Laser Pistol

General Information

The laser pistol is the first weapon in X-COM's laser weapon series. Like all weapons the laser series, the laser pistol features a miniature and compact powerplant built into the gun. This energy efficient power cell allows the pistol to fire continuously for hours before draining, allowing almost infinite firepower for the average duration of most ground skirmishes.

Despite being a considerable step up over ballistic firearms, the laser pistol is unfortunately highly inadequate for precision attacks. Even crack marksmen have trouble hitting their mark with laser pistols. Also, in relation to its two more advanced laser counterparts, it does the least damage.

Nevertheless, the laser pistol's effectiveness does not stem from its accuracy or its moderate stopping power. Instead, it excels by superceding every other weapon as being the fastest automatic-fire weapon available, be it of human or alien origin.

To cast the laser pistol in a better light, X-Com commanders are recommended to think of the laser pistol as the machine gun of the laser family instead of merely being a weaker variant of the laser rifle. The standard pistol is still faster for singular shots.

Tips

The laser pistol excels primarily with two modes of attack - attacks of opportunity or auto shots. However, the laser pistol works best when combined with other weapons or non-combat tools.

Early in a campaign, the laser pistol are much more effective at defeating enemy cyberdiscs than conventional pistols or rifles. With enough persistence, the laser pistol will defeat any foe in time. The only enemy units that will not easily fall to the laser pistol are the Sectopods, the terror units employed by Ethereals. Note that sectopods with beginner class armour can fall to a laser pistol - especially if damaged in the rear plates. However, commanders should never, ever, engage a sectopod with superhuman class armour with a laser pistol.

Laser pistols are highly recommended for soldiers with specialised roles such as grenadiers, rocket soldiers (as a sidearm) or scouts, to name a few. New recruits can employ the laser pistols to good effect as short range combat weapons, or, like the standard pistol, use it as a tool for training both firing accuracy and reactions at the same time. Veterans, on the other hand, can weild laser pistols with alarming efficiency.

With superhuman persistence, patience and copious amounts of luck, a single single soldier can defeat an entire alien base with a single laser pistol.

Vital Statistics

Laser Pistol

• Firing Cost:
  • Auto: 25%
  • Snap: 20%
  • Aimed: 55%

• Firing Accuracy:
  • Auto: 28%
  • Snap: 40%
  • Aimed: 68%

• Weight: 7

• Width: 1
• Height: 2

• Market Cost: n/a
• Selling Cost: $20,000
• Production Costs
  • Build space: 2
  • Engineering Hours: 300
  • Build Cost: $8,000
  • Build Resources:
    • Alien Alloys: Nil
    • Elerium: Nil

Ammo Vital Statistics

Laser weapons do not use ammunition clips.

• Type: Laser
• Stopping Power: 48
• Capacity: infinite

For all other statistics, refer to the gun statistics

Usage Notes

The following lists how many times a soldier can fire the gun by shot type continuously in any given round and the remaining percentage of any left over TUs that cannot be spent as a shot.

• Aimed: 1 Shot, 45% Remaining TUs
• Snap: 5 Shots, 0% Remaining TUs
• Auto: 4 Bursts, 0% Remaining TUs