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"These high-velocity saw blades cut through rock faces or extract samples with ease. Operators are warned against losing control of the blades, as ricochets can cause lethal damage."
—Tool description.[1]

Designed to hack and slice through solid rock, the RC-DS Remote Control Disc Ripper is an extremely dangerous tool. In less skilled hands, it's an accident waiting to happen, ejecting incredibly sharp diamond-coated tungsten blades at up to 17,000 RPM to cut through anything in front of it.

Operation[]

T UI Tutorial Wpn Ripper

Ripper design drawings.

The Ripper is a handheld cutting tool that launches a circular sawblade, which is attached to a miniature gravity tether. The Ripper's primary function launches a sawblade that hovers in front of the tool for a default 7 seconds prior to upgrades, while the secondary function ejects an un-tethered saw disc at high speed. Not only does the Ripper act as a shredder, but it can also act as a buffer between the player and approaching Necromorphs while in close quarters.

The Ripper primary fire, even when un-upgraded, is tremendously powerful and ammo efficient, as it deals constant damage to whatever the blade connects with.

The secondary function fires a single blade as a projectile that can slice through multiple enemies; although less ammo efficient than the primary fire, it is still effective at keeping groups of enemies at bay.

Location[]

  • In Dead Space, the Schematic is located in the Engineering Deck, next to the South Refueling Station.
  • In Dead Space 2, the Schematic can be found in Chapter 5, in the gravity control room. It is sitting atop some machinery against the wall.
  • In Dead Space (2023), the Ripper can be found in the Engineering deck like the first game, in the Machine Shop this time. After descending down the ramp from the entrance, the Ripper will lie by a corpse at the foot of the ramp.

Upgrade Parts[]

In the Remake, the Ripper has three Upgrade Parts that increase the number of times the secondary fire mode can ricochet off objects, with each part adding one ricochet each.

  • The Ricochet Tracer can be purchased from any Store for 11,000 Credits upon first picking up the Ripper.
  • The Deflecting Edge can be found in the room labeled "B. Andonov - Flow Supervisor", in the Flow Control hall in Hydroponics.

Variants[]

Combat Tips[]

General[]

  • The Ripper primary fire is one of the most ammo efficient weapons in the series, being able to kill enemies such as Slashers with just 1 or 2 blades.
    • Additionally, Ripper Blades drop in amounts of around 1-4, meaning if killed enemies drop them on death it is near guaranteed to at least be a refund of ammunition, and at best a net gain.
  • The secondary fire does more damage upon striking and can slice through multiple Necromorph limbs, so use it if using the primary fire would be too cumbersome.
    • Although the Ripper secondary fire is stronger than the primary fire, firing it without planning and thought will cause you to run out of ammo very quickly.
  • A single saw can cut the foot off of a Brute, if the player stays on target. A Ripper can also be handy against Dividers, Lurkers, and Leapers.
    • Although it can work against Guardians with the secondary fire, it is strongly advised NOT to use the primary fire against them, as it can cause Isaac to get to close resulting in an instant death.
      • Similarly, Exploders should not be taken on with the primary fire of the Ripper (unless you have very good blade control) since the close range puts Isaac at risk of taking damage from an exploding pustule.
  • The Ripper's best uses are in small corridors where the player doesn't have to move the reticle as much, as it can stun Necromorphs on contact allowing a second or two to take out their legs.
  • It should be noted that the tethered blade is lost if you take damage. Do not use the Ripper if there are Swarmers on you for this reason, as the blade will be launched and then instantly lost.
  • With stronger enemies, you can use the Ripper as a buffer to hold them at bay in emergencies. Needless to say, this works best in in places you can funnel enemies.

Dead Space[]

