As an engineer, Isaac Clarke is familiar with a wide range of tools and equipment. However, these same tools can serve as weapons in the fight against the Necromorph hordes.
At workbenches, Isaac can use his skills to take parts and resources and use them to craft weapons. When crafting a weapon, you begin with a frame.
There are different sizes of frames and some frames can hold more tools and circuits than others. You then add one or two tools to the frame—an upper tool and often a lower tool. Tools are the weapons. For each weapon, you can select a tip.
Tips can change the way the weapon functions. Next, you can select an upper and a side attachment. Attachments can affect the projectiles of the weapon or add other effects. Finally, as you find circuits, you can insert them into the weapon to modify damage, reloading time, clip size, and rate of fire.
If you are proud of your weapon and want to keep the idea, make a blueprint of the weapon. Let’s take a look at the various parts you can use to craft your own weapons.
You can also upgrade existing weapons—even blueprint weapons, to make them better or to fit your style of play.
Isaac’s Log
I really enjoyed experimenting with weapons. Since there were workbenches in many places, if I did not like my current weapons,I could easily modify or switch them out.
As I advanced across Tau Volantis, I kept my eyes open for weapon parts so I could craft new and more powerful weapons. I also found that different people favor different weapons.
The weapons that I thought awesome did not always impress John Carver. Of course, as an engineer, I preferred weapons made of tools while Carver usually went for military-type weapons.
Frames
All weapons start with a frame. When selecting a frame, you want to pick one that will provide the slots you need.
| Name | Description | # of Tool Slots | # of Circuit Slots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact Standard Frame | A standard compact frame for one-handed weapons | 2 | 4 |
| Heavy Standard Frame | A standard heavy frame for two-handed weapons | 2 | 4 |
| Compact Elite Frame | An elite compact frame for one-handed weapons | 2 | 8 |
| Compact EarthGov Frame | A compact frame with built-in upgrades | 2 | 2 |
| Heavy S.C.A.F. Frame | A heavy frame with built-in upgrades | 2 | 2 |
Tools
Tools are the meat of the weapon—the part that causes damage. After you have a frame, you can attach one or two tools, depending on the number of tool slots. Most tools can be placed in either the upper or lower tool slots.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Military Engine | A military weapon used by S.C.A.F. forces |
| Plasma Core | A cutting tool that fires ionized plasma fuel |
| Pneumatic Torch | An incendiary device fueled by compressed gas |
| Rip Core | A short-range suspended saw blade tool |
| Survey Charge | A seismic tool that fires explosive canisters |
| Telemetry Spike | A mining tool that fires tempered alloy bolts |
| Tesla Core | An engine for high-current electric welding |
| Hydraulic Engine | A cutting tool resembling a bayonet, used for clearing large areas |
The type of weapon created using a tool can depend on the frame. For example, a compact frame with a pneumatic torch makes a blow torch, but if you use a heavy frame, it becomes a flamethrower.
Modules
Modules are tools that can be placed in the lower tool slot. However, they are not weapons in themselves. Instead, they modify the weapon in the upper slot.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Electrocution Module | Electrocutes the last shot fired |
| Explosion Module | Causes the last shot fired to explode |
| Rotator Cuff Module | Allows primary tool to rotate 90 degrees |
| Canister Recovery Module | Allows recovery of last deployed canister |
Tips
Every weapon has a default tip. However, by adding a different tip, you can change the way the weapon operates or the type of projectile.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Directed Ejection Field | Fires effect or projectile in short, forceful impulses |
| Directed Suspension Field | Enables kinetic suspension of effect or projectile |
| Repeater | Applies automatic fire to effect or projectile, for increased rate of fire |
| Compressor | Compresses effect or projectile into a more compact, intense form |
| Conic Dispersal | Disperses effect or projectile into a short-range, spread pattern |
| Diffraction Torus | Allows effect or projectile to spread around the point of impact |
| Precision Adaptor | Focuses effect or projectile for increased accuracy and lethality |
| Rail Accelerator | Accelerates effect or projectile at high speed with penetrating force |
Attachments
Attachments are just that—attachments that you can add to your weapon. Some can be placed only on top of the weapon, such as scopes, while others must be on the side of the weapon.
