Smoke launcher

The smoke launcher fires smoke bombs that explode on impact, covering a small area with smoke equal to a 5x5 square without corners, regardless of item quality.

Acquisition

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

Smoke launchers can also be purchased from outlander and orbital combat suppliers or outlander faction bases.

Summary

Smoke launchers create blind smoke.

Blind smoke reduces accuracy of any regular projectile, player or enemy, multiplying ranged accuracy by ×30%. For more detail on how this penalty is applied relative to other factors, see Weapons. Since most explosives have a Forced Miss Radius, they are mostly unaffected by the gas. The smoke does not have to cover either the shooter or the target; any smoke in the way will cause the accuracy reduction. In addition, turrets, player and enemy alike, cannot target through pawns that have one or more tiles of smoke between them and the turret.

Smoke launchers of all qualities are functionally identical, except for their melee damage and AP and their market value.^[Verify]

Analysis

Smoke launchers are useful when fighting turrets, since the smoke can totally prevent them from locking on. Since the smoke blocks line-of-sight, you don't need to directly blanket the turret with smoke - as long as there is smoke between you and the turret, the turret will not lock on. By inching closer with a smoke launcher, you can approach safely. Continuously firing smoke at a turret can keep it blinded indefinitely - allowing others to safely destroy it or handle other threats. This is far easier to do with a smoke launcher than a smokepop pack due to the latters limited number of charges.

Smoke is also useful in preparing for a melee rush. By reducing the accuracy of ranged weapons, your melee fighters will find it safer to charge in, without making your melee pawns give up a shield belt or better armor as with the jump pack or locust armor. Once you've closed with an enemy, the smoke grenadier can either continue to put down smoke, retreat, or engage using the weapon and any body part weapons in melee.

Smoke launchers deal no damage to pawns or structures, even on direct hits. Therefore, they are a purely support weapon. As accuracy is not important for smoke to function, smoke launchers are useful for pawns with low combat skills. These pawns would otherwise contribute little to combat. Like with other launchers, pawns with the trigger-happy trait can fire it much faster with essentially no downsides due to the forced miss radius.