Wave Motion Tuning Fork: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

A specific kind of [[Energy Weapon]] consisting of two or more prongs separated by an empty space. The blast from this type of weapon is generated within the space or fired through it, often heralded by [[Shock and Awe|crackling streams of energy]] zipping between the prongs as the weapon charges.

*** The [[Non-Serial Movie|second movie]] gave the YF-29 Durandal, which has one similar to the VF-27's, only it opens vertically instead of horizontally.

**** The Quantam Cannons used in Frontier deviate from the original trope. Inside of firing a beam from between the prongs, each prong fires its own beam which then converges together into a spiraling beam.

* [[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha|Raising Heart]] does this. The explanation is [[A Wizard Did It|simple]].

** Bureau L-class spaceships also have a tuning fork structure on the prow, and once the [[Cool Ship|Asura]] gets upgraded with the [[Wave Motion Gun|Arc-en-Ciel]]...

** The [[Chars Counterattack|Nu Gundam's]] Fin Funnels work this way, and can also generate a [[Deflector Shield|beam shield]] as needed.

** [[Gundam Wing|Tallgeese III]]'s megacannon, which has variable power modes. In maximum output mode, the form that uses the Tuning Fork, its power output is roughly equal to Wing Zero's [[Wave Motion Gun|Twin Buster Rifle]], but [[It Only Works Once]]; afterwards Tallgeese is drained of power and needs assistance to get back to functional.

*** so is Virtue's later generation, Seravee Gundam, which can launch an [[Energy Ball]].

* The Covenant Plasma Rifle and Plasma Pistol, and the Brute Plasma Rifle from the ''[[Halo]]'' series. As might be expected, their workings have raised quite a bit of speculation but one of the more prominent ones is that the prongs supercharge air molecules between them and accelerate the resulting plasma out with a magnetic field. Better to [[Bellisario's Maxim|just play the game]].

* ''[[Digimon]]'' has two of these: Beelzemon's gun opens in such a manner before firing, and the lion head design on Lowemon's chest can do a fairly unusual version of it (the mouth opens, and a sphere of black energy swirls into existence between the jaws. A yellow beam is then fired from deep inside the mouth, through the black sphere, and the enemy is struck with a black-and-yellow blast. It looks a lot cooler than it sounds.)

* The Van and Aerotank (and presumably the dumbed out Van Leader) enemies in [[Phantasy Star II]] have a variation on this: the large, vertical "slab" in front rotates 90 degrees, opens sideways, a crackling of energy is seen inside, and it launches an energy blast.

* The Oratorio #8 [[Kill Sat]] in [[Eureka Seven]].

* The nose of the Vic Viper from ''[[Gradius]]'' is shaped like this, and is even used as such in some art/adaptations.

* The wing-mounted beam cannons from the Knight Sabers' gunship in ''[[Bubblegum Crisis|Bubblegum Crash!]]''

** ''Homeworld'' and ''Homeworld: Cataclysm'': the Taiidani ''Sajuuk Cor'' Ion Frigate has a forward-mounted ion cannon that sports not two but four accelerator units around its axis.

** ''Homeworld 2'': the ''[[Lost Superweapon|Sajuuk]]'' actually ''inverts'' this trope in that the weapon is composed of two angular trenches running across the sides of the entire ship and the vertical fork on the front which is only the muzzle. When the weapon fires, a golden-orange energy stream fills the trenches from the rear to the front; when the stream reaches the fork, anything that happens to be [[Arbitrary Maximum Range|less than ten kilometres]] in front of it is [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-05M3Xt1y8 dead].

* In ''[[MARDEK]] 2'', the Dracelon boss monster has one as a claw. The two prongs also open out to 180° when it uses its Lightning Storm attack.

* As mentioned on the [[Wave Motion Gun|Wave Motion Gun page]], Larry Niven's 1985 novel "Ringworld Engineers" presents an early version of this trope in the ''Wunderland Treatymaker,'' a [[Kill Sat]] just short of Death Star class. It fired a parallel pair of beams -- one to suppress the negative charge on sub-atomic particles such as electrons, while the other suppressed the positive charge on particles like protons. Between them they generated an ''incredible'' electrical potential, and in turn enough electrical current to melt and then vaporize rock. The only time it was used on a planet, the result of dragging its beams across the planet's surface resulted in a canyon ''twenty miles across and twelve miles deep'', and nearly two hundred long.

* The mass relays from [[Mass Effect]] fit the "tuning fork" description, even though they're not weapons. Though given their importance to pan-galactic travel, they could be considered a delivery system. And they are {{spoiler|an important component in the Reapers' cycle of destruction.}}

** On the other hand, they could fit this trope completely if used to deliver a nuke to destroy the mass relay on the other end. While relays are [[Ragnarok Proofing|ridiculously tough]], if one does go up the result is [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAlO1JHylxE quite spectacular].

* The [[Bullet Hell]] arcade game ''Cyvern'' has the green dragon, who fires the beam from prongs on its wings.

* In later ''[[Virtual On]]'' games, the [[Jack of All Stats|Temjin]] exhibits this, with its beam rifle's barrel splitting open to allow it to fire a supercharged shot. Given that [[Swiss Army Weapon|the rifle is not only also its sword]], but a ''[[Sky Surfing|flying surfboard]]'' too, this raises one or two questions about the weapon designers in that game...

* ''[[Trinity Blood]]'': When Abel cranks the Crusnik up to 80%, his ''wings'' act as one of these. It is awesome.

* The D-Rex boss in ''[[Mega Man X]]'' has a weapon like this.

 

{{reflist}}