weapons Tech Comparison
Plasma Warheads vs Missile Batteries
Comparing the Plasma Warheads (Tier 3) and Missile Batteries (Tier 2), both weapons technologies in Starforge MMO. Use this to decide which to queue first when your research lab can only run one project at a time.
Research Comparison
| Attribute | Plasma Warheads | Missile Batteries |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T3 | T2 |
| Research time | 16 | 9▼ |
| metal cost | 30,000 | 12,000▼ |
| crystal cost | 15,000 | 6,000▼ |
| gas cost | 5,000▼ | — |
| Effect | plasma aoe: true | +10% ranged damage; +100% shield bypass layer |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Plasma Warheads
Plasma weaponry AoE effect. Unlocks Heavy Cruiser.
Unlocks ships: cruiser mk1
Requires: weapons 2
Missile Batteries
Long-range guided missiles bypass first layer of shields. +10% ranged attack.
Unlocks buildings: missile battery
Requires: weapons 1
Which Should You Research First?
The Missile Batteries is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the weapons branch, opening the path toward Plasma Warheads.