Sir We Have an Orc Problem Laser Turret - Sir, We Have an Orc Problem

What the Laser turret does

The Laser is the fifth buildable turret in Sir, We Have an Orc Problem, unlocked deeper in the meta tree than Gunner, Flamethrower, Mortar, or Cannon. Steam store copy advertises bullets, bombs, and lasers alongside the horde fantasy, and launch-week guides consistently point to Lasers as the mid-game piece that cracks stage 3.2 when raw Gunner stats stop keeping pace with per-level orc speed.

Lasers deliver sustained beam damage along a line or cone depending on your placement arc - similar sweep controls to Gunners and Flamethrowers. They excel at penetrating dense streams already softened by burn, turning a compressed kill box into a deletion lane. They do not replace Flamethrower softening; they punish orcs that survived fire long enough to stack.

This page covers unlock timing, placement behind chokes, upgrade order, and how Lasers fit the Turret Tier List once you hit the 3.2 wall described in Campaign Maps.

Why Lasers matter at stage 3.2

Stage 3.2 is the first major community difficulty spike. The June 12 demo patch made orc move speed increase per level, so layouts that held 3.1 leak on 3.2 even when Gunner DPS barely changed. Forum advice and third-party launch guides converge on the same fix: farm earlier maps for crystals, then unlock Lasers before pushing 3.2 again.

Without Lasers, players grind the same underpowered layout or chase tiny damage crumbs that never outscale velocity. With Lasers online, mid-path beam coverage deletes compressed clumps that Mortars alone cannot catch in time. Treat the Laser unlock as a progression milestone, not an optional luxury node.

Pair this section with Beat Hard Levels, Meta Farming Runs, and Level 3 Walkthrough when you stall.

Unlock and upgrade path

Laser nodes sit mid-to-deep in the combat branch. Recommended order:

1. Laser unlock - stop pushing 3.2 until this is purchased.
2. Maximum Laser count - second beam line often beats incremental damage on a single turret.
3. Beam damage and duration - strong once placement covers the full stream.
4. Partner tower caps - Flamethrower fronts and Mortar lobs still required for full coverage.
5. Economy payout nodes - fund retries while tuning arcs.

Follow Upgrade Priority for a tree-wide spending path. Lasers compete with ability cooldown nodes; if 3.2 leaks are speed-based, prioritize Laser unlock over orbital tools. If leaks are ability-empty on 6.1, shift budget toward Bombing Runs per Late-Game Walkthrough.

Placement: beam through the kill box

Lasers reward the same geometry as Cannons but with continuous pressure instead of burst:

• Place beams behind forward Flamethrowers so every orc is pre-weakened.
• Aim through the densest segment of the choke, not the widest open field.
• Use drag to re-aim during build phase - the same control as Gunner sweep arcs (Controls).
• Right-click removes misaligned segments before you start the wave.

On split-path maps, one Laser per major lane beats one maxed Laser on a diagonal that misses half the stream. Read Turret Arcs and Placement for cone overlap rules.

Laser versus other turrets

Situation	Prefer
3.2 speed wall, compressed funnel	Laser + Flamethrower front
Open spawn, no natural choke	Mortar + Gunner until chokes form
Heavy single targets after burn	Cannon burst finish
Leak cleanup between ability cooldowns	Gunner nest

Lasers sit A tier on the Turret Tier List for mid-campaign maps and rise toward S on funnel-heavy 3.x and 4.x stages once unlocked. They drop toward B on wide maps where orcs never compress - same rule as Flamethrowers.

Common mistakes

• Pushing 3.2 repeatedly without Laser unlock, blaming placement
• Placing Lasers forward without burn softening - beams tick but orcs leak too fast
• Buying Laser damage before a second beam slot
• Ignoring Damage Statistics and guessing which line carries
• Surrendering farm runs and skipping flat Bonus Resources payout

Synergy with abilities

Lasers handle sustained DPS; abilities handle spikes. Fire Bombing Runs into a Laser-thinned stack at the choke, not into trickle leaks the beam already covers. Orbital lasers and turret Lasers stack visually and mechanically on late maps - plan cooldowns so you do not empty every tool in the first thirty seconds.

Demo versus full release

Demo players may not reach Laser unlock before demo caps end. Full release adds deeper tree branches and maps that assume mid-game beam coverage. If you imported demo habits - surrender farming, static Gunner lines - reset expectations at 3.2 and read Demo vs Full Game.

Related pages

• Turrets Hub - all five towers overview
• Turret Tier List - Laser tier context
• Campaign Maps - 3.2 and 6.1 walls
• Upgrade Priority - when to buy Laser unlock
• Flamethrower - softening partner
• Level 3 Walkthrough - first pivot before 3.2