Hellcat rifle

The hellcat rifle is a moderately heavy, automatic ranged weapon with an integrated two-shot flamethrower.

Acquisition

Hellcat rifles can be crafted at a bioferrite shaper once the bioferrite weaponry research project has been completed. Note that this research requires dark study to unlock. Each requires 60 Steel, 20 Bioferrite, 7 Components, 40,000 ticks (11.11 mins) of work modified by the general labor speed of the crafter, and a crafting skill of 6.

Summary

Burner radius and AoE at different angles.

Hellcat burner gizmo icon

The rifle contains an integrated mini-burner which gives the user the ability to fire two gouts of flame at will before requiring a reload.

The burner fires in a 9 range cone, thin close to the pawn and expanding to three tiles wide at a range of 7 to 9 tiles when fired in a cardinal direction.

Two gouts can be fired before the unit must be reloaded with 10 bioferrite per charge.^{[Verify in game]} The reloading process takes 60 ticks (1 sec). The pawn will never automatically use the unit - instead it must be manually activated by the player by use of the "Hellcat burner" gizmo, similar to using Utility items. It is unclear if this restriction also applies to NPCs.^{[Fact Check Needed]} This gizmo will only appear when the pawn is drafted.

Damage from the burner does not scale with quality, dealing roughly 12 damage on a direct hit, and slightly less if the target is out of the center of the cone. Fire resistance, such as that from phoenix armor, can dramatically reduce or eliminate damage from the burner.

Wearing a shield belt does not prevent the user from firing the burner, but does prevent the user from firing the rifle itself.

Pyromaniac pawns receive a +2 Pyromaniac has incendiary weapon mood buff while equipped with a Hellcat rifle, a further mood buff will not be granted for using the weapons Hellcat burner ability. Note that they must be equipped, not merely carried.

Analysis

The hellcat rifle functions quite similarly to its nearest cousin, the assault rifle, albeit with a slightly shorter max range (27 vs 30.9), less bullet damage (10 vs. 11), a longer firing cycle, and the addition of the burner. The statistical difference result in an approximate −13% drop in DPS compared to an assault rifle of the same quality. Because of the source of this change, this relationship is consistent across all ranges and shooter skills, but can be affected, but not negated or inverted, by Aiming time and Ranged cooldown multiplier effects.

The burner has a range of 9 tiles, firing in a narrow cone one tile wide out to six tiles, then three tiles wide for the remaining 3 tiles, for a total of roughly 15 tiles of burning. Targets hit are likely to catch fire, giving the weapon considerable utility against melee pawns who will promptly panic. Bioferrite is required for reloading the weapon's burner, which means that the hellcat rifle is strictly inferior to the assault rifle if you do not have a replenishable stockpile.

When compared to the incinerator, the other weapon from the same research, the hellcat's burner charge has a shorter range (9 vs 11 tiles,) smaller cone (3 tiles wide vs 5 tiles at max range,) deals less direct damage (12 vs 16,) and has an extra charge (2 vs 1.) The two weapons function significantly differently outside their burner charges, with the Hellcat being an assault rifle and the Incinerator being a lobbed AoE fire explosion. Unlike the incinerator, which can both fire its main weapon and its burner from within a shield belt, the hellcat rifle cannot fire bullets from within the shield, leaving you with little more than an inelegant club when the burner charges run out.

Attack table

Ranged

Hellcat rifle			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	9	13.5%	48%	56%	52%	44%	8.61	4.13	4.82	4.48	3.79	240
Poor	10	15%	54%	63%	58.5%	49.5%	9.57	5.17	6.03	5.65	4.79	360
Normal	10	15%	60%	70%	65%	55%	9.57	5.74	6.7	6.22	5.26	480
Good	10	15%	66%	77%	71.5%	60.5%	9.57	6.32	7.37	6.89	5.84	600
Excellent	10	15%	72%	84%	78%	66%	9.57	6.89	8.04	7.46	6.32	720
Masterwork	12.5	18.75%	81%	94.5%	87.75%	74.25%	11.96	9.69	11.36	10.53	8.85	1200
Legendary	15	22.5%	90%	100%	97.5%	82.5%	14.36	12.92	14.36	14.07	11.91	2400

^{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

Hellcat rifle			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	240
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	360
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	480
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	600
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	720
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	1200
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	2400

^{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