The Blaster Rifle and Plasma Cannon occupy the S-tier of Dan the Man's weapon roster. Both offer ranged damage that lets you fight safely from a distance, but they function very differently and excel in different situations. Understanding their nuances will dramatically improve your runs.
Blaster Rifle: The Workhorse
The Blaster Rifle fires energy bolts at a steady rate with good accuracy. 30 shots per pickup. Each shot deals moderate damage — roughly equivalent to one of Dan's medium punches. The key advantages are range (you can hit enemies from across the screen) and safety (you can damage while retreating).
Ammo efficiency: Each shot matters. Do not hold down the fire button — tap-fire single shots at enemies. The rifle has no recoil penalty for rapid fire, but single shots ensure you do not waste ammo on already-dead enemies or miss into the air. A disciplined trigger finger effectively doubles your ammo pool.
Best matchups: The Blaster Rifle excels against the Shadow Ninja (hard to hit with melee), archers and gunners (you outrange them), and the final phase of King Toad (dangerous to approach). It is adequate against anything but not exceptional — the rifle's versatility is its strength.
Plasma Cannon: The Boss Deleter
The Plasma Cannon fires a continuous energy beam that pierces all enemies and deals the highest DPS in the game. Each pickup provides roughly 8 seconds of continuous fire. The beam is screen-wide, hitting everything in a straight line from Dan to the edge of the screen.
Usage discipline: The Plasma Cannon is too rare and too powerful to waste. Never use it on regular enemies. Save it exclusively for bosses. Against The Overlord, a full Plasma Cannon charge can deal 35-40% of the boss's health bar before depleting. That is the difference between a hard fight and an easy one.
Optimal boss use: Activate the Plasma Cannon at the start of a boss's recovery window (after they finish an attack sequence). Hold the beam on the boss for the entire recovery window, then release when the boss begins their next attack. This maximizes damage per ammo unit — you deal full damage during the window and waste zero ammo while dodging.
The Plasma Cannon's beam hits enemies behind you as well if they are in the beam's path. You can position yourself with enemies on both sides and hit them all with a single continuous beam. This is devastating in Survival Mode when surrounded.
When to Use Each
| Situation | Best Weapon | Why |
|---|---|---|
| General stage clearing | Neither — save ammo | Waste of limited resources |
| Boss fight | Plasma Cannon > Blaster Rifle | Plasma if available; rifle as backup |
| Mixed enemy crowd | Blaster Rifle | Sustained fire for sustained threats |
| Single elite enemy | Neither | Use special move instead |
| Survival Mode wave 30+ | Blaster Rifle | Sustained safe damage over burst |
| Boss Rush final boss | Plasma Cannon | Save it for this exact moment |