In this week’s visit to the Black Market, we will take a look at one of the most iconic weapon types in the Star Wars universe – the blaster pistol. From Han Solo’s BlasTech DL-44 to Jango Fett’s WESTAR-34, the compact size and deadly force of blaster pistols have made them fascinating weapons. Fantasy Flight’s Star Wars RPG system has provided stats for many of the familiar blaster pistol models as well as introduced a fair share of brand new ones. We will review some of those that are among the most deadly available, look at their strengths and weaknesses, and even take them to the shooting range to compare results.
First, let’s lay out what can likely be considered the five most powerful blaster pistols currently available across all Edge of the Empire and Age of Rebellion books:
| Blaster Pistol Model | Dam | Crit | Encum | HP | Price | Rarity | Source | Special |
| DR-45 “Dragoon” | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1900 | 6 | SOT | Accurate 1, Stun Setting |
| DL-7H Heavy | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 850 | 6 (R) | DC | Two threat – Runs out of ammo. |
| C-10 “Dragoneye Reaper” | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1000 | 7 | FC | Stun Setting. |
| H-7 “Equalizer” | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1200 | 8 | SOF | Superior, Stun Setting |
| Model-1 “Nova Viper” | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4500 | 9 | FC | Accurate 2, Pierce 2, Stun Setting. Increased Mechanics difficulty to repair or mod. |
While several of the guns have multiple features in common, there are also aspects that set them apart. Some of these differences are good and some are not so good:
Advantages and Drawbacks
DR-45 Dragoon
Advantages:
- Highest possible base damage.
- Low encumberance.
- Reasonable rarity.
- Three hardpoints.
- Accurate 1 special.
Drawbacks:
- Second most expensive blaster pistol available.
DL-7H
Advantages:
- Highest possible base damage.
- Under 1000 credits in price.
- Reasonable rarity.
Drawbacks:
- Only two hardpoints.
- Restricted weapon.
- Possible to run out of ammo.
- No positive specials.
- No stun setting.
C-10 Dragoneye Reaper
Advantages:
- Highest possible base damage.
- Three hardpoints.
Drawbacks:
- High encumberance.
- No positive specials.
H-7 Equalizer
Advantages:
- Lower crit rating.
- Three hardpoints.
- Built-in Superior quality.
Drawbacks:
- One point below max base damage.
- High rarity.
Model-1 Nova Viper
Advantages:
- Accurate 2 rating built-in.
- Pierce 2 rating built-in.
Drawbacks:
- One point below max base damage. (Though offset by the Pierce 2.)
- Only two hardpoints.
- Very expensive – Almost three times the cost of the next highest cost.
- Extremely rare.
- Increased Mechanics difficulty for repair and mod checks.
The Shooting Range
Let’s take these weapons on a little test run by comparing what kind of damage and critical injuries the same dice results would inflict:
Damage against a target with a Soak value of 4. “(C)” indicates a Critical Injury inflicted.
| Gun Type | Dmg | Crit | Pierce | Extra Dice | Automatic | 1s | 2s 2a | 2s 3a | 3s 1a | 3s 2a | 3s 3a | 4s 2a | 4s 3a |
| Dragoon | 8 | 3 | 1 Boost | 5 | 6 | 6 (C) | 7 | 7 | 7 (C) | 8 | 8 (C) | ||
| DL-7H | 8 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 (C) | 7 | 7 | 7 (C) | 8 | 8 (C) | |||
| Dragoneye Reaper | 8 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 (C) | 7 | 7 | 7 (C) | 8 | 8 (C) | |||
| Equalizer | 7 | 2 | 1 Advantage | 4 | 5 (C) | 5 (C) | 6 (C) | 6 (C) | 6 (C) | 7 (C) | 7 (C) | ||
| Nova Viper | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 Boost | 6 | 7 | 7 (C) | 8 | 8 | 8 (C) | 9 | 9 (C) |
After unloading several shots at some target dummies, three things stand out:
First, although the Nova Viper has a lower base damage than some guns, the built in Pierce 2 makes up for it and surpasses the damage of all other guns. As long as the target has two or more soak (and it’s rare to find enemies with less than three soak), the pierce sets it apart.
Secondly, not only does the Equalizer have a lower base critical rating of 2, its built in Superior quality gives it a free Advantage on each successful roll. That effectively means a player only needs to roll a single uncancelled Advantage in order to inflict a critical injury on a successful hit. In our sample rolls, the Equalizer scored a crit on seven of the eight rolls, while all other guns only crit on three of the eight rolls. That’s a significant difference.
Lastly, while the roll results were normalized for all damage and crit outcomes, it should be noted that two guns – the Dragoon and Nova Viper – both get to roll extra Boost dice due to their Accurate qualities. That means it is more likely for those two guns to get more favorable rolls each time they are used.
Final Thoughts
The Dragoon has an excellent balance of high damage, max available hardpoints, built-in accuracy, and will not require a second mortgage for the player to be able to afford. That extra Boost die on every use is a nice perk, and the Rarity of 6 means that players should be able to find these without too much trouble. This is likely to become the preferred blaster pistol of choice among gunslingers across the galaxy.
The Equalizer has the benefit of having the Superior quality already applied to it from the start, which is both good and bad. On the plus side, that means one of its three hardpoints will not be used up by applying the Superior quality, which frees it up for an additional attachment. As already mentioned, the automatic Advantage generated by the Superior quality and its already low Critical Rating means this weapon will be critting very frequently. On the downside, not being able to apply Superior means it won’t get an additional +1 damage from that attachment. The final outcome is that this gun’s damage will never match up to the others on this list, but it will be the best at causing critical injuries.
Finally, for those with very deep pockets and the determination to track down extremely rare items, the Nova Viper is likely the best of the bunch. While it only has two hardpoints, the built in Pierce 2 and Accurate 2 make up for that drawback. Of course the high price and incredible rarity means this weapon will not be a common sight.
All of the guns reviewed make a fine choice for a character looking for a high quality blaster pistol. Cost and availability may very well be the determining factor in deciding which weapon to purchase. For those who are willing to open their wallets and search far and near for their ideal weapon, the Dragoon, Equalizer, and Nova Viper set themselves apart for different reasons.
Steve "Jaspor" Orr
