Charge lance

The charge lance is a heavy, single-shot ranged weapon which deals a high amount of damage per shot with commensurately high AP, a longer time between shots, an above-average range, and high overall accuracy.

Acquisition

Charge lances can be crafted at a fabrication bench once the pulse charged munitions research project has been completed. Each requires 60 Plasteel, 3 Advanced components, 60,000 ticks (16.67 mins) of work modified by the general labor speed of the crafter, and a crafting skill of 9.

Charge lances can also be found in ancient shrines or purchased from outlander and orbital combat suppliers, as well as outlander faction bases.

Lancers are the only enemy in the core game to use charge lances, but they aren't dropped when the lancer dies. Therefore, there is no way to acquire charge lances from raiders in the core game. With the Royalty DLC enabled, however, janissaries, cataphracts, and stellic defenders from the Empire have a possibility to spawn with a charge lance equipped.

Analysis

The charge lance deals the highest damage per shot and AP of all non-explosive ranged weapons, so has gained a reputation for dismembering and outright killing people alongside the pila and sniper rifle. It can also stagger humans and slightly larger targets like megaspiders. Range is also above average, just below the assault rifle.

But, for an endgame weapon, the charge lance's overall DPS is actually quite low. Charge rifles only have 4 tiles less range, and outdamage the charge lance against any reasonable target. As both weapons cost the same and are unlocked from the same research, the charge rifle is the preferred option.

Moreover, the lance faces heavy competition with the assault rifle. The assault rifle has more range, and greater unarmored DPS at any range. Armor is relevant; against centipedes, charge lances end up having 17% more DPS from medium range (assuming equal quality). However, the AR is much cheaper and much easier to acquire through trade or loot, with only enemies from the DLC carrying a droppable version of the weapon. The range advantage allows the AR to outrange lancers and more easily kite centipedes. And, if the assault rifle is of a higher quality, then the analysis skews heavily towards the AR; it'd be roughly equal vs. armor and much better vs. unarmored. Against unarmored targets, a normal quality charge lance has similar DPS to a masterwork greatbow.

The high damage per shot means that it can dismember pawns in a single shot. Not a great quality against human raiders, as higher DPS kills faster on average (through pain shock and/or combined consciousness loss) than organ loss. However, it is a very dangerous property when used against your colony, as raiders far outnumber colonists. A colony will kill hundreds of raiders, but a single lucky shot can permanently cripple an important colonist and the high AP makes it difficult to defend against. As a result, lance-wielding enemies should be priority targets, especially before you have easy access to artificial body parts. This also results in a noticeable uptick in survivability once an armor rating reaches 145% as it guarantees that the damage will at least be mitigated, halving the damage, and preventing the majority of one shot kills from lances.

Stats

Against a human target with 45% or lower armor on all layers, a normal-quality charge lance can kill with 2 hits to the torso, 1-2 hits to the head, or 1 hit to the neck or brain; cripple or destroy limbs with a single hit; and destroy eyes and digits with a single hit. It'll generally take around 3 hits (~14.9 seconds average) to incapacitate that human from pain shock. A legendary-quality charge lance can destroy any body part or organ in a human pawn's body with a single shot, and with an armor penetration of 67.5%, can do so against even quite heavily armored targets.

A charge lance is best paired with a trigger-happy pawn at shorter ranges and a careful shooter at longer ranges. The exact range transition depends on shooting level, being as low as 4 cells at Shooting level 5 and as high as 24 cells at Shooting level 20. At its maximum range of 30 cells, a charge lance is always better in the hands of a careful shooter than a trigger-happy pawn, or one without either trait, regardless of Shooting level.

Attack table

Ranged

Charge lance			Accuracy (Touch)	Accuracy (Short)	Accuracy (Medium)	Accuracy (Long)	DPS (Optimal)	DPS (Touch)	DPS (Short)	DPS (Medium)	DPS (Long)	Market value
Quality	Dam.	AP	Accuracy (Touch)	Accuracy (Short)	Accuracy (Medium)	Accuracy (Long)	DPS (Optimal)	DPS (Touch)	DPS (Short)	DPS (Medium)	DPS (Long)	Market value
Awful	27	40.5%	52%	68%	68%	60%	6.14	3.19	4.17	4.17	3.68	675
Poor	30	45%	58.5%	76.5%	76.5%	67.5%	6.82	4.02	5.25	5.25	4.64	1015
Normal	30	45%	65%	85%	85%	75%	6.82	4.43	5.8	5.8	5.12	1355
Good	30	45%	71.5%	93.5%	93.5%	82.5%	6.82	4.91	6.41	6.41	5.66	1695
Excellent	30	45%	78%	100%	100%	90%	6.82	5.32	6.82	6.82	6.14	2030
Masterwork	37.5	56.25%	87.75%	100%	100%	100%	8.53	7.5	8.53	8.53	8.53	3355
Legendary	45	67.5%	97.5%	100%	100%	100%	10.23	10.03	10.23	10.23	10.23	4355

^{For the full effects of qualities, see Quality. Values shown in Red indicate the weapon is out of range at the reference point for this range band.
The value is provided due to the interpolated nature of accuracy between range points.}

Melee

Feature	Toggle
Attacks

Charge lance			Stock (Blunt)					Barrel (Blunt)					Barrel (Poke)					Human: Left & right fist (Blunt)					HP	Value
Quality	DPS^[1]	AP^[1]	Dam.	Cool.	AP	DPS	Chance^[2]	Dam.	Cool.	AP	DPS	Chance^[2]	Dam.	Cool.	AP	DPS	Chance^[2]	Dam.	Cool.	AP	DPS	Chance^[2]	HP	Value
Awful	3.98	11.6%	7.2	2s	10.4%	3.6	8.33%	7.2	2s	10.4%	3.6	8.33%	7.2	2s	10.4%	3.6	8.33%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 37.5%	100	675
Poor	4.07	11.82%	8.1	2s	11.7%	4.05	20%	8.1	2s	11.7%	4.05	20%	8.1	2s	11.7%	4.05	20%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 20%	100	1015
Normal	4.4	12.75%	9	2s	13%	4.5	25%	9	2s	13%	4.5	25%	9	2s	13%	4.5	25%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	1355
Good	4.74	13.73%	9.9	2s	14.3%	4.95	25%	9.9	2s	14.3%	4.95	25%	9.9	2s	14.3%	4.95	25%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	1695
Excellent	5.08	14.7%	10.8	2s	15.6%	5.4	25%	10.8	2s	15.6%	5.4	25%	10.8	2s	15.6%	5.4	25%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	2030
Masterwork	5.92	17.14%	13.05	2s	18.85%	6.53	25%	13.05	2s	18.85%	6.53	25%	13.05	2s	18.85%	6.53	25%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	3355
Legendary	6.59	19.09%	14.85	2s	21.45%	7.43	25%	14.85	2s	21.45%	7.43	25%	14.85	2s	21.45%	7.43	25%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	4355

^{For the full effects of qualities, see Quality.}

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Note: This is the actual base average derived from the melee verb system updated in 1.1.2610, it may sometimes disagree with the listed value in the in-game infobox.
It may also change depending on the stats and the melee verbs available to the wielder if the weapon is wielded by some other than a baseline human.
↑ Chance for attack to be selected, assuming the weapon is wielded by a baseline human. It may change depending on the melee verbs available to the wielder

Version history

Beta 19 - received a slight damage buff (27 --> 30), a slight reduction in time to aim and increase in attack cooldown, leaving fire rate more or less the same. It also received a crafting recipe, allowing humans to use them.
1.1 - range and long range accuracy was nerfed (37 --> 30; 80% --> 75%).