  • The Ripper can be difficult for newer players to handle; one must prevent the saw from passing an enemy, by constantly keeping the reticle on target. If one misses the target, simply aim down to retract the blade and re-aim at an enemy - the tether will retract back towards Isaac.
    • The low starting damage of the Ripper can also be an obstacle for some players, as it can be difficult to keep enemies at bay while firing the Ripper. However, if one upgrades the Ripper, it can become a valuable asset, mainly because of its low demand of ammunition.
    • Mastering the primary fire of the Ripper involves memorizing the distance the tethered blade floats in front of the Ripper so you can launch it as soon as a Necromorph steps within range of that distance.
  • With Kinesis, you can grab the used saw from secondary fire and redirect the blade, though you need to be quick, accurate, and have fully upgraded the Kinesis module for it to be effective.
    • The distance between the tethered blade and the Ripper can be adjusted by toggling Kinesis on and off, otherwise hitting close-up enemies involves directing the blade towards the floor and generally towards the Necromorph's feet.
    • A tactic that can be utilized for the Ripper with this method is to count its duration in your mind; when the time is nearly up that the blade is being wielded by Kinesis, you can shoot the blade to another enemy. Using this tactic can conserve your ammo.
  • Releasing primary fire after the disc is airborne will deactivate and ultimately waste the disc; however, this is handy if you need to switch to another weapon, if your target has moved away, or if you need to escape.
  • It is recommended as a supporting weapon when playing on the Impossible difficulty setting because of its ability to keep lots of ammunition that can be used effectively and discreetly as a back-up when out of primary ammo.
  • Twitchers are more than capable of sidestepping a tethered blade that has been hanging in front of them for a while - although this advantage disappears if you Stasis them first.
  • It is virtually useless against The Leviathan, as the primary fire is too short to sever the tentacles, and the secondary fire takes too long to hit the target areas (allowing the tentacle to move out of the way, or the mouth to close). Consider using a different weapon for that particular fight.
    • It is also a poor choice against Drag Tentacles, since its primary fire lacks the reach required to hit the "target" region, and its secondary fire doesn't put out enough damage to sever the tentacle on higher difficulties.
  • Unfortunately, it is very hard to target arms with primary fire even with stasis, and as such are better taken on with slicer fire.
  • Due to a programming bug, "random" ammo drops have a tendency to gravitate towards this weapon disproportionately; for example, if you are carrying a Contact Beam and an un-upgraded Ripper, you will find your inventory will generally fill up with too much Ripper ammo - leaving you without ammunition for the Contact Beam. Unless you plan on selling the excess ammo or decide to use the Ripper as your primary weapon, leave it in the safe.

Dead Space: Extraction[]

  • It is important to remember the distance you have your remote out; when you launch a blade, no matter how far your arm is extended, it will be at short to medium distance, meaning if you have your arm at full extension when you fire, you will have to move forward to move the blade forward. Try to bring the remote closer to you before you fire to allow you to move the blade freely without any struggle.
  • You can manipulate the Ripper blade in any way; you can twist the remote horizontally and vertically and the blade will respond as such. This can make it easier to adjust how the blade cuts enemies.

Dead Space 2[]

  • The Ripper's Primary fire can shred Necromorphs after they die, dropping their items without having to leave aim mode to stomp them. This is especially effective against The Pack, as it can retrieve the items from their bodies before they disappear.
  • During the School Fight, a useful tactic is to trigger the fight by stepping onstage, then moving to the small passage backstage, where the Pack will rush in. Given the small hallway and the one hit required to take down a Pack, it makes earning the Achievements/Trophy "Lawnmower Man" and "The Graduate" simple.
    • However, caution needs to be taken in case any stray crawlers come up to Isaac during this time.
  • If the Ripper receives all damage upgrades to 16 Pts, it will slice off the limbs of even Enhanced Necromorphs on Zealot difficulty instantly, in addition to stunning and pushing them backwards. With good blade control, this can make mincemeat of even large groups of Necromorphs with extremely little ammo usage, making it extremely powerful on higher difficult settings where ammo is scarce.
  • The Ripper has VERY short range in comparison to the Ripper in Dead Space. Take this into account when using it against enemies like Slashers and Pukers.
  • The secondary fire blade travels much faster than in Dead Space, making long range combat with the Ripper a bit easier.
  • The Ripper should not be used in the final boss since it can shift locations from anywhere to behind you very close. should you use it, it won't deal very high amounts of damage, and it will grab you even while it is in use. Consider switching to another weapon when in situations like this.
  • It should be noted that, while the Ripper in Dead Space had the highest drop rate for ammunition, the same cannot be said for Dead Space 2, where the ammo drops are very scarce and you will find yourself having to buy blades from the store, Ripper Blades being the third most expensive in the game.

Dead Space 3[]

  • Using a Rip Core is much simpler compared to the previous versions; one merely had to launch a blade to start the tool, the trigger can be released, and it would still continue to deal damage until it expires. This makes Rip Cores a good choice when one wants to use a close-range weapon such as a shotgun but doesn't want to get hit by nearby Necromorphs.
  • The Rip Core is one of the few tools that can be combined with a Rotator Cufflink, making it useful for cutting horizontally oriented limbs. 

