Weapon Performance Comparison

Medium Laser vs. Medium Pulse Laser
Weapon	Average Damage per Hit	Heat	Min	Short	Med	Long	Tons*	TN Mod.	Base Damage/Ton	Base Damage/Heat	Base Damage/Ton including HS†
Medium Laser	5.0000	3	0	1–3	4–6	7–9	1.0	+0	5.000	1.667	2.000
Medium Pulse Laser	6.0000	4	0	1–2	3–4	5–6	2.0	-2	3.000	1.500	1.500

Expected Damage Output per Weapon
(Medium Laser vs. Medium Pulse Laser)
	Range
	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9
Base Difficulty‡	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL
0	5.000	6.000	5.000	6.000	5.000	6.000	5.000	6.000	5.000	6.000	5.000	6.000	4.583	—	4.583	—	4.583	—
1	5.000	6.000	5.000	6.000	5.000	6.000	4.861	6.000	4.861	5.833	4.861	5.833	4.167	—	4.167	—	4.167	—
2	5.000	6.000	5.000	6.000	5.000	6.000	4.583	6.000	4.583	5.500	4.583	5.500	3.611	—	3.611	—	3.611	—
3	4.861	6.000	4.861	6.000	4.861	5.833	4.167	5.833	4.167	5.000	4.167	5.000	2.917	—	2.917	—	2.917	—
4	4.583	6.000	4.583	6.000	4.583	5.500	3.611	5.500	3.611	4.333	3.611	4.333	2.083	—	2.083	—	2.083	—
5	4.167	5.833	4.167	5.833	4.167	5.000	2.917	5.000	2.917	3.500	2.917	3.500	1.389	—	1.389	—	1.389	—
6	3.611	5.500	3.611	5.500	3.611	4.333	2.083	4.333	2.083	2.500	2.083	2.500	0.833	—	0.833	—	0.833	—
7	2.917	5.000	2.917	5.000	2.917	3.500	1.389	3.500	1.389	1.667	1.389	1.667	0.417	—	0.417	—	0.417	—
8	2.083	4.333	2.083	4.333	2.083	2.500	0.833	2.500	0.833	1.000	0.833	1.000	0.139	—	0.139	—	0.139	—
9	1.389	3.500	1.389	3.500	1.389	1.667	0.417	1.667	0.417	0.500	0.417	0.500	—	—	—	—	—	—
10	0.833	2.500	0.833	2.500	0.833	1.000	0.139	1.000	0.139	0.167	0.139	0.167	—	—	—	—	—	—
11	0.417	1.667	0.417	1.667	0.417	0.500	—	0.500	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
12	0.139	1.000	0.139	1.000	0.139	0.167	—	0.167	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
13	—	0.500	—	0.500	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
14	—	0.167	—	0.167	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Expected Damage Output per Weapon Ton
(Medium Laser vs. Medium Pulse Laser)
	Range
	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9
Base Difficulty‡	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL
0	5.000	3.000	5.000	3.000	5.000	3.000	5.000	3.000	5.000	3.000	5.000	3.000	4.583	—	4.583	—	4.583	—
1	5.000	3.000	5.000	3.000	5.000	3.000	4.861	3.000	4.861	2.917	4.861	2.917	4.167	—	4.167	—	4.167	—
2	5.000	3.000	5.000	3.000	5.000	3.000	4.583	3.000	4.583	2.750	4.583	2.750	3.611	—	3.611	—	3.611	—
3	4.861	3.000	4.861	3.000	4.861	2.917	4.167	2.917	4.167	2.500	4.167	2.500	2.917	—	2.917	—	2.917	—
4	4.583	3.000	4.583	3.000	4.583	2.750	3.611	2.750	3.611	2.167	3.611	2.167	2.083	—	2.083	—	2.083	—
5	4.167	2.917	4.167	2.917	4.167	2.500	2.917	2.500	2.917	1.750	2.917	1.750	1.389	—	1.389	—	1.389	—
6	3.611	2.750	3.611	2.750	3.611	2.167	2.083	2.167	2.083	1.250	2.083	1.250	0.833	—	0.833	—	0.833	—
7	2.917	2.500	2.917	2.500	2.917	1.750	1.389	1.750	1.389	0.833	1.389	0.833	0.417	—	0.417	—	0.417	—
8	2.083	2.167	2.083	2.167	2.083	1.250	0.833	1.250	0.833	0.500	0.833	0.500	0.139	—	0.139	—	0.139	—
9	1.389	1.750	1.389	1.750	1.389	0.833	0.417	0.833	0.417	0.250	0.417	0.250	—	—	—	—	—	—
10	0.833	1.250	0.833	1.250	0.833	0.500	0.139	0.500	0.139	0.083	0.139	0.083	—	—	—	—	—	—
11	0.417	0.833	0.417	0.833	0.417	0.250	—	0.250	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
12	0.139	0.500	0.139	0.500	0.139	0.083	—	0.083	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
13	—	0.250	—	0.250	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
14	—	0.083	—	0.083	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Expected Damage Output per Ton including HS†
(Medium Laser vs. Medium Pulse Laser)
	Range
	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9
Base Difficulty‡	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL
0	2.000	1.500	2.000	1.500	2.000	1.500	2.000	1.500	2.000	1.500	2.000	1.500	1.833	—	1.833	—	1.833	—
