Viewing Weapons & Equipment
Weapon & Equipment Information
General Details
Name:  Small Chemical Laser
Type (Category):  Weapon (Energy)
Reference:  Tactical Operations: Advanced Units & Equipment (p. 132)

Description:
Chemical lasers were actually the first effective energy weapons able to physically damage relatively robust targets, like solid-fueled missiles and unarmored military vehicles. With the advent of economical fusion engines and refinements in electrically powered lasing mechanisms, however, they were quickly overtaken by a new generation of “fuel-free” laser weapons that have become today’s standard.

Seeking a more weight-economical alternative to vehicle-mounted lasers (which often require power amplifiers on non-fusion units), Clan Hell’s Horses recently returned to the chemical laser concept. Though reliance on chemical “ammunition” (which remains as energetic and highly toxic as the early laser versions) promises to reduce their endurance in combat, the resulting weapons may be mounted on non-fusion vehicles without requiring power packs or heat sinks.

Game Rules:
The ammo for Chemical Lasers follows normal ammo explosion rules for critical hits and heat, inflicting damage equal to weapon damage times the remaining shots in the ammo slot (affected by CASE or CASE II as normal). Although Chemical Lasers are technically energy weapons when fired, because of their ammunition dependency, fighters equipped with these weapons may not use them in a strafing attack.
Unit Type Availability
BattleMechsIndustrialMechsProtoMechsCombat Vehicles
Clan Data (BattleMechs)
Prototype Date:  3059
Production Date:  3083
Extinction Date:  
Recovery Date:  

BattleMech Specific Construction Rules
May be mounted on Clan units in accordance with the following construction rules:
 May be equipped with a Laser Insulator

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT COMBAT AND CONSTRUCTION TABLE
Heat
Damage (Aero)
Range (Aero)
Rating
Availability
Cost (C-bills)
Weight (Tons)
Criticals
Battle Value
Direct-Fire
Explosive
1
3 (3)
–/1/2/3 (Short)
E
X-X-E-E
10,000
0.5
1
7.000

RULES LEVEL PROGRESSION TABLE
Start Year
End Year
Rules Level
3059
3082
Experimental
3083
3144
Advanced
3145
Standard

AMMUNITION COMBAT AND CONSTRUCTION TABLE
Type
Rounds
Rating
Availability
Cost (C-bills)
Weight (Tons)
Battle Value
Explosive
Prototype
Production
Extinction
Recovery
Reference
Standard
60
E
X-X-E-E
30,000
1
1.000
3059
3085
TO:AUE (p. 132)

ALPHA STRIKE WEAPON CONVERSION TABLE
Heat
Special Abilities
1

MegaMek Output → Weapon List:  Small Chemical Laser
MegaMek Output → Critical Slot:  CLSmallChemLaser
Record Sheet Output → Critical Slot:  Small Chemical Laser