Common Starship Armaments

Below are some of the common, cannon armaments for Starships, possibly artillery as well:

Laser Cannon- A laser cannon was the standard weapon for use by most starships and other vehicles. It existed in a myriad of forms, from the huge versions used by starships, through medium-sized turret-mounted variants, to the much smaller personal cannons sometimes carried by infantry.

Proton Torpedo- Proton torpedoes came in a wide array of sizes and yields; from massively powerful capital ship weapons designed for orbital bombardment, to small but nimble Megaton range fighters. The energized torpedoes carried a devastatingly powerful blast, and could be fired at much greater ranges than the standard laser cannon. The torpedoes were exceptionally maneuverable, able to make a 90 degree turn within a turning circle of a meter, enabling them to be used against starfighters

Deflector Shields- Deflector shields, also known as deflector screens, deflectors or simply shields, were translucent or transparent energy fields produced by deflector shield generators. These generators could be placed on planets, droids, starships, space stations and individual buildings. The primary purpose of the shield was to block or deflect projectiles and lasers from hitting the object under protection.

Concussion Missile- A concussion missile was a short-range, wingless anti-vehicle missile generally deployed by vehicle mounted launchers. There were a wide range of concussion missiles, varying in speed, maneuverability, and destructive capability. The concussion missile evolved from the ancient concussion spheres that were bigger, slower, and less destructive weapons that were similar to traditional bombs.

Blaster Cannons- Blaster cannons were powered by power packs of ionized cryogenic cells. Unlike laser cannons, blaster cannons could be set at various levels of damage, ranging from full power to stun. Blaster cannons were commonly less powerful than laser cannons, though were effective during atmospheric combat and against ground troops, vehicles, and military structures.

Ion Cannon- An ion cannon was a weapon which fired highly ionized particles or highly ionized plasma. These particles seriously interfered with the operation of electronics and computer systems, shorting circuits and often disabling them outright. The actual physical damage would sometimes result in fused joints on machines, due to the heat produced. Large negative-ion pulses were charged in a turbine generator then channeled into a plasma charge or released as a large pulse towards a target. As a result, ion cannons were the weapon of choice for subduing, rather than destroying, enemy starships, vehicles, shields, or droids.

Tractor Beam- tractor beam (also sometimes called a grappling ray) was a type of controlled force field that could be used to manipulate objects caught within its range and field-of-view. Tractor beam projectors were commonplace on capital ships, container ships, docking bays, and on spaceports. The most common use for a tractor beam was to help guide spacecraft into a safe landing at spaceports and docking bays, as well as for aid with loading and unloading of cargo. Some ships also had personnel retrieval tractor beams which enabled them to rescue extravehicular pilots. Warships, such as Star Destroyers, boasted powerful military-grade tractor beam projectors that could capture ships; disabled or not, and drag them into a hangar or hold them in position for boarding.