E-Web heavy repeating blaster cannon
The E-Web heavy repeating blaster cannon, also known under the formal designations of Emplacement Weapon, Heavy Blaster, or simply E-Web, stood as the most potent heavy repeating blaster cannon available to the Imperial forces. It found common deployment among Imperial stormtroopers and the clones of the preceding Galactic Republic.
Description
To effectively manage the substantial kinetic energy produced by the weapon's considerable firepower, the E-Web incorporated stable mounts. Typically, a two-person team was required for its operation. However, the time needed for setup limited its overall efficiency. As a result, Imperial crews sometimes pre-charged its Class-4T3 power generator to expedite assembly, but this necessitated careful management of the power flow to avert potential overloads. Furthermore, the E-Web was equipped with a scope, enhancing accuracy during long-range engagements.
An earlier iteration of the E-Web, observed towards the conclusion of the Clone Wars, appeared to utilize a different tripod configuration, featuring two legs in the front and one in the back, in contrast to the more common one-fore, two-aft arrangement.
History
The Galactic Republic began utilizing the E-Web near the end of the Clone Wars, and it continued to be employed as the Republic evolved into the Galactic Empire. Earlier in the Clone Wars, Republic forces had used another type of heavy blaster cannon, which had been in service since at least the Battle of Christophsis and remained in use up to, at the very least, the Battle of Ringo Vinda. The E-Web was introduced into service by the time of the late Outer Rim Sieges. During the Conquest of Kaller, a clone trooper used an E-Web that was positioned in one of the front line trenches where Jedi Master Depa Billaba and Clone Captain Grey sought refuge.
When Imperial forces invaded Echo Base on Hoth, they deployed an E-Web heavy repeating blaster cannon in an attempt to stop the Millennium Falcon from escaping. During a firefight on the moon of Quantxi, the formidable bounty hunter Durge seized and wielded an E-Web as his personal weapon. Motivated by impatience with the battle's duration, Durge sought to expedite the elimination of his adversaries.
Following the Battle of Endor, E-Webs were deployed against New Republic shock troopers who were being deployed from ships above during the pursuit of Imperial warlords. This tactic proved effective, as E-Webs were able to target the descending shock troopers, vaporizing them before they even reached the ground, much to the horror of their comrades. A more recent E-Web variant, known as the E-HOB heavy repeating laser cannon, was developed by 9 ABY and utilized by Moff Gideon's remnant during a skirmish on Nevarro. To introduce the weapon, Gideon evoked former shock trooper Carasynthia Dune's memories of the E-Web in order to instill fear in his adversaries, drawing comparisons between the cannon and the weaponry employed during the Night of a Thousand Tears to intimidate the Mandalorian Din Djarin. However, after a firefight started, Djarin seized the cannon and turned it against Gideon's forces.