Mass Driver

Mass Driver is a long-range item transport building that collects a batch of items and fires them as a projectile to another Mass Driver within range. It transfers items in grouped batches of between 10 and 120 items and will always wait for at least ten items before firing. A single Mass Driver can fire a batch every 3.33 seconds (fire rate 0.3/s), giving an effective theoretical maximum throughput of 36 items/sec per driver when assuming no recoil or travel-time losses. The projectile itself travels at 41.25 tiles/second, has a fixed damage of 75, and can interact with map properties to produce explosion, fire, or electricity effects depending on the item being transported.

Mass Drivers have a range of 55 tiles and consume 105 power per second while rotating or firing; a Mass Driver that is already pointed at its receiver can accept and output items without needing power. Multiple Mass Drivers may target the same receiver, but a Mass Driver will accept at most one incoming batch every 3.33 seconds regardless of how many senders target it. Because the system is batch-based, throughput is limited by the busiest Mass Driver in a chain; branching sending chains can mitigate this bottleneck.

The Mass Driver projectile can be intercepted. It is stopped by enemy units, Segment blocks, force fields, and point-defense systems; when intercepted or otherwise despawned the projectile deals 75 damage to the intercepting entity and all items inside the bolt are destroyed. The projectile is not blocked by ordinary solid blocks. This vulnerability means flying or ground units, defensive shields, and point-defense emplacements can be used to disrupt long-range supply lines that rely on Mass Drivers.

To configure a Mass Driver’s destination, select a Mass Driver and click another Mass Driver within range; clicking the source again or clicking its current destination removes the link. A fixed receiving Mass Driver does not require power to accept incoming batches, since power is only required to change the turret’s facing and to fire.

Practical notes and strategies:

• Because batches are large, use Mass Drivers where buffering and large, intermittent transfers are acceptable (for example moving ores to a distant base or stockpiling supplies).
• To maximize sustained throughput, avoid having a single receiver become the choke point; split flows into multiple receivers or stagger sending times.
• Protect Mass Driver bolts from interception by routing shots through safe corridors, clearing enemy units and point defenses along the flight path, or using intermediary receivers to shorten exposed flight distance.
• Remember that when a bolt is destroyed the items inside are lost, so use Mass Drivers mainly for expendable or bulk resources rather than unique, irreplaceable items.
• Take advantage of the projectile’s damage when needed; a well-aimed batch can damage or destroy small enemy concentrations while delivering items.