| Category | Core Constraint | Fantasy |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Heat | Unlimited fire, manage your reactor |
| Ballistic | Tonnage + Ammo | Heavy iron, cool-running, runs dry |
| Missile | Ammo + Spread | Sustained harassment, chip damage DoT |
| Melee | Adjacency (range = 0) | Brutal close combat, high risk high reward |
| Support | Opportunity (no damage) | Force multiplier, utility over firepower |
| Experimental | Unreliability (self-risk) | Forbidden tech, volatile alien power |
Engagement Range Spectrum
Energy Weapons
Energy
No Ammo
Energy weapons generate damage from power alone. No ammo bins, no explosion risk, no running dry. The cost is heat. Every shot pushes your reactor closer to shutdown.
Strengths
- Unlimited ammunition
- No ammo explosion risk
- Light tonnage for damage output
- Compact slot usage
Weaknesses
- High heat generation
- Sustained fire risks shutdown
- Heavy hitters generate extreme heat
- Most have moderate range
Beam
The workhorse — reliable, no surprises
Classic lasers. Single focused shot, scaling damage. The backbone of any energy loadout.
Variants: Laser (L) · Laser (M) · Laser (H) · Photon Lance · Scatterbeam
Dmg 15-50Heat 10-30Tons 1-5tRange 180-700
No special mechanic — the baseline. Simple, reliable, always useful.
Pulse
Accuracy through volume
Multiple rapid pulses per trigger pull. Each pulse rolls independently, spreading damage across locations.
Variants: Pulse Laser · Hyperpulse Laser
Dmg 15x4 / 18x5Heat 20-38Acc +1
Multiple hit rolls with accuracy bonus. Reliable finishers.
Coil
Alpha strike cannon — electromagnetic punch
Electromagnetic accelerators channeling massive damage. Build-defining heat spikes.
Variants: Coil (L) · Coil (M) · Coil Pulse · Coil (H)
Dmg 30-75Heat 12-35Acc +1
Bonus damage after moving — electromagnetic charge builds from momentum. Rewards aggressive positioning.
Plasma
Heat warfare — burn them from the inside
Extreme heat weapons that damage AND heat the target. Also generates massive self-heat. Both mechs suffer.
Variants: Plasma Cannon · Heavy Plasma Cannon
Dmg 40-60Heat 35-50Range 200-350
Dual heat — damages + heats the target. Mutually-assured destruction.
Ballistic Weapons
Ballistic
Ammo Required
Physical projectiles — slugs, shells, bullets. Minimal heat but serious tonnage. A ballistic-heavy mech trades speed and armor for sustained, cool-running firepower.
Strengths
- Very low heat generation
- Can fire continuously without shutdown
- High single-hit damage (Magnetic)
- Good range across the line
Weaknesses
- Very heavy — eats armor/speed budget
- Ammo dependent, explosion risk
- Large slot footprint
- Build-defining weight commitment
Cannon
Reliable shell thrower
Multi-shot cannons firing bursts of shells. The standard ballistic. From the Light Assault Gun to the devastating Cannon (H).
Variants: Cannon (L) · Cannon (M) · Cannon (H) · Light Assault Gun
Dmg 5-25 x2Heat 3-10Tons 3-14t
Stability damage — heavy shells shake the target. Enough stability damage = knockdown. Cannons are the knockdown weapon.
Machine Gun
Crit seeker — death by a thousand cuts
Extremely high rate of fire, extremely low damage per hit. Spray projectiles that chip away through volume.
Variants: MG (L) · MG (H) · Rotary Machine Gun
Dmg 1-4 x6-14Heat 1-3Tons 1-3t
Bonus crit chance vs exposed structure — useless against armor, deadly once structure is exposed. The finisher.
Magnetic
Precision sniper — electromagnetic devastation
Electromagnetic accelerators launching ferrous slugs at hypersonic velocity. One massive hit, near-zero heat, extreme weight.
Variants: Magnetic (L) · Magnetic (M) · Magnetic (H)
Dmg 25-60Heat 1-4Tons 8-16tAcc +0 to +2
Ignores damage variance — always hits for exact listed damage. The predictable, surgical weapon.
