Plasma Accelerator

Energy projectile weapon on fixed mount.

— In-Game Description

A Plasma Accelerator is a weapon module that fires slugs of superheated plasma. Although they are powerful weapons, their projectiles travel relatively slowly, and they require a brief period to recharge after each shot.

Usage

Military battleships, cruisers and also space stations are often equipped with this weapon. They're also fitted to large trading ships and passenger liners operating in the more dangerous regions of space.

Even a Small Plasma Accelerator will destroy a well armed hundred tonne ship with a single shot. The large version has been known to be used as a planetary assault weapon, destroying selected areas of cities from orbit. This has a devastating effect on the local population, because the terrifying noise of the beam cutting through the atmosphere can be heard for hundreds of kilometers, and will deafen anyone unprotected in the vicinity.

In use, their projectiles move relatively slowly (875 m/s); this and the lack of gimballed variants make them challenging to use, especially against smaller targets. However, they have among the highest raw damage ratings of any weapon and much of this damage ignores the various resistances of shields, hull and armoured Bulkheads; it also completely ignores Armour Hardness. On top of all that, it is also a thermal attack (not to be confused with thermic), meaning it adds to the heat of any ship it hits.

The drawbacks include the high level of pilot skill required to use them effectively (especially against smaller targets), and their huge energy requirements and thermal load. The latter make them inadvisable to use alongside other energy weapons such as beam lasers and can force a pilot to limit their rate of fire.

They are available for class 2, 3 and 4 hardpoints and are among the most expensive weapons to purchase and operate.

Specifications

Class	Rating	Mass (T)	Integrity	Power Draw	Weapon Mode	Damage Type	Damage	Armour Piercing	ROF/s	DPS	Thermal Load	Ammo Clip Size	Ammo Maximum	Value (CR)
2	C	4.00	40	1.430	Fixed	Absolute, Thermal, Kinetic	54.3	100	0.3	17.9	15.6	5	100	834,200
3	B	8.00	51	1.970	Fixed	Absolute, Thermal, Kinetic	83.4	100	0.3	24.2	21.8	5	100	3,051,200
4	A	16.00	80	2.630	Fixed	Absolute, Thermal, Kinetic	125.3	100	0.3	31.31	29.5	5	100	13,793,600

• Damage Type for all Plasma Accelerators is divided as follows:^[1]
  • Absolute: 60%
  • Thermal: 20%
  • Kinetic: 20%
• Absolute Damage ignores shield resistances and armour resistances.

Engineers

This weapon can be modified by Engineers to enhance its abilities.

Modifications

The following modifications can be applied to this module:

• Efficient
• Focused
• Lightweight
• Long Range
• Overcharged
• Rapid Fire
• Short range
• Sturdy

Experimental Effects

The following Experimental Effects can be applied to the module:

• Dazzle Shell
• Dispersal Field
• Double Braced
• Flow Control
• Multi-Servos
• Oversized
• Phasing Sequence
• Plasma Slug
• Stripped Down
• Target Lock Breaker
• Thermal Conduit

Notes

• The Plasma Accelerator fires a ball of plasma every 3 or 4 seconds, and is only good for direct fire.
• 3 shots will take out a Type-9 shield and another 3 shots for the hull. Damage per shot is upwards of 35% to 14% depending how it hits.
• Any Plasma Accelerator (regardless of size) using Plasma Slug requires approximately 110 kilograms (0.11 tons) of fuel per reload (where one reload is five shots).
• Maximum range is 3500m, but Damage Falloff begins at 2000m.
• Main problem is overheating after just 3 or 4 shots, best used with a few projectile weapons as if you use lasers the ship heats up too fast and then you can't fire the Plasma Accelerators.
• Hard to hit very maneuverable ships; especially smaller ones.
• Plasma Accelerators should not be mistaken for Plasma Repeaters, which are a small projectile weapon exclusive to the Scarab SRV and various Ship-Launched Fighter variants.

Gallery

References

1. ↑ Elite Dangerous 2.2.03 Patch Notes

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