COMMENT: 10 best Sci-fi weapons EVER

[General Biakal]

So much effort goes into prop weapons they are almost a character in their own right. But in ALL of Sci-fi, which ones are the best?


10. M95A1 Phased Plasma Rifle  (40watt Range)
This is one of the very few Sci-fi weapons that we heard the name of before we actually saw it.... and WHAT a name! When the Terminator walks into a mid 1980s LA gunshop and asks for a “Phased Plasma rifle with a 40watt range” first off, the guy behind the counter doesn’t even blink. No “A what now...?” Second, Arnie must have KNOWN the M95A1 wasn’t commercially available then, so was he just fucking with the shop owner? Was it an attempt at a grisly joke?? Humour?? Either way, when we actually SAW the weapon in T2, well, let’s just say it could have been a TAD more awesome...


9. UFP Phaser
The UFP/Starfleet arsenal is often behind the times. The NX01 Enterprise gets out shot by just about everyone and the Enterprise D was shot to fuck by a Klingon ship that was old hat in Kirks time. Phasers are so well known they are just about as ubiquitous as Lasers. But they’re obviously not a PROPPER weapon. Semi auto , one shot one kill shooters might be ok for police and REMF’s but us here on the front line prefer something that sprays out a bit more brass... plus, later ones came in the gayest shade of beige. Who wants their weapon to look like a 1970’s Leyland Marina?


8. Wyrding Module
At first glance, see above. One shot at a time, a real frigmarole of saying “ssssssSSSSSSSHHHHHHAAAAAma!” every time you want to cap someone.... however the Wyrding Module from Dune has one major advantage over many other Sci-Fi gatts... if it hits you, it will fucking snap you. If you really REALLY hate the person you are shooting at, chances are they are gong home to momma in a plastic bag. A small plastic bag. 'Cos the Module used your mental powers and amplified them, turning it into a fucking MIND BULLET!


7. JMC “Bazookoid”
The armoury on the JMC Red Dwarf no doubt had a wide selection of ray guns, machine guns and sharp sticks, but when our boys were in the shit they broke out the Bazookoids. A long, flared barrel and a heavy receiver end, and some patterns also seem to have a backpack. Able to fire heat seeking, semi A.I ammunition, it was a smart weapon that packed a punch. Plus it sounded ace when you cocked it.


 6. Morita rifle
There are some who are probably disappointed this weapon is not lower down the list. But if you’re honest, isn’t it trying a bit TOO hard? Essentially a spiritual copy of another awesome gun, the M41A (see below), it has a high rate of fire, under slung shotgun and looks like it might be worth an afternoon playing with.
But the barrel is too long, the shotgun seems pointless and apart from the fact it really does smash bugs up, id probably not take it to war. And of all the weapons here, this is the one people will disagree with. A Marmite gun if ever there was one.


5.  Imperial Storm Bolter
I realise I’m preaching to a simpatico crowd here but... I HAD to include the Imperial Storm Bolter. Who, as a child, has not thought “what’s better than one awesome gun? Welding two together!” Hell, even Ripley did it. Her Rifle/flamer combo is apparently the only thing that can harm Chuck Norris.
Even normal Space Marines arn’t hard enough to rock these babies, only the glory boys of each chapters 1st Company get that honour.
Storm bolters are just about the most original design GW have come up with and unlike the normal bolt gun, have remained essentially unchanged. There is a 1.1 scale model at Lenton and boy these buggers are big. Huge .75 cal bolter rounds, two big barrels. All Awesome.


4.  “Ole Painless”
I don’t want to upset the more sensitive children reading this but there has never and will never be a man-portable fire support weapon based on a minigun. It’s NOT REAL. On the set of Predator only two me could actually lift the main body of the weapon unaided (yes, Arnie and Jesse) let alone the ammo and batteries. It can’t be fired prone, it would sap the stamina of any soldier having to carry it, it would actually fire in an assault for about two minutes. At MOST. It would be prone to stoppages and would get so hot during firing it would be like hugging an Aga.
But I want one. It was the first time many of us were even introduced to the concept of a minigun, let alone a man portable multi barrelled God of War. And when it’s fired into the jungle it kills so many trees, Sting be cryin’!


3.  M2019 pistol
This had to be in the top three... it has all the checkpoints of a truly great sci-fi weapon. LED’s? Check. Kit bash of at least two other guns? Check. Waved around a lot but hardly ever fired? Check.
Deckers pistol in Blade Runner was such an enigma it had to become as famous as it has. Two triggers? No magazine? Red LED? It looks futuristic, it looks REAL. It was a big gun and had a distinctive silhouette. Sure, when it did fire it was just like a normal handgun but my God, it’s sexy.


