Difference between revisions of "Weapon Guide"

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There are a wide variety of weapons available in RimWorld. Using them effectively can give you a sizable advantage against raiders.
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{{Rewrite| reason = Outdated and does not account for Royalty DLC}}
 
 
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Allocating and using weapons effectively gives you a sizable advantage against raiders, who barely have any knowledge on how to properly use them.
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==Overview==
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There are three main categories of weapon this guide will cover:
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*{{Icon Small|Longsword|24}} '''Melee''' - Weapons made for close combat. Pawns are unable to fire guns at melee range, so these weapons have a wide variety of uses, from using hallways to bring enemies to you, to rushing a troublesome [[centipede]].
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*{{Icon Small|Sniper rifle|24}} '''Ranged''' - Weapons that attack from range. There are a wide variety of ranged weapons, from the all-rounder generalists to "specialist" weapons that fit a specific niche.
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*{{Icon Small|Frag grenades|24}} '''Explosive''' - [[Grenades]], launchers, and other oddball weapons/utility items like the [[doomsday rocket launcher]]. In addition to raw explosions, many grenade-type weapons have a special effect, like [[molotov cocktails]] starting [[fire]]. Most explosives do not rely on accuracy, Shooting skill, [[Manipulation]], etc.
  
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Here is a list of ways to use each weapon, and how to counter enemies that are using them. More detailed information on using each individual weapon can be found on their respective pages.
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There are also three technology levels to consider:
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*{{Icon Small|Short bow|24}}'''Neolithic''' - Bows, spears, and clubs. Often necessary when starting a [[Scenario system#Lost Tribe|Lost Tribe]] or [[Scenario system#Naked Brutality|Naked Brutality]] run, but usually it is quick to replace them. (Tribal)
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*{{Icon Small|Bolt-action rifle|24}} '''Early Industrial''' - Weaker firearms, like pistols. These weapons are often carried by eary pirate [[raider]]s. For the purposes of this guide, this includes any gun from [[Research#Blowback operation|Blowback operation]] and before, as well as medieval technology like [[longsword]]s and [[greatbow]]s. (Earlygame)
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*{{Icon Small|Assault rifle|24}} '''Modern / Spacer''' - Weapons from [[Research#Gas operation|Gas operation]] onwards. Even an endgame colony can find industral era weapons viable -  [[charge rifle]]s and [[minigun]]s aren't always the best weapon just because they are higher tech. (Midgame)
  
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== Melee ==
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===Weapon Stats===
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Weapons that can only deal damage in hand-to-hand combat. Many melee weapons outdamage guns at melee range, and have the added benefit of forcing enemies into melee combat—putting gun-armed raiders at a grave disadvantage as they can only fight using their guns as melee weapons—and staggering any pawn that's even attacked in melee.
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There are a couple of stats that are particularly important to consider in a weapon:
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*'''DPS''': Damage per second (at a given range), taking into account raw damage, accuracy, firerate, burst count, and armor. This is the primary consideration for most weapons, and for melee weapons in particular.
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*'''Damage type:''' Whenever a weapon checks Sharp, Blunt, or Heat damage. Most ranged weapons deal Sharp damage. In addition, each specific damage type ([[short bow|Arrow]] vs [[recurve bow|ArrowHighVelocity]], for instance) can have different chances to hit different body parts.
  
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''' Usage '''
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Ranged Weapon Stats
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*Pair with [[shield belt]]s to protect colonists while they close in on the enemy.
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*'''Accuracy''': For 2 weapons with the same DPS, a more accurate weapon hits targets more consistently. Certain weapons are more accurate at certain ranges. The pawn stat, [[Shooting Accuracy]], is separate to the accuracy of the weapon itself. For a full breakdown of mechanics see: [[Weapons#Accuracy|Weapons]]. Due to the specific mechanics of the Shooting Accuracy stat, weapons that deal the majority of their DPS at closer ranges lose less of their DPS than those that do less damage close up but more evenly spread their DPS across a wide band of ranges. Thus, weapons in the former category are considered "skill friendly", and those in latter are best relegated to pawns with high shooting accuracies.
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*Fight back against enemy brawlers trying to break your ranks.
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*'''Range''': How far a ranged weapon can fire. Whether firing from this range is actually effective is another story.
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*'''Firing Cycle''': Firerate of a ranged weapon - the combination of warmup, cooldown, and firing time. For the same DPS, a lower firing cycle makes a weapon more flexible, and better for kiting strategies.
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*'''Stopping power:''' A stopping power of 1 or more can stagger, or slow, humans and human-sized enemies. Specifically, if stopping power >= body size, then the enemy will be slowed.
  
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'''Counters'''
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==Melee==
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*If only melee enemies present, conduct a [[Defense tactics#Melee blocking|melee block]] against them.
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[[File:Bodyblock_choke.png|250px|thumb|right|You shall not pass.]]
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*Shoot them down before they enter range (much harder with active shield belts, easier if you have EMP weaponry).
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Melee weapons specialize in hand-to-hand combat.
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*Outrun and kite with fast movers.
 
  
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=== Blunt ===
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Pawns who are adjacent to each other are ''forced'' into melee combat, even if they are wielding a [[shotgun]]. A gun's barrel is quite ineffective compared to a sword. Melee lends itself well to disruptive tactics, like rushing down a [[sniper rifle|sniper]] or [[grenades|grenadier]], or peeling off enemies from your gunners. The [[defense tactics#Melee blocking|melee block]] - create a chokepoint with 3 melee outside, where only 1 enemy can melee at a time - is extremely effective. You can have gunners fire just behind them.
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Blunt weapons include the [[club]] or [[mace]]. The mace is always the smarter choice due to superior DPS.
 
  
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'''Usage'''
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The main con with melee is that damage is unavoidable. Later in the game, and especially with higher [[difficulties]], enemies will vastly outnumber your colony. A 200 tribal [[raid]] will eventually wear down your most well-geared melee fighters, even in the best scenarios. The second con is that melee fighters will often have to approach ranged fighters, meaning it quickly becomes weaker in those situations. [[Animal]]s will always fight back against a melee weapon, even against a 0% manhunter, making them terrible for hunting.
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*Attack enemies heavily protected against sharp damage.
 
  
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'''Counter'''
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'''Notes:'''
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*Burst them down before they can deal much damage.
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*Give your best melee pawns the strongest melee weapons, assuming you desire to get into melee at all.
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**Weapon [[quality]] and [[material]] has a large impact on ''any'' weapon's effectiveness.
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*[[Shield belt]]s are invaluable to give protection against bullets. They give melee pawns a new use - to serve as tanky distractions.
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*Try to avoid using melee in the very early game, unless you outnumber the enemy. Ranged weapons and [[spike trap]]s are stronger than the weaker melee choices.
  
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=== Sharp ===
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===Sharp===
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There is a much larger variety of sharp weapons, from the cheapest and weakest [[knife]], to the strongest but most expensive [[longsword]]. [[Spear]]s or longswords should be your choice for raw damage.
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*[[Persona monosword]]s {{RoyaltyIcon}} are the strongest sharp weapon, followed by regular [[monosword]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}}.
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*[[Plasteel]] [[longsword]]s are the best craftable sharp weapon.
  
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'''Usage'''
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Sharp weapons are the bread and butter of melee weapons. They are the most common type of melee, dealing strong all-round damage. Most sharp weapons have the ''[[Damage types#Cut|Cut]]'' damage type. Cut has a chance to "cleave" through body parts, increasing ''total'' damage but spreading it throughout body parts.  
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*Use as a general purpose melee weapon for dealing damage.
 
  
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'''Counter'''
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:'''Comparisons:'''<br>
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*Most armor and clothing protects well against sharp damage.
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When made of plasteel, a longsword of sufficient quality (2-3 levels above) can outdamage a regular monosword. A ''masterwork'' plasteel longsword will outdamage a ''good'' monosword, and roughly equal to a ''normal'' persona monosword, though it has less {{AP}}. Plasteel is much better than steel; a plasteel [[knife]] is roughly on par with a steel longsword of the same quality. The next best weapons after a longsword would be a [[spear]] and [[gladius]]. Faster weapons (like knives) have some niche to training melee.
  
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=== Body Parts ===
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===Blunt===
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These are [[body parts]], both natural and artificial, rather than wielded weapons.
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*[[Persona zeushammer]]s {{RoyaltyIcon}} are the strongest blunt weapon, followed by regular [[zeushammer]]s {{RoyaltyIcon}}. Both variants cause a small amount of [[EMP]], stunning turrets and mechanoids for a short time.
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*[[Uranium]] [[mace]]s are the best craftable blunt weapon, and 2nd best overall.
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** Uranium [[warhammer]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}} have a higher chance to 1-shot at high qualities, but are 3x as expensive.
  
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'''Usage'''
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Blunt wounds do not bleed and are often weaker in raw {{DPS}} than sharp counterparts. However, blunt weapons are great for penetrating armor, as most items have a poor Blunt armor rating. They also have a small chance to stun for {{ticks|45}} on hit.
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*Generally inferior to dedicated melee weapons. Don't give to melee pawns.
 
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*Give to ranged colonists to allow them to hold their own against melee attackers.
 
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*Arm and hand replacements do little to help '''ranged''' combat, but a player balance implants (which require natural limbs) with the combat and non-combat buffs offered by replacements.
 
  
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====Natural ====
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Very high [[quality]] blunt weapons enjoy the superior damage propagation. If a sharp weapon would stab a finger, a blunt weapon would destroy the finger and smash the arm in the process.  
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A [[human]] naturally has 4 base attacks. While listed here, they should not be used except in emergencies.
 
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Fist (Right), Fist (Left), Teeth, Head
 
  
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====Artifical Replacements====
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:'''Comparisons:'''<br>
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Body parts can be replaced with artifical parts for a variety of state boosts. Currently, there is only one dedicated combat replacement part, the [[power claw]], however other replacements also affect DPS.
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In terms of raw damage, zeushammers lose to monoswords until facing foes in [[marine armor]], and persona zeushammers lose to persona monoswords until [[cataphract armor|cataphract]]. Even [[centipede]]s don't have the Sharp% armor to resist a regular monosword. However, high quality zeushammers can start to one-shot humans, ironically making them better against unarmored humans than against centipedes.
  
