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There aren’t many terrible ranged weapons in Starbound. That’s not to say that all ranged weapons are created equal because they are most definitely not. This list will identify the ten best-ranged weapons in the game. Weapons that are primarily melee weapons with a ranged secondary attack will also be included in the mix; however content from mods will not be included.
10 Tesla’s Wrath (Two-Handed)
Tesla’s Wrath behaves like a sniper rifle, but instead of conventional bullets, it projects beams of energy. This weapon causes a lot of damage per shot, and can be fired about once per second - or around 4 shots every three seconds. This can be upgraded to tier 6 at a weapon upgrade anvil; which increases its damage per shot.
This has the Marked Shot special that allows the player to target multiple opponents and hit them all with one shot as long as one marked enemy is hit. Tesla’s Wrath’s projectiles also have a high knockback rating. Lastly, enemies hit are electrified, causing enemies close to the victim to take damage over time.
9 Grenade Launcher (One-Handed)
The grenade launchers in Starbound are incredibly powerful weapons. Okay, they’re powerful in most games, but even more so in Starbound. Grenades are launched across the screen with an arc to their trajectory. If they hit an opponent they explode. If they don’t hit an opponent, they bounce around the screen until they do. The explosion can knock back even large opponents.
Players should get proximity grenades for their favored grenade launcher as soon as possible. This causes the grenades to explode if they get close to the target, and if the shot somehow misses the grenade will land and act as an explosive trap.
8 Dragonhead Pistol (One-Handed)
This rapid-firing semi-automatic pistol can deliver a lot of damage quickly at very little energy per shot. It also looks really cool and has a charged shot. If the trigger button is held down for longer than one second the pistol will charge; which is shown onscreen by the dragon’s head pistol opening its mouth. The charged shot does six times the damage of the normal shot.
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This can be dropped (10% chance) as treasure when defeating the Bone Dragon boss. Since the Dragonhead Pistol is one-handed, it can be dual-wielded if the player does the necessary grinding to get two. Dual-wielded Dragonhead Pistols is a fun and effective weapon loadout.
7 Lazercaster (Two-Handed)
This unique tier 7 weapon is part of the Bounty Hunter progression and can be purchased at the Peacekeeper Store. Keep in mind this becomes available at Rank 3 and costs 15 Peace Credits. This devastating long-range weapon is worth the effort though.
The Lazercaster emits a continuous beam of energy that pierces enemies. If the player can get a group of enemies lined up the beam will cut through them all in a second or two. This effect, and its damage per second, makes the Lazercaster suitable for a ranged player’s main weapon. This weapon is enough of a reason to become a bounty hunter.
6 Alien Worm Gun (Two-Handed)
This is one of two living weapons in the game and is easily one of the best ranged weapons in the game. The Alien Worm Gun sends out long alien worms that damage targets. These extend out 20 tiles in length and can hit multiple times before retracting into the gun. The gun can send out multiple worms (more like tentacles) and as the old one retracts new worms are extended outward.
This is one of the most efficient weapons in terms of energy usage. In fact, since each worm stays out and hits multiple times for eight energy this weapon can be fired indefinitely. The Alien Worm Gun has a secondary firing mode that sends out 20 worms in all directions; this is great if the player gets surrounded.
5 Magnorbs (Two-Handed)
This weapon is comprised of three metal balls that move in a circle (vertically) around the hand with the Magnorbs Bracer equipped. These three balls can be projected across the screen at high velocity. When hitting the target or a solid surface the balls will bounce, with very little lost momentum per bounce.
The special ability allows the player to put up a strong protective barrier that covers the front-facing area of the character. This barrier is the strongest in the game but doesn’t last long. The barrier can only be created if all three balls are circling the bracer. This weapon essentially turns the character into Magneto.
4 Plasma Assault Rifle
The Plasma Assault Rifle has two firing modes; however, unlike a lot of weapons in the game, the standard and secondary firing modes are equally good. The standard shot produces a small diamond-shaped projectile that leaves a small tracer behind it as it flies through the air. These projectiles ignore gravity, cause serious damage to the target, and bounce off solid surfaces.
The secondary firing mode acts much like a grenade launcher with sticky grenades. The difference is that the Plasma Assault Rifle shoots three sticky bombs per shot. A solid strategy is to send out a few waves of sticky bombs in the space between the enemy and the player-character, then switch to the standard shot as the enemy starts taking damage from the explosions. This weapon has a beneficial side effect of illuminating dark areas.
3 Firestorm’s Fury (Two-Handed)
This is the only weapon on this list that is primarily a melee weapon. Firestorm’s Fury is a sword - a really good sword. The sword has a secondary fire mode that turns the sword into a flamethrower. The flames are sent out in a long-range jet that can be fired continuously, or at least until the player runs out of energy.
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The damage per second is quite high, and enemies hit are inflicted with the burning status ailment. This causes victims to take fire damage over time. The player can hit a group of enemies with the flamethrower for a few seconds, then rush forward and swing Firestorm’s Fury at any enemies left standing. This tactic makes standard enemy encounters almost too easy.
2 Evil Eye (Two-Handed)
The Evil Eye is an often overlooked weapon but is easily one of the best ranged weapons in Starbound. The standard shot fires eyeballs at the target. The rate of fire for the standard shot is quite fast, and the icing on the cake is that the eyeballs bounce off enemies and surfaces; so each eyeball can damage an enemy several times.
The secondary attack of Evil Eye is extremely powerful. The player needs to target an opponent, but after that, the target is hit every second as long as they are within line of sight of the player. The damage is automatic, increases over time, and can hit multiple enemies.
1 Doomcannon (Two-Handed)
This Doom-inspired firearm is arguably the best ranged weapon in Starbound. The Doomcannon’s standard shot sends out several projectiles in a spray like a shotgun. This does decent damage, and the spread of the projectiles makes missing a lot less likely.
The secondary firing mode fires a grenade-like projectile that explodes when striking an enemy or solid surface. Enemies caught in the blast are afflicted with the Doomed status ailment. The Doomed status ailment causes enemies to explode if they take more than ten points of damage. This explosion ignores armor. Enemies hit by the standard shot are also inflicted with the Doomed status.
Starbound is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PlayStation Vita.
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