Indirect
Lob over cover
Grenades, mortars, and artillery that arc over obstacles. Minimum range dead zones but can hit what others can't.
Variants: Grenade Launcher · Mortar · Artillery
Dmg 12-35Range 360-1000
Indirect fire — can target without line of sight. The only weapons that hit behind cover. Trade accuracy for reach.
Scatter Gun
Shotgun blast
Fires a spread of 6 projectiles. High total damage but each pellet hits a random location.
Variants: Scatter Gun
Dmg 6 x6Range 240
Guaranteed multi-location hit — each pellet rolls its own location. Strips armor from everywhere at once.
Missile Weapons
Missile
Ammo Required
Missiles deal distributed damage — many warheads each rolling their own hit location. Excellent at stripping armor evenly, poor at punching through in one spot. Widest tactical range of any category.
Strengths
- Wide tactical variety
- Distributed damage strips armor evenly
- Many hits = more chances for weak spots
- Moderate tonnage
Weaknesses
- Damage spreads — poor focus fire
- Ammo dependent with explosion risk
- Siege missiles have minimum range dead zones
- High heat on larger launchers
Strike
Brawler's best friend
Short-range missiles that pack a punch up close. No minimum range, compact, reliable. Includes Barrage variants with improved heat.
Variants: Strike 2 · Strike 4 · AMR-B2S · AMR-B4S · AMR-B6S · Incendiary
Dmg 5-12 x2-6Heat 4-8Range 240-300
Clustering — Strike missiles tend to hit the same location. The close-range focus fire missile.
Siege
DoT harasser — sustained chip damage
Long-range missile barrages that rain warheads at extreme distance. Not a knockout weapon — a war of attrition weapon. 200 ammo/ton for sustainability.
Variants: Siege 10 · Siege 20 · AMR-B6L · Cluster Missile · Thermobaric
Dmg 4-35 x1-12Heat 8-15Range 420-900
No clustering — hits spread evenly across all locations. The armor-stripping weapon. Sustained bombardment over many turns.
Drumfire
Mid-range versatile
Medium-range missile barrages that balance damage, range, and heat. The flexible workhorse of missile loadouts.
Variants: Drumfire 4 · Drumfire 6 · Drumfire 10
Dmg 6 x2-5Heat 6-12Range 675
Partial clustering — some grouping but not as tight as Strike. Jack of all trades.
Lance
Guided precision — high damage per missile
Advanced guided missiles. Fewer projectiles but each one hurts. Precision warheads with accuracy bonus.
Variants: Lance 2 · Lance 4
Dmg 25-28 x2Range 360-400
Target lock — accuracy bonus stacks when firing at same target multiple turns. Rewards focus fire.
Adaptive
Multi-role — adapts warhead to target
Smart missiles that adjust payload. Flexible and reliable across different engagement types.
Variants: Adaptive 4 · Adaptive 6 · Adaptive 10
Dmg 5-8 x4-10Range 400-500
Ammo-type switching — adapts warhead to target weakness. Versatile but master of none.
EMP
Electronic warfare — disruption over damage
Specialized for electronic disruption. Minimal damage, long range utility role.
Variants: EMP Missile
Dmg 5Heat 4Range 480
System disruption — chance to disable one equipment slot for 1 turn (weapon jam, sensor glitch).
Melee Weapons
Melee Adjacency Only PlannedNo ammo, no heat, no range. The cost is pure positioning — survive the approach through Siege/Magnetic fire to reach adjacency. Melee attacks always hit (no accuracy roll). Damage scales with mech tonnage.
Strengths
- Always hits — no accuracy roll
- No ammo, no heat
- Highest potential single-hit damage (Spear charge)
- Unique mechanics (armor pierce, damage reduction)
Weaknesses
- Must reach adjacency — survive the approach
- Zero range means zero safety
- Requires mobility boosters to be viable
- Arm weapons compete with melee slots
Sword
Focused strike — single devastating hit
High single-hit damage. The can-opener — wait for the right moment to carve into a weakened location.
Planned: Vibroblade (L) · Vibroblade (M) · Vibroblade (H)
Armor piercing — swords deal a portion of damage directly to internal structure, bypassing armor.
