Malone Ratcatcher MK.1
This article is considered accurate for the current version (1.59) of Foxhole.
| “ | Early iterations of this machinegun were built to be emplaced in bunkers and on the decks of lightly armed warships, the Ratcatcher is Harvey Malone’s first freely mountable infantry weapon designed for field use. Just like its predecessors, this heavy weapon suppresses enemy soldiers with unmatched efficiency. | „ |
| — In-game description |
The Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 (simply known as a Ratcatcher) is a Warden Mounted Machinegun. It shoots 12.7mm ammunition and must be deployed in order to be fired.
Description
The Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 is a Warden automatic 12.7mm Mounted Weapon with high damage (55-82 
), very high fire rate (300 rounds/min), very long range (37.5m effective, 45m max), massive magazine (150 rounds), and mediocre accuracy. The gun loses its stability relatively quickly during long bursts if fired from a standing position. It compensates its inaccuracy with its high volume of fire.
As a mounted weapon it is a Large Item that must be carried on the shoulder. It can only be fired after being mounted on a deployed Tripod or certain vehicles. When mounted, its mount's inventory gains a dedicated ammo slot that can hold thirty 12.7mm magazines. Its firing arc is limited to 90 degrees and depends on the mount's direction.
It excels at eliminating infantry and unarmoured vehicles. It can do significant damage to light armoured vehicles but usually not kill them. It's very ineffective against heavy armoured vehicles such as Tanks and Field Weapons.
With its 12.7mm caliber, it can also damage and destroy certain weak structures.
It is also extremely effective to suppress infantry, garrisoned defenses, and exposed vehicle gunners.
Usage
Large Item Handling
It can be picked up from the ground with V and dropped on the ground with V (or Shift+V if another "V" interaction is available). It can be submitted to a structure/vehicle's stockpile or inventory with V or by clicking the "Submit Large Item" 
button in their interface. It can be retrieved from a Material Pallet, Rooster - Tumblebox, or Storage Room by pressing V without having to open their interface.
Mounting
To mount it press B then aim at the desired mount and press LMB.
Press Q to operate/exit the gun (crouching might be required for low-height deployed tripods). To reload (R), a 12.7mm magazine needs to be either in the mount's inventory or in the shooter's backpack (priority for backpack if both).
To remove it from its mount, open up the mount's menu with E and click the "Pack Up" or "Detach Tripod Weapon" button 
in the bottom right. Once disassembled, the weapon and its ammo are dropped on the ground.
Production
| Structure | Input(s) | Output | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
 Ammunition Factory (Tripod Factory) |
3 x Construction Materials  4 MW of power  |
1 x Malone Ratcatcher MK.1  |
00:00:25 |
 Factory (Heavy Arms) |
100 x Basic Materials  5 x Refined Materials  |
1 Crate of 5 x Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 |
00:02:05 |
 Mass Production Factory (Heavy Arms) |
100 x Basic Materials 5 x Refined Materials |
1 Crate of 5 x Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 |
00:20:50 |
Must be fully researched in the Weapons and Structures 
Tech Tree in order to be produced.
Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 in Facility personal orders can be retrieved as reservable crates from a logistics vehicle with RMB > "Retrieve as crate" (5 per crate).
Mass Production Factory orders must have at least 3 crates.
Storage
It does not stack in inventories (1 per slot).
It can be stored in the stockpile of Bases (32k max) but also in Material Pallets (120), Material Transfer Stations (1000), Rooster - Tumblebox Trailer (32), Small Flatbed Car (100) or Storage Rooms (100).
Crates of Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 can be directly submitted to any item stockpile that accepts that item to transfer their content. The crates can also be stored in the crate stockpiles of Storage Depots (1000 public, 100 per Reserve Stockpile), Seaports (1000 public, 100 per Reserve Stockpile), Shipping Containers (60), or Storage Ships (1000).
It can be transported by almost any vehicle with inventory slots, but is most commonly transported by Trucks, Small Flatbed Car, or shipping vehicles carrying Material Pallets. It can also be transported as crates, either delivering them to a Base's stockpile with a Truck or to a crate stockpile with shipping vehicles carrying Shipping Containers.
Tactics
The Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 is a powerful mounted machine gun, capable of unleashing high volumes of fire towards incoming enemy infantry. Unlike its Colonial counterpart, it relies less on its damage output, and more on its suppression capabilities. As such, it is recommended to fire in smaller bursts and from a crouched position to minimize the spread, allowing the weapon to dial in on targets.
When installed on a tripod, its main counters are Sniper Rifles, Mortars, and Artillery. Due to its rather immobile nature, it is important to place them in defensive spots, where line-of-sight to targets are unobstructed, but can be rather difficult to be fired upon. This is somewhat difficult to do, as it is a direct-fire weapon, but placing them in trenches does help protect them. Due to its fixed firing arc, the operator is susceptible to flanking.
When placed on a half-track, the immobile nature of the weapon is negated, allowing it to attack enemy infantry from any direction, as long as it can get into range. Flanking is highly recommended in order to maximize its effectiveness.
Tips
- When used on a Deployed Tripod you can't receive cover bonuses, so given the Ratcatcher's fast fire rate you'll keep your accuracy for longer if you use the gun on a crouch-height positioned tripod (i.e. tripod on the ground rather than on edge of Trench or Sandbags). You do get a cover bonus when it is mounted on a vehicle, making it much more accurate.
- A Motorcycle can be used to quickly transport the tripod and gun while you carry the ammo in your backpack.
Trivia
- The appearance of the Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 is similar in to the Hotchkiss Mle 1914 and DShK 1938 heavy machine guns.
Gallery
A Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 mounted on a tripod
A Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 mounted on a tripod inside of a Trench
A Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 mounted on a Niska Mk. I Gun Motor Carriage
A Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 mounted on a Niska Mk. 1 Gun Motor Carriage (side-view)
The Malone Ratcatcher MK.1 introduced in the Update 0.47 Dev Stream
• Coal 
• Components 
• Copper 
• Damaged Components 
• Iron 
• Rare Metal 
• Salvage 
• Sulfur 
• Wreckage 
• Assembly Materials II 
• Assembly Materials III 
• Assembly Materials IV 
• Assembly Materials V 
• Barbed Wire (Material) 
• Concrete Materials 
• Metal Beam 
• Pipe 
• Processed Construction Materials 
• Rare Alloys 
• Sandbag 
• Steel Construction Materials 
• Thermal Shielding 
• Unstable Substances 
