M-76 Revenant: Warlord's Machine Gun

The M-76 Revenant was a custom-built heavy assault rifle that unleashed a storm of high-velocity slugs from an exceptionally large magazine. It featured technology that was not widely available and was protected against replication by sophisticated Fabrication Rights Management measures, which made it so costly that only the richest and most powerful warlords could afford to wield one. (Mass Effect 2; Mass Effect 3)

Design#

The Revenant was built for sustained firepower above all else. Firing fully automatic, it unleashed a continuous storm of high-velocity slugs and carried one of the largest magazines of any assault rifle, allowing its bearer to lay down withering fire without frequent reloads. That volume came at a price in precision: the weapon was inaccurate and climbed heavily as it fired, making it best suited to close and medium engagements or to overwhelming groups of enemies rather than careful, distant marksmanship. Against the layered defenses of the battlefield it remained broadly effective, capable of grinding through armor, kinetic shields, and biotic barriers given enough rounds on target. (Mass Effect 2; Mass Effect 3)

What set the Revenant apart was not only its scale but its exclusivity. It was a custom-made weapon incorporating technology that was not widely available, and it was protected against replication by sophisticated Fabrication Rights Management technology that prevented unauthorized copies from being manufactured. This deliberate scarcity drove its cost to extraordinary heights. (Mass Effect 2; Mass Effect 3)

Ownership and reputation#

Because of its expense, the Revenant became a weapon of status as much as of war. Only the richest and most powerful warlords could afford it, and so the rifle came to be associated with figures of real influence in the galaxy's lawless corners. It was carried by senior mercenary commanders, including officers of the Blue Suns, and turned up in the hands of elite geth units. The Shadow Broker, whose resources outstripped those of most governments, was likewise known to field the weapon. To see a Revenant in combat was, in effect, to know that its wielder commanded considerable wealth and power. (Mass Effect 2; Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker; Mass Effect 3)