Forum:Laser or Plasma?

What do you like better when it comes to energy weapons Laser or Plasma?

For those that dont know Laser weapons do less damage but higher Rate of Fire while Plasma is the exact oppsite it dose higher damage but slower fireing

my favorite is Plasma (though actually im more of a firearms kinda guy)

I dont really use plasma weapons as I give all my MF cells to Boone to use with his Gause Rifle, and I prefer to use my Brush Gun anyway. In terms of laser I do like to use my fully modded Laser Rifle to take out minor enemies, so overall I would say I currently prefer Laser. 81.159.72.123 21:59, January 9, 2011 (UTC)

in general plasma is a better way to go in my opinion, it does do alot more damage and once you get the gauss rifle you can dominate at the long ranges, but if ur willing to dedicate some time to looking for the sarsparilla star caps, the laser pistol you get for completing the quest a valuable lesson(pew pew) is a beast at close range. although it only has two shots. but it knocks down most human enemies in two well placed shot.

TESLA!!!!! .--Nuke-a-Punch 06:32, January 10, 2011 (UTC)

Plasma of coarse. its only drawback for the actual plasma guns is the slow projectile speed.-- 06:37, January 10, 2011 (UTC)

Huh, typical LOL - I disagree. Lasers all the way for me because I'm more focused on accuracy. A fully modded Laser Rifle 'hits' from so far away you don't even need a silencer. If you get mobbed then the Laser RCW tears up most anything. For the more stubborn enemies the YCS/186 or Gauss Rifle is always a good first opener too. However, toward the end of the game I do use the Multiplas Rifle for bowling over those idiot Legionaries at close quarters. As for that Poo Poo (Pew Pew) with it's 15 MFC's per shot I simply can't justify the damage per cell used. Also, the Plasma Pistol is useful when educating Benny. Hmmm - It seems I like both Laser and Plasma but really I find Plasma only useful for 'in your face' combat. P3dantic 11:47, January 10, 2011 (UTC)

excuse me gentlemen, may i say that my favorite type of weapons are the ones that shoot 2mm metalic proyectiles propelled by magnetism? --The dude with an unoriginal user name 02:04, January 11, 2011 (UTC)

I'd have to admitt, all three (laser, plasma, and gauss) of them are pretty good to me. Now, if we were looking at this through an average person who lives in the Wasteland, Plasma and Gauss weapons are probably like gods. Even though lasers are more common in the wasteland, let's not forget that some major factions wanted Plasma technology. ---MerchantofDeath 02:11, January 11, 2011 (UTC)

I have to disagree with people here, those who think laser are weak need to review his thoughs. Sure that plasma is more powerfull per shot, but laser has his uses, pretty much is the weapon for normal kills. Why waste MF cells with Cazadors, Geckos, Fiends, Ghouls except Reavers (unless you cripple his legs), any legionarie or NCR soldier not using high-end armors or Bark Scorpions? The secret to work with laser is aim for the head, with the Laser RCW you kill those Ghouls using Vault 34 Armored suits very easily. Also, there's no better weapon to bring into a casino than Pew Pew. I play in hardcore mode though, so ammo has weigh and the ECP is the most lighter of the energy weapons class. Put Laser Commander into the math and laser becomes a serious contender for critical hits, scoring one after another, unlike plasma. In casual mode I use more plasma to be honest, since I can carry tons of MF cells, with the Q-35 kicking serious butt the whole game. But after picking the Laser Commander I switch to laser again. :D Brfritos 20:25, January 18, 2011 (UTC)

plasma all the way, fully modded laser rifle is nice as a sniper if you don't have a gauss rifle, but really if you can read the distance good enough u wont have probs with plasma slow projectiles, ive sniped heads on guys barely visible using my Q-35 matter modulator, as for plasma not critting idk what people are talking about, every time i fire my plasma defender or my rifle enemys explode in a boom of energy and goo usually wiping out anyone near them, laser has its bonuses but i gotta go with plasma, really if im using energy weps on a char its going to be all energy perks and going to blow enemys to pieces before they can think "what just hit my friend and why is he suddenly glowing?" only lacking thing i have with energy weps is no silencers, rat slayer is nice with no req but not too good on the tough stuff. Sounga 03:49, January 22, 2011 (UTC)

although i do concede that a fully modded laser RCW tears through most lighter armor foes. Sounga 03:50, January 22, 2011 (UTC)
 * Try using a modded Laser Rifle with scope and use Laser Commander or Today's Police Stories, then go after that mercenary with the YCS/186. You can shoot from a long distance and do a crit after crit on him and the mercenaries (add Psycho on the math and the damage goes to the sky). I was in level 15, energy skill on 80, though. I'm not saying that laser owns plasma or plasma is a PoS, I'm constesting the general view that plasma is much better than laser. Laser is much more accurate, if you target 12 shots in the head of a person, 12 shots will hit the head, as opposite of plasma missing some shots, but the ones that hit cause massive damage. Laser is much more accurate and plasma is more powerfull. If you wandered a little in Lorenzo's lab in the BoS bunker, one of the conversations between the scribes there are if they could create a weapon that mix the good parts of both: the accuracy and speed of laser with the damage of plasma. Brfritos 10:15, January 24, 2011 (UTC)

Laser - mainly because it's an awesome sniping weapon you can get at a low level. There are two Laser Rifles in Nipton. If you head straight over to Crimson Caravan, you can do 3-day waits in front of Blake to collect the 3 mods and supplies for the Weapon Repair Kit. Plasma, I have a dislike of Plasma left over from Fallout 3. I thought it made the game too easy. Nch 14:47, January 24, 2011 (UTC)

