US Airforce's ABL Laser system for 304?

[deltaCain054]

The electromagnetic fields wouldn't have to be that strong, and shields would block it.

And yes it could be self containing, but were talking about it wasn't self containing.

[K^2]

The electromagnetic fields wouldn't have to be that strong...

To keep confined a burst of plasma capable of doing damage to the ship? Yes it would be. Strong enough to actually do damage to the ship on its own.

...and shields would block it.

Not unless they are Type I superconducting, and that would make them terrible as kinetic shields. So no, mag field will penetrate right through these shields, most likely warping them as well.

If you could generate mag fields sufficient to confine plasma from ship-to-ship distance, you wouldn't need any other weapon. It'd be an ultimate no-defense-against weapon that would rip through any fleet without any resistance.

The entire idea of plasma weapon is using plasma currents as source of magnetic fields that confine said plasma currents. That's the only way that plasma weapons could ever work.

Maybe the bolt is self containing. Also plasma can mean that it is very hot and not that its actual plasma.

If it has enough thermal energy to do damage, it needs confinement, and neutral plasma is far easier to confine than ordinary matter.