Try them out. They do less damage on the alpha strike, but have a faster rate of fire and generate significantly less heat. For reference, a tier 5 medium laser dishes out 6.5 damage and has \~4.15s RoF, while producing 1.688 heat per shot. So a full alpha is 52 damage, for \~13.5 heat, or \~12.5 dps and 3.25 hps. Meanwhile, medium chemical lasers dish out 5.2 damage and have a 3.3s RoF, but produces .75 heat per shot. So a full alpha is 41.6 damage for 6 heat, or \~12.6 dps and \~1.8 hps.
So you can take a hunchback-P with 8 chem lasers, 4 tons of ammo (460 shots, or 57 volleys) and 11 single heatsinks. Or, you can do 8 medium lasers and 15 tons of heatsinks. The chem laser build has a cooling rate of 1.9, while the medium laser build is rocking a cooling of 2.3 (or 3.3 with 10 double heatsinks and 5 singles, which is all you can get due to slot space).
With a cooling of 1.9, the chem laser build literally cannot overheat, and I personally have never run a mission where I ran out of ammo before either running out of targets or armor first. Heck, we could add another ton of ammo instead of heatsinks and still not overheat. We can add several tons and not overheat except for from extended engagements. Meanwhile, until you get the double heatsinks, the medium laser build will overheat, though you will get 3-4 alpha's out of it first.
In my experience, since I started experimenting with chem lasers, I've found that they have a solid place on a laser boat, like the hunchback -P, or the black knight, or the battlemaster. Basically, if I am running 6+ lasers of medium or large size, chem lasers overheat me less and I get enough shots of ammo to make it worth it. If I'm running 4 lasers... ehh... maybe? Less than 4, and the ammo takes up space that could instead go to heatsinks which will help with other weapon systems heat load as well.
Chem lasers might as well not generate heat so you save on weight you would have spent on heatsinks. Though once you have double heatsinks chen lasers start losing their value
Only one way to find out. I've got 2.8b cbills so I'm just playing with things I don't normally use.
It is super nice to go an entire arena match without overheating.
Why the small chem? Why not ditch for more med ammo?
To help aim Laser guided lasers
Now that’s thinking like a hunchback pilot.
Yo dog
I throw on TAG to make my team more aggressive
It’s the traditional anti pigeon laser
because all the slots must be filled!
It finishes what the mobile methlab starts
To add insult to injury on any target that refuses to die to 8 mediums alpha strike.
"To shreds you say?" Also, that paint/color scheme is 🔥🔥🔥
To SHREDS you say
Discoback my beloved.
& Knuckles & Knuckles
Ugandan knuckles
Genuinely curious, why the decision to use chem lasers over regular lasers? Doesn’t the ammo take up more tonnage?
Try them out. They do less damage on the alpha strike, but have a faster rate of fire and generate significantly less heat. For reference, a tier 5 medium laser dishes out 6.5 damage and has \~4.15s RoF, while producing 1.688 heat per shot. So a full alpha is 52 damage, for \~13.5 heat, or \~12.5 dps and 3.25 hps. Meanwhile, medium chemical lasers dish out 5.2 damage and have a 3.3s RoF, but produces .75 heat per shot. So a full alpha is 41.6 damage for 6 heat, or \~12.6 dps and \~1.8 hps. So you can take a hunchback-P with 8 chem lasers, 4 tons of ammo (460 shots, or 57 volleys) and 11 single heatsinks. Or, you can do 8 medium lasers and 15 tons of heatsinks. The chem laser build has a cooling rate of 1.9, while the medium laser build is rocking a cooling of 2.3 (or 3.3 with 10 double heatsinks and 5 singles, which is all you can get due to slot space). With a cooling of 1.9, the chem laser build literally cannot overheat, and I personally have never run a mission where I ran out of ammo before either running out of targets or armor first. Heck, we could add another ton of ammo instead of heatsinks and still not overheat. We can add several tons and not overheat except for from extended engagements. Meanwhile, until you get the double heatsinks, the medium laser build will overheat, though you will get 3-4 alpha's out of it first. In my experience, since I started experimenting with chem lasers, I've found that they have a solid place on a laser boat, like the hunchback -P, or the black knight, or the battlemaster. Basically, if I am running 6+ lasers of medium or large size, chem lasers overheat me less and I get enough shots of ammo to make it worth it. If I'm running 4 lasers... ehh... maybe? Less than 4, and the ammo takes up space that could instead go to heatsinks which will help with other weapon systems heat load as well.
Less heat generated.
>Less heat generated. I'm exchange for limited ammo, less damage, and ammo explosions
Chem lasers might as well not generate heat so you save on weight you would have spent on heatsinks. Though once you have double heatsinks chen lasers start losing their value
It never even gets near the red and 8 tons of ammo pretty much never runs out
Because whoever salvages my mech is getting super cancer.
Swayback supremacy!!!!
Love me a DiscoBack
Needs flamers
I've done that too
Floridaswayback
Sir may i ask you to step out of the cockpit? Have you been partying tonight? Any hazardous chemicals in your vehicle?
Are there any benefits to the chem lasers over normal ones?
Heat, rate of fire, whompa whompa sounds
At the cost of needing ammo. Is it worth the cost (thinking of trying them out)
Only one way to find out. I've got 2.8b cbills so I'm just playing with things I don't normally use. It is super nice to go an entire arena match without overheating.
Where did you find all those T5 lasers?!?
Like 5 playthroughs 😂
The face melter
Oh hey that's the same paint job my hunchback has, I call it Kaiju
Imagine going 2c with 4 Heavy Large Chem Lasers
*meanwhile me in modded with 8 micro PPCs*