Unlike their mates in the United Army or Mercenary regiments the members of the Home Guard are as much police officers and personal security agents as they are soldiers. This fact affects their choice of weapons and other equipment. Many of the devices used by the members of the Home Guard are nonlethal weapons, rather than military gear.
TL12 technology gives them a vast array of equipment selection. They require such a large selection of weapons and other equipment because of the variety of missions that they perform. The greater the variety of missions the more varied the weapon selection must be.
Security, intelligence gathering, and police support are the major duties performed by the Home Guard. Each battalion of the Guard is outfitted based upon the mission of that unit.
The three battalions tasked with maintaining security in the Diisarirga Arcology are typically referred to as the Garrison Battalions. These Huscarles are equipped similiarly to most modern police officers. Each guardsman is armed with a side arm. Their 4mm guass pistols can fire both superdense jacketed tungsten needles and tranq needles. The pistol contains both laser and HUD sight options. Many guardsmen also carry a backup snub pistol, a much safer weapon for use in most areas of the arcology.
Non-lethal weapons carried by each guardsman include the side arm baton(stun wand), taser, gas grenades and tangler. In special cases a detail of guardsmen may be armed with stunners.
The modern side arm baton is the decendant of the classic police weapon. Made of an almost indestructable synthetic the baton is 24 inches long. It has been used for millennia and is sometimes called the tonfa. This version has the capability of delivering a shock on command. It is powered by a B cell and can be used 60 times before the cell must be replaced.
The taser is an ancient weapon which fires a dart which remains connected to the weapon by a wire. A large voltage is sent down the wire which then shocks the target. The model used by the guardsmen can also be used is stun mode, which requires that the device be placed in direct contact with the subject.
N gas is a blinding agent which works by causing an allergic reaction in the victim. It most human races it will cause the following symptoms. Eyes: tearing, involuntary closing or complete closing due to dilation of the eye capillaries. Respiratory System: immediate inflammation. Uncontrollable coughing, retching, and gasping for air with a gagging sensation in the throat. Effect on the skin: inflammation of the exposed skin with a burning sensation. There are various versions of N Gas formulated for use on other species, such as Aslan, Vegans, and Vargr.
Each guardsman carries a tangler. Tanglers fire an egg shaped capsul which explodes to envelope the target in a sticky web. Each tangler holds 5 shots, which are fired using a low power gauss gun. The magazine includes a A cell which powers the gun.
The Stunner is an expensive weapon which is not routinely carried by the Home Guard. A few squads can be outfitted with this weapon when its use is deemed necessary.
The Home Guard can field troops outfitted in standard combat gear. This means Army Combat Armor and comabat weapons. The exact weapon choice depends upon the resistance expected and the allowable collateral damage. For minimum damage troopers will use shotguns or the ACAW in its shotgun configuration, supplemented with auto snub pistols. The large variety of available shotgun combat rounds makes it a very effect weapon. A mixed bag of HEAT, AP and chemical rounds will be carried to achieve maximum flexibility. Unit demolition experts will carry breaching charges and each unit will have a cracker whose job it will be to neutralize any electronic defenses.
The Security Battalion provides for safety of the Duchess and the Noble family. Members of "A", "B", and "C" company have a dual role. They must provide for the physical security of the person of the Duchess. In this function they sometimes behave as a "Protective Detail" which means that they must be outfitted as would undercover operatives, to blend in. Other times they must act as a ceremonial guard. In this role they still provide for the security of the duchess, but in a very overt manner.
Guardsmen tasked with bodyguard duties typically are armed with the 4mm gauss pistol. Like their mates in the regular Home Guard Battalions they carry a mix of standard needles and tranq rounds. They also sometimes carry a snub pistols. The extensible wand baton is also a standard weapon, as is the taser and tangler.
Guardsmen outfitted for ceremonial duties will wear the Regimental Dress. They will armed with "Full Kit" as its called. This consists of a copper sam brown belt with bayonet, tomahawk and side arm, a 9mm gauss pistol. A highly decorated versions of the KG56A3 Gauss Rifle is the standard armament. When indoors, such as when at Diisarirga Caverns, the guardsmen carry the poleaxe, a traditional ship's boarding weapon, which can be effective even against light battledress and ACA. Officers will replace the bayonet and tomahawk with a sword.
For some occasions the Home Guard will field a detail in battledress. This will be Colom light duty battledress, patterned in the regimental colors. Weapons will be the Gauss Rifle or poleaxe.
