The Analysis of Infinite Space, Part 2c: Medium Weapons
Medium weapons are also a mainstay of Sea of Stars, and encompass a whole spectrum of weapons from short-range guns to long-range beam weapons. Prices vary greatly, from just 150 credits for a Micro-Meteorite Gun to 506 credits for a Graviton Disintegrator. There are 10 weapons of this size class, each with their own pros and cons, but all can only be mounted on capital ships with at least one medium-sized turret. I will now give a detailed description of each of them.
The Micro-Meteorite Gun has the shortest range of all medium weapons, but is surprisingly useful. Its spray of shrapnel, though inaccurate at range, is devastating up close, just like a shotgun. Given that it is standard equipment on Tan Ru Inspectors and Demolishers, you should attack them at range to avoid being blasted by debris. In fact, combining this weapon with a Plasma Blaster will make a capital ship extremely effective in close-range combat.
Gauss Cannons, like Neptunium Railguns and Mass Drivers, are magnetically powered, but spit out a large projectile every few seconds instead of several small shells every second. This weapon is commonly used throughout the game, particularly by Terran, Muktian and Zorg capital ships. It is also standard equipment on Tan Ru Dominators. While it's a good all-round weapon, it doesn't stand out in any area either, but it's still a great affordable medium-range gun for most situations, although the slow muzzle velocity makes it less useful against fighters.
The Gatling Laser is basically a cluster of laser beams revolving about a common central tube, and is even more powerful than the standard Laser Beam or Repeater. Its high fire rate compensates for its mediocre damage per shot and short range. This weapon can wear down light shields far more quickly than even a Neptunium Railgun or a Cone cannon. There are better close-range weapons available, though, but this one is far more affordable.
The Strange Quark Projector and Proton Phasor Beam are also short-range beam weapons, but sacrifice fire rate for more damage per shot. While it may be tempting to use a Phasor, especially since the Klakar utilize it, its slow fire rate can be a hindrance at times, although against most capital ships it can be quite useful. The quark beam is a better bet, though, due to its superior fire rate. It helps that although the Urluquai mount them on Deep Hunters and Carriers, you can buy these weapons as well and, if you have a cloaking device, use their own tactics against them.
The Plasma Cannon is the Calatian counterpart to the Gauss Cannon, and is standard on Calatian Dreadnoughts and Super Dreadnoughts. It's basically a Plasma Blaster scaled up to the size of a Gauss Cannon, but with emphasis on damage per shot and range. In fact its price and stats are basically identical to that weapon. Thus, they both have the same strengths and weaknesses.
The Antichronon Pulse Blaster and Positron Scrambler Beam are antimatter-based hitscan weapons. Both cost 253 credits each, but the positron beam delivers more damage per shot. The antichronon beam is standard equipment on Zorg capital ships, however, and can be bought from their homeworld. The slow fire rate makes them most useful as medium-range siege weapons, but they are equally effective against all ship types, particularly when allied to a targeting computer of some sort.
Now this is a real must-have medium-sized weapon! The Tachyon Ray Gun, if you can obtain it, is one of the best general-purpose weapons in the whole game. It's more potent than most other medium weapons and has a better fire rate than other beam weapons. The long range makes it ideal for chewing up whole flotillas when combined with other high-end weapons. In fact it is possible, though rare, to acquire two or more of them in the same game. There is, however, one medium weapon which is even deadlier, but good luck acquiring it...
Only one medium-sized weapon is more powerful than a Tachyon Ray Gun. The Graviton Disintegrator is the most terrifying beam weapon of them all. Its bright yellow beam has a shorter range than the purple one emitted by the TRG, but it is much more powerful and fires faster. It's only used by the Yellow Kawangi (whose dreadnoughts carry four such weapons, making anything other than long-range sniping practically suicidal), and thus the only way to obtain one in the campaign is to create it using a Timeless Bauble (although you can use it freely in the Combat Simulator). When you get your hands on one of these nasty things, however, you will obliterate entire fleets in no time at all.
In short, medium weapons make a nice complement to other types of weapons, depending on what your strategy is based on. However, you may also need a targeting computer to really make it work. Choose carefully and your flotilla will be feared by every foe you encounter throughout Sector Prime!
Gauss Cannons, like Neptunium Railguns and Mass Drivers, are magnetically powered, but spit out a large projectile every few seconds instead of several small shells every second. This weapon is commonly used throughout the game, particularly by Terran, Muktian and Zorg capital ships. It is also standard equipment on Tan Ru Dominators. While it's a good all-round weapon, it doesn't stand out in any area either, but it's still a great affordable medium-range gun for most situations, although the slow muzzle velocity makes it less useful against fighters.
The Gatling Laser is basically a cluster of laser beams revolving about a common central tube, and is even more powerful than the standard Laser Beam or Repeater. Its high fire rate compensates for its mediocre damage per shot and short range. This weapon can wear down light shields far more quickly than even a Neptunium Railgun or a Cone cannon. There are better close-range weapons available, though, but this one is far more affordable.
The Strange Quark Projector and Proton Phasor Beam are also short-range beam weapons, but sacrifice fire rate for more damage per shot. While it may be tempting to use a Phasor, especially since the Klakar utilize it, its slow fire rate can be a hindrance at times, although against most capital ships it can be quite useful. The quark beam is a better bet, though, due to its superior fire rate. It helps that although the Urluquai mount them on Deep Hunters and Carriers, you can buy these weapons as well and, if you have a cloaking device, use their own tactics against them.
The Plasma Cannon is the Calatian counterpart to the Gauss Cannon, and is standard on Calatian Dreadnoughts and Super Dreadnoughts. It's basically a Plasma Blaster scaled up to the size of a Gauss Cannon, but with emphasis on damage per shot and range. In fact its price and stats are basically identical to that weapon. Thus, they both have the same strengths and weaknesses.
The Antichronon Pulse Blaster and Positron Scrambler Beam are antimatter-based hitscan weapons. Both cost 253 credits each, but the positron beam delivers more damage per shot. The antichronon beam is standard equipment on Zorg capital ships, however, and can be bought from their homeworld. The slow fire rate makes them most useful as medium-range siege weapons, but they are equally effective against all ship types, particularly when allied to a targeting computer of some sort.
Now this is a real must-have medium-sized weapon! The Tachyon Ray Gun, if you can obtain it, is one of the best general-purpose weapons in the whole game. It's more potent than most other medium weapons and has a better fire rate than other beam weapons. The long range makes it ideal for chewing up whole flotillas when combined with other high-end weapons. In fact it is possible, though rare, to acquire two or more of them in the same game. There is, however, one medium weapon which is even deadlier, but good luck acquiring it...
Only one medium-sized weapon is more powerful than a Tachyon Ray Gun. The Graviton Disintegrator is the most terrifying beam weapon of them all. Its bright yellow beam has a shorter range than the purple one emitted by the TRG, but it is much more powerful and fires faster. It's only used by the Yellow Kawangi (whose dreadnoughts carry four such weapons, making anything other than long-range sniping practically suicidal), and thus the only way to obtain one in the campaign is to create it using a Timeless Bauble (although you can use it freely in the Combat Simulator). When you get your hands on one of these nasty things, however, you will obliterate entire fleets in no time at all.
In short, medium weapons make a nice complement to other types of weapons, depending on what your strategy is based on. However, you may also need a targeting computer to really make it work. Choose carefully and your flotilla will be feared by every foe you encounter throughout Sector Prime!
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