Large Laser

"Laser" stands for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation", or a device that emits an amplified, contiguous beam of light onto a small surface area. Lasers cause damage by firing an intense beam of light at a target, flooding concentrated energy in the form of heat, which can melt material and overwhelm heat-sensitive electronics. The Large Laser differs from its smaller cousins by being a gamma-ray laser firing a much more powerful beam, allowing it to reach to further ranges and cause more damage. However, the increased bulk and heat generation limits the weapon to ground vehicles, aircraft, and BattleMechs. The type was first introduced by the Terran Hegemony in 2306.

Models
The Large Laser is manufactured on the following planets:

Amdecker 300
The Amdecker 300 was one of the less well-known brands of Large Laser produced during the Star League era. Though noted as a highly accurate weapon, numerous Rotunda drivers claim it also generates waste heat unpredictably, complicating monitoring and adequately venting it. If not properly managed, the heat can damage the Amdecker 300 and its mountings forcing early maintenance, a situation made worse by the fact some technicians have difficulty repairing the weapon.

Cyclops Eye
Developed towards the end of the Third Succession War primarily for the Drillson Heavy Hover Tank, the Cyclops Eye was an unconventional design. While most Succession Wars era heavy lasers feature vulnerable long barrels and focusing mirrors, this system needed only a small, slit-like emitter. This was a result of the system's use of a unique combination of laser and particle beam technology.

Instead of firing beam of light or a stream of particles, the Cyclops Eye used a combination of both to produce a beam of significant penetrating power. The effect of this weapon is comparable to the large laser systems produced by Diverse Optics or Martell. The Cyclops Eye is less vulnerable to damage than a conventional system, and is also easier to maintain and manufacture.

Lushann Redbeam
Due to the design engineers focusing on the Redbeam's ability to withstand damage and maintain effectiveness, the Lushann Redbeam is larger in size and more unwieldy than others in the same class. This, in the opinion of the authors of StarCorps Industries' Notable Players report, makes it more appropriate to heavy tanks than more mobile BattleMechs.

Like all Lushann manufactured lasers, each Lushann Redbeam is inspected mechanically three times, checked over twice by hand, and tested on both an indoor and outdoor firing range before being released for shipping, a testament to the company's reputation for good quality weaponry.

Magna Mk III
The Magna Mk III is known (when mounted on a Katana) to emit emerald colored beams.

Nightwind
An old but extremely reliable weapon, all of the Nightwind's components are battle-tested and quite sturdy, but are so bulky that it is one of the largest military lasers ever built. As a testament to the Nightwind's robustness, on the Wyvern a pair of Starflash Small Lasers are able to draw power directly from the Nightwind's primary feed without any loss in efficiency for any of the weapons.

Thunderbolt A5M
Developed by Defiance Industries for the Zeus, the Defiance Thunderbolt A5M Large Laser is an extremely compact weapon. Limited by the available space on chassis of the Zeus, Defiance used their increasingly rare knowledge of fiber optics to dispense with the typical bulky barrel common to most other Large Lasers to design a smaller though no less effective weapon.

Though Defiance was one of the few manufacturers who had the knowledge to work with fiber optics during the Succession Wars era, by the Third Succession War even they were concerned the Thunderbolt A5M would join the ranks of LosTech as the conflict dragged on as the weapon's production rate began to slow due to its complexity.