The knife is a silent weapon used for close in "wet work." It's razor sharp edge is as deadly as a bullet, however you need to be at point blank range to hit with it. The "combat knife" comes in a variety of styles and lengths, but all have the same purpose: to dispose of the enemy with minimal noise when a gun either isn't available or appropriate.

Shown here is the "Tsunami" by SOG Knives, Inc.

Game information

• Have to be in close to hit with the knife
• Everyone starts with a knife in addition to their pistol
• Enemies killed with this weapon make very little death noise
• weapon command switches between knife fighting and knife throwing
• Thrown knife does same damage as sniper rifle
• Can carry several knives
• Knives stick in walls when thrown
• Kevlar vest is no defense against the knife

The Heckler & Koch Mk23 semi-automatic pistol is a fine choice for the hard working professional. It's .45 caliber 230 grain bullets travel at 900 feet per second and are quite capable at penetrating completely through the human body, leaving a nasty hole in their wake. This pistol is accurate, powerful, and capable of accessorizing with either a silencer or a laser sight. It has a capacity of 12 rounds in each clip, and has a fast rate of fire that lets you blaze a nice swath of destruction when the situation warrants.

The picture above illustrates the Mk23 with the optional LAM (laser aiming module) and the supressor supplied by Knight's Armament Company.

Weight: 2.30 lbs
Length: 9.65 inches
Max effective range: 164.1 feet

Game information

• Range modifiers: at 600 texels damage is 2/3rds normal, and at 1400 texels damage is halved. this also applies to the akimbo pistols
• weapon command switches between automatic and semi-automatic fire. Semi-auto fire spread is 75% of automatic fire spread, meaning more accuracy
• Everyone starts with a pistol and 12 rounds (1 clip)
• You can carry two extra clips
• Players always drop a pistol when they die
• Can be equipped with the silencer or laser sight

Picking up a second pistol gives you one pistol in each hand, each of which have the same characteristics as the Mk23 pistol above. Firing the dual pistols squeezes off two shots, one from each. You can still use a single pistol even if you have two.

Additional information

• Contains 12 rounds in each pistol, with the possible 24 rounds being split across both pistols
• Reload as one unit... you don't have to reload each seperately, however they require 2 clips to reload. If you only have one clip left, you can always switch back to a single pistol and reload.
• Is more accurate than the MP5
• Cannot use silencer or laser sight on dual pistols

The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a very sweet little combat weapon designed to deliver extremely large quantities of lead in minimal time. The MP5 has a 30 round capacity clip of 10mm 245 grain rounds which it can fire off completely in about four seconds, propelling each bullet at around 1300 feet per second. Like all automatic weapons, it is not very accurate, especially at range... however, in close proximity it is unparalleled. The MP5 accepts both the silencer and the laser sight, the latter of which makes this weapon extremely deadly.

There are 23 variants of the MP5, which can be chambered for 9x19mm Luger, .40 S&W, and 10mm Auto. MP5's are imported to the US only for military and police use.

Game information

• Each clip holds 30 rounds
• You can carry 2 extra clips
• Can be fitted with the laser sight and the silencer
• Each bullet does less damage than a pistol round
• Very inaccurate when running
• weapon command switches between full-auto and 3-round-burst modes
• 3-round bursts are more accurate

The Heckler & Koch M3 Super 90 is the weapon of choice for both professionals and law enforcement officers of all types. This weapon clears a hallway nicely with a 3 inch, 12 gauge shell packing a twelve pellets of 00-buckshot that have a muzzle velocity of about 1100 feet per second. What each of these pellets lacks in penetration they make up for by spreading over a nice area, causing multiple wounds simultaneously. Additionally, accuracy is not nearly as important, although the spread of the shot pattern at distance makes this a short to medium range weapon. The M3 has an under-barrel magazine that holds 7 shells which must be reloaded one at a time.

Alternatively, the 12 gauge shells can be loaded with #4 buckshot, which contains a few dozen pellets of smaller size than 00 buckshot. While each pellet does less damage, the overall effect of #4 buckshot on an unarmored target is much more devastating. This is just sort of extraneous information since there is only one generic type of shotgun shell in ActionQuake. Note that the laser sight and silencer cannot be used with this weapon.

Weight: 3.5 kg
Length: 120 cm
Available in semi-automatic and pump action.

