Sci Fi Weapons

I'm a big fan of shaped energy weapons. The general idea of magnetic bottles, shaping/containing energy, and the bad consequences of a magnetic bottle failure are all really fun things to think about. It's great when a weapon can evoke all of that. There are a lot of very advanced energy weapons, like Halo's energy/plasma sword. This brings a more mechanical flavor.

Where can you shoot from? It's a wonderful question to ask when thinking about the limits of weapons in science fiction, and highlighted so well by this image. If technology is advanced enough, you can aim further out. Accelerate matter to faster and faster speeds. You can combine any combination of these things to open up new dynamics on the battlefield.

It's difficult to come up with swords and other non-projectile weapons that have a distinctly sci fi feel. This one does it! micro-singularities are such a neat concept. I normally see them used to power or move ships through space, but love the idea of a sword that generates a mini singularity.

Look at this old thing. Absolutely worn out, and it was very spartan to begin with. Who wouldn't want to use a weapon whose cartridge reminds you of a Super Nintendo cartridge? 

Make sure you click through on this one. I've highlighted my favorite, but there's probably 100+ different designs on this page. Small changes from normal weapons isn't necessarily my favorite type of science fiction weapon, but the sheer amount of designs here gives you a lot to work with; and maybe the more industrial style is exactly what you like.

When you need to burn everything. 🔥🔥🔥

Destiny has some really amazing designs in its worldbuilding. This is no exception. This Eyes Of Tomorrow rocket launcher gives off a really neat mixed tech feel. You simultaneously have advanced looking purple lines/wiring, but on the back have a dial and ports.
 

Weapons with a shell/armor on the front. If you looked at just the back, you'd think it was a plain human weapon. If you looked at just the front, you'd think they were completely alien.

I know it's a small thing, but my favorite aspect of this is in the bottom most rendering. The horizontal split. I always think of weapons very vertically, and looking at weapons that behave even just a bit differently are great.

This guy is a beast. The front is basically a large cube, and that helps it feel powerful. You can physically see that there's a lot of space in this gun to house and then deliver massive amounts of energy.

This one is quite fun. A sushi gun! I like viewing it both as simply something quirky that you could find in a high-tech restaurant, or a piece in a sci fi world that itself is simply fun. When I delve into sci fi weapons, I always get serious about it. It's nice to have some fun in the list.

It's hard to have so many curves if a weapon is designed to be held by humans. While the overall shape is pretty classic, the combination of the curves, the hollow form, and the blue ball energy source makes for a nice alien style weapon.