*The* definitive New Conglomerate LMG guide for newbies

Discussion in 'Heavy Assault' started by Quor, Nov 26, 2012.

  1. Quor

    So you're new to Planetside 2, and you've maybe checked out this Heavy Assault (HA) class and said to yourself "Yeah, that's what I want!" but you see the selection of weaponry and your left a little speechless. Which one do you use? How do you use it? (hint: pull the trigger....I jest of course) Well have no fear, because Quor is here! And yes, I've been saving that one for awhile now.

    It should be noted that, for using NC weapons, learning how to control the recoil of your gun, and subsequently, how to burst fire, is a key skill to practice. So take some time at the warpgate to learn how the shots group and how each gun pulls (all LMG's have vertical climb, while some also have horizontal pull in addition to this).

    Gauss Saw
    100 round magazine. ~6s reload time. Fires about 500 rpm. Hits hard. The standard LMG that every NC HA starts with. Poor at CQC, decent mid/long-range uncerted. Becomes much better at mid/long-range combat when certed properly.

    Arguably the toughest starter LMG to learn how to use effectively, the SAW really only begins to shine when you put some certs into it. Your priority will be certing for a forward grip and compensator ASAP. The SAW has the slowest rate of fire at 500 rpm, and as such doesn't do very well in a close quarters environment (CQ combat, or CQC). Properly certed with a compensator, forward grip, and ideally a sight (230 certs total for all three) you, with practice, can turn the SAW into a fairly strong mid-and-long range LMG.

    Gauss Saw S
    75 round magazine. ~3.8s reload time. Fires about 570 rpm. Hits hard, but not as hard as the SAW. The SAW S is a direct upgrade in terms of rate of fire and reload speed, at the cost of a smaller magazine and lower per-bullet damage. The SAW S is very nice right out of the box, but unlike the SAW, the base sights (iron sights) leave a lot to be desired (this is a common theme for all the other LMG's the NC has). Can be certed to specialize the gun towards either long or short range combat, depending on preference.

    Not much to say here that I haven't already said. The SAW S is a solid gun. Along with the EM6, it has arguably the most versatility out of all the NC LMG's, doing well in all ranges, with attachments offering further specialization as needed.

    EM6
    100 round magazine. ~3.5s reload time (when empty). ~2.8s (when reloaded before empty). Fires about 580 rpm. Hits for slightly less than the SAW S, but with a slightly higher fire rate. As noted above, the EM6 and the SAW S are very similar in terms of adaptability and stats. The advantage of the EM6 over the SAW S is a slightly higher rate of fire, with a larger magazine, at the cost of some damage and control. The EM6 tends to have a bit more recoil than the SAW S, and can be slightly harder to put shots on target at range. But the difference is very slight, so much so that preferring one over the other really comes down to personal trial and preference.

    EM1
    100 round magazine. ~3.5s reload time, slightly shorter when reloaded before empty. Fires about 600 rpm. Hits for a lot less per shot than the SAW, but with a much higher rate of fire. The EM1 has a good amount of versatility in its attachment choices, but it's high rate of fire and relatively low cone of fire while hip firing means the EM1 is a weapon most suited to close combat. It's the closest thing the NC will get to an Orion or CARV as far as CQC goes. Certed with a reflex sight and laser dot you become a very accurate close range fighter. Swap the dot for an extended magazine to put an ungodly amount of ammunition down range.

    Whereas the SAW is more of a mid-to-long range weapon, and the EM6/SAW S are adaptable "middle ground" LMG variants, the EM1 is very much a CQC weapon. It's ease of control and high rate of fire mean you can land headshots while in close very easily, and landing consistent headshots is what determines the winner in CQC more than anything else.

    GD-22S
    50 round magazine. ~3s reload time, slightly faster if reloaded before empty. Fires about 600 rpm. Hits nearly as hard as the baseline SAW. The GD-22S takes the hitting power of the SAW and combines it with the fire rate of the EM1. You will burn through your 50 rounds VERY quickly. But you will also put people down very quickly. The GD has the drawback of carrying only 300 rounds total (vs the 400 for SAW/EM1/EM6 and the 375 for the SAW S) and coupled with the fact the the GD basically projectile vomits ammunition, you'll need either an ammo belt armor cert or a good engy buddy to keep you going.

