M-23 Katana: Common Mercenary Shotgun
Ariake Technologies Military Shotgun
The M-23 Katana was a common military shotgun manufactured by Ariake Technologies. Deadly at short range and widely carried by mercenaries, it saw heavy use on frontier colonies plagued by varren and remained in service among Milky Way settlers, soldiers, and criminals for decades.
The M-23 Katana was a common military shotgun manufactured by Ariake Technologies. It was deadly at short range but ineffective at a distance, and while it told heavily against kinetic shields and biotic barriers, it fared poorly against armor. Cheap and widely available, it became a staple weapon of mercenaries and frontier settlers alike. (Mass Effect 2; Mass Effect 3)
A common shotgun#
The Katana was the work of Ariake Technologies, an Earth based manufacturer, and it served as a common military shotgun across human and mercenary forces. Its strengths lay at close quarters, where it was deadly, while at longer ranges it lost much of its effect. The weapon was especially well suited to stripping away kinetic shields and biotic barriers, though against heavy armor it was comparatively weak, a profile typical of the spread firing shotguns of its day. (Mass Effect 2; Mass Effect 3; Mass Effect: Andromeda)
In service across two galaxies#
As an inexpensive and dependable arm, the Katana found a wide market. It was a common mercenary weapon, and it proved particularly popular on colonies troubled by infestations of varren, where settlers valued a powerful close range defense against the aggressive predators. Throughout the Milky Way it remained in the hands of soldiers, criminals, and civilians for many years. When the Andromeda Initiative assembled its great expedition, Ariake Technologies was keen to supply it, and so the Katana traveled onward to a new galaxy among the weapons the colonists carried with them. (Mass Effect 2; Mass Effect 3; Mass Effect: Andromeda)
Frequently asked questions
- What was the M-23 Katana?
- The M-23 Katana was a common military shotgun manufactured by Ariake Technologies. It was deadly at short range but ineffective at a distance, very effective against shields and biotic barriers yet weak against armor, and it was a popular weapon among mercenaries.
- Who used the M-23 Katana?
- The Katana was a common mercenary weapon and was also popular on colonies troubled by varren infestations. As an Earth-based product of Ariake Technologies, it remained in wide use among Milky Way soldiers, criminals, and civilians, and the company later sought to supply the Andromeda Initiative.
Sources
- GameMass Effect 2, BioWare, 2010
- GameMass Effect 3, BioWare, 2012
- GameMass Effect: Andromeda, BioWare, 2017
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
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