EM1

"Constant beam of directed energy. No ammunition but can overheat. Best in class damage."

- In-game description.

The EM1 is a heavy directed-energy weapon in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.

Campaign
The EM1 is a starting weapon in the levels "Fission" and "Throttle". It is also found multiple times in the mission "Crash".

Multiplayer
The EM1 uses battery-powered technology, essentially providing an infinite amount of ammunition. Under prolonged fire, it can be overheated and cause a depletion of the battery, rendering it unusable for a short amount of time. The weapon can be manually vented before it overheats by pressing the reload button after firing. Otherwise, the battery will recharge quickly when not in use.

The EM1 can prove useful in many close to medium-range gunfights, however it can overheat very fast if fired for too long. To counter this weakness somewhat, though, is its extremely accurate hipfire reticle and virtually no spread, which can even be used at mid ranges. However, its damage profile is very low, and at long ranges, the recoil can greatly hinder accuracy. The key to the EM1 is to keep a constant beam on an enemy, which is far more effective than burst firing. This weapon can excel at any range as long as the shooter is accurate, and is very viable under many circumstances with the right attachments.

Foregrip can lower the recoil to more manageable levels, and is by far one of the most useful attachments. Heat sink increases time before it overheats, and is also extremely useful. Another useful attachment is stock, as the low damage can be remedied by the extra movement and accuracy. Optics are optional as some players may or may not find the sights obtrusive but it is recommended to not to equip one, freeing up an attachment slot for the above mentioned attachments.

Although the weapon appears to fire a constant beam, the game mechanics actually have it firing multiple hitscans very quickly. This can be seen by firing across a surface, revealing multiple "bullet" marks. After the recent update it got major damage increase.

Exo Survival
It also appears in Exo Survival. It costs 1 upgrade point, and is a default weapon of the Heavy Exo class. The regular EM1 is also used by enemy Beamers and the Quantum variant is used by Heavy Beamers.

Depending on the player's playstyle and preferences, it can be an effective weapon or not be. It has infinite ammo, but can still overheat, has low mobility, and low damage. The mobility problem is also stacked with the problems of low mobility and few abilities, which are problems that come with the Heavy Exo class. However, these problems can be fixed if the player uses the Light Exo or Specialist Exo classes and waits until they get the Weapons Free perk, then buy the EM1.

Atttachments

 * Red Dot Sight
 * Hybrid Sight
 * Auto Focus Sight
 * Target Enhancer
 * ACOG Scope
 * Foregrip
 * Stock
 * Tracker
 * Parabolic Microphone
 * Quickdraw Grip
 * Heat Sink

Supply Drop Variants

 * Pwner [Elite] (Damage +2, Mobility +1 , Accuracy -1 , Fire Rate -1 , Handling -1 ) (Purple Beam)
 * Polar Vortex [Elite] (Handling +2, Fire Rate +1 , Mobility -3 ) (Green Beam)
 * The End [Professional] (Range +2, Accuracy -1 , Handling -1 ) (Yellow Beam)
 * Sweet Dreams [Professional] (Integrated Target Enhancer, Accuracy +1 , Fire Rate -1 ) (Yellow Beam)
 * The Last Laugh [Professional] (Accuracy +2, Fire Rate -2 ) (Yellow Beam)
 * M-Coil [Enlisted] (Accuracy +1, Damage -1 ) (Blue Beam)
 * Magnified [Enlisted] (Range +1, Handling -1 ) (Blue Beam)
 * LEL [Enlisted] (Damage +1, Accuracy -1 ) (Blue Beam)
 * Dimension [Enlisted] (Mobility +1 ) (Blue Beam) [in-game stats also oddly state reserve mags -1]
 * Vera [Marksman (300 kills)] (Fire Rate +1, Range +1 , Damage -2 ) (Yellow Beam)
 * Quantum [Advanced Arsenal Pre-Order/Season Pass Bonus] (Cosmetic difference only) (Red Beam)

Trivia

 * The Polar Vortex variant appears to have an integrated Heat Sink, although this is purely cosmetic.
 * Unlike most weapons, the EM1 - Quantum variant is simply called the EM1 during gameplay, while it's called "EM1 - Quantum" still in the menus.