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* [[Prosthetic arm]] - Note that this is identical to the base fist, but without the stun chance.
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Maces lose to longswords until facing [[flak vest]]-level armor, and longswords can still harm the unarmored areas of the body better. Like with monoswords and longswords, a masterwork uranium mace can beat a good zeushammer. Warhammers can 1-shot human sized enemies, or at least cause overkill damage. When available, high quality uranium warhammers are stronger against human pawns than maces.
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* [[Bionic arm]]
 
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* [[Arcotech arm]]
 
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* [[Power claw]]
 
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* [[Drill arm]] {{RoyaltyIcon}}
 
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* [[Field hand]] {{RoyaltyIcon}}
 
  
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==== Implants ====
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===Body parts===
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Rather than replacing parts, these are implanted into the body part. These require the body part to be natural, i.e. not bionic or prosthetic.
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*[[Power claw]]s are the strongest melee body part, but lowers [[Moving]] by 8%.
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* [[Elbow blade]] {{RoyaltyIcon}}
 
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* [[Hand talon]] {{RoyaltyIcon}}
 
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* [[Knee spike]] {{RoyaltyIcon}}
 
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* [[Venom fangs]]  {{RoyaltyIcon}}
 
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* [[Venom talon]] {{RoyaltyIcon}}
 
  
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=== Allocation ===
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[[Artificial body parts]] can be used ''while holding a gun''. Fulfilling the role of a sidearm, these implements are weaker than dedicated melee weapons. You can put these on your frontline gunners, who may not always be able to supress a swarm of melee combatants. When holding a melee weapon, these parts can slightly increase damage; due to the melee verb system, sometimes the fists / body parts will be used instead of a weapon.
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#Spears and longswords should be given to the highest skill melee colonists, who will make the most out of their high DPS while being able to dodge enemy melee blows.
 
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#Maces should be given to some brawlers to deal with heavily armored enemies, and wardens to down prisoners with less risk of fatally injuring them.
 
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#The [[ikwa]] is capable of dealing quite some heavy damage. It can be given to moderate-skilled brawlers as both a practice and a combat weapon.
 
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#The [[gladius]] is somewhat middling with its DPS. It should be given to potential brawlers for them to practice melee, before upgrading them to better weapons.
 
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#[[Knife|Knives]] or [[club]]s are a decent choice for non-combatants as a self-defense weapon, or when you lack materials and technology to make better weapons early-game.
 
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#Incidentally, the knife can be used as a good practice weapon due to its fast attack speed.
 
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#Power claws can be used to replace the hands of a ranged soldier who will engage the enemy in front-line combat. For a slight penalty to shooting accuracy, the soldier will be able to fend off enemy brawlers easily and help peel for others as well.
 
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#For Beta 18 or earlier, Scyther blades should be reserved for colonists with little purpose beyond melee combat, due to its heavy manipulation penalty. Even so, consider giving them power claws instead, as low manipulation means they will miss a lot.
 
  
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== Neolithic ranged ==
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Creating these bionics is an advanced technology, so they are usually reserved for the mid- to late- game. Body parts can also be bought, though the [[surgery]] can be a bottleneck if you don't have a good doctor. Also note that pawns will prioritize their "best" melee attack; only one part is required for gunners.
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These weapons are crafted cheaply using wood, but have low overall DPS and only perform well in short range. They include the [[short bow]], [[recurve bow]], [[great bow]] and the [[pila]]. Often used by tribal archers during battles.
 
  
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It's well advised to switch these out with guns which easily outperform them.
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:'''Comparisons:'''<br>
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Power claws are roughly equal to a normal [[plasteel]] [[longsword]]. [[Hand talon]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}} are stronger than [[elbow blade]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}}, which are stronger than a [[knee spike]]{{RoyaltyIcon}}, though knee spikes have more {{AP}}. All three are roughly on-par with a normal steel longsword. Note that combat parts are incompatible with other artifical parts: hand attachments get in the way of a [[field hand]], hand / arm attachments don't work with a [[bionic arm]], and knee spikes don't work with a [[bionic leg]]. [[Venom fangs]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} are the weakest of the bunch, but do not occupy any useful area of the body.
  
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'''Usage'''
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==Melee - Nonhuman==
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*Use them as a supplementary ranged weapon before you obtain better weapons such as guns.
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[[File:Elephant.png|thumb|300px|right]]
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===Animal===
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*[[Thrumbo]]s are the best animal, but are notoriously difficult to tame and keep tame.
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*[[Megasloth]]s, [[elephant]]s, [[rhino]]s, and both [[bear]]s are behind the thrumbo, but can be found in the wild.
  
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'''Counter'''
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Animals are much more expendible than a colonist, and most have a lot more health than a colonist. However, they cannot be drafted, limiting their combat use severely. In addition, they require one or multiple pawns proficient in the Animals skill in order be tamed and trained.  They thus have 2 main uses:
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*Out-range them using long-range guns.
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#Animals trained in ''Attack'' can... attack. They will rush towards nearby enemies, acting as a powerful distraction for your gunners.
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*Charge at them with shielded melee.
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#Animals can be put in an [[allowed area]] in a hallway raiders are passing through. Raiders and the animal will be forced to attack each other, resulting in a melee block scenario. [[Pen animals]] will not be attacked by raiders, and in any case are unable to be zoned.
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*Most armor and clothing protects well against sharp damage.
 
  
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=== Bows ===
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Animal selection is also limited by [[biome]], and large animals can turn hostile in failed taming attempts.
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Low-tech weapons with moderate-long range. While these have a decent maximum range (23 to 30 tiles), in actual combat they are only practical at around half that range. They don't deal much damage per shot, either, not enough to be lethal or to incapacitate.
 
  
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#Give great bows to your most skilled colonists that don't have a gun on their hands yet.
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===Wild animals===
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#Recurve bows are good for moderate-skilled colonists.
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Other than shooting an animal and hoping it attacks the raiders, there are three dedicated ways to make wild animals hostile to your enemies:
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#Short bows are better suited for other colonists to at least arm them against threats.
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*[[Psychic animal pulser]] is a single use item that turns all wild animals on the map manhunter.
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*The [[Psycasts#Manhunter pulse|manhunter pulse]] [[psycast]]{{RoyaltyIcon}} turns all animals in a large, 57-tile radius into manhunters. Reusable.
 +
*The [[Genes#Ability|animal warcall]] [[gene]]{{BiotechIcon}} turns a specific animal hostile against your opponents.
  
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=== Pila ===
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For the former two strategies, you should wall in [[door]]s (to prevent exit via [[mental break]]), and watch the carnage. Stronger animals like [[megasloth]]s or a herd of [[elephant]]s can easily end smaller raids, or at least force [[siege]]s to attack. These are heavily dependent on your map's current fauna. Also note that using wild animals like this becomes progressively weaker as raids become stronger. An [[elephant]] can't handle 30 gun-wielding raiders, for instance.
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A short-medium ranged weapon that has a long wind-up and cooldown time but deals high damage on hit. Its shots deal enough damage to incapacitate or even kill insufficiently protected colonists should they be struck in vital areas.
 
  
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These are best suited for moderate-high skilled ranged archers.
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===Mechanoid===
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{{Biotech|section=1}}
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*[[Scyther]]s are the most effective at melee combat.
  
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== Guns ==
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Mechanoids have all the advantages of being an animal and then some, including the ability to be [[draft]]ed like a colonist. Mechs can be repaired of all damage for just the cost of power and can be resurrected for a couple of [[steel]]. This negates all the long-term problems that lategame melee faces (though mechs are, of course, not invincible).
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A staple for either side of battle, guns are the go-to method of dealing ranged damage. Even if you're playing as a tribe, it's recommended to pick these up for use instead of using bows or pila.
 
  
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'''Usage'''
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Mechs have their unique costs. They require their [[mechanitor]] nearby to actually control. They cost [[bandwidth]], which could have been used for any amount of ranged mechs. And they create [[toxic wastepack]]s, which will eventuallyy [[pollution|pollute]] your landscape. As combat mechs can be turned off, the actual costs of power and pollution are rather limited.
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*Basically anything that calls for ranged firepower.
 
  
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'''Counters'''
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:'''Comparisons'''<br>
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*Most armor and clothing protects against bullets.
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Scythers (2 bandwidth) are the strongest and most effective at melee, and move slightly faster than a baseline human. [[Tunneler]]s (3 bandwidth) have twice the armor of a scyther ''and'' a natural 250 HP [[shield belt]], but are much slower and don't do as much damage. Tunnelers can also mine. [[Centipede]]s (4) and [[diabolus|mechanoid]] [[war queen|commander]]s (5) have similar armor to the tunneler, and have ''much'' higher actual health, though are mainly used for ranged combat.
  
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=== Light firearms ===
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==Ranged - Neolithic==
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Low-caliber weapons that fire rapidly but have lackluster damage output and average range.
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Neolithic weapons are the easiest weapons to craft, available for [[New Tribe]]s and [[Scenario system#Naked Brutality|Naked Brutality]] starts to craft.
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===Bows===
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Bows are a mid range, generalist option.
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*{{Icon Small|short bow|24}} [[Short bow]]s are the simplest ranged weapons in the game, only requiring [[wood]] and a [[crafting spot]].
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*{{Icon Small|recurve bow|24}} [[Recurve bow]]s are a direct upgrade to the shortbow, with an increase to damage, accuracy, and range, for only {{icon small|wood}} 10 [[wood]] more. Tribal starts begin with Recurve Bows unlocked, meaning they just need a Crafting skill of 5 to make these. At maximum range, recurve bows are suprisingly competitive with early firearms, especially at high qualities. (These can also be made at a [[crafting spot]].)
  
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These should only be used in actual combat during early-game when enemies are weak enough to take down with these.
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Bows are at least ''something'' to fight raiders without having to engage in melee. Even without a single melee fighter, 5 tribals with shortbows can easily repel raids. Focus fire on 1 target, and don't let melee enemies too close. [[Door]]s can help with early ranged tactics. For example - place 2 doors on opposite ends of a larger building, and when melee raiders get too close, go to the door on the other side.
  
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'''Usage'''
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Naked Brutality players will want to rely on [[spike trap]]s to kill raiders at first, using the shortbow for hunting and to save on traps. Of course, new tribes (and other colonies) can also use traps to their advantage.
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*Equip on colonists with less shooting skill as the fast fire means missing is less punishing.
 
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*Give to colonists to quickly improve their aim, regardless of level.
 
  
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'''Counters'''
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===Pila===
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*Take down other enemies first, who can deal more damage and are hence more dangerous.
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Pila are incredibly short ranged support weapons.
 +
*{{Icon Small|pila|24}} [[Pila]] lose even to a shortbow in raw damage. They have a small range and a massive cooldown, so are terrible as standalone weapons. However, the pila can stagger humans. The best use of the pila is a support weapon; place a low-skill fighter with a pila behind melee fighters. They also have some use as a hunting weapon. The high per-shot damage compensates for the lowered range.
  
