Rocket launcher

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The rocket launcher is used to fire rockets, missiles that fly in a straight line and explode when they hit anything solid. A direct hit does 148-288 points of damage; thus the rocket launcher is approximately as powerful as the super shotgun, but equally effective at long range. When picked up, the launcher contains two rockets (four at the I'm Too Young To Die and Nightmare! skill levels).

The launcher first appears in a secret area of the level E1M3: Toxin Refinery and appears again in secret areas of the following three levels. It is finally found in a non-secret area on E1M7: Computer Station. It can be put to unusual use at the end of E3M6: Mt. Erebus.

When using the rocket launcher at close range or within a confined structure, great care must be taken to avoid the effects of blast damage (even a player with 200% health and armor can be killed by several such accidents). Novice players may also be caught off guard by the weapon's "auto-aiming" characteristic, which sometimes causes a rocket to be launched a few degrees away from center if the nearest monster is not directly in front of the player.

Appearance statistics
The IWADs contain the following numbers of rocket launchers: