Introduction

A sniper, or sharpshooter, is an individual trained to shoot an opponent from a distance, often hundreds of meters away, and most of the time from a concealed location. A sniper requires patience, control and cunning to accomplish his goals but stealth was considered the greatest asset. In the Empire, modified scout troopers undertook the role as Imperial snipers. They are required to infiltrate deep into enemy territory to eliminate high-profile targets, reap fear and generate confusion within the ranks of the Rebellion.

KORIKAR DH-112 SNIPER RIFLE INTRODUCTION

The Korikar Dh-112 Sniper Rifle is the staple weapon of Imperial Stormtrooper Snipers. The Dh-112 is a deadly variation on the Korikar Dh-111. The Korikar fires rounds at up to seven times the speed of sound. This means that a shot from the Korikar will almost always prove deadly to infantry, punching through all known infantry armour types with ease. The enormous speeds that the Korikar ammo reaches when fired is achieved by means of extra acceleration coils that are not present in most other Sniper rifles. The Korikar is also equipped with a Sniper Sight, naturally. What makes the Korikar Sniper Sight unique to other rifles is that the Emperor’s Hammer has designed a microcomputer that fits into the Sniper Sight. This computer can be linked up to the Sensor Array in an Imperial Scout Trooper’s helmet. When linked up, the computer will relay the information from the Sniper Sight to the Sensor Array, which will enables better target acquisition and thus ensures that targets may be eliminated more efficiently and quickly.  The Korikar has a maximum effective range of 1,600 metres and a maximum range of 2,000 metres.

KORIKAR DH-112 SNIPER RIFLE AMMO TYPES

The Korikar Dh-112 has two ammo types that can be used in the elimination of targets. These are:

• Super Sonic Rounds: These are the primary rounds of the Korikar Dh-112. Each Super Sonic Round is made from materials similar to those used in the construction of ship’s hulls. This has resulted in a very dense, heat-dissipating round. Each round is shaped for maximum penetration and leaves the muzzle of the Dh-112 at approximately 7 times the speed of sound.
• Explosive Rounds: These secondary rounds are designed primarily for the elimination of heavyweight targets such as vehicles or bunkers with ease. Explosive Rounds are slightly longer than their primary counterparts, due to the explosives in the nose of the round. They leave the muzzle at speeds of approximately 6 times the speed of sound.

KORIKAR DH-112 SNIPER RIFLE UPKEEP

Upkeep rules for the Korikar Dh-112 Sniper Rifle are relatively simple, yet must be observed and adhered to for the rifle to continue to function. The most important of these upkeep rules is the maintenance of the Dh-112’s acceleration coils. Due to the extreme velocity of the Dh-112’s rounds, the acceleration coils are under extreme pressure whenever being fired. While the addition of extra acceleration coils has reduced the stress by a little, the Dh-112 still needs constant maintenance, and this must sometimes be done in the field. Checking to see if the acceleration coils on the Korikar Dh-112 are in need of repair is a simple process though. Simply hook up the microcomputer inside the Sniper scope to your Scout Trooper helmet and initiate a self-analysis of the Sensor Array. The Sensor Array will begin a self-analysis and will also scan the Dh-112 for malfunctions in the acceleration coils. Note: This is a special modification made by the Emperor’s Hammer technicians to all Korikar Dh-112’s in Imperial care — it is not equipped on the factory model of the Korikar Dh-112. If the Sensor Array locates an error, then the Scout Trooper should attempt to fix it. Fixing the acceleration coils requires breaking down the Dh-112, and this is achieved by following these steps.

• Remove the protective armour casing around the central segment of the Korikar Dh-112.
• Less than five seconds after removing the casing, trigger the code combination given to you when you received your Korikar Dh-112, or the Dh-112’s self-destruct sequence will initiate and make the weapon useless. You should be able to access the code combination by linking your Sensor Array to the microcomputer located inside the sniping scope.
• After de-activating the Korikar Dh-112’s self-destruct mechanism, proceed to remove the Acceleration coils heat-sensory backup units.
• Without unravelling the acceleration coils, make sure that they are in one piece — if even one part of the acceleration coil is damaged, the entire coil system will not function.
• Should you find a break in the acceleration coil system, remove the liquid metal from your survival kit and gently smear it on wherever there is a break in the Acceleration coils… Once all the breaks have been covered, use your Sensor Array to initiate a test heating of the coils… The heating system that prepares the coils for firing is separate to the actual coil system so it will function even if the coils are damaged.
• Once activated, the heat system will fuse the liquid metal together, thus providing a temporary fix to the problem. However, once back at base, the Korikar should be handed over to an Emperor’s Hammer technician for more detailed upkeep. It should be noted that the liquid metal fusing is only a temporary solution so finding an Emperor’s Hammer technician is of the utmost importance as the liquid metal will eventually revert back to it’s liquid state after a limited number of weapon firings.
• Once fused, replace the protective armour casing on the Dh-112. The self-destruct mechanism will automatically rearm.

Should a malfunction be detected in the ammo encasing areas of the Dh-112, and the Sensor Array is linked up, the Sensor Array will warn the Scout Trooper of a possible ammo explosion. It is up to the Scout Trooper to then decide whether the ammo should be ejected or kept. However, should the Sensor Array not be hooked up to the Dh-112, the computer on the Korikar Dh-112 will eject the ammo on it’s own, to minimise the chance of the Scout Trooper dying due to faulty ammo.

Unfortunately, Emperor’s Hammer field upkeep technology is not yet sufficiently developed to allow for field repair of the microcomputer located in the Dh-112. Should the microcomputer malfunction, the Scout Trooper should attempt to perform his Sniper duties without the added benefits of the microcomputer. Scout Troopers should not attempt to use the explosive ammunition on the Korikar Dh-112 when the microcomputer is inoperative unless they hold an Expert Sniper classification. This is because the Korikar Dh-112 explosive ammo has a higher rate of malfunction, and it takes an Expert Sniper to determine how safe it is to use the ammunition.

APPRENTICE SNIPER ARMOUR

An Apprentice Sniper is equipped with standard Scout Trooper armour. This armour consists off the following equipment:

1. Lightweight armour
2. Two-piece black body glove
3. Helmet with macrobinocular viewplate and sensor array
4. Breathing apparatus
5. Utility belt with flares, concussion grenades, survival kit and blaster packs
6. Spare high-power sidearm blaster

Each of these pieces of equipment, in conjunction with a Korikar Dh-112, gives the Emperor’s Hammer Sniper a distinct edge in combat. The Scout Armour helmet used by Snipers contains a Sensor Array in addition to it’s macrobinocular viewplate. The Sensor Array can detect life forms at long distances, thus giving the Sniper opportunity to plan his attack and to avoid enemy patrols. This evasion of enemy patrols has proven vital to Sniper activities in the past and should be employed whenever possible. The two-piece black body glove is the standard body glove given to both Shock Troopers and Scout Troopers. The breathing apparatus, while not directly related to Sniper operations, has proven to save lives, so it has been retained for the model. One of the differences between the Scout Trooper and the Sniper is that the Scout Trooper’s equipment contains a computer storage pack. Since the Sniper relies heavily on stealth, he is not usually equipped with a Speeder Bike. Thus, the computer storage pack becomes redundant, and has been removed. However, Sniper’s also have a spare high-power sidearm blaster in addition to their Korikar Dh-112’s. This is because the Korikar Dh-112 is designed primarily for long range firing and is not really a melee weapon. Should a target approach too close to the Sniper, the sidearm blaster becomes a viable option. As such, the sidearm becomes one of the most important pieces of equipment a Sniper carries when his mission is cancelled or becomes compromised. The survival kit is also an essential part of a Sniper’s equipment. Since Sniper’s are often in the field for prolonged periods of time, the need for self-sustainment becomes apparent. Considering that a Sniper can be injured in combat, yet eliminate his attacker before the mission is compromised, the need for a survival kit readily grows apparent. The Sniper survival kit contains liquid metal, Bacta patches, spare blaster ammunition and other non-vital equipment. The liquid metal is used for field repairs on the Korikar Dh-112 though it can also be used for repairs on other field items, such as grenades and ammunition (though this should only be attempted by Snipers with Observer certification and above due to the risk of an ammo explosion). The Bacta patches are to be used for field medical purposes should the Sniper be injured. Take special note that if a Sniper’s injuries are not critical, and if mission integrity has not been compromised, the Sniper should still try to eliminate his target.

SNIPER TERMINOLOGY

The Sniper forces of the Emperor’s Hammer use a distinct terminology that should be learnt by all Apprentice Snipers so as to minimise confusion on the battlefield when orders are given…

• Mission Compromised: When a mission has been compromised, the enemy has discovered it, and they have tightened security around a target to the extent that it would be impossible for the Sniper to attack. The mission is also compromised if the Sniper is killed in action, or if the target is moved to a different location. Note: A mission can be discovered by the enemy and still be considered valid if the target is still accessible to the Sniper.
• Target: Simply, any thing that a Sniper tries to kill or destroy is considered a ‘target’ whether it is living or not. Once a target has been killed or destroyed, a Sniper will usually alert his comrades to this by the phrase, Target Eliminated, unless radio silence is being observed. Also, the word ‘kill’ can be applied to any target, be it living or otherwise. So, it is considered proper terminology for a Sniper to declare that he has ‘killed’ a tank.
• PPPPP: A famous saying of Sniper’s — PPPPP stands for Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. The saying is meant to remind that if a Sniper does not plan his approach carefully, the mission may be compromised. By planning his approach, a Sniper can avoid enemy patrols and thus get to the target safely and eliminate it.
• One Shot, One Kill: This is the most famous of all Sniper sayings. One Shot, One Kill means that a Sniper should always aim to kill his target on the first shot. There is nothing worse than shooting a target, only to find that it is still alive. These situations almost always result in the mission being compromised.

Credits: