The Problem

My base has cables running everywhere like a spider web and something keeps unplugging during raids. Is there a better way to distribute power?

The Solution

Yes. The Laser Power system replaces physical cables with wireless energy transmission. Once you unlock it, you never route a cable again. But getting it working requires understanding how Laser Emitters, Laser Relays, and Laser Power Converters chain together.

Why Switch to Laser Power

The downside: Laser components require Quantum Glass, which is a rare material until late-game.

The Laser Power Chain

Stage 1: Generate Power

Same as always. Your power source (Makeshift Battery, Industrial Battery, Carbon Battery, or Generator) produces energy. Plug this into the chain's starting point.

Stage 2: Laser Emitter

The Emitter converts stored power into a laser beam. Craft at Powered Crafting Bench.

Recipe: 1 Quantum Glass + 1 Laser Component + 1 Carbon Plating + 1 Circuit Board

Place the Emitter facing the direction you want power to travel. It has a visible laser beam — you can see exactly where power is going.

Stage 3: Laser Relay (Optional)

If the beam needs to go around a corner or through a wall gap, a Laser Relay redirects it.

Recipe: 1 Mirror Component + 1 Metal Scrap + 1 Screw

Place the Relay at an angle to the incoming beam. The beam bounces to the new direction. You can chain multiple Relays — each bounce costs a small amount of power loss (~5% per relay).

Stage 4: Laser Power Converter

At the destination, the Converter transforms the laser beam back into usable plug power.

Recipe: 1 Laser Component + 1 Electronic Scrap + 1 Metal Scrap

The Converter has standard Plug Sockets on its output side. Connect your benches, lights, and defenses to the Converter just like you would to a Plug Strip. One Converter supports 3-4 devices depending on total draw.

Example Setup: A Three-Room Base

[Industrial Battery]
     │ (cable — short connection)
[Laser Emitter] ──────── beam ────────→ [Laser Relay] ── bounced beam ──→ [Laser Converter] → [Crafting Bench + Fridge]
                                               │
                                         [Laser Relay] ── bounced beam ──→ [Laser Converter] → [Defense: Chopinator + Tesla]
                                               │
                                         [Laser Relay] ── bounced beam ──→ [Laser Converter] → [Lights + X-Ray Tower]

One power source → one Emitter → three Relays → three Converters → all your devices, zero cables crossing the floor.

Material Farming: Where to Get Quantum Glass

Quantum Glass is the bottleneck. Here is where it drops:

Best farming loop: Manufacturing Mines → circle the Crystalisk spawns → kill all → return to base → repeat after respawn. One loop takes ~10 minutes and yields 2-4 Powdered Crystal + 1-3 Quantum Glass.

Laser Turrets: Offensive Laser Use

Once you have Laser Power infrastructure, you can craft Laser Turrets.

Recipe: 1 Laser Emitter + 1 Security Bot CPU + 1 Carbon Plating + 1 Military Electronics

Laser Turrets connect to your Laser Power network and fire damaging beams at enemies. They do not consume ammo — they draw directly from your power reserves. They pair well with Chopinators for a mixed-damage kill zone (physical + energy damage).

Placement tip: Turrets fire in a straight line from the emitter face. Place them at the end of corridors, not in open rooms. A turret in a 90-degree corridor corner covers the entire approach.

Common Setup Mistakes

When to Make the Switch

You do not need Laser Power in the early game. The inflection point is when:

1. You have a base with 3+ rooms
2. Cable management is taking more than 2 minutes per session
3. You have farmed at least 4 Quantum Glass (1 Emitter + 3 Converters for a starter laser grid)

For most players, this happens around the Manufacturing West → Containment Block transition.

See Also

• Power grid and star topology wiring
• Power: battery runtime guide
• Defense: Chopinator, Tesla, and Tripmines
• High-value materials: Stapler, CPU, Enethiol