Balor

The following information has not been confirmed by Volition and is therefore not canon for the FreeSpace universe.

The Balor is a rapid-fire particle cannon developed by the GTVA as a result of the Threat Exigency Initiative. The Balor was designed with flexibility in mind; its high refire rate and projectile speed makes it an excellent weapon of choice against bombs and smaller, faster enemies, while sustained fire and successive hits allows it to grind through the hulls of heavy bombers within a reasonable amount of time. In addition, the Balor's low energy drain means that it can be fired for prolonged periods, even with decreased weapons energy recharge. The success of the Balor prompted it to be mass-produced even during the economic collapse that arose as a result of the Capella supernova, and its versatility on the field was put to good use in the 14th Battlegroup during their misadventure to Sol.

The Balor employs a cycle-fire pattern that causes it to fire a single shot from each chamber sequentially, rather than the more common simultaneous-fire pattern found in almost all pre-Capella weapons that fire a single shot from all chambers at once. Hence, the Balor's firing speed is proportional to the number of firing points of the primary weapon bank it is mounted on. When mounted on a primary bank with more than two firing points, such as the lower quad bank of an Aurora heavy reconnaissance fighter, the Balor's firing rate is increased dramatically.

The Balor

Description

Blue Planet Tech Room Description

The Balor particle cannon is a production derivative of the UD-8 Kayser technology, optimized for low energy usage and high rate of fire. Developed by a collaborative crash program between the Akheton Corporation and Triton Dynamics, the Balor is designed to give GTVA fighters flexible, sustained firepower, capable of engaging nimble Shivan light fighters and massive bombers alike. The Balor's design reflects the bloody lessons of Capella - its high rate of fire allows it to excel at warhead intercept. Produced in massive numbers even during the post-war economic collapse, the high-compatibility Balor is now used in every Terran fighter squadron of the GTVA. The Balor was the first result of the post-Capella Threat Exigency Initiative.

Performance

Statistics

Range	1125 m
Rate of Fire	5 shots per second
Velocity	675 ms-1
Base Damage	16
Armor Damage	1.0x	16
Shield Damage	1.0x	16
Subsystem Damage	0.4x	6.4

Notes

Veteran Comments

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The Balor is the weapon that can give the GTW UD-8 Kayser a run for its money. In fact, the Balor in its original incarnation actually outstrips the Kayser in terms of overall damage done per second if every shot hits. Subsequent revisions of AoA have rebalanced the Balor so that it is now more on par with the GTW Prometheus S.

The Balor isn't the monster it once was, and it can't provide the single-hit snapshot punch of the Prometheus S or UD-8 Kayser, but it has minimal energy usage, it's an excellent bomb interceptor, and it certainly outperforms its predecessor the Subach HL-7. The Balor's balance is a delicate matter since it serves as one of the primary antagonist fighter weapons in War in Heaven.

Think of the Balor as the GTW Mekhu HL-7 on steroids. The Balor, paired with the Prometheus S, can absolutely rip apart Shivan beam weapons, as each "bullet" deals roughly 1 to 2% damage. This can save you the pain of bringing other turret crippling weapons, especially in Forced Entry. Preserving the Balance provides a finer example of the disarming feature along with intercept capability.

It's the GTW ML-16 or GTW Subach HL-7 for Blue Planet. It has about the same damage per second of the Prometheus S. Every bolt is a little more powerful than a Subach bolt. Although it lacks the single hit power of the Kayser or Prometheus, it's absurd rate of fire and energy efficiency make it perfectly serviceable in nearly every situation. When taking on maneuverable fighters with a high AI level, it might be better to take a gun that will take them out in a couple well placed shots. The Balor's not the best gun for every situation, but it is for most of them, and it's pretty good at everything else.

One minor disadvantage of this weapon can show if you decide to use it on a fighter that has a 2/2 gun configuration. If you decide to use it in tandem with another weapon, the Balor's fire rate reduces quite a bit. This is not a problem if you place the Balor in the quad bank (such as an Aurora or Myrmidon), but in a ship like the Perseus, you're better off swapping the Balor for a Prometheus S or UD-8 Kayser if you tend to use both weapon banks simultaneously. However, the Balor will serve well if the ship has only one slot or has a Maxim in its other slot, as a Balor used by itself provides an excellent fire rate.