Imperial Blaster Rifle VS Federation Phaser Rifle

[Robert Walper]

The situation is thus:

We have a 4000 square foot open warehouse, sealed on all sides with magically impenetrable material, including the ceiling and floor. Throughout this warehouse are boxes of assorted size, ranging from small car to slightly smaller than a average size person. The boxes also range in mass in a similar manner. The boxes just have dirt or rocks in them. The entire area it well lit.

You are to be challenged by an opponent of equal skill and capabilities relative to yourself. You have a choice of only two weapons:

1) Imperial Blaster Rifle, as seen in the Star Wars trilogy.

2) Federation Phaser Rifle, as seen in Voyager(the beam emitting ones).

Choosing one weapon automatically gives your opponent the other.

Which do you choose and why? What are your tactics, and what do you think your odds of surviving are?

For the sake of arguement, I will list what I think the capabilties of each weapon is. However, I will not imply others must accept these capabilities, they are merely my opinion.

Imperial Blaster Rifle:
-Lethal rounds
-Stun rounds
-Welding and cutting capabilities

Federation Phaser Rifle:
-Stun
-Heat
-Kill
-Vaporize
-Wide beam effective with all settings, with power consumption significantly rising per setting.

[Master of Ossus]

The blaster rifle also has a scope, imaging, and aiding guides. It has an extendable stock, and can be used either as a pistol or a carbine.

[Robert Walper]

The blaster rifle also has a scope, imaging, and aiding guides. It has an extendable stock, and can be used either as a pistol or a carbine.

Unfortunately, I only knew blasters from what I've seen in the movies...feel free to include the capabilities.

[Master of Ossus]

I would take the E-11 and find a bit of cover. I would then attempt to locate my opponent using the E-11's image enhancement systems (which, IIRC, includes infrared). I would then seek to injure my opponent with a low shot to create shrapnel and debris, followed by circling around while making use of cover (moving boxes, if necessary), and closing for the kill shot.

[Robert Walper]

I would take the E-11 and find a bit of cover. I would then attempt to locate my opponent using the E-11's image enhancement systems (which, IIRC, includes infrared). I would then seek to injure my opponent with a low shot to create shrapnel and debris, followed by circling around while making use of cover (moving boxes, if necessary), and closing for the kill shot.

Do you think the phaser set to vaporize and destroying your cover would complicate matters? Don't forget, you're to take into account you're facing an equal opponent relative to yourself...so you have to picture how'd you use the phaser rifle at it's best capabilities as well. For instance, if you were forced to use the phaser rifle, do you think you cannot win?

[Master of Ossus]

Do you think the phaser set to vaporize and destroying your cover would complicate matters? Don't forget, you're to take into account you're facing an equal opponent relative to yourself...so you have to picture how'd you use the phaser rifle at it's best capabilities as well. For instance, if you were forced to use the phaser rifle, do you think you cannot win?

Of course not, but I think my odds of victory would decrease significantly if I was using the phaser rifle. Consider that if the phaser is used to vaporize cover, it in effect creates cover for the person with the E-11. The phaser has no ability to detect a target through a cloud of vaporized material. The E-11 offers this ability. As a person who is not particularly skilled at shooting weapons, the E-11's sights and targetting assist modes would give me an advantage if I used that weapon instead of the phaser rifle. That does not mean that I could not win with the phaser, but my odds of victory would go down.

[THEHOOLIGANJEDI]

Blasters can vaporize.
Look at the Star Wars Encyclopedia it says so.

[Raxmei]

It doesn't matter which weapon I choose. My opponent is just as skilled and capable as I, so my chances are about 50-50 no matter what. Taking that in mind, I would choose the phaser. Hopefully my opponent will, like me, not be able to figure out how to set it to kill.

[Master of Ossus]

Blasters can vaporize.
Look at the Star Wars Encyclopedia it says so.

As does ANH, in the Tantive IV.

[Raxmei]

Reading the scenario more carefully, I'd pick the E-11.

[THEHOOLIGANJEDI]

Blasters can vaporize.
Look at the Star Wars Encyclopedia it says so.

As does ANH, in the Tantive IV.

Really I don't recall. Enlighten me.

[Master of Ossus]

Really I don't recall. Enlighten me.

Note all of the smoke and debris flying around and injuring the Rebels on the Tantive IV immediately after the stormtroopers enter. Much of it was not caused by their destruction of the door, but was instead caused by blaster fire. The Rebel's lack of armor made them vulnerable to KE impacts from shrapnel and their view was obscured by the smoke. This helps explain the ease with which the stormtroopers moved through the ship.

[Ted C]

Blaster shots are known to be capable of disabling people just with near misses. The concussion and shrapnel from a nearby bolt explosion can be lethal. I have never observed such an effect from a phaser.

We occasionally see phasers vaporize obstacles like crates, barrels, and rocks, but usually they just create a few sparks and a scorch mark without causing serious damage. I would venture that a phaser rifle probably can't continue to fire very long at its higher settings.

Therefore, if I choose the phaser, I probably have to go for a quick kill. I can't affect my enemy with "collateral damage" from a near miss, so I need a clear shot. I could shoot at the cover my enemy is using, but the "phaser effect" will only affect the intervening object, meaning I need another shot to hit my target; if he's on the move, that doesn't improve my chances that much. Consequently, I will probably need to charge his position, which has definite drawbacks. My best bet is to set for a wide-pattern stun to immobilize my opponent with the best chance of hitting. A partial hit (for instance catching the arm or leg of an enemy who is otherwise behind cover) probably won't completely incapacitate them, but every little bit helps. I'll have to hope to get him with repeated stuns or get lucky enough for a clear shot.

