Weapons

Weapons, also known as Power-Ups, are the combat components central to the Wipeout series. Initially used to slow down opponent ships, these weapons are now capable of damaging opponents, even destroying them. The different types of weapons vary in offensive weapons and defensive weapons.

Traditionally, players pick up weapons by flying over weapon pads on the track, often characterized by a glowing cross-shaped platform that changes color over time.

Weapon Pads[]

Weapon Pads are a racetrack feature that is a part of the core Wipeout gameplay mechanic, similar to speed pads. They are cross-shaped platform on the road surfaces of a racetrack. When a ship flies over a weapon pad, its armament system will get a weapon at random. One ship can hold one weapon at most, i.e. if a ship already armed flies over a weapon pad, the pad will ignore the ship.

List of Weapons[]

This is a list of weapons appearing throughout the Wipeout series. Some of these weapons were introduced in Wipeout, whereas others were introduced in later games. Below is the list of weapons, organized into types, then arranged in order of first appearance.

Offensive[]

These weapons are designed to do damage to the opponent ships ahead on top of slowing them down, giving the user time to overtake them. Some of these weapons can be rear-fired, depending on the game.

Missile (Multi-Missile in Wipeout 3) – A homing projectile that can be locked on for a more accurate shot at the opposition. Usually, there is a reticle that will appear while this weapon is being held. In 2097, it can be fired backwards once "Rear Lock" is shown, and if the nose of the craft is tilted down. In Wip3out, the ship fires two missiles at a time and can even lock onto individual opponents as well, but at the cost of the rear fire ability. The multi-missiles can even circle around the opponent on some occasions, such as when the opponent is shielded. In Fusion, rear-firing can be done with the "Look Back" feature. From Pure and onwards, the missile can be fired instantly for a ricochet effect to compensate for its reduced agility. In 2048, Fighter ships lock on their missiles faster than other ships.
Rockets – Forward-firing unguided projectiles that work effectively at close-range and are fired simultaneously. Depending on the game, one can shoot up to three at a time (e.g. one in Wipeout and two in Wip3out). In Fusion, rockets are fired one at a time instead, but a single rocket pick-up still has a total of three rockets. In 2048, Speed ships fire one rocket, Agility ships fire two, and Fighter ships fire three.
Thunder Bomb (Gravity Bomb in Wipeout Fusion) – A powerful explosive that heavily damages ships ahead within the blast radius whilst putting them to a standstill. Although it looks like it's fired from the rear, the explosion can be observed from ahead, thus the offensive design of this weapon. Note that in 2097, this weapon is disabled in system link due to hardware limitations. In Fusion, it is released forward in an arc, disrupting the anti-gravity generators on all ships within the blast radius, as if they were hit by a GravStinger.
Plasma (Plasma Bolt in Wipeout 2097, Wipeout 3 and Wipeout Fusion) – A dark energy projectile that surges across the track, causing heavy damage to anything it hits. It does not lock-on or bounce off walls, requires a charge up beforehand, and aiming is tricky. In the games before Fusion, the plasma will instantly eliminate a craft. In 2097, this weapon is disabled in system link due to hardware limitations. From Fusion and onwards, plasma has been reworked to be able to do a small amount of damage to opponents caught in its blast radius, but a direct hit still does heavy damage.
Quake (Quake Disruptor in Wipeout 2097 and Wipeout 64) – A powerful seismic weapon (literally a tsunami-like seismic wave) that blazes its way down the track with a fierce and explosive momentum. There is a flaw with this weapon whilst racing in the Phantom class in 2097, where the player can keep up with the quake as it is being used, thereby blinding the player from the track ahead; this was resolved in Wip3out. Also in 2097, this weapon is disabled in system link due to hardware limitations. In Fusion, this weapon can be fired backwards, and can also travel in split sections. In Pure, it is also said to be measured at 6.5 on the Richter scale, but has the same flaw as in 2097 and can even damage shielded opponents; these flaws have been fixed in Pulse, with the Quake's speed varying between the speed classes. Starting with HD, this weapon can no longer be fired backwards even if the ship is turned backwards, except during Eliminator events. In 2048, this weapon is available to Fighter and Agility ships only.
Leech Beam (Energy Drain in Wipeout 3) – A pulsating electronic grapple that drains energy from an opponent's ship and transfers it to the user's ship. This is a lock-on weapon, so find an opponent to be locked on. The beam will stop when your ship takes damage, the distance becomes too far that the link is broken, or there is no more energy to take. In Wip3out, the effect of the weapon ends as soon as the user's ship's shield energy is full, and the weapon itself cannot be activated at a full shield energy. In 2048, activating a Leech Beam also activates a temporary shield. The damage produced by the beam varies by the distance between the ships, and the energy regeneration rate is more effective the closer your ship is to your opponent's.
Grenades – Three bouncy projectiles that explode upon impact with the wall or a ship. It is similar to the current design of Rockets, but the difference is that the grenades bounce up and down and are more powerful. Due to the tendency of the grenades to bounce over, this weapon is much more effective at close-range.
Cannon (Proton Cannon in Wipeout Fusion) – A load of proton shells with rapid-fire capability. They can be fired selectively, with any number of shells fired at a time. In Fusion, the Proton Cannon is a single-barreled weapon with 25 rounds, while in later titles, it is double-barreled and has 30 rounds.
Flamer – A flamethrower that causes continuous damage to ships for a brief period of time, depending on the intensity of flame burning around the ship. Just like the Proton Cannon, it is an ammunition-based weapon with only 99% of gas for the flamethrower (lasting for around two seconds of constant firestream).
Hunter Missile – A fierce homing missile that targets the race leader. Firing it will go directly to the leader without locking-on and causes the same damage as a regular missile. This weapon is only available in Multiplayer.
Shuriken – A razor-sharp projectile that bounces off walls and ships for a small period of time, with a highly unpredictable and somewhat erratic trajectory. This weapon is ineffective, if not useless when deployed on a Mag-strip. This weapon appears in Eliminator only.
Repulsor – An energy wave, whose range is rivaled by the Quake, that causes nearby enemy ships to be pushed away off course and sustain damage. Good for racking up eliminations. However, due to the framerate issues, the Repulsor may not even guarantee hits on rare occasions. This weapon appears in Eliminator only.

