Doomsday rocket launcher

The doomsday rocket launcher is a single-use, single-shot rocket launcher that has significantly larger blast radius than the Triple rocket launcher.

It's worth noting that this launcher is never automatically aimed by colonists - they have to be ordered to fire by the player. Along with the triple rocket launcher, this is one of the most damaging weapons in Rimworld.

Acquisition

The doomsday rocket launcher cannot be crafted, and must be either acquired through trade, as a quest reward or looted from Raiders, specifically from Heavy Mercenaries in Outlander and Pirate raids. In the last case, care must be taken to kill or down the raider before they can fire the single use weapon.

Analysis

The Doomsday Rocket Launcher is the big brother of the triple-rocket launcher, instead of firing three smaller rockets, it instead fires a single rocket that produces a devastating explosion that results in a 7.8 tile radius explosion doing 50 bomb damage as well as 3 smaller 5-tile radius incendiary explosions doing flame damage and covering the ground in chemfuel puddles which then ignite. These secondary explosions can exceed the displayed blast radius of the rocket so care must be taken when firing. There are some unconfired reports that they can also detonate behind walls.

Given the right conditions, doomsday rocket launchers can be the cause of massive wildfires that obliterate anything that stands in its way - until precipitation rains down upon it, ending its sheer reign. These two traits combined make the Doomsday Rocket Launcher an extremely dangerous, as it will happily wipe out anybody unlucky enough to be caught in the blast radius: either by the explosion itself, or the blaze that will consume them moments later. This means that they are priority threats when used by enemies (or careless allies) and also a single-use but highly effective solution to most threats.

Doomsday Rocket Launchers have a range that dwarfs most other weapons; being tied with the triple-rocket launcher and only surpassed by the sniper rifle. Therefore, Doomsday Rocket Launchers could be the ultimate solution to dispatch of dangerous sieges and late-game tribal raids - along with multiple mortars arguably being just as effective for the former (if you don't mind the steel cost and don't want to risk your colonists), and even the latter if the tribals 'prepare' before attacking.

Wealth management

Doomsday rockets are very effective form of wealth management. Wealth controls raid strength so expending a 1000 is a fair decrease in that factor. Meanwhile, they're strong last ditch weapons able to save a colony in an emergency. Thus converting some excess wealth into doomsdays is a good idea - when you receive a raid you're incapable of facing you can resort to the doomsdays to both end the threat and consume some of the wealth that caused the raid.

Gallery

Doomsday Rocket Launcher being used against a large siege. Do note that a couple of pirates also have Doomsday Rocket Launchers equipped. Note that this image is old and displays 5 secondary explosions instead of 3.