Anti-ship melee weapons

[Bauldr]

Ship mounted (on the hardpoints perhaps?) anti-ship melee weapons. Imagine, a battle squid!

[Captain Smollett]

I remember seeing a really great picture on the old forum of a Junker like ship with a huge buzz saw on the front of it.

Imagine if this became a new light piercing weapon, it certainly makes sense, and imagine how challenging but powerful it would be to roll up on an enemy ship with a squid and start sawing off their armor.

Good stuff.

[Mattilald Anguisad]

Rotating cylinder with metal teeth that would crush sips, or a giant bizzsaw or a giant chainsaw, or maybe a giant drill or a ramming piston. I'd love som sort of heavy equivalent as well on front of goldfish.

[N-Sunderland]

@Smollett That was Sgt. Spoon's idea for what the lumberjack should look like, long before the gun was released.

[Nadrynne]

Well is putting a "ram" on the front of a ship a bad thing? For example the ram could take up the medium gun slot on a Goldfish. It would greatly increase ram damage, but obviously you lose the slot for the gun (a big downside).

Ramming is a valid and often used tactic so it is not a "no way" thing like with boarding. Plus a combination of good piloting skills + impact bumpers could render it questionable in use.

Not so sure about the axe... though if we wanna get into history stuff. Some large ancient chinese warships had these giant hammer things on them that worked a bit like that axe... =P

[Richard P]

It's a nice idea. I think, medium slot should be used, because ram should be huge and immobile, and small gun slots are too small. Maybe gunner will have to mount it, like he does with guns.

[Deano]

It's a nice idea. I think, medium slot should be used, because ram should be huge and immobile, and small gun slots are too small. Maybe gunner will have to mount it, like he does with guns.

What sort of role would the gunner play in mounting a ram? (Not a male sheep )

Unfortunately there is a decreasing number of captains willing to have a gunner on board (which is understandable).

If the gunner was to make an impact, what ammunition types would have what effect?

[Richard P]

Well, if it is a chainsaw, for example, someone should rotate it. Ammunition should do what it always does: if we have limited amount of fuel, damage should be proportional to fuel spent, greased rounds should make it turn faster and give additional ammo, charged will increase damage etc. It should work as a very very close range weapon, shouldn't it?

[Bauldr]

It's a nice idea. I think, medium slot should be used, because ram should be huge and immobile, and small gun slots are too small. Maybe gunner will have to mount it, like he does with guns.

What sort of role would the gunner play in mounting a ram? (Not a male sheep )

Unfortunately there is a decreasing number of captains willing to have a gunner on board (which is understandable).

If the gunner was to make an impact, what ammunition types would have what effect?

Well, since the game is steampunk we could do something like pneumatics. So the gunner(whomever is on the ram) would aim it and match the timing for a hit.

As with ammo one could change the ram's head, greased would make it launch faster, heavy would make it hit harder, ect.

Depending on the weapon the  way the weapon "fires" could be changed. so a ram would be a one shot deal but a blade would be extended off the hull as long as there is gas(ammo) left.

[Sgt. Spoon]

@Smollett That was Sgt. Spoon's idea for what the lumberjack should look like, long before the gun was released.

Actually... I think smollet was reffering to this. Though I can see both some stabbing/hammering weapons like axes or spikes, and mechanical weapons like buzz saws working. As said, the gunner could activate the saw/axe/giant dino-head... 

additionally
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PkQLWvO2HsM/TfqC8aZZOWI/AAAAAAAAAhw/MxXzKwDfOVA/s1600/saw3.png
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-87PWx6yoBnw/Tfonrpa0jpI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/6_jW-6pmUxA/s1600/PizzaCutter.jpg

 ...dammit muse why are there no spoiler BBC..

[Phores]

This would be awesome so definitely semi-necroing.
The ram wouldn't have to be fixed so gunners could still use it. You could make them light or medium:

Most ammo styles could work aside from Lesmok and heavy (not too bad considering how few currently really work with flamer)
Medium:

• Ripper: the pic Sgt. Spoon linked sums it up.
• Devils horns: Large spring driven ram with a horned devil head atop. Firing slams it forward at high speed dealing piercing and a physics push, slow reload pulls it back into place, could be double "barreled".
• Dragons Maw: Grips the opponent when "fired", deals minor damage/sets fires on most components. Can only grip whilst firing.

Light:

• Cat o' nine: Spinning wheel attatched to flails, funcitons much like a chain saw but each blade is on a chain of it's own to extend reach to something usable in very CQC rather than just ramming.
• Barb flinger: a small cross between the hwatcha and the grapple, very short range with a very short lived pull but usable damage.
• Lancer: An elongated spike with a small set of bombs on the tip.

[Khamael]

I'll be honest, I clicked on this topic thinking it was going to be stupid, but it ended up sounding like really good ideas. Especially what you added, Phores.