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==== [[Revolver]] ====
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Due to its weaknesses and [[Research#Smithing|Smithing]] requirement, pila shouldn't be actively created or sought after. However, a Lost Tribe will start with one.
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The lowest tier of firearm. It is cheap allowing it to be found early-game from raiders, or crafted after relatively little research and material cost.
 
  
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==== [[Autopistol]] ====
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===Flamebows===
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A fast-firing but shorter ranged pistol. While it has a higher DPS than the revolver, its low stopping power makes it unable to stagger advancing humanoid enemies.
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Flamebows are specialist weapons that cause fire.
 +
*{{Icon Small|Flamebow|24}} [[Flamebow]]s{{BiotechIcon}} create [[fire]] on the tile it lands on. Watch out for your base. Pawns lit on fire will run around widly, unable to attack until doused. Fire can also be used to quickly [[temperature|heat]] up any place considered "indoors", causing any enemies to get [[heatstroke]] and burn up. Special traps can be made to take advantage of the heat, just like with [[molotov cocktail]]s. Flamebows cannot be crafted, only bought or dropped from [[impid]] raiders.
  
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It is the best gun when it comes to training, since its fast fire rate means you'll pull off many shots in little time, rapidly giving XP for shooting.
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== Ranged - Early Industrial ==
 +
Low-tech, conventional firearms. These weapons are often carried by early pirates and outlanders, such as the [[Raider#Scavenger Gunner|Scavenger Gunner]], [[Raider#Pirate Gunner|Pirate Gunner]], and [[Raider#Town Guard|Town Guard]]. Scavenger gunners and pirate gunners in particular can ''only'' carry these weapons (and the [[incendiary launcher]]). These weapons will eventually be outclassed by superior firearms, like the [[heavy SMG]] and [[chain shotgun]]. So while you ''can'' craft these weapons as soon as you research [[Research#Gunsmithing|Gunsmithing]], many players like to wait to craft the weapons from [[Research#Gas operation|Gas Operation]] and onwards, due to the large increase of effectiveness from the more advanced weapons.
  
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==== [[Machine pistol]] ====
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Note that weapon [[quality]] has a large impact on combat. Even if you prefer [[revolver]]s, a ''poor'' [[autopistol]] will likely outperform an ''awful'' [[revolver]], and a ''good'' [[recurve bow]] can outperform both (at maximum range). This applies to all weapons, but especially if you are reliant on obtaining weapons from raiders.
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A light sub-machine gun. It fires a 3-round burst with a low aim time and cooldown. Its bullets deal so little damage that they can't even shoot off a finger.  
 
  
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It is good if you want to reduce the risk of accidental permanent damage, but it isn't the best for stopping escaping enemies due to its lack of stopping power.
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===Handguns===
 +
Handguns are close-mid range, general combat options.
 +
*{{Icon small|Revolver|24}} [[Revolver]]s are a low-tier firearm with decent damage at the closer ranges. Unlike many lighter firearms, revolvers can stagger humans, slowing them slightly when a shot hits.
 +
*{{Icon small|Autopistol|24}} [[Autopistol]]s have slightly better DPS than revolvers at any range, but do not stagger humans. Autopistols also have the fastest cooldown cycle in the game, lending well to hit-and-run tactics against melee opponents.
  
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=== Short-range ===
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As the lowest tech firearms, pistols are weaker than most of the options here, but still better than a recurve bow at all ranges. Inaccurate from max range. Both handguns are roughly the same as each other, but revolvers are better as a support weapon, and autopistols better as a main damage dealer.
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Short-ranged weapons with ranges of less than 20 tiles. These require you get up close to the enemy to shoot them, leaving you more vulnerable to enemy fire, but in return deal heavy DPS.
 
  
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'''Usage'''
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===Long ranged===
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*Use as a supporting weapon to shoot down incoming melee enemies or return fire against short ranged enemies.
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These options are effective in any situation (outside of close combat), mostly due to the small effective range of contemporary weapons.
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*Deal massive damage in a [[Defense tactics#melee blocking|melee blocking]] attack.
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*{{Icon small|Greatbow|24}} [[Greatbow]]s are on-par with most pistols, but have a higher range. "Greatbows are better than pistols at the pistol's max range". While costing only wood to create, actually researching greatbows is usually not worth all that effort - even for Tribal starts - when other guns are easy enough to get from raiders. Also, they are outclassed by the bolt-action rifle in every reasonable statistic.
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*Equip on non-combatants for self-defense.
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*{{Icon small|Bolt-action rifle|24}} [[Bolt-action rifle]]s are a fairly standard, mid-long range option, only outranged by the [[sniper rifle]]. Best range in this tech level by far, it can shoot just about any enemy as they approach. Like greatbows, they beat pistols at the pistol's max range. Good for open combat, and great for hunting. Preferably used with high-skill shooters.  
  
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'''Counters'''
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: Even when you have more advanced weapons, the bolt-action still has a niche. It deals more damage than the sniper while retaining high range. The bolt-action outranges all [[centipede]] variants, and comfortably outranges [[lancer]]s.
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*Deprive them of any nearby cover to expose them.
 
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*Shoot with long-ranged weapons.
 
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*Close in on them with shielded melee.
 
  
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==== [[Pump shotgun]] ====
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Due to enemy AI firing from the closest available cover, meaning they often fire from near-max range, both of these weapons perform very well in the open. Both weapons are good in a long distance firefight, though bolt-action rifles are statistically superior.
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A weapon that fires a single high-damage blast of pellets. These can severely injure an enemy, sometimes killing them outright if you hit a vital organ and they lack protection.
 
  
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It is fairly accurate within its range.
+
===Short ranged===
 +
Pump shotguns are a specialist weapon, great at both support and close-range damage. Machine pistols are strong up close, but a good overall weapon (for its tech level).
 +
*{{Icon small|Pump shotgun|24}} [[Pump shotgun]]s are both powerful and accurate - technically the ''most'' accurate weapon in the game, but have a measly 15.9 tile range. Damage is great, and shotguns can stagger pawns as large as [[centipede]]s.
 +
*{{Icon small|Machine pistol|24}} [[Machine pistol]]s fire a burst of 3 bullets with a very quick cooldown. Overall DPS beats both handguns up to 19.9 tiles, this weapon's maximum range. It even surpasses the pump shotgun at touch range (3 tiles). Fast cooldown cycle makes it good for hit and run tactics. A clearcut winner if you don't have any better equipment.
  
−
==== [[Chain shotgun]] ====
+
Short ranged weapons are best used directly behind melee fighters, but remain decent at their maximum range. Like with melee, you can make hallways and tunnels so that you can gun enemies at an effective range. Counter these weapons by using a long range weapon, engaging them in melee, or luring them into [[spike trap]]s before they get too close.
−
A very short-ranged weapon that fires a triple burst of buckshot. It deals immense single-target damage, but its short range can hamper its effectiveness.
 
  
−
It's a powerful but somewhat situational choice.
+
==Ranged - Modern ==
 +
Ranged weapons unlocked from [[Research#Gas operation|Gas Operation]] and onwards. Most, if not all, of these weapons have ''some'' sort of niche or viability even for late- and end- game colonies.
  
−
'''Usage'''
+
===Rifles & SMG===
−
*Shred large targets with its high DPS, as it can land most of its shots against them.
+
Rifle-class weapons are generalist weapons, dealing great damage at any range.
−
*Fire at bunched-up enemies who are more likely to take hits from this weapon.
+
* {{Icon small|Assault rifle|24}} [[Assault rifle]]s are perfect for open engagements, with good damage, above-average range, and high accuracy. They are very good when outside a [[killbox]] (such as repelling breachers and sappers), and respectable inside of one. If you don't need a [[sniper rifle]]'s range, they are the best general weapon for [[kiting]]. Somewhat skill friendly.
−
*Flank low-damage enemies.
+
* {{Icon small|Heavy SMG|24}} [[Heavy SMG]]s are skill friendly, close-medium range weapons. Great damage and accuracy up close, remaining decent at longer distances. A strict upgrade to the machine pistol. SMGs are best for low-skill shooters, mostly due to closer range. They can outdamage even charge rifles at <10 tiles, without the hard range restrictions of a chain shotgun.
 +
* {{Icon small|Charge rifle|24}} [[Charge rifle]]s are high-tech versions of assault rifles. Stronger, and with high {{AP}}, but with shorter range and less accuracy. Charge rifles are the strongest weapon in a [[killbox]] that can remain flexible outside of one.
  
−
'''Counter'''
+
In general, these weapons are great for base defense, whenever in static setups or when dealing with [[breacher]]s and [[sapper]]s. They are also the best options for attacks outside of your base. Assault rifles are the overall best weapon outside of a killbox, charge rifles deal the most damage of the three, and SMGs are best at lower skill.
−
*Burst them down from a distance before they get in range.
 
−
*Force them into melee combat before they can pull off a single burst.
 
−
*Spread defenders apart to reduce collateral damage.
 
  
−
==== [[Heavy SMG]] ====
+
===LMG & Minigun===
−
Fires a 3-round burst of heavy slugs. These pack quite a punch, and are moderately accurate. An excellent choice in terms of short-range DPS, though its effectiveness quickly drops outside short range.
+
Weapons with a large burst of bullets, but low accuracy and long cooldowns.
 +
* {{Icon small|LMG|24}} [[LMG]]s fire a 6-shot spray of bullets. Can stagger humans, but lower single-target DPS than the rifles. The LMG is decent for crowd-control, and a good support weapon.
 +
* {{Icon small|Minigun|24}} [[Minigun]]s fire a massive 25-shot burst, a massively heavy SMG. High cost, wildly inaccurate, and with a huge cooldown cycle, miniguns are dedicated to crowd-control in specialized, stationary setups. Extremely powerful in the right situations.
  
−
=== Medium-range ===
+
Both weapons are good as support, and for at mowing crowds of enemies. Missed shots can hit other enemies in the vicinity, meaning their low accuracy is compensated when attacking a horde of tribals. Both weapons do well in crowded, stationary setups. The minigun is much more extreme - its optimal DPS is miles above any weapon in the game, but the user becomes a sitting duck. The LMG suffers when compared to rifle-class weapons, due to low effective {{DPS}}.
−
Well-rounded guns with a moderate maximum range of around 24-30 tiles. They deal excellent DPS at range if they can hit their mark.
 
