This weapons briefing is designed to help you determine what type of weapon you would prefer to use on your ship. There are several types to chose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Understanding how each weapon works can give you an advantage when you arm yourself for mission specific needs.

Gun / Cannon
The all time classic, this weapon uses chemical or electromagnetic propulsion to fire a solid mass at the target with devastating results. Ammunition types are a key to effective use of the cannons, as each has a different practical use. For example 20mm ammo flies faster and is more accurate making it good for taking down smaller ships, but 60mm ammo can cause much more damage and is better suited for larger ships that can’t dodge easily. Additionally other ammo types can give special attack bonuses. More on this in the ammo types section. The drawback to using this weapon is that you must take up part of your cargo hold to carry the ammo you need to fight.

Missile Launcher
Best described as an engine, fuel, explosives, and a targeting computer with murderous intent, missiles are a standard go to among many pilots. With a variety of missile types and launchers, even a small ship can deal a ton of damage in a short amount of time. The two main drawbacks to Missiles are the need to carry them in your cargo bay, and the fact that more advanced launchers go through your supply much faster, with the Penta Launcher firing off 5 missiles every cycle.

Laser
Technically not a true laser, this weapon fires a high energy ionized plasma gas in a containment field at the enemy. However almost all pilots call them lasers because it is much easier to say. The advantages of the Laser are that the Laser uses your ship energy instead of space in the cargo bay which makes it perfect for smaller class ships, and the high fire rate makes it more effective against smaller fast moving targets. It is interesting to note that for some reason experienced pilots seem to be fascinated with making a “pew pew pew” sound as they fire the Laser, much to the confusion of the rest of us.

Beam
The Beam weapon fires a constant stream of high energy charged particles at the target at close to the speed of light, making this a devastating weapon over time. It can deal out more damage than the Gun or Laser, but suffers from the fact that it has to remain locked onto the target for a long period to do that damage. Smaller ships can simply fly out of the beam, but larger and slower ships are easy pickings. Like the Laser, the Beam uses your ship’s energy so be certain that your ship can keep up with the power demands.

Torpedo
Often overlooked by pilots as not being worth the effort, Torpedos get an undeserved bad reputation among the weapons of choice. These flying bombs are slow and can’t hit a moving target without a major bit of luck, and the space they take up in the cargo bay can be a major deterrent as well. However when used properly the torpedo can be a devestating weapon. Combined with ECM modules that disable engines the torpedo can prove to be the undoing of many ships, while raider hideouts and structures like stations have no way of dodging to save themselves.

Ammunition Types
Selecting the correct ammunition for your weapon is key for the type of damage you want to inflict on an enemy. Basic ammunition is good as an all purpose damage dealer and is a solid choice for most pilots just starting out. Kinetic ammo uses pure speed and mass to punch holes in a targets armor, Explosive ammo can overwhelm the target’s shield emitters, and radiated ammo can interfere with the target’s ability to regenerate energy for their systems.