A. Conventional Terran Weapons:
M-300 General Electric Minigun (modified for infantry use):
Name in XCOM: Auto Cannon
Uses: fire suppression, fire support, ranged combat
Ammunition: Anti-personnel, Incendiary, High Explosive rounds
Comments:
The G.E. ("We bring good things to life") M-300 is one sweet mother even though it weighs quite a bit and you need a big strong guy or gal to carry the gun and ammunition. Excellent fire capacity and multiple ammunition types give this beauty all kinds of flexibility in the field. I recommend using High Explosive rounds for long range fire suppression (in clear areas, don't want to fry any civilians) and then AP rounds for close in work if for example you're raiding a downed UFO. And of course, the incendiary shells work wonders for field defolliation in jungle or forest areas not to mention bunker busting, this weapon made the flamethrower obsolete overnight for this kind of work (just don't get overzealous). Of course this honey is a bit spendy on ammo so you need to watch the full auto fire but with the advent of powered armor, this unit is still seeing service even after plasma and laser based weapons made most human weaponry worthless. In my opinion, a real work of art and a great squad automatic weapon in particular.
9 mm Colt Python II assault pistol:
Name in XCOM: Pistol
Uses: room clearing, minimum range combat, backup.
Ammunition: 9 mm light armor piercing round
Comments:
The Python 2 is the standard issue assault pistol XCOM contracted
for and was equipped with, during the first month's of the Alien
War. This system hadn't seen much, if any, use in other major military or police units prior to the war because of the outstanding Glock
9 mm pistol which was in use at that time. The Python 2's lack of a three shot burst capability also made this weapon something of an oddity among other submachine pistols, but with the right ammunition and the right troop carrying it, most accuracy problems could be avoided at close range. Unfortunately, close range work was generally all this weapon was good for, to a great extent, though it served as an excellent backup for most troops carrying heavy weapons with limited ammunition loadouts (the Predator anti-tank missile launcher which was used during the first year of the war is a case in point).
With that in mind, this pistol actually managed to remain relatively popular among XCOM troops as the laser pistol was not even close to being as accurate (thanks to the Python's underbarrel laser sight) and even after the introduction of the light and power efficient laser energy rifle, until the capture and production of alien plasma powered weapons rendered the Python II obsolete about three years into the war.
Predator Medium Anti-tank Missile Launcher:
Name in XCOM: Rocket Launcher
Uses: Extended range fire support, wide area target suppression, demolition,
Ammunition: Arrow Light High Explosive Rocket, Lance Medium Range High Explosive Rocket, Hellstorm II Medium Range Incendiary Dispersal Rocket.
Comments:
For the better part of the First Alien War, the Predator shoulder launched Anti-tank missile system remained the most destructive weapon in XCOM's arsenal. Originally designed to defeat the reactive armor systems deployed on modern tanks, the Predator was easily converted to anti-personnel use, especially in regards to some of the heavier alien terror weapons. Capable of putting a High Explosive warhead within a foot of a designated target, the Predator launcher gave XCOM assault team's a flexible man portable form of artillery support which was relatively light and easy to carry and by God, effective.
Aliens did not get back up and shake themselves off after a hit from one of these babies. Often used to destroy large enemy troop concentrations from long range, the Predator was again adapted for use in the Tank/Rocket Launcher variant of the standard XCOM Heavy Weapons platform which is quite probably the biggest reason for that particular model of tank's popularity. Using a wire-guided rocket available in a number of different warhead configurations and teamed with a laser designator, the Predator launcher remained extremely popular during the war. However, due to the weight requirements imposed on soldiers carrying extra-ammunition, along with the cumbersome weapon itself, the Predator was generally discontinued in line units though it remained a mainstay of the HWP armored platoons and was very popular with aerospace troop transport personnel for providing cover fire during tactical retreats and as a defensive support weapon deployed in unsecured Landing Zones.
Colt/Beretta M-26A "Bearcat" Assault Rifle
Name in XCOM: Rifle or Sniper Rifle
Uses: medium range/close range combat, light fire suppression, counter-sniper defense,
Ammunition: light armor piercing round; clip, drum, or belt fed.
Comments:
M-210 "Bowser" man-portable recoiless cannon
Name in XCOM: Heavy Cannon
Uses: long range fire support, heavy fire suppression, area effect, demolition, accurate ranged sniping,
Ammunition: heavy anti-tank/anti-armor shell, high explosive area effect shell, incendiary dispersal shell;
clip fed.
Comments:
"Bowser" is among one of the most controversial weapons ever used by XCOM, primarily because you either loved or hated the gun. The critics despised the weight of the cannon and moaned about how a missile launcher could have done the job better, while the advocates lauded the exceptional firepower and versatility "Bowser" gave a squad by way of fire support and first shot kills. Either way, this particular piece of equipment was exceptionally reliable in the field, though the person carrying it had to be pretty strong to take the weapon's weight and the six shot clip ammunition which could be expended pretty quick in a fire fight.
Still, "Bowser" remained in service for a full two years into the war, eventually being supplanted by advances in the M-300 gatling cannon, and even then still seeing continuing use by air crews in need of a mounted fire suppression weapon for their transports. Another interesting fact is that "Bowser" was first adapted for portable use from the recoiless cannons used in first generation "ROVER" HWP's before the advent of the Tank/Rocket Launcher. All in all a solid weapon with a versatile deployment.
B. Advanced First Generation Laser Weaponry
C. Rebuilt Alien First Generation Plasma Weaponry
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