1	2.000	1.500	2.000	1.500	2.000	1.500	1.944	1.500	1.944	1.458	1.944	1.458	1.667	—	1.667	—	1.667	—
2	2.000	1.500	2.000	1.500	2.000	1.500	1.833	1.500	1.833	1.375	1.833	1.375	1.444	—	1.444	—	1.444	—
3	1.944	1.500	1.944	1.500	1.944	1.458	1.667	1.458	1.667	1.250	1.667	1.250	1.167	—	1.167	—	1.167	—
4	1.833	1.500	1.833	1.500	1.833	1.375	1.444	1.375	1.444	1.083	1.444	1.083	0.833	—	0.833	—	0.833	—
5	1.667	1.458	1.667	1.458	1.667	1.250	1.167	1.250	1.167	0.875	1.167	0.875	0.556	—	0.556	—	0.556	—
6	1.444	1.375	1.444	1.375	1.444	1.083	0.833	1.083	0.833	0.625	0.833	0.625	0.333	—	0.333	—	0.333	—
7	1.167	1.250	1.167	1.250	1.167	0.875	0.556	0.875	0.556	0.417	0.556	0.417	0.167	—	0.167	—	0.167	—
8	0.833	1.083	0.833	1.083	0.833	0.625	0.333	0.625	0.333	0.250	0.333	0.250	0.056	—	0.056	—	0.056	—
9	0.556	0.875	0.556	0.875	0.556	0.417	0.167	0.417	0.167	0.125	0.167	0.125	—	—	—	—	—	—
10	0.333	0.625	0.333	0.625	0.333	0.250	0.056	0.250	0.056	0.042	0.056	0.042	—	—	—	—	—	—
11	0.167	0.417	0.167	0.417	0.167	0.125	—	0.125	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
12	0.056	0.250	0.056	0.250	0.056	0.042	—	0.042	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
13	—	0.125	—	0.125	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
14	—	0.042	—	0.042	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Expected Damage Output per Heat Point
(Medium Laser vs. Medium Pulse Laser)
	Range
	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9
Base Difficulty‡	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL	ML	MPL
0	1.667	1.500	1.667	1.500	1.667	1.500	1.667	1.500	1.667	1.500	1.667	1.500	1.528	—	1.528	—	1.528	—
1	1.667	1.500	1.667	1.500	1.667	1.500	1.620	1.500	1.620	1.458	1.620	1.458	1.389	—	1.389	—	1.389	—
2	1.667	1.500	1.667	1.500	1.667	1.500	1.528	1.500	1.528	1.375	1.528	1.375	1.204	—	1.204	—	1.204	—
3	1.620	1.500	1.620	1.500	1.620	1.458	1.389	1.458	1.389	1.250	1.389	1.250	0.972	—	0.972	—	0.972	—
4	1.528	1.500	1.528	1.500	1.528	1.375	1.204	1.375	1.204	1.083	1.204	1.083	0.694	—	0.694	—	0.694	—
5	1.389	1.458	1.389	1.458	1.389	1.250	0.972	1.250	0.972	0.875	0.972	0.875	0.463	—	0.463	—	0.463	—
6	1.204	1.375	1.204	1.375	1.204	1.083	0.694	1.083	0.694	0.625	0.694	0.625	0.278	—	0.278	—	0.278	—
7	0.972	1.250	0.972	1.250	0.972	0.875	0.463	0.875	0.463	0.417	0.463	0.417	0.139	—	0.139	—	0.139	—
8	0.694	1.083	0.694	1.083	0.694	0.625	0.278	0.625	0.278	0.250	0.278	0.250	0.046	—	0.046	—	0.046	—
9	0.463	0.875	0.463	0.875	0.463	0.417	0.139	0.417	0.139	0.125	0.139	0.125	—	—	—	—	—	—
10	0.278	0.625	0.278	0.625	0.278	0.250	0.046	0.250	0.046	0.042	0.046	0.042	—	—	—	—	—	—
11	0.139	0.417	0.139	0.417	0.139	0.125	—	0.125	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
12	0.046	0.250	0.046	0.250	0.046	0.042	—	0.042	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
13	—	0.125	—	0.125	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
14	—	0.042	—	0.042	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

* For weapons that need ammo, this includes the weight of 12 shots, which seems to be about the minimum comfortable amount. Streaks include only 8; rapid-fire weapons include 12 shots at maximum rate.

† Each point of heat the weapon generates is counted as another half-ton of weight (assuming use of DHS). This doesn't take into account free heat sinks from the engine, but even there, that you can cover, e.g., 6.67 MLs but only 5 MPLs with your base 10 (20) DHS needs to be factored in. Actual efficiency numbers will be somewhere between the weight efficiency numbers and the weight efficiency including HS, depending on the design, and will trend towards the latter as you add more weapons.

‡ Base difficulty includes Gunnery skill and all weapon-independent modifiers, such as attacker/target movement modifiers, terrain, etc., but not weapon-dependent modifiers such as range or pulse modifiers.