  
−
'''Usage'''
+
===Chain shotgun===
−
*Give to your moderately skilled gunners.
+
A very high damage, decent accuracy, low range, specialist weapon.
−
*Deal heavy damage to entrenched low-DPS or short-ranged targets.
+
* {{Icon small|Chain shotgun|24}} [[Chain shotgun]]s are the strongest non-minigun, non-consumable weapon in the game, but with pitiful range. Perfect for drop pods and infestations.
 +
Chain shotguns are amazing when you can expect or force close combat. Infestations are inevitable for mountain bases, while any form of melee block works well for shotguns. These weapons can also work very well inside a specialized killbox; if you can control/expect where [[sapper]]s and [[breacher]]s will go, shotguns can be a very viable weapon as a colony's sole firearm.
  
−
'''Counter'''
+
===Sniper rifle===
−
*Focus fire on them to take them out first.
+
Extreme range, single-shot, specialist weapons.
−
*Out-range them when they are entrenched.
+
* {{Icon small|Sniper rifle|24}} [[Sniper rifle]]s have the highest range in the game, but low firerate. Overall DPS is weaker than a [[bolt-action rifle]], but snipers are clearly not a damage weapon. Useful for picking off [[siege]]s, lone [[centipede]]s, etc. Very reliant on Shooting skill.
  
−
==== [[LMG]] ====
+
Sniper rifles are great weapons for kiting stationary enemies and the best weapon for hunting. Fire a shot, and as enemies approach you, back off until they reset to their original position. They are also great at luring [[siege]]s to assault your colony, assuming the siege doesn't have snipers of their own.  
−
A light machine gun that fires a 6-round volley of light bullets. While it has good damage potential, it has poor single-target accuracy with the bullets rarely hitting the same target.
 
  
−
'''Usage'''
+
===Charge lance===
−
*Fire at a group of enemies instead of lone ones.
+
Medium-high range, single-shot, high AP.
 +
* {{Icon small|Charge lance|24}} [[Charge lance]]s have a large per-shot damage and high {{AP}}. However, its range is equal to an [[assault rifle]], leading to a profile much similar to rifles rather than a sniper. Actual DPS is weaker than the assault rifle, and the armor penetration isn't actually that big. This gives it a weak niche, despite its cost and tech level.
 +
Charge lances are very similar to assault rifles for overall usage, with same damage and range. As its DPS is lower, this weapon is not recommended to use over assault rifles, at least for most cases. It may have use in dealing with heavily armored enemies.
  
−
==== [[Charge rifle]] ====
+
==Explosives==
−
An excellent weapon that fires a burst of charged energy packets. Its good accuracy and high DPS means that defeating the enemy is no problem with this. It should be your standard weapon at mid-late game situations.
+
===Grenades===
 +
Grenades have the shortest range of any colonist weapon in the game, only thrown up to 12 tiles. All grenades have a forced miss radius.
 +
*{{Icon small|Frag grenades|24}} [[Frag grenades]] are standard explosives. While powerful, they are virtually unable to hit a moving pawn without the player manually leading the target. Good for fighting enemies in [[cover]]. Can be thrown straight for a few tiles in a hallway, and coupled with their AoE and massive damage, they are devastating against massed melee enemies when placed behind melee blockers. Grenades are also ''very'' effective against structures and walls. Breaking a wall fast is rarely helpful, but this property is great for taking out [[mech cluster]]s.{{RoyaltyIcon}}
 +
*{{Icon small|Molotov cocktail|24}} [[Molotov cocktail]]s create [[fire]]. Unwieldy, and with a small blast, molotovs aren't very effective to throw on top of raiders. Instead, fire can quickly heat up any place considered ''indoors'', burning [[raider]]s and [[insect]]s alive via [[temperature]] mechanics. Mechs are immune to fire and heat.
 +
*{{Icon small|EMP grenades|24}} [[EMP grenades]] stun [[mechanoid]]s and [[turret]]s for a massive duration and break both [[shield belt]]s and [[low-shield pack]]s,{{RoyaltyIcon}} but are harmless against organic targets. Invaluable for mech raids. Its blast radius is ''much'' bigger than the other grenades. As the blast is bigger than the forced miss radius, these are fairly reliable.
 +
*{{Icon small|Tox grenades|24}} [[Tox grenades]]{{BiotechIcon}} create [[tox gas]]. This affects colonists and raiders alike, though you can outfit colonists with [[toxic resistance|toxic]] [[Toxic Environment Resistance|protection]]. Tox grenades are best for attacking enemies who are passing through long, winding, and tight corridors, which have no recourse against the poison. [[Vent]]s allow tox gas to transfer between rooms.
  
−
Though it works good even if used alone, it's best to add other longer-ranged weapons to the mix to make up for its mediocre range.
+
===Launchers===
 +
Launchers have a greater range than grenades, but have a ''very'' long cooldown (2nd slowest in the game, just faster than the [[pila]]).
 +
*{{Icon small|Incendiary launcher|24}} [[Incendiary launcher]]s create [[fire]], like molotov cocktails, and just as unwieldy. Despite the range, it is no more accurate. Worse than molotovs for creating ground fires, as it shoots slower. As even molotovs aren't great to throw at raiders, these are most often outclassed by the thrown variant.
 +
*{{Icon small|EMP launcher|24}} [[EMP launcher]]s stun mechanoids with [[EMP]] damage. They fire slower than EMP grenades, and have a much smaller blast radius than grenades; this usually makes launchers the worse option. While launchers do have a range increase, most mechanoids still outrange it, so this advantage is rather small. Note that Masterwork/Legendary [[quality]] launchers can stun longer than a grenade.
 +
*{{Icon small|Smoke launcher|24}} [[Smoke launcher]]s create [[blind smoke]], which ''completely prevents [[turret]]s from locking on''. Invaluable for taking out turret encampments and [[mech cluster]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}}. Smoke also reduces ranged accuracy for any bullet that passes through. Both colonists and enemies are affected equally, so can be useful to support melee attackers.
 +
*{{Icon small|Toxbomb launcher|24}} [[Toxbomb launcher]]s{{BiotechIcon}} also create [[tox gas]]. Fires slower than tox grenades, but extra launcher range makes it better as a support weapon. Make sure colonists in the blast have some form of [[toxic resistance|toxic]] [[Toxic Environment Resistance|protection]].
  
−
==== [[Charge lance]] ====
+
===Consumables===
 +
Weapons of mass destruction. Rocket launchers have a large warm-up and cooldown for the user. Targeters can be deployed quickly, but also takes some time to actually start the explosions. All of these are single use, and none can be crafted by a colony.
 +
*{{Icon small|Doomsday rocket launcher|24}} [[Doomsday rocket launcher]]s fire 1 large explosion, followed by smaller flame explosions. Extremely effective against humanoid raiders and lighter mechnoids, as a single launch can cause an entire raid to retreat. Available from [[trade]] or quests.
 +
*{{Icon small|Triple rocket launcher|24}} [[Triple rocket launcher]]s fire 3 explosions. Each of the three rockets deals the ''same damage'' as the doomsday's main explosion, though with a much smaller radius. Effective against mechanoids and structures in particular, and can still damage a raid quite heavily. Available from [[trade]] or quests.
 +
*{{Icon small|Orbital power beam targeter|24}} [[Orbital power beam targeter]]s create a massive, fire-based beam centered on a target in [[line of sight]]. Incredibly powerful against humans, but useless against mechanoids. Can attack through overhead mountain. [[Quest]] only.
 +
*{{Icon small|Orbital bombardment targeter|24}} [[Orbital bombardment targeter]]s fire a total of 30 explosions over a large, 20-tile radius. Stronger than a doomsday against large groups, this item is also [[quest]] only.
 +
*{{Icon small|Tornado generator|24}} [[Tornado generator]]s create a tornado at your map, on a specific point. This can possibly destroy player structures when used inside your colony, so is mostly useful for offensive operations (or as a last resort). Quest only.
  
−
A high-tech weapon that sends a heavy pulse at high velocities towards targets. It is able to cripple unprotected limbs in one shot, and deal serious hurt to enemies.
+
As these are all rare, single-use items, use them for when you can't handle a raid, such as an extra-nasty [[siege]].
  
−
It can be used to single out targets at range.
+
===Mortars===
 +
[[Mortar]]s are not handheld weapons, but are weapons nonetheless.
  
−
=== Long-range ===
+
*{{Icon small|Mortar|24}} Mortars have a 500-tile range, but costs a [[mortar shell]] for each shot, and take {{ticks|1800}} to reload. With a massive Forced Miss Radius (9 tiles, reduced by Shooting skill), they are mostly effective against large, stationary targets. In addition, they require [[reinforced barrel]]s every 20 rounds, unless Classic Mortars are turned on. With Classic Mortars shells become more expensive, and the mortar less accurate, to compensate.
−
Long-distance guns with a maximum range of 32 tiles or longer. Their main advantage lies in dealing damage from a distance to out-range short-ranged gunners, for they don't deal good damage up close.
 
  
−
'''Usage'''
+
Mortars are extremely useful against enemy [[siege]]s. Until they take enough of their own casualties, a siege will continue to lob their own mortar shells, which is devastating to any colony not under overhead mountain. They are great against other stationary opponents, such as [[crashed ship parts]] or [[mech cluster]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}}.
−
*Give to your best shooters who will make the most out of the long range.
 
−
*Shoot down short-ranged gunners.
 
−
*Conduct hit-and-run or kiting attacks with ease.
 
−
*Fire at a distance, while letting other shorter-ranged soldiers take the hits.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Take down other enemies who can provide fire support for them.
 
−
*Burst down with high-DPS weapons when unsupported.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Assault rifle]] ====
 
−
A versatile gun that works at long ranges while still dealing satisfactory damage at close-medium range. It works as a lower-tech version of the charge rifle when range is more important than DPS, and has potential as a kiting or hit-and-run weapon at higher qualities with a skilled and fast-moving shooter.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Bolt-action rifle]] ====
 
−
A long-range rifle that fires a single powerful bullet. It is more suited for novice snipers (level 10 or lower) as it's rather skill-friendly. Its faster fire rate also makes it better for kiting moving targets.
 
−
 
 
−
It isn't nearly as likely to kill as the sniper rifle, making it better if your goal is to incapacitate rather than kill. It also fares better than the sniper rifle in terms of DPS.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Minigun]] ====
 
−
A more curious weapon, the minigun fires an immense 25-round barrage of bullets that can rain down on a group of enemies.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Rip enemies to shreds, even single targets, from medium distances- its poor accuracy is negated by its sheer firepower.
 
