Rifleman Archive
Thread: the laser rifle. love it, then leave it
I see a lot of people using it, and I hear a lot of people asking questions about it.
your results may vary, but (average stats, in my opinion)...
laser rifle: 40-400
T21: 150-350
the speeds are different, yes. the AP is different, yes. the HAM costs are SLIGHTLY different. as you go up the rifle tree, the speed will cease to matter. the AP3 of the T21 beats the tar outta the laser (though neither is figured into bleed dmg... which is why I use a bowcaster for bleeds). the HAM, again, doesn't matter much... if need be, just add muon.
you will do consistently more damage with a T21 (depending on your rifle and skill, however, your DPS may vary considerably). if you REALLY like gambling, stick with the laser rifle... you might roll the top end damage once in a while. but for every 400 you get, you'll also get a 40. if you use a laser rifle to apply bleeds, be SURE to watch the combat log, because you WILL need to reapply for every bad roll you get.
remember that specials multiply base dmg... so with an average dmg of 220 on a laser, and 250 on a T21, that 30 pts might not seem like a lot... until you multiply it. and multiply it again for the AP calculation. and figure in the time it takes to reapply two stacked bleeds until you get a good roll.
at master rifle, I use a bowcaster, a jawa ion (for dropping giant dune kimogilas in under a minute), and a T21. I've got a DLT20a handy, and usually a SG-82 for another flavor of DT. I WILL have a tusken rifle once they change it from DT energy to DT kinetic.
the laser rifle was great fun until I made novice rifleman... but those days are gone, and so is that rifle.
wow... that was VERY insensitive of me, and I apologize... I've heard rumors of this affliction, but I carefully managed to forget this tragedy, rather than mentally scar myself. I'm playing on several different servers, having lost the ability to learn more skills without surrendering skills I really enjoy having, and fortunately I haven't found myself on any of these blighted galaxies... at least not as a rifleman.
on the bright side... we all (I hope) have jawa ion rifles... and some of ushave 'casters.
only wooikes are able to use a bowcaster right? That kind of annoyes me, lol, hear i am, 2 days away from master (4 3 4 3) and i can't use a bow caster.... but then again, i guess It does make since... casters have to be cocked, and only wookies are strong enought to do it on their own... (at least that's what i've heard..)
As far a laser rifles being junk... i have to protest... I LOVE my t21, i get a 27% damage slice on it, and it kicks heads, but, for all aound use, i still use the Laser. I top out my damage in the 700's depending on my powerup, and land bleeds for over 2k... i avg 1600 1800 on MS2... and close to 1000-1200 on ms1... Not to mention, my HS2 avg 2 k per...
Sure i get a few junk shots off, but over all, stuff dies quick... i mean REALLY quick...
BUT my T21 is almost that good... but with it, i almost never get a crappy shot... SO... i go back and fourth alot.
Jawa Ions are THAT good from hunting Kimos? Hmm... I'll have to look into that... what are some good stats on a Jawa... so i can find a few good ones and get them sliced...
KingSnake (wimpy fish man)
that does it... I'm starting a thread on the jawa... please refer to that for info, as I'd rather not post twice.
In most cases, the damage won't make that much a difference I think. You probably won't one-shot the target anyway, and if I have to find a srategy to be able to get off 6 shots, that strategy probably works for 8 shots as well. (And yes, unfortunately the best strategy seems to be Poke mon Wars)
That would be nice if every server had the T21....
I live on tarq, where G-R gems have yet to rear their ugly head 
While the math is indisputable, and the T21 isa superior weapon, I can see a few reasons why someone would continue to use a laser rifle....
Availability, of course, as in my case and that ofa fewothers.
Cost, because not all of us know the secrets tomakinga lotof credits, and I for one am not going to pay a ton of money for a weapon just because it is new, When I can get a30%+ damage pre sliced laser for a fraction of the cost (about 17k on Tarq).
Deception, as anyone who carries a T21 will be tagged as a prime target (I lay down that mind bleed and RUN), but carrying a laser will at least instill a little doubt until you get you first shot off.
Entertainment, as anyone who has gotten three min damage hits on that torton then killed it just as the thing was bout to step on them would know, using a laser in PvE is sometimes just hilarious.
In all, I consider it apoint of pride that I leveled my way through rifleman with a laser, and I will continue to use it as my workhorse weapon even after T21s become available. As for what I have in my backpack, I have every single riflethe game has to offer. I even have a beam rifle just because 
Each weapon has it's place, including the Tusken which I use almost as much as the laser.
At least some kimos are vulnerable to cold as well, and a good SG82A should work pretty well on them, though I haven't tested it.
Jamga
CaLVines wrote:
The other thing to keep in mind is the insane decay and the high price for a T21. Given that I can go through a rifle very fast with powerups and slices (and this get's even faster at Master), and the chances to repair guns are rather bad, I prefer to shoot with a lisghtly less damage and a 10K weapon than need 3 shots less and go through a 30K weapon in similar time.
In most cases, the damage won't make that much a difference I think. You probably won't one-shot the target anyway, and if I have to find a srategy to be able to get off 6 shots, that strategy probably works for 8 shots as well. (And yes, unfortunately the best strategy seems to be Poke mon Wars)
look for a master artisan and ask him to make you a weapon repair tool at 99%. Most of the time I get 'You have fixed the weapon with only slight blemishes'. Never ounce have I destroyed a weapon with one of these tools. It add several days to a rifles life span.
Slight difference in HAM? My T21 is something like 105 on Mind, my Laser is, I think, 62. My E11 is 40.
That means that the Laser does only 59% of the damage to my mind that my T21 does. The E11 does only 38% of the damage to my mind that the T21 does and only 64% of the damage to my mind that the Laser does. That is a significant difference.
Yes, I can cut down on that witha powerup, but atonly 40 to mind and 4.7 speed, I can put a min/max damage powerup on my E11 and do 146 - 330 damage (I have a good damage slice on mine). With the Laser and T21, I have to use at least one of the properties of the Powerup to reduce mind.
Yes, I can, and do, use Muon Gold, but it only lasts 10 minutes and has a downer effect that can incap you in certain circumstances. There is also a bug with the stat recovery that can require that you reboot to get your Focus and Willpower back to normal after a downer clears up (most often it happens when your stats are already hit, such as if you are wearing armor or have taken mind stat damage from enemies.
In all, the T21, in many situations, should be the weapon of choice, but the Laser and E11 have their places as well.
Sotaudi - your T21 must have an advanced stock on it, giving it stats that look like 150-380 (around there?).
that ham is way high, unless you're using gold as you said.
my standard T21 is 130-357, 7.2 speed, 71 ham (160-597 60 ham with a slice and dmg/mind powerup).
i'd suggest picking up the 'regular' t21 if you don't have one. much more workable when not on drugs.