Dead Space (2023)[]

  • The Ripper's primary fire can kill standard Necromorphs with a single blade and with a few damage upgrades, it can even make quick work of Enhanced Necromorphs. Combine that with ammo for the weapon has a very high drop rate and come in large quantities, this makes the Ripper the most ammo efficient tool in the game.
  • If one has good blade control, the Ripper can shred large groups of Necromorphs especially when upgraded without the need of Stasis while consuming little resources, making it very useful on harder difficulties when resources are more scarce.
  • Movement and positioning is very key in order to master the Ripper. A good tactic when dealing with large groups of Necromorphs is to back up while swaying the blade left and right to keep them at bay.
  • Having the Ripper on hand is very handy while backtracking to previously explored areas while completing side missions or unlocking security rooms. Should one get jumped by Necromorphs on the way, simply using the Ripper on them can make quick work of said Necromorphs without much hastle.
  • It is extremely dangerous to use the Ripper against Spitters and Exploders as the short range of the weapon can leave you vulnerable to the Exploder's pestule and the Spitter's vomit projectiles. If engaging them with this tool, consider putting this in Stasis first.
  • Due to the blade's extremely short range, the Ripper is an extremely poor choice in Zero G environments as the enemies encountered (usually Leapers and Lurkers) as enemies can dodge the blade with ease leaving Isaac vulnerable to other attacks. Consider switching to another weapon in this scenario.
  • Like in the original game, the Ripper is an extremely poor choice against Drag Tentacles and The Leviathan for the same reasons listed above.

Trivia[]

  • Curiously, when the Ripper is out of ammo, the player can clearly see that the Ripper holds another blade.
  • Aside from the standard 211-V Plasma Cutter, the Ripper is the only Dead Space 2 weapon to not have a damage boost conferred by any suit, barring the Elite Advanced Suit which provides a 10% DMG bonus to ALL weapons.
  • The Ripper, like the Force Gun and Seeker Rifle, has a rather strange "reloading" animation. Isaac bumps the lower blade holster once (Dead Space), pries open the blade holster and snaps it back shut (Dead Space 2 and Dead Space 3 compact frame) or simply pulling the ripcord (Dead Space 3 standard frame) during the weapon's "reloading" animation.
    • In Dead Space (mobile), reloading the Ripper oddly involves replacing the existing holstered Ripper blade with another one.
  • In Dead Space 2, Ripper Blades can actually be seen with teeth on them. They also seem to spin a bit slower than in Dead Space, although it doesn't affect the damage stats.
  • The Ripper is one of the few weapons to retain the functionality of both of its firing modes throughout all of its in-game appearances.
  • The Ripper seems to shrink with every subsequent game appearance. The Ripper in Dead Space 2, while maintaining its shape, appears noticeably smaller than the Dead Space version. The Dead Space 3 Ripper, due to its complete redesign, resembles a fan-shaped handgun more than the previous models, and is considerably smaller than the previous models.
    • Although the standard frame ripper in Dead Space 3 is around the same size as the Dead Space 2 ripper, it is not the type of weapon crafted when using the blueprint.
  • There is an odd glitch in Dead Space 2: Severed where using the secondary fire causes Gabe to start flailing with his arms during each shot. The primary fire is unaffected.
  • The schematic for Ripper Blades appears in your inventory as "Ripper Energy Schematic", despite the fact that it appears in the store and on the actual schematic as "Ripper Blades Schematic".
  • Ripper blades are much larger than what's seen in the tool.
  • The Ripper's Achievement/Trophy in Dead Space 2 "Lawnmower Man" is likely a reference to the movie of the same name.
  • In Dead Space 3, recreating the original Ripper requires equipping two Rip Cores, mounting a Default Tip on the Upper Tool and a Direction Ejection Field on the Lower Tool.
    • Doing so with the compact frame creates an awkwardly shaped Ripper with two blade holsters, though it remains functional and shares the same reload animation as Dead Space 2.
    • Doing so with a heavy frame creates a more robust, ripcord charged version of the Ripper.
  • If aiming mode is set to classic in Dead Space 3, the primary fire's laser will freak out for a small moment before returning to aiming straight forwards.
  • Curiously, the Ripper has no standard blueprint in Dead Space 3, outside of Classic mode.
  • The ripper is similar in operation to a foam disc gun, a toy that passively spins a disc of styrofoam by means of an electric motor and launches them with a flick from a "hammer."

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

Sources[]

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