This article is considered accurate for the current version (1.56) of the game.
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A dual barrelled, high calibre anti-infantry machine gun. The Swallowtail is fitted with forward-facing armour plating and is excellent for suppression.
The Swallowtail 988/127-2 houses a crew of two soldiers:
Driver (Left Side)
Controls the movement of the vehicle - requires a soldier in the Gunner seat in order to move
Gunner (Right Side)
Controls the reloading, and firing of the chassis-mounted 12.7mm Twin-Barrel Heavy Machine Gun
Required to move the vehicle
NOTE: Despite not having an actual Passenger seat, it is possible for a soldier to stand on the Spade (the long metal piece on the back of the vehicle) and move with the crew.
Unlike enclosed vehicles, Field Weapons cannot switch seats, requiring the crew to exit the vehicle in order to change seats.
Armament
The Swallowtail 988/127-2 is equipped with one main armament:
The Swallowtail 988/127-2 is an early game Field Weapon whose primary purpose is to engage enemy infantry and suppress defensive structures for infantry to destroy them. Due to it being the earliest 12.7mm piece of equipment in the game, it provides a major advantage as it allows the quick destruction of rushing infantry, as well as smaller structures like Tier 1 bunker pieces (although it is ineffective against higher tier structures).
Chassis
All push guns, by their nature, are one of the most vulnerable vehicles in the game in terms of crew protection. They are exposed to the enemy, making them susceptible to all enemy fire. Due to push guns requiring both crew members to move them, the death of a single crew member could result in the push gun being lost. Due to this, it is recommended to only lock the gun when it looks like enemy infantry are going to overwhelm you and can steal it. This tactic is vital if a push gun is decrewed, as it allows a friendly soldier to quickly man it and drive it back to safety.
Visibility Mechanics
Push guns have a visibility mechanic, which allows it to operate differently compared to regular vehicles. Similar to infantry, they are affected by vision, meaning their movements cannot be seen unless it is within your line of sight. Due to this, they can hide behind structures, or even bushes (depends on how big the bush is). It's also affected by the time of day, with nighttime making it possible for push guns to become invisible to the enemy if you're far enough from them. Keep in mind that if the enemy decides to illuminate your position, this will expose it until the flare dies out. The push gun's position will be exposed anyway if the crew decides to fire its main armament.
Trivia
Prior to Update 0.45, the Swallowtail 988/127-2 used 14.5mm, which was later removed from the game
It was changed to 12.7mm and given a high-velocity modifier to keep its damage output the same as before
Chronologically, the Swallowtail is the most recent technological development that can be identified by naming conventions. Being just 34 years older than the latest confirmed date, year 1005.[1]
