Weapon Loadout, What do you bring to the party? Options

[Hammer]

As a runner I like to be prepared for just about anything. For most characters that I play I like to show up to most runs well armed and hoping to not have to use any of it. My standard loadout is:

Light pistol. Something along the lines of a 101T or lightfire 70. Smartlinked, silenced and loaded with either stick and shocks or capsule rounds with DMSO/Narcoject.

Heavy Pistol. Something like a ruger revolver or salvate guardian. Smartlinked, silenced and loaded with ex-explosive or APDS (if I can find any). This serves for that "gotta kill/destroy in one shot" time but still needs to be stealthy.

Defiance T250. Except no substitutes. This shotgun performs beautifully. Load it up with slugs, but keep the dragons breath and shocklocks handy just in case. Smartlinked (of course) but this only comes out if silence is no longer needed.

Grenade Launcher. Either a MGL 6/12 or 36 (all depending on just how much bang I think I might need), loaded with mission specific munitions ranging from frags to flares and smoke. Makes a nice portable mortar and distraction device.

Cougar Fineblade. Last line of defense and a great tool in and of itself.

So what do you all like to bring to the party?

[Stahlseele]

Taser/Dart-Pistol with both Laser-Pointer/Smartlink for taking out people without blood/noise
Silenced Savalette Guardian in matted black with Gel Ammo for the Same reason,
unsilenced Savalette in Chrome filled with APDS or ExEx
Ares Viper Slivergun because i frigging hate guard-dogs and other such things
Franchi SPAS-22, Smart2, Burst Fire Capabilities, one point of built in Recoil compensation, using Slugs on Single Auto 10S damage, with Slugs in Burst 13D Damage, with Flechette in Single Auto 10D Damage, with Flechette in Burst 13D Damage . . no, the T-250 is not an acceptable Substitute to me O.o this baby gets to play if the going gets tough . . even Trolls tend to notice if i arm this thing and it's capable of blowing through most things with ExEx/APDS . . and with Gel-Ammo, there is nothing that is still standing after one hit . .
Silenced AK98 with Smartlink, Grenadelink, Laser-Pointer and as much Recoil compensation as i can cram in. Usually loaded with Gel-Ammo to REALLY take out something from far away without too much noise/Blood and of course, ExEx Ammo or APDS if available to make better holes . . comes out for sniping things in the beginning and then for Full Auto Support
if i can get my hands on some, i carry several Grenades as well, Stun, Slip-Spray, Thermal-Smoke, those kind of things usually . . if i wanna make things hurt, i will toss in white phosphorus Grenades and Offensive AP/HE Grenades too . .
And if i get the slightest notion of something big perhaps showing up to stop me and my team, i will not hesistate to pull out the Ares Great Dragon ATGM . . 20D AV Damage will kill anything, even a damn living dragon, if i can hit it . .
As a last line of defence, Hardliner Glove, Shock-Glove and assorted Blades for close Combat.
If i dress to impress, there's nothing that can say no to a STR+4D base Damage Pole-Arm ^^

Yes, i mostly play the Combat Monkey, why do you ask?

[Tarantula]

Usually a heavy/light pistol for the non-combat oriented types.
Blowgun or supersquirt for the infiltrators.
Machine pistols/SMGs for combat guys. ARs if appropriate to the campaign.
Grenades with the combat guys too.
Machine guns for vehicles/drones.
Shotguns usually for mages.

[crash2029]

It kind of depends on the character I'm playing at the time. For instance my crusty old bodyguard John carries two Predators, two Ingram Smartguns, one Supersquirt loaded with narcojet, three flashbangs, and two HE grenades. My face Carlo carried only a Predator and a flash-pak.

[Remjin]

Form-fitting armor
Chameleon Suit
Micro-torch
Rope and Grappler
Goggles w/ full visual suite
Mints
Comm-link
Monofilament Wire
Concussion Grenades x4
Energy Bar x2
Comb
Knife
1 Water Pack w/ drinking tube
Stim Patches
Super-Glue
Grease
Beef Jerky

[Spike]

Allowing for variance in characters I view the following as 'Ideal'.

Standard firearm is either a smaller SMG or a full bore assault rifle with something undermounted, depending on the mission. Stealth runs will tend to default to the SMG's. Complimenting that will be one or two (identical, because I love Woo) heavy pistols as back ups, and a knife (fineblade) as virtually mandatory. If there is an assault rifle in play there is definitely a helmet on the head, and regardless I'll have some sort of visual gear (lowlight and thermo, mag, flare comp all standard) either cyber or external. Because I'm paranoid, if possible one or two grenades will provide emergency problem solving. Typically I'll carry one reload for pistols (unless primary weapons) and 5 mags for the primary weapon.

