1. Weapon Categories Overview
Starminer weapons fall into five categories, each with distinct roles. The right weapon for the job depends on your target, your ship's power budget, and heat capacity.
- Kinetic (Railgun): High single-shot damage, shield penetration, slow fire rate — anti-armor, anti-shield sniper
- Energy (Plasma, Beam): Sustained DPS, medium range, moderate heat — general combat workhorse
- Explosive (Missiles, Torpedoes): Tracking, high burst, ammo-limited — anti-fast, anti-capital
- Area (Flak): Wide spread, low per-target damage — swarm and drone clearance
- Defensive (Point-Defense): Automatic, low damage — anti-missile, anti-drone screen
2. Mining Laser (Improvised Weapon) ⛏️
Your mining laser deals damage to enemies at close range. It's not a real weapon — DPS is a third of a plasma cannon — but in an emergency, it's better than nothing. Against a single Drone, a sustained mining laser can kill in ~8 seconds. Against anything larger, boost away.
⚠️ Don't Rely on It
The mining laser overheats fast and does pitiful damage to shields. It's a last resort, not a strategy. Every ship should carry at least one real weapon.
3. Plasma Cannon — The Workhorse 🔥
Role: General-purpose DPS. Good against everything, great against nothing. The plasma cannon is the most common weapon in Starminer for a reason — it's reliable, has no ammo cost, and solid damage at medium range.
| Stat | Mk I | Mk II | Mk III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damage/sec | 50 | 75 | 110 |
| Range | 800m | 900m | 1,000m |
| Heat/sec | 15 | 22 | 30 |
| Power Draw | 40 MW | 60 MW | 85 MW |
| vs Shield | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| vs Hull | 120% | 120% | 120% |
| Research Cost | Default | 1,500 RP | 3,500 RP |
Best Against: Corvettes, Frigates (sustained fire). Decent against Drones if your aim is good. Weak Against: Carriers (shields too strong), Scouts (too fast).
4. Railgun — Shield Breaker & Sniper 🎯
Role: Long-range precision. Railguns fire a single high-velocity slug that penetrates shields and deals massive hull damage. Slow fire rate but each shot counts.
| Stat | Mk I | Mk II | Mk III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damage/shot | 300 | 500 | 800 |
| Fire Rate | 1 per 3s | 1 per 2.5s | 1 per 2s |
| Effective DPS | 100 | 200 | 400 |
| Range | 2,000m | 2,500m | 3,000m |
| Heat/shot | 40 | 55 | 70 |
| Shield Penetration | 50% | 65% | 80% |
| Research Cost | 2,000 RP | 4,000 RP | 7,000 RP |
Best Against: Frigates (bypass shields), Carriers (snipe from safe range), Scouts (one-shot kill). Weak Against: Drones (too small, overkill, hard to hit).
5. Missile Systems — Tracking & Burst 🚀
Role: Heat-seeking tracking makes missiles the best anti-fast-target weapon. Limited ammo (carried in cargo) means you can't spam them. Two variants:
Heat-Seeking Missile (HSM)
| Stat | HSM Mk I | HSM Mk II |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 400 | 650 |
| Tracking | Strong | Very Strong |
| Range | 3,000m | 4,000m |
| Ammo per Slot | 8 | 6 |
| Research Cost | 1,000 RP | 3,000 RP |
Torpedo (Heavy Anti-Capital)
| Stat | Torpedo Mk I | Torpedo Mk II |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 2,000 | 3,500 |
| Tracking | Weak | Moderate |
| Range | 2,000m | 2,500m |
| Ammo per Slot | 2 | 2 |
| Research Cost | 4,000 RP | 8,000 RP |
Missiles best against: Scouts, Drones, fast Corvettes. Torpedoes best against: Frigates, Carriers, Stations.
