Ballistic weapons

Ballistic weapons are familiar; they’re similar to modern guns. There are four different classes of autocannon: the AC/2​, the AC/5​, the AC/10​ and the AC/20​. The numbers indicate how powerful the weapon is; the AC/2 does comparatively light damage, but has enormous range, while the AC/20 does absolutely crushing damage (it’s the most damaging weapon in the game!) but has very short range.
 * Ballistic weapons generate less heat, but use ammunition.
 * That ammo can run out or even be damaged by enemy fire and explode, causing additional internal damage to that location on your ‘Mech.
 * All ballistic weapons deal some stability damage relative to their class as well.
 * Ballistic weapons incur a small “Refire Penalty” to their to-hit % when fired multiple turns in a row.
 * Each AutoCannon type has a specific range, corresponding to its tactical role.

AC/2
Intended for use as supporting fire at very long range, AC/2s deal moderate damage with low heat and a large ammunition count per ton. Like all Autocannon weaponry, AC/2s suffer from recoil effects from continuous fire.

AC/5
A flexible weapon, AC/5s strike a balance between long range, power, and performance. These weapons are commonly found on medium 'Mechs as their primary source of reliable damage. Like all Autocannon weaponry, AC/5s suffer from recoil effects from continuous fire.

AC/10
One of the most powerful and efficient weapons mounted in combat, AC/10s are known for their heavy damage and ability to stagger opponents. Like all Autocannon weaponry, AC/10s suffer from recoil effects from continuous fire.

AC/20
The king of the battlefield in terms of raw damage, AC/20s hit harder than any other weapon. However, this comes at the expense of weight, range, and severely limited ammunition. Like all Autocannon weaponry, AC/20s suffer from recoil effects from continuous fire.

UAC/2
The Ultra AC/2 is the smallest bore autocannon of the Ultra series. Ultra autocannons are capable of firing twice in a turn, doubling heat and--potentially--damage.

UAC/5
The Ultra AC/5 is an upgraded version of the standard AC/5. Utilizing a different loading mechanism, the Ultra autocannons are capable of maintaining a substantially increased rate of fire over traditional or LB-X autocannons at the cost of higher heat and the risk of jamming.

UAC/10
The Ultra AC/10 is the second largest of the Ultra Autocannons. The weapon itself is capable of firing two shots per turn, like all Ultra autocannons, resulting in doubled heat and, potentially, damage. .

UAC/20
The Ultra AC/20 is the largest bore Ultra autocannons. Like all Ultra autocannons, it is capable of twice the rate of fire of a standard autocannon, doubling its heat output and, potentially, its damage.

LB 2-X
The LB 2-X AC fires a shotgun-like ammunition that usually spreads out its shot to find weakened points in an enemy's armor, however, the 12 projectiles that an LB 2-X fires are hardly destructive.

LB 5-X
The LB 5-X AC fires a cluster shot with 10 projectiles that fragments like a shotgun round and spreads its damage around. This effect creates flak that is useful against VTOLs.

LB 10-X
The LB 10-X AC is essentially a 'Mech-mounted shotgun, capable of firing 8 special "cluster rounds" that split apart after being fired, allowing the weapon to either spread damage out or focus damage on a small area, depending on the range.

LB 20-X
The LB 20-X AC is the autocannon with the largest bore that is capable of firing LB-X cluster rounds. Its cluster rounds can deal a devastating 20 points of damage to its target with each of its 6 projectiles.

Gauss rifle
A Gauss Rifle uses electromagnetic charges to accelerate metallic rounds at extremely high speed, dealing massive damage by kinetic force alone. Unlike Autocannons, Gauss Rifles do not suffer recoil effects from firing, and their ammunition will not explode upon a Critical Hit.


 * You can get a Gauss Rifle as a rare purchasable item or as part of the Highlander HGN-732B 'Mech reward from Mission 12: Escape
 * Purchasable from an SLDF planet as a rare spawn. Always check stores!
 * A Gauss Rifle comes on the Highlander HGN-732B 'Mech after successfully completing Escape. The Highlander provided in the mission does not need to survive in order to receive it upon completion.

Behind the scenes

 * The beta featured model names as well as manufacturer identifiers. However, this was swapped for more intuitive (if gamey) + signs to denote advanced variants.