Derp gun
A large-caliber, low-velocity gun firing high explosive, which deals damage to almost anything without needing to penetrate.
Also known as derp, howitzer.
A derp gun trades accuracy, aim time and rate of fire for an enormous shell. It rarely penetrates properly armored targets, and it does not need to: the high explosive blast deals partial damage anyway and strips modules and crew through the plating.
It is the great equaliser at low and mid tiers, where a Tier V howitzer can remove a third of a Tier VII's health with a lucky roll.
Related terms
High explosiveA shell that explodes on contact, dealing reduced damage through armor it cannot penetrate and splashing everything nearby.CaliberThe diameter of a gun's shell in millimetres, which sets what armor it can overmatch as well as roughly how hard it hits.SplashThe blast area of a high explosive shell, which damages everything within it whether or not the shell penetrated.Alpha damageThe damage a single penetrating shell deals, before the plus or minus 25 percent the game rolls on every shot.