6. Beam Laser — Precision Hitscan ⚡
Role: Instant-hit energy weapon. Zero travel time — what you aim at, you hit. Lower DPS than plasma but impossible to dodge. Excellent for sniping subsystems (weapon hardpoints, shield generators) on larger enemies.
| Stat | Mk I | Mk II |
|---|---|---|
| Damage/sec | 35 | 55 |
| Range | 1,200m | 1,500m |
| Heat/sec | 20 | 28 |
| vs Subsystems | 150% | 150% |
| Research Cost | 2,500 RP | 5,000 RP |
Best Against: Drones (hitscan counters their speed), subsystem targeting. Weak Against: Heavy shields, Frigates (DPS too low).
7. Flak Cannon — Swarm Clearer 💥
Role: Area-of-effect explosive shells. Each shot detonates in a 100m radius, dealing equal damage to everything inside. Low per-target damage but hits every target in the blast zone.
| Stat | Mk I | Mk II |
|---|---|---|
| Damage/shot (per target) | 80 | 130 |
| Blast Radius | 100m | 130m |
| Fire Rate | 1/sec | 1.2/sec |
| Range | 600m | 700m |
| Research Cost | 1,800 RP | 3,800 RP |
Best Against: Swarms (one-shots entire sections), Drone clusters. Weak Against: Single large targets (terrible DPS per-target), Frigates, Carriers.
8. Point-Defense Turret 🛡️
Role: Fully automatic defensive turret. Fires at incoming missiles, torpedoes, and nearby drones without player input. Low damage, high fire rate, 360° coverage.
| Stat | PD Mk I | PD Mk II |
|---|---|---|
| Damage/sec | 20 | 35 |
| Range | 500m | 700m |
| Tracking Speed | Fast | Very Fast |
| Power Draw | 15 MW | 22 MW |
| Research Cost | 1,200 RP | 3,000 RP |
💡 Always Have One
Every combat ship and every mining ship operating in hostile territory should carry at least one PD turret. It's the only defense against incoming missiles you didn't see coming.
9. Recommended Loadouts by Ship Role
| Ship Role | Weapons | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| 🛡️ Mining Defense | 1× PD Turret + 1× Plasma Cannon Mk I | Cheap, low power. PD handles drones while plasma scares off lone Corvettes. Don't fight — just survive long enough to boost away. |
| ⚔️ Light Fighter | 2× Plasma Cannon + 1× PD Turret | Agile dogfighter. Close range, sustained DPS. Dodge tanking compensates for low shields. |
| 🎯 Sniper/Support | 1× Railgun Mk II + 1× Beam Laser + 1× PD Turret | Stays at 2+ km range. Railgun cracks shields, beam snipes subsystems. Never get close. |
| 💪 Heavy Brawler | 2× Plasma Cannon Mk II + 1× Missile Pod + 1× PD Turret | Face-tanks with heavy shields while dealing sustained plasma damage. Missiles for fast targets. |
| 💀 Capital Hunter | 2× Torpedo + 1× Railgun + 1× PD Turret | Built to kill Frigates and Carriers. Torpedoes do the heavy lifting, railgun finishes. Bring capacitor banks. |
| 🏭 Miner (Safe Zone) | 1× PD Turret | Minimum defense in safe space. Enough to stop the occasional stray drone. Save power and mass for mining gear. |
10. Full Weapon Comparison Table
| Weapon | Best DPS | Range | Ammo? | Heat | Best Target | RP Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plasma Cannon Mk III | 110 | 1,000m | No | Med | Corvette, Frigate | 3,500 |
| Railgun Mk III | 400* | 3,000m | No | High | Frigate, Carrier | 7,000 |
| HSM Mk II | 650 | 4,000m | Yes | Low | Scout, Drone | 3,000 |
| Torpedo Mk II | 3,500 | 2,500m | Yes | Low | Frigate, Carrier | 8,000 |
| Beam Laser Mk II | 55 | 1,500m | No | Med | Drone, Subsystem | 5,000 |
| Flak Cannon Mk II | 130** | 700m | No | Low | Swarms, Drones | 3,800 |
| PD Turret Mk II | 35 | 700m | No | Very Low | Missiles, Drones | 3,000 |
* Effective DPS including fire rate. ** Per target in blast radius — total damage scales with enemy count in AoE.
See also: Enemy Types Guide · Combat & Defense · Combat Ship Blueprints