Sunday 3 June 2012

General Blaster Usage Tips (Part 1)

This will be a large post in several parts, detailing usage tips related to blaster types, not specific blasters. Parts will be added as I experience more issues/think of more tips.
Clip (Mag) System:
  1. With the current generation of Streamlines, you'll never be able to be a pinpoint sniper. As such you're better off burst firing with rapid fire blasters (drastically increasing chance of hitting an enemy or target), or using them for very close quarters combat. (accurate up to approx 8m)
  2. Once you're below half capacity in your current clip (mag)/drum, if you have the chance, reload. Then as you pick up darts you can reload your half-full clip (mag)/drum so you can have a full clip (mag)/drum ready for re-reloading.
  3. Don't bother with 6 clips (mags) unless you have very few clips (mags) of higher capacity. They'll run out really quick and they're really kind of useless, limiting your burst fire and spamming capacity. Not to mention the space they occupy, which could be much better used for 18 clips (mags).
  4. Ensure you load your clips (mags)/drums carefully with the best quality Streamliens you can find. This will reduce the chance of jams. Also make sure to load the clips (mags)/drums extremely carefully.
  5. If possible, stick with clips (mags) rather than drums. I find drums can have rotation issues, which can cause jams and misfires. This issue is most common with 35 drums, and uncommon with 18 drums. 25 drums are yet to be tested.
Revolvers:
  1. If your revolver is a flip-out barrel one (e.g. Maverick), spin the barrel when you reload it, so that the rotation mech can lock into the barrel and help avoid misfires and jams.
  2. Use Whistlers instead of Suctions. Whistlers have greater ranges (approx 20-25% greater range), while having only a minor accuracy reduction.
  3. If the revolver is an open barrel revolver (e.g. Furyfire, Hyperfire), reload as much as possible. It's easy and can save you.
  4. When using a flip-out barrel revolver, beware when you reload because flipping out the barrel then locking it back into position can take up to a second, which can be fatal in a war. Only reload when you have to and when there are no enemies immediately in effective engagement range.
Single Shots:
  1. If you have built in capacity, keep it topped up at all times. It'll help you when there are no darts immediately nearby. This advantage can be exploited in pistol wars.
  2. Make sure it's easy to quick draw, because that's generally the purpose of a single shot.
  3. Use your range and accuracy to your advantage to snipe. No other blasters can match that sort of range and accuracy.
  4. Remember that your ROF is vastly limited by you having to reload your blaster every shot. If you're stuck with just a single shot, and your enemies have superior blasters, exploit your range and accuracy and try to hold out until you can get reinforcements or armament improvements. Alternatively use other tactics to take out your attackers.
Vortex:
  1. (Vortex mag system & Vigilon) When reloading, make sure to have 1 disc loaded in the blaster, so that if you're attacked while reloading, you still have a last resort shot. 
  2. Take advantage of disc curving at longer ranges. You can curve them around obstacles and the like - something darts blasters cannot do. (except Streamlines, but Streamlines are too inconsistent to effectively exploit this)
  3. If ricochets are permitted, take advantage of the discs' bouncy nature. You can shoot around corners in this method, hitting hidden enemies and targets.
  4. Remember that the discs spin counter-clockwise, so they bounce towards the right.

1 comment:

  1. According to my knowledge and research, the reason that the 18 dart drum would work better than a 35 dart drum is due to the fact that the drums were DESIGNED for the raider. The drums are designed to be side fed, (And work well upside down fed...Deploy CS-6) whereas the 18 dart drums are more designed for an alpha trooper (A regular bottom fed CS blaster). If you upgrade the springs, the 35 becomes a lot better.

    18's aren't common, however, despite the fact that they were sold individually. Unfortunate.

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