Block Weapons

You build weapon blocks on your stations, rovers, mechs, and ships to provide grids with defensive and offensive capabilities. They are the stations' and ships' equivalents of handheld Character Weapons.

Available Weapon Blocks

Grid size	Block Name	Type (AI range)	Block Volume	Ammo	Damage Ship/Character/HS	Fire Rate	Reload	Ammo Range	Spread
Small	Gatling Gun	Static	0.5m³	Gatling Ammo Box	90 / 33 / 120 (impact)	600 RPM	-	800m (rng)	0.15°
Small	Gatling Turret	Turret (600m)	15.6m³	Gatling Ammo Box	90 / 33 / 120 (impact)	600 RPM	6 sec	800m (rng)	0.3°
Large	Gatling Turret	Turret (800m)	422m³	Gatling Ammo Box	90 / 33 / 120 (impact)	600 RPM	4 sec	800m (rng)	0.3°
Large	Interior Turret	Turret (600m)	15.6m³	MR-50A Magazine (manual)	30 / 20 / 60 (impact)	600 RPM	-	600m (rng)	0.1°
Small	Autocannon	Static	0.5m³	Autocannon Magazine	500 / 85 / 120 (impact)	150 RPM	-	800m (rng)	0.15°
Small	Autocannon Turret	Turret (600m)	12.5m³	Autocannon Magazine	500 / 85 / 120 (impact)	150 RPM	4 sec	800m (rng)	0.25°
Small	Rocket Launcher	Static	0.5m³	Rocket (manual)	500 (explosive)	60 RPM	-	800m	0.1°
Large	Rocket Launcher	Static	31m³	Rocket	500 (explosive)	120 RPM	4 sec	800m	0.1°
Small	Reloadable Rocket Launcher	Static	1.1m³	Rocket	500 (explosive)	60 RPM	-	800m	0.1°
Small	Rocket Turret	Turret (600m)	15.6m³	Rocket	500 (explosive)	90 RPM	6 sec	800m	0.5°
Large	Rocket Turret	Turret (800m)	422m³	Rocket	500 (explosive)	90 RPM	4 sec	800m	0.5°
Small	Assault Cannon	Static	1.1m³	Assault Cannon Shell	4000 (penetration or ricochet)	10 RPM	6 sec	1400m	0.2°
Small	Assault Cannon Turret	Turret (600m)	30.1m³	Assault Cannon Shell	4000 (penetration or ricochet)	10 RPM	6 sec	1400m	0.5°
Large	Assault Cannon Turret	Turret (800m)	281m³	Assault Cannon Shell	4000 (penetration or ricochet)	20 RPM	6 sec	1400m	0.35°
Large	Artillery	Static	62.5m³	Artillery Shell	17000 (penetration or ricochet)	5 RPM	12 sec	2000m	0.15°
Large	Artillery Turret	Turret (800m)	422m³	Artillery Shell	17000 (penetration or ricochet)	10 RPM	12 sec	2000m	0.3°
Small	Railgun	Static	2m³	Small Railgun Sabot	8000 (penetration)	3 RPM	20 sec (variable)	1400m	0.0°
Large	Railgun	Static	250m³	Large Railgun Sabot	50000 (penetration)	1 RPM	60 sec (variable)	2000m	0.0°

• (manual) = Requires players to manually place the ammo in this block's inventory, cannot use conveyors.
• (rng) = Range randomized between 75% and 100% of the printed value on every shot.
• (variable) = Railgun reload time is limited by the charge time, the given value is the optimal charge time but it varies greatly (+/- 10s) even at full power draw.

More details can be found on each weapon's page.

The weapon stats calculated in realtime (includes mods) can be seen with the BuildInfo mod.

Gallery

• 

  All Small Grid Weapons 2022
• 

  All Large Grid Weapons 2022
• 

  Tanks using an Assault Cannon on a custom turret
• 

  Station defense using multiple Assault Cannons on one custom turret

Usage

What's the difference between turret or static?

Each weapon block type is either a turret or static. All weapons can be aimed manually or AI controlled.

• Automatic turrets can turn and primarily use AI to shoot at chosen targets. Secondarily, players can take manual aim control of them.
• Static Block Weapons are fixed and turn with the ship or drone they are on. Secondarily, you can build Custom Turrets out of static weapons and aim them manually or use AI.

How to configure manual shooting

When configuring Block Weapons in the G-menu toolbar of your cockpit, it makes a difference whether you use the entry from the Block Weapons filter or from the All Blocks filter!

