The shotgun was a powerful, heavy, and compact blaster or slugthrower that emitted several bolts or pellets at once when fired. They could often hit multiple targets or eliminate one target with a single blast. However, its damage decreased as range to the target increased, since the pellets scattered if fired from too far away; this made the weapon more suited for close-quarters combat.
Slugthrower versions include the scatter gun and C-M Frag Storm. A flechette launcher could also be considered similar to a shotgun in functionality, throwing hundreds of razor-sharp flechettes over a small area.