XPML21 Rocket Launcher

Production information

Type

Experimental rocket launcher

Affiliation

Earth Defense Force

Technical specifications

Ammunition type

150mm Inferno missiles

Maximum ammunition

50 rockets (Normal and Hard)
75 rockets (SS3 Tourist and Easy)
100 rockets (other difficulties)

Damage

100 (rocket direct impact)
0-50 (Rocket blast radius)

Rate of fire

85 RPM

Projectile speed
Medium-fast

Recoil
Low-medium (SS3)

Accuracy	Range
Varies	Medium to long

Usage

Used by

Sam Stone

Counterparts

XPML30 Rocket Launcher

"Who needs a vacation, when you've got a rocket launcher?"

―Sam Stone^[src]

The XPMl21 Rocket Launcher is an experimental rocket launcher that appears in several Serious Sam games, including Serious Sam 1, Serious Sam HD, and Serious Sam 3: BFE.

Overview

The XPML21 is designed to provide infantry forces with a fast firing rate of anti-armor rockets. The weapon has an advanced loading mechanism that is capable of firing up to 85 missiles/min. Its advanced loading mechanism fires up to 85 unguided self-propelled 150 mm Inferno rockets per minute. It fires slow rockets at a decent rate of fire without having to be reloaded and every time the fire key is pressed. Rockets will continue to be fired if the player holds down the fire key. When the fire key is held down, the rocket launcher has a high rate of fire. Rockets fired by the rocket launcher will go straight until they hit something. They are quite slow however, and cannot lock onto targets.

The rocket launcher returns in Serious Sam 3: BFE, with a new design and firing sounds. The loading mechanism is also a lot different than in previous games.

In Serious Sam: The First Encounter, the rocket launcher first appears in Valley of the Kings, but can be obtained earlier in Temple of Hatshepsut as a secret, along with rockets. In Serious Sam: The Second Encounter, there are 3 rocket launchers that appear in Sierra de Chiapas, two of which can only be found as secrets. In Serious Sam 3: BFE, the XPML21 is first obtained in No Place to Hide, either normally or via secrets. It is used at this point to take down the pursuing Technopolip that initially appears in this level. It can also be obtained via a secret in Summer in Cairo.

Tactics

Serious Sam 1

The rocket launcher is very useful against strong enemies, such as adult Arachnoids and Major Bio-mechanoids. It usually takes around five or so rockets to kill such enemies, and because it has a fairly fast rate of fire, getting that amount of rockets into the air quickly is easy.
Groups of weak enemies, such as the Beheaded Rocketeer, can easily be destroyed with this weapon. A rocket that targets the center of the group usually does the most damage because the splash damage from the rocket hits everybody around the victim, which is usually the rest of the group.
The rocket's slow speed makes it impractical to use at long range. However, if a target is too far away for a charged MK III Grenade Launcher shot to reach it, a volley of rockets will work, but it will take some time for the rockets to reach their destination.
The rocket launcher is not recommended against fast enemies that move left and right often, such as zig-zagging Kleers. The rocket's rather slow speed makes it very possible for the fast enemy to go past the rocket before it hits.
This weapon can be dangerous to use against enemies that try to get close to the player, such as Marsh Hoppers, if the player isn't careful. If an enemy gets close to the player while the player is firing or just after a rocket has been fired, the player will suffer significant damage because of the splash damage from the rocket.

Serious Sam 3: BFE

The rocket launcher is useful for clearing out groups of weak enemies quickly, such as hordes of Kleers and Juvenile Antaresian Spiders. The explosion radius damage can kill multiple weak enemies in one shot. To maximize its effect, a rocket should be aimed at an enemy towards the middle of the group if possible. The explosion from the rocket hitting the enemy will hit all of his buddies around him, doing more damage than a rocket to the first enemy in the group would do.
It is also handy against larger enemies, such as the Adult Arachnoid and Scrapjack. It does enough damage that it can kill them after a few hits, and its decent rate of fire and, as these enemies don't usually strafe, (with the exception of Adult Arachnoids) this ensures that it'll consistently hit enemies at any range.
It is a good jack-of-all-trades weapon later in the game. It does a high amount of damage per shot (especially if the rocket makes a direct impact), has a good rate of fire, and most importantly, its ammo is common thanks to Ammo Crates. These make it very effective against any enemy the game throws at the player in the last few levels.
It is the "weakest" out of all the weapons that can damage certain bosses, such as the Technopolip or the Khnum. It has a slower projectile speed than the AS-24 Devastator and does less damage than the C-4 Demolition Charge. However, it has a consistent rate of fire, which lets the player constantly damage the enemy without needing to be reloaded.

Related achievements

Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter

File:Rocket man.jpg

Rocket Man

Find all 3 Rocket Launchers in Palenque - Sierra de Chiapas.

Serious Sam Fusion

File:I love my rocket launcher.png

I love my Rocket Launcher

Kill 150 Enemies with the Rocket Launcher.

Behind the scenes

In Test 1 and beta screenshots, the XPML21 Rocket Launcher had a completely different model (as seen in the gallery).

Trivia

In Serious Sam 3 BFE, the rocket launcher causes knockback at certain angles even on Tourist difficulty where no damage or knockback is normally expected. This can be exploited to make long-range jumps (for speedruns). This is fixed in Serious Sam Fusion.