Disruptive[]

These weapons are designed to disrupt the opponent ships' systems. While they are fired forwards like offensive weapons, they do no damage whatsoever to affected ships. Nonetheless, these weapons have a utility in causing the opponent ships to behave in a strange way.

Shockwave (Electro-Bolt in Wipeout 2097 and Wipeout 64; Disruption Bolt in Wipeout Pure) – A blue beam of electricity that slows the craft. It is a lock-on weapon, but it cannot be fired backwards. In 2097 and 64, it is capable of producing very light damage as well. In Pure, this is a plasma-like projectile, but does not need to be charged up and lacks the lock-on feature; getting hit by one will cause nasty effects on the affected ship, including but not limited to reversed steering, disabled airbrakes, the ship bouncing up and down, the ship speeding up and slowing down repeatedly, and an Autopilot at slower or normal speeds.
REVCON (Control Jammer in Wipeout Fusion) – A device that disrupts the opponent's craft's computer by literally reversing the controls of the affected craft, making it difficult to control. In Wipeout, this weapon is only available in Two-player Mode. In Fusion, this weapon is only available in Multiplayer.
ECM Pod – A device that disables opponents' weapons systems for a brief period, preventing them from picking up weapons and using them. This weapon is only available in Two-player Mode. The effect of this power-up is not explained in the instruction manual, and is instead referred to as "What's this?", hinted to the weapon being "subtle but very useful".
Force Wall – An energy wall deployed several meters ahead of the user. Any ship passing through this will be repelled backwards with a strong force.
Turbo Enforcer – This weapon works like a standard turbo, but instead on an opponent's ship. Best used in tight sections of track to cause damage and slow down an opponent. The Turbo Enforcer is fired like a missile, and you have to gain a lock first. When the projectile hits an opponent ship, it will gain a speed boost, so take care not to purposely use this as an advantage for your opponent. This weapon is only available in Multiplayer.

