Lasers are general-purpose energy weapons that can be used to deplete shields and then damage systems, hull, and crew. When a laser shot hits a shield, it temporarily removes one shield layer.
Lasers can only be shot down by Mark II Defense Drones.
Types of laser
All laser shots deplete a single shield layer, but some (Heavy or Hull) can do additional damage when shields are down. Others (chain and charge) have different firing mechanics that can affect their tactical use.
- Basic Laser: just one shot, for 1 damage.
- Burst Lasers: multiple-shot lasers, where all shots are fired in quick succession. Each shot does 1 damage.
- Charge Lasers: like burst lasers, but you can choose to fire a partial charge sooner (for fewer shots), giving some tactical flexibility. Each shot does 1 damage.
- Chain lasers: each time they fire, the charging time is reduced for the next volley (down to a minimum charge time). Each shot does 1 damage.
- Heavy Lasers: each shot does 2 damage. They also have a high chance of starting a fire or causing a breach.
- Hull Lasers: each shot does 2 hull damage when hitting a systemless room. They also have a moderate chance of causing a breach.
Heavy Lasers are best used as damage-dealers rather than shield-breakers, due to the additional system damage and the high chance of fires or breaches. Note that the 30% fire chance is rolled first, then (if no fires started) the 30% breach chance. That means Heavy Laser shots have a 51% chance of causing either a fire or a breach.
The Heavy Pierce Laser, unique to the Rock B, ignores one shield layer.
Lasers
In this case, Obtainable refers to the item being buyable or accessible from an event or through some other means.
| Name | Cost | Power used | Charge time (s) |
Hull damage per shot | Shots per volley | Obtainable? | Fire | Breach | Stun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic Laser 
|
20 
|
1 | 10 s | 1 | 1 | No | 10% | 0% | 0% |
Dual Lasers
|
25
|
1 | 10 s | 1 | 2 | No | 10% | 0% | 0% |
| Burst Laser I
|
50
|
2 | 11 s | 1 | 2 | Yes | 10% | 0% | 0% |
Burst Laser II
|
80
|
2 | 12 s | 1 | 3 | Yes | 10% | 0% | 0% |
Burst Laser III
|
95
|
4 | 19 s | 1 | 5 | Yes | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Heavy Pierce
|
55
|
1 | 10 s | 2 (1-Shield Piercing) | 1 | No | 30% | 30% | 0% |
| Heavy Laser I
|
50
|
1 | 9 s | 2 | 1 | Yes | 30% | 30% | 20% (AE) |
Heavy Laser II
|
65
|
3 | 12 s | 2 | 2 | Yes | 30% | 30% | 20% (AE) |
Hull Smasher I
|
55
|
2 | 14 s | 1 (System) 2 (Empty Hull) |
2 | Yes | 0% | 20% | 0% |
| Hull Smasher II
|
75
|
3 | 15 s | 1 (System) 2 (Empty Hull) |
3 | Yes | 10% | 30% | 0% |
Boss Laser
|
55
|
1 | 20 s | 1 | 3 | No | ~20% | ~20% | 0% |
Basic Laser
Basic Laser
"Very weak laser."
- Costs 20
(cannot be bought or found) - Fires 1 shot with 10s cooldown
- Damage: 1 per shot
- Low chance of fire
- Requires 1 power
- Note: Four of them come equipped on Red-Tail, and one comes equipped on The Gila Monster.
- Note: Called "Defense Laser Mark 1" in the description.
Dual Lasers
Dual Lasers
"Basic weak dual lasers. Often used by transport ships that can't afford better."
- Costs 25 (cannot be bought or found)
- Fires 2 shots with 10s cooldown
- Damage: 1 per shot
- Low chance of fire
- Requires 1 power
- Note: The most power-efficient laser available to the player (2 shots for 1 power)
- Note: Comes equipped on The Swallow, Tetragon, Nisos, Man of War, and The Nesasio.
Burst Laser Mark I
Burst Laser Mark I
"This simple burst laser isn't flashy but it gets the job done."
- Costs 50
- Fires 2 shots with 11s cooldown
- Damage: 1 per shot
- Low chance of fire
- Requires 2 power
- Note: While this weapon is only half as power-efficient as the Dual Lasers, it can be found in stores and events.
Burst Laser Mark II
Burst Laser Mark II
"Slightly improved version of the burst laser that fires more shots per charge.
- Costs 80
- Fires 3 shots with 12s cooldown
- Damage: 1 per shot
- Low chance of fire
- Requires 2 power
- Note: Comes equipped on The Kestrel and The Osprey.
- Note: Highly power-efficient (3 shots for 2 power), with a fast charge time. Widely regarded as the "best weapon" in the game (apart from "unobtainable" weapons)
Burst Laser Mark III
Burst Laser Mark III
"Powerful burst laser that fires off an impressive barrage."
- Costs 95
- Fires 5 shots with 19s cooldown
- Damage: 1 per shot
- Requires 4 power
- Note: widely regarded as a bad weapon in most circumstances, due to the high power cost and slow charge time. Also cannot start fires.