Bypasses armor
High single-hit
Arm slot commitment
Must be adjacent
Spear
Charge weapon — momentum damage
Damage scales with hexes moved before striking. Sprint 6 hexes + spear = massive hit. The ultimate "all-in" weapon.
Planned: Lance · War Pike · Pile Bunker
Charge bonus — damage multiplier based on distance moved this turn. Standing still = mediocre. Sprinting in = devastating.
Highest alpha in game
Pairs with Sprint/MASC
Needs movement to shine
Deep in enemy lines after
Shield
Defensive + bash
The real value is survivability during the approach — the thing that makes melee builds viable. Bash attack is a bonus.
Planned: Buckler (arm) · Tower Shield (arm+torso)
Damage reduction — reduces incoming damage to the mounted location. Shields make the approach survivable.
Incoming damage reduction
Enables melee builds
Dead weapon arm
Huge slot/tonnage cost
Mobility Boosters
Equipment PlannedMelee is only viable if mechs can close the gap. Mobility boosters enable aggressive positioning — they compete for tonnage/slots with weapons and armor.
Sprint
Burst movement, no attack
Doubles movement for one turn but cannot fire weapons (melee excluded). Built-in ability for all mechs.
Tempo loss — you sacrifice a shooting turn. Enemy gets free fire.
Jump Jets
Vertical mobility, skip terrain
Leap over obstacles. Accuracy penalty on landing turn. Generates heat per jump.
Planned: Jump Jet (L) · Jump Jet (M) · Jump Jet (H)
Heat + accuracy tradeoff — arrive hot and shaky. Pairs well with ballistics and melee (low/no heat).
Overclock
Overdrive sprint — the gamble
Boosts speed by 50%. Unlike Sprint, can still fire weapons. But has a failure chance — each use risks leg damage.
Planned: Overclock Module (3-5t, 2 slots, legs)
Self-damage risk — use once, probably fine. Use every turn, legs will break.
Support Equipment
Support PlannedSupport equipment occupies weapon slots but deals no direct damage. Every support slot is a weapon you didn't bring. Support wins battles by making your lance hit harder, or making the enemy miss.
Designator
Paint the target
Painted targets receive an accuracy bonus from ALL friendly units. The force multiplier for Siege boats.
Planned: Designator (L) (1t) · Designator (M) (2t)
Target designation — lance-wide accuracy bonus against painted target. Stacks with Homing lock.
Beacon
Missile magnet
Attaches a beacon to the target. All missile weapons gain +accuracy for 3 turns. One shot amplifies an entire lance's volley.
Planned: Beacon Launcher (2t)
Missile accuracy boost — Strike, Siege, Homing, Swarm all benefit. 3-turn duration.
ECM
Sensor cloak
Passive aura. All friendly units within 2 hexes get an evasion bonus. Countered by Designator/Beacon.
Planned: ECM Suite (3t) · Guardian ECM (4t)
Sensor disruption bubble — evasion bonus for nearby friendlies. The defensive support pick.
CIWS
Close-In Weapon System — point defense
Auto-fires against incoming missiles. Reduces missile damage by 20-40%. Swarm missiles partially bypass it.
Planned: CIWS (2t) · CIWS (H) (3t)
Missile interception — automatic, ammo-dependent. Hard counter to Siege/Strike builds.
Experimental Weapons
Experimental PlannedSalvaged alien tech, prototype systems, forbidden research. Extreme power with unpredictable drawbacks. Rare loot only — never purchased, only found on expeditions.
Gravity
Manipulates mass and momentum
Pushes or pulls the target 1-2 hexes. Knock enemies off elevation, into hazards, or into melee range.
Planned: Grav Pulse · Tractor Beam
Forced movement — the displacement weapon. Break formations, create combos.
Drawback: Charge time — must spend one turn charging. Telegraphed and interruptible.
Nanite
Self-replicating weapon swarm
Nanites attach and deal damage each turn for 3-5 turns. Stacks. The true persistent DoT weapon.
Planned: Nanite Injector · Nanite Cloud Launcher
Damage over time — persistent per-turn damage even with no further fire. Stacks with multiple hits.
Drawback: Friendly fire risk — nanites spread to adjacent units (including yours) after 3 turns.