Defensive[]

These weapons are designed to keep the opposition at bay, either by dropping a trap for opponent ships behind, or even protecting the user's ship from outright damage.

Mines – A row of up to five floating mines that can be dropped in a single succession. In Fusion, you can drop a single mine at a time instead of deploying all of them in a single sequence. Also in Fusion, these mines slightly home onto opponents. In 2048, Speed and Agility ships use this weapon instead of Bombs, and the difference between how many mines are laid is that Speed ships release three mines, while Agility ships release four.
Shield (Gravity Shield in Wipeout 3) – A protective energy shield that, when activated, makes the ship invulnerable to weapons or collision damage for a brief period. Shields can also be ideal for the purpose of perfect laps as it negates wall collisions. Starting from Pure, shield cannot be activated when an existing one is still active. Also in Pure, shielded ships are not immune to Quake. In 2048, shield will activate automatically if you hold one, as soon as you are about to get hit by a weapon or collide with something.
Reflector – A protective shield that literally reflects weapons away from the user's ship. Any weapon that hits the ship protected by Reflector will bounce off walls, while lock-on weapons will return to the ship that fired it. This weapon is ineffective against the quake and mines.
Cloak (Stealth in Wipeout Fusion) – A device that turns the user's ship invisible for a brief period, on top of being invincible to most damage and impervious to any lock-on weapons. Unlike the Stealth super weapon in 64, cloaked ships cannot move through other ships. In Fusion, this weapon is only available in Multiplayer.
GravStinger – A gravity anchor that disables the anti-gravity generator underneath the ship passing over it. This causes damage to the affected ship as it grinds on the track surface and comes a halt. This weapon is similar to the Gravity Bomb, but works only on a single target.
Bomb – A high-grade wide-radius explosive that causes a devastating explosion that can harm nearby opponents. In Pure, once deployed, it stays where it was until destroyed. From Pulse and onwards, it is given a lifespan of approximately 30 seconds. In HD and 2048, getting hit by a bomb will trigger a ringing sound effect. Also in 2048, Fighter ships use this weapon instead of Mines.

Assistive[]

These weapons are unique in that they give the user an advantage during races. Given such nature of utility, these may not be referred to as weapons in a strict sense.

Turbo – Activates a temporary boost that can be used to go through the pack, over a jump (for better barrel roll opportunities), or out of harm's way. Can be used, with the right timing, to evade a Quake. This power-up does not appear in Wip3out, having been replaced by a Hyperthrust booster that will consume some shield energy when used, although it cannot be used when shield energy is below 25%.
Autopilot – Activates a professional simulated pilot for a few seconds, helping navigate corners with a level of finesse that is beyond pilot skills and can even make the ships slightly faster in the process, whether on the straights or on the corners. While Autopilot is active, the user can manually disengage it by tapping the power-up or absorb function, if need be. In Pure, the user can pick up and fire or absorb weapons while using an Autopilot, at the cost of prematurely disengaging it. In 2048, activating an Autopilot will also activate a Shield around the user's ship whilst navigating the course.
Energy Pack – Replenishes one-fourth of the ship's shield energy. It is only available for ships at below 20% shield energy remaining.

Miscellaneous[]

These weapons are so unique on their own that they cannot be categorized into any of the above.

Global Drain – Causes total shield loss to all ships standing on the track. Opponents (and your ship) are left with 0 shield points, meaning one hit will result in elimination, unless they can reach the pitlane. Only use this as a last resort. This weapon is only available in Multiplayer.
Zone Barrier – A barrier of energy left from the wake of a craft whenever a Zone Boost is triggered. It is a rear-fire weapon similar to the Bomb, although its deployment is slightly delayed. Passing through one whilst unshielded will cause reasonably heavy damage and Zone Energy loss. The only way to pass through one unharmed is to activate a Shield. For some reason, this weapon harkens back to the Power Snare super weapon from the F5000 League, as well as the Force Wall. This weapon appears in Zone Battle only.
Detonator Cannon – An energy-based cannon weapon with 15 rounds. Rounds of this cannon weapon are able to ricochet off walls, and will immediately reload once its ammo is exhausted. However, if the fire button is held while the magazine is empty, the cannon will be jammed until the button is released. This weapon appears in Detonator only.
EMP – Short for Electro-Magnetic Pulse, this is a wave of electrical energy which can be used to clear any mines or bombs, similar in design to Quake. This weapon must be charged first, by passing through EMP pads, with four EMP charge points enough to activate it, although at a moderately short range. Upon reaching eight EMP charge points, the range of the weapon is enough to match the Quake. This weapon appears in Detonator only.

