A triple-barreled cannon that fires a burst of standardized shells at medium range. It is most effective versus enemy shields.
Medium caliber, triple-barreled autocannon, typically deployed with medium-bore ammunition. Electrically primed firing fuses ensure precise fire counts. A great fire support weapon, it is typically fitted on destroyer and cruiser class ships. A battery of heavy autocannons with a proper firing solution may pose a serious threat to capital ships.
Additional mass necessity to accommodate the complex autoloader and cooling systems results in a very poor turn rate.
–In-Game Description
The Heavy Autocannon is a medium ballistic weapon that fires kinetic projectiles. It is essentially a larger version of the Light Autocannon and Light Dual Autocannon.
Notes[]
The Heavy Autocannon is notable for having a large amount of recoil, causing a large amount of shot deviation when firing constantly. Under direct manual control an extra quarter of a second between shots causes drastically more accuracy at range, by allowing the recoil factor to decay. Installing the weapon in a hardpoint, adding the hullmod 'Armored Weapon Mounts', and/or taking the skill Gunnery Implants all reduce recoil and greatly improve the effectiveness of the weapon.
Despite its name, the Heavy Autocannon actually has a comparatively low rate of fire. It serves as a basic anti-shield weapon.
Compared to the Heavy Needler, the Heavy Autocannon has a lower DPS and slower projectiles, but only two-thirds the OP cost, has 100 more range, and is somewhat more effective against light armor.
