Name:  Medium Pulse Laser (Prototype)
Type (Category):  Weapon (Energy)
Reference:  Interstellar Operations: Alternate Eras (p. 67)

Description:
The pulse laser uses rapid-cycling, high-energy pulses to generate multiple laser beams, creating an effect comparable to machine-gun fire. But because the staggered pulses give the protective ablation products from combat armor a chance to disperse—to expose fresh armor to subsequent pulses—the result is a burst of fire that is more effective and accurate. Originally developed by the Terran Hegemony, pulse lasers run cooler than ER lasers and pack a little more punch than standard lasers, but have a shorter effective range than either type. These weapons were popular on faster hunter/killer designs, which could close faster and benefit from the ability to land solid damage even on the fly.

Pulse lasers progressed from theory to prototype in relatively short order during the final years of the Reunification War, but it would take Terran engineers another decade and a half to develop final designs that were both stable and accurate enough for full-scale production.

Like many Star League technologies, pulse lasers were lost during the early Succession Wars and only returned after the discovery of the Gray Death Memory Core and ComStar’s secret deals with the Draconis Combine in the 3030s. Today, renowned laser manufacturers such as Diverse Optics, Martell and RAMTech have been able to market pulse laser versions of their reliable standard models—often side-by-side with their progenitors.

Currently, Inner Sphere manufacturers offer pulse lasers in small, medium and large classes. Clan pulse lasers, meanwhile, come in micro to large classes.

Game Rules:
Apply a –1 to-hit modifier to all weapon attacks. Furthermore, this weapon generates an extra +1D6 heat per attack (rolled every time each weapon is fired). This random heat is in addition to that normally generated by these weapons. This weapon can use a targeting computer when making attacks, except for aimed shots.

Lasers may not be fired if the unit is shut down or if its pilot/crew is otherwise prevented from acting.

BattleMechsIndustrialMechsCombat Vehicles

Prototype Date:	2595
Production Date:	—
Extinction Date:	2619
Recovery Date:	—

BattleMech Specific Construction Rules

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT COMBAT AND CONSTRUCTION TABLE
RULES LEVEL PROGRESSION TABLE
ALPHA STRIKE WEAPON CONVERSION TABLE
MegaMek Output → Weapon List:  Medium Pulse Laser Prototype
MegaMek Output → Critical Slot:  ISMediumPulseLaserPrototype
Record Sheet Output → Critical Slot:  Medium Pulse Laser-P

Prototype Date:	2595
Production Date:	—
Extinction Date:	2619
Recovery Date:	—

IndustrialMech Specific Construction Rules

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT COMBAT AND CONSTRUCTION TABLE
RULES LEVEL PROGRESSION TABLE
ALPHA STRIKE WEAPON CONVERSION TABLE
MegaMek Output → Weapon List:  Medium Pulse Laser Prototype
MegaMek Output → Critical Slot:  ISMediumPulseLaserPrototype
Record Sheet Output → Critical Slot:  Medium Pulse Laser-P

Prototype Date:	2595
Production Date:	—
Extinction Date:	2619
Recovery Date:	—

Combat Vehicle Specific Construction Rules

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT COMBAT AND CONSTRUCTION TABLE
RULES LEVEL PROGRESSION TABLE
ALPHA STRIKE WEAPON CONVERSION TABLE
MegaMek Output → Weapon List:  Medium Pulse Laser Prototype
MegaMek Output → Critical Slot:  ISMediumPulseLaserPrototype
Record Sheet Output → Critical Slot:  Medium Pulse Laser-P