Why no Zats or Staff Weapons in Atlantis?

[jds1982]

Because the SGC knew it would be a suicide mission, and they only sent people they wanted to get rid of. Why would they send something as useful as a zat when they knew they wouldn't get it back?

[Crazedwraith]

They have used Zats on Atlantis, whenever they go back to Earth. Ala The Return or Midway.

Its strange they didn't let Sam have one in Season 4, since ever since Season 2 of SG-1 she's pretty much carried it has her standard sidearm. (presumably to emphasis her link to the Tok'Ra, for much the same reason as Teal'c carried Jaffa Weapons)

[Merlin1701]

To give the show it's own feel. Zats are an SG1 weapon.

This is the real reason.
In later episodes they introduced the small wraith stunner as the PG version of the Zat.

Spoiler:

We have also a ancient stunner

Spoiler:

not very nice, i'm sure that you will agree!

and the asuran stun gun

Spoiler:

the best looking one IMO

[Anon]

because each needs to have 2 main alien wep, the big rifle like wraith stunners, and the squirt gun type

[major davis]

Becasue characters would go crazy trying to choose between zat guns or wraith stunners

[rkgardner2003]

I've started to alternate my SG1 and SGA viewing and was watching them try and shoot wraith with puny Earth weapons. Once they were able to get things from the Milky Way, why didn't they send some zat guns? Wouldn't they have been better to battle the wraith with?

[Anonmatel]

Possibly.... Maybe not. Zat guns were not all that powerful, there were plenty of instances where humans got hit with a Zat gun and kept on going.

seeing as Wraith can take full rounds of ammo and keep coming them one would assume they'd do the same...

I'd prefer Ronins gun on both the Wraith and the goa'uld personally.

[Ripple in Space]

Possibly.... Maybe not. Zat guns were not all that powerful, there were plenty of instances where humans got hit with a Zat gun and kept on going.

seeing as Wraith can take full rounds of ammo and keep coming them one would assume they'd do the same...

Haven't seen "Midway"?

[AtlantisStargate]

It wouldn't be as effective as the wraith stunners since we've seen how Zat's kill the second time, which would be a pain if you wanted to capture a wraith with a Zat.

[Quizziard]

Even within the SG-1 teams, they don't seem to have too many zats. It's an alien weapon, which means capturing and maintaining them. Easier to stick to your own.

[thekillman]

I've started to alternate my SG1 and SGA viewing and was watching them try and shoot wraith with puny Earth weapons. Once they were able to get things from the Milky Way, why didn't they send some zat guns? Wouldn't they have been better to battle the wraith with?

This discussion AGAIN? i've seen it come up a half dozen times.

Zats were not in atlantis because they're in short supply. And since wraith, at least early on, were bullet sponges i doubt zats would have any effect anyway.

As you probably noticed, after a while the Atlantis team started to use wraith stunners which makes the need for zats obsolete anyway.

[Crazedwraith]

The out of universe explanation is that they wanted to keep the two shows reasonably distinct to new viewers.

in-universe, it's more difficult. They are shown to have substantial number of zats. Considering they even supplied the jaffa rebellion with some at one iirc and Sg- frequently carried them in their packs as back up weapons. (Sam and Teal'c carried them as their normal side arms but they always had enough for all them to have one if they need to go non-lethal)

[rkgardner2003]

This discussion AGAIN? i've seen it come up a half dozen times.

Zats were not in atlantis because they're in short supply. And since wraith, at least early on, were bullet sponges i doubt zats would have any effect anyway.

As you probably noticed, after a while the Atlantis team started to use wraith stunners which makes the need for zats obsolete anyway.

Sorry to be repetitive, have not seen addressed before..(only on here a year) If I remember right weren't the Jaffa also hard to kill at first but remarkably easier to take down by later seasons, sort of like the wraith were so hard to kill in season 1 but seemed to go down easier with bullets in later seasons...I do remember the stunners...true.

[Anonmatel]

Haven't seen "Midway"?

I have

[KEK]

Then you've seen a Wraith get stunned with a Zat.