.50 MG :3 Shinyd00meyes 02:38, February 1, 2011 (UTC)

I seem to be forgoing my FO3 favourite (Plasma Rifle) instead of the Gobi Campaign .308, All American & or Anti Materiel rifles. Gunner Bill 18:21, February 1, 2011 (UTC)

Anti-Material Rifles are clearlly overhyped. Those who doubt this, try the following:
 * Pick the Fast Shot trait
 * Fight for the Legion in the last battle
 * Use This Machine with AP ammo (or All American/Marksman with AP ammo)
 * Watch all the rangers with AMR sometimes being able to fire one shot and at the same time, you being able to empty This Machine on them, reload the gun and continue to fire while they are still tring to fire a second one (if they are still alive, of course).

This weapon is too slooooowwww firing and heavy. Brfritos 08:35, February 6, 2011 (UTC)


 * You're comparing two different types of guns. Doesn't work. The Anti-Materiel Rifle is not meant to be a fast-firing gun. It is a stopping gun. As in whoever you shoot with it will stop breathing. It's meant for killing really big things in as few shots as possible and from a very long distance. — Trust not the Penguin (T | C) 08:59, February 6, 2011 (UTC)

Is the Gauss Rifle plasma or laser? I mean, it fires fast and long distances like laser, and is strong like plasma, and yet it isn't truly specified how it is in fact a energy weapon. Would it be a means of electricity, for in Fallout 3 at least (I haven't found and therefore haven't used a Gauss Rifle in New Vegas yet) it admitted a sort of electrical blast upon impact, so what would it be considered? Sombar1

A Gauss rifle is technically a projectile weapon, firing dense conductive rods electrically down the barrel to very high speeds.

See wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railgun

lol @ Trust not the Penguin (T Agreed, 2 very different kinds of weapon. AA used against close quater massed Fiends (7 shots+ in VATS) and AM sneaked against deathclaws at long range, this is not complicated right? Gunner Bill 19:31, February 6, 2011 (UTC)

no offense but i think theres a def dif between those 2 weapons brfritos, like if you were using an anti material rifle u wouldnt NEED to unload a full clip into them and then reload before they fire a second shot, lol but its all based on the situation your in. Sounga 08:43, February 7, 2011 (UTC)
 * Allright, I see the point of you people, but isn't more easy buying a shitload of 5mm AP ammo, upgrading a Minigun and simply entering Quarry Junction? That's what I usually do, with help of Knock-Knock (or Shishkebab + Pyromaniac perk). Or carrying This Machine with 550 .308 AP rounds? The result is the same. :D Brfritos 17:36, February 7, 2011 (UTC)
 * That depends on your preference. It can be quicker, sure, but if you're not careful you'll get swarmed by angry Deathclaws or your idiot companions will get themselves killed. With an AM rifle, you only need about two or three bullets to a Deathclaw, and never have to get close enough for discomfort. Plus, there are few things as viscerally satisfying as watching a super Deathclaw go down with a single bullet. 76.246.18.28 22:06, February 7, 2011 (UTC)

SergeantDornan: I am a huge fan of energy weapons, and have been since FO1. Nothing is more satisfying then seeing your target turn into an ash or goo pile. It's freaking awesome! What is my prefferance? Usually Plasma, but my favorite weapon is the Gatling Laser, even if it isn't the powerhouse it was in the origional FO games. I preffer plasma, though--but then, I am more of a sniper player, wanting to kill my enemies in as few shots as possible. Plasma can present a problem when facing a lot of enemies at once (or just a few Deathclaws at once, the bastards). That said, usually my enemies don't get close enough to take advantage of the Plasma's slow speed and reload time. So, I preffer Plasma, but LOVE the gatling laser. You have no idea how pleased I was when they changed the GL from a big gun to an energy weapon. Hell, they removed Big Guns altogether, which made me very happy, as I like to use them once in a while.

They're different weapons, meant for different situations. A modded Laser rifle is meant for fast sniping, YCS/186 is meant for really long range sniping, Q35 is meant for mid-range assault, and a Multi-Plas is excellent for close range combat. I think the Gatling Laser and the Plasma Caster are very similair, they both have good fire rates and DPS after modding, and are both accurate, just the GL is more so. Kanonamos 07:18, February 13, 2011 (UTC)

SergeantDornan: The Plasma Caster is literally the only reason I survived my first attempt to summit Black Mountain. It's a wonderfully powerful weapon. That said, it's a BIT slow to reload, and it's plasma, so the fire rate is not near even a basic laser rifle, or even the slower tri-shot laser rifle. I still like the weapon though, it's a powerhouse...and it damn-well better be, as much as it costs to fully repair--that piece of crap you buy from Gloria Van Graff is damn near broken when you get it.


 * Thats why im a Firearms guy, all the high end Energy weapons (tesla cannon,multiplas,gatling laser,etc) are super rare (only found in Hidden Valley and Van Graffs) and in very very bad condition. Xxfallout turkeyxx 20:45, February 16, 2011 (UTC)

I like both laser and plasma. I just recently purchased the Plasma Defender from the Gun Runners, and I've been carrying around a Laser RCW(which I really, really love). I recently found a Multiplas rifle in the sewers under the Vegas strip. I don't use it mainly because getting extras to repair it is going to be hard.--Ryker61