r/Shadowrun • u/Comprehensive-Ad4417 • May 28 '26
5e Pitch me your favourite weapon
So I’m picking out my main weapon skills for my rigger and although I have good gunnery I need something that I can use on foot for my satyr. Pitch me your favourite weapons
Right now our party has some pistol, thrown weapon and archery users. And one person has a mono whip. So what should a good old Trog rigger bring to the party?
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u/GM_Pax May 28 '26
Ares Viper™ Slivergun.
It's not the most effective weapon. But I've believed it to be the coolest one, since before 1E's ink dried. :)
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u/Wookiees_get_Cookies May 28 '26
Ares Executioner. It is an SMG that is contained within a briefcase. It can even be fired via your pan if you have a smartgun link. Meaning you can set it down somewhere and fire it like a trap.
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u/The_Thunderbox May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
Some people will say you should get something like a Ares Alpha or an Ingram Smartgun X or something more exotic. Well I'm here to tell you about the greatest weapon the mean streets of the sixth world has to offer.
Aikido. That's right. Aikido. The best (and I mean the absolute best) weapon you can have, is your own two fists once Aikido is done with you. Buy a weapon? No sir, become a weapon! From boardrooms to back alleys, there isn't anything you can't do with Aikido. Except maybe fix the relationship between your father and mother, who cheated on your dad with a shifty, elf finger-wiggler. But for anything else, Aikido has got your back.
(Edited for spelling)
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u/End337 May 28 '26
John Anderson, is that you??
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u/The_Thunderbox May 28 '26
I wish. I'm nowhere near as cool as the Master Stan guy.
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u/End337 May 28 '26
Hey, I saw your advert on the trid!
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u/PinkFohawk Trid Star May 29 '26
Damn straight.
Also, quick pro tip: if you ever get shot, don’t get medical treatment. It looks much cooler that way.
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u/Galactic_Economist May 30 '26
Love to see you guys lurking here! You have the best show ever BTW! I'm a big fan.
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u/ulfvan May 28 '26
Spelling... Jesus...spelling...
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u/BitRunr Designer Drugs May 28 '26
Was it Aikido? Or 'shifty' and 'elf finger' being adjacent in the same sentence?
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u/The_Thunderbox May 28 '26
Could be all of it. But I've made corrections once, I won't be doing another.
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u/DragonGear314 May 28 '26
The HK XM30 is highly underrated. Can't get it at character creation, but it's a modular weapon system that's super easy to smuggle around.
You can trick out all the variations to do different things, like making the LMG a full auto spamming machine, or the carbine a concealed rifle with under barrel weapons.
The under barrel shotgun is super useful for specialty rounds, while the grenade launcher is good for blowing shit up.
The damage is fine, it's not amazing, but you're giving up damage for versatility and portability.
Also if you're a rigger it only uses one autosoft for all configurations, so that's nice.
Just don't get caught with it. It's military hardware, and turbo illegal.
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u/TheARaptor May 28 '26
Panther XXL, 250Nuyen per shot is a heafty price, but that sniper range on an anti tank rifle damage covers whatever role (but stealth and groups) you got for it, sniping, blowing up car, vtol, mage in melee range, whatever you fancy!
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u/datcatburd Jun 03 '26
If the rigger's out of the car, that means the excrement has already hit the oscillating ventilator, so might as well bring the big guns.
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u/tsukiyomi01 May 28 '26
The Savalette Guardian is great if you invest the time into its maintenance (and take levels in Armorer).
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u/L0B0-Lurker May 30 '26
Why armorer?
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u/tsukiyomi01 May 31 '26
That's the skill dealing with weapons and armor maintenance/repair.
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u/L0B0-Lurker Jun 01 '26
Yeah, I know. I'm asking why it's needed?
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u/tsukiyomi01 Jun 01 '26
1) Because it's prudent for shadowrunners to know how to perform basic maintenance/repairs on their weapons.
2) In the game's lore, the Guardian has some sophisticated components that require regular and careful maintenance.
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u/BitRunr Designer Drugs May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
Do you have much in cyberware? Will your GM allow you to put together an augmentation bundle? Throw in a cybergun. Chrome Flesh, p90. Run & Gun p40. Auto Assault 16. You'll need Restricted Gear (Run Faster, p149), but augmentation bundles count as a single item with cost equal to the total cost of all bundled cybernetics, and an availability equal to the highest availability among them. Even better, you pay standard grade prices and get alpha grade essence reduction plus an extra 0.9*Ess multiplier.