2. Jedi Lightsaber
When Obi Wan Kenobi said “it was an elegant weapon for a civilised age” what he forgot to add was- “and it will take some cunts arm off in a bar brawl quick-snap.” Luckily for Luke, he (and we) got that memo loud and clear a few scenes later.
Laser swords are sort of everywhere now but man, the first time I saw that tasty blue beam I knew I HAD to have one. It even made cool noises. You knew it was lethal, you knew it was probably very hot and as dangerous to you as the guy you were about to chop up that didn’t matter. It’s so ingrained into humanity now that no doubt in the deep Amazon, when some native kid with a loincloth and a fucking bone through his nose picks up a stick he goes: “...vvvrrrRRRRROOOOOMMmmmmmm!”


1.USCMC M41a Assault Rifle

You are not worthy.
 
The KING of movie weapons, the USCMC M41a is just about the coolest thing in the history of ever. FACT. Made from a Tommy gun, a shotgun and bits from a spas 12, with custom resin casing and a red LED display.
In the film, it had a 99 round mag, filled to 95 to prevent jamming (nice touch), compact, high rate of fire... this baby had it all; 10mm armour piercing bullets with a compact grenade launcher underneath. To this very day I dream of shooting things with an M41a. I’m also pretty sure it has influenced the US Armed forces Advanced Infantry Rifle project in the early 90’s... and when actual real assault rifles start to look like a movie prop, you can be sure people have taken notice.
It’s aged better than real weapons of the time (Steyr AUG I’m looking at you) and still looks like it could and SHOULD really exist. Its not over the top, its gritty, its well made. Its adaptable.  I think I love it.

[Marchomer]

You forgot:

Big Freakin' Gun


BFG-9K on Wikipedia

[General Biakal]

in honesty bro i left LOTS out... The Lawgiver from Judge Dread, the ZF1 from 5th Element, the Lassiter (where from geek boys???), loads of em... but i did toy with the BFG...

[MortiS-the-Lost]

ah now here's a thread to start some lively discussions between us geeks!

I agree with all but 1 of your entries (as you predicted the Starship Troopers gun) and I could sit here and dispute the order, but that would be pointless in the long run.
I'm not going to do my own top-ten Sci-fi weapons either, but what I will do is point out a few others that IMHO should have made the list:

Chainsword (40k)

I'm sure as a 40k player you had this in mind for the top 10, but it didn't quite make the final list?
It's a sword, it's a chainsaw, it's awesome, enough said!

Lancer (Gears of War)

An assault rifle not entirely unlike the pulse-rifle but with a chainsaw-bayonet. Ok similar weapons have appeared in 40k, most noticeably on early incarnations of Ghaz Kul Thrakka (the front of the fisrt Codex Orkz - the 40k 2nd edition book), but the Lancer is still very distinct and awesome in it's own right

Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device (Portal)

[picture]
Ok not really a weapon as such but I think it deserves a mention. It can create inter-spatial portals between flat planes, is more valuable than the organs and combined incomes of everyone in [subject's home-town here] and is able to remain safely operational up to 4,000 degrees.

The BFG 9000 (DooM and Quake series)

The most powerful weapon in the original DooM, deadly but difficult to use to full effect. The BFG has gone though various incarnations in later Id Software games, but remains a distinct weapon remembered fondly by many.
When you pull the trigger, there is an excruciatingly long pause as the weapon warms up. Then a large green ball of plasma is emitted from its barrel. When the plasma ball hits a solid object, it detonates and does both Direct Hit and Blast Area damage, more often than not killing everything in the room.
What dose BFG stand for? general consensus is that it stands for 'Big Fragging Gun' or 'Big Fucking Gun', other suggestions include 'Blast Field Gun' and 'Big Funny Gun'. One thing is for sure, it's got nothing to do with a Roald Dahl book, yes it's big and it's giant, but it's far from freindly!  

[MortiS-the-Lost]

Marchomer wrote

You forgot:

Big Freakin' Gun


BFG-9K on Wikipedia

darn you got there first!

General Biakal wrote

in honesty bro i left LOTS out... The Lawgiver from Judge Dread, the ZF1 from 5th Element, the Lassiter (where from geek boys???), loads of em... but i did toy with the BFG...

God Damn it how did I forget the Lawgiver?!

