Bellhammer

A bellhammer is an oversized polearm built for use in auto-armor combat, particularly by BMN-1 "Bellman" Fast Attack Auto-Armor units associated with the Knights of the Bell. Loud, imposing, and, most importantly, distracting, the bellhammer is more a psychological weapon than a practical one, though those who find themselves laid out on the battlefield with a bone-rattling toll might beg to differ.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

A bellhammer is esstentialy a long-hafted mace or flail that uses a concave bell as a striking head. The bell is made from a springy metal to increase its resonance and studded with tungsten alloy studs or spikes to enhance its ability to damage armor. In both versions, the haft is usually a thick-walled, hollow tube to provide space for baffling material; ideally, a bellhammer will only be allowed to toll when it is swung against the hull of an opponent, when stealth is no longer an option.

Significance

Though a bellhammer is mean to be swung with the mighty thews of a suit of auto-armor, crushing most opponents outright regardless of the degree of their armor, many would rightly point out that this is not the most optimal configuration for powered melee weapons given the state of the art. Weapons like the JH-AA "Lance" Heavy Jackhammer are better optimised for breaking up armor, the djet is simple and has a lengthy martial tradition behind it, and weapons like the Vale gaff and "Salamander" Exhaust Whip have the benefits of reach with less weight to lug around.
What sets aside the bellhammer, however, is its psychological impact on its target when used within the doctrine espoused by the Knights of the Bell. In this context, the incredible racket that a bellhammer makes when wielded by an an onrushing berserker draws a whole lot of attention - attention that, otherwise, might be drawn towards the stealthy CB-1c "Brushaxe" Auto-Armor Destroyers in the retinue sneaking around to take important positions and setting traps for the enemy to stumble upon when they pursue the Bellman operators in a feigned retreat. The distant tolling of bells, coupled with the knowledge that someone is getting squashed flat where those sounds are coming from, also has a profound negative impact on the morale of the units allied with those on the recieveing end of the squashing.

Item type

Weapon, Melee

Rarity

Bellhammers are uncommon weapons, primarily finding use among a specific operations unit under specific circumstances. Surplus bellhammers sometimes find use as impromptu musical instruments, but they are even rarer on the civilian market than they are in military service.