Most attachments can be placed in either location. Attachments can modify projectiles, add abilities to the weapon, or can have an effect on the user or their co-op partner.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Stasis Amplifier | Stasis shots have larger radius |
| Ammo Box | Automatically reloads after last shot |
| Ammo Sweeper | Automatically picks up nearby ammo |
| Explosion Amplifier | Increases the radius of explosions |
| Ammo Support | Increases ammo efficiency for self and partner |
| Damage Support | Increases partner’s damage with all weapons |
| Medic Support | Health packs consumed by user also heal partner |
| Stasis Support | Stasis packs consumed by user also recharge partner |
| Safety Guard | Prevents user from taking damage from his own weapons |
| Scope | Military scope for long-range aiming (top only) |
| Full Zoom Scope | Prototype military scope for advanced long-range aiming (top only) |
| Electric Charge | Electrifies projectiles to cause small amounts of voltaic damage (side only) |
| Acid Bath | Coats projectiles in acid that does damage over time (side only) |
| Stasis Coating | Coats projectiles with a very small amount of stasis (side only) |
| Flame Glaze | Adds fire to projectiles (side only) |
Crafting Guide
Here is a table that shows how the combinations of frame, tool, and tip can create different types of weapons. Think of it as a cookbook for crafting.
| Weapon | Frame | Tool | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submachine Gun | Compact | Military Engine | Default |
| Revolver | Compact | Military Engine | Compact Directed Ejection Field |
| Plasma Cutter | Compact | Plasma Core | Default |
| Plasma Disperser | Compact | Plasma Core | Compact Conic Dispersal |
| Plasma Repeater | Compact | Plasma Core | Compact Directed Ejection Field |
| Blowtorch | Compact | Pneumatic Torch | Default |
| Compact Suspended Ripper | Compact | Rip Core | Default |
| Ripper | Compact | Rip Core | Compact Directed Ejection Field |
| Rivet Gun | Compact | Telemetry Spike | Default |
| Arc Welder | Compact | Tesla Core | Default |
| Carbine | Heavy | Military Engine | Default |
| Pulse Rifle | Heavy | Military Engine | Repeater |
| Seeker Rifle | Heavy | Military Engine | Precision Tip |
| Shotgun | Heavy | Military Engine | Conic Dispersal |
| Assault Rifle | Heavy | Military Engine | Compressor |
| Galvanizer | Heavy | Military Engine | Directed Suspension Field |
| Force Gun | Heavy | Plasma Core | Default |
| Kinetic Projector | Heavy | Plasma Core | Compressor |
| Contact Beam | Heavy | Plasma Core | Precision Tip |
| Flamethrower | Heavy | Pneumatic Torch | Default |
| Magnesium Afterburner | Heavy | Pneumatic Torch | Compressor |
| Cryogenic Torch | Heavy | Pneumatic Torch | Precision Tip |
| Heavy Suspended Ripper | Heavy | Rip Core | Default |
| Heavy Ripper | Heavy | Rip Core | Directed Ejection Field |
| Grenade Launcher | Heavy | Survey Charge | Default |
| Detonator Mine | Heavy | Survey Charge | Directed Ejection Field |
| Line Gun Mine | Heavy | Survey Charge | Compressor |
| Knockback Detonator | Heavy | Survey Charge | Rail Accelerator |
| Incendiary Grenade | Heavy | Survey Charge | Diffraction Torus |
| Rocket Launcher | Heavy | Survey Charge | Directed Suspension Field |
| Javelin Gun | Heavy | Telemetry Spike | Default |
| Javelin Repeater | Heavy | Telemetry Spike | Repeater |
| Rivet Shotgun | Heavy | Telemetry Spike | Conic Dispersal |
| Chain Gun | Heavy | Telemetry Spike | Diffraction Torus |
| Line Gun | Heavy | Tesla Core | Default |
| Tesla Beam | Heavy | Tesla Core | Precision Tip |
| Bouncing Bolas | Heavy | Tesla Core | Compressor |
| Anchored Bolas | Heavy | Tesla Core | Directed Suspension Field |
| Bolas Cutter | Heavy | Tesla Core | Repeater |
| Chain Lightning Gun | Heavy | Tesla Core | Diffraction Torus |
| Hydraulic Eviscerator | Heavy/Lower Slot | Hydraulic Engine | Default |
| Hydraulic Hammer | Heavy/Lower Slot | Hydraulic Engine | Conic Dispersal |
| Ground Diffractor | Heavy/Lower Slot | Plasma Core | Diffraction Torus |
| Hydraulic Knife | Compact/Lower Slot | Hydraulic Engine | Default |
Strapped
Craft a weapon to earn this award.
Circuit’s Edge
Earn this award when you add a circuit to a weapon.
Initial Weapons
Submachine Gun
This weapon is given to Isaac by Carver when they first meet. It is also the weapon that the soldier in the Prologue uses.
It is a small, rapid-fire weapon. While each round does not inflict much damage, the high rate of fire makes up for this. While it is effective against soldiers, it takes a lot of ammo to kill a Necromorph with one of these.
Isaac’s Log
While I had a submachine gun while on the Lunar Colony, as soon as I got to the Roanoke, I upgraded it.
I still kept the submachine gun weapon tool, but placed it in the second weapon slot under my line gun. This gave me some extra firepower for Necromorphs that got in close or for when my line gun clip was empty and I did not have time to reload.
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Published: Feb 5, 2013 10:00 am