Charge lance

The charge lance is a heavy, single-shot ranged weapon which deals a high amount of damage per shot; slightly longer time between shots; long range and high overall accuracy.

Acquisition

Charge lances can be produced at a fabrication bench with a minimum crafting skill of 9 once the pulse-charged munitions research has been completed for 60 Plasteel, 3 Advanced components and 60,000 ticks (16.67 mins) of work. Charge lances can also be purchased from outlander and orbital combat suppliers, as well as outlander settlements.

Lancers are the only enemy in the core game to use charge lances, but they aren't dropped when the lancer dies. Therefore, there is no way to acquire charge lances from raiders in the core game. With the Royalty DLC enabled, however, Janissaries, Cataphracts, and Stellic Defenders from the Empire have a possibility to spawn with a charge lance equipped, but are hard to defeat.

Analysis

The charge lance deals the highest amount of damage per shot out of all non-explosive ranged weapons in the game, and therefore has gained quite the reputation for dismembering and outright killing people alongside the pila and sniper rifle. This is combined with the highest projectile velocity ingame, as well as decent range and accuracy. Stopping power is also good: high enough to stagger humans, as well as slightly larger creatures such as cougars and all insectoid variations.

As a result of its high damage, armor penetration is also good. This therefore makes the charge lance quite a solid weapon against more heavily-armored opponents such as mechanoids or lategame raiders.

Rate of fire is quite slow; slower than the bolt-action rifle and significantly slower than the charge rifle, but significantly faster than the sniper rifle. Damage output is rather poor at shorter ranges and middle-of-the-road at medium range. Also, similarly to the charge rifle, the charge lance is very difficult to acquire until lategame since it's expensive to produce and either unobtainable from raiders entirely or only obtainable from difficult Empire raiders

In terms of usage in combat, the charge lance is best suited as a medium-to-long-range support weapon (especially against heavily-armored targets), or in field combat. The charge lance can also be used as a powerful hunting weapon.

Against an unarmored human, a charge lance can kill with 2 hits to the torso, 1-2 hits to the head, or 1 hit to the neck or brain; cripple or destroy limbs with a single hit; and destroy eyes and digits with a single hit. It'll generally take around 3 hits (~16.6 seconds average) to incapacitate that human from pain shock.

Overall, the charge lance is best paired with a careful shooter up to level 17, then with a trigger-happy shooter beyond that point.

Attack table

Ranged

Charge lance			Accuracy (Touch)	Accuracy (Short)	Accuracy (Medium)	Accuracy (Long)	DPS (Optimal)	DPS (Touch)	DPS (Short)	DPS (Medium)	DPS (Long)	Market value
Quality	Dam.	AP	Accuracy (Touch)	Accuracy (Short)	Accuracy (Medium)	Accuracy (Long)	DPS (Optimal)	DPS (Touch)	DPS (Short)	DPS (Medium)	DPS (Long)	Market value
Awful	27	40.5%	52%	68%	68%	60%	6.14	3.19	4.17	4.17	3.68	675
Poor	30	45%	58.5%	76.5%	76.5%	67.5%	6.82	4.02	5.25	5.25	4.64	1015
Normal	30	45%	65%	85%	85%	75%	6.82	4.43	5.8	5.8	5.12	1355
Good	30	45%	71.5%	93.5%	93.5%	82.5%	6.82	4.91	6.41	6.41	5.66	1695
Excellent	30	45%	78%	100%	100%	90%	6.82	5.32	6.82	6.82	6.14	2030
Masterwork	37.5	56.25%	87.75%	100%	100%	100%	8.53	7.5	8.53	8.53	8.53	3355
Legendary	45	67.5%	97.5%	100%	100%	100%	10.23	10.03	10.23	10.23	10.23	4355

^{For the full effects of qualities, see Quality. Values shown in Red indicate the weapon is out of range at the reference point for this range band. The value is provided due to the interpolated nature of accuracy between range points.}

Melee

Feature	Toggle
Attacks

Charge lance			Stock (Blunt)					Barrel (Blunt)					Barrel (Poke)					Human: Left & rigth fist (Blunt)					HP	Value
Quality	DPS^[1]	AP^[1]	Dam.	Cool.	AP	DPS	Chance^[2]	Dam.	Cool.	AP	DPS	Chance^[2]	Dam.	Cool.	AP	DPS	Chance^[2]	Dam.	Cool.	AP	DPS	Chance^[2]	HP	Value
Awful	3.98	11.6%	7.2	2s	10.4%	3.6	8.33%	7.2	2s	10.4%	3.6	8.33%	7.2	2s	10.4%	3.6	8.33%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 37.5%	100	675
Poor	4.07	11.82%	8.1	2s	11.7%	4.05	20%	8.1	2s	11.7%	4.05	20%	8.1	2s	11.7%	4.05	20%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 20%	100	1015
Normal	4.4	12.75%	9	2s	13%	4.5	25%	9	2s	13%	4.5	25%	9	2s	13%	4.5	25%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	1355
Good	4.74	13.73%	9.9	2s	14.3%	4.95	25%	9.9	2s	14.3%	4.95	25%	9.9	2s	14.3%	4.95	25%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	1695
Excellent	5.08	14.7%	10.8	2s	15.6%	5.4	25%	10.8	2s	15.6%	5.4	25%	10.8	2s	15.6%	5.4	25%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	2030
Masterwork	5.92	17.14%	13.05	2s	18.85%	6.53	25%	13.05	2s	18.85%	6.53	25%	13.05	2s	18.85%	6.53	25%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	3355
Legendary	6.59	19.09%	14.85	2s	21.45%	7.43	25%	14.85	2s	21.45%	7.43	25%	14.85	2s	21.45%	7.43	25%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	4355

^{For the full effects of qualities, see Quality.}

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Note: This is the actual base average derived from the melee verb system updated in 1.1.2610, it may sometimes disagree with the listed value in the in-game infobox.
It may also change depending on the stats and the melee verbs available to the wielder if the weapon is wielded by some other than a baseline human.
↑ Chance for attack to be selected, assuming the weapon is wielded by a baseline human. It may change depending on the melee verbs available to the wielder

Melee Combat

Tool	Attack	Damage Type	Power	AP	Cooldown	Likelihood	Base DPS
Overall	-	-	9	13%	2.00s	-	4.50
Barrel	Blunt	Blunt	9	13%	2.00s	50.00%	4.50
Barrel	Poke	Blunt	9	13%	2.00s	50.00%	4.50

Version history

In Beta 19 it received a slight damage buff (27 --> 30), a slight reduction in time to aim and increase in attack cooldown, leaving fire rate more or less the same. It also received a crafting recipe allowing humans to use them.

In 1.1 its range and long range accuracy was nerfed (37 --> 30; 80% --> 75%).