EM1

"Constant beam of directed energy. No ammunition but can overheat."

- 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", and is briefly seen in the armory showcase in "Atlas".

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 cool down 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 a hitscan once every frame. This can be seen by firing a sweep across a surface, revealing multiple "bullet" marks.

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 Pwner 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.

Exo Zombies
The EM1 appears in Exo Zombies. It is available via the 3D Printer. Unlike its campaign and Multiplayer counterpart, the EM1 does not have unlimited ammo. The ammo is gauged by percentage, similar to a Ripped Energy Turret. However, this means that the EM1 will never overheat.

Its effectiveness is highly debatable; the EM1's battery life lasts quite a long time and it does not need to be reloaded. However, the EM1 is unable to penetrate zombies, the damage dealt is very low compared to other weapons, and the mobility is low, which may force the use of Exo Soldier to be able to run while shooting. Past round 25, the EM1, even upgraded, is uncapable of dealing with crowds of zombies, which make other high capacity weapons (such as the Pytaek and the Ameli) better choices.

The EM1 gains a Hybrid Sight when it is upgraded to Mk 4.

Atttachments

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

Trivia

 * The EM1 - Quantum variant is listed as an "Enlisted" gun even though it is a permanent unlock.
 * On some variants, there appears to be three visible small blue canisters with cryocorp writing on them.
 * In Exo Zombies, the overheating sound can be heard while firing, despite the weapon never overheating.