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The Blaster Launcher is a heavy weapon in XCOM: Enemy Unknown and the only available upgrade over the standard Rocket Launcher.

In-Game Description[]

By integrating components of the advanced alien navigation systems, we can fire self-guided rockets capable of navigating to the intended target without direct line-of-sight. Damage output has also been significantly improved through use of the alien fusion core.

– Engineering description, XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Availability[]

The Blaster Launcher becomes available for production in Engineering after completing Guided Fusion Launcher research.

Production Cost:

XCOM: Enemy Unknown, all difficulties: XCOM: Enemy Within, Classic & Impossible difficulties:

Specifications[]

  • Effective Range: Medium
  • Base Damage: 9 (+3 for 12 with Mayhem, since it is Tech Level 3)
  • Critical Chance: N/A
  • Critical Damage: N/A

Tactical Info[]

▪  Upgrade to conventional rockets that permits projectiles to navigate the battlefield
▪  Substantial damage improvement over the conventional rocket launcher
▪  Blaster bombs have a blast radius of 3 tiles
▪  Friendly targets in the blast area are affected
▪  Blaster bombs are useful for destroying cover and forcing enemies to spread out
– Tactical Info, XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Notes[]

  • The Blaster Launcher has a unique targeting capability. It fires spherical green guided bombs. Any point can be targeted within its range (which is the same as the standard Rocket Launcher), but the firer is not required to have line of sight to the target. The bomb trajectory will automatically find a path, arcing over obstacles and curving behind cover, even steering through openings such as doorways and windows. This allows the soldier to hit enemies not in their line of sight, and circumvent obstacles that would have otherwise blocked an ordinary shot.
  • The Blaster Launcher projectile can sometimes get caught on an object during its firing animation and remain frozen in place for several seconds, but will then teleport to where it is supposed to land before detonating.
  • Upon impact and detonation, the projectiles exhibit a substantial damage improvement over the conventional rocket launcher (50% increase compared to the standard rockets' base damage).
  • The explosion sound is extremely loud with a lingering echo, highlighting the fact that it is among the most powerful infantry weapons XCOM has developed, if not outright the most powerful.
  • Danger Zone adds +2 to the blast radius.
  • When combined with HEAT Ammo this weapon can be devastating to even the toughest robotic enemies, dealing a theoretical amount of 18 damage with Mayhem ((9+3) x 150%).
  • A vehicle caught in the blast of a rocket explodes immediately, thus inflicting further damage that will harm/kill anyone using the vehicle for cover.
  • Like the standard Rocket Launcher, it can only be fired by a Heavy who has not moved during their turn and can only be used once per mission, unless the soldier wielding it has the Rocketeer ability, in which case the Blaster Launcher may be fired twice per mission.
  • The projectiles launched by the Shredder Rocket ability are likewise upgraded with this tracking navigational capability, but as with the standard Rocket Launcher, it is counted separately from the standard Fire Rocket ability (effectively allowing a Heavy with the appropriate skills to fire three projectiles per mission).
  • Interestingly, Blaster Launcher projectiles will pass through closed alien energy barrier doors without deactivating them.
  • Unlike the standard Rocket Launcher, the projectile will always hit exactly where it was aimed, despite the game's UI erroneously mentioning that accuracy on Fire Rocket and Shredder Rocket is still 90%.

Gallery[]


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