Super Weapons[]

“	We race. We die. There is no beauty anymore.	„
	~ Stefan Geist, F5000 Qirex reserve pilot

Super Weapons were first introduced in Wipeout 64 and reappeared in Wipeout Fusion. These are a range of team-specific weapons that cause much more damage than the main weapons. In Wipeout Fusion, a Super Weapon Licence is needed to used these weapons. (NOTE: Some of the Super Weapons in 64 were reused in later games, such as Wipeout 3, although with reduced effects.)

Wipeout 64[]

Mini-Gun (FEISAR) – Simply press B to start this super weapon, and it will continuously fire high-speed bullets for 10 seconds. Most of the time, it will take about only one second of continuous fire from this weapon to eliminate an opponent. Use of the Cyclone in the game will make one round eliminate one opponent. This weapon evolved into the Cannon, although single-barreled like the Proton Cannon in Fusion. There is also a similar weapon in 2097 that is equally powerful and can be used through a cheat code (with a similar weapon icon), with unlimited ammo (for as long as the fire button is pressed), but will actually slow the craft down upon firing.

Shield Raider (AG Systems) – Easily the most powerful weapon in the game, if not the whole game series. It is fired like a missile, and you have to gain a lock on the nearest craft to fire it (it has no rear-lock, however). If an opponent craft is hit by this green missile (characterized by a distinctly loud explosion), its shields will be completely drained, with only 1% of energy remaining. This means just a small hit, even from a solid ram on the victim, can cause an easy elimination. Though it is a dangerous weapon of mass destruction, it also restores a small amount of shield energy to your craft. As a specifically shield-draining weapon, it evolved into the Energy Drain, then the Shield Drain, and finally the Leech Beam. In Fusion, there was also a weapon bearing another aspect of the Shield Raider, namely making the target fragile to any source of damage: the Nitro Rocket.

Energy Sphere (Auricom) – Although not the most powerful in the game, it can be fun to use. This is a charging weapon, so hold down B to charge up the sphere to get maximum charge (identified by a sound and yellow vapor trails). As the sphere charges, it becomes more powerful. A direct hit would often cause an elimination, although this is difficult as the weapon has no lock-on feature. However, the sphere can pass through opponents, allowing for multiple hits. This weapon is similar to the current design of the Plasma as it deals heavy damage rather than instant-elimination. It may also be another reason why the Plasma is not featured in 64.

Power Snare (Qirex) – In contrast to the other super weapons in the game, this super weapon could be considered the weakest in the game. When activated, the craft deploys a yellow wall several meters in front of you. Any craft that travels through this wall will lose a reasonable amount of shield energy. This weapon was reused in Wip3out as the Force Wall, although said weapon is more of a disruptive one that does not produce damage.

Stealth (Piranha) – This super weapon is much more defensive than offensive, but still very useful. When activated, the craft becomes partially invisible and also immune to physical damage and weapons systems. Opponents can also be damaged by flying through them for a reasonably great damage. This weapon was reused in Wip3out as the Cloak, although its effects are reduced, and given its ability to damage opponents by flying through them, it is also similar to the Penetrator in one way, which was another super weapon by Piranha during the F9000 League.

