[Video] The Lancer doesn't suck, even when using it solo.

The fully charged shot should deal more damage than the annihilator by a hair while still being well under the base damage of the standard rocket launcher. And by fully charged, I don't mean all three shots loaded I mean all three shots loaded and the little white connecting brackets appearing on the sides of the reticle.

Actually the MAX he killed was Cyanstorm, who I can confidently say, is a particularly good MAX.

1.)Takes 2 fully charged shots to kill a MAX. After the first charged shot, competent MAX users just start to strafe and move erratically, or they run back into the shield. Only the dumb ones wait around outside for the next fully charged shot.

2.)One fully certed repair tool can save your MBT from 3 Lancers.

Alternatively, you could not lock down in an open field. Or disengage the lock, and drive behind a tree or rock? Also, anything used as a team produces instagib. You need more Lancer users than Striker or Phoenix users to be as effective at area denial.

3.)Game revolves around cert points. You can't get cert points without experience points. The fastest way to get experience points is..wait for it...not territory capture, but rather getting kills. This is another argument that I would prefer not to have, seeing as we are talking about the capabilities of the Lancer.

I was merely saying that this weapon is not an effective means of Vehicle control...or any control really. It doesn't even damage the AI MANA Turrets.

1. It's not hard to get two full charges off on MAXes outside, then again, it's not hard to kill them with any weapon outside. I never said the Lancer was great indoors, the Decimator is my go to Biolab weapon.

2. No it wont, stop being dramatic.

3. If we use your logic then the Lancer is the best weapon in the game because vehicle assist XP is really good and it can even steal the kills.

I spent the entirety of double XP weekend as a Vanu Heavy carrying the Lancer. Believe me when I say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It does VERY well at range. It performs acceptably up close. Its two-charge-shot burst damage potential is extremely high. Unlike the Engineer's AV turret, you are mobile between shots and not visible at the same ranges as the turret is. It's overall an outstanding weapon that is being unfairly maligned by those who decided they hated it pre-buff.

Now, I would not be averse to a certable 2x zoom optic for the thing, but beyond that it wants for nothing right now.

I tried the updated Lancer out this weekend. So what is my verdict?

It is useful in some situations. I can snipe ESF:s relatively easily, though most of the time I only produce glancing hits. Overall, with charged shots I find myself hitting quite often (with burst you can't even hit the barn's door).

But compared to other options... Glancer is not that much fun. There is no satisfaction, no sense of fulfilment when all you get are assists and ESFs/MBTs that simply advance to cover. A squad of Lancers would be useful, most certainly...

...but why would you spend money/certs on something that only becomes useful when you have a pack of people using it? And why is it always Vanu faction (Lasher says hi!) that has to deal with this?

I would say that I am fairly competent player. With Lancer wielding HA I could score 70-80 SPM. Whereas normally I clock 130-140. Even if the score difference wouldn't be glaring, there is huge gap in the fun the gunplay with Lancer gives, compared to other ways of playing. Sneak up on a column of tanks in a ESF, kill them all. Harass a tank zerg with a Mana AT turret from a high vantage point...

Or causing mild irritation in enemy Lightning, forcing it to take a few minutes to repair the damage.

I am not saying that the other empire specific launchers are that much better, but they certainly are more fun, as you have higher potential for killing people with them. Overall, Lancer fits the role of HA poorly. You're supposed to be in the thick of it, risking your skin close up... not sitting on a hill, producing glancing hits and scoring assist kills.

Like the OP says, sure - I wouldn't normally be able to score those assists. But hey, I wouldn't normally be in that situation in the first place! Since Lancer is useless in short range, you're forced into a role that ill fits HA. And ultimately, isn't that much fun.

I like learning curves since it is so much more rewarding once you start getting hunch of the weapon or item and find yourself better and better every day. You don't even know how much I would love to have something like Lancer instead of Striker which is of course awesome if used in groups from top of tower or some other place but, alas, so easy to counter it makes me weep every time I am using it and knowing there is nothing I can do to improve the hit rate or usefulness of the weapon besides summoning more Strikers and that doesn't even help the extremely bad follow mechanics causing most of the rockets hit the ground or cliff or w/e if the said person in the vehicle isn't completely lobotomized or have those smokes or flares to utilize.

The whine of the weapon (Lancer) simply is because it seems bad in the beginning if you are not ready for learning curve and unable to see the full potential but, in fact, it is extremely deadly in right hands. Most balanced ESRL at the moment. Thus I present following inequation: Lancer > Phoenix > Striker.

Like Skyguard, most people think it is garbage but, to be honest, I have been using one a lot lately and find it very effective once you learn how to utilize it, the thing simply tears ESFs apart, only thing I wish to be improved is the magazine size.

Most impressive spontaneous backflip with the flash off that cliff wall at the end there, sir. Well done.

Hmm...that looked painful indeed, I am definitely more worried about LA's with C4 than HA's with their rockets while MAXING around though

This^.
Vanu are not suppose to know how to use the lancer correctly! They are supposed to spam low dmg shots instead of charging