Talk:Laser Pistol
Do you guys think the Laser Pistol can serve as a primary sidearm?
I'm debating between it and the Laser Rifle, and while I know the rifle has much better damage and accuracy, I like the flexibility of the Pistol in terms of no accuracy penalty for carrying something in the other hand (so I can always have two objects equipped) and the TU benefits (which I find extra useful for seemingly simple stuff like blasting through bushes, wooden walls, etc).
My analysis seems to indicate that the Pistol is the superior close-range weapon in terms of damage per TU, because at close range many "misses" become hits. I also find an extra benefit to being able to squeeze off a last burst when you're in a tight situation. Basically, it's the superior indoor weapon.
At long range (outdoors) it loses out to the Laser Rifle, but my thinking there is to combine it with the Blaster Launcher for long range targets. The Blaster would also be the weapon of choice against large targets.
Eric 19:36, 11 November 2006 (PST)
Well, it can be used as a primary sidearm. It's strong enough to defeat anything but the sectopod, so it should work just fine as long as precision over long distances is not called for. Even then, you can still fight over long distances, you just have to try many times before you can get it right. However, the laser pistol works best when paired with something else.
Other good long range 'sidearms' for the laser pistol are grenades, rocket launchers and perhaps the heavy plasma. I use the laser pistol + grenade combo quite frequently.
Against soft targets like sectoids and floaters, the standard pistol is a good secondary weapon for medium range combat.
Just try various combinations until you find one that you like the best. The laser pistols get much more effective as the shooter's stats improves.
- NKF