Wipeout Fusion[]

Super Missiles (FEISAR) – FEISAR's new Super Missiles have been customised from the standard missile system by their in-house weapon development team in rural area of Sicily. These missiles are vastly stronger than the standard missiles as they have far greater explosive power than standard to accommodate it being a super weapon. The pilot locks onto up to three nearby opponent ships ahead, then three missiles are released at once, homing towards all those ships. When locked onto a single opponent ship, all three missiles will home towards that ship, and the chances are it will be destroyed. Super Missiles are a simple yet effective weapon, as their combination of speed, accuracy and firepower (with notably more violent explosions than the standard Missile) make them a versatile tool in combat. This super weapon is very similar to the Multi-Missile in Wip3out. (NOTE: A development of this weapon might have been related to the 2164 Temtesh Bay Disaster, where said missiles caused the explosions which led to the collapse and cave-in on the indoor mining area of the Course 2 layout, and on the first lap itself, where six pilots died as a result.)

Seismic Field (Van-Über) – The Van-Über weapon research facility in Dresden has excelled itself with the new seismic field that was unveiled at the Zero-G trade fair earlier this year. When fired, a highly destructive sphere is hurled forward down the track. Direct hits will cause severe damage and hurl around affected contenders with a great force, and fans will be pleased to know that an elimination is highly likely. When the sphere is active, it will darken the sky and possibly give it a "thunderstorm" effect. The Seismic Field does not lock-on or bounce off walls, so aiming is difficult. Use this super weapon on straight areas as this is meant to be treated like a more chaotic kind of Plasma Bolt.

Bio-Snare (G-Tech) – Harnessing aggressive bio-technology originally developed for sewage treatment, G-Tech's Bio-Snare super weapon fires a biological projectile forward down the track. On landing, it grows into an obstructive entity that will surround any ship passing by with a green "infection" all over it, and will also affect its control and steering behaviors. Ships that hit the Bio-Snare can get rid of it by entering the pit lane and recharging their shields, or persisting until the "infection" fades away. Despite being namely a super weapon, this weapon may not be considered impressive enough to be one, as it does not cause any amount of damage upon contact.

Orbital Laser (Auricom) – Auricom had to launch a huge laser satellite system in order to complete the development of this vicious weapon. At the very least, it demonstrates their determination to do well this season. The pilot locks onto an opponent ship using a laser sight, then when activated, the ship's coordinates are transmitted to the satellite. Nearly instantly, a piercing energy beam is fired from the satellite's weapons system. However, this weapon has no effect in subterranean zones as satellite communication is disabled underground. Also for such an impressive-looking weapon, it only does minor damage (comparable to the standard Missile); its effectiveness stems mostly from the ability to instantly stop opponents in place and dazzle them, leaving them an easy target for a few seconds.

Power Swarm (EG-R) – EG-R's new Power Swarm weapon has thrilled race enthusiasts across the world. Spurning brute force in favor of tiny, swarming drone weapons, the pilot locks onto an opponent ship either in front or behind. The drones are fired from an isolation unit beneath the opponent ship from which they swarm around it, firing small rapid-fire energy bolts until all their ammo is used up. They are capable of inflicting moderate damage upon the ship over time. The drones persist on the ship until the pilot activates a shield or enters the pit lane to regenerate shield energy.

Nitro Rocket (Tigron) – True to form, Tigron's new super weapon promises devastating results. After locking onto an opponent ship ahead, a liquid nitrogen projectile flash-freezes and crystalizes the ship for several seconds, and bringing along with it heavy initial damage once the projectile hits the target. This causes the ship to become extremely vulnerable to almost any type of damage thereafter, to the point where wall collisions will damage the ship tenfold, and an impact with a weapon or another ship during this period will almost certainly destroy it. The crystallized state can, however, be reversed by environmental heat (for approximately six seconds) or by passing through the pit lane. As with the Shield Drain, the Nitro Rocket is one of the most effective super weapons in the game, most likely securing an elimination of the opponent. In true Tigron fashion, it is highly recommended to pick off the opponent ship by ramming into it once it's been hit with this super weapon.

Shield Drain (Xios) – A favourite of Natasha Belmondo, the Shield Drain figuratively drains the life from the opponents. Once the pilot locks onto an opponent ship, a siphoning link is formed between both ships and shield energy is sucked from it until there is nothing left to take, or until the distance between the two becomes too far, breaking the link (the link ignores solid obstacles, however). It is very similar to the Leech Beam. It is worthy to note that Shield Drain always works (unless the opponent activates the Shield) with the same effectiveness; no matter how much shield energy the victim possesses, your ship will always have its shields fully restored (and the target ship will suffer the same amount of damage, even if the attacker is fully replenished during the drain process). Perhaps the most useful super weapon in the game, the Shield Drain essentially ensures that the Xios ships are practically as durable as the Tigron.