−
*Aim behind or within large groups of enemies to deal heavy damage to them.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Spread out colonists to make them harder for the minigun to hit.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Sniper rifle]] ====
 
−
The longest-range weapon in-game, the sniper rifle fires a high-damage bullet with a long aiming and cooldown time. It has decent killing potential, instantly killing if it scores a shot on a vital organ without being deflected.
 
−
 
 
−
Its DPS is absolutely abysmal, however; it is the weapon dealing the lowest single-target DPS in-game, and even simple bows beat it.
 
−
 
 
−
It has a niche purpose for hit-and-run attacks as its extended range allows your snipers to fire from safety, but its slow fire rate makes it a poor choice for kiting.
 
−
 
 
−
=== Legacy ===
 
−
Weapons that have their role changed due to updates.
 
−
 
 
−
==== Minigun (pre-Beta 19) ====
 
−
A more curious weapon, the minigun fires an immense 30-round barrage of bullets that can rain down on a group of enemies, but can't hit single targets at all, due to its forced miss radius. Shooting skill does not matter for this weapon at all.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Equip on Trigger-happy colonists, regardless of shooting skill.
 
−
*Aim behind or within large groups of enemies to deal immense damage to them.
 
−
*Shred enemies at point-blank.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Spread out colonists to make it much harder for the minigun to hit.
 
−
*Shield belts can easily negate most of the minigun's damage as it can't be focused on a single target.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Charge lance]] (pre-1.1) ====
 
−
 
 
−
A high-tech weapon that sends a heavy pulse at high velocities towards targets. It is able to cripple unprotected limbs in one shot, and deal serious hurt to enemies.
 
−
 
 
−
It should be your go-to long range weapon from midgame onwards.
 
−
 
 
−
== Area-of-effect weapons ==
 
−
Explosive weapons are a force to be reckoned with, whether by raiders or colonists. With correct use, they can deal heavy damage and disruption to the opposing side. Most armor protects poorly against explosive blunt or heat damage, making them a decent choice against heavily armored enemies.
 
−
 
 
−
An important thing to note is that explosives are not blocked by cover, but are stopped by walls. This means your colonists covering behind sandbags will be hurt by the explosion, but not those hiding behind a wall.
 
−
 
 
−
=== [[Mortar]]s ===
 
−
{{See also|Defense structures#Mortars}}
 
−
 
 
−
Mortar attacks on sieges and raids are effective if the mortars have the time to aim and fire. Each shell has great destructive potential if they connect, but they take a long time to reload and aim, and have poor accuracy. Different types of shells have different uses.
 
−
 
 
−
They also allow you to effectively utilize your colonists who are poor at combat, as mortar accuracy is unaffected by colonist skill, however colonists incapable of violence will outright refuse to man a mortar.
 
−
 
 
−
Always remember to manually unassign colonists from mortars; if you don't, they will continue standing there until they eventually collapse from exhaustion, starvation, or have a mental break.
 
−
 
 
−
An important point to remember is that while your colonists are better at dealing with single or spread-out enemies, mortars are designed for heavily grouped enemies. If you diffuse your enemies, the mortars will not be able to hit the enemies easily.
 
−
 
 
−
If you are short on manpower, you can automatically assign a colonist to fire 1 shot from each mortar. However mortars will not cool down unless there is someone manning it.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Assign colonists inept at combat to man mortars.
 
−
*Aim at least 16 tiles away from your soldiers and allies to prevent friendly fire.
 
−
*Fire on static targets, or aim ahead of moving ones.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Stay inside the 30-tile blind spot when safe to approach.
 
−
*Spread your fighters apart to reduce potential damage done each shell.
 
−
*Keep moving to avoid the shells.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[High-explosive shell]]s ====
 
−
The most straightforward way of bombarding enemies. Each mortar shell deals great amounts of explosive damage.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Aim around 4-8 mortars at each group of enemies.
 
−
*Use only against large groups of enemies.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Most [[shield belt]]s can absorb 1 hit from the shell.
 
−
**Against these enemies, hit them with the EMP shell first (see below).
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Incendiary shell]]s ====
 
−
These deal low damage, penetrate shields and set things on fire. The fire can cause disruption among the enemy ranks, as they frantically run trying to put out the flames.
 
−
 
 
−
Be careful with these as the fires can spread across wide areas, potentially causing extensive collateral damage.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Set entrenched or shielded enemies on fire to make them vulnerable.
 
−
*Constantly disrupt siege camps with its incendiary blasts.
 
−
*Pair with brawlers for additional flame damage as melee attacks stop enemies from extinguishing them.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Immediately draft nearby colonists to put out their burning comrades.
 
−
*Firefoam poppers can rapidly extinguish fires and fireproof a region.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[EMP shell]]s ====
 
−
A situational ammunition that can't deal any physical damage, but stuns [[mechanoid]]s, mortars and shuts down [[Shield belt|shields]]. They have a massive blast radius that can easily catch a sizable group of threats at once.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Instantly down the shields of a large melee charge.
 
−
*Stun a large group of mechanoids, giving you time for a counterattack.
 
−
*Disable mortars to counter sieges.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*''N/A (not used by enemy)''
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Firefoam shell]]s ====
 
−
Another type of situational ammunition. It spreads firefoam that fireproofs and extinguishes fires in a region.
 
−
 
 
−
Inaccuracy, high cost and the mortar blind spot make it impractical.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Extinguish fires from a long distance that have the potential to spread across the map if unchecked.
 
−
*Allow colonists incapable of firefighting to help with firefighting efforts.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*''N/A (not used by enemy)''
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Antigrain warhead]]s ====
 
−
Rare but powerful, these warheads can annihilate a whole group of incoming raiders if it connects.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Use only when facing tightly grouped enemies.
 
−
*Support with EMP mortars to break down shields first before firing.
 
−
*Aim dead center at any enemy.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*''N/A (not used by enemy)''
 
−
 
 
−
===Thrown explosives===
 
−
Commonly encountered in raids, thrown explosives are cheap and effective, yet short-ranged.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Deprive them of any nearby cover to expose them.
 
−
*Constantly move to avoid them and throw enemies off-aim.
 
−
*Shoot enemies down before they get in range.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Frag grenades]] ====
 
−
These deal heavy damage in a small radius a short time after landing.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Deal heavy damage to entrenched raiders.
 
−
*Pair with distractions to allow grenadiers to close in to the enemy ranks.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Evacuate colonists to avoid the damage. Keep watch on all times so you can catch them in time.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Molotov cocktails]] ====
 
−
A makeshift incendiary that explodes instantly on impact.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Use it as a quick and easy source of fire that can light up anywhere you wish.
 
−
*Smoke out entrenched or shielded raiders if given distraction.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Immediately draft nearby colonists to put out their burning comrades as well as any burning structures nearby.
 
−
*Estimate where the molotov will land and evacuate colonists accordingly.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[EMP grenades]] ====
 
−
These do no physical damage but inflicts [[EMP]] which has some useful purposes. They have a fuse.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Aim ahead of enemy melee charges to take down shields.
 
−
*Alternate between groups of mechanoids to constantly lock them down.
 
−
*Disable enemy turrets if given the chance to move in.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Evacuate shielded colonists from the area of effect so they don't wind up without shields in the face of gunfire.
 
−
*Evacuate pawns with [[Learning assistant|any]] [[Neurocalculator|advanced]] [[Circadian assistant|brain]] [[Circadian half-cycler|implants]] {{RoyaltyIcon}} or they'll get brain shock
 
−
*Evacuate pawns with [[Reprocessor stomach|advanced]] [[Detoxifier stomach|stomach]] [[Nuclear stomach|replacements]] {{RoyaltyIcon}}) or they'll stop fighting to vomit. Less important than the previous two, but still dangerous at an inoportune time.
 
−
*Do not rely on turrets to take down the enemy.
 
−
 
 
−
=== Handheld ===
 
−
Longer-ranged than thrown explosives, but otherwise acts like them.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Incendiary launcher]] ====
 
−
A medium-distance incendiary weapon that functions much like the molotov cocktails. The difference is that you can't aim it at anywhere- the target has to be a structure or a pawn.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Quickly and easily expose entrenched or shielded enemies from a relatively safe distance.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Immediately draft nearby colonists to put out their burning comrades as well as any burning structures nearby.
 
−
*Shoot them with medium-long ranged weapons.
 
−
 
 
−
== Weapons of mass destruction ==
 
−
Single-use weapons that deal massive damage over an area. They are extremely powerful to use, and extremely dangerous to face up against.
 
−
 
 
−
=== Rocket launchers ===
 
−
These weapons can easily down, maim or kill several pawns at once with high-damage explosions. They can be fired from a great distance making them harder to interrupt.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Space out defensive forces to reduce the number of them caught in the explosion.
 
−
*[[Defense tactics#Distracting rockets|Distract them into firing elsewhere.]]
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Doomsday rocket launcher]] ====
 
−
Fires a large incendiary cluster-burst that injures a large group of targets while setting them on fire, and can penetrate walls with its incendiary blasts.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Aim at a large group of enemies to injure them, then finish them off with other weapons.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Distract them such that they fire far away from any structures.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Triple rocket launcher]] ====
 
−
Fires a 3-round salvo of high-damage rockets with a small blast radius.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Aim at tough enemies or priority targets that need to be eliminated.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Counter'''
 
−
*Distract them with expendable pawns such as animals.
 
−
*Move quickly to avoid being hit by its explosions.
 
−
*Block the rockets with durable walls.
 
−
 
 
−
=== Orbital targeters ===
 
−
These single-use items call down fearsome firepower from ancient satellites orbiting overhead. They have even more destructive potential than rocket launchers- indeed you should be grateful that enemies never come into battle using them.
 
−
 
 
−
'''Usage'''
 
−
*Aim ahead of enemies to create a death zone for them.
 
−
*Aim at the center of a static raider party to annihilate them.
 
−
*Deal with heavily armored enemies easily.
 
−
*Use these weapons first, then finish off stragglers.
 
−
*Save them for tough or numerous enemies.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Orbital bombardment targeter]] ====
 
−
Calls down an orbital strike that deals massive damage. It has the ability to single-handedly foil a raid, especially before raiders have scattered and taken up positions.
 
−
 
 
−
==== [[Orbital power beam targeter]] ====
 
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Calls down a beam that incinerates everything near it. This obviously includes any unsuspecting raider party trying to wreak havoc on your colony.
 
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== Artifacts ==
 
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These one-use items can be useful in turning the tide of a raid, provided you can use them correctly.
 
