The Combuster (spelled as Combustor in PAL regions) is a weapon in Tools of Destruction, Quest for Booty, All 4 One, Full Frontal Assault, Ratchet & Clank (2016 game), and Ratchet & Clank (movie). Manufactured by GrummelNet Industries,[1] it is a blaster with a medium rate of fire that fires high-velocity blasts of superheated plasma.
The Combuster can be upgraded with use to the Magma Combuster in Tools of Destruction and Quest for Booty, the Alpha Combuster in Full Frontal Assault, or the Magmabuster in Ratchet & Clank 2016. In challenge mode, it can be upgraded to the Omega Magma Combuster or Omega Magmabuster. For 30,000 bolts in All 4 One, the Combuster can be upgraded to the Elite Combuster. Combust Turrets can also be created in Full Frontal Assault.
History[]
The Magma Combuster was marketed as being useful for "resolving minor automotive disputes", "lighting barbecues", and "spreading democracy to third world galaxies", with a note that GrummelNet was not legally liable to provide an exit strategy for said conflicts.[2]
Ratchet acquired a Combuster sometime before Tools of Destruction, and used the weapon throughout the Polaris Galaxy in his battles against Emperor Tachyon's Imperial Army and the robot space pirates.
In All 4 One, the Combuster was referred to as a police blaster, being a weapon commonly used by law enforcement. President Qwark's failed Friendship Through Firepower Initiative distributed free recycled Combusters to citizens from weapon kiosks for protection. Upon completing a very brief training program, participants were certified to carry a weapon inside city limits.
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The Combuster as it appears in the 2016 movie.
In the Ratchet & Clank movie, the Combuster was a choice weapon in the Galactic Rangers' arsenal, used by the Solana troopers and also Alonzo Drek's warbots. In the movie, Ratchet was granted the weapon as part of his Galactic Ranger training on Kerwan, where it was designated as "Ranger weapon ID 15943". In Qwark's retelling of events, Ratchet obtained a Combuster from a blarg weapons crate.
Characteristics[]
The Combuster, upgrading.
The Combuster is a small, yellow and black pistol with a red node behind it, firing high-velocity plasma balls.[3] The Magma Combuster is a larger, bulkier carbine with three different barrels identical to the basic Combuster that fire radioactive superheated plasma balls,[2] and is held by Ratchet with a left-hand grip and trigger. The Elite Combuster, Alpha Combuster and Magmabuster, however, are simply pistols still held in one hand with three barrels.
In All 4 One and Full Frontal Assalt, the red node on the back of the gun is instead green.
Gameplay[]
Overview[]
In all of its appearances, the Combuster is an all-purpose weapon initially useful against most targets. Its rate of fire is lower than previous pistols, but it can be effective in dealing damage to medium and larger targets fought early on. However, it eventually becomes greatly outclassed by other weapons acquired later in the game (in Tools of Destruction, for instance, its damage is practically obsolete by the time the player reaches Ardolis). At this point, the Combuster transitions from an all-purpose weapon to primarily useful against large mobs of smaller enemies, although it is often still outclassed even in these cases.
Tools of Destruction[]
Ratchet using the Combuster.
The Combuster is one of two weapons possessed at the very beginning of the game, the other being the Fusion Grenade. In its initial use, the Combuster is better used against single targets, while the Fusion Grenade, with more limited ammo, is better against mobs. With each upgrade the weapon gains 20% extra damage, until it upgrades into the Magma Combuster at V5. This grants two additional bullets, making it more useful against groups rather than single targets.
There are several raritanium upgrades: Longer range, Faster shooting, More damage, and More raritanium. Its special upgrade is Pyrocidic Precipitation, which lets the sparks that land on the ground after a hit stick around and burn enemies for 33% of your total damage. At V3 and V4 the amount of sparks is doubled, except for V5 and onwards, because of the triple bullet output. Pyrocidic Precipitation combined with the Magma Combustor's bullet spread allows for a quick and easy way to force a weak level of arena denial onto enemies.
