Shotguns suck

I bought a shotgun. Not proud of it, but I did, because I liked to dominate, but I never use it anymore, even if I get steamrolled by other shotguns.

Why? It's because it's not fun to use and feels completely unfair. It requires absolutely zero skill to use, especially the pump action: You run into the target and get your body shot, leg shot, head shot, whatever, it's moot, because the person dies.

The other shotguns aren't as bad, but the discrepancy in TTK between them and other weapons is so large that it's always a one-sided fight at capture points, or in the bio lab, or as a LA.


I like having a bit of technique and aiming associated with using a weapon. There is none to a shotgun. There is no time for the victim to react and if it's shotgun vs. shotgun latency determines the winner entirely.

I am definitely biased, because I belong to the crowd that thinks the TTK in this game is too low, especially in large battles.


People argue that shotguns are only effective (without slugs) before 10 meters and they are right, but that is where most of the action happens anyway, especially strategically.

It's also a common misconception that shotguns are not forgiving: The refire rate for the two-shot is .24. Meaning even if you **** up the first shot, you always have a time to kill equal to that of an LMG available to you (.48).

For the pump action it's really not much worse.. (.50)


If you are a COD fan who just wants to rofl pwn with his de facto p2w weapon, then go ahead and buy one, but if you're a serious FPS player, save for certs for something more interesting.

I wouldn't say they suck.

I would say they blow.

Your head off. BAZAM!

(loooooooooooooooooooololol)

1 shot from a pump can kill a heavy assault (SHIELDS OFF or ON). This defeats the purpose of heavy assault.


And why isnt the Jackhammer(King of shotguns) killing like this? doesnt make sense.

A vaild concern, but I think you're looking at this the wrong way.

Yes, shotguns (Pump action especially) are very powerful, and they can 1-hit kill from a bodyshot. However, this is only in CQC combat, and as you pointed out, that tends to be at less than 10 meters. This means that shotguns excel in small rooms and points of interest, such as capture points or control rooms. If you try to use one in an open space, you're going to get owned. If you try to engage someone with a carbine, machine gun, or rifle at a range of more than 10 meters (And you are not using slug ammo) you will most likely fail. Assuming they have a decent aim, that is.

Also, when you take into account that if you are right up in someone's face, if you miss (due to them jumping, over compensating for aim, all that jazz) It can give them a somewhat vital opening to kill you. It's happened to me plenty of times.

Shotguns have their place.

My guess? They felt bad for the rest of us who were already getting killed by scattercannons, hacksaws, mattocks, and grinders instantly in close quarters. That aside it is kind of odd that every other shotgun actually outclasses the poor little jackhammer.

These guys and their 'less than 10m' garbage... I've seen longer than that and still be effective. They just have to 'oh no fire more than 1 shot!" ahahah

Look at them "only less than 10m" bull feathers.

Exactly.. I also feel that the MCG and LASHER are not what they could be.

Yep... Ive been killed by pumps from more than 10m.

Yeah with slugs they basically turn into snipers... I won't lie I kind of love that. Then again I also loved it when infiltrators could use shotguns.

This applies to NC maxes too, it hacks me off (no pun intended) when they say "oh but we can't kill outside of 10m!" and I get 2 shotted while running by at 20m. I've definitely never been killed by a VS max that fast.

Don't I know it. You shot me in the face yesterday...After I SAVED YOU! (no worries)

Back to seriousness though, The Semi-Autos aren't bad, but I do have qualms over how effective the Pumps are. Something about 1-shotting an HA at 15 with it doesn't sit right. Slugs, headshot, shields off(on HA) @ 15, sure. Besides that a bit OP

While the pumps might need a review, I think many of you are stretching the truth on the issues with slugs. I have spent 100 certs on slugs for my nova and consider it to be the worst 100 certs I have spent to date. It's at best a toy.

Nobody runs shotguns with slugs for serious combat. If you need that range the LMGs, ARs, and carbines are all superior and don't leave you swinging in the wind over follow up shots.

you have to be pretty d3mn skilled for the pump action shoot gun to be super powerful .. i have to say i'm not skilled i only got 2 kills with it playing like 4 hours... so i just wrote it up as a loss

never the less there are skilled players who get kills with it like no tomorrow , there are videos showing it

the problem is although VERY close range is a 1 shoot kill, if you miss your 1st shoot or your not like 1 meter away from your target , your dead before you can shoot a 2nd shoot ... i doubt i will ever use it again

YES you can kill players with it from over 10 meters , but you need to empty the entire extended clip.. at that point the enemy is idling or just stupid not to kill you

i have to say although since pump action is released i have not been killed by one yet... BUT i'm also mostly in open fields and not in close corner battles ... so maybe its not the best weapon for me to begin with (play anti vehicle HA mostly or repair-engineer)

I have to agree with your feelings. Using a pump action feels cheap, but since other people can one hit kill me, I feel I need it to keep the playing field level.

May i just ask, if you bought one shotgun (as you said), how do you know the difference between the pump action and other ones; "especially the pump action". You make it sound like you've used them extensively.

Please post your PS Players account, so i can view your 0 kills with shotguns. Thanks.

I use scattercannons which are marginally more accurate than hacksaws. First, the scatcannons can equip slugs to fight mid range, also the spread is random, so sometimes you will get lucky with the spread all grouping up together to kill someone.

Are you serious bro?
Are you serious?

Slugs are perhaps the most versatile weapon in the game.

Both of these videos are Nova with slugs:



If you say they are not good, ESPECIALLY as Vanu, that is entirely your fault.

They are ONLY good with Vanu. Bullet drop is ridiculous for TR/NC.

Because you don't have to use super twitch reflexes to win against shotguns. People cry because "waah I didn't get to use my superior skills". You win against shotguns by positioning and tactics. Out maneuver the opponent and done. Out-of-combat stuff.

Shotguns are useless beyond their range, and their users are not Scattermaxes with tons of HP, they are vulnerable.

You being caught in extreme CQC and being instagibbed by a shotgun is no less fair than the shotgun user being caught at mid or long range by another weapon user, even a low BR player, and killed without chance to fight back.

Funny how people complain about shotguns now but they don't complain about being one or two shot by bolt action sniper rifles, for example.

Again, everybody has missed the point, even the trolls.

It's not fun to use. It's like an annihilator, only for CQC in the sense that it gets the job done, but does nothing else.

Maybe your ADHD (not you specifically, but everybody who loves this TTK and thinks it's "good" for a MMOFPS) prevents you from concentrating longer than a second, but for me, .24 seconds, or less is not a satisfying experience.

It's not satisfying to leave things to luck and latency. I like to know why I lost a battle, not leave things to randomness.

Yes, I am mad. I'm mad that your generation (again, not you specifically) has ruined my favorite kind of game.

I don't care how stupid you are. There is no positioning and tactics involved in biolab, in a room where a LA has more degrees of freedom than you can shake a stick at.

There is no strategy involved in running at somebody and shooting in their general direction and there is no counter to it.

There is no being caught in a 10x10 box with three+ holes (insert dirty joke here).