Gauss cannon

"A devastatingly accurate long-range weapon with a noticeable kick that must be compensated by the operator."

- SnapMap description

The Gauss cannon is a new power weapon found in the Doom reboot, first publicly displayed at  2015 and officially referenced by id Software's announcement of the then-upcoming closed alpha test the following October. It appears in both the single player and multiplayer campaigns, with slightly different properties. Despite its name that erroneously designates it as a, the Gauss cannon is actually a portable , with mechanics similar to the railguns of the Quake series.

Research and development
The UAC had previously utilized electromagnetic acceleration in applications such as ore diggers on the Deimos and Phobos moons and in construction of the Argent Tower, so a weaponized application was more or less inevitable. Steel flechettes are accelerated through the weapon's magnetized chamber to high velocity with extreme accuracy. The ammunition is cheap, abundant, and is designed to pierce multiple targets.

Tactical analysis
The Gauss cannon is a powerful weapon&mdash;second only to the BFG-9000&mdash;that dispatches most enemies in somewhere between one to three shots. It is critical for gameplay on Nightmare and Ultra-Nightmare skill levels, where ammunition for other weapons is more limited and damage output must be maximized. The weapon has significant recoil resulting in physical knock-back which must be compensated for when firing. Consumes 15 cell units per shot.

Multiplayer
The Gauss cannon in multiplayer is specifically designed as a counter to the demon rune relic, with limited ammunition which cannot be replenished and the capability of killing players in a single shot. Its alternate fire mode allows other players to be seen through walls via a form of x-ray vision. Like the demon rune, the Gauss cannon will periodically respawn during the arena battle gameplay mode. Numerous sources have described its current state as being overpowered, and it featured as a significant factor in negative reviews of the multiplayer component during the open beta.

Modifications

 * Precision Bolt
 * The precision bolt modification adds a telescopic sight, increasing long-range accuracy. The modification also provides the ability to accumulate additional charge while using the scope, releasing the projectile at a higher velocity. A fully charged flechette can pierce multiple targets.


 * Siege Mode
 * The siege mode modification consists of an gas ionizer and vacuum seal to the weapon's launch chamber. The ionized gas is released as plasma when the weapon if fired, adding a beam effect to the kinetic projectile. The user must stay stationary when charging this firing mode due to the volatile gas. Aside from piercing multiple targets, the beam will also create a blast effect upon impact. Consumes either 30, 45 or 60 cell units per shot, seemingly at random.

Sequence breaking
The Gauss cannon has proven exceptionally useful for in the game due to its large amount of thrust imparted on the player enabling vast jumps of unintended height and horizontal distance which can clear walls and push the player through small holes in the levels' collision meshes. If fired backward, the effect can be exaggerated even further, as the velocity it imparts will be added to the player's existing backward momentum. This has been exploited extensively in world record speedruns.