Archangel RL1 Heavy Rocket Launcher has no blast radius

The New Jericho Archangel RL1 Heavy Rocket Launcher looks like the sort of weapon that was meant to have a blast radius for its rockets, but for some reason it doesn’t have any.
The weapons statline does not include a blast radius, and the weapon used in mission can sometimes damage more than one body part when one of its rockets hits a single enemy, but effects no enemies beyond that.
The ‘Advanced Rocket Technology’ research that unlocks the weapon has a text description saying that it represents a breakthrough in explosives technology and that it packs a huge punch even against larger pandoran creatures.
Yet the weapons statline just does not match with its research text description. The weapons statline as of the Derleth patch version of Phoenix Point is this:

Blast 70
Shred 15
single shot
Effective range 102
Action points 3
Ammo capacity 4
Hands to use 2
Weight 5

In order for the Archangel rocket launcher to better match the research description and allow it to be a genuinely useful but balanced weapon, I think the weapons statline should be similar to this:

Blast (90 or 100, more than Fury-2 mounted launcher in any case)
Shred (between 15 to 25)
single shot
Effective range 30 (The current weapons effective range of 102 is far too long for what seems to be an unguided rocket launcher, the AI guided Thor AML only has an effective range of 35)
Blast radius 3.5 or 4.5 (If the rocket launcher is somewhat inaccurate, it should balance out having a larger blast radius of 4.5)
Action points 3
Ammo capacity 4
Hands to use 2
Weight 5

A new Archangel statline resembling this one would better match the description of the weapon given in the research text. The Archangel would serve a niche as a net upgrade over the Phoenix Grenade Launcher.
This new statline would better reflect a rocket launcher that is loaded with rockets that contain a large payload of a very advanced high explosive compound. Per the research description of it being expensive, I think the weapon and its ammunition should also have a higher materials and tech cost than it currently does.
The Archangel seems like it should be a high damage, wide blast radius rocket launcher that is balanced by being expensive, reasonably inaccurate and late in the NJ tech tree. The Archangel as it currently exists, functions more like an underpowered pseudo-sniper rifle that does not fill a useful niche for the player.
I’ve been waiting for its statline to be updated, and the Archangel being underpowered has been noted before in posts made by others on Reddit, Canny and the Phoenix Point forum, but I just hope that the Archangel’s statline will be properly rebalanced sometime in one of the next few patches.
I think the Archangel’s design looks really beefy and cool, and that the Archangel RL1 will eventually become as powerful as it looks.

Has anyone managed to find a proper niche for it, or do you also think its stats need changing?

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I agree with that, I only used Archangel when I MC a NJ heavy soldier during endgame missions like Byzantium

I prefer Grenade Launcher and Mounted Launchers

I agree almost completely. I just think that radius of 4.5 may be too much as it gives diameter of 9 tiles = this is often area of small building. But… maybe it could be ok. Just lower damage to 80. Yes I know it is not significant comparing to other weapons then, but that would mean that other explosive weapons should have damage lowered by 10 or 20 points. :wink: About 15 shred value - it is sufficient to not overcome in balance other weapons designed to shred armor.

That’s just it, the Archangel RL1 should be the sort of weapon that would be great to use on a Heavy class operative that has the Boom Blast Ability. I’m holding out hope that its stats will eventually be updated so it can become exactly that.

According to the Phoenix Point Art Book, in the page that shows the Archangel artwork, New Jericho is supposed to be the most destructive faction in the game, creating the most powerful and destructive weaponry they can. The Archangel RL1 being updated to be a powerful, wide blast radius rocket launcher that causes a lot of collateral damage would certainly better reflect New Jericho’s weapon design philosophy.

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I understand the need to make sure the Archangel won’t become too powerful, but it needs a way to differentiate itself from the other explosive weapons. The Archangel becoming just a handheld version of the Fury-2 mounted rocket launcher would make the Archangel a bit redundant and plain I think. The Archangel needs to stand out from the other explosive launchers in a unique way that fulfills a distinct useful niche for the player. Something that makes it a good sidegrade compared to the other explosive launchers.

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I don’t get why it doesn’t have a blast radius or why though mentioned multiple times before the lack of one hasn’t been addressed.

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The only reason I can think of, that might explain why the Archangel was left without a blast radius is that Snapshot Games must have had plenty of other game issues to deal with that needed fixing during development. The Archangel’s odd stats, having blast damage but no blast radius, might have simply been overlooked.

I’ve posted on the Canny Feedback page about this as well, in the balance change section. Let’s hope that this issue can get acknowledged by the developers at some point.