Heavy Pierce Mark I
Heavy Pierce Mark I
"Heavy lasers can wreak more havoc than their smaller, burst laser counterparts. This modified version pierces 1 shield."
- Costs 55 (cannot be bought or found)
- Fires 1 shot with 10s cooldown
- Damage: 2 (hull) + 1(shield bypass) per shot
- Low chance of fire and breach. Advanced Edition: low chance to stun crew
- Ignores 1 shield level
- Requires 2 power
- Note: Comes equipped on Shivan.
Heavy Laser Mark I
Heavy Laser Mark I
"Heavy lasers can wreak more havoc than their smaller, burst laser counterparts."
- Costs 50
- Fires 1 shot with 9s cooldown
- Damage: 2 per shot
- Moderate chance of fire and breach. Advanced Edition: low chance to stun crew
- Requires 1 power
- Note: Comes equipped on The Vortex.
Heavy Laser Mark II
Heavy Laser Mark II
"This heavy laser fires two shots in quick succession, each dealing 2 damage"
- Costs 65
- Fires 2 shots with 13s cooldown
- Damage: 2 per shot
- Moderate chance of fire and breach. Advanced Edition: low chance to stun crew
- Requires 3 power
Hull Smasher Laser
Hull Smasher Laser
"A powerful laser designed to maximize hull damage."
- Costs 55
- Fires 2 shots with 14s cooldown
- Damage: 1 (system bays) / 2 (systemless) per shot
- Low chance of fire, moderate chance of breach
- Requires 2 power
- Note: despite the bonus damage to empty rooms, it's usually better to target systems
Hull Smasher Laser Mark II
Hull Smasher Laser Mark II
"This powerful counterpart to the Hull Smasher Mark I fires more projectiles per shot."
- Costs 75
- Fires 3 shots with 15s cooldown
- Damage: 1 (system bays) / 2 (systemless) per shot
- Low chance of fire, moderate chance of breach
- Requires 3 power
- Note: despite the bonus damage to empty rooms, it's usually better to target systems. Multiple breaches can be highly disruptive
Boss Laser
Boss Laser
"ssss" [sic]
- Costs 55 (cannot be bought or found)
- Fires 3 shot with 20s cooldown
- Damage: 1 per shot
- Low chance of fire and breach
- Requires 1 power
- Note: This is one of the weapons the Rebel Flagship uses. Can only be acquired via cheating.
Advanced Edition Lasers
Chain Burst Laser
Chain Laser I
"This dual shot laser decreases in cooldown the more it fires. After 3 volleys it only takes 7 seconds to charge."
- Costs 65
- Cooldown profile: 16s/13s/10s/7s, -3s per step, 3 steps total
- Fires 2 shots with 16s..7s cooldown
- Damage: 1 per shot
- Low chance of fire
- Requires 2 power
- Note: Charge time resets to 16 seconds if the weapon goes offline.
- Note: Comes equipped on Ariolimax, and Kruos.
Chain Vulcan
Chain Vulcan
"This laser weapon takes a long time to warm up. Each time it fires it decreases the cooldown, eventually able to take down any amount of shields."
- Costs 95
- Cooldown profile: 11.1s/9.1s/7.1s/5.1s/3.1s/1.1s, -2s per step, 5 steps total
- Fires 1 shot with 11.1s..1.1s cooldown
- Damage: 1 per shot
- Low chance of fire
- Requires 4 power
- Note: Charge time resets to 11.1 seconds if the weapon goes offline
- Note: This is the only non-missile weapon capable of single-handedly destroying any enemy ship
- Note: It takes 35.5 seconds before the Vulcan gets up to full speed, and until then it does very little.
- Note: This weapon is largely countered by Mark II Defense Drones
Laser Charger (S)
Laser Charger (S)
"This laser weapon can charge two times, giving it an additional projectile. This improved version only requires 1 power."
- Costs 30 (cannot be bought or found)
- Fires 1 shot with 5.5s cooldown, up to 2 shots
- Damage: 1 per shot
- Low chance of fire
- Requires 1 power
- Note: "Autofire" causes continuous fire, disables charging
- Note: This is the most power-efficient laser weapon in the game (tied with Dual Lasers)
- Note: Weapon Pre-Igniter will only charge one shot by default, but there is a trick to charge both shots
- Note: Comes equipped on Simo-H.
Laser Charger (M)
Laser Charger (S)
"This laser weapon can charge two times, giving it an extra projectile."
- Costs 55
- Fires or charges 1 shot with 6s cooldown, up to 2 shots
- Damage: 1 per shot
- Low chance of fire
- Requires 2 power
- Note: "autofire" causes continuous fire, disables charging
- Note: Weapon Pre-Igniter will only charge one shot by default, but there is a trick to charge both shots
Laser Charger (L)
Laser Charger (L)
"This laser weapon can charge multiple times, giving it additional projectiles."
- Costs 70
- Fires or charges 1 shot with 5s cooldown, up to 4 shots
- Damage: 1 per shot
- Low chance of fire
- Requires 3 power
- Note: "Autofire" causes continuous fire, disables charging
- Note: Weapon Pre-Igniter will only charge one shot by default, but there is a trick to charge all shots