| |
| Blaster | |
| Production information | |
| Technical specifications | |
| Damage Per Hit |
Original game:
2023 remaster: 15 |
| Fire Mode |
Semi-automatic |
| Ammunition Type |
None |
| Rate of Fire |
2 shots per second |
| Usage | |
| Era(s) | |
| [Source] | |
| “ | This is the standard issue rechargeable energy side-arm. It does not require ammunition. Useful for taking down Guards as well as exploding barrels and setting off shootable buttons and secret doors. Keep one on you at all times. | ” |
—The Quake II Manual | ||
The Blaster is the starting Weapon in Quake II. It is the weakest weapon in the game, having an unimpressive damage output compared to any other gun, but it does have the advantage of not requiring ammunition in order to function.
In Quake II's single-player campaign, Bitterman starts with this weapon and nothing else (but thankfully, a Shotgun can be found on the first level). In the expansion packs The Reckoning and Ground Zero mission packs, Joker and Stepchild start with only a Blaster too but they can both find a Shotgun immediately, near their respective drop pods.
In the 2023 remaster, the Blaster's damage was increased from 10 to 15 in single-player, matching its multiplayer damage.
Strategy[]
Single Player[]
- The Blaster can do okay against a Light Guard (because all they have is a Blaster as well), but it generally shouldn't be used against any Strogg more dangerous than that, once you have a better weapon - once you have the Shotgun, you probably aren't going to be using the Blaster for combat, except in a few niche cases mentioned below.
- The good thing about the Blaster is that it does not require or expend ammunition. It is therefore a good choice for when you need to shoot things other than enemies: shootable buttons, explosive barrels and crates, destroyable sections of terrain, or gibbing corpses to prevent them being resurrected later by a Medic. There's no need to expend ammo on those things; you can conserve your ammo for things that are going to be shooting back.
- There are areas of water inhabited by Barracuda Sharks, and there is usually some dry land nearby, allowing you to shoot them from a position of safety. In that scenario, the Blaster will do fine. But sometimes you'll need to fight them in the water, and in those cases you're better off switching to the Machine Gun or the Super Shotgun.
- In the original game (but not the 2023 remaster), Brains is a very slow enemy with no ranged attacks; it's an easy foe to defeat by staying outside its melee range, and the Blaster is quite adequate for the job. However, the Beta Class Brains encountered in The Reckoning, and the upgraded version of Brains in the 2023 remaster, does have ranged attacks and a stronger weapon should be used against them.
- In Ground Zero, there is a strategy for destroying Turrets safely using the Blaster, which involves creeping around a corner to find a spot where you can see it but it can't fire back - see the Turret page for a more detailed analysis. In a nutshell, Quake II allows a player to fire their weapon from either hand, in which case the shot emerges from slightly one side of the screen, towards the center. However, enemies can only "see" you if they can see the center of your body, which means it is possible to shoot around corners to a small extent. This is a good strategy against Turrets due to their immobile nature; the player can take their time to find a good angle. Using the Blaster for this tactic saves ammo, and with care it can be done without being hit in return.
- Occasionally, certain Strogg are encountered that will remain in a particular spot, not moving to pursue the player. The above tactic concerning Turrets can sometimes be used against these Strogg as well, and the Blaster can be a good choice of weapon in this case - again, saving ammunition.
- In the early stages of a single-player campaign, when the player might only have weapons such as the Shotgun, Super Shotgun, Machine Gun or Grenade Launcher, the Blaster can sometimes be a better option against a target who is a long distance away from the player, since it maintains its accuracy at range better than the hitscan weapons mentioned.
- You can use the Blaster as a flashlight of sorts, lighting up your way in the dark corridors - however, you can inadvertently alert monsters to your presence.
Multiplayer[]
- You'll respawn with it every time you die. The Blaster is more or less useless, as experienced players will quickly dodge its slow projectiles and wipe you out even before you get a hit.
- Some players may deliberately choose to use only the Blaster as a form of challenge, or to prove how skillful they are.
- The blaster can also be used as a humiliation weapon, If you think your target has low health try using the blaster for a humiliation kill!
- However, despite all its weaknesses, it must be noted that the blaster does share the anti-armor properties of most energy weapons in the game.
- To effectively use it, it's advised to catch other players from behind, when they're busy; hurdling over obstacles or trying to pick up armor.
- As long as you have ammunition for Hyperblaster, you shouldn't need Blaster besides environmental actions. Hyperblaster will be a better answer for armored targets.
Trivia[]
- Like the Railgun, the Blaster deals double damage if it strikes an idle monster. However, while that is a big deal for the Railgun, increasing its damage from 125 to 250, it only increases the Blaster's damage from 15 to 30, and it isn't likely to happen anyway - because firing a blaster bolt in an enemy's direction tends to alert them to your presence. Still, equipping a Silencer and firing a single blaster shot into the back of a Light Guard or Shotgun Guard is quite a stylish way to kill them.
- On the PlayStation 1 port, the Blaster fires at a faster rate.
Gallery[]
Quake II Manual photo
First person view