swapping
default to a total dice pool of 14 for any tests). reservoirs with the MD-3X typically requires a
When assisting in this way, the Valkyrie Module Minor Action unless controlled via a direct neural
also grants one point of Edge to the med-tech act- interface, in which case it provides a bonus Minor
ing as the leader in the test. Action when reloading the reservoir.

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT/GEAR // BEST OF THE REST

 Vasotech Rapid Infuser quite unnerving if the victim suffered an unnatural
death. The spell must be cast within a number of
The Vasotech rapid infuser is a small, portable hours from the time of death equal to the victim’s
182 device that uses miniaturized rotary pumps to rap- Essence. Net hits on the casting test determine the in-
idly infuse drugs or fluids through an IV line. A formation provided, as noted on the Detection Spell
SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

rapid infuser is necessary for the administration Results table (p. 134, SR6). If the victim’s death was
of certain infusion drugs such as HemoSynth and particularly violent, the gamemaster may call for a
cryo. In addition, any drug or toxin administered Composure test with a threshold of 3. If they fail,
with a rapid infuser has its Speed set to Instant. the caster gains the Nauseated status for one hour.

New Medical Tools/Gear Incision (Manipulation)

RANGE TYPE DURATION DV
ITEM AVAIL COST Touch M S 5
Artificial Skin 3 50¥
This spell alters the cellular structure of a subject’s
Backpack 2 50¥ skin and underlying tissues to create an opening. It’s
commonly used for surgical procedures or implan-
DocWagon Hemostatix Dressing 3 500¥ tation. It has found increasing popularity among
wealthy and Awakened patients, who insist it provides
GE STATscan 4 2,500¥
better cosmetic results. The length of the incision is
Medkit
equal to the caster’s Magic rating in centimeters, and
the incision closes as soon as the spell is no longer sus-
Advanced (Rating 1–6) 4 Rating x 300¥ tained. Use of the spell reduces damage from surgery
by 2 DV (p. 57, Body Shop) to a minimum of 1. In
Milspec (Rating 1–6) 5 Rating x 500¥ addition, any visual Perception tests to detect implants
made with the help of this spell receive a –1 penalty.
Pocket (Rating 1–6) 4 Rating x 350¥
This spell has also gained popularity with drug and
Standard (Rating 1–6) 3 Rating x 250¥ other smuggling organizations for obvious reasons.

Medical Facilities
Tuckable (Rating 1–6) 3 Rating x 300¥

Mage Pen 2 20¥

Medical facilities, including those used by mil-
Monofilament Induction Tourniquet 4 500¥ itary forces, fall into one of six categories. These
ratings are based on such factors as the number
Valkyrie Module: Milspec 5 4,500¥ of patient beds available, the types of procedures
performed, and the general skill level of the staff.
Valkyrie Pack 6 6,000¥
Rating 1: This class of medical facility can only
Vasotech Autoinjection Gun
serve one single patient at a time and is often fully
automated. Examples are automated medical kiosks
MD-9 2 1,000¥ such as Kong-WalMart’s ubiquitous Quick-Doc sta-
tions and milspec Valkyrie modules. For the more
MD-3X 3 1,500¥ serious cases, many commercial rating 1 facilities
like Quick-Doc will call an ambulance for the pa-
Vasotech Rapid Infuser 3 1,000¥
tient or connect to a telehealth professional that can
take over from the automated systems. Ambulances
and most emergency response units also have this
same level of care, but normally include the added
Medical Spells benefit of a live medical professional.
Rating 2: Able to actively treat a handful of
Death Replay (Detection) patients, and with bed space for a few more, the
RANGE TYPE DURATION DV rating 2 medical facilities range from vehicles such
Touch M I 4 as Wuxing’s Hua Tuo mobile field hospital to pur-
pose-built permanent facilities. Staff will be capa-
ble, but not specialized, and Awakened physicians
This spell gives the subject information about the
will be uncommon. For military operations, these
immediate cause of death for a recently deceased will be the frontline field units used for triage,
creature and the circumstances surrounding its de- where the lightly wounded are patched up and sent
mise. Similar to a bad BTL, the caster experiences back while the serious cases are stabilized and sent
the last few moments of the victim’s life through on. In many areas, this is the best level of medical
blurred visions and visceral sensations, which can be treatment available—usually nothing more than a

BEST OF THE REST // MEDICAL SPELLS

ramshackle structure using salvaged equipment, For a Medkit test, the level of trauma treatment
black market meds, and used cyberware, staffed in medical facilities is treated as a rating 6 + (facility
by an unlicensed street doc. rating) medkit with an extended window of (facili-
Rating 3: The rating 3 medical facility is the smallest ty rating) hours instead of just one hour. This base 183
facility that can truly be called a hospital. This includes number between 7 and 12 represents a mix of the
Biotech skill of the staff and the medical equipment

