Weapons

Targeting and fire control

Choose the right rack, line up a target, and spend each firing window well.

Practice: Target Range

What you do

Weapons turns a firing opportunity into useful damage. Choose a target, select an installed weapon rack, and use the tactical display to aim. Different racks handle shields, exposed hull, moving targets, groups, and close threats in different ways.

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Targeting and rack controls

1. The tactical display is where you select contacts and place aimed shots.
2. The rack shows installed weapons, loadouts, and ammunition; heat is at the right edge.

How to control it

• Select an enemy on the tactical display, then choose a rack from the weapon list or its number key. Clear the current target when you need a different lock.
• Use the rack’s on-screen controls to charge, fire, or choose a loadout. Pulse, missile, and mine loadouts reuse Q/W/E within their own rack, so first check which rack is selected.
• Aim a missile or mine placement on the tactical display. Mines deploy in a short aft arc and need time to arm.

Default keyboard controls. Bindings can be changed in the game Settings menu.

Action	Default key
Select pulse cannon	1
Select sustained beam	2
Select missile rack	3
Select mine layer	4
Select heavy railgun	5
Select repulsor burst	6
Pulse loadout standard	Q
Pulse loadout hull cracker	W
Pulse loadout rapid	E
Missile loadout standard	Q
Missile loadout tracking	W
Missile loadout heavy	E
Mine loadout breacher	Q
Mine loadout blast field	W
Mine loadout disruptor	E
Clear target	C

Key systems

Weapons have firing arcs, travel time, heat, reloads, and finite ammunition. A selected rack may still be unable to fire because the target is out of arc, the weapon is not ready, or the needed ammo is empty. The rack display and target state are the fastest places to diagnose a missed window.

Upgrades

Pulse Cannon Rack

400 credits

Installs the pulse cannon rack and its charge-and-fire controls.

Use it: Watch heat and firing windows while using the cannon against targets in arc.

Sustained Beam Rack

1,850 credits

Installs a beam rack that maintains pressure while its contact can be sustained.

Use it: Hold the target in the firing arc and watch heat during long contact.

Missile Rack

2,800 credits

Installs guided missile controls and storage; purchasing the rack also unlocks standard missiles.

Use it: Check remaining missiles and the selected loadout before launching.

Mine Layer

3,100 credits

Installs an aft mine launcher; purchasing the rack also unlocks breacher mines.

Use it: Place mines behind the ship to cover a retreat or deny a pursuing lane.

Heavy Railgun

5,600 credits

Installs a heavy precision weapon built for armor-breaking shots.

Use it: Wait for a clean firing line and account for its charge before firing.

Repulsor Burst

2,400 credits

Installs a close-range burst that pushes nearby enemy ships away.

Use it: Trigger it when a hostile closes in; range matters more than a distant lock.

Standard Pulse Loadout

300 credits

Adds the standard pulse ammunition profile for dependable shield and hull damage.

Use it: Use this as the general-purpose pulse loadout.

Requires Pulse Cannon Rack

Hull Cracker Pulse

700 credits

Adds limited pulse ammunition tuned for exposed hulls.

Use it: Switch after shields are down to spend its limited shots where they matter.

Requires Pulse Cannon Rack

Rapid Pulse Loadout

700 credits

Adds a faster-firing pulse profile for close pressure.

Use it: Track heat and ammo consumption during rapid bursts.

Requires Pulse Cannon Rack

Standard Missiles

100 credits

Adds a dependable standard missile profile to the missile rack.

Use it: Choose it when a specialized tracking or heavy missile is unnecessary.

Requires Missile Rack

Tracking Missiles

1,200 credits

Adds missiles that steer toward a locked evasive target.

Use it: Establish a target lock before firing this loadout.

Requires Missile Rack

Heavy Missiles

2,000 credits

Adds limited heavy missiles with a larger, harder-hitting blast.

Use it: Reserve scarce heavy rounds for high-value targets or dense clusters.

Requires Missile Rack

Breacher Mines

100 credits

Adds breacher mines designed to break armor and punish pursuit.

Use it: Lay them in the aft arc where a pursuer is likely to cross.

Requires Mine Layer

Blast Field Mines

1,800 credits

Adds mines with a wider blast area for groups and defensive positions.

Use it: Favor lanes where several threats may pass through one detonation zone.

Requires Mine Layer

Disruptor Mines

900 credits

Adds mines that disrupt enemy control systems when triggered.

Use it: Use them to interrupt a pursuer rather than only seeking direct damage.

Requires Mine Layer

Useful habits

• Ask Flight to hold a firing angle before spending a scarce missile or charging a precise shot.
• Switch from general-purpose pulse fire to hull-focused ammunition after shields are down.
• Watch heat and ammo after each burst; firing faster is not always the best way to keep pressure on a target.

Station challenge: Target Range

The ship advances through fixed lanes while enemy ships cross its path. The targets do not fire back. They start with half of their normal shields and hull, so the range emphasizes target selection, firing timing, and rack handling. The run ends when the ship reaches the top of the course and scores how many enemy ships you destroyed.

Practice goal: acquire crossing targets early, choose a suitable rack, and spend the brief moments when a target is inside the firing arc.