Laser Rifle (Fallout 3)

This model of Laser Rifle is used by the Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 3 instead of the Wattz 2000 Laser Rifle used in previous Fallout games.

The Laser Rifle is an exceptional ranged combat 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. Unfortunately, the Laser Rifle doesn't perform as well as other assault weapons at close range.

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.

A deadly critical hit from this weapon will not only kill enemies, but turn them into a pile of sparkling ashes. This can be searched like a normal corpse.

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".

Weapon Research Database File
Unlike many of the weapons in use today, the AER9 is actually not the top laser rifle that was in service at the time of the Great War. The model line went up to the state-of-the-art AER 12, which saw service in a handful of specialty units. The reason that the AER9 is much more commonly found is that it was much sturdier and more reliable than the models that followed.

The AER9 features a titanium housed crystal array which proved to withstand long years of exposure to the elements much better than the gold alloy housing of the later models. As a result, the crystal arrays stayed focused within operating parameters, rather than falling completely out of focus like the newer models.

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.

Against robots
It appears that robots have a weakness to laser weapons.