SHADOWRUN: DEADLY ARTS

the ability for multiple patients to undergo surgery si-
multaneously and space for numerous non-surgical available at a facility. The staff at a facility will work
procedures. The capacity of a rating 3 facility will as a team as new cases arrive, with (facility rating
be in the one to two hundred bed range. Staff will be + 1) staff on hand for any incoming trauma cases.
specialists in their fields supported by full diagnostic The Logic of the staff plus the teamwork bonuses is
departments and a full range of specialty equipment 6 + (facility rating) and is added to the equipment /
and medical supplies. These facilities will often include biotech skill number. This makes the dice pool for
Awakened medical staff and tech support to provide facilities when making a Medkit test 12 + (2 x fa-
and install standard grade augmentations. In a combat cility rating).
setting, this class of facility will be a rear-echelon hos- Medical facilities also have the equipment and
pital or a division-level forward MASH unit. skills to deal with damage to augmentations, and
Rating 4: Large regional medical facilities fall as the size / quality of a facility increases, augmen-
into this category and are the equivalent of several tations become less of a factor in a medical test.
Rating 3 facilities in a single location. The large Add the facility rating to the Essence number of
staff at such facilities allows for a high level of spe- the patient (up to max of 6 Essence) when calcu-
cialization and the ability to provide a wide range lating the threshold of the Medkit test. Some mil-
of medical services including alphaware augmenta- spec facilities may also be set up to deal specifically
tions. The total number of patients can range from with cybernetically enhanced individuals; in these
several hundred to over a thousand. Large mili- cases their Essence is always considered to be 4,
taries may run facilities of this size, far from any regardless of the actual Essence of the patient.
active front lines, focusing on returning soldiers to
active duty by installing cybernetic upgrades. Magical Treatment
Rating 5: Typically known as beta clinics, these The higher rated the facility, the greater the
exclusive top-of-the-line facilities are much smaller chance that an Awakened physician will be available
than other hospitals, serving only a few hundred to treat patients. Make a test with a dice pool of (1 +
patients. They offer the best medical treatment facility rating), with a single hit indicating that mag-
available and specialize in plastic surgery, age-re- ical treatment is available. The Magic rating of the
lated treatments, cutting-edge betaware cybernet- treating physician will be 5 plus any hits (5 + hits)
ics and bioware, genetech, and occasionally nan- from the test, with a Sorcery skill rating being equal
otech. Normally only available to the corporate to Magic. Note that if a rating 1 facility is automat-
elite, military forces with strong corporate affilia- ed, there is no possibility for magical treatment.
tions, or corporate ownership, may have access to
these facilities for their most skilled special forces. Recovery Tests
Rating 6: Regarded by many medical profession-
als to be an urban legend, delta clinics are said to be Medical assistance of natural recovery is one of the
able to provide their ultra-exclusive clientele with primary reasons medical facilities exist. For recupera-
bleeding-edge, experimental, or even illegal augmen- tive treatment in a medical facility, replace the standard
tations. As the name implies, providing deltaware +2 modifier with the facility rating (so yes, this makes
augmentations is one of the primary reasons for a rating 1 facility a terrible choice for recuperation).
these clinics to exist. While the secretive nature and
astronomical fees of delta clinics place their services Augmentation
outside the reach of even the most elite, rank and
Surgery to have augmentations installed will al-
file elements in the military structure may have need
ways be carried out at a medical facility of some
of these facilities. Such elements are those tasked kind, even if it’s just a back-alley chop-shop or a
with producing results by any means and without shopping mall cyber-boutique. This also makes
needing to answer questions about their methods. medical facilities prime sources for acquiring aug-
mentations, treating the facility as a (2 x facility
Game Rules rating) Medical type contact with a Loyalty of 1
for figuring availability. Augmentations can never
for Medical Facilities be installed or acquired through a rating 1 facility.
As a side note, just as standard medical facilities
First Aid and Medkit Tests sometimes engage in selling augmentations, dedi-
The very narrow window of time available to cated cyberclinics can also be used as a standard
use first aid makes it unlikely to be used at a medi- medical facility. While they do not typically engage
cal facility, but if it’s appropriate, use the same dice in medical treatment, they can do so if they desire
pools as for a medkit test. (or if the nuyen is right).

MEDICAL FACILITIES // BEST OF THE REST

Combat is no stranger in the shadows; someone’s always
working on new ways to eliminate their opponents. Maybe
it’s the adept martial artist who’s pushing their body
and power the breaking point Maybe it’s the local street
samurai who just got some upgraded ’ware and is looking
to settle some long-overdue scores. Maybe the mercenary
just got a new gun, and their trigger finger is itching.
Or the rigger is in control of one of the most advanced
military vehicles on the planet, complete with bleeding-
edge control systems and weapons.
Whatever the situation, there’s always a need for warriors
to fight and die for a cause, or at least a paycheck. And
they’ll need more than just the latest hardware—they’ll
need to master the deadly art of combat itself. Otherwise,
they’re just more cannon fodder.
Deadly Arts is the core advanced combat rulebook
for Shadowrun, Sixth World.

CAT28011 Under License From

catalystgamelabs.com I shadowruntabletop.com
© 2024 The Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Shadowrun, Sixth World, and Matrix are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc.,
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