These attachments and modifications add some new wrinkles to firearm combat. They're summarized in the table here, and explained in detail below.
| Type | Durability | Size | Structure | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foregrip | 2 | 1 | 3 | • | Higher accuracy on medium and long bursts |
| Collapsible Bipod | 2 | 2* | 4 | •• | Switch quickly between a bipod and foregrip |
| Reflex Sight | 1 | 1 | 2 | •• | Quickly aim at a nearby target |
| Notable Accessories | |||||
| Trijicon ACOG | 2 | 1 | 3 | •••• | Reflex sight with 4x magnification |
* Becomes Size 1 when collapsed.
One constant gripe about rifles is that they are very unwieldy. This is partially due to their weight, but also because the supporting hand must be held flat under the barrel to steady the thing. Foregrips were designed to alleviate this problem. The vertical grip allows a much more natural hand placement, making any rifle or carbine easier to maneuver.
The simplest foregrip is little more than a vertical handle that mounts to the underside of a gun's barrel. More refined foregrips are available with contours for each finger or with the shape of a pistol grip. Some can fold underneath the barrel to reduce the gun's profile, like in the H&K MP7, or have a small storage compartment large enough to hold some matches, a compact gun cleaning kit, or spare batteries for another attachment (the compartment is a tube about 8cm tall and 3cm wide).
The extra maneuverability from a foregrip has no mechanical benefits most of the time, but really shines during burst fire. When firing a short, medium or long burst, a foregrip reduces the penalty for multiple targets by 1. So, firing at two targets imposes a -1, three a -2, four a -3, etc. Examples: Rock River Arms' Graphite (textured), GSG-5 (simple), Dynamic Armaments' Command Arms (folding, contoured)
Most bipods have legs which fold underneath the rifle's barrel when not in use. A few special purpose bipods fold vertically instead, with the two legs coming together and collapsing upward to form a foregrip. This relatively new design lets a shooter rapidly switch between carefully aimed shots and moving fire. They have not yet been adopted by any armed service, but can be useful for a generalist who doesn't know what he'll face from fight to fight. Extending or closing a collapsible bipod is a reflexive action. Example: Mako T-Pod
For close-range fighting, the traditional iron sights of a firearm are often impractical to use. A shooter has to put their eye in the right place and then focus on the rear sight, front sight, and target at the same time to get a hit. Reflex sights are designed to alleviate this problem by providing a highly visible image which always points at the gun's target. By bouncing light around in its optics, a reflex sight eliminates parallax and with it, the need for a shooter to line his head up with the gun. If he can see the sight's reticle, he knows what he'll hit.
Reflex sights come in all sizes and designs, with many reticle shapes. Most are only truly parallax-free for targets an infinite distance away, and their reticles have markings to help the shooter compensate. Military and police sights tend to be calibrated for targets at 25-50 yards, instead.
Reflex sights are really only useful in close-quarters combat. At short range, a reflex sight reduces the time needed to begin taking aim from an Instant action to a Movement action. Further aiming requires instant actions, as normal. In medium- to long-range engagements, a reflex sight offers no benefit, as they rarely provide magnification. Examples: Leupold DeltaPoint, Trijicon SRS, Burris FastFire
Trijicon's ACOG line of rifle optics has gained a popular image thanks to video games and movies. This acclaim is not without merit: ACOG scopes provide an excellent mix of fast target acquisition at short ranges with accuracy at medium ranges. Such a combination has made them a favorite of law enforcement and military forces who need to operate in urban locales.
All feature illuminated reticles, generally by means of a fiber optic cable attached to the top of the sight. Models intended for night use also include a battery to light up the sights. ACOG scopes provide all the benefits of a reflex sight with the magnification of a low-powered scope. In addition to reducing the time needed to Take Aim at close range from an Instant to a Movement action, they also reduce the penalty for engaging targets at medium range by 1. They aren't made for long range firefights, however, and offer no benefits against such distant targets.