211-V Plasma Cutter
Weapon Information
Manufacturer:	Schofield Tools
Model:	211-V
Type:	Directed-energy mining tool
Cost:	Free
Technical Specifications
Ammunition	10 Plasma Energy Batteries
Damage (DMG):	10 (18 maximum)
Ammo Capacity (CLP):	20 Plasma Energy Batteries
Rate of Fire (SPD):	High
Effective Range:	Short-Medium
Secondary Fire:	Blade spins 90°
Weapon Parts
Upgrade circuits
Dead Space Requires 17 Power Nodes to fully upgrade.
Dead Space 2 Requires 18 Power Nodes to fully upgrade.

The 211-V Plasma Cutter, also referred to as the "Plasma Cutter" or simply "the Cutter", is a purpose-built, hand-portable mineral cutter manufactured by Schofield Tools. The Plasma Cutter is one of the miner's primary tools of trade, offering unrivaled reliability in even the most hostile of work environments.

Specifications

Design details

The Plasma Cutter delivers a cohesive pulse-stream or "bolt" of ionized plasma when fired. It is capable of firing bolts vertically (primary firing mode) and horizontally (secondary firing mode). The Plasma Cutter is very accurate, utilizing three blue lasers to indicate the desired cutting plane.

On impact with the target, bolt cohesion fails frontward first, penetrating the target with a focused jet of superheated matter. This causes intense localized shear effects as well as a tunneling thermal expansion. When used upon brittle, frozen rocks riddled with faults, it can split them open in one or two shots in skilled hands. Against pliable targets, however, impact will cause minimal damage and thermal expansion will not so much cut as stress the area around the impact site, sometimes requiring several consecutive hits with the non-upgraded tool. Still, when presented with a less than effective alternative against dense organic matter, the 211-V Plasma Cutter retains its utility.

Ammunition

Main article: Plasma Energy

The Plasma Cutter utilizes variable-capacity cartridges called Plasma Energy as its ammunition which is capable of cutting down hard, mineral laden rocks in mining operations. Though seeming to only contain stored energy in them, plasma is in fact highly ionized matter, so either the cartridge is a combination battery/plasma medium, or the Cutter itself contains a reservoir of usable material to carry the ion charge.

Plasma Energy for the Plasma Cutter can be purchased in the Store for 1,200 Credits for six rounds.

Gameplay

Variants

• Forged Plasma Cutter (+10% damage bonus, reload speed -5%)
• Agility Plasma Cutter (-5% reload speed, firing speed +5%)
• Heavy Damage Plasma Cutter (Increased Damage)
• Refurbished Plasma Cutter
• Astronaut Plasma Cutter
• Elite Plasma Cutter
• Obsidian Plasma Cutter
• Military Plasma Cutter
• Pedestrian Plasma Cutter
• Scorpion Plasma Cutter
• Speed Kills Plasma Cutter (Increased Speed)

Combat tips

• The Plasma Cutter is the player's staple weapon for the early parts of the game, and should be considered the player's trusty standby. It is recommended to keep at least a few spare full cartridges of ammunition (which consists of 25 rounds) or more for those situations where the player may run out of ammo for their other weapons. Keep the Plasma Cutter loaded and ready at all times.
• Using Stasis to slow down Necromorphs makes it easier to quickly use the Cutter to sever their limbs. While under stasis, attempt to dismember the arms rather than the legs as it can save ammo.
• The bolt fired from the Plasma Cutter travels almost instantly towards its target, making the Plasma Cutter useful for engaging far-off and/or fast-moving enemies such as Exploders, Slashers, and Twitchers. However, the ammunition delivers virtually no splash damage, making it ineffective against Swarmers.
• Being one of the most precise weapons in the game also requires that the handler be steady and in control when aiming it. Remain calm, and line up your shots because there is no such thing as an accidental hit.
• It's very useful against a Drag Tentacle, change your weapon as quickly as possible when faced with such.
• In Dead Space (mobile) it only requires 14 Power Nodes to fully upgrade, leaving a few of the blank spots open, making it one of the best weapons in the game. Its two firing modes, high capacity, quick firing speed, and quick reloading speed make it a great weapon (whether used with or without Stasis) to dismember almost any Necromorph.

