The Ready or Not Taser: Why You’re Using the Phaz-Force All Wrong

You’re staring at a closed door in 4U Gas Station. Your heart is thumping because you know there’s a tweaker behind it with a kitchen knife and a death wish. You could throw a flashbang, but that’s messy. You could use pepper spray, but you’ll probably end up coughing yourself. So, you pull out the Ready or Not taser, specifically the Phaz-Force, and hope the prongs actually connect.

It’s a gamble. Sometimes they drop like a sack of potatoes; other times, they just get annoyed and start blasting.

Ready or Not isn't your typical run-and-gun shooter. It’s a grueling simulation of SWAT tactics where the goal isn't a high kill count, but a high "bring 'em back alive" count. The taser is your primary tool for that. But if you think it's a magic "I win" button for non-lethal runs, you've probably already seen the "Officer Down" screen more times than you’d like to admit.

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The Physics of a Shock: How the Phaz-Force Actually Works

The taser in this game is modeled after real-world Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs). It fires two small probes connected to the main unit by insulated copper wires. For the taser to actually work in-game, both probes need to hit the target. If one hits a thick tactical vest or misses entirely, you’ve just wasted a shot and left yourself wide open.

Distance matters. A lot.

If you’re too far away, the probe spread is too wide. If you’re too close, they don’t have room to spread enough to cause NMI (Neuromuscular Incapacitation). The sweet spot is roughly 7 to 15 feet. Any closer and you're better off using a melee bash. Any further and you’re just shooting silly string at a guy with an AK-47.

Tactical placement is everything. Don't just aim for the chest. In the current build of Ready or Not, suspects wearing heavy clothing or armor have a higher chance of resisting a taser deployment. Aim for the limbs or the back if you can sneak up on them. There is a specific "stun" animation that triggers, but it’s short. You have a very narrow window to get in there, shout for compliance, and get the cuffs on before they recover and pull a backup weapon.

Why Your Taser Keeps Failing (It's Not Always a Bug)

I see people complaining on Steam forums all the time that the Ready or Not taser is "broken."

Sometimes it is. VOID Interactive is constantly tweaking the AI behavior. But often, it's a failure to understand the suspect's state of mind. The game uses a "Morale" and "Hesitation" system. A suspect who is high on drugs (like those in the Neon Tomb or 213 Park settings) or a hardened veteran (like the rebels in Mindjot) has a much higher pain threshold.

• Drug Influence: Suspects on certain maps have modified reaction tables. They might take a full five-second ride on the taser and come up swinging.
• Adrenaline: If a suspect is in a "full combat" state, their morale is peaked. A taser might stun them momentarily, but it won't force a surrender.
• Clothing Layers: Thick jackets or tactical gear act as a literal shield.

You also have to consider the "arc" of the wires. If you fire a taser and then immediately duck behind a wall, the wires can break. This ends the current immediately. You have to maintain line-of-sight and a clear path for those wires for the entire duration of the shock if you want the full incapacitation effect.

The Hidden Danger of the Taser

People forget that the taser is technically "less-lethal," not "non-lethal." In the real world and in Ready or Not, repeated shocks can kill. If you and your buddy both tase the same suspect at the same time, or if you spam the trigger on a suspect who is already down, there is a legitimate chance they will suffer cardiac arrest.

If they die, your mission score takes a massive hit. You lose the "Dead or Alive" bonus, and suddenly that S-rank you were chasing is a C-rank.

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Comparing the Taser to Other Non-Lethal Options

Why take the Phaz-Force when you could carry a Beanbag Shotgun or a VKS Pepperball gun? Honestly, the taser is a niche tool.

The Beanbag Shotgun is arguably the "meta" for non-lethal runs because it has more range and more ammo. However, the Beanbag can actually kill if you hit a suspect in the head. The taser is safer in tight hallways where a stray beanbag might catch a hostage.

The VKS is great for area denial, but it takes time to work. The suspect has to breathe in the powder. The Ready or Not taser is instantaneous. It is the fastest way to stop a suspect who is actively reaching for a weapon or trying to execute a hostage. It’s a surgical tool, whereas the pepperball gun is a sledgehammer.

Advanced Tactics: The "Tase and Trace"

One move that expert players use is the "Tase and Trace." This involves one officer equipped with a Mirror Gun (Optiwand) and another with the taser.

Once a suspect is spotted behind a door, you don't just kick it down. You "Flash, Bang, and Clear," but if you're trying to be quiet, you can use the "Breach and Tase." You kick the door, and the taser officer is the first one in. Because the taser is a secondary weapon (usually), it allows for a very quick draw speed compared to a primary rifle.

"The taser is your best friend in a closet. Everywhere else, it’s a liability." — Common community sentiment among S-rank hunters.

Technical Limitations and Future Updates

Since the 1.0 release and subsequent patches in 2024 and 2025, VOID has reworked the "stun" logic multiple times. There was a period where the taser was essentially a "delete" button for AI resistance, but that’s been toned down.

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Currently, the AI can "roll" for a recovery. This means that even while being shocked, some suspects can occasionally fire their weapon blindly. This is terrifying. It means you can't just stand there and watch them dance; you need to be moving toward them with handcuffs ready or have a teammate covering you with lethal force just in case.

There’s also the issue of the "Quick Draw." If you have your primary out and a suspect surprises you at point-blank range, switching to your taser is often slower than just using the "B" key to melee them. You have to anticipate the need for the taser. It's a proactive weapon, not a reactive one.

Actionable Steps for Your Next Raid

To actually master the Ready or Not taser, you need to change how you approach encounters. It isn't a sidearm you pull when things go wrong; it’s a tool you plan to use before you even enter the room.

1. Check the Loadout: Ensure you actually have cartridges equipped. It sounds stupid, but if you’ve been messing with your gear, it’s easy to accidentally bring an empty taser.
2. Aim for the Lower Torso: Avoid the face (which does nothing extra) and avoid heavy chest rigs. Aim for the "center of mass" but slightly lower to catch the legs or the stomach area.
3. The "Shout" Timing: You must shout for compliance (F key by default) the moment the probes connect. The game calculates surrender chance based on the suspect being suppressed and hearing a command simultaneously.
4. The Two-Officer Rule: Never tase alone if you can help it. One person tases, the other moves in for the arrest. This prevents the suspect from recovering and pulling a knife while you're stuck in the "holstering" animation.
5. Watch the Wires: If the suspect falls behind a couch or a table, the wires will snap. You have to keep a clear line between your weapon and their body.

The taser is a fickle beast in Los Sueños. It’s inconsistent, short-ranged, and risky. But it’s also the only way to get some of those high-value targets into a zip-tie without turning the room into a crime scene. Practice the range in the training house. Get a feel for the travel time of the probes. Once you stop treating it like a pistol and start treating it like a high-stakes capture tool, your S-rank completions will start stacking up.

Stop spraying pepperballs at every shadow and start timing your shocks. The Phaz-Force is only as good as the officer holding it, and most officers are just too impatient to use it right.

Keep your distance, wait for the opening, and let the volts do the talking.

Key Tactical Summary

Mastering the taser requires a shift in mindset from "neutralize the threat" to "control the individual." It’s the most professional tool in the SWAT arsenal, provided you don't miss that first shot.