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"The M42C sniper rifle has almost double the range of standard USCM weaponry. It also has the power to penetrate even armored vehicles; it can put a three inch hole in APC armor from several miles away. Unsurprisingly, there are no Predators or Aliens with armor sufficient to stop this weapon's rounds. With this power comes a price, however - the weapon has a poor rate of fire and is almost useless in close combat situations."
M42C Scoped Rifle description (from Aliens versus Predator: Extinction)

The Armat M42C Scoped Rifle is a sniper rifle used primarily by the United States Colonial Marine Corps and the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

Overview[]

The M42C Scoped Rifle is a piece of non-standard USCM equipment, issued only in special circumstances.[3] It has almost twice the range of standard USCM small arms. It also has the power to penetrate even armored vehicles; it can put a three inch hole in APC armor from several miles away. Unsurprisingly, there are no Yautja or Xenomorphs with armor sufficient to stop this weapon's rounds. With this power comes a price, however – the weapon has a poor rate of fire and is almost useless in close combat situations.[1]

The M42C usually mounts the updated Multiple Spectrum Sight (MSS), an electronic scope that sees in the televisual, infra-red and electromagnetic spectrums. The MSS allows the operator to see targets through cover (using their body-heat signature) or detect cloaked Yautja (using their electromagnetic aura).[2]

Usage[]

The M42C was primarily used by USCM snipers to degrade heavily armored targets from a distance.[1] Weyland-Yutani combat androids were also armed with M42Cs during the Freya's Prospect Xenomorph infestation, and used the weapons with devastating accuracy.[2]

Yautja and Xenomorphs have better senses (and better sensors, in the case of the Yautja), making them more aware of their environment than humans. Often they will detect a M42C operator before the operator can detect a viable target. An operator should be in a fortified or secured position with clear fire lanes when firing at a target from a level position or fire from a concealed position at a higher elevation than their target. Targets should be at long range - otherwise their target will quickly close the gap to the operator and kill them before they can get in a clear shot.

The M42C is usually used to kill "high-value" targets such as Yautja, Praetorians, or combat androids. It is also useful for well-camoflauged targets like cloaked Yautja or Xenomorphs hiding in the undergrowth. Massed enemies are usually left for weapons with high volumes of fire like the M41A/2 Pulse Rifle or the M59/B Smartgun.

Appearances[]

  • In Aliens versus Predator: Extinction, the M42C Scoped Rifle appears as the "M42C sniper rifle" and is the default weapon for USCM snipers. However, the snipers can be upgraded to replace the M42C with the M44 Sledgehammer rail gun.
  • In Aliens vs. Predator (2010 video game), the M42C Scoped Rifle has three modes. Its primary fire is semi-automatic fire. Head shots are usually instant kills, while it may take multiple body shots to bring down a target. Its secondary fire uses the scope for aimed shots. This mode magnifies and highlights targets, allowing precise shots. The electronic scope also has alternate modes, allowing the operator to see targets through cover or detect cloaked Yautja. The tertiary mode is melee combat, in which the player uses the butt of the weapon to strike the target to get it to back off.

Behind the Scenes[]

In AvPGalaxy user Corporal Hicks' interview with various members of Rebellion, Hicks asked the question "The weaponry in the game that didn't come from the movies, where did you go for inspiration for the designs? Did you use the Colonial Marines Technical Manual at all?" Tim Jones (the project lead) responded with:

"[...] We’ve added the scoped rifle to that which is a fairly traditional kind of mechanic for a first person game. We endevoured to make sure that it was asthetically constistant with the rest of the universe. It gave us a different mechanic, a different kind of weapon to the others…"
―Tim Jones[4]

Trivia[]

  • Despite sharing a similar name, the M42C featured in Aliens vs. Predator bears almost no resemblance to the original M42A Scope Rifle as laid out in the Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual.
  • The weapon's description in Aliens versus Predator: Extinction, which states that it is capable of penetrating APC armor at a range of several miles, seems impossibly exaggerated, especially as, in Aliens vs. Predator, it takes several hits from the M42C to take down even a single combat android, which are unlikely to sport armor as thick as an armored personnel carrier.

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