Laser Rifle

The first technology that increases the attack power of your ground troops.

Attack power is useful when conducting ground attacks, or defending against them with troops. It's particularly important if your strategy is to use ground troops to conquer enemy planets. However is is still useful for defending against enemy ground attacks, since ground combat consists of alternating attack and defence phases by both sides.

(For the same reason, the technologies that increase ground troops defensive values are also useful in conducting a ground attack).