The video tests three types of distortion weapons in Star Citizen’s Alpha 4.5—distortion cannons, repeaters, and scatter guns—highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and effectiveness against shields and ship components, especially power plants. It concludes that distortion repeaters offer the best balance for disabling larger ships, while cannons disable faster and scatter guns excel in close combat, with future tests planned for capital ship engagements.
The video begins with a warm holiday greeting before diving into the third part of an Alpha 4.5 weapon test series focused on distortion weapons in Star Citizen. The host outlines the three main types of distortion weapons available in the game: distortion cannons, distortion repeaters, and distortion scatter guns. He explains the different models and sizes of these weapons, highlighting that only certain sizes and types will be tested in this video, such as the size three sucker punch XL cannon, the size three DR model XJ3 repeater, and the size four salvation distortion scatter gun. He also notes that some weapons, like the size six condemnation scatter gun, are currently unusable due to ship compatibility and availability constraints.
Next, the host compares the technical specifications of these distortion weapons, including burst DPS, alpha damage, rounds per minute, projectile speed, and effective range. The distortion scatter gun has the highest burst DPS and alpha damage but suffers from a slow rate of fire and limited range, making it ideal for close-quarters combat. Conversely, the distortion repeater boasts the highest rounds per minute and projectile speed, while the distortion cannon has the best ammo penetration and a moderate DPS. An important gameplay mechanic discussed is the explosion radius, which was briefly removed in the PTU but restored in the live patch, significantly affecting the weapons’ effectiveness.
The video then shifts to practical testing, starting with small fighters like the FAC Lightning. The host demonstrates that distortion weapons only deal distortion damage, which shields block heavily—over 81%—so players must first use lasers to deplete shields before distortion weapons become effective. Through live testing, he shows that distortion repeaters can rapidly distort and disable a ship’s systems once shields are down, with distortion cannons disabling ships even faster. The distortion scatter gun, while slower in rate of fire, still proves effective at close range, especially when multiple are equipped.
Moving on to larger ships like the Perseus, which have physicalized components, the host tests how distortion damage affects different parts of the ship. He finds that targeting the power plant areas in the middle and rear of the ship is crucial since shooting the nose yields no distortion damage. Both distortion repeaters and cannons can effectively distort and disable the power plants, but the scatter gun is slower in doing so. He emphasizes the need to keep both power plants distorted to maintain ship disablement, as one power plant can recover if left undisturbed, restoring partial functionality.
In conclusion, the host suggests that while all three distortion weapon types are effective at disabling ships, distortion repeaters offer a good balance of ease of use, firing speed, and ammo capacity, making them especially suitable for larger ships. Distortion cannons disable faster but may be harder to manage, and distortion scatter guns excel in close-range scenarios, particularly when multiple are mounted on ships like the Guardian MX. He notes that future videos will explore these weapons further, especially their use in capital ship combat, and thanks viewers for watching before signing off.