Ideas Wanted! Lasers Reflected Off Mirrors - Why & What for?

[Overwhelming Odds]

As the title implies, I want to create several terrain pieces that will represent lasers reflecting off of mirrors, crisscrossing the battlefield.  What would you have the laser beam doing?  I had a few ideas, such as:

 

Laser Generator producing a beam that is heating something (fission process, thermal process, power generation, etc)

 

Targeting laser

 

Communication beam

 

Laser Tripwire

 

What would YOU use a laser for, that you could direct around corners and zig-zag across a battlefield?  

 

Curious to hear what everyone comes up with.  Help me brainstorm and you might just see your suggestion become reality.  I already have the micro-mirrors and the "laser beam" on hand.  I am making a laser barrier/fence with a majority of the "laser beam" material, but I will have some left over and wanted to utilize mirrors in some manner.

 

Thanks in advance for any ideas you can throw my way!

 

V/r,

 

Dan

[Dagoth Ur]

I did something similar once for a Rogue Trader party that I DMed once. They basically wandered into this slaaneshi maze made of mirrors that could reflect laser beams/projectiles and they could use that to improve their own cover (Reflections allowed for more interesting means of line of sight), but so could the enemy and both had to watch out for friendly fire.

 

The most important part about this one is that I made them follow the real-life adage of angle of entry equals angle of exit. It prolonged combat by quite a bit but all of the players said that they had tons of fun actually crunching out the reality of their shots.

[MARK0SIAN]

We know the imperium uses mining lasers/las-cutters. Maybe the Mechanicus tried using them on the planet you’re on to mine the local rock, only to find the local rocks have some mysterious mineral in them that reflects the beam.

 

It might allow you to make the reflection random each round or something like that as the beam hits a different angle of the rock each time.

[Axineton]

Shouldn’t this be in the general PCA questions forum? 

[Overwhelming Odds]

Hopefully this will help explain what I am looking to do.  I have several 9" long 1/16" red acrylic transparent rods and I want to create various terrain pieces utilizing mirrors.  I am looking for ideas that would incorporate mirrors in some fashion. I can easily have these "lasers" bouncing off small 1" circular mirrors.  I can cut the rod ends and glue them together at an angle so it seamlessly looks like a deflected beam.  What would you do with lasers and mirrors?  Great ideas so far, and I am already pursuing them.  Still looking for more inspiration.  Here is another terrain piece I have created.  Hopefully it gets your gears turning and leads to some amazing ideas & suggestions!

 

 

V/r,

 

Dan

[Astral Arcane]

Maybe the lasers inflict mortal wounds on any unit passing through them. An infantry unit can spend a shooting phase turning a mirror to move the laser by 45 degrees. 

[Fajita Fan]

Nerdy:  Does a laser beam visible to the human eye as it travels through an nitrogen/oxygen/water vapor atmosphere have the frequency powerful enough to cause bodily harm ?

[Beaky Brigade]

Do something with the Carcharodons, then you can have Space Sharks with .... Laser beams on their heads ;)

 

I totally misread the thread to start with and for some reason thought you'd be using real lasers.

[MegaVolt87]

Nerdy:  Does a laser beam visible to the human eye as it travels through an nitrogen/oxygen/water vapor atmosphere have the frequency powerful enough to cause bodily harm ?

 

40k wise not IRL I would definitely say yes. Lascannons and gauss beams can apparently be seen, while melta and conversion beamers are more invisible with a distortion effect. They also seem to work 100% of the time regardless of environment. 

[Overwhelming Odds]

Maybe the lasers inflict mortal wounds on any unit passing through them. An infantry unit can spend a shooting phase turning a mirror to move the laser by 45 degrees. 

Wow, what an EXCELLENT idea!  I would also consider that it could be used as a direct energy weapon dealing mortal wounds to the first model it "contacts" as the beam travels across the table.  First unit hit takes D3 mortal wounds.  That would really play havoc with positioning, force real situational awareness, and make "holding"  certain mirrors strategically important.  They would become assets that need to be controlled.  That would enhance any battle!

