unit-quasar

Quasar is a flying, shielded attack/support unit that appears in mid-to-late game content. It fires piercing laser beams that both damage enemy targets and repair allied structures, can mine certain resources when player-controlled or set to Mine stance, and carries a modest internal item capacity for logistics tasks. Its combination of offensive pierce, onboard repair capability, and a protective shield makes it a flexible unit used for both assault and defensive roles.

Quasar's primary weapon fires two piercing laser shots at a rate of 2 × 0.54/sec, dealing 45 damage per hit and providing a small repair effect (listed as 10% repair in some references). The lasers have significant pierce, allowing them to cut through multiple small blocks and bypass many forms of armor or shielding; however the unit's effective range has been reduced in past updates (notably from 20 to 16 blocks). It is protected by a shield that blocks direct and over-time damage and prevents knockback; recent updates increased shield health and regeneration speed (shield health to 500 and regen speed to 24).

Quasar stats and behavior have changed across builds: health has been adjusted (e.g., around 640 in later builds), its size and item capacity were modified (item capacity increased to 50), movement speed is expressed as 3 tiles/sec in current builds, and its build/mining characteristics have been tuned (build speed lowered and mining speed nerfed in Build 149). It gained a Mine stance in Build 149 and previously had limits on command numbers that were removed (Build 136). Quasar and its sounds share assets with some other units (for example, Lancer and certain EMP cannons).

Tactical uses and interactions:

• On offense, Quasars can weave past ground defenses by boosting and use their pierce to damage cores and internal defenses; their shields let them survive longer than many similar-cost units, increasing their chance to reach and destroy enemy cores. Splitting Quasars when facing clustered Lancers near a core reduces the damage each Quasar takes.
• On defense, Quasars outclass Lancers in raw damage because their lasers have no pierce limit; they can be densely placed in tight corridors and act as both attackers and on-site repairers for nearby structures. However, Repair Points or other repair sources are recommended to keep them healthy if they take damage.
• Their piercing beams can bypass force shields, so using your own piercing lasers (e.g., Lancers) in good positions is an effective counter. They can also one-shot small targets like Power Nodes and can damage conveyors and other small blocks through walls, so sturdy walls (Plastanium walls recommended) are important to blunt their effect.
• Quasars are useful for fast mining and logistics: they can mine Titanium and Beryllium (notably, Quasar and Mega are the only units able to mine both Titanium and Beryllium), and were popular for logic-driven mining tasks. Mining capability was nerfed in Build 149 (from 600% to 400%) to compensate for added convenience commands that allow mining-capable units to mine without logic.
• They provide a cheap, power-free partial defense against certain projectile bomb threats (e.g., from Horizon or Quad) compared to using Force Projectors, making them useful in early-wave sectors that send explosive attackers.

Known limitations and notes:

• Although powerful, Quasars are not foolproof; they can be preceded in attack waves by other piercing enemies (Vela, Corvus) that indicate a heavier threat. Their reduced range and laser length in past updates make positioning important.
• Build and capability changes over time (health, range, mining/build speed, shield stats) mean exact numbers should be checked for the current build/version being played.