[忍]

Doesn't flechette only change the DV and AP? Why list it similarly to electrical damage, which has non-damage mechanics.

[Medicineman]

>>>> Doesn't flechette only change the DV and AP?

Yes it does only that

You mean the (f) ?
   
It is a Remnant from previous Editions and has no meaning in the RAW of 5th Ed.because in former Editions you had Armor with different Ballistic and Physical Values and (IIRC) Flechette (like Grenades) did
Physical and not ballistic Damage.
I guess its an editing Error, just ignore the (f)

HokaHey
Medicineman

[Jack_Spade]

Well, f weapons can only use flechette, so the label does tell you something useful - mainly that you probably should buy an other weapon.

[Carmody]

Flechettes ammo provide a "bonus" to armor (positive AP). I personnally only apply this bonus if the target wears an armor (someone naked will not "magically" get 5 armor because it is shot with flechettes ammo.
Therefore the (f) information is useful for this reason.
Not sure whether or not it is house rule however 

[Kiirnodel]

Carmody, you are ruling it correctly. AP values only modify existing armor, which means that having a ton of AP doesn't give an extra bonus against opponents without armor (they don't take an extra penalty on the Body test to soak), but they also can't benefit from a positive AP value. This makes flechette extremely effective against enemies with no armor (that's the point of the design).

The (f) symbol on some weapons might have originally been an artifact of previous editions like Medicineman says, but Jack_Spade is also correct that it was left in to indicate that the damage of those weapons already includes the modification from the fact that they only fire flechette-type ammo. So while you can ignore it for the most part, as it doesn't have any further effect on the rules for that weapon's damage and AP value, it also means you don't have the option to swap out that ammo.

[Quatar]

It's pretty nice against most critters. Pretty crappy against most metahumans (who'll at least be wearing armored clothing or something).

And yes, the (f) means it's already included in the damage code for the weapon, so a Ares Viper Silvergun will not turn into an 11P, +9 AP weapon when fired with flechette ammo.
Shotguns that don't have the (f) have the damage code for slug ammo (aka regular ammo) listed, and do get the +2 DV, +5 AP modified when they shoot flechette.

For the roomsweeper, I guess it's just convinience that they posted it. Kinda pointless here, since it just follows the normal rules, guess they wanted to emphasise it that you can shoot flechette with it.

[Jack_Spade]

The roomsweeper uses shotgun rules i.e. choke settings that allow you to target more than one person and make defense harder.

[The Bald Man]

There are special flechette rules for choke, range, number of targets, dodge penalty.  That's why it there. 

[Tecumseh]

Flechette ammunition is situational but it does have its uses. Unarmored critters are a good example.

Flechette suppressive fire (Run & Gun, p.120) is difficult to dodge and can be a great way for a someone who isn't a primary combatant to contribute to the team effort. I have a mage who likes to wave around an AK full of flechette, mostly to make her look like less of a mage, but it's nice to have something she can accomplish with it even with a relatively modest dice pool.

4th Edition had armor-piercing flechette ammo (War! p. 156) that kept the +2DV but got rid of the AP penalty. It was expensive and rare (18F, ¥160 per 10 shots). It hasn't made the leap to 5th Edition yet.

[ZeldaBravo]

Pretty crappy against most metahumans (who'll at least be wearing armored clothing or something).

Imagine firing flechette loaded Mossberg AM-CMDT full auto mode, wide spread, short range. That's 11P DV +4 AP and -14 dodge dice. That means the guy you're firing at doesn't get to dodge your salvo, your net hits (up to 5(7)) transfer to damage. That's not crappy at all. Longer ranges only let you target more people with the same roll with an impact to damage code.

I mean, a proper street sam with R5 I5 Reaction Enhancers 3 and Wired Reflexes 2 only gets 1 defense die. That's awesome, not awful.

[Jack_Spade]

Strictly speaking, flechette trades +2 DV for (on average) -1.33 DV or a net +0.66 damage, more against unarmored targets and much, much less against hardened armor (most often zero). More important, it often turns physical into stun damage - especially against targets that wear the standard armor jacket +helmet combo. Depending on situation that can be a positive or negative.

So flechette does have it's uses, but I wouldn't rely on a weapon that fires them exclusively. Using different ammo types tactically is a very important part of being a successful shadow runner.

And yes: An Auto Assault shotgun on a drone with flechette suppressing fire is a great way to get yourself in and out of trouble.

[The Bald Man]

...is a great way to get yourself in and out of trouble.

ha ha especially the "in to".

[The Bald Man]

I have a mage who likes to wave around an AK full of flechette,...

Can you load flechette rounds in non shotgun weapons (or other weapons that specifically mention it like the roomsweeper or slivergun)?

[Tecumseh]

Yes. All ammunition types are available for all classes of firearm (excluding obvious exceptions like tasers, laser weapons, dart guns, etc).

[The Bald Man]

So... Assault rifles and light pistols have a choke?  You are blowing my mind here.  This is generally accepted?

looking at range table: shotgun flechette vs shotgun slug have different ranges.  no such distinction for other weapons.