In challenge mode, it can upgrade to the Omega Magma Combuster for 5,500,000 bolts.
Quest for Booty[]
The Combuster is available at the beginning of Quest for Booty at V3, but is lost in the Azorean Sea when Rusty Pete launches Ratchet and Talwyn to Hoolefar Island. Rusty Pete later returns the Combuster and Fusion Grenade to Ratchet after resurrecting Captain Slag and Captain Darkwater in the Morrow Caverns during "Escape Morrow Caverns". It still upgrades to the Magma Combuster.
The Pyrocidic Precipitation upgrade is found in Morrow Caverns right before fighting a pythor and rescuing Talwyn at the end of "Escape Morrow Caverns", close to the entrance. Ratchet has to turn left and blow down a gate with a Fusion Grenade, knock down or blow up the wall of metal crates, behind which the upgrade is located.
All 4 One[]
The Combuster in All 4 One.
The Combuster is a mandatory purchase acquired from a Friendship Through Firepower Initiative weapon kiosk, during the Rooftop Amphitheatre segment of Luminopolis. It becomes available to upgrade with bolts upon reaching the Outside Receiving Station segment of the Aldaros Plains.
If Ratchet, Clank, Captain Qwark, and Dr. Nefarious fire their Combusters at the same target, it brings a powerful blow and the heroes are awarded a damage bonus. The Combuster is not upgraded with use, but its ammo can be upgraded for 5,000 bolts, and its power for 10,000 bolts. After purchasing the ammo and power upgrades, the Combuster can receive an elite upgrade for 30,000 bolts. Upon being upgraded to the Elite Combuster, the gun acquires two additional barrels, allowing three shots to be fired at once.
Full Frontal Assault[]
The Combuster is obtained by collecting it from weapon pods. With use, it upgrades to the Alpha Combuster at level 3, which functions similarly to the Magma Combuster but stays as a pistol rather than becoming a carbine rifle.
Ratchet & Clank (2016 game)[]
Ratchet using the Magmabuster against horny toads.
The weapon is obtained by Ratchet on Veldin shortly after finding Clank in "Return to the garage". The weapon can be upgraded four times to the Magmabuster with use, and with raritanium from Gadgetron vendors. In challenge mode, the Omega Magmabuster is available for purchase, costing 130,000 bolts, once all the Combuster holocard set is obtained. The set consisted of the Blaster, Combuster, and Dual Vipers holocards.
Two raritanium ammo upgrades grant 50 additional ammo per upgrade, sixteen rate of fire upgrades improve the rate of fire by +10% each upgrade, and seven bonus bolts upgrades improve the bolts earned by +5% each upgrade. Four mystery upgrades are available by unlocking surrounding upgrades: the BOGO Plasma in the middle increased ammo dropped from crates; the Heavy Plasma found on the left knocked back opponents; the Stable Plasma on the right grants extra range; and the Prism Facets upgrade available on upgrading to the Omega Magmabuster fired two extra bullets per shot. The player should prioritize rate of fire and ammo upgrades.
Rift Apart[]
Ratchet briefly using a theme park Combuster.
The Combuster is only seen and used once, very briefly in Rift Apart. Whilst completing the pirate trials at Skull Mountain on planet Ardolis to reach Captain Quantum, Ratchet will become automatically equipped with it when he enters the pirate shanty room, and its shots are used only to hit the animatronic pirates in the correct order. The weapon however does not function like in other appearances, and only fires a small blue sparking projectile.
Behind the scenes[]
In early demos of All 4 One, a different weapon, known as the "blaster", initially took the Combuster's place.
In All 4 One and Full Frontal Assault, it uses the same icon as the Constructo Pistol.
A glitch can occur in the PC version of Rift Apart, allowing the player to level up the theme park Combuster by shooting puffoids at the end of the third pirate trial. Strangely, the weapon has a base damage of one, while upgrades cost 1xp, eventually resulting in an 'Invalid' weapon, which is a placeholder for the Magmabuster upon reaching level 5.
Notes[]
- ā Although the game says 71, the actual damage per bullet is 31 due to the tripled output.