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I accepted the "torso-sized chunks out of the wall" thing with regard to the scene in ANH where the Falcon blasts its way out of Tatooine escaping from the stormtroopers without question... but now I've begun to wonder...

I mean, we've seen how the Falcon blew away the Snowtroopers with the ship's gun in ESB, so why can't it have been the ship's gun that shot the huge chunks out of the walls?

The scene quick cuts, so maybe there's more than one explanation. I know that we'd all like to think that Han Solo's gun really is that powerful, but well.... what do you think?

Personally, I think the scenes in Cloud City are probably better for blaster calcs (after all, isn't Luke's gun the same model as Han's?)

It is, but Luke doesn't seem to have modified it or anything.

There wasn't anyone manning the guns in ANH, though. Chewie and Han were both still outside the Falcon, weren't they?

Darth Yoshi wrote:It is, but Luke doesn't seem to have modified it or anything.

There wasn't anyone manning the guns in ANH, though. Chewie and Han were both still outside the Falcon, weren't they?

I think he was referring to the auto-gun used on the snowtroopers in TESB. Nontheless, it shows Han shooting his pistol, quickly cuts ot those blasts shattering the wall. If those shots were from the MFs autogun, than what happened to Hans shots?

Clearly those blasts were Hans.

DGG is right.

Ockam's Razor.

It's possible that the auto blaster was one of the many modifications made to the Falcon with Han's reward money from ANH.

Kurgan wrote:I mean, we've seen how the Falcon blew away the Snowtroopers with the ship's gun in ESB, so why can't it have been the ship's gun that shot the huge chunks out of the walls?

Because the bolts were coming from Han's blaster.

Darth Yoshi wrote:It is, but Luke doesn't seem to have modified it or anything.

There wasn't anyone manning the guns in ANH, though. Chewie and Han were both still outside the Falcon, weren't they?

They are really two different guns on the same chassis. Han's gun is called a Heavy Blaster Pistol while Luke's was simply a Blaster Pistol. Now It is obvious that Han did up the firepower of his pistol further. The shots hitting the wall cannot be the auto cannon cause the only people who KNEW about it were outside the ship.

Speaking of missing shots, what happened to the shots Vader's TIE fired at Luke's X-Wing in ANH?

Not to get off track of course! I'll need to watch that scene with Han and the Stormtroopers again. I swore that Chewie was already inside, but maybe I'm wrong...

Kurgan wrote:Speaking of missing shots, what happened to the shots Vader's TIE fired at Luke's X-Wing in ANH?

I presume you mean the shot he fired just as his wingman blew up?

Luke dodged them somehow. It's the only possible explanation.

Kurgan wrote:Speaking of missing shots, what happened to the shots Vader's TIE fired at Luke's X-Wing in ANH?

Not to get off track of course! I'll need to watch that scene with Han and the Stormtroopers again. I swore that Chewie was already inside, but maybe I'm wrong...

Doesn't matter if he's inside or not, those blasts where coming from Solo's gun, why is this so hard to accept?

The swivel gun has a helluva higher rate of fire too.

Well, to tell the truth some TIEs at DS had high ROF, too.

Going back to the original question, although some books claim that blaster turret was already present in ANH, there's no reason to assume that it was used during that particular scene.

Also note that Han's blaster must've been modified very heavily, since none of the stormtrooper's blaster were capable of causing the similiar destruction of wall and floor.

Kazeite wrote:Also note that Han's blaster must've been modified very heavily, since none of the stormtrooper's blaster were capable of causing the similiar destruction of wall and floor.

Bespin scene in ESB. They were blowing softball sized holes through the walls. Pretty impressive when you realize Han is packing the equivlent of a Desert Eagle and the Stormies an M-16.

Bespin scene in ESB. They were blowing softball sized holes through the walls. Pretty impressive when you realize Han is packing the equivlent of a Desert Eagle and the Stormies an M-16.

A softball sized hole vs. "torso sized chunks" blown out of the stone walls in the docking bay area.

Does Han's blaster have variable settings? People were trying to sell me on the idea that ST Rifles have variable "Damage" settings (not just stun) so what about his gun?

Or were the Cloud City walls made of "Duraplaster" or something?

I'm just wondering here. Can you tell me more about the Falcon's weapons? Because what did they use to fight off those TIE fighters in ANH? Why should we assume that the weapon used on the troopers in ESB was new?

