Weapon progression planner: role, damage, durability, and route cost

Replace the universal tier list with a route decision

Weapon progression is not a straight line from low damage to high damage. A long-reach spear can be safer than a heavier weapon in a narrow corridor. A Stun Baton can create a repositioning window that raw damage does not. An Energy Pistol solves laser interactions as well as combat. A late weapon can still be the wrong craft if its materials, charge system, or weight conflict with the next route.

This planner compares a small set of verified landmarks across progression. It does not reproduce ingredient icons from the wiki because current crafting recipes should be confirmed in the game's research and crafting interface. The decision output is: choose the weapon role, verify its current recipe, calculate the maintenance cost, and test it before spending materials on a second copy.

Route problem to weapon type

The table begins with the encounter, not the item name. If the problem is running out of ammunition, switching to a stronger firearm may not solve it. If the problem is being surrounded, a slow heavy weapon may increase the risk even when its listed damage is higher.

Verified comparison table

These values come from the current individual pages and Weapons and Ammo table. The Energy Pistol page explains that its half-second beam applies the listed 10 damage five times, for 50 total damage per shot under the documented behavior. That is a good example of why the summary damage column alone cannot rank every weapon.

What the table does not prove

• It does not prove one item is best against every enemy.
• It does not include player skill bonuses, target resistance, armor, or server settings in a final damage calculation.
• It does not make a battery weapon free; charging access and downtime matter.
• It does not make a late weapon cost-effective for an early route.
• It does not guarantee an electrical effect works on every target.

Use the individual item page and the in-game Compendium when a target-specific interaction determines the route.

Early decision: Pipe Club or Makeshift Spear

The Pipe Club develops Blunt Melee and offers a broad swing. Its current page lists 8 damage, 30 durability, and 5 weight. The Makeshift Spear develops Sharp Melee, lists 10 damage, 25 durability, and 3 weight, and can be thrown with its secondary action.

Choose the Pipe Club when the wide swing and blunt path match the immediate problem. Choose the Makeshift Spear when keeping distance and building Sharp Melee are more valuable. Do not discard the other path after crafting one: different materials, enemy interactions, and later upgrades can make both skills useful.

Early test

1. Fight a familiar enemy near a safe return route.
2. Note whether the weapon's reach or swing pattern prevents damage.
3. Check durability loss after the encounter.
4. Confirm the repair material is available at base.
5. Keep the weapon only if it improves the route, not merely the inventory damage number.

Mid progression: Welding Spear or Stun Baton

The Welding Spear keeps the Sharp Melee route and adds a battery-powered fire explosion around a hit. It remains usable at zero charge, but the explosion is lost. That gives it two maintenance states: physical durability and battery charge.

The Stun Baton is a Blunt Melee upgrade with 25 listed damage and temporary electrical immobilization. The control effect is valuable when it creates a safe reposition, but the player should carry a fallback for targets or situations where control is ineffective.

Use this decision:

Ranged utility: Energy Pistol

The Energy Pistol is a rechargeable Science Ranged weapon with 35 battery and laser capacity on its current page. It can be recharged at appropriate charging systems or manually cranked with the reload action. It also has documented non-combat uses: it can interact with the laser-lab route to Rise and can temporarily cause the Reaper to vanish.

That makes it valuable when one inventory slot solves both combat and a known route interaction. It is not automatically the best answer to conventional ammunition scarcity if the player also lacks safe charging time.

Before relying on it:

• verify the route has a charging or manual-recovery plan;
• keep a melee backup while charge is restored;
• separate the Reaper interaction from ordinary damage expectations;
• test the weapon before a boss or one-way route.

Late route: Hardlight Spear

The Hardlight Spear uses materials found in Reactors. Its current page lists 48 damage, 52 durability, 8.5 weight, and 150 laser capacity. It is one-handed, so it can be paired with a shield for melee use. The projectile secondary action uses laser charge and is affected by Throwing progression.

The page also documents unusual damage behavior: its type counts as Laser and Plasma for some purposes, does not receive the normal Plasma multiplier against body shields, and does not ignite targets. Do not simplify that into "plasma is always best." Use it when the player's skill, shield plan, available charge, and target interaction all support the craft.

Three-step weapon progression workflow

Step 1: name the blocker

Write one sentence: "I need reach against basic melee enemies," "I need a rechargeable ranged option," or "I need a shield-compatible late weapon." If the sentence only says "more damage," inspect why the current route fails.

Step 2: verify total ownership cost

Check the live recipe, unlock condition, repair item, ammunition or charge, weight, and inventory role. Materials for the weapon are only the entry price. A weapon that cannot be repaired or supplied for the planned route is not yet an upgrade.

Step 3: run a controlled comparison

Take the current weapon and candidate into a familiar, reversible encounter. Compare health lost, time exposed, resource consumed, durability lost, and how easily the player can retreat. Keep notes for the route, not a universal DPS tier.

Before spending rare materials

Use this craft gate:

• The weapon solves a named encounter or route interaction.
• Its current recipe and unlock are visible in the game.
• Repair supplies are already obtainable.
• Ammunition or charge has a repeatable source.
• Weight does not break the armor and loot plan.
• A fallback weapon covers depletion or an immune target.
• One copy has been tested before crafting for the whole co-op group.

If any item fails, delay the craft and improve the route system first.

Failure recovery and completion check

The new weapon feels weaker. Check skill path, target resistance, charge, durability, and attack pattern before assuming the listed stat is wrong.

The control effect does not solve the fight. Use the fallback and reassess whether the encounter contains multiple targets, an unaffected enemy, or no safe repositioning space.

The Energy Pistol is empty mid-route. Move to the planned safe charging or manual-crank position. Do not remain exposed while treating charge as ordinary ammunition.

Rare materials are gone but the blocker remains. Stop crafting duplicates. Return to the route-problem table and identify whether protection, space, healing, or a target-specific mechanic was the real missing layer.

The progression decision is complete when the chosen weapon has a named job, verified current stats, a supply and repair loop, a safe test result, and a fallback. That is more durable than a single S-to-D ranking and gives each craft a player-visible purpose.