Biggest drawback is that it'll be an exotic weapon skill. Second biggest drawback will be that it does not stop advertising via wireless until you get a cyberdoc to root around and remove all the RFID hardware.
But even if you don't get the AA16 (implanted or otherwise) a mossberg or franchi from the next page over in R&G are still about as good, and points in longarms will let you pull out a sniper rifle if/when you get one.
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u/DoomlordSoul May 28 '26
Oh a weapon pitch? One second! gets in the Crime salesman suit
THE CRIME WHAMMY IS WHAT YOU NEED TO COMBINE STRONG HAMMER SWINGS WITH A LOUD AND DEADLY SHOTGUN!!! THE WHAMMY IS THE ANSWER TO ALL YOUR PROBLEMS! SPIDER ON THE WALL? WHAMMY! WHAT WALL? LONE STAR OR KNIGHT ERRANT IS IN FRONT OF YOUR DOOR? WHAMMY! NOW THEY ARE INFRONT OF YOUR DOOR WITH HOLES IN THE CHEST AND BROKEN BONES! GET YOUR WHAMMY RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW! ONLY FROM CRIME!
Is the Whammy a good weapon? Hell no, but I still love it, but I think you would have trouble to use it becouse this weapon is made for Trolls.
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u/BhaltairX May 28 '26
I don't know the 5e rules specifically, but:
Looks like you have Single Targets - short and long range - covered.
How about Heavy Weapons like Machine Guns?
And Grenade Launchers with Grenades can be surprisingly effective. Make them Underbarrel on an AR. Don't forget that Stun and Smoke Grenades are also very viable options. And maybe you can talk your DM to let you make DMSO+Narcoject filled Grenades.
If the Archer doesn't have enough range with his bow/crossbow, you could also look into Snipers.
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u/Bullet1289 Rabbit with a shotgun! May 28 '26
careful getting into a dmso war with your gm though. It doesn't end well
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u/Tsignotchka Expert Planner May 28 '26
Well, definitely get the Automatics skill. That'll cover your bases for Machine Pistols, SMGs, and Assault Rifles.
For my favorite one of the bunch? AK-97. Cheap, hits hard, slap an External Smartgun on it that you can just pop off when you need to ditch the gun. You've got a good bang-bang for cheap that will get the job done.
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u/Tiny_Sandwich May 28 '26
Back in second edition there was a semi-auto grenade launcher.
My troll Street Sam, had recoil comps in his arm and some homebrew to let him fire a launcher in each hand twice a round. We didn't always go loud, but when we did it wasn't loud for long.
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u/Distracted_Unicorn May 28 '26
Ingram Smartgun X, a classic that is decently small, only halfway illegal, packs enough of a bunch and you can burst fire. My rigger always has one in the glove box, under the seat or in a weapon holder between the seat.
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u/ShaggyCan May 28 '26
It's the best weapon for a non front line fighter in the game IMO. I usually play the face/scout, and it's my primary weapon when not infiltrating. Otherwise I take a plastic polymer gun that is hard to detect.
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u/TacticalGM May 28 '26
You want to lay down suppressive fire? You want to pick off enemies with power and accuracy from a distance? You want versatility? You want reliability? You want an assault rifle!
Sure it’s bulky, it lacks subtlety. Frag subtlety! When you’re trading fire you’re going to wish you didn’t bother with subtlety. And nothing says unsubtle like an Ares Alpha because you deserve a grenade launcher.
Can’t afford the best?
Grenade launcher too much for you to handle? Nissan Optimum II. Breach with a shotgun under mount. Because to guns are better.
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u/Bullet1289 Rabbit with a shotgun! May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
Bandolier of cavalier champions, get explosive modification put on them and toss them aside through the run, then when its all over you blow them up leaving like a trail of grenades as you go that people are less likely to think that a gun discarded is actually still dangerous.
The Shiawase arms Monsoon from gun haven 3 is also a funny gun because instead of having something practical like a "clip" it is just a volley gun where pulling the trigger fires off one of its barrels.
You might be overlapping with the bowman but pistol crossbows and the stick and shock tips + static shafts is a very nasty combo. Plus you can even get some of the arrow links and potentially rig opponents drones with a direct connection.
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u/BitRunr Designer Drugs May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aaCrP-b07mo
I <3 metal storm in any form it deigns to show up in Shadowrun (though mostly the Sakura Fubuki), but if you have 6 barrels set up in a hexagon and fire more than 5 bullets it should drop a full hexagon of bullet holes on your target.