 

I think giving players options also enhances the experience. So let's evolve this idea and have two firing modes for the laser:

 

Constant beam: Any unit that crosses the beam, friend or foe, takes a mortal wound.  Units with "fly" ignore the damage obviously.

 

Concentrated beam: The first unit the beam contacts takes D3 mortal wounds.

 

I don't want either option to be more powerful than the other.  I want the players to really think about which option is better, per turn.  I can always adjust damage to create balance.  I think the rotation of the mirror needs to be completely adjustable and not restricted to a set  degree of rotation to enable precise targeting of units.

 

I will create a mock up and post an article on it.  I will create numerous mirrors on round bases.  You can then just rotate the base to rotate the mirror.  Then a unit within 3" can rotate any mirror.  I will have 2 laser emitters, one in each deployment zone.  Clever use of the mirrors could enable line-of-sight to some hard to reach areas.  Probably would have each player place the mirrors when they place objectives. I am thinking 6 mirrors per player for a total of 12.  Seems like a very fun mechanic that would add to a battle while taking nothing away.  Each player can activate (shoot) the laser once per turn. Just thinking about a player bouncing a laser off multiple mirrors to target a unit behind cover makes me have to complete this project ASAP!  

 

Thanks again for the INCREDIBLE idea, Astral Arcane!  You definitely win the internet for today!

 

V/r,

 

Dan

[Overwhelming Odds]

Nerdy:  Does a laser beam visible to the human eye as it travels through an nitrogen/oxygen/water vapor atmosphere have the frequency powerful enough to cause bodily harm ?

Yes, and it can do far more than that.  Check out this article here: https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a28636854/powerful-laser-weapon/

 

It can shoot down a cruise missile.

 

This other prototype system from 2017 can burn through an engine block of a vehicle.  Check it out here: https://www.zmescience.com/research/technology/most-powerful-laser-weapon-9634654/

 

It looks like 30 Kilowatts can be effective at 1 mile away.  The first article has an output of 250 to 300 kilowatts.  So 10x the range, 10 miles, not factoring in any additional losses in power due to distance and atmospheric conditions.

 

Great question btw!

 

V/r,

 

Dan

[Overwhelming Odds]

Here is the a mock up of what the mirrors will look like.  Simple yet effective.

 

 

They will be able to reflect an actual laser, from say a laser pointer.  Rule of cool and functionality do matter!

 

V/r,

 

Dan

[Fajita Fan]

 

Nerdy:  Does a laser beam visible to the human eye as it travels through an nitrogen/oxygen/water vapor atmosphere have the frequency powerful enough to cause bodily harm ?

Yes, and it can do far more than that.  Check out this article here: https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a28636854/powerful-laser-weapon/

 

It can shoot down a cruise missile.

 

This other prototype system from 2017 can burn through an engine block of a vehicle.  Check it out here: https://www.zmescience.com/research/technology/most-powerful-laser-weapon-9634654/

 

It looks like 30 Kilowatts can be effective at 1 mile away.  The first article has an output of 250 to 300 kilowatts.  So 10x the range, 10 miles, not factoring in any additional losses in power due to distance and atmospheric conditions.

 

Great question btw!

 

V/r,

 

Dan

 

I understand the dot on the target may be visible but is the beam connecting the target the and muzzle visible? I'm not asking if the atmosphere is affecting the power of the beam, in fact water vapor lets you see infrared beams that are normally invisible to the human eye.  

[Overwhelming Odds]

Astral Arcane,

 

This is for you!  This would not have been possible without your suggestion.  I hope you enjoy seeing your idea come to life!  

 

"Mortal Wound Party", and everyone is invited to the Laser Rave: https://overwhelmingodds40k.com/artistic-narrative-content-50-lasers/

 

I would post pictures of the result, but I don't want to ruin the surprise.  This idea worked out flawlessly!  You have to see it to believe it!

 

V/r,

 

Dan