If I choose the blaster, I can injure, stun, or maybe even incapacitate my opponent just by hitting a nearby wall or whatever crate he is using for cover. If I turn up the power a bit (enough to smash bolters out of the reinforced walls of a starship hangar, for instance), then nothing in this arena short of the magically impenetrable walls will be unaffected. My enemy isn't safe in any cover.

I think I'll take the blaster, thank you.

[Lord of the Farce]

Using the phaser rifle on vaporise would probably use up too much energy to be used consistently, and wide beam would not be of any importance until it gets within close quarters combat distance. While on the other hand, the blaster rifle allows you to adjust the stock and remove the scope (for iron sights) to suit ranged or CQC. The ability for use as a sniper weapon with the power scope along will put the blaster rifle at an advantage. Also, there is the matter of rapid fire and blast effects (shockwaves and shrapnels) from the blaster rifle (IIRC, the phaser rifles usually don't produce much if any blast effects).

So if it was me going against someone of almost identical skills and capabilities, I'll obviously take the blaster rifle and probably use the crates to set up a few sniper positions, randomly changing from one position to another at random intervals. If the enemy gets close, lay down some suppression fire and either attempt to flank or pull a tactical retreat (leading the enemy right into a position where I can use my range and ROF advantages).

[Robert Walper]

Of course not, but I think my odds of victory would decrease significantly if I was using the phaser rifle. Consider that if the phaser is used to vaporize cover, it in effect creates cover for the person with the E-11. The phaser has no ability to detect a target through a cloud of vaporized material.

If I'm not mistaken, Mike Wong's site makes interesting points about how weird it is that phasers don't leave residue from "vaporized" objects.

The E-11 offers this ability. As a person who is not particularly skilled at shooting weapons, the E-11's sights and targetting assist modes would give me an advantage if I used that weapon instead of the phaser rifle.

I believe the phaser's "beam" would in fact give you a good reference point for aiming, you can move the weapon while firing. I'm not certain myself about the credibility of phaser scopes, but I don't think they are unlikely.

That does not mean that I could not win with the phaser, but my odds of victory would go down.

Quite possibly. I always thought that a phaser would win fairly quickly because of the ability to destroy cover. Phasers easily can and do "vaprorize" rocks. I also believe the wide beam at close range would defeat attempts to move out of the way, given cover is not immediately available.

However, yours and others points make me wonder about the usefulness of a phaser rifle in this scenario...

[Robert Walper]

I would like to mention I neglected a point on the topic...I meant to include the fact that both parties would be completely familar with the weapon's characteristics, handling and capabilities. Both parties would be "experts" on using either weapon so to speak...

[Master of Ossus]

Part of the problem of many of the phaser rifle worshippers is that it is not that good a weapon, when compared with those of other sci-fi universes, or even compared with RL weapons. The E-11 has an autofire mode that does allow for continuous firing (although it does produce heat problems and ammunition conservation issues). The phasers in general are fairly poorly designed weapons, ergonomically, and Kira said that they were easily damaged and had several features that were more or less useless in actual combat. We have never seen a phaser's scope for the model that is involved here, and its effective range appears to be highly limited, even when compared with modern weapons.

[beyond hope]

Well, a hit from either weapon will kill. The E-11 offers you 3 things the phaser rifle does not: automatic fire, sights and a stock, and a more compact design for close-quarter combat. So, you can adopt two tactics your opponent cannot: you can snipe accurately from long range, and you can lay down full-auto suppressive fire. I *know* it's not real-life experience, but from playing Unreal Tournament I'd give the edge to the guy with the E-11 every time. Range and auto-fire together are going to make life very difficult for the guy stuck with the phaser.

By the way: where exactly does the "wide beam effective in all settings" come from? I do not recall EVER hearing of a phaser fired wide-beam in anything other than "stun" in Star Trek.

[Nathan F]

Hey, a nice, quiet discussion about trek vs wars. See, it can be fun without yelling at each other lol

[Vapthorne]

In one Voyage episode where Tuvok was possessed, he help the bridge at gunpoint stating that his phaser was set on 'wide burst and kill...'

I don't how acurate that quote is, or how you wanna take it, but it's there.

[Mr Bean]

Utvol most of our aurgments and nice and Civil, Its only when fools rush in as it where when they turn nasty, but only as long as the other person pushs on do we give back


OAN- Yes both Weapons are capable of killing in one shot but since I'm facing somone equaly skilled as I am its largly a matter of luck then Weaponry, If he starts Vaping cover I can simply slap down the full auto and fire at the source of the beam, If he goes hiding a few Stun shots should flush him(Remeber Wide Area stun is acutal demonstrated in SW, its the defualt setting )

Or I can simply attempt the *Payne at start leap sideways, go full auto and hope I tag him before I hit

[Nathan F]

yes, it does seem that the loud annoying ones that cause trouble are the ones that are always seen and the ones that set the stereotype.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Then there are the quite ones that eventually get on your nerves.

(Hint, hint.)

[Master of Ossus]

Actually, Bean, that's not exactly true. I started flaming DarkStar because when I pushed him in intelligent directions he just refused to go down. Eventually I figured that I had nothing to lose by flaming him as he continuously used the infamous DarkStar Defense (Patent Pending) to claim de-facto defeat of my arguments. Actually, he was mildly flaming me at that point, but I do think that I started the flames between us.

[Robert Walper]

Then there are the quite ones that eventually get on your nerves.

(Hint, hint.)

Hey!