    The GD tends to be very accurate, even with burst firing and without attachments, and it's high rate of fire means it also excels in CQC. It's cone of fire bloom is fairly insane under full auto, but proper trigger discipline can help that problem greatly. The biggest handicap is the smaller magazine, as even with the relatively low reload time on the GD, you'll still find yourself reloading while enemies are breathing down your neck. A good way to think of the GD is like a combination of the SAW's power with the EM1's fire rate coupled with a lot of CoF bloom on extended full auto bursts (anything over 7 rounds). Knowing how to burst fire is essential to using the GD at anything beyond point blank range, but once mastered it's a very rewarding gun (and to be honest, all the NC LMG's are the same in that regard).

    Any comments/thoughts to add my fellow NC'ers?

    • Up x 43
  2. Tythes

    Good guide!
  3. MrK

    I logged in just to like, before going to bed. GJ.
  4. Luxiole

    You have no idea how useful this information is to me, a new PS2 player. So big thanks!
  5. Tythes

    Maybe you could add that a drawback of the gd-22s is that it has no ammo or compensator attachments.
  6. Jarek

    Excellent guide. I've trialed most of the LMGs, but half an hour is not always enough time to get a good feel for a weapon (especially if you don't find any good infantry combat in that time) and the in-game stats aren't reliable to really understand the ins and outs of them. It's really useful to have a detailed comparison on the strengths and weaknesses of each gun. I've been using the GD a lot and enjoy it quite a bit, but I've been curious how the others handle in comparison, so I find this very helpful.
  7. PNSAforce

    An excellent guide for a new player like me.

    Between the NC6 Gauss SAW and the Gauss SAW S which gun do you think is better for long range?
  8. Quor

    Thanks for the positive feedback guys. If I could I'd go back and edit a few things (like the aforementioned GD attachment limitations) but sadly it's been too long since I posted it now :(

    Hopefully this will help more people as the life of the game goes on.
  9. Quor

    Honestly? Both. The SAW S will be better at suppressing fire due to higher fire rate. The baseline SAW will be better at taking out single targets due to higher damage per shot. Both will require some skill and discipline to use correctly however; this isn't a CARV where you can fire ten rounds at a target 150m away and expect at least half of them to hit. You want controlled, 3-5 round bursts at most, ideally keeping it down around 2-3 rounds per burst. If you were a SAW gunner in the military, or know anyone who was, then you'll understand the concept here.
  10. FPSgamer

    So basically NC lmg's are outclassed in every category by TR/VS. 1 vs 1 NC is going to loose if the players have the same skill. More bullets on target, less recoil, no need to burst fire = win.

    NC LMG's suck compared to TR t9 carv: Almost 0 recoil, effective at all ranges short/mid/long, point and spray no
    burst req.
  11. voigt

  12. MrK

    I'm still unsure it is true. FPS newbies, yes, will fare better with a Carv. 2 people who know their weapon and got good with each respectively, I'm not so sure. Point is, I don't know how better you can make the Carv when keeping tight control on its recoil and CoF. I know it has very good effects on NC side, my guess is that you cannot change things that much on Carv, which levels the field between good opponents.
  13. TheShotgun

    NC requires skill this leads to the miss conception that they are underpowered.
  14. Corion

    And he won't let me play anything else!! Side note, Ammo pack 5 is just nice.
    • Up x 1
  15. Daswen

    If NC requires more skill than over factions, this leads to the fact that they are underpowered. Two players with same skill level, one playing NC and the other playing Vanu (or TR), the NC one will lose.

    Soe must add more recoil (horizontal for TR, inverted vertical for Vanu for exemple), for ajusting the skill level required.
  16. tProphet

    • Up x 1
  17. strychzilla

    GD is very cheap and very effective. If you're new to PS2 I would pick that gun up to learn the game with. You only need a forward grip 100 cert and that's it (you can't get anything else for it that is worthwhile.) You can then focus on upgrading your HP resto kits etc.

    You won't be as effective long range but with aim and burst you can still land shots.
  18. Decklund

    Great guide for the new NC HA wanting a comparison of the guns. I've got the SAW, EM6, and GD. So far I'm liking the EM6 as an all around choice. I've got the Warden battle rifle for range. When I can spare the certs (or hit a triple cash day) I may get an EM1 and kit it out for CQC.
  19. Abyll

    Thank you! I've been looking for *this* for hours.
  20. Zaik

    For what it's worth, I think you should prioritize the Advanced Forward Grip before the Compensator on the SAW. Yeah, it's another 100 certs, but it's worth it, the horizontal recoil is terrible.

    The EM1 has severe issues with ADS accuracy, just like the CARV(that is what it imitates). Your 6th or 7th shot is often deviating 10+ degrees off center before recoil even comes into play. Or, at least, it did in beta when I used it.