Different ways how to configure weapons

Filter	Selected Action	How to shoot
Block Weapons	Drag the weapon to a toolbar slot. (Default)	Activate the toolbar slot to assign this weapon to your mouse clicks. -click to cycle between single-gun and all-gun modes within the same type. Double--click to switch to the next loaded weapon of the same type. -click to shoot the current weapon type.
All Blocks or Groups	Select the block's Shoot Once or the Shoot On/Off action.	Press the slot number to shoot once or to shoot continuously.
All Blocks	Select a turret's Control action.	To take manual control of a turret, press the toolbar slot number where you assigned the turret's Control action. You "see" through the turret's eyes and shoot with -click. Press F key to exit Turret Control.

You will also be interested in Target Locking.

How to configure automatic shooting (AI)

If an automatic turret wastes ammo because it's shooting at wreck debris, you'll want to be able to quickly disable its auto-targetting. When configuring the toolbar, also assign slots to the following auto-targetting controls so you can change them smartly on the fly.

Relevant AI controls include:

1. Set an AI Aiming Radius in metres. Set your primary point defences to maximum-range, and hide secondary turrets with different angles and a lower aiming radius to ambush boarders.
2. Choose one or several automatic targets from this list:
   • meteors, rockets, characters, stations,
   • large ships, small ships,
   • neutrals, friends, enemies
3. Select one of the following automatic Subsystem Target Options:
   • Default -- Makes the AI destroy the first visible subsystem block (power, weapons, or propulsion).
   • Weapons -- Makes the AI focus on destroying static Weapons, Turrets, Warheads, first. Good to detooth armed ships and stations.
   • Propulsion -- Makes the AI focus on destroying Thrusters, Gyroscopes, and Jump Drives first. Good against PBW or fleeing vessels. Disabled mobile targets may drift off or crash. Useless against stations.
   • Power Systems -- Makes the AI focus on destroying Batteries, Solar Panels, Wind Turbines, H2 Engines, and Reactors first. Good to shut down stations and ships, but only useful if their power subsystems are exposed. Disabled mobile targets may drift off or crash.

Turrets additionally benefit from manual Target Locking. Many of these settings are shared with Custom Turret Controllers and combat Automatons.

Regarding the targetting priority of automated turrets, you should also know about Decoys.

Turrets display conspicuous seeking behavior when idle, which can alert intruders to their presence, but you can configure them to remain still. On servers, they do not move when idle.

How to aim automatic turrets manually

The  Control Station is disabled by a railgun hit? Assume manual turret control from any seat (!) by opening the turret's Control Panel and clicking the Control button:

1. See through the "eyes" of the turret and use the mouse scroll wheel to aim down sights (zoom in).
2. Aim and shoot using .
3. If in a cockpit, continue to drive/fly using the WASD keys.
4. Press F key to release turret control.

Put Subsystem Target Options switching actions on your toolbar to react tactically. The best choice depends on the location of the battle and whether your priority is to detooth or to capture a vessel. For example:

• Targetting enemy propulsion above your planetary base comes with the risk of the ships crashing down on you, but may be the safest option in zero gravity to make missiles or cargo ships drift off course.
• Accidentally targeting propulsion against a base, or targeting weapons against a kinetic missile, may cost you your victory, so be prepared to switch.

How to optimise reload time

If you are using multiple weapons with very slow reload times, don't group them to shoot at the same time!

Switch from one to the other, and shoot one while the other reloads.

How to distinguish friend from foe?

You can use the Factions screen to declare war or peace, but what about neutrals or grids that are not broadcasting?

Unload the ammo from one unconveyored turret and set the turret to aim at "neutrals" and "allies". The turret now silently indicates other players' presence on your faction's HUD with a white signal, without shooting.

Weapon Damage

For a detailed damage comparisons, see alsoDamage Mechanics.

• Weapons with the lowest damage are the compact and lightweight gatlings and interior turrets.
• The medium sized Rocket Launchers, Rocket Turrets, and Autocannons do medium damage.
• In the top damage ranges, we see heavy and unwieldy weapons, such as Assault Cannons, with the slow Artilleries and Railguns taking the top ranks.

Tip: Choose high damage when you have time and opportunity to aim (possibly even manually), for example, because the enemy ships are large or slow.

Weapon Damage Per Second (dps)

If you consider reload time, you are looking at damage per second (dps).

• Interior turrets, Rocket Turrets, and small Railguns rank lowest.
• Small Assault Cannons, Rocket Launchers, and Gatling Turrets are in the middle dps ranges.
• Autocannons, Large Railguns, and large Assault Cannon Turrets have high dps, only topped by the sluggish Artilleries having the highest dps.

Tip: Choose high dps turrets when you have lots of ammo to spend on chasing small or fast moving targets.

Construction

Certain weapon blocks exist only for small grid (like the Autocannon), or only for large grids (like the Artillery), while most of them exist in both sizes.

Some Block Weapons pull ammunition through conveyor ports while others have to be reloaded manually, so consider port accessibility before placing them.