[MortiS-the-Lost]

oh and while I think of it, here's one I don't want to see suggested for this list (and I despair of anyone who does)
The Gun Blade (Final Fanwankery 8)

the stupidest weapon, from one of the worst games, wielded by one of most pussy-emo characters ever.
is it's a gun? is it a sword? does it have to be loaded with bullets? what happens when you pull the trigger?
plus holding a blade that big with a pistol grip will break your fucking wrist and then you won't be able to jerk off over Rinoa, Tifa, Cloud, or the Chocobos or whoever

[Marchomer]

MortiS-the-Lost wrote

darn you got there first!

MortiS-the-Lost wrote

oh and while I think of it, here's one I don't want to see suggested for this list (and I despair of anyone who does)
The Gun Blade (Final Fanwankery 8)

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who hates FF,  maybe some stories, some concepts and graphics could be well done... But those games are boring and repetitive!
And the enemies are funny and nonsensical...
And the main characters are ridiculous...

[General Biakal]

you have NO IDEA how close i came to adding this little fucker...



a las-pistol, thats also a lightsaber? thats also a shield?????

DAMN!

as for the Starship Troopers gun... i admit its cool but it just seems to be riffing off the bad boy.... mr M41a. esquire!

[Apocalypsedreamer]

MortiS-the-Lost wrote

oh and while I think of it, here's one I don't want to see suggested for this list (and I despair of anyone who does)
The Gun Blade (Final Fanwankery 8)

It sumed up in a sentance: looks like a fish, moves like a fish, steers like a cow

Dreamer

[MortiS-the-Lost]

Apocalypsedreamer wrote

It sumed up in a sentance: looks like a fish, moves like a fish, steers like a cow

ah nice to see an Hitch Hikers reference!

which reminds me ...

The Point of View Cannon (HHGTG Film)
 
yea I know not everyone liked the film, but it had some great bits in it and it's all part of the Hitch Hikers mythos. Besides the books weren't accurate to the radio play,  the TV series wasn't accurate to books, so why shouldn't the film have it's own story too?
Anyway the point of view gun, makes it's target instantly see everything from the point of view of the person who fired it, that's the sort of weapon to win wars with!

[BobbieTheDamned]

Some absolute classics so far, glad to see the M41a up the top of your list. Phasers really need a bigger shout out in my opinion, my personal favorites being the phasers from STVI:


I'm surprised there's been no love for the star wars blaster so far, sure they're inaccurate, underpowered and easily blocked by guys in bath robes swinging around glowing sticks but who can not love a weapon made from the classic British sterling SMG?


Farscape had some awesome weapons, the qualta blade being top in my book, a massive ass sword that turns into an energy weapon? Hell yes, and it does it in a vaguely believable way unlike the stupidly unwieldy gun-blade.



Of course I can't mention farscape without posting some pictures of Claudia Black, so here's here with the pretty awesome peacekeeper heavy pulse rifle:



Then we move into classic territory, space 1999 stun gun anyone? So sci fi looking it hurts, also very concealable.


Course then theres video games and I have to speak up for the dependable dead space plasma cutter. Always handy for blasting limbs of pesky necromorphs.


*EDIT* and for the record I do like the Morita, after having played the Starship Troopers game anyone would come to love such a dependable bullet hose. I mean what's not to like:

[MortiS-the-Lost]

RobertTheDamned wrote

Then we move into classic territory, space 1999 stun gun anyone? So sci fi looking it hurts, also very concealable.

The Space 1999 staple gun? Really? Top 10?

[General Biakal]

there are NO right or wrong answers... except my OP which is in fact proven by medical fact.

keep it up gays (sorry guys)

[Billiam Babble]

I love you all.    
So many beautiful things.

There's very little I can add to this thread.  

[MarkRG]

Hi Guys i went to MCM expo on the weekend, here is some pics you might like.

[MortiS-the-Lost]

oh dear god Mark ...

[messyart]

The Fat Man.




It mortars nuclear bombs at player-lethal ranges and even has a special one-off that fires about 5 bombs at once that all fall gradually shorter and shorter... Almost suicidal, but likely to kill anything that was previously in your face.

[General Biakal]

aaaaaannnnnnddddd messy breaks the universe!

yep, pretty awesome gun!

[denial66]

Lightsabers are the coolest weapons ever and Star Wars is one of the best sci fi shows ever. I loved the action scenes with the lightsabers. It must have taken a lot of practice to wield them so gracefully.

[The Skald]

denial66 wrote

It must have taken a lot of practice to wield them so gracefully.

....and here's the proof!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPPj6viIBmU

Welcome to the forum BTW