Rocketry: Rockets, Launcher, and Turret Guide

Unlock Rocketry first, then set up the minimum production chain

If you want long-range firepower that can crack enemy bases, Rocketry is the point where your military starts to feel truly heavy. Start by researching Rocketry before you try to set up anything in this line, because it is the prerequisite for the rocket launcher and rocket turret path. The prerequisite list is not huge, but it does matter: you need Explosives, Flammables, and Military science pack before you can begin.

Once Rocketry is unlocked, build the ammo chain first and the weapon second. The bottleneck is simple: rockets consume Explosives and iron plate, while the rocket launcher itself also costs iron plate, iron gear wheel, and Electronic circuit. If you craft the launcher too early, you can end up with an expensive weapon and no shells to fire. That is exactly the kind of mistake that slows military expansion, so make sure your explosive production is stable and your iron supply is healthy before you commit.

Here is the core reference for the first step of the line:

Use that table as your production target: get rockets flowing first, then add launcher assembly once you know you can feed it. A small dedicated line is enough to start with, and you can scale later when you know how often you actually burn through ammo.

Choose the right rocket for the target you are fighting

Rockets are the common ammunition for the rocket launcher, rocket turret, and the spidertron, so once you start making them, you are also laying groundwork for later combat tools. Treat standard rockets as your harder single-target option. They have high range and damage, and they are perfect for attacking enemy buildings, which is exactly what you want when you are trying to clear a path through a base.

Explosive rockets are the other side of the choice. Make them when you want splash to do more of the work, especially against groups of enemies. Their total base damage is 150 versus 200 from a standard rocket, but 100 of that is splash, which makes them very effective when targets are packed together. That makes them the crowd-fighting option, not the raw-damage upgrade. If your goal is smashing structures, keep standard rockets in the mix; if your goal is punishing clustered enemies or clearing messy defenses, switch to explosive rockets.

If you want the unlock path in order, remember that explosive rockets are a later step in the line because they require Rocketry and military 3 through Explosive rocketry. For practical play, that means you should not wait for them before you begin using the rocket launcher. Start with standard rockets, then add explosive rockets when your military science and production can support the extra processing.

Avoid wasting expensive launcher ammo on the wrong fights

The rocket launcher is a strong weapon against enemy bases. It has long range and high damage, which makes it excellent for pushing into hostile territory where you need to reach structures before they can overwhelm you. Use that reach to your advantage: stay back, pick off dangerous buildings, and let the launcher do the expensive work only where expensive work is actually justified.

Do not default to using it against enemy creatures. The ammo is very expensive, and that cost makes it a poor trade when you are just clearing wildlife. Use cheaper tools for routine fighting and reserve rockets for the targets they are best at deleting. The rule is straightforward: if the problem is a nest, a wall of structures, or a defended base, rockets are worth it; if the problem is local resistance, save your ammunition.

That discipline matters even more once you begin scaling up. A launcher that is always firing at the wrong thing will consume your iron and Explosives faster than your factory can replace them. A launcher that is used selectively becomes one of the strongest answers to enemy infrastructure in the game.

Use the launcher as a stepping stone to your lategame arsenal

Do not think of the rocket launcher as a dead-end weapon. It is also used to create the versatile, lategame spidertron, so every launcher you build can be part of a bigger military plan. That makes the weapon line more valuable than a simple temporary upgrade: you are not just arming yourself now, you are preparing materials and components for later mobility and firepower.

This is why it pays to keep rocket production steady. The same ammunition family supports the rocket launcher, rocket turret, and the spidertron, so a healthy rocket supply benefits more than one part of your army. If you are planning ahead, think in terms of a sustained ammo pipeline rather than a one-time batch. That way, when you move on to heavier systems, you will not have to rebuild the whole supply chain from scratch.

Research Rocket Turret when you need stationary defense

When you are ready to turn the rocket family into base defense, research Rocket Turret. Its prerequisite list is more demanding: Rocketry, Carbon fiber, and stronger explosives 2, and its research cost expands into Automation science pack, Logistic science pack, Military science pack, Chemical science pack, Space science pack, and Agricultural science pack. In other words, this is not your early expansion turret; it is a later commitment for a more established factory.

Build toward Rocket Turret only after your rocket supply is stable, because the turret itself consumes four Rocket launcher, four Processing unit, twenty Carbon fiber, twenty Steel plate, and twenty Iron gear wheel. That is a serious investment, so treat each turret as a conversion of valuable launcher hardware into a fixed emplacement. It is meant to be carried, transferred, and placed by players or inserters, which makes it ideal when you want to set a defensive line and stop moving the weapon around by hand.

Use Rocket Turret when you need the rocket family turned into a stationary defensive emplacement. That is its real value: it lets you place heavy rocket fire where you need it most and leave it there. If you are just starting out with Rocketry, do not rush this step. If you already have reliable ammo production and you need stronger base defense, it becomes one of the best ways to put your investment to work.

Practical order to follow

1. Research Rocketry.
2. Set up Rockets and iron plate input first.
3. Add Explosives production and then build the Rocket launcher.
4. Produce explosive rockets once you want splash for grouped targets.
5. Keep rockets flowing for spidertron planning.
6. Move into Rocket Turret only after your late-game materials and ammo supply are stable.

If you follow that order, you will get the strongest return from Rocketry without wasting expensive ammo or building advanced gear before your production can support it.