Typically ammo is either standard ball or improved explosive, nothing fancier. I do favor shock gloves as standard hand ware, they can be turned on as needed... but really that's a personal quirk.


But really, everything is mission dependant. If you need to keep casualties to a minumum, or you have to infiltrate a secure facility you would go much lighter and probably focus on, say, tasers or DMSO squirt cocktails. If you are going in a mercenary style assault force you bring the Machine Guns and AGL's.... if you are expected to provide overwatch for a team of ninja in a wide open area you bring a sniper rifle... whatever...

The big thing is not loading yourself down with every item under the sun. Most GM's let shit like that fly (you are carrying a minigun on an arm harness, two assault rifles, one with a grenade launcher, one with a shotgun, three pistols, two SMGs, four thousand rounds of ammo and a monowire assault axe? No problem, you should be able to pick up the target of the extraction and toss him over your shoulder on your way out the door... ooh... and three hundred kilo's of semtex? Sweet!)... but every once in a while...

[hyzmarca]

There comes a point in every shadowrunner's career when he comes to understand that the rules in Arsenal allow you to modify a MGL-12 or a GL-67 to fire full-auto. Once both you and your enemies grasp the implications of this, you need no other weapon. Until that time, you can supplement it with a full-auto Panther loaded with AV rounds.

[Tarantula]

And 22P grenades are that bad?

[pbangarth]

There comes a point in every shadowrunner's career when he comes to understand that the rules in Arsenal allow you to modify a MGL-12 or a GL-67 to fire full-auto. Once both you and your enemies grasp the implications of this, you need no other weapon. Until that time, you can supplement it with a full-auto Panther loaded with AV rounds.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif) Why take a flyswatter and a sledgehammer when a sledgehammer can do both jobs?

Peter

[Stahlseele]

grenades are too flashy and too loud . . and in my hands/dice generally about as stable a weapon as the shokk attack gun . .
there's a diagram to show grenade scatter . . i once manged to botch and critically botch and the grenade landed right behind my character after i tried to throw the grenade with all my might . .
the grenade will,if i shoot/throw them, more or less behave like the dice that hit the table they are rolled on . . yeah, rest of the Group usually has their OhShit-Moments, when i declare use of such stuff <.<
fully automatic shotgun sounds nice, only problem is the doubled uncompensated recoil . . but then again, you practically have a better assault-cannon with something like that . .
10S Base Damage, 16-20D on full auto, with ExEx 20D Damage . . APDS or AV doing more ouchies still . .
fully automatic assault cannon, going from 18 to 24-28D Damage with that kind of recoil? is that really worth it?
i'd rather see more ways to reduce recoil from a minigun, as that is by far the strongest gun aside from ship armament in the whole game . .
starts with? 7S damage, fixed fire rate of 15 bullets, so 7+15=22D base, with ExEx 24D again . . ok, not stronger than the fdull auto assault cannon, but eh, it's like this in standard version . .
if you can manage to get your target number low enough, you hit, you KILL . . aside from Hardened Armor, where this thing goes pling pling pling ^^
the GM once forgot about that, had an orc actually hit an troll who was wearing Heavy Military Armor . . so 7 hardened armor . . gleefull to have the big troll taken care of, the face fell like a propperly demolished building, after he got reminded, that 7S Base damage was not greater than 7 hardened ballistic armor . . so even with the full 22 Damage(because there was no APDS or ExEx in there) the Troll shrugged it off like a nice little summer rain and went on to bash the orcs head in . . and of course, he looted the big gun and the GM had to watch as he hosed down entire groups of NPC's with it . . it was a sight to beold let me tell you ^^

[Heath Robinson]

An AK98 with GV3 (slot-in). And another 19 guys with AK98s.

There is no kill like overkill.

[Cthulhudreams]

Non street sammie style combat characters have a really limited range of weapons - because I only ever take the automatics skill.

so they use SMGs and have an assault rifle floating around for when they have the option.

Street sammie style have weapons tailored for role. Usually a sniper rifle and mono whip.

[the_real_elwood]

There comes a point in every shadowrunner's career when he comes to understand that the rules in Arsenal allow you to modify a MGL-12 or a GL-67 to fire full-auto. Once both you and your enemies grasp the implications of this, you need no other weapon. Until that time, you can supplement it with a full-auto Panther loaded with AV rounds.

In SR3 I designed a rifle based on the sport rifle chassis that was full-auto and did a base of 9S damage. I never actually tried it out in a game, but I always wanted to. Seemed like a better alternative than an assault rifle.

[Sceptic]

My favourite weapon?

