SW EDF-WME Vibro-ax

Star Wars – EDF-WME

Equipment Data File – Weapon – Melee

Vibro-ax

Melee Weapons – In a galaxy filled with deadly accurate blasters with bolts of charged particles that can burn through a ship’s hull in an instant, not to mention explosives so powerful that the smallest can destroy an entire squad of infantry, a melee weapon seems an almost comical anachronism. In truth, the utility and deadliness of a well-honed blade or a heavy blunt object is as well-respected in modern times as at any point in galactic history. From the deadly combat knife of the Rebel commando, to the vibro-ax wielded by the savage pirate on the bridge of a captured ship, to the near-mythical lightsabers of the legendary Jedi, melee weapons still have their place on the modern battlefield.

To those who prefer them, melee weapons are the obvious choice for the well-armed soldier for a number of reasons. They are typically silent (save for the high-tech vibro weapons) and can even be improvised out of found materials in a desperate pinch. This allows for quick, quiet kills, a fact especially important to Rebel agents in the field. Larger weapons such as force pikes and vibro-axes have both a long reach and a high intimidation factor, often finishing an argument through their presence alone. Perhaps most importantly, melee weapons are extremely common, easy to make, and rarely subject to the same kinds of legal restrictions as blasters and slugthrowers.

When wielding a melee weapon, users add their Brawn characteristic to the damage dealt, unless the weapon description indicates otherwise. In a melee weapon’s profile, the inclusion of a plus sign next to the damage indicates that the user adds his Brawn to the damage dealt.

From Age of Rebellion

The vibro-ax is a long, heavy, savage, two-handed weapons popular among thugs, enforcers, and self-proclaimed tough guys throughout the galaxy. While there are many models on the galactic market, the average vibro-ax consists of a broad-bladed axe head mounted to a sturdy pole between one and two meters long. The axe head, typically built from sturdy and long-lasting alloys and sharpened to a razor edge, is equipped with a small ultrasonic vibration generator that enhances the weapon’s intrinsic combat effectiveness. The combination of the weapon’s weight, the leverage from its long handle, the sharpness of its blade, and its ultrasonic generator allows users to cleave limbs and heads from even the most heavily armored opponents.

From Edge of the Empire

Gamorreans, particularly those employed by the notorious Hutts, often carry meter-long axes fitted with vibration technology. Most are very heavy and suited only for beings of considerable strength, and usually with a low center of gravity (particularly tall or elegant beings have trouble swinging the heavy axes without throwing themselves off-balance)

The damage a vibro-ax causes is tremendous and messy. The impact area suffers massive and deep trauma from the blade and the vibration. Because of this, wounds caused by vibro-axes are particularly nasty – hence the high damage and Critical Hit chance.

A vibro-ax requires two hands to wield.

Fantasy Flight Rules – Vibro-ax

• Source: Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook (ww-ffg-ar-cr-182), Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook (sw-ffg-ee-cr-162)
• Vibro-ax – Skill: Melee, Damage: +3, Crit: 2, Range: Engaged, Encumbrance: 4, Hard Points: 3, Price: 750 credits, Rarity: 5, Special Qualities: Pierce 2, Sunder, Vicious 3
  • Note – A vibro-ax requires two hands to wield
  • Pierce (Passive) – An attack made with this weapon ignores one point of soak for each rank of Pierce. If the weapon has more ranks of Pierce than the target’s total soak, it completely ignores the target’s soak. For example, Pierce 3 against a soak of 2 ignores 2 points of soak, but the extra “point” of Pierce has no further effect.
  • Sunder (Active) When activated, the attacker chooses one item openly wielded by the target (such as a weapon, shield, or item on a belt). That item is damaged one step: to Minor if undamaged, from Minor to Moderate, or from Moderate to Major. If a weapon already suffering Major damage is the target of a successful Sunder, it is destroyed.
    • Sunder requires (one advantage) to activate. If activated multiple times in the same attack, each can be applied against the same weapon, potentially taking a weapon from undamaged to destroyed in a single attack.
  • Vicious (Passive) When this weapon scores a critical injury or hit, the character adds ten times the Vicious rating to the critical roll. With Vicious 3, for example, the victim adds +30 to his critical hit result.

Content Updates

• 2022-03-24 – Updated with content from Age of Rebellion.
• 2021-12-29 – Added content from Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook.

