Modular Laser Cutter

**Rental Fee:** | $120,000

The **Modular Laser Cutter** (or simply the **Cutter**) is one of the the player's two basic shipbreaking tools, along with the Handheld Utility Grapple. A laser emitter capable of fitting different head-mounts to modify the beam output, this tool can cut Cut Level 1 materials, such as basic Cut Points, aluminium panels and structural components and glass. Currently two head-mounts are available; the Stinger, firing in a narrow beam, and the Splitsaw, which cuts in a broad line.

## Usage

The Laser Cutter is bound to the `2` key by default. Once equipped, pressing `2` again will allow the player to swap between the Stinger and Splitsaw heads as desired.

### Stinger

The Stinger is intended for precision work, and as such has a small circular reticle when equipped. Press and hold  to cut through the target. With sufficient cutting time, the target will be vapourised. The time taken to vapourise the target is directly proportional to its mass. If the target is too tough to cut, the Stinger beam will reflect off it, but this is a purely visual effect. The Stinger head is useful for dealing with small Cut Points and structurally-integral aluminium panels, such as those around the cockpit of Mackerels, and for working in close proximity to hazardous or delicate equipment which might be damaged by a Splitsaw cut.

Excess heat will build up in the Cutter with the use of the Stinger head, displayed in the bottom-right of the helmet UI as a bar. If the player overheats the Stinger, they will be set on fire and take fire damage. An audible warning can be heard when the cutter is close to overheating. This problem can be mitigated by investing in the Heat Capacity and Overheat Cooldown line of upgrades (if playing in Career mode), and by allowing the Cutter to cool down between uses.

### Splitsaw

Unlike the Stinger, the Splitsaw cuts in a broad line, indicated with its line-and-dots reticle. The Splitsaw will cut through any Level 1 cut point or surface covered by the reticle when the player pulls the trigger by clicking . This means that Nanocarbon will not be cut, as it is typically of Cut Level 2 or 3; the Splitsaw will spark and make no cut. The player can line up their cut by rotating the Splitsaw head with , or by using their Thrusters to rotate themselves for the best angle.

The Splitsaw should be the player's tool of choice when dealing with large cut points, such as those on Javelins, and for cutting through aluminium walls. If multiple Cut Points are in close proximity to each other, such as in the Crawl Spaces of Mackerels, it is possible to cut several of them at once with a single Splitsaw cut, a valuable time-saving technique.

Excess heat will also build up in the Cutter with the use of the Splitsaw head, but in a smaller amount which dissipates quickly. As a result, the Splitsaw does not typically suffer from the same overheating issues which affect the Stinger.

## Damage and Repair

The Modular Laser Cutter has a Durability level, indicated in both the Equipment tab in the Hab and the Helmet's HUD, which will decrease as the tool is used. If the Durability level falls to 75% or lower, the Cutter will become damaged, indicated by visual and audio warnings. A damaged Laser Cutter has reduced maximum heat capacity for the Stinger, meaning it can only be used for shorter periods of time before overheating. This penalty will increase as durability falls further. The Splitsaw is not affected by durability loss in this manner, as its default heat buildup is far lower.

The Laser Cutter can be repaired with a Repair Kit between shifts in the Hab. Using a Repair Kit will immediately restore the tool's durability to 100%. They can be purchased from the Master Jack terminal, found in ships or received as rewards for meeting Salvage Goals. Purchasing Durability Drain upgrades with LYNX Tokens will reduce the rate at which durability is drained, so the player will not have to repair the tool as frequently.

## Upgrades

If playing in Career mode, the player is able to purchase upgrades with LYNX Tokens once the Equipment tab opens up in the Hab, which occurs at Certification Rank 4. The Rank values below specify what Rank the player needs to be to purchase them. All upgrades affect both Cutter modes, unless stated otherwise.

### Stinger Range

These upgrades affect only the Stinger head-mount.

### Splitsaw Range

These upgrades affect only the Splitsaw head-mount.

### Heat Capacity

Heat Capacity = 110
 Heat Capacity II
Heat Capacity = 125
 Heat Capacity III
Heat Capacity = 150

### Overheat Cooldown

Overheat Cooldown = 25 pts/s
 Cooldown II
Overheat Cooldown = 40 pts/s
 Cooldown III
Overheat Cooldown = 60 pts/s

## Trivia

* Purchasing the Modular Laser Cutter is currently the most expensive upgrade in the game.
* In the original Early Access release, the Modular Laser Cutter had a Cut Level upgrade tree, allowing tougher materials to be cut through. However, this often proved detrimental to effective salvaging, and so Demo Charges were introduced to replace this feature.

## Known Issues

* The LYNX Token cost for the Overheat Cooldown III upgrade is unusually low, and may be a bug.
* Modular Laser Cutters purchased prior to Update 0.5.0 currently have their rental fees still incorrectly applied. Laser Cutters purchased after this update are not affected by this issue.

## Gallery

* The Laser Cutter as shown in the Hab equipment menu.