Steam 1.0 · Armory & Ballistics Dossier
In Quasimorph 1.0, survivability is dictated by ballistic math rather than raw trigger pulling. Loading the wrong cartridge against corporate heavy plate results in zero damage, while spending three turns reloading an uncalibrated drum magazine turns your clone into target practice. Master the definitive weapon tier list, armor penetration calculations, scatter cones, and Magnum workbench reload modifications.
Loadout Hierarchy
Weapons in Quasimorph are ranked by their single-turn burst output, effective engagement range, ammunition availability across star systems, and reliability under degradation.
| Tier | Archetype | Key Weapon Examples | Caliber / Type | Tactical Strengths | Vulnerabilities & Jam Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-TIER | Auto-Shotgun | Taiga-24, Striker-12, Bulldog | 12 Gauge | Devastating close-range burst; 8-12 pellets per shot cause instant multi-limb amputations and stagger. | High recoil; 3-turn unmodded reload; massive pellet spread past 4 tiles. |
| S-TIER | Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) | Buffalo DMR, SVD Marksman, Eagle Eye | 7.62x51mm / 7.97mm | Extreme pinpoint accuracy (1.5° cone); one-shot headshot kills from beyond enemy visual aggro range. | Narrow single-target line of fire; punishing when swarmed in tight 1-tile bottlenecks. |
| S-TIER | High-Velocity Submachine Gun | MP-50, Vector Tactical, Cobra-9 | 9x19mm / 10mm Auto | Blistering fire rate (3-4 rounds per burst); low recoil; high dismemberment chance when loaded with AP. | Rapid ammo depletion; low base damage against heavy vehicle-grade plating. |
| S-TIER | Thermal Projector | Flamethrower Mk.II, Scorcher | Napalm Fuel / Gas | Ignores physical ballistic armor; blankets 3x3 tiles in flame; forces immediate enemy panic and burn debuffs. | Dangerous in tight quarters; burns valuable wooden loot crates and consumable drops. |
| A-TIER | Assault Rifle | AR-15 Custom, AKMS-74, Val-8 | 5.45x39mm / 5.56x45mm | Versatile hybrid engagement profile; dependable at both 3-tile hallway breaches and 8-tile courtyard gunfights. | Jack-of-all-trades; lacks the raw alpha-strike decapitation power of shotguns or DMRs. |
| A-TIER | Monomolecular Blade | Vibrating Dagger, Nanoblade, Katana | Melee (Cut / Pierce) | Zero noise footprint; 0 AP ammo cost; bypasses reload locks; devastating in Sneak stance. | Requires closing to 1 tile; lethal against counter-attacking shotgunners if attack fails to kill. |
| B-TIER | Pump Shotgun / Service Pistol | Remington-870, Enforcer-9, P-226 | 12 Gauge / 9x19mm | Plentiful ammunition; low repair cost; reliable sidearms during early-game 1-skull contracts. | Subpar DPS against tech level 3+ factions; single-shell loading creates turn lag. |
| C-TIER | Improvised / Makeshift Weapons | Zip Gun, Pipe Rifle, Scrap Cudgel | Makeshift / .22 LR | Desperation scavenge tools; zero resource investment. | Catastrophic jam chance (>30%); high spread; fails to breach basic ballistic vests. |
Terminal Ballistics
Damage calculation in Quasimorph is non-linear. Armor does not simply subtract a flat number from damage; it dampens incoming kinetic and elemental energy along a logarithmic reduction curve.
CORE DAMAGE & ARMOR FORMULAS
Damage_Taken = Base_Damage × [ 1 - (Effective_Armor / (Effective_Armor + 100)) ] Effective_Armor = Target_Armor × (1 - AP_Penetration_Factor) Where AP_Penetration_Factor ranges from 0.50 to 0.70 for military armor-piercing ammunition, reducing enemy armor by more than half before the mitigation curve resolves.
| Target Category | Representative Armor | Damage with RIP Round (50 Base) | Damage with AP Round (50 Base, 60% Pen) | Tactical Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tezctlan Flesh Demon | 0 Armor | 87.5 Damage (+75% bonus) | 50.0 Damage (Base) | RIP Dominates: One-shot dismemberment. |
| Mercenary Patrol Guard | 30 Armor | 19.2 Damage (Heavy dropoff) | 44.6 Damage (Armor cut to 12) | AP Outperforms: Pierces tactical vest cleanly. |
| RealWare Titan Heavy Exo | 120 Armor | 1.5 Damage (Virtually zero) | 33.7 Damage (Armor cut to 48) | AP Mandatory: RIP completely bounces off plate. |
“AP against plate, RIP against meat; bring the wrong cartridge and face defeat.”
Always partition your ammo pouch: keep two magazines of standard AP in your active vest for sudden encounters with corporate guards, and carry a box of RIP or Buckshot in your backpack to clear demonic waves during high Quasimorphosis events.