Kazeite wrote:
Also note that Han's blaster must've been modified very heavily, since none of the stormtrooper's blaster were capable of causing the similiar destruction of wall and floor.

We know blasters have adjustable power settings, and we've seen E-11's blast holes in walls as well. Remember, Vadar didn't want Luke "damaged" and shrapnal wounds would count as such. Theres also the danger of a direct hit killing Luke, the Stormtroopers where probably firing as low level shots as possibul.

Kurgan wrote:

Bespin scene in ESB. They were blowing softball sized holes through the walls. Pretty impressive when you realize Han is packing the equivlent of a Desert Eagle and the Stormies an M-16.

A softball sized hole vs. "torso sized chunks" blown out of the stone walls in the docking bay area.

Does Han's blaster have variable settings?

That's entirely possible. Stormtrooper rifles are known to have different settings, and one of the advantages of an energy weapon over a projectile weapon would be the ability to adjust the yield for various tactical objectives and to control the rate of "ammunition" consumption.

Han might habitually keep his pistol set to a higher yield than the standard for a Stormtrooper blaster, but that doesn't mean they aren't capable of producing more powerful bolts.

Kurgan wrote: People were trying to sell me on the idea that ST Rifles have variable "Damage" settings (not just stun) so what about his gun?

Or were the Cloud City walls made of "Duraplaster" or something?

They are probably made of a durable industrial material, especially if they are supporting walls. They did appear to be solid to the depth of the holes made by the blaster hits, so they are probably supporting walls (a conclusion that is also supported by the presence of numerous "airlock" doors, which would indicate the presence of bulkheads between airtight sections in the city).

The walls of the Mos Eisley landing bay might actually be a good bit less durable. They don't actually need to withstand a lot of blast from starships, since ships generally use repulsorlift engines when taking off and landing from planets. They aren't really holding up anything either, so they could easily be composed of cheap local sandstone.

Kurgan wrote: I'm just wondering here. Can you tell me more about the Falcon's weapons? Because what did they use to fight off those TIE fighters in ANH? Why should we assume that the weapon used on the troopers in ESB was new?

The weapon used against the Snowtroopers in ESB was a single-barreled blaster; the guns used against TIEs in ANH have four barrels each and the operator is basically sitting right behind it. The ship-to-ship guns are mounted in the middle of the Falcon's "saucer" on both the top and bottom and they are always visible. The anti-personnel blaster dropped from a concealed compartment near the edge of the ship's bottom side.

There's no reason to assume that the anti-personnel blaster was new; we just hadn't ever seen it before ESB.

Kurgan wrote:

Bespin scene in ESB. They were blowing softball sized holes through the walls. Pretty impressive when you realize Han is packing the equivlent of a Desert Eagle and the Stormies an M-16.

A softball sized hole vs. "torso sized chunks" blown out of the stone walls in the docking bay area.

Does Han's blaster have variable settings? People were trying to sell me on the idea that ST Rifles have variable "Damage" settings (not just stun) so what about his gun?

Or were the Cloud City walls made of "Duraplaster" or something?

I'm just wondering here. Can you tell me more about the Falcon's weapons? Because what did they use to fight off those TIE fighters in ANH? Why should we assume that the weapon used on the troopers in ESB was new?

I compared the shots to modern weaposn for a reason. Han has modified his blaster so that its shots are more powerfl then they should be. Hence why it is the equivlent to a .50, while the stormie weapons, designed for combat and some crowd control, would be more along the lines of .22

Did Fett have orders not to kill Luke? I imagine so, but I wonder... 'cause he was the one shooting at Luke on Cloud City for the most part (notice how he went after Luke in ROTJ as well).

That guy just has something against Jedi for some reason...

Okay, well you guys convinced me, Han Solo's blaster with its high power can blast big holes in sandstone. Point conceded.

Kurgan wrote:

Bespin scene in ESB. They were blowing softball sized holes through the walls. Pretty impressive when you realize Han is packing the equivlent of a Desert Eagle and the Stormies an M-16.

A softball sized hole vs. "torso sized chunks" blown out of the stone walls in the docking bay area.

Does Han's blaster have variable settings? People were trying to sell me on the idea that ST Rifles have variable "Damage" settings (not just stun) so what about his gun?

Or were the Cloud City walls made of "Duraplaster" or something?

I'm just wondering here. Can you tell me more about the Falcon's weapons? Because what did they use to fight off those TIE fighters in ANH? Why should we assume that the weapon used on the troopers in ESB was new?