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=== [[Psychic insanity lance]] ===
 
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This artifact instantly drives a humanlike or animal berserk, causing them to attack any nearby pawns.
 
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You can use this to cause great disruption within the enemy's ranks as enemies will switch targets to engage the berserk pawn, distracting them. It's best used on a shielded melee target who will then channel their rage onto their nearby ranged allies, forcing them to engage in unarmed combat.
 
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It can also be used to enrage animals from a distance, unleashing them upon the enemy attackers.
 
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While berserk pawns may not deal much damage on their own, the resulting fire directed in panic at the berserker can greatly weaken an incoming attack—especially if the berserker is wearing a [[Shield belt]] to block fire.
 
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=== [[Psychic shock lance]] ===
 
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This artifact instantly downs a humanlike or animal, with a chance of causing brain damage.
 
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Not as useful as a psychic insanity lance against raids, but can still be used to great effect, by downing an attacker that might cause huge damage such as a rocketeer.
 
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It's also somewhat useful if you want to capture a specific raider with good stats, though you need to get him before the effect wears off, and you risk brain damage which can ruin a previously good potential colonist.
 
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=== [[Psychic animal pulser]] ===
 
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This artifact instantly drives all non-player [[animals]] into a manhunter state.
 
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In an animal-rich [[biome]] such as a temperate forest or arid shrubland, nearly any humanlike/ mechanoid raid can quickly get devastated.
 
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Before you even consider using this, you should be very careful; the animals will also turn on your colonists. You will need to keep the animals out, and your colonists in. Make sure you get all your tamed animals inside first, restrict your colonists and animals to indoors areas only, and have a stock of food handy. Once the animals fall asleep they will exit their rage.
 
  
 +
Each mortar shell has its own purpose:
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*{{Icon small|High-explosive shell|24}} [[High-explosive shell]]: General purpose shell, good against any stationary target.
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*{{Icon small|Incendiary shell|24}} [[Incendiary shell]]: Great for igniting a [[siege]]'s own mortars/mortar shells on fire, potentially causing a chain reaction. But, as the game will start [[rain]] if a fire spreads too far, these shells aren't very useful otherwise.
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*{{Icon small|EMP shell|24}} [[EMP shell]]: Stuns mechanoids. Massive explosion radius makes this ''somewhat'' accurate. Can also disable [[mech high-shield]]s{{RoyaltyIcon}}, so that other mortars can attack through the shield.
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*{{Icon small|Firefoam shell|24}} [[Firefoam shell]]: Creates [[firefoam]], extinguishing fires. The small firefoam radius and introduction of [[firefoam pop pack]]s and [[foam turret]]s make this shell mostly obsolete.
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*{{Icon small|Smoke shell|24}} [[Smoke shell]]: Creates blind smoke in a large radius. As with the [[smoke launcher]], it prevents turrets from locking on and reduces accuracy. While the smoke launcher is free to use, the shell has a larger radius and can be used from further away.
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*{{Icon small|Antigrain warhead|24}} [[Antigrain warhead]]: A weapon of mass destruction, on and above the level of a doomsday rocket. Quest only, so use it wisely.
  
 
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[[Category:Guides]]
 
[[Category:Guides]]

Latest revision as of 21:53, 14 February 2024

There are a wide variety of weapons available in RimWorld. Using them effectively can give you a sizable advantage against raiders.

Overview[edit]

There are three main categories of weapon this guide will cover:

  • Longsword Melee - Weapons made for close combat. Pawns are unable to fire guns at melee range, so these weapons have a wide variety of uses, from using hallways to bring enemies to you, to rushing a troublesome centipede.
  • Sniper rifle Ranged - Weapons that attack from range. There are a wide variety of ranged weapons, from the all-rounder generalists to "specialist" weapons that fit a specific niche.
  • Frag grenades Explosive - Grenades, launchers, and other oddball weapons/utility items like the doomsday rocket launcher. In addition to raw explosions, many grenade-type weapons have a special effect, like molotov cocktails starting fire. Most explosives do not rely on accuracy, Shooting skill, Manipulation, etc.

There are also three technology levels to consider:

  • Short bowNeolithic - Bows, spears, and clubs. Often necessary when starting a Lost Tribe or Naked Brutality run, but usually it is quick to replace them. (Tribal)
  • Bolt-action rifle Early Industrial - Weaker firearms, like pistols. These weapons are often carried by eary pirate raiders. For the purposes of this guide, this includes any gun from Blowback operation and before, as well as medieval technology like longswords and greatbows. (Earlygame)
  • Assault rifle Modern / Spacer - Weapons from Gas operation onwards. Even an endgame colony can find industral era weapons viable - charge rifles and miniguns aren't always the best weapon just because they are higher tech. (Midgame)

Weapon Stats[edit]

There are a couple of stats that are particularly important to consider in a weapon:

  • DPS: Damage per second (at a given range), taking into account raw damage, accuracy, firerate, burst count, and armor. This is the primary consideration for most weapons, and for melee weapons in particular.
  • Damage type: Whenever a weapon checks Sharp, Blunt, or Heat damage. Most ranged weapons deal Sharp damage. In addition, each specific damage type (Arrow vs ArrowHighVelocity, for instance) can have different chances to hit different body parts.

Ranged Weapon Stats

  • Accuracy: For 2 weapons with the same DPS, a more accurate weapon hits targets more consistently. Certain weapons are more accurate at certain ranges. The pawn stat, Shooting Accuracy, is separate to the accuracy of the weapon itself. For a full breakdown of mechanics see: Weapons. Due to the specific mechanics of the Shooting Accuracy stat, weapons that deal the majority of their DPS at closer ranges lose less of their DPS than those that do less damage close up but more evenly spread their DPS across a wide band of ranges. Thus, weapons in the former category are considered "skill friendly", and those in latter are best relegated to pawns with high shooting accuracies.
  • Range: How far a ranged weapon can fire. Whether firing from this range is actually effective is another story.
  • Firing Cycle: Firerate of a ranged weapon - the combination of warmup, cooldown, and firing time. For the same DPS, a lower firing cycle makes a weapon more flexible, and better for kiting strategies.
  • Stopping power: A stopping power of 1 or more can stagger, or slow, humans and human-sized enemies. Specifically, if stopping power >= body size, then the enemy will be slowed.

Melee[edit]

You shall not pass.

Melee weapons specialize in hand-to-hand combat.

Pawns who are adjacent to each other are forced into melee combat, even if they are wielding a shotgun. A gun's barrel is quite ineffective compared to a sword. Melee lends itself well to disruptive tactics, like rushing down a sniper or grenadier, or peeling off enemies from your gunners. The melee block - create a chokepoint with 3 melee outside, where only 1 enemy can melee at a time - is extremely effective. You can have gunners fire just behind them.

The main con with melee is that damage is unavoidable. Later in the game, and especially with higher difficulties, enemies will vastly outnumber your colony. A 200 tribal raid will eventually wear down your most well-geared melee fighters, even in the best scenarios. The second con is that melee fighters will often have to approach ranged fighters, meaning it quickly becomes weaker in those situations. Animals will always fight back against a melee weapon, even against a 0% manhunter, making them terrible for hunting.

Notes:

  • Give your best melee pawns the strongest melee weapons, assuming you desire to get into melee at all.
    • Weapon quality and material has a large impact on any weapon's effectiveness.
  • Shield belts are invaluable to give protection against bullets. They give melee pawns a new use - to serve as tanky distractions.
  • Try to avoid using melee in the very early game, unless you outnumber the enemy. Ranged weapons and spike traps are stronger than the weaker melee choices.

Sharp[edit]

Sharp weapons are the bread and butter of melee weapons. They are the most common type of melee, dealing strong all-round damage. Most sharp weapons have the Cut damage type. Cut has a chance to "cleave" through body parts, increasing total damage but spreading it throughout body parts.

Comparisons:

When made of plasteel, a longsword of sufficient quality (2-3 levels above) can outdamage a regular monosword. A masterwork plasteel longsword will outdamage a good monosword, and roughly equal to a normal persona monosword, though it has less AP. Plasteel is much better than steel; a plasteel knife is roughly on par with a steel longsword of the same quality. The next best weapons after a longsword would be a spear and gladius. Faster weapons (like knives) have some niche to training melee.

Blunt[edit]

  • Persona zeushammers Content added by the Royalty DLC are the strongest blunt weapon, followed by regular zeushammers Content added by the Royalty DLC. Both variants cause a small amount of EMP, stunning turrets and mechanoids for a short time.
  • Uranium maces are the best craftable blunt weapon, and 2nd best overall.
    • Uranium warhammersContent added by the Royalty DLC have a higher chance to 1-shot at high qualities, but are 3x as expensive.

Blunt wounds do not bleed and are often weaker in raw DPS than sharp counterparts. However, blunt weapons are great for penetrating armor, as most items have a poor Blunt armor rating. They also have a small chance to stun for 45 ticks (0.75 secs) on hit.

Very high quality blunt weapons enjoy the superior damage propagation. If a sharp weapon would stab a finger, a blunt weapon would destroy the finger and smash the arm in the process.

Comparisons:

In terms of raw damage, zeushammers lose to monoswords until facing foes in marine armor, and persona zeushammers lose to persona monoswords until cataphract. Even centipedes don't have the Sharp% armor to resist a regular monosword. However, high quality zeushammers can start to one-shot humans, ironically making them better against unarmored humans than against centipedes.

Maces lose to longswords until facing flak vest-level armor, and longswords can still harm the unarmored areas of the body better. Like with monoswords and longswords, a masterwork uranium mace can beat a good zeushammer. Warhammers can 1-shot human sized enemies, or at least cause overkill damage. When available, high quality uranium warhammers are stronger against human pawns than maces.

Body parts[edit]

Artificial body parts can be used while holding a gun. Fulfilling the role of a sidearm, these implements are weaker than dedicated melee weapons. You can put these on your frontline gunners, who may not always be able to supress a swarm of melee combatants. When holding a melee weapon, these parts can slightly increase damage; due to the melee verb system, sometimes the fists / body parts will be used instead of a weapon.

Creating these bionics is an advanced technology, so they are usually reserved for the mid- to late- game. Body parts can also be bought, though the surgery can be a bottleneck if you don't have a good doctor. Also note that pawns will prioritize their "best" melee attack; only one part is required for gunners.

