block-scorch

Scorch is a 1×1 ground turret that specializes in extremely high short‑range area damage by firing incendiary ammo. It appears on Serpulo and is notable for having the shortest range of all turrets on both planets while packing very large per‑shot damage and an unusually high health pool for its size (around 400 HP), making it suitable as a front‑line pillbox directly on enemy pathing.

Scorch accepts flammable ammo types (notably Coal and Pyratite). Coal provides a cheaper, fast‑consuming option that deals respectable damage and ignites targets; Pyratite is slower to produce and more expensive but far superior in sustained performance, consuming half as fast and dealing much more damage per shot. Damage numbers changed across versions, but practical DPS figures used by players are commonly quoted as roughly 170 DPS for Coal and 300 DPS for Pyratite per Scorch (these figures ignore burn‑over‑time damage and are based on the turret’s high fire rate and ammo multipliers). Its flames pierce enemies and set them burning, so shots can continue to damage multiple targets in line.

Because Scorch has very short range, it is most effective placed directly on enemy paths or as an isolated forward pillbox to soften waves before they reach the main defenses. Its combination of burst damage and high local survivability means a Scorch can be used to create lethal chokepoints, but it must kill or cripple enemies quickly since almost every unit and most turrets will outrange and be able to suppress it.

Practical notes and strategies:

• Supplying fuel is the major logistical challenge. Scorch expends ammo rapidly; a single basic conveyor line struggles to keep one Scorch running on coal. Pyratite is much more ammo‑efficient and dramatically increases uptime and DPS.
• Transport blocks carrying fuel are flammable: if destroyed they start fires. This can be exploited offensively by forcing ammo carriers into enemy paths, but it also risks spreading fire through your own supply lines.
• To reduce risk to the rest of your base, only send ammo along conveyors when no enemies are nearby and use a return belt or logic control (Radar + Processor) to clear lines. Routers and Distributors are safer carriers because they hold only one item and thus produce smaller fires when destroyed.
• Isolating Scorch and its supply with Bridge or Phase Conveyors helps protect the rest of your defenses from accidental fires. Shallow Water buffers (Wave or Tsunami turrets) can be placed further inward to extinguish fires without interfering with Scorch’s Burning effect.
• Scorch cannot target air units, so it is vulnerable to aerial assaults; pair it with anti‑air turrets if air threats are expected. The Phase Wall will reflect Scorch’s flames, which can be used defensively or may reduce effectiveness against enemies using reflected paths.
• Because Scorch is cheap and quick to rebuild relative to its damage output, it can be used in expendable forward positions that are expected to be lost but will significantly weaken enemy waves beforehand.

Historical notes: Scorch’s firing mechanics and ammo values have been adjusted across updates (fire rate changes, booster interactions, and multiple ammo damage/multiplier revisions). Its current sprite was contributed by Fox1va_.