Scatter Laser (XCOM: Enemy Unknown)

Scatter Laser
Specifications
Type	Shotgun
SoldierClass	Assault
Base Damage	5 - 7
Critical Damage	9 - 10
Critical Chance	20%
Effective Range	Medium
Damage to environment	125
Clip Size	4 shots
Cost	§30

The Scatter Laser is a weapon in XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

In-Game Description

“	The Scatter Laser is capable of inflicting considerable damage; however, accuracy suffers greatly as the range to target increases.	”
– Engineering description, XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Availability

The Scatter Laser becomes available for production in Engineering after completing the Precision Lasers research project.

Production Cost:

• §30
• 25 Alloys
• 12 Engineers

Tactical Info

“	▪  An application of laser technology to the shotgun ▪  Most effective at close range due to beam diffusion ▪  Like other shotgun variants, the Scatter Laser has a high base chance to cause critical hits	”
– Tactical Info, XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Notes

• The Scatter Laser's Critical Damage is incorrectly listed as 9-11 in XCOM: Enemy Within.

Trivia

• The "laser shotgun" design appears to be counterintuitive, as, unlike a ballistic weapon, there seems to be little point in splitting laser beams. However, this is hardly a new idea in science fiction - both Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. "Doc" Smith and The Puppet Masters by Robert Anson Heinlein feature "fan beam" mode for rayguns, which spreads several beams across a horizontal plane. It also appears that the energy required to messily tear a human target in two in a millisecond is comparable to the output of a conventional rifle.
• The Scatter Laser appears to work on a pump action, like a regular shotgun. It's possible that what's ejected and replaced are either burnt out heatsinks or spent power cells.
• Like the Laser Pistol, the Scatter Laser does not have an EXALT equivalent.

Gallery