EMP launcher

The EMP launcher is a ranged weapon that fires EMP bolts that explode on impact, creating a small EMP pulse that downs shields, and stuns mechanoids, mortars and turrets.

Acquisition

EMP launchers can be crafted at a Machining table once the Microelectronics research project has been completed. They require 75 Steel, 8 Components, 30,000 ticks (8.33 mins) of work, and a Crafting skill of 4.

EMP launchers can also be purchased from orbital pirate merchants and orbital combat suppliers or outlander faction bases.

Summary

Analysis

While EMP is always useful in taking care of mechanoids, the launcher is generally less useful than its grenade counterpart. The problem is the smaller blast radius than the grenade. This has the obvious effect of hitting fewer targets, but also because the blast radius is now smaller than the miss radius, it cannot reliably hit a specific tile or target. This makes it much less reliable and effective. Additionally, the launcher has a longer cool-down and warm-up time but only stuns targets for the same length of time.

The EMP launchers primary advantage over EMP grenades, namely range, does little to improve its prospects. It is outranged by all ranged mechanoids and against shielded and brain shockable enemies the decreased blast radius and rate of fire reduces the chance to hit far more than the increased range and projectile velocity increase it. The only possible use for the EMP launcher is to shut off low shield at a safe distance, like stunning a mech cluster's shield to let your triple rocket pass through.Or shutting off sapper's low shield without needing to go near them

Comparison to EMP grenades

See also: EMP grenades

The key differences between EMP grenades and launchers are: Range, Rate of Fire, Blast Radius, and Quality.

While both have the same miss radius, the launcher has a significantly smaller blast radius. This means that when the projectile goes wild it may not hit the targetted tile at all. Conversely, the grenades will always overlap the target tile with their larger blast radius. This makes the launcher significantly less reliable. When combined with its 68% slower rate of fire this means that, despite the longer range, using the grenades is almost always the better choice. Note that range can still be beneficial, such as when shutting down low shield packs or mechanoid shields.

This equation changes when at very high qualities however. Unlike the grenades, the launcher is affected by quality. As damage is affected by certain qualities and stun duration is affected by the amount of EMP damage done, this means that awful quality launchers will stun targets for a shorter duration, but also means that masterwork and legendary launchers will stun for longer. The legendary launcher is particularly interesting because, while stun time increases with damage, adaptation time stays the same, and the legendary launcher stuns for long enough that the adaptation will end before the stun does. This means that it is technically possible to keep mechanoids 100% stun locked with perfect timing. In practice, it is almost impossible to get the timing perfect even before accounting for the risk of missed shots, but a team of pawns with legendary launchers can keep a mechanoid stun locked to the point where they cannot finish the warmup on their attacks, which is effective the same. When done in a 1 wide tunnel, this becomes even more reliable. Thus, while launchers of excellent quality of lower are inferior to grenades unless the range is strictly needed, the longer stun durations of higher quality launchers make them useful more generally.

Source	Damage	Stun Duration	Post-Stun Adaption Duration	Ideal Stun Uptime
Awful EMP launcher	45	1,350 ticks (22.5 secs)	850 ticks (14.17 secs)	61.36%
EMP Grenades, Poor/Norm/Good/Exc EMP launcher	50	1,500 ticks (25 secs)	700 ticks (11.67 secs)	68.18%
Masterwork EMP launcher	62.5	1,875 ticks (31.25 secs)	325 ticks (5.42 secs)	85.23%
Legendary EMP launcher	75	2,250 ticks (37.5 secs)	0 ticks (0 secs) (-50 ticks (-0.83 secs))	100%

Attack table

Ranged

EMP launcher			DPS (Optimal)	Market value
Quality	Dam.	AP	DPS (Optimal)	Market value
Awful	45	0%	6.43	250
Poor	50	0%	7.14	380
Normal	50	0%	7.14	505
Good	50	0%	7.14	630
Excellent	50	0%	7.14	755
Masterwork	62.5	0%	8.93	1260
Legendary	75	0%	10.71	2525

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

Melee

Feature	Toggle
Attacks

EMP launcher			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	250
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	380
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	505
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	630
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	755
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	1260
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	2525

^{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