I never used blasters; the sci-fi elements kind of ruin the feeling of the game for me. Hi-tech isn't as well integrated in this game as in Wizardry 8. But blasters can be powerful weapons, although with bows you can deal more damage because bows have added special attack like fire, frost etc.

As I recall, the main reason to use a blaster is its incredible speed. Switch to real time and just press 's' (for shoot), and watch blaster fire. Once your whole party has blasters, it turns into an arcade shooter. Dodge the enemy missiles while shooting at everything.

The primary advantage of blasters is their rate of fire. A sword, for example, swings once every 90 "time units", and this is modified by Speed stat, Armsmaster, and so on. At the end of the game, with high stats/skills and Haste, perhaps your swordsman has reduced it to a cooldown rate of 30, which is as fast as melee weapons are allowed to get. But a blaster starts at 30 and caps at 0, which is quite reachable since Speed/Haste affect blasters normally. (Note that the Haste spell is bugged in MM7 and doesn't work, but Haste potions work normally. If you don't want to patch your game to fix the spell, I encourage you to mix some, they're very useful. Red/orange layered.)

Blasters also deal their own damage type, which nothing in the game resists. (Lategame enemies typically have some resistance even against physical attacks). Accuracy is quite good, too. But it's the obscene rate of fire that breaks them.

That is true. Blaster weapon is big game changer. But your 4 heroes discovered ancient high technology. Who wants bows when has a blasters? Open to changes! :)

I see where you all are coming from. As I asend in my blaster skill the damage is through the room. One thing though, it seems to hinder my monk's and ranger's close range damage, but I have alot to learn. thanks for the input.

Blasters are broken, assuming you have the unofficial patch and cast haste. You literally hold down the "A" key and everything on the screen dies. If not? Still absurdly powerful in a way that weapons you get for the last 10% of the game are allowed to be.

You are absolutely accurate Arb., I'm mow'n down minitaurs in da maze heh. They are uber-buffed.