Charge lance

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

Acquisition

Charge lances can be produced at a fabrication bench with a minimum crafting skill of 9 once the pulse charged munitions research has been completed for 60 Plasteel, 3 Advanced components and 60,000 ticks (16.67 mins) of work. Charge lances can also be found in ancient shrines or purchased from outlander and orbital combat suppliers, as well as outlander settlements.

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, of all non-explosive ranged weapons in the game, so has gained a reputation for dismembering and outright killing people (along with the pila and sniper rifle). It also has the highest amror penetration of all wieldable weapons, and it can stagger humans and slightly larger targets like megaspiders.

But, for an endgame weapon, the charge lance's overall DPS is actually quite low. It's worse than an assault rifle of the same quality outside of point blank range. Close up, it loses to the heavy SMG and even machine pistol, let alone the chain shotgun. Again, this is before quality.

The high damage per shot means that it can quickly dismember pawns. Not a great quality against raiders, as higher DPS is more likely to damage movement, causes pain, and will cause Pain Shock faster; Pain Shock is more likely than death from organ loss.

However, it is an very dangerous property when used against your pawns. The game will constantly spew out lancers and other enemies, and just one lucky shot can cause instant death. As a result, lancers should be priority targets, especially before you have easy access to artifical parts. It also makes a great hunting weapon, though a sniper rifle remains better.

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 (~16.6 seconds average) to incapacitate that human from pain shock. A legendary-quality charge lance can 1-shot any body part or organ in a human pawn's body, 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%).