Marksmanship Mechanics
Unlike traditional grid roguelikes with flat percentage hit rolls, Quasimorph models projectile trajectories inside an angular cone of fire (Scatter).
| Stance | Scatter Multiplier | Effective Cone (10° Base Shotgun) | Effective Cone (2° Base Rifle) | Tactical Implication |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sneak Stance | -40% Scatter | 6.0° tight focus | 1.2° laser beam | Concentrates all pellets into a single body part (head/torso) for lethal decapitations. |
| Walk Stance | 1.0x Baseline | 10.0° standard cone | 2.0° precision | Standard engagement dispersion across target profile. |
| Run / Sprint Stance | +60% Scatter | 16.0° wide bloom | 3.2° spread | Severe accuracy loss; bullets spray into adjacent walls, tiles, and friendly units. |
In original 1.0.4 releases, equipping specialized cybernetic eye implants or marksmanship weapon augments applied the scatter reduction mathematically during ballistic calculation, but failed to update the visual weapon tooltip in your inventory. Hotfix 1.0.4.582s corrected this synchronization: your weapon inspection panel now displays the exact composite scatter cone down to tenths of a degree with all clone perks and modifications applied.
Magnum Engineering
The most common rookie death in Quasimorph is the “Reload Freeze”: running an empty magazine on heavy weapons and entering a multi-turn reload lock under enemy fire.
| Upgrade Stage | Reload AP Cost | Required Components | Magazine Capacity Bonus | Strategic Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 0 (Factory Default) | 3 AP Turns | None | Base Magazine | Carry a sidearm; NEVER reload with hostiles in line of sight. |
| Tier 1 (Flared Magwell) | 2 AP Turns | 2x Weapon Parts, 1x Screws | +10% Reload Speed | Manageable when holding doorways with corner cover. |
| Tier 2 (Tactical Quick-Feed) | 1 AP Turn | 4x Weapon Parts, 2x Microchips, 1x Machine Oil | +25% Capacity / 1-Turn Reload | Endgame Ready: Sustained full-auto room clearing capability. |
Field Maintenance
Every bullet fired chips away at weapon structural integrity. Firing degraded firearms will trigger catastrophic jams that lock your actions and surrender turn initiative.
| Durability Range | Operating Condition | Misfire / Jam Chance | Handling Penalties | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% – 70% | Pristine / Factory Condition | 0.0% Jam Chance | None; optimal recoil and scatter. | Safe for deep skull expeditions and boss encounters. |
| 69% – 50% | Worn Field Condition | 2% – 5% Misfire | +10% Scatter penalty; minor recoil drift. | Apply maintenance oil or clean before breaching elevator rooms. |
| < 50% | Critical Danger Zone | 15% – 30% Fatal Jam | +35% Scatter; frequent misfires; jam clearing costs 1 AP. | Retire weapon or repair immediately. Firing under fire is suicide. |
Condition Restored: 100% current durability.
Durability Cap Penalty: 0% (Max condition cap remains at 100%).
Verdict: Save exclusively for S-tier weapons (Taiga-24, Buffalo DMR, Scorcher). Preserves long-term campaign investment.
Condition Restored: Restores 30% – 50% current durability in the field.
Durability Cap Penalty: -10% to -20% Max Cap permanently!
Verdict: Desperation measure only. Repeated jury-rigging drops max durability below 50%, permanently trapping weapon in the jam threshold.
Condition Restored: Restores ruined weapon caps back to 100%.
Tradeoff: High crystal crafting cost; requires hunting Barons or high Q-meter incursions.
Verdict: Use to salvage damaged rare high-tier prototype weapons recovered from corporate vaults.
Video Field Intel
Watch in-depth ballistic testing, weapon tier ratings, and practical Magnum modification breakdowns by veteran mercenary Neyreyan:
Field FAQ
Standard buckshot has zero armor penetration factor. Against heavy composite plate or Titan armor (60-120+ rating), each individual pellet is mitigated down to 0-1 scratch damage. To defeat heavily armored corporate infantry, you must switch to 12-gauge AP Sabot / Slug cartridges or high-caliber armor-piercing rifles like 7.97 API.
Unmodified heavy weapons (such as drum auto-shotguns, LMGs, and sniper rifles) demand 3 full Action Points (turns) to reload, leaving you completely defenseless. Prioritize the Magnum Workbench upgrade to calibrate weapon reload speed down from 3 turns to 1 turn. In the field before upgrading, carry a drawn sidearm or blade to swap for 1 AP rather than reloading under direct fire.
Use RIP (Radically Invasive Projectile) or hollow-point rounds against unarmored biological hostiles, low-tech civilian militias, and pure flesh Quasimorphs where enemy armor is below 15. RIP inflicts a +75% flesh damage multiplier, causing catastrophic trauma and immediate limb amputations. Never fire RIP at tech level 3+ corporate operatives, as heavy armor stops it entirely.
If your weapon jams under active enemy fire, do not waste a full AP attempting to clear the chamber. Immediately press weapon swap to draw a secondary sidearm, shotgun, or monomolecular blade for 1 AP, then neutralize the immediate threat or retreat behind door cover.