Skewer Launcher

Due to the makeshift nature of its construction, the specific mechanics vary from launcher to launcher in minor ways. Generally speaking, the Skewer is a single-shot break-action launcher. To reload, the break release has to be pressed, allowing the front half of the barrel to flip up. The user has to manually slide in the ammunition; a rocket-sized metal harpoon known as a "skewer," into the tube. Depending on the type loaded, these skewers can be barbed, coated in poison, or carry an explosive payload. Once closed the skewer's end is pressed against a piston in the back of the barrel. Now the Skewer Launcher is ready to fire. The gun seems to operate off of a unique tension-based launching mechanism, which differs from the standard gunpowder ignition system seen in most other firearms. When the trigger is pulled, it forces air through a pipe that feeds into a pressurized air tank in the stock of the weapon. The air builds up immense pressure until it forces the piston in the back forwards. Propelling the spike forward at incredible speed. The pressure can be adjusted by a valve and gauge located underneath the telescopic sight on the left of the weapon. They typically have a carry handle on top for ease of transport. Very rarely do Skewer Launchers have safety mechanisms so it is best to carry it around unloaded until the user is ready to fire.   Because the goblins have a proclivity to leave their creations "naked," the inner workings of the Skewer are left exposed. This means that the Skewer has to frequently be cleaned to prevent grime from building up and jamming the piston. If the air tank in the back is ruptured, the entire weapon becomes inoperable. This danger has been reduced slightly in newer models that allow for a crude ballistic shield made of a thin sheet of scrap metal to be fixed to the barrel's muzzle.

Like a lot of goblin weapons, the construction of a Skewer Launcher is as barebones as one can get. The barrel is typically made out of a scrap piece of thick metal pipe that the goblins salvaged. A hydraulic piston is taken from a broken security door and welded into the back of the gun where the piston head can freely move. Then a pressurized air tank is welded to the back of the pipe and piston. The trigger mechanism can be salvaged from a number of sources but the preferred source is from gas pumping handles. Tubing is affixed to the trigger and feeds into the air tank. Slap a scope on it and you have yourself a Skewer Launcher.   The harpoons are usually cast in a mold and then sharpened and polished into a wicked point or are pieces of rebar that have been filed down.

The Skewer was designed and built by goblins for use by the Kuwakens.

The Skewer combines a sniper rifle's functionality with a rocket launcher's form factor. The large projectile of the weapon is extremely powerful, capable of killing large targets in single shots. Its primary function is that of an anti-material rifle. Capable of penetrating the armored shell of tanks. The only things it can't destroy with a direct hit are particularly large vehicles. When used against infantry, the size and force of the projectile impact alone are enough to send even large targets flying back and almost always guarantee an instant kill. The harpoon also severs limbs and typically pins whatever is left of the target to a wall -which is how the weapon earned its name.   The downsides to the Skewer Launcher are due to the weight of the projectile, it has significantly less reach than you’re standard sniper rifle -with the average effective range of a Skewer Launcher being 150 meters (378ft) compared to the average anti-material rifle's effective range of 800 meters (2,600ft). Which usually isn’t a problem in the tight spaces of the Trench. The Skewer's harpoon has a sharper parabolic arc than a standard bullet or rocket when fired but maintains its velocity for longer, coupled with its mass, making it unlikely to make a full stop on the first impact with a target. Another weight-related problem is the matter of carrying each harpoon for the weapon. Which leads to a having low number of reserve ammunition on your person. Because of the insane amount of recoil, the Skewer’s use is restricted to only well-conditioned individuals or members of larger species like the Kuwakens.