Comparisons:

Power claws are roughly equal to a normal plasteel longsword. Hand talonsContent added by the Royalty DLC are stronger than elbow bladesContent added by the Royalty DLC, which are stronger than a knee spikeContent added by the Royalty DLC, though knee spikes have more AP. All three are roughly on-par with a normal steel longsword. Note that combat parts are incompatible with other artifical parts: hand attachments get in the way of a field hand, hand / arm attachments don't work with a bionic arm, and knee spikes don't work with a bionic leg. Venom fangsContent added by the Royalty DLC are the weakest of the bunch, but do not occupy any useful area of the body.

Melee - Nonhuman[edit]

Elephant.png

Animal[edit]

Animals are much more expendible than a colonist, and most have a lot more health than a colonist. However, they cannot be drafted, limiting their combat use severely. In addition, they require one or multiple pawns proficient in the Animals skill in order be tamed and trained. They thus have 2 main uses:

  1. Animals trained in Attack can... attack. They will rush towards nearby enemies, acting as a powerful distraction for your gunners.
  2. Animals can be put in an allowed area in a hallway raiders are passing through. Raiders and the animal will be forced to attack each other, resulting in a melee block scenario. Pen animals will not be attacked by raiders, and in any case are unable to be zoned.

Animal selection is also limited by biome, and large animals can turn hostile in failed taming attempts.

Wild animals[edit]

Other than shooting an animal and hoping it attacks the raiders, there are three dedicated ways to make wild animals hostile to your enemies:

For the former two strategies, you should wall in doors (to prevent exit via mental break), and watch the carnage. Stronger animals like megasloths or a herd of elephants can easily end smaller raids, or at least force sieges to attack. These are heavily dependent on your map's current fauna. Also note that using wild animals like this becomes progressively weaker as raids become stronger. An elephant can't handle 30 gun-wielding raiders, for instance.

Mechanoid[edit]

BiotechIcon.png
This section relates to content added by Biotech (DLC). Please note that it will not be present without the DLC enabled.
  • Scythers are the most effective at melee combat.

Mechanoids have all the advantages of being an animal and then some, including the ability to be drafted like a colonist. Mechs can be repaired of all damage for just the cost of power and can be resurrected for a couple of steel. This negates all the long-term problems that lategame melee faces (though mechs are, of course, not invincible).

Mechs have their unique costs. They require their mechanitor nearby to actually control. They cost bandwidth, which could have been used for any amount of ranged mechs. And they create toxic wastepacks, which will eventuallyy pollute your landscape. As combat mechs can be turned off, the actual costs of power and pollution are rather limited.

Comparisons

Scythers (2 bandwidth) are the strongest and most effective at melee, and move slightly faster than a baseline human. Tunnelers (3 bandwidth) have twice the armor of a scyther and a natural 250 HP shield belt, but are much slower and don't do as much damage. Tunnelers can also mine. Centipedes (4) and mechanoid commanders (5) have similar armor to the tunneler, and have much higher actual health, though are mainly used for ranged combat.

Ranged - Neolithic[edit]

Neolithic weapons are the easiest weapons to craft, available for New Tribes and Naked Brutality starts to craft.

Bows[edit]

Bows are a mid range, generalist option.

  • Short bow Short bows are the simplest ranged weapons in the game, only requiring wood and a crafting spot.
  • Recurve bow Recurve bows are a direct upgrade to the shortbow, with an increase to damage, accuracy, and range, for only Wood 10 wood more. Tribal starts begin with Recurve Bows unlocked, meaning they just need a Crafting skill of 5 to make these. At maximum range, recurve bows are suprisingly competitive with early firearms, especially at high qualities. (These can also be made at a crafting spot.)

Bows are at least something to fight raiders without having to engage in melee. Even without a single melee fighter, 5 tribals with shortbows can easily repel raids. Focus fire on 1 target, and don't let melee enemies too close. Doors can help with early ranged tactics. For example - place 2 doors on opposite ends of a larger building, and when melee raiders get too close, go to the door on the other side.

Naked Brutality players will want to rely on spike traps to kill raiders at first, using the shortbow for hunting and to save on traps. Of course, new tribes (and other colonies) can also use traps to their advantage.

Pila[edit]

Pila are incredibly short ranged support weapons.

  • Pila Pila lose even to a shortbow in raw damage. They have a small range and a massive cooldown, so are terrible as standalone weapons. However, the pila can stagger humans. The best use of the pila is a support weapon; place a low-skill fighter with a pila behind melee fighters. They also have some use as a hunting weapon. The high per-shot damage compensates for the lowered range.

Due to its weaknesses and Smithing requirement, pila shouldn't be actively created or sought after. However, a Lost Tribe will start with one.

Flamebows[edit]

Flamebows are specialist weapons that cause fire.

  • Flamebow FlamebowsContent added by the Biotech DLC create fire on the tile it lands on. Watch out for your base. Pawns lit on fire will run around widly, unable to attack until doused. Fire can also be used to quickly heat up any place considered "indoors", causing any enemies to get heatstroke and burn up. Special traps can be made to take advantage of the heat, just like with molotov cocktails. Flamebows cannot be crafted, only bought or dropped from impid raiders.

Ranged - Early Industrial[edit]

Low-tech, conventional firearms. These weapons are often carried by early pirates and outlanders, such as the Scavenger Gunner, Pirate Gunner, and Town Guard. Scavenger gunners and pirate gunners in particular can only carry these weapons (and the incendiary launcher). These weapons will eventually be outclassed by superior firearms, like the heavy SMG and chain shotgun. So while you can craft these weapons as soon as you research Gunsmithing, many players like to wait to craft the weapons from Gas Operation and onwards, due to the large increase of effectiveness from the more advanced weapons.

Note that weapon quality has a large impact on combat. Even if you prefer revolvers, a poor autopistol will likely outperform an awful revolver, and a good recurve bow can outperform both (at maximum range). This applies to all weapons, but especially if you are reliant on obtaining weapons from raiders.

Handguns[edit]

Handguns are close-mid range, general combat options.

  • Revolver Revolvers are a low-tier firearm with decent damage at the closer ranges. Unlike many lighter firearms, revolvers can stagger humans, slowing them slightly when a shot hits.
  • Autopistol Autopistols have slightly better DPS than revolvers at any range, but do not stagger humans. Autopistols also have the fastest cooldown cycle in the game, lending well to hit-and-run tactics against melee opponents.

As the lowest tech firearms, pistols are weaker than most of the options here, but still better than a recurve bow at all ranges. Inaccurate from max range. Both handguns are roughly the same as each other, but revolvers are better as a support weapon, and autopistols better as a main damage dealer.

Long ranged[edit]

These options are effective in any situation (outside of close combat), mostly due to the small effective range of contemporary weapons.

  • Greatbow Greatbows are on-par with most pistols, but have a higher range. "Greatbows are better than pistols at the pistol's max range". While costing only wood to create, actually researching greatbows is usually not worth all that effort - even for Tribal starts - when other guns are easy enough to get from raiders. Also, they are outclassed by the bolt-action rifle in every reasonable statistic.
  • Bolt-action rifle Bolt-action rifles are a fairly standard, mid-long range option, only outranged by the sniper rifle. Best range in this tech level by far, it can shoot just about any enemy as they approach. Like greatbows, they beat pistols at the pistol's max range. Good for open combat, and great for hunting. Preferably used with high-skill shooters.
Even when you have more advanced weapons, the bolt-action still has a niche. It deals more damage than the sniper while retaining high range. The bolt-action outranges all centipede variants, and comfortably outranges lancers.

Due to enemy AI firing from the closest available cover, meaning they often fire from near-max range, both of these weapons perform very well in the open. Both weapons are good in a long distance firefight, though bolt-action rifles are statistically superior.

Short ranged[edit]

Pump shotguns are a specialist weapon, great at both support and close-range damage. Machine pistols are strong up close, but a good overall weapon (for its tech level).

  • Pump shotgun Pump shotguns are both powerful and accurate - technically the most accurate weapon in the game, but have a measly 15.9 tile range. Damage is great, and shotguns can stagger pawns as large as centipedes.
  • Machine pistol Machine pistols fire a burst of 3 bullets with a very quick cooldown. Overall DPS beats both handguns up to 19.9 tiles, this weapon's maximum range. It even surpasses the pump shotgun at touch range (3 tiles). Fast cooldown cycle makes it good for hit and run tactics. A clearcut winner if you don't have any better equipment.

Short ranged weapons are best used directly behind melee fighters, but remain decent at their maximum range. Like with melee, you can make hallways and tunnels so that you can gun enemies at an effective range. Counter these weapons by using a long range weapon, engaging them in melee, or luring them into spike traps before they get too close.

Ranged - Modern[edit]

Ranged weapons unlocked from Gas Operation and onwards. Most, if not all, of these weapons have some sort of niche or viability even for late- and end- game colonies.

Rifles & SMG[edit]

Rifle-class weapons are generalist weapons, dealing great damage at any range.

  • Assault rifle Assault rifles are perfect for open engagements, with good damage, above-average range, and high accuracy. They are very good when outside a killbox (such as repelling breachers and sappers), and respectable inside of one. If you don't need a sniper rifle's range, they are the best general weapon for kiting. Somewhat skill friendly.
  • Heavy SMG Heavy SMGs are skill friendly, close-medium range weapons. Great damage and accuracy up close, remaining decent at longer distances. A strict upgrade to the machine pistol. SMGs are best for low-skill shooters, mostly due to closer range. They can outdamage even charge rifles at <10 tiles, without the hard range restrictions of a chain shotgun.
  • Charge rifle Charge rifles are high-tech versions of assault rifles. Stronger, and with high AP, but with shorter range and less accuracy. Charge rifles are the strongest weapon in a killbox that can remain flexible outside of one.

In general, these weapons are great for base defense, whenever in static setups or when dealing with breachers and sappers. They are also the best options for attacks outside of your base. Assault rifles are the overall best weapon outside of a killbox, charge rifles deal the most damage of the three, and SMGs are best at lower skill.

LMG & Minigun[edit]

Weapons with a large burst of bullets, but low accuracy and long cooldowns.

  • LMG LMGs fire a 6-shot spray of bullets. Can stagger humans, but lower single-target DPS than the rifles. The LMG is decent for crowd-control, and a good support weapon.
  • Minigun Miniguns fire a massive 25-shot burst, a massively heavy SMG. High cost, wildly inaccurate, and with a huge cooldown cycle, miniguns are dedicated to crowd-control in specialized, stationary setups. Extremely powerful in the right situations.

Both weapons are good as support, and for at mowing crowds of enemies. Missed shots can hit other enemies in the vicinity, meaning their low accuracy is compensated when attacking a horde of tribals. Both weapons do well in crowded, stationary setups. The minigun is much more extreme - its optimal DPS is miles above any weapon in the game, but the user becomes a sitting duck. The LMG suffers when compared to rifle-class weapons, due to low effective DPS.

