LASER WARS

In Laser Wars, players have access to two laser types:

• The PackIV Laser that comes standard with the Jackal
• The PackII Laser which trades off DPS for increased speed and range

Most battles will heavily rely on the PackIV Laser, as its higher DPS and adequate range make it the superior choice for close to medium-range combat.

Both laser types may be swapped to unphased mode by pressing 5. Unphased lasers are colored green, travel further but only produce half damage.

Available Modules

In Laser Wars the first six loadout modules are locked, while the 7th module may be selected from the preset loadouts on the loadout screen. The modules include:

• Positive Feed Amplifier: Doubles battery feed rate and range area
• Auto Repair: Auto repairs armor while armor remains above 0
• Decoy Smoke: Mimics a false damaged-smoking effect to mislead opponents
• Magnifier: Adds zoom functionality and increases laser range
• Shields Shifter: Automatically balances shield distribution at the cost of slower regeneration (highly recommended if new)
• Stealth: Prevents your blip from appearing on enemy radar
• Thrusters Pack: Provides rocket thruster capability to your tank

You may change your 7th module anytime after entering a reload pad.

The preset loadouts available in Laser Wars. The different modules that swap the 7th module are available through these presets.

Shield shifting; shots are coming from the front. Shields are being moved forward to not only protect the armor health pool, but also so that both sides may recharge achieving the max regen rate.

Focusing fire on a single target will take that target out more quickly giving your side an advantage.

Gold reload pads are neutral positive feed for all colors, making them good battle grounds.

A teammate moving in position to block a few incoming shots.
This back and forth style play not only helps regenerate shields more effectively, but also confuses opponents.

Strategies

Shield Shifting

Learning how to shield shift is one of the most important skills in Laser Wars, as it greatly increases your survivability. The goal of shield shifting is to keep the current shield value—the larger number shown in the shield HUD—below its maximum allocation. Shields only regenerate while they are below their assigned capacity, so a fully allocated side will stop recharging until its value drops again.

Trying to track exact shield numbers during combat can be difficult, especially while aiming and maneuvering. Instead of focusing on the numbers, use the shield colors in your HUD as a quick visual indicator of the strength on each side.

The Equalize Shields function (default: Right Control) is extremely useful. It resets shield allocations to their default values — either 50/50 or 100/100 when using a Shields Doubler. Many players shift shields during combat, and then equalize immediately afterwards to restore balanced regeneration on both sides.

Keep in mind that shields only transfer when shield allocation on one side is lowered below the amount of shield currently present there.

If shield shifting feels overwhelming at first, start with the Shields Shifter module. It automatically keeps your shields balanced, allowing you to focus on movement and aim while learning the basics. Practice arenas are also a great place to train shield shifting. Use the #counter function to track how many shots you can survive before destruction—the better your shifting, the longer you survive.

Focused Fire

Focused fire is a crucial team strategy that involves concentrating fire on a single target. While the concept is simple, executing it effectively can be challenging, as enemies often move or become temporarily obscured, requiring players to switch targets. Developing the skill to switch targets efficiently takes practice. Additionally, some targets are more strategic to prioritize for various reasons. Over time, learning to identify these high-priority targets will improve your effectiveness no matter who you're playing with.

To better coordinate focused fire, communicate rapidly with your teammates through the team voice comms.

Blocking and Cycling

Blocking and cycling is another core strategy in Laser Wars. A team remains far stronger when more players remain alive, as numbers create pressure, coverage, and sustained firepower. Because of this, your objective is not only to keep yourself alive, but also to help keep your teammates in the fight.

This means thinking in terms of the team’s total health pool rather than only your own shields. If a teammate is low on shields and vulnerable while you still have strong defenses, it would be smart to step in, draw enemy fire, or absorb damage so they have time to recharge and rejoin the battle.

Well-coordinated teammates who rotate pressure in this way are said to be cycling. An effective cycling duo can dramatically increase their survivability, remain active longer, and absorb far more damage than either player could alone.