So yesterday I bought the Stalker scout rifle as I wanted to see how they play. Since I've been SMG infiltrator (I hate sniping) it felt very weird and painful to me at first. CQC? Mehh, I'd prefer an SMG. Long range? Enemies keept hiding after a few hits. Then I tried close-mid, mid range, and I felt much more of a threat to people than I did before at that range. So my impressions were very negative until I found where it does best at, then they became positive, not too positive, but positive nonetheless. The only thing I wish they'd change is the damage, or the magazine size. 143dmg seems too little for a 24-round magazine in my opinion. What are your thoughts? OP, UP, or just right?
I think they're on the weak side, but they're not so bad if you can land headshots. Compared to automatic weapons on other classes, the auto scouts have absolutely zero redeeming features, which is a little disheartening. I'd like to see them become true precision weapons instead of the world's worst assault rifles. Keep the small mag (or even shrink it to 20) and low DPS, but give them CoF and recoil stats on par with the recently-buffed burst weapons. Increase the base velocity to 550, and make HVA available. Now it's still a weapon you don't want to take into a head-on fight, but you should be able to pick off single targets with it from much further out.
They're ok. They're essentially just downgraded carbines and as someone who plays other classes I've always found them somewhat disappointing. That 652 rpm 143 damage tier has always been somewhat lackluster and not great for engagements past mid range. Combined with the really low projectile velocity on the scouts and you've got a weapon which just doesn't quite cut it for mid to long range engagements. If they had their velocity increased to something around 600 and their horizontal recoil reduced I could see them being solid weapons. As is though, they aren't quite good enough for me to like them, but they also aren't quite bad enough for me to really dislike.
The are good weapons for short to mid range encounters, provided you have decent accuracy (%30ish). The SOAS was the first gun I auraxiumed.
Full auto scouts can be absolutely terrible if they are treated like other automatic weapons. They're terrible as snap fire or run'n'gun weapons in close quarters, and they have almost no margin for going outside effective range. They should be treated just as what they are - automatic scout rifles. The user is expected to fire first, on a vulnerable enemy, from a good position. With recoil and trigger control, it will be effective at "medium" range, yet still easier to use and offer more leeway than semi auto scouts. They certainly could use some buffs in recoil / CoF / velocity departments. As others have said, stat-per-stat they're basically worst ARs. I wish they had something special about them other than being available to infiltrators.
The Stalker was the first Scout Rifle I Auraxiumed. But you cannot treat it like the other scout rifles or SMGs. It definitely requires a less aggressive style than SMGs but requires a closer range than other scout rifles and other medium range weapons. Firing in bursts can help if you're flanking someone but hope for the best if someone surprises you in the face from around a corner.
I like to treat them as long(er) range precision SMGs. They are ok. Not great, but certainly not terrible either. That being said, if I was bent on killing someone as an infil, I would pick an SMG first - probably the NS-7
They are absolutely obsolete since there are the NS smgs which perform better than the auto scout rifles (ASRs) at any range since those smgs are created to be more allrounders while the ES smgs are the cqc beasts (the hailstorm is the black sheep of the smg family). I will always prefer the NS smgs since they have better TTK, DPM (especially with extended mag), no ES tracers, no ES sound, 0,75ads. As long as NS7 PDW and MKV suppressed are in this game there is no use for the ES ASRs. The only reason to play them is to get the auraxium battle rifle.
Scout rifles deliver damage at range much more reliably, with greater accuracy and better damage model. As long as pure shooting in a vacuum from static position is concerned, auto scouts are superior to SMGs. Naturally, we can't compare things in a vacuum, but I still do believe that scouts have a place, they just require a different playstyle. In ideal conditions, scouts are better, but conditions are rarely ideal, and in case things go south, SMGs is a preferable self defense option, as well as aggressive assault weapon. Though I sort of question the viability of such a playstyle for an infiltrator.
This is correct for so many reasons. The Scout Rifles are more reliable at medium range than SMGs. You CANNOT expect to play with them in the same manner as an SMG.
It's bit from another side. Plastikfrosch was more talking about using an SMG as a scout rifle. It will be less effective in that role, but you'll have a bonus of having an SMG if you're not able to get an effective scout rifle-esque engagement. Sort of like Lynx's predictable recoil pattern can be used to spray down a target at range, but it will not really rival proper ranged carbines.
In most situations an auto scout might be viable, I'd generally pick the semi auto over it (I believe that'd be the Shadow on NC). Generally a more effective mid-ranged weapon, in my opinion. As others have said, really the only perks the autos have going for them, is that they're automatic, available to an infiltrator, and not an SMG.
I used it with a silencer + sensorshield 4 and auraxed it that way. Keep on medium distance and/or flank the enemy. It's a good weapon, but you have to control the distance where you meet the enemy and, the mass of players and pick your targets. It's a decent weapon, but a velocity buff would be useful so that you don't lose that much velocity when using a silencer. But I wouldn't say no to an accuracy buff.
Yeah, velocity is one the reasons I think the semi-autos are superior within mid-range. Can just about get away with using a suppresor on my HSR.
Oh noooooooo. The Shadow is not a good weapon. If you want something better than the Shadow with the exact same playstyle, pick up the Vandal.
What?!? How DARE you diss the Shadow! I love the Shadow! Sure, i've never used the Vandal or the Warden, but the Shadow however, is IMO one of the best options for mid-range Infiltrator.
Ehhh, I want to like the Vandal, but I generally don't enjoy the premise or aesthetic of NS weapons. The Shadow, Nyx and HSR-1 still outstrip it in terms of muzzle velocity anyways. HSR-1 is one of my favourite all-round weapons for infil.
I think this is just a decision of feeling, i like the vandal more to and auraxed it first. I'm still missing ~300 kills on the Nyx. Vandal feels just a little bit more spamable.
At the range you would feasibly use a semi-auto, the Shadow requires at least one more shot than the Vandal. I've heard the VS and TR equivalents are better than the Vandal (I've never tried them) but for sure, the Shadow is just an underpowered version.
Interesting - I was under the impression the Shadow and HSR-1 at least were identical. The Nyx is a little different, as it has no drop, but a slightly lower velocity to compensate for this.