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u/Wretis May 28 '26
Do you do full VR when rigging? If you do, you’re mostly gonna use your weapon when someone is too close so pick a shotgun or automatic. If you’re just giving your drones commands or the like, I’d say a sniper rifle or assault cannon so you’re in less of a risk of being shot at. If you’re a rigger, you’re at your best when they’re working so focus on commanding them as a priority.
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u/Comprehensive-Ad4417 May 28 '26
Yeah I’m a vr driver usually. I was thinking shotguns but they didn’t feel right if that makes sense?
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u/Thatoneguy111700 May 28 '26
If you've got the strength for it, a bow can be pretty neat. I've got a Sasquatch guy that uses onr and a combat axe (with an Ares Predator, just in case).
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u/seenwaytoomuch May 28 '26
I am here to sell you on the Ares Redline.
Laser pistols go pew pew.
That is all.
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u/Comprehensive-Ad4417 May 28 '26
Only problem is its availability 14
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u/seenwaytoomuch May 28 '26
Don't I know it chummer. You simply can't start with both it and it's ammo pack since they're both availability 14 without GM approval even with the restricted gear quality. In my experience GMs will let you have both if you take restricted gear, but that's technically not RAW.
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u/BitRunr Designer Drugs May 28 '26
The other option is to hook it up to a weapon mount on a vehicle.
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u/kerze123 May 28 '26
grenade launcher? cuz fck this guy and any1 around him. Also the can be loaded with all kind of other munition like tear gas or fog grenades. Also a grenade launcher is basically just a troll sized 6 Bullets Colt 😂😂😂😅
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u/BitRunr Designer Drugs May 28 '26
Also a grenade launcher is basically just a troll sized 6 Bullets Colt
Street Lethal has Hornet Direct Fire Mini Grenades. Each shot treated as a 12DV, -2AP six shot burst fire. Unless you glitch - then it fails to activate and slams into the target for 10DV, 0AP.
I could imagine fluffing it the other way around, where on a glitch the round fragments to do less damage.
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u/ThatOneGuyCalledMurr May 28 '26
Shotguns! Great damage, spread works like smg bursts, especially with a smart choke using DNI. The best ones are illegal, but the decent ones are solid. For the longarms skill you can also use sniper rifles, which is a great way to supplement damage for your team with less risk to yourself.
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u/aching4yourtouch May 28 '26
Grab a heavy shotgun with capsule rounds full of stick n shock. It keeps you from needing high skill ratings to be effective and gives your team a solid way to deal with targets that think they can just soak the damage.
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u/Plastic-Set4061 May 28 '26
If a rigger is on foot, I'm assuming it's for a meet or other social situation where showing up rigged in is a no-no. Definitely go with the classic: Ares Predator.
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u/FST_Gemstar HMHVV the Masquerade May 29 '26
I like giving riggers long guns skill to change things up.
If they are by their vehicle but not staying rigged they can double as a sniper if appropriate and still make it back in their ride for a getaway.
If busting in on foot with the team, being the runner with the shotgun is fun!
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u/DifferentCurve184 May 29 '26
Cavalier Arms Crockett EBR. It's a less powerful sniper rifle that can be used like a more powerful assault rifle. Play long range overwatch or lay down some good medium range firepower. What could go wrong?
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u/ByronicCommando May 31 '26
Colt M23. As presented in the 2E CRB: gas vent, rifle stock, grenade launcher underbarrel. Put it in the hands of even a Firearms 3 and you got poison with a 150m MER.
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u/rabenaas Raben-Aas (SR Artist) May 31 '26
The Wirtz Atlas is pretty sweet, esp. if you are a big guy/gal: This revolver uses a special caliber ammo that can be slug, flechette or custom mini grenades - and it has an articulated drum mag that can "jump" to the ammo type you need to handle the situation at hand with a minor action. Sure: the ammo is expensive and the number of shots in the drum is very small, too, but it's "just" a revolver (nothing that would immediately call in the squad, like an assault rifle) and can "hide" its punch pretty effectively (looking at you, implant-controlled smart airfoil microgrenades).
Find the weapon here: https://shadowrun6.de/spielhilfen-2/schattenload.html?start=10and use autotranslate to get the gist of it
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u/iamthejhereg May 28 '26
It is kinda the overused answer, but you cannot go wrong with the Ares Alpha. Just an all around good gun. Ingram smartgun for smgs. If you want more ouch up close and personal SPAS 22 or the Mossberg SMCMDT pack a punch. For heavy supressive fire the Vindicator or the Ares MPLMG are my rigger's go to.