Game information

• Holds 7 shells in the magazine, which you must reload one at a time with the reload command
• You can carry 14 extra shells
• Tapping reload key while reloading reloads multiple shells quickly
• Pellets bypass the kevlar vest (unrealistic, however quite fun)

Sometimes referred to as a "whippit", this weapon is simply a sawed-off double barrel shotgun that fires off both 12 gauge shells simultaneously. While extremely slow to reload, it's extreme spread and excessive damage make it the most damaging of weapons at close or point-blank range. Note, however, that at medium range or greater the short barrel length causes the spread of the buckshot to be so great that you may only hit with one or two pellets at most.

If you intend to use this weapon, you may as well wear the kevlar vest because the laser sight and silencer simply don't fit on this weapon.

Note that the picture above shows Doc Holliday's trusty "street howitzer", a 10-gauge Meteor sawed-off with a cropped stock. Doc kept his favorite weapon suspended by a shoulder strap under his overcoat. For those of you who might not know, Doc Holliday was a famous western gunfighter who was fast friends with Wyatt Earp. Doc died November 8th, 1887.

Game information

• Uses two shotgun shells at a time, which you must manually reload
• You can carry 14 extra shells (7 shots)
• Extremely short range weapon
• Pellets bypass the kevlar vest (unrealistic)

The Sig Sauer SSG 3000 Sniper Rifle is the marksman's weapon of choice. This bolt action is the epitome of accuracy at extreme range, delivering a .308 caliber projectile at over 3000 feet per second. The high precision of this rifle is accomplished through use of a barrel in excess of 24 inches coupled with a bolt style action which deforms much less than other actions under the stress of such a high-velocity charge. The rifle has a five round magazine, but must be manually operated with the bolt after each shot, leading to a slower fire rate.

If you have a clear field of fire and a protected location, this is the weapon to use. Note that it may be equipped with the silencer, although this streches reality quite considerably. Since the bullet travels in excess of two times the speed of sound it is impossible to silence, however flash supression is still a good idea. The best defense for the sniper is the distance he can put between himself and the client.

Caliber : 7.62 x 51mm (.308 winchester)
Overall Length : 118cm
Barrel Length : 610cm
Weight (w/o scope) : 5.4kg
Weight (w/ Hendsoldt 1.5-6x42mm) : 6.2kg
Magazine Capacity : 5

Game information

• Four magnifications of view using the weapon command (1X, 2X, 4X, 6X)
• 1X view is normal view shooting from the hip (inaccurate except when crouching or standing)
• Rifle has a magazine of 6 shells, which you must reload one at a time (note that the real rifle only holds 5 shells, but AQ2 doesn't distinguish between "in magazine" and "in chamber")
• You can carry 20 extra shells
• Absolutey accurate through the scope (but have to aim up a little as range increases)
• Enemies make less noise when they are killed with this weapon
• Bullets don't stop until they hit a wall (shoots through players)
• Tapping reload key while reloading reloads multiple shells quickly
• Penetrates the kevlar vest

The M26 Fragmentation Grenade is usually reserved for the armed forces, however, some resourceful individuals obtain them for their own use. These little pineapples explode in a fearful storm of flying shrapnel in addition to a concussion wave that can kill through sheer air pressure.

The grenade has a three second fuze that activates as soon as the spoon separates from the body of the grenade. As the grenade can throw shrapnel father than it can be reasonably tossed, it is a good idea to gain cover after throwing the device.

It took me a couple tries to figure out how to use the grenade... it seems you need to hold down the fire button for about a second until you hear the little *ping* of the pin coming out of the grenade. From that point on whenever you release the fire button you will throw the pineapple.

Shown above is the british L2A1, which is very similar in design to the M26. (Still looking for a good image of this device.)

Game information

• Explosion is quite big and doesn't give a damn about the kevlar vest
• Damage is halved if you are ducking
• You can carry two grenades
• You cannot bandage while holding a grenade with the pin pulled
• weapon command toggles between short, medium, and long range throwing

The M4 Combat Carbine is the weapon of choice for the professional that wants to inflict maximum damage without caring how much noise or mess he creates. The noisy chatter of this weapon is both a repellant and an attractor: everyone runs like hell if they are in the line of fire, and everyone swarms to the spot to nab the weapon from the owner if they can.

The M4 is much more accurate, and much more damaging than the MP5. You can run and still hold a decent group of shots with this bad boy. Additionally, the penetrating bullets rip through as many bodies as care to get in the way... so if you know where a crowded room is, grab this weapon and cry havoc!

Weight: 7.3 lbs
Length: 33.88 inches
Caliber: 5.56mm NATO Ball M855
Muzzle velocity: 2900 feet per second

Game information

• Bullets shoot through people
• Each bullet does same damage as a pistol round
• Fires as fast at the MP5
• 24 rounds per clip
• You can carry only one extra clip
• weapon command switches between full-auto and 3-round-burst modes