The variable power settings are official, and predate TESB.

Han Solo at Star's End , by Brian Daley, 1979 (Daley also wrote the Star Wars radioplay)

"...You Know what I refer to, Solo-Captain?"

Han did. The Burning was a torture involving the use of a blaster set at low power, to scorch and sear the flesh off a prisoner, leaving only blood-smeared bone. Usually, a leg would be first, immobilizing the victim; then the rest of the skeleton was exposed, inch by inch. Any other prisoners could be made to watch, to break their will. The Burning seldom failed to obtain answers, if answers were to be hand; but in Han's opinion, no being who employed such methods deserved to live.

(The above would neatly explain the blood-smeared skeletons of Beru and Own in ANH: the stormtroopers burned one of them first, then the other.
There are also references to variable power levels and focus of blasters in the above novel and its sequels. Specifically, in HS At Star's End, Han's blaster is drained down to a microcharge as a prelude to a set-piece quickdraw contest. Han ends up headshooting an Espo trooper because the tiny charge in the gun allowed no other sure option to take down the trooper. Later, in "Han Solo and the Lost Legacy", from 1980, Han and company are embroiled in a desperate fight with the ancient, armored war robots of Xim the Despot.

Han threw aside the useless assault rifle and drew his blaster, setting it for maximum power. Chewbacca stepped back, removing the magazine from his weapon and taking one of the larger ones from his bandoleer. Han stepped in front to cover him in a stiff-armed firing stance. He squeezed off bolt after bolt, deliberately and with great concentration, into the approaching robot's cranial turret. Four blaster rounds stopped the machine just as it fired in response. Han ducked the heatbeam that split the air where he had stood. As the robot fell, the beam traced a quick arc upward.


********

Later in the battle, the gunman Gallandro temporarily saves Han's bacon by shooting one of the robots. Gallandro is using a custom quick-draw blaster pistol similar to Han's:

The war-robot seemed to block out the sky, a machine out of a nightmare. But abruptly its cranial turret flew apart in a blast of charred circuitry and ruptured power routing as a thread-thin, precisely aimed beam found its most vulnerable point. Han scarcely had the presence of mind to take a step back, nearly treading on Chewbacca, as the automaton crashed at his feet like an old tree.

**********
Han commenting on the shot:
"It was him, Gallandro," Han told his partner, "A fifty-, maybe sixty-meter tight-beam shot." The Wookie shook his head in bewilderment, mane flying.

Kurgan wrote:Did Fett have orders not to kill Luke?

Undoubtedly. Vader had made it very clear that he wanted to take Luke alive.

Kurgan wrote: I imagine so, but I wonder... 'cause he was the one shooting at Luke on Cloud City for the most part (notice how he went after Luke in ROTJ as well).

He produced a fair amount of suppression fire, but Luke was apparently never in real danger.

Kurgan wrote: That guy just has something against Jedi for some reason...

Duh! Did you see Attack of the Clones?

Kurgan wrote: Okay, well you guys convinced me, Han Solo's blaster with its high power can blast big holes in sandstone. Point conceded.

Keep in mind that such shots represent lower limits for the blaster's capabilities. It's possible that the walls of the landing bay are sandstone, but it's possible that they are something stronger. Han's blaster is at least capable of blowing large chunks out of those walls; it may or may not be capable of greater feats of destruction.

Patrick Ogaard wrote: The variable power settings are official, and predate TESB.

Variable settings are actually canon, since we actually saw a stun setting used in ANH. We've also seen blasts from Stormtrooper rifles vaporize metal from the surface of blast doors (in unknown quantities; all was really saw was the cloud of vapor) in ANH, but only cause a minor injury to Leia in ROTJ.

Vaporizing just one cubic centimeter of iron would take over 60,000 J of energy (about 20 times the kinetic energy carried by a modern rifle bullet).

I thought Leia was hit by a pistol?

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:I thought Leia was hit by a pistol?

She was. How'd he get that?

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:I thought Leia was hit by a pistol?

Nope. Snap shot from a standard-issue Stormtrooper rifle.

Ted C wrote:

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:I thought Leia was hit by a pistol?

Nope. Snap shot from a standard-issue Stormtrooper rifle.

The hell she was. It was a pistol.

I distinctly remember it being a pistol.

Kurgan wrote:
That guy just has something against Jedi for some reason...

He saw a Jedi decapitate his father. That would be enough for hard feelings.