Firebeam

### Pros

Very effective at destroying low-hp weapons and devices. Can easily pierce even multiple layers of armor and damage objects behind it. Multiple Firebeams can destroy full health heavy weapons. Can weaken wooden structure for Plasma Laser, tremendously boosting its piercing ability.

### Cons

Deals low direct damage against fort structure. Completely reflected by energy shields. Unless used in groups of more than 1, largely ineffective against heavy weapons. Gives off a cloud of visible steam while reloading.

The Firebeam is a laser-type heavy weapon, unlocked by the Factory. It fires a long-lasting, perfectly accurate laser that phases through wood and armor, and sets everything along its path on fire.

## Overview

The Firebeam's primary purpose is harassment and removal of enemy weapons. While the beam fired by the weapon deals significantly lower direct damage than the Plasma Laser, its strength lies in its alarming piercing capability. The beam damages and ignites everything within a distance of 160 units, or 90 units when penetrating doors or armor. This makes it capable of punching through infinite layers of armor and dense woodspam within that distance while damaging weapons and devices behind it. The beam will set the structure it hits on fire. Quite often, if the direct blast won't destroy the targeted weapon, the lingering fire will finish it off.

It is extremely effective at killing low-HP weapons, such as Mortars or the Flak. Multiple Firebeams shot in tandem are even capable of easily destroying heavy weapons (like the Cannon), often forcing the opponent to defend their weapons with Energy Shields, spaced Doors or Armor, or sandbags.

The weapon synergizes well with the Plasma Laser. If the Firebeam is fired at the enemy fort before hitting the same weakened spot with the Plasma Laser, it will dramatically increase the penetrative power of the latter. If successfully executed and targeted at a vulnerable spot, this popular move is easily capable of collapsing a fort in a single salvo.

## Costs

Firebeam is the cheapest heavy weapon in the game to build, costing just 400 metal and 3000 energy to build. Like other laser weapons, it requires no metal to fire. At 2000 energy, it is one of the two cheapest heavy weapons to fire (the other one being 20mm Cannon). Like other laser weapons, it can still be fired without the required 2000 energy, but the beam will cut off the moment energy reserve hits 0.

## Weaknesses

The main weakness of the Firebeam is its fragility, having the least amount of hitpoints out of all heavy weapons. At 180 hitpoints, theoretically it should be able to survive 1 sniper shot without being destroyed. In reality, most of the time the Firebeam is likely to be hit by a sniper *while firing*. If the sniper bullet touches the beam mid-fire, the impact is going to set the Firebeam ablaze. Combined damage from a direct sniper hit and the lingering flames are guaranteed to finish the weapon off before it can be extinguished in time. This vulnerability is aggravated by the weapon's long volley, exposing the weapon for an extended period of time, much like with the 20mm Cannon and the Magnabeam.

One of the less obvious disadvantages of the Firebeam is its reload animation. It includes the weapon emitting a puff of steam (showing the weapon cooling off after the discharge) continuously throughout the reload process. This effect is highly visible even with the weapon well concealed behind foreground bracing, and it easily gives away the exact position of the weapon, making it even more vulnerable to sniping, especially since it also informs the opponent when the weapon has finished reloading.

Upon being destroyed, the Firebeam causes an explosion which will set the structure on fire in a large radius.

Just like the Plasma Laser, the Firebeam will bounce off the Energy Shields, and may even potentially hit the attacker or an ally.

The weapon is especially ineffective when fired at Sandbags, which will completely absorb the beam with little to no damage.