Plasma Weaponry

Plasma weapons are a highly advanced and sophisticated weapons system branch utilizing magnetically contained plasma to vaporize a target object. They function via the extremely rapid fusion of whatever fuel is being directed into them and forcefully ejecting the resulting superheated plasma at a high velocity using magnetic containment projectors. Reliance on these projectors for containment is severely limiting to range of the weapons system to whatever the projection assembly is capable of, which can be improved through using larger projector assemblies. This range disadvantage sees this branch of weapons technology in a very specific niche - but when properly applied, nothing can even closely match its raw destructive potential.

Capabilities
While mostly harmless against shields, these powerful weapons are used to deal unrivaled damage directly to hull and armor, and are generally capable of overwhelming any and all known technologies designed to reduce applied damage. This is due to the direct contact of the exceptionally high temperature of active fusion against the hull, this heat cannot be truly directed elsewhere without doing critical damage to another part of the ship instead. To avoid melting the weapon, the turrets are typically given ample access to advanced cooling equipment and have a fairly low fire rate. In addition, containment systems of plasma weapons are extremely powerful, and cannot be overwhelmed by opposing magnetic forces. Blocking plasma requires the use of shield systems.

The two main types of weapons are projectors and blasters; projectors being a short ranged beam while blasters are a decently ranged pulse weapon. The base range of blasters is 75km, whereas the base range of projectors is 50km. Muzzle velocity of plasma weapons is 5km/s, and can be upgraded steadily along with the ranges of both through research. In addition, every 10cm of caliber to a blaster weapon increases its range by 5km and every 5cm of caliber to a projector weapon increases its range by 2.5km. For example: Where a 10cm (1dp) plasma blaster turret has a 75km range, a 30cm (3dp) turret has 85km.

Blasters
Plasma blasters are a relatively long-ranged plasma weapon system capable of firing multiple bolts of fusing plasma at once using an advanced containment projector built into the turret's housing instead of the barrel itself. This allows it to contain a number of short pulses of plasma over the entirety of its range. The impact damage of the pulses allows for it to leave a flash-vaporized crater within the structural plating, while the containment field allows it to hold against the target for a brief moment to allow even thermal-resistant armoring to be melted down. This weapon system has a fairly substantial fire-rate, allowing the weapon to slowly eat away at a target ship easily.

Projectors
Plasma projectors are the epitome of a knife fight weapon, having effectively no range compared to other weapon systems but impossibly high levels of damage, able to slice through even the thickest armor with ease - and sometimes the entire target ship in two. Even a glancing blow of a projector leaves a distinct gash, with the intense heat allowing it to simply melt through any thickness. To add to this, even with extreme range upgrades, projectors are incapable of missing their targets due to the ability to actively redirect their beam to maintain contact with their target.