Penetrator (Piranha) – Another incredible innovation from Aries Piermont's team, the Penetrator turns the firing ship into an actual missile as the nose is charged up with explosive energy. Once the pilot locks onto an opponent ship, the pilot's own ship arms its nose area and literally fires itself at the opponent. Major damage is caused, along with a blinding explosion. If no lock-on is acquired, the ship will propel itself in the direction of aim. Upon firing, while homing into the nearest opponent ahead, the ship will activate a fast autopilot. Since with Penetrator, your ship serves as a kinetic kill vehicle, this super weapon will also cause damage to your own ship (but not as much as the target) as you will eventually ram the target. This super weapon can be activated without lock-on to take advantage of its speed boost, making it an improvised super Turbo; however, the ship will be almost impossible to steer in this case, so brace for impact!

Wipeout 2048[]

Miniguns (Qirex Prototype) – A pair of double-barreled 50-calibre miniguns similar to the original Cannon that auto-reload every few seconds, designed exclusively for the Qirex Prototype ship. The damage produced from each round has been increased considerably, with an entire magazine capable of destroying a single ship under sustained fire. These miniguns, however, effectively replace the standard weapons systems found on other ships. Since the miniguns are effectively similar to Cannon by design and purpose, they are best used at close range behind an opponent.

Gallery[]

Video[]

Wipeout_-_Through_the_Ages_-_The_Weapons

Trivia[]

In Single Race, weapon pads have a "first come, first serve" basis for a few seconds before they are active again. In Eliminator, weapon pads become active immediately after a ship flies over one.
- Weapon pad balancing starting from Wipeout Pulse forbids players to get more than one weapon from the same pad; the only way to get another weapon after it has been launched is through another weapon pad. This was done to prevent exploits like in Wipeout Pure, where it was possible to eliminate all of the opponents on the grid in particular tracks.
Despite the Piranha P.666 v.Prototype lacking a weapons system in Wipeout 2097, the machine gun cheat can still be used with it. Its successor, the Piranha II from 64, does feature full weapons capabilities.
Fusion is the only game in the series where standard weapons have to be unlocked through game progression, alongside the Super Weapon for each team.
Pure is the last game to feature disruptive weapons.
Wipeout HD is the first game to indicate maximum damage value of any given weapon in possession, as well as the amount of energy gained when absorbed.
Wipeout 2048 was the first game in the series to have multiple weapon pad types, namely yellow for offensive weapons and green for defensive weapons and items.
Wipeout Merge is currently the only game in the series where individual weapons can be upgraded.
In the closing part of the intro movie of 2097, what appears to be a Plasma was used by a Qirex F5000 ship in order to eliminate the FEISAR F5000.
Unlike in Mario Kart, where weapons are given depending on your current race position, throughout the entire Wipeout series, all weapons are given at random, regardless of race position.
- According to the official website of Fusion, weapons are pre-loaded onto every ship prior to the start of the season, and every ship comes with automatic initiation technology to allow certain weapons to be activated whenever pilots fly over a weapon pad.
Canonically, the miniguns on the AGRC-era Qirex Prototype may be considered the first "Super Weapon" in the history of Anti-Gravity Racing, despite being derived from the original Cannon.
- This also foreshadows the machine gun cheat in 2097, as well as FEISAR's Mini-Gun in 64.
Super Weapons never appeared after Fusion, likely owing to the controversy of the Temtesh Bay disaster.
In Fusion's official website, it is said that in the 2159 season, all pilots were able to use the Autopilot at least once, despite numerous claims of the very best pilots stating that they never used it.
Judging by the instruction manual of Pulse, the Shuriken was originally intended for use in normal races, but was later made as a weapon exclusive to Eliminator mode.
- The unofficial FX350 Edition mod of Pulse restores this functionality to both weapons, but as a result, the Quake is unusable in the former FX300 tracks.