Morrissey Élan. With either stick and shock or Hi-C rounds, depending on how heavy security is.

[Sceptic]

Heavy Pistol. Something like a ruger revolver or salvate guardian. Smartlinked, silenced and loaded with ex-explosive or APDS (if I can find any). This serves for that "gotta kill/destroy in one shot" time but still needs to be stealthy.

Because nothing says stealthy like explosive ammo... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif)

[Starmage21]

my gun bunnies always carry:

Ares Predator (silenced) w/Stick & Shock rounds.
Ares Predator (Gas Vent 1) w/EX-Ex
Ares Alpha (Gas Vent 3, Shock Pad) w/Reg(ball) or EX-Ex depending on the bang needed.

Usually dont need much more than that. Also, I hate the new art on the Predator IVs. I still think of it as the robocop gun (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[shuya]

my current character only carries an AVS, bone-stock. it's a lot easier to explain away why you have one thing you're not supposed to be carrying as opposed to six (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

though i sorta want to get it modded for electronic firing, full auto, and some recoil mods. never know when you might need to lay down a hail of flechettes on someone/thing

[Stahlseele]

yes, there's the argument about getting caught with this set up . .
but the other side: if i am getting caught, i'm probably doing something that will get me into deep trouble anyway,so i will most likely need all the bang i have to get out one way or the other O.o
and for the most part, the gun bunny should not be somewhere where he can get in trouble for being a gun bunny. aside from when he has to be the gun bunny because trouble started up o.O
allways carried: bone lace Plastic, Hardliner Gloves, Shock-Glove, Tazer/Dart-Gun and one or two Blades ore a telescoping stick . . nothing that will net you any trouble and all things that can be considered self defense weapons only . .
the guns with real bang come out to PARTY . . meaning, when i am sneaking into a facility to do whatever . . if i get caught in there, shit has hit the fan allready, so i usually don't need to care about that anymore ^^

As for Silenced Weapons with ExEx Ammo . . so you see and hear the explosions, but if you don't see whoever is shooting those exploding things, can you see/hear the silenced gun firing at you, when you're a bit pre-occupied with the exploding bits allready?
you know there's someone somewhere shooting, but you can only see where he's aiming, not where he's shooting from . . nice way to get people to duck for cover or something . .

[Hammer]

You do realize that explosive ammo doesn't really explode like a grenade or something. Its impact wouldn't be really louder than the impact of a normal round.

[the_real_elwood]

This makes me wish my GM was a little looser with APDS. In his games, it turns up even more rarely than it normally would. Though for one job, the face got lucky and made the ridiculous availability roll and scored us some rounds, and when we used it we pretty much wiped the floor with everyone we shot with it.

[Sceptic]

You do realize that explosive ammo doesn't really explode like a grenade or something. Its impact wouldn't be really louder than the impact of a normal round.

Not much of an explosion, but I suspect it would be enough to negate slightly the -4 dice pool modifier to notice the weapons use that a silencer provides. Perhaps -3 for explosive rounds, and -2 for ex-explosive. Or, if the GM is really nasty, perhaps even -2 for explosive rounds and -0 for ex-explosive.

*shrug*

If you really want stealth, go with subsonic ammo.

[Cthulhudreams]

What explosive ammo does and does not do is an open topic for debate. The range of opinion includes frangible ammo (which would make no more noise that subsonic or whatever) to explosive mini grenade style stuff.

It will also completely derail the thread if you debate it.

[Snow_Fox]

For day to day, usually a Colt Manhunter.

If in a tense place, add a colt Asp with fletchette ammo

If I want intimidation, Ruger Superwarhawk the EX ammo

For a serious run add an MP-5 with a laser sight and vent 4.

[Remjin]

One of our guys just carries a really big stick with pink studs that light up, and occasionally tries to lance people while riding his souped-up motor scooter.... he's kind of our semi-comedy relief Troll, at least until we calculate the damage... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Falconer]

Generally as someone who isn't the streetsam or gunbunny... Normally w/ just a token 1 to 3 rank in pistols(automatics).

A good taser (the 8S one which doubles as both a pistol/melee weapon is great... and won't raise any regulatory eyebrows).
A good light pistol, preferably suppressed and nicely concealable. I tend to like gel, taser already does 8S SnS... gel rounds in light pistol w/ 1 net hit are 7S already on impact... and target is at -2 Bod against knockdown. Anything short of APDS in light isn't overly usefull IMO (stun will do the trick on most living... and most drones have a good 9 armor and 5 net hits for a non-gun bunny.... to get over that armor threshhold).

If heavier combat is expected, a good heavy pistol w/ a good combat round anything from normal ammo to APDS.