Chain shotgun[edit]

A very high damage, decent accuracy, low range, specialist weapon.

  • Chain shotgun Chain shotguns are the strongest non-minigun, non-consumable weapon in the game, but with pitiful range. Perfect for drop pods and infestations.

Chain shotguns are amazing when you can expect or force close combat. Infestations are inevitable for mountain bases, while any form of melee block works well for shotguns. These weapons can also work very well inside a specialized killbox; if you can control/expect where sappers and breachers will go, shotguns can be a very viable weapon as a colony's sole firearm.

Sniper rifle[edit]

Extreme range, single-shot, specialist weapons.

  • Sniper rifle Sniper rifles have the highest range in the game, but low firerate. Overall DPS is weaker than a bolt-action rifle, but snipers are clearly not a damage weapon. Useful for picking off sieges, lone centipedes, etc. Very reliant on Shooting skill.

Sniper rifles are great weapons for kiting stationary enemies and the best weapon for hunting. Fire a shot, and as enemies approach you, back off until they reset to their original position. They are also great at luring sieges to assault your colony, assuming the siege doesn't have snipers of their own.

Charge lance[edit]

Medium-high range, single-shot, high AP.

  • Charge lance Charge lances have a large per-shot damage and high AP. However, its range is equal to an assault rifle, leading to a profile much similar to rifles rather than a sniper. Actual DPS is weaker than the assault rifle, and the armor penetration isn't actually that big. This gives it a weak niche, despite its cost and tech level.

Charge lances are very similar to assault rifles for overall usage, with same damage and range. As its DPS is lower, this weapon is not recommended to use over assault rifles, at least for most cases. It may have use in dealing with heavily armored enemies.

Explosives[edit]

Grenades[edit]

Grenades have the shortest range of any colonist weapon in the game, only thrown up to 12 tiles. All grenades have a forced miss radius.

  • Frag grenades Frag grenades are standard explosives. While powerful, they are virtually unable to hit a moving pawn without the player manually leading the target. Good for fighting enemies in cover. Can be thrown straight for a few tiles in a hallway, and coupled with their AoE and massive damage, they are devastating against massed melee enemies when placed behind melee blockers. Grenades are also very effective against structures and walls. Breaking a wall fast is rarely helpful, but this property is great for taking out mech clusters.Content added by the Royalty DLC
  • Molotov cocktail Molotov cocktails create fire. Unwieldy, and with a small blast, molotovs aren't very effective to throw on top of raiders. Instead, fire can quickly heat up any place considered indoors, burning raiders and insects alive via temperature mechanics. Mechs are immune to fire and heat.
  • EMP grenades EMP grenades stun mechanoids and turrets for a massive duration and break both shield belts and low-shield packs,Content added by the Royalty DLC but are harmless against organic targets. Invaluable for mech raids. Its blast radius is much bigger than the other grenades. As the blast is bigger than the forced miss radius, these are fairly reliable.
  • Tox grenades Tox grenadesContent added by the Biotech DLC create tox gas. This affects colonists and raiders alike, though you can outfit colonists with toxic protection. Tox grenades are best for attacking enemies who are passing through long, winding, and tight corridors, which have no recourse against the poison. Vents allow tox gas to transfer between rooms.

Launchers[edit]

Launchers have a greater range than grenades, but have a very long cooldown (2nd slowest in the game, just faster than the pila).

  • Incendiary launcher Incendiary launchers create fire, like molotov cocktails, and just as unwieldy. Despite the range, it is no more accurate. Worse than molotovs for creating ground fires, as it shoots slower. As even molotovs aren't great to throw at raiders, these are most often outclassed by the thrown variant.
  • EMP launcher EMP launchers stun mechanoids with EMP damage. They fire slower than EMP grenades, and have a much smaller blast radius than grenades; this usually makes launchers the worse option. While launchers do have a range increase, most mechanoids still outrange it, so this advantage is rather small. Note that Masterwork/Legendary quality launchers can stun longer than a grenade.
  • Smoke launcher Smoke launchers create blind smoke, which completely prevents turrets from locking on. Invaluable for taking out turret encampments and mech clustersContent added by the Royalty DLC. Smoke also reduces ranged accuracy for any bullet that passes through. Both colonists and enemies are affected equally, so can be useful to support melee attackers.
  • Toxbomb launcher Toxbomb launchersContent added by the Biotech DLC also create tox gas. Fires slower than tox grenades, but extra launcher range makes it better as a support weapon. Make sure colonists in the blast have some form of toxic protection.

Consumables[edit]

Weapons of mass destruction. Rocket launchers have a large warm-up and cooldown for the user. Targeters can be deployed quickly, but also takes some time to actually start the explosions. All of these are single use, and none can be crafted by a colony.

  • Doomsday rocket launcher Doomsday rocket launchers fire 1 large explosion, followed by smaller flame explosions. Extremely effective against humanoid raiders and lighter mechnoids, as a single launch can cause an entire raid to retreat. Available from trade or quests.
  • Triple rocket launcher Triple rocket launchers fire 3 explosions. Each of the three rockets deals the same damage as the doomsday's main explosion, though with a much smaller radius. Effective against mechanoids and structures in particular, and can still damage a raid quite heavily. Available from trade or quests.
  • Orbital power beam targeter Orbital power beam targeters create a massive, fire-based beam centered on a target in line of sight. Incredibly powerful against humans, but useless against mechanoids. Can attack through overhead mountain. Quest only.
  • Orbital bombardment targeter Orbital bombardment targeters fire a total of 30 explosions over a large, 20-tile radius. Stronger than a doomsday against large groups, this item is also quest only.
  • Tornado generator Tornado generators create a tornado at your map, on a specific point. This can possibly destroy player structures when used inside your colony, so is mostly useful for offensive operations (or as a last resort). Quest only.

As these are all rare, single-use items, use them for when you can't handle a raid, such as an extra-nasty siege.

Mortars[edit]

Mortars are not handheld weapons, but are weapons nonetheless.

  • Mortar Mortars have a 500-tile range, but costs a mortar shell for each shot, and take 1,800 ticks (30 secs) to reload. With a massive Forced Miss Radius (9 tiles, reduced by Shooting skill), they are mostly effective against large, stationary targets. In addition, they require reinforced barrels every 20 rounds, unless Classic Mortars are turned on. With Classic Mortars shells become more expensive, and the mortar less accurate, to compensate.

Mortars are extremely useful against enemy sieges. Until they take enough of their own casualties, a siege will continue to lob their own mortar shells, which is devastating to any colony not under overhead mountain. They are great against other stationary opponents, such as crashed ship parts or mech clustersContent added by the Royalty DLC.

Each mortar shell has its own purpose:

  • High-explosive shell High-explosive shell: General purpose shell, good against any stationary target.
  • Incendiary shell Incendiary shell: Great for igniting a siege's own mortars/mortar shells on fire, potentially causing a chain reaction. But, as the game will start rain if a fire spreads too far, these shells aren't very useful otherwise.
  • EMP shell EMP shell: Stuns mechanoids. Massive explosion radius makes this somewhat accurate. Can also disable mech high-shieldsContent added by the Royalty DLC, so that other mortars can attack through the shield.
  • Firefoam shell Firefoam shell: Creates firefoam, extinguishing fires. The small firefoam radius and introduction of firefoam pop packs and foam turrets make this shell mostly obsolete.
  • Smoke shell Smoke shell: Creates blind smoke in a large radius. As with the smoke launcher, it prevents turrets from locking on and reduces accuracy. While the smoke launcher is free to use, the shell has a larger radius and can be used from further away.
  • Antigrain warhead Antigrain warhead: A weapon of mass destruction, on and above the level of a doomsday rocket. Quest only, so use it wisely.
Guides
Progression
Quickstart Guides • Basics • Intermediate Midgame Guide • Advanced Endgame Guide • Ending the game
Scenarios
Lost Tribe Guide • Rich Explorer Guide • Naked Brutality Guide • The Mechanitor GuideContent added by the Biotech DLC
Survival
Extreme Heat Guide • Extreme Cold Guide • Extreme Desert Guide • Ice Sheet Guide • Sea Ice Guide • Events Guide
Combat
Defense tactics • Offense tactics • Weapon Guide
Construction
Colony Building Guide • Defense structures
Production
Food production • Money making guide
Other
Skill Training • Permadeath save conversion guide •
Ideology Min-Maxing Content added by the Ideology DLC


Weapons
Melee | Neolithic
Breach axe • Club • Ikwa • Knife (Jade) • Spear
Medieval
Gladius • Longsword • Mace • Axe Content added by the Royalty DLC • Warhammer Content added by the Royalty DLC
Ultra
Eltex staff Content added by the Royalty DLC • Monosword (Persona) Content added by the Royalty DLC • Plasmasword (Persona) Content added by the Royalty DLC • Zeushammer (Persona) Content added by the Royalty DLC
Improvised
Beer • Elephant tusk • Thrumbo horn • Wood
Ranged | Neolithic
Greatbow • Pila • Recurve bow • Short bow • Flamebow Content added by the Biotech DLC
Industrial
Assault rifle • Autopistol • Bolt-action rifle • Chain shotgun • Heavy SMG • Launcher (EMP, Incendiary, Smoke, Toxbomb Content added by the Biotech DLC) • LMG • Machine pistol • Minigun • Pump shotgun • Revolver • Sniper rifle
Spacer
Charge lance • Charge rifle
Consumables
Doomsday rocket launcher • Triple rocket launcher
Throwables
EMP grenades • Frag grenades • Molotov cocktails • Tox grenades Content added by the Biotech DLC
Mechanoid
Heavy charge blaster • Inferno cannon • Needle gun • Thump cannon • Beam graser Content added by the Biotech DLC • Charge blaster turret Content added by the Biotech DLC • Hellsphere cannon Content added by the Biotech DLC • Mini-flameblaster Content added by the Biotech DLC • Mini-shotgun Content added by the Biotech DLC • Slugthrower Content added by the Biotech DLC • Spiner Content added by the Biotech DLC • Toxic needle gun Content added by the Biotech DLC
Structures
Autocannon • Mini-turret gun • Mortar (Weapon) • Uranium slug cannon • Auto-mortar Content added by the Royalty DLC • Inferno cannon (Turret) Content added by the Royalty DLC • Light charge blaster Content added by the Royalty DLC • Mini-slugger Content added by the Royalty DLC • Tactical turret gun Content added by the Anomaly DLC

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