Scalpel

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

Description

Blue Planet Tech Room Description

The SCWS-3 Scalpel is the third member of the Shekar-Johnson product line purpose-built for the Federation navy. A subsystem disruptor designed for customs duty, the Scalpel is an ion pathshock weapon that delivers powerful current down a plasma stream, compromising even Faraday-caged systems. Good range allows the user to engage enemy turrets from a relatively safe distance, but the Scalpel cannot outrange Alliance anti-fighter beam weapons. It performs respectably against shields, and some pilots even use it as a dogfight weapon. At one point during the Isolation, the Scalpel was the standard-issue weapon on Federation fighters, but the outbreak of the recent conflict ended this policy.

Performance

Statistics

Range	935 m
Rate of Fire	2.86 shots per second
Velocity	850 ms-1
Base Damage	40
Armor Damage	0.0x	0
Shield Damage	0.5x	20
Subsystem Damage	1.0x	40

Notes

Veteran Comments

Please read the Veteran Comments policy before editing this section.

I haven't found much use for this weapon. The Archer and Paveway mostly satisfy my anti-subsystem needs. Not really worth sacrificing a weapon bank for in my opinion.

With a slight buff to shield damage this weapon could make a good combination shield breaker and subsystem disruptor, which could increase its utility. Something to consider for future patches.

The Scalpel received a shield damage buff in the 1.1 patch which gave it equal shield DPS to the Circe in addition to its anti-subsystem properties.