Trivia

Gameplay

• Finishing the first Dead Space and using only the Plasma Cutter will earn the "One Gun" Trophy/Achievement. Those attempting to earn the achievement should use Stasis extensively in crowded situations as the Plasma Cutter is not a suitable weapon for crowd control, even when fully upgraded.
• In the first Dead Space, the crosshairs that the Plasma Cutter used would get larger or smaller when they came in contact with walls, the environment, and Necromorphs, probably to make the game more realistic and challenging. The crosshairs in Dead Space 2 are static to the center of the screen, though this can be changed in the options menu by switching the crosshairs from "Static", to "Classic".
• In Dead Space 2, it gains the ability to light enemies on fire once the "Special" upgrade slot has been filled. This effect seems to be far less noticeable when dismembering compared to shots to torsos/body.
• The Forged Plasma Cutter from the Dead Space 2 DLC is extremely useful on higher difficulty settings, as it's 10% higher damage (which comes out to 19.8 damage/shot on a fully upgraded model) allows Isaac to more easily dismember Necromorphs while using less ammo.
• In the PC and PS3 versions of Dead Space 2, the Plasma Cutter always resets to vertical mode when you die and go back to your checkpoint.
• The Plasma Cutter is one of the five secondary weapons in Dead Space 2's multiplayer. It serves as the default weapon.
• When fired at a deceased Enhanced Necromorph, it appears to leave behind a row of multiple holes (probably about less or more than 4). This means that the Plasma Cutter does not fire a singular bolt of plasma, but a series of plasma beams grouped together close enough to appear as a singular bolt. It would look something like this (+=laser sights, o=beam emitters): [+ooo+ooo+]

In other media

• The Plasma Cutter appears in Dead Space: Martyr, though it is implied to be much bigger than the Plasma Cutter in the games, as it takes two hands to operate and it weighs Altman down considerably when swimming, although this may be because it was an older version of the Plasma Cutter. Also it appears to have some sort of blade on it, like the Plasma Saw does.
• The Collector's Edition of Dead Space 2 comes with a comically small version of the Plasma Cutter with three LED lights to represent its trademark crosshair.

Miscellaneous

• Isaac is shown wielding the Plasma Cutter in most of the promotional material for Dead Space and Dead Space 2.
• With the damage upgrades maxed, the Plasma Cutter becomes a legitimate arc wielder, although not for traditional electricity, but plasma instead. If one looks to the left or right immediately after shooting they can see the trail from the gun all the way to the intended target is an arc of ionized energy. This is opposed to the Plasma Cutters default damage output, which is simply a bolt.
• The "blades" on the Plasma Cutter possibly function like spacers for the tools intended purpose, cutting minerals. This implies that the Plasma Cutter is probably used/handled like a nail gun, as in the cutter is intended to be placed/aimed directly on the material to be cut, and firing one plasma bolt into said surface. The cutters vertical and horizontal modes would allow the user to cut minerals without having to turn the entire tool 90 degrees.
• The old Plasma Cutter from the original Dead Space makes a return in Dead Space 2 going by the name of the "Refurbished Plasma Cutter" with the cost of 0 credits if Dead Space has been installed. You acquire it from the first Store you pass in game.
• A full-sized replica of the 211-V Plasma Cutter exists, it weighs 2.5 pounds and comes with its own carry case (it costs around $229.95), however its manufacturer is labeled as Timson Tools, instead of Shofield Tools, going so far as to say that Isaac Clarke uses the Timson Tools Plasma Cutter in Dead Space and Dead Space 2. Two possible reasons for this are that it is either a simple error, or that Timson Tools and Schofield Tools both manufacture the 211-V Plasma Cutter. If so, it is possible that both versions appear in the games and look so similar to each other that the player doesn't notice any differences between the two when they are equipped.
• If the player so desires, they may keep Isaac's "McGyvered" plasma cutter and the refurbished cutter by putting the makeshift cutter in the safe and equipping the refurbished cutter instead.
• The Plasma Cutter acquired by the player in Dead Space 2 is not an official tool, but jury-rigged by Isaac on the fly by combining a medical stationary tissue laser and his previously acquired Flashlight. This custom-built Plasma Cutter shares the same upgrade path as the "Refurbished Plasma Cutter"; upgrading one of the Plasma Cutter will affect the other.
• An older version of the Plasma Cutter required powering down before it could be switched to horizontal or vertical mode.^{[citation needed]}
• The real life plasma cutter, called a Plasma Torch is an electric cutting torch designed to cut metal. Depending on the torch, it needs to be plugged in to an AC or DC outlet (DC being the most common and most used), a stable work area, a minimum of two electrodes (DC version), and an air hose. They generate a lot of heat, and while cutting metal, they must be moved at a certain speed (moving the torch too fast results in the torch barely cutting the metal, moving too slow results in the torch cutting and welding the metal back together simultaneously).

The plasma cutter returns in dead space 3 but seems to have a ripper mounted under it

Gallery

DS2 version cobbled together from a flashlight and a surgical plasma cutter.

Agility Plasma Cutter with a matching Agility Advanced RIG

Forged Plasma Cutter with a matching Forged Engineering RIG

A Plasma Cutter poster aboard the USG Ishimura.

Disassembly view of the 211-V Plasma Cutter.

Isaac wielding the Plasma Cutter in Dead Space.

A holographic image of the Plasma Energy, the ammunition of the Plasma Cutter.

The "Tool Time" achievement/trophy

Disassembly view of the Plasma Cutter in Dead Space 2.

The Plasma Cutter collectible item for Dead Space 2.

Close-up of the Plasma Cutter.

Plasma energy

life size replica dead space 2 plasma cutter.

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Video

Dead Space PC Gameplay(04:02)
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Sources