Void Ray
Armor penetration — alien energy lance
Bypasses a portion of armor, dealing damage directly to internal structure. Extremely dangerous per hit.
Planned: Void Ray
Armor penetration — partially ignores armor, hitting structure underneath.
Drawback: Random self-penalty — weapon jam, self-damage, or heat spike after firing.
Ion Stream
Chain lightning — spreads to adjacent locations
Primary hit chains into an adjacent mech location, splitting damage across two areas.
Planned: Ion Stream
Chain hit — damages the target location AND an adjacent location on the same mech.
Drawback: Unpredictable spread — you can't control which adjacent location gets hit.
Solar Flare
Sensor overload — blinds the target
Deals moderate damage and applies a sensor disruption debuff, reducing the target's accuracy.
Planned: Solar Flare
Sensor disruption — debuffs target accuracy for multiple turns after hit.
Drawback: Moderate damage output — the debuff is the real payload, not the hit.
Category Design Matrix
How weapon categories differ in what they damage, what they generate, and how they're balanced.
Damage by Category
| Category | Armor | Structure | Crit | Disable | Overtime | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | ++ | + | ||||
| Ballistic | ++ | ++ | MG crit | |||
| Missile | + spread | + | EMP | fire/acid | ||
| Melee | + | ++ Sword | ||||
| Support | ||||||
| Experimental | + | + | Ion Stream | Nanite | Gravity |
Generate by Category
| Category | Heat self | Heat enemy | Recoil | Instability | Area Denial | Ammo | Self-dmg | Smoke | ECM | CIWS | Designate | Brace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | ++ | Plasma | ||||||||||
| Ballistic | low | ++ | ++ Cannon | ++ | Artillery | |||||||
| Missile | low | + | Thermobaric | ++ | heavy | |||||||
| Melee | ||||||||||||
| Support | CIWS | + | ++ | ++ | ++ | |||||||
| Experimental | + | + | Nanite | rare | ++ | Gravity |
Balanced by Category
++ = primary constraint, + = secondary
| Category | Tonnage | Heat | Recoil | Ammo | Slots | Cooldown | Availability | Durability | Self-dmg | Pilot | Ammo explode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | + | ++ | + | + | + | + | |||||
| Ballistic | ++ | ++ | ++ | + | + | + | + | ++ | |||
| Missile | + | ++ | ++ | + | + | + | ++ | ||||
| Melee | + | ++ | + | ++ | + | ||||||
| Support | + | some | ++ | ++ | + | + | |||||
| Experimental | + | + | rare | + | ++ | ++ | ++ | + | + |
Tactical Combos
These mechanics create natural weapon synergies. Build around combos, not just individual weapons.
Ranged Combos
- Machine Gun + Cannon — cannons expose structure with knockdown, MGs crit the exposed internals
- Siege + Strike — siege strips armor evenly, then strike clustering punches the weak spot
- Plasma + Magnetic — plasma heats enemy toward shutdown, magnetic lines up a free shot
- Indirect + Strike — indirect forces enemy to advance into strike/plasma range
- Coil + Strike — coils reward movement, pairing with strike brawler builds
Melee Combos
- Spear + Sprint — maximum single-hit alpha in the game, sacrifices shooting turn
- Shield + Jump Jets — jump into brawl range, absorb return fire with shield
- Sword + Overclock — risky fast-walk into melee, can still shoot same turn
- Gravity + Melee — pull enemies INTO melee range for sword/spear mechs
Support Combos
- Designator + Siege — paint target, entire lance's siege missiles get accuracy boost
- Beacon + Swarm — beacon + swarm overwhelms any defense
- ECM + Melee approach — evasion bubble protects brawlers during gap close
- CIWS — counters missile-heavy builds, but Swarm partially bypasses it
- Smoke + Advance — block enemy firing lanes while closing distance
Experimental Wildcards
- Nanite + Siege — double DoT, chip damage even between volleys
- Gravity + Melee — pull target in, spear charge next turn
- Void weapons — one-shot exposed structure, but self-risk is real
- Plasma — shuts down energy builds by overloading their reactor
Balance Charts
Every dot is a weapon. Hover for details. Charts show implemented weapons only.
Energy
Ballistic
Missile