Laser Rifle (Fallout 3)

This model of Laser Rifle is used by the Brotherhood of Steel and the Enclave in Fallout 3 instead of the Wattz 2000 Laser Rifle used in previous Fallout games. The AER9 was not considered cutting-edge technology before the war, being an older model than the state-of-the-art AER 12, used in a handful of specialty units. The redeeming feature of the AER9 was its reliability - the focusing crystal array was housed in a titanium casing, rather than the gold alloys used in later models, which allowed it to withstand years of exposure to the environment without loss in array focus.

As with all energy weapons, the AER9 can suffer from poor performance if not properly maintained. The crystal arrays and non-mechanical components are delicate and if not properly serviced can lead to a loss of beam intensity, overheating, and energy regulation failure. Given that laser weapons were still in their infancy as regular military weapons, parts can be hard to come by in the wasteland

In combat, the Laser Rifle is an exceptional weapon. It performs admirably at medium and long ranges where its accurate semi-automatic fire combined with its large ammo capacity make short work of most opponents. However, its semi-automatic nature prevents it from being a viable close quarters combat weapon. As such, the Laser Rifle is a good weapon for traveling through the open wastelands when dispatching enemies at a distance is a frequent opportunity. Although its damage output is comparable to the the .32 caliber Hunting Rifle and lower than the .308 caliber Sniper Rifle, its rapid semi-automatic action more than makes up for this deficiency.

Curiously, a deadly critical hit from this weapon will not only kill enemies, but turn them into a pile of sparkling ashes, something lasers generally don't do at all. Note that the Brotherhood and the Enclave both use these rifles, however, Enclave Forces also field Plasma Rifles alongside the AER9.

Custom versions
There is one custom laser rifle available in Fallout 3:


 * Wazer Wifle

Trivia
On the barrel, there is a warning: "Caution: laser radiation". It's also rated as a "Class 6" laser, which may be a subtle nod to the FDA's rating system, which currently rates the strongest industrial lasers as "Class 4".