All 6 blasters in Squad Rush and what golden boxes do
Squad Rush has six blasters. You pick your starting blaster in the Workshop: Pulse, Spread or Rapid. Three more come from golden boxes on the road: Rockets, Flame and Laser. Golden boxes also make every shot stronger for the rest of the stage.
The six blasters
| Blaster | Where you get it | What it is good at |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse | You start with it | A steady, all-round blaster |
| Spread | Workshop, after you finish stage 3 | Shots fan out into three |
| Rapid | Workshop, after you finish stage 6, and golden RAPID boxes in stage 1 | Fires very fast |
| Rockets | Golden ROCKETS boxes | Slow, but each rocket blasts a whole group |
| Flame | Golden FLAME boxes | Very strong, but only reaches a short way |
| Laser | Golden LASER boxes | Fast shots that go through shields and whole rows of robots |
On screen, the blaster you hold shows with its power, like "Rapid +40%". The box blasters have short reminders: "Rockets · hit a group", "Flame · short reach" and "Laser · goes through".
How strong is each blaster?
The game does not show these numbers. They come from the game's own code and compare each blaster with Pulse. "Power" means how much damage one squad member deals each second when every shot hits.
| Blaster | Shots each second (per squad member) | Power (Pulse = 100) | Reach | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulse | 7.5 | 100 | Long | None |
| Spread | 6 bursts of 3 | 132 | Long | Three shots fan out, so not all hit one robot |
| Rapid | 12 | 128 | Long | Steady stream of small shots |
| Rockets | 2.5 | 120 | Long | Each hit also hurts robots close by |
| Flame | 15 bursts of 3 | 300 | Short, about a quarter of the others | Can't reach the big bot |
| Laser | 3.3 | 124 for each robot it hits | Longest | Goes through up to 8 robots, full damage on shields |
What this means for you:
- Flame is the strongest by far up close, which is great against a robot crowd rushing at the door.
- Laser is the best against shield robots and armoured robots, because it ignores their shields.
- Rockets shine when robots come in a group.
- Spread and Rapid are both a little stronger than Pulse. Spread is better when robots are spread out; Rapid is better at one target, like a big bot.
What does a golden box do?
Golden boxes are gold shapes floating above the middle of the road, with a sign that says which blaster is inside. Run through one and four things happen:
- Your squad switches to that blaster.
- That blaster joins your list for this run, so you can switch to it with C, X or Weapon.
- Every shot gets +40% power for the rest of the stage. The second box adds another 40%, to +80%.
- A POWER BOOST · 10 seconds starts: for ten seconds, every shot is half again as strong.
You also get 10 coins. Each stage has two golden boxes, both in the middle of the road. Steer back to the middle in time to grab them.
The power from boxes lasts only for this run. When you start a stage again, it is gone. Workshop upgrades stay for good.
Which golden box is in which stage?
Both boxes in a stage hold the same blaster.
| Stage | Golden boxes |
|---|---|
| 1 First Light | RAPID |
| 2 Open the Road | ROCKETS |
| 3 Across the Greenway | FLAME |
| 4 The Greenway Warden | LASER |
| 5 Into Sunstone | ROCKETS |
| 6 The Long Convoy | FLAME |
| 7 Hold the Pass | LASER |
| 8 Sunstone Stronghold | ROCKETS |
| 9 Cold Front | FLAME |
| 10 Whiteout Rescue | LASER |
| 11 The Last Crossing | ROCKETS |
| 12 Heart of Frostline | FLAME |
More about each stage is on all 12 stages.
How do you switch blasters?
Press C, X on a controller, or the Weapon button. The button appears as soon as you have two blasters in this run. Each press picks the next blaster in your list, and then it starts again from the first.
Your starting blaster is always in the list, so you can always go back to it.
Why did my blaster change at the big bot?
Flame only reaches a short way, and the big bot stands further back than that. If you hold Flame when the big bot fight starts, the game switches you to another blaster you have and says "Boss ahead · ranged weapon ready". If Flame is your only box blaster, you go back to your starting blaster. See how to beat every big bot.
Pick your starting blaster in the Workshop
In the Workshop, under Blaster, press Pulse, Spread or Rapid. The one you picked has a dot. A blaster you can't use yet says "Finish stage 3" or "Finish stage 6". Your pick is saved and you start every stage with it.
| Starting blaster | Try it when |
|---|---|
| Pulse | You are just starting out |
| Spread | Robots come from many sides, or you want gate numbers to grow while you weave |
| Rapid | You want the most damage on one target, like the big bot |
The Workshop also sells Stronger blasters, which makes every blaster hit harder. See the Workshop, coins and stars.
Shields and armour
Some robots are harder to hurt. The game's help says: "Shield robots are tough from the front. Hit them from the side, or switch blasters."
| Robot | Pulse, Spread, Rapid, Rockets, Flame | Laser |
|---|---|---|
| Normal robot | Full damage | Full damage |
| Armoured robot on the road | About two thirds | Full damage |
| Shield robot, hit from the side | About two thirds | Full damage |
| Shield robot, hit from straight in front | One fifth | Full damage |
So against shield robots, either steer a little to the side or switch to Laser. More on robots in robots, crates and red lanes.
See also
- Advanced tips: the best blaster for each job.
- Number gates and squad size: more power raises gate numbers faster.
- Doors, rescues, convoys and last stands: a perfect door also gives a power boost.
- Back to the Squad Rush guide, or play Squad Rush.
