Shock Coil

Shock Coil
The icon for the Shock Coil.Samus fires the Shock Coil.
Featured in	Metroid Prime Hunters
Damage	Starts low and gets progressively higher
Effect(s)	Slowly drains energy from targets at the start, but rate increases over time. (As Sylux's Affinity Weapon, he can absorb drained energy, similar to the Grapple Voltage.)
Special uses	Neutralize artificial obstacles colored as blue-green (such as force fields etc.).
Obtained	Incubation Vault 02, Celestial Archives

The Shock Coil was a prototype weapon under development by the Galactic Federation. It was later stolen by the bounty hunter Sylux, along with plans for his power suit and ship, the Delano 7.

Properties

The Shock Coil emits a short-ranged, continuous burst of concentrated, high density neutrinos, and seeks the nearest target. The Shock Coil's damage effect is highly similar to the Wavebuster. The amount of damage done to the target increases with prolonged fire, which is signified by gradually more noticeable visuals and a more intense sound effect for the weapon. When used by Sylux, any damage done to the target will be added to his own Energy reserves. This weapon has no charge attack, instead being a sustained attack. The Shock Coil is strong against Trace and other enemies with the Imperialist as their main weapon, such as Alimbic Turret v.2.7, and affects Gorea when it turns blue. When used by a character other than Sylux, it colors the markings on the user's Arm Cannon blue. The weapon is referred to as a banned technology in Sylux's scan; whether the Federation gave it its illegal stature before or after the Shock Coil was used as a prototype is unknown.

Samus Aran acquires the Shock Coil at the Celestial Archives.

Official Data

Logbook entry

Shock Coil

Metroid Prime Hunters

Logbook entry

The SHOCK COIL is a prototype federation weapon that emits a concentrated beam of high-density NEUTRINOS within a set radius.

Metroid Prime Hunters manual

Shock Coil

"The Shock Coil fires charged blasts of high-density neutrinos in concentrated bursts, sending multiple concussive waves toward its target. This weapon possesses no Charge Attack. Press and hold the L Button to fire the beam continuously."

Sylux

Weapon - Shock Coil

"The Shock Coil drains the target's energy."

Metroid Prime Hunters acquisition message

"SHOCK COIL FOUND
You've obtained the SHOCK COIL. Still under Federation development, this unauthorized prototype emits a concentrated beam of high-density NEUTRINOS."

Metroid Prime Hunters: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide

SHOCK COIL

"The Shock Coil emits high-density neutrinos to blast close-range targets with continuous waves of concussive force. This prototype is still under development and remains somewhat unstable. Like the Lockjaw technology, Sylux's Shock Coil disappeared from a Galactic Federation laboratory under mysterious circumstances. The user becomes invisible while standing still with the Imperialist equipped."

Multiplayer role

In Multiplayer, the Shock Coil is ideal for close combat with a single enemy. If there are multiple enemies within range and close to each other, the hunter may have trouble locking on to the intended target. Also, it is somewhat difficult to target enemies who are in their Alt-Forms, as they are smaller and harder to hit. It is even more difficult to target enemies in their Alt-Form if they get very close to the hunter. As this is Sylux's affinity weapon, it can drain energy from opponents.

Trivia

• Certain objects will show the word "NEUTRINOS" in the description when scanned. The word "NEUTRINOS" always refers to the Shock Coil.
• In the Alimbic Prophecy, the Shock Coil is referred to as Blue Smoke. The Blue Smoke is described as tendrils, which presumably refers to the neutrino stream itself.
• Ironically, because players cannot heal normally as the Prime Hunter, Sylux is the only character to lose their affinity as the Prime Hunter.
• During the cutscene where the six Bounty Hunters are firing at the Seal Sphere, Sylux can be seen using a non-continuous weapon firing energy bursts.
• The Shock Coil is capable of damaging Cretaphid units quicker than the other weapons, the Power Beam, and Missiles.
• Even though the Shock Coil is an experimental Federation weapon, some Alimbic defense systems, most notably the Blue Force Field, fire it in spite of Sylux's being an entirely unique prototype.
  • Though it is never said explicitly in scans, the Shock Barrier on Arcterra appears to use Shock Coil weaponry as well.
• The Shock Coil symbol resembles a mirror image of the Screw Attack symbol, though is likely meant to represent the Lockjaw, as all Hunter Affinity weapons use symbols that seemingly resemble the corresponding hunter's Alt-Form.
• The Shock Coil is the only Hunter Affinity Weapon for which no variant of Psycho Bit, Voldrum, or Alimbic Turret is shown using a version of it. It is also not seen to be used by Guardians, a trait shared with the Imperialist, making the Shock Coil the only Hunter weapon not utilized by any enemies other than Sylux and Gorea.

Behind the scenes

In the Metroid world, the Shock Coil (as stated in the above quote) fires a concentrated beam of high-density neutrinos in order to damage the target. However, in the real world, it is safe to say that this weapon would more than likely do absolutely nothing to its target. Neutrinos have been known to exist since the mid-1900s, and in those early years, neutrinos were thought to possess no physical mass, leading to people thinking that they traveled near to or at the speed of light. Yet as studies progressed, it was found that they did in fact possess a small mass, so small even that they are practically on the brink of physical existence. Also found in further studies was the fact that neutrinos are completely harmless.

It is known that well over a trillion neutrinos pass through one's body every second; they cause no damage because of their extremely low mass. Perhaps, Metroid being set in the future, a way has been discovered to somehow combine neutrinos into a single ionic cluster, giving them some sort of mass, in order to cause harm to the target. Perhaps the fact that the otherwise invisible neutrinos are visible in the beam is indicative of some component or quality added to the beam to make the neutrinos lethal. Yet aside from this theory, the Shock Coil, in the real world, would be completely harmless.