Heavy Plasma
The larger cousion of the Plasma Rifle is a powerful squad support weapon which is nonetheless light enough to be usable by nearly any soldier. It is the most powerful weapon available to X-COM agents short of the Blaster Launcher, plus it has a fast rate of fire and high accuracy.
This weapon is capable of penetrating a wide variety of terrain features, including most inner UFO walls and doors (See Destroying Terrain for more info). This property makes it indispensible for certain UFO Assault tactics, while its clip size of 35 rounds is usually more than sufficient for the typical engagement.
Researching the Heavy Plasma and its clip allows you to begin the Plasma Beam and Hovertank/Plasma projects.
Pros: High stopping power. High penetration power. Light weight. Spare clips and almost fully loaded guns are plentiful by mid-game - Just pry them out of dead alien fingers. Its auto and snap fire modes are second only to the Plasma Rifle in accuracy. However, the Heavy Plasma has a higher accuracy in aimed fire.
Cons: Clips count towards 80-item limit. Doesn't have infinite ammo like the Laser Rifle, although 35 shots goes a long way. Clips can be hard to come by in the early part of the game, and require Elerium if manufactured.
Stats
Heavy Plasma:
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Heavy Plasma Clip:
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