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Starfighter Weapons and Characteristics

Energy Weapons

Comprised of lasers and ion cannon, energy weapons fire bursts of concentrated plasma or ionic particles.  All starfighters are equipped with at least one laser cannon.  It is the default weapon for starfighter engagements.  Weapons are cycled by pressing the W key.

LASERS

The origins of laser technology are lost in the pre-Republic histories.  Modern starfighter lasers are found in two varieties: Red lasers are produced by Rebel and New Republic manufacturers.  They are more expensive than standard Imperial lasers and have a slower firing rate.  Imperial lasers are green in color, are cheaper to produce than their Rebel counterparts, but compensate for this with a faster rate of fire.  This is in keeping with current Imperial starfighter doctrine regarding swarms of fighters concentrating their fire on individual targets.  When employed properly, this type of massed firepower is lethal even to small capital ships.  

Lasers, like all starfighter systems, are charged with energy from the ship's engines.  The pilot can select from five different levels of laser recharge by pressing the F9 key.

LASER RECHARGE LEVEL	CHARACTERISTICS	LEVEL INDICATOR
Cannon Recharge Fully Redirected To Engines	Quickly drains laser energy to boost speed.  Starfighter speed improved by 30% on average. Useful for quick sprints and escapes.
Cannon Recharge Partially Redirected To Engines	Slowly drains laser energy to boost speed.  Starfighter speed improved by 15% on average.
Cannon Recharge At Maintenance Level	Laser energy levels are maintained at present state and have no effect on starfighter speed.  Firing the lasers will drain laser energy very slowly.  All energy weapons are set to the Maintenance Level upon entering the craft.
Cannon Recharge At Increased Rate	Diverts more power from engines to laser recharging.  Laser energy is slowly replenished.  Starfighter speed slows by 12% on average.
Cannon Recharge At Maximum Rate	Diverts maximum amount of power from engines to lasers, quickly replenishing weapon power.  Starfighter speed is reduced by an average 25%.

Laser recharge rates take energy directly from the engines, so faster recharge decreases the starfighter's overall speed.  Conversely, it is possible to increase the craft's speed by diverting energy from the lasers to the engines.  Both laser types can be fired at normal strength, or "supercharged".  Supercharging involves merely allowing the lasers to surpass their maximum charge and begin over charging with no ill effects on the weapon itself.  While achieving this state can take several seconds, supercharged lasers have 50% greater range and yield twice the damage of the normally charged version.  If the tactical situation allows, it is advantageous to supercharge the lasers and fire them simultaneously in one massive burst, inflicting maximum damage to the target craft.

As seen in the chart below, the speed of a laser blast is more than five times faster than the fastest starfighter in the fleet, making lasers impossible to outrun.  However it is possible to dodge incoming fire.  Doing so is strongly encouraged.

Rebel lasers show consistent 25% higher damage levels and 12% greater range than comparable Imperial models.  Exercise extreme caution when engaging Rebel or New Republic craft.

Lasers are capable of firing in multiple modes.  Note that all modes are not available on starfighters with only two lasers or without ion cannon.  Firing modes are selectable with the X key.

1. Single Fire - each laser fires independently with one laser shot for each pull of the trigger.  This mode delivers the maximum rate of fire, but the least damage per trigger pull.

2. Dual Fire - lasers fire in pairs.

3. Fire-linked - all lasers fire together with each trigger pull for greater damage.

4. Lasers and Ions Linked - all lasers and all ion cannon fire together in a massive burst.  Slowest rate of fire, but inflicts maximum damage if all weapons hit.

A sample TIE Defender Heads Up Display, or HUD, is shown below.  Note the blue indicators showing all four laser cannon are fire-linked.  The Laser Charge Levels near the bottom of the HUD show the bright green of supercharged status.  Also of note is the green "on-target" illuminator in the center target reticule.  This indicates one or more lasers will impact the target if fired while the illuminator is green.  Also visible are the laser/ion charge indicators.  The graphic shows bright green and bright blue bars, indicating supercharged laser and ion status.  If the weapons were only normally charged, the indicators would show dim blue and green bars.  If energy weapons are depleted, the bars are dark, indicated the weapons cannot be fired without additional energy.

ION CANNON

Ion cannons are equipped on select starfighters such as the Assault Gunboat, TIE Defender, Y-wing, and B-wing.  They are commonly used for disabling fire when capturing a target is preferable to its destruction.  Ion cannon technology is equal among Rebel and Imperial arms suppliers, with identical range, shield damage, and speed characteristics.  No actual damage occurs to the target craft, but systems are disabled at different rates.  Larger or more heavily armored targets require more ion cannon shots to disable them.  

Ion cannon are charged equally and simultaneously with a starfighter's laser weapons.  Increasing the recharge rate will boost both laser and ion cannon energy, while diverting power to the engines will decrease available laser and ion energy.  Supercharged ion shots are approximately twice as effective as one normal ion blast.  Dual-fire regular ion shots are equal to a single supercharged ion cannon attack.

Ion fire is only disabling once the target's shields are down, but ion cannon can be used effectively to decrease a vessel's shield strength.  The slight range advantage of the ion cannon may be decisive in close engagements.