Important: Block weapons are among the blocks with the highest PCU cost, so don't just cover your ship hull in guns.

Functional Blocks

Utility Power:  Colorable Solar Panel,  Twin-Blade Wind Turbine,  Battery,  Large Reactor,  Small Reactor,  Hydrogen Engine,  Wind Turbine,  Solar Panel,  Prototech Battery,  Large Warfare Reactor,  Small Warfare Reactor,  Warfare Battery,  Small Battery,  Prototech Fusion Reactor Utility:  Medical Room,  Corner Medical Room,  Survival Kit,  Cryo Chamber,  Inset Cryo Room,  Oxygen Farm,  Interior Light,  Offset Light,  Spotlight,  Offset Spotlight,  Inset Light,  Light Panel,  Corner Light,  Corner Light - Double Production:  Basic Refinery,  Refinery,  Basic Assembler,  Assembler,  Yield Module,  Power Efficiency Module,  Speed Module,  Prototech Refinery,  Prototech Assembler,  Oxygen Farm,  Industrial Refinery,  Industrial Assembler,  O2/H2 Generator Tools:  Drill,  Grinder Block,  Welder Block Command and Control Control:  Remote Control,  Bridge Helm,  Cockpit,  Fighter Cockpit,  Control Station,  Flight Seat,  Helm,  Saddle Cockpit,  Saddle Cockpit Compact,  Cab Cockpit,  Buggy Cockpit,  Rover Cockpit,  Industrial Cockpit,  Passenger Seat Automation:  Projector,  Sensor,  Automaton Sensor,  Sound Block,  Timer Block,  Programmable Block,  Control Panel,  Control Panel Pedestal,  Button Panel,  Vertical Button Panel,  Sci-Fi One-Button Terminal,  Sci-Fi Four-Button Panel,  Sci-Fi Control Panel,  Inset Button Panel,  Button Panel Pedestal,  Bridge Button Panel,  Custom Turret Controller,  Action Relay,  AI Basic,  AI Recorder,  AI Flight,  AI Defensive,  AI Offensive,  Event Controller Communications  Antenna,  Laser Antenna,  Compact Antenna,  Beacon,  Round Beacon,  Ore Detector,  Camera,  Top Mounted Camera,  Sound Block,  Broadcast Controller  Text Panel,  LCD Panel,  Corner LCD,  Wide LCD Panel,  Transparent LCD,  Sci-Fi LCD Panel,  Holo LCD,  Inset LCD Panel,  Sloped LCD Panel,  Curved LCD Panel Defense and Offense  Gatling Gun,  Reloadable Rocket Launcher,  Rocket Launcher,  Artillery,  Autocannon,  Assault Cannon,  Railgun,  Warhead,  Explosive Barrel  Gatling Turret,  Rocket Turret,  Artillery Turret,  Autocannon Turret,  Assault Cannon Turret,  Decoy,  Interior Turret,  Safe Zone, Propulsion  Atmospheric Thruster,  Large Atmospheric Thruster,  Flat Atmospheric Thruster,  Ion Thruster,  Large Ion Thruster,  Hydrogen Thruster,  Large Hydrogen Thruster,  Prototech Thruster  Jump Drive,  Prototech Jump Drive,  Gyroscope,  Prototech Gyroscope,  Parachute Hatch,  (Short)  Wheel Suspension 1x1,  (Short)  Wheel Suspension 2x2,  (Short)  Wheel Suspension 3x3,  (Short)  Wheel Suspension 5x5,  Offroad Wheels Logistics  Large Cargo Container,  Medium Cargo Container,  Small Cargo Container,  Modular Cargo Container,  Store,  Contracts Block  Connector/Ejector,  Small Connector/Ejector,  Collector,  Conveyor Sorter,  Small Conveyor Sorter,  Conveyor Frame,  Conveyor Converter,  Oxygen Tank,  Hydrogen Tank,  Small Hydrogen Tank,  Air Vent,  Air Vent Full,  Air Vent Fan,  Air Vent Fan Full  Conveyor Junction,  Conveyor Tube  (Reinforced),  Curved Conveyor Tube  (Reinforced),  Conveyor Tube T Junction  (Reinforced);  Small Conveyor,  Small Conveyor Tube  (Reinforced),  Small Curved Conveyor Tube  (Reinforced),  Small Conveyor Tube T Junction  (Reinforced),  Industrial Conveyor Pipes  Armory Lockers,  Armory,  Barrel,  Freights,  Cargo Crate, Modular Kitchen Mechanics, Magnetism, Gravity Mechanical:  Advanced Rotor,  Rotor,  Piston,  Hinge  Landing Gear,  Magnetic Plate,  Merge Block,  Artificial Mass,  Gravity Generator,  Spherical Gravity Generator