XCOM: Enemy Unknown research and engineering guide

Weaponry

Weapons research is heavily dependent on – you guessed it – weapon fragments. It’s for this reason that you should never sell weapon fragments on the Gray Market and always fight every ground battle available (these are best way to obtain fragments).

Note that some research not only requires a certain set of materials, but other, specific research. For instance, you will not have the option to research Heavy Lasers if you haven’t yet researched Beam Weapons. In some cases, first salvaging the weapon from battle is required before research can even begin.

From weakest to strongest, general weapons classes are as follows: standard, laser, plasma. We’ve put “(best)” next to the strongest weapons available in the game.

Key:
B = Base Damage
CC = Critical Chance
CD = Critical Damage

Research: Beam Weapons

Requirements: 10 weapon fragments, 5 alien alloys
Unlocks: Laser Pistol (B:2,CC:30%,CD:3), Laser Rifle (B:5,CC:10%,CD:7), Improved Pistol II (Foundry)

Research: Heavy Lasers

Requirements: Beam Weapons, 5 Weapon Fragments, 5 Alien Alloys
Unlocks: Heavy Laser LMG (B:6,CC0%,CD:9), Laser Cannon (Interceptor), S.H.I.V. Laser Project (Foundry)

Research: Precision Lasers

Requirements: Beam Weapons, 5 fragments, 5 alloys
Unlocks: Scatter Laser Shotgun (B:6,CC:20%,CD:9), Laser Sniper (B:6,CC:30%,CD:9)

Research: Light Plasma Rifle

Requirements: Salvaged Light Plasma Rifle, 40 fragments, 10 alloys, 5 Elerium
Unlocks: Light Plasma Rifle (B:5,CC:10%,CD7)

Research: Plasma Pistol (best)

Requirements: Salvaged Plasma Pistol, 40 fragments, 5 Elerium
Unlocks: Plasma Pistol (B:3,CC:20%,CD:4), Improved Pistol III Project (Foundry)

Research: Plasma Rifle

Requirements: Salvaged Plasma Rifle, 40 fragments, 10 alloys, 5 Elerium
Unlocks: Plasma Rifle (B:7,CC:10%,CD:10)

Research: Heavy Plasma (best)

Requirements: Salvaged Heavy Plasma, 40 fragments, 10 alloys, 10 Elerium
Unlocks: Heavy Plasma LMG (B:9,CC:0%,CD:13), S.H.I.V. Plasma Project (Foundry)

Research: Plasma Sniper (best)

Requirements: Plasma Rifle or Heavy Plasma, 50 fragments, 10 alloys, 10 Elerium
Unlocks: Plasma Sniper Rifle (B:9,CC:35%,CD:13)

Research: Alloy Cannon (best)

Requirements: Plasma Rifle or Heavy Plasma, 40 fragments, 25 alloys, 5 Elerium
Unlocks: Alloy Cannon Shotgun (B:9,CC:20%,CD13)

Research: Guided Fusion Launcher (best)

Requirements: Salvaged Battleship Class UFO Fusion Core, 75 fragments, 20 alloys, 10 Elerium
Unlocks: Blaster Rocket Launcher