SW Equipment

Armour

Armour: Adverse Environment Gear (1), Clothing (Armoured (6), Heavy (0)), Heavy Battle (R7), Laminate (3), Padded (1), Personal Deflector Shield (8)

Armour Modifications: Cortosis Weave (8), Enhanced Optics Suite (3), Heating System (3), Optical Camouflage System (6), Strength Enhancing System (4), Superior Armour Customisation (6), Thermal Shielding System (3), Vacuum Sealed (3)

Gear

Communications: Comlink (Handheld (0), Long-range (1)), Holo Messenger (4)

Cybernetics: Brain Implant (6), Cyberarm (Mod V (6), Mod VI (6)), Cyberleg (Mod II (6), Mod III (6)), Cyberscanner Limb (7), Eyes (6), Immune Implant (6), Implant Armour (6), Prosthetic Replacement (Limb (4), Organ (4)), Weapon (7)

Detection Devices: Electrobinoculars (1), General Purpose Scanner (3), Hand Scanner (2), Macrobinoculars (2), Scanner Goggles (3), Surveillance Tagger (R4)

Medical: Bacta (1), Bacta Tank (1), Emergency Medpac (1), Medpac (2), Stimpack (1), Synthskin (1)

Poison: Synthetic Anesthetic (4), Synthetic Neuroparaytic (R6), Synthetic Neurotoxin (R6)

Recreation: Chance Cube (0), Dejarik Table (4), Sabacc (0)

Security: Advanced Flesh Camouflage Kit (R7), Binders (0), BlackOps Data Breaker (R6), Comm Jammer (3), Comm Scrambler (R5), Disguise Kit (4), Electronic Lock Breaker (R5), Personal Stealth Field (9), Restraining Bolt (0), Slicer Gear (4)

Spice: Avabush (dose (R6), crate (R7)), Booster Blue (dose (R5), crate (R6)), Death Sticks (dose (R1), crate (R2)), Glitterstim (dose (R7), crate (R8)), Lesai (dose (R9), crate (R10)), Yarrock (dose (R8), crate (R9))

Survival: Breath Mask (1), Crash Survival Kit (2), Ration Pack (0), Space Suit (1), Tent (1), Thermal Cloak (1)

Tools: Backpack (0), Climbing Gear (2), Datapad (1), Emergency Repair Patch (1), Extra Reload (1), Fusion Cutter (2), Fusion Lantern (2), Glowrod (0), Jet Pack (7), Load-Bearing Gear (3), Military Field Manual (4), Tool Kit (2), Utility Belt (0)

Unique Illegal: Data Breaker (R6), Flesh Camouflage Set (R7), Personal Stealth Field (R9)

Weapons

Blaster: Bowcaster (7), Carbine (5), Disruptor (Pistol (R6), Rifle (R6)), Heavy Pistol (6), Heavy Repeating (R8), Heavy Rifle (6), Holdout (4), Ionization (3), Light Pistol (4), Light Repeating (R7), Pistol (4), Rifle (5)

Explosive+: Flame Projector (6), Grenades (Armour Piercing (6), Frag (5), Stun (4)), Mine (Anti-Personnel (6), Anti-Vehicle (6)), Missile Tube (R8), Thermal Detonator (R8)

Brawling: Brass Knuckles (0), Shock Gloves (2)

Melee: Combat Knife (1), Force Pike (4), Gaffi Stick (2), Truncheon (1), Vibro-Ax (5), Vibroknife (3), Vibrosword (5)

Slugthrower: Pistol (3), Rifle (3)

Thrown: Bola (2), Net (2)

Modifications: Augmented Spin Barrel (4), Balanced Hilt (5), Blaster Actuating Module (4), Bipod Mount (1), Bowcaster Accelerator Enhancement (4), Bowcaster Automatic Re-Cocker (3), Filed Front Sight (0), Forearm Grip (1), Marksman Barrel (4), Mono-Molecular Edge (5), Multi-Optic Sight (3), Serrated Edge (1), Shortened Barrel (4), Spread Barrel (4), Superior Weapon Customisation (6), Telescopic Optical Sight (1), Tripod Mount (3), Under-Barrel (Flame Projector (R5), Grenade Launcher (R5)), Weapon Harness (2), Weapon Sling (0), Weighted Head (3)

Lightsaber

Lightsaber: Lightsaber (R10)

Modifications: Rubat Crystals (R10)

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