The Plasma Coil is a weapon manufactured by MegaCorp in Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal. It is a long-range weapon which fires a bolt of plasma and electricity which damages both its target and shocks nearby enemies.
The Plasma Coil can be upgraded to the Plasma Storm with use, which fires a plasma bolt that shocks enemies within its range as it travels through the air. In challenge mode, can be upgraded to the Mega Plasma Storm.
History
Going Commando
The Plasma Coil was available for purchase from a vendor upon reaching Joba for 150,000 bolts. It could be upgraded to the Plasma Storm with use. For 750,000 bolts, the Mega Plasma Storm upgrade could be purchased from any MegaCorp vendor in challenge mode.
Up Your Arsenal
The Plasma Coil was available for 250,000 bolts (or for free if the player had a Going Commando save file) from Slim Cognito in Aquatos upon reaching Koros. It could also be upgraded to the Plasma Storm with use. In challenge mode, it could be upgraded to the Mega Plasma Storm for 820,000 bolts from any Gadgetron vendor.
Comic series
Artemis Zogg threatens Talwyn Apogee with a Tesla Coil
In the comic series, the Plasma Coil reappeared, known as the "Tesla Coil", and used by Artemis Zogg. In Ratchet & Clank: Issue 5: Multiple Organisms he threatened to kill Talwyn Apogee and Vorn Garblak with it, and later in Ratchet & Clank: Issue 6: Bros Before Foes, he threatened to kill Talwyn with it again. He planned to use it to kill Ratchet, but was stopped before he got the chance.
Characteristics
The Plasma Coil is a short, blue and silver pistol with three rotating holed claws on the end and a large electric nozzle. It fires blue blasts of plasma which shock enemies. The Plasma Storm is a rifle, with the same color scheme, larger claws with three holes, an even larger nozzle and a left-hand grip to be held with.
Combat
The Plasma Coil fired a ball of plasma which damaged targets on touch as well as anything in the vicinity of the plasma orb. It dealt large damage, and its ability to shock nearby enemies made it very powerful at defeating groups of larger enemies. Though it had limited ammunition, players could be efficient with it by aiming it against enemies closely together, maximizing the damage dealt with it. Its range also made it a viable substitute for the Pulse Rifle. Its range, strength and ability to shock multiple targets made it extremely useful in any circumstance.
The Plasma Storm was even greater than the Plasma Coil in damaging multiple targets at once, or damaging a single target for a greater amount. It could clear rooms of small to medium enemies with only a couple of blasts, and its power made it extremely useful against bosses. The Plasma Storm was arguably one of the most useful and strongest weapons in Going Commando aside from the very expensive RYNO II. It continued to be a very powerful weapon in Up Your Arsenal, though it was tied with the Decimator.
One often overlooked aspect of the weapon was that it only dealt damage against targets in the vicinity of the ball of plasma, and thus could not reach its full potential against a majority of enemies. Nonetheless, it could be achieved on targets where it was most desirable, primarily large, heavily armored and slow enemies. To achieve this, one had to aim the gun properly and ensure the ball directly impacted the intended target. If done correctly, it would keep pushing forward against its target, instead of flying away, ensuring even more continuous damage.
In Going Commando, the Plasma Coil could be modified with the acid mod and the lock-on mod. While the latter served little practical use, the former was very useful for the Plasma Coil and Plasma Storm due to their ability to spread their damage across multiple enemies, thereby applying the damage over time effect to multiple enemies. As the Plasma Storm was arguably the most useful and easily obtainable weapon in Going Commando, the player should choose to prioritise this mod for it.