I am somewhat new at this game and feel that I am getting the hang of it. Couple days ago was checking out some LMG's in the cert shop and came across GD-22S. The select fire option is quite appealing to me. My playstyle varies constantly depending on the situation, but many times I find I'm on a roof top (as a Heavy, I play about 45% heavy, the other 55% mostly engineer and medic) dealing with infantry threats farther away. I find that the NC SAW is useful at medium range, purely because it is powerful, but at long range, it is hard to control, and I sometimes lose sight of target. So, I assume that with the semi-auto/full-auto option, the GD is good if your range of engagement varies. Veteran players have any advice for a not-so-vet? is it worth the 100 certs?
The GD-22S is pretty good for a 100 cert gun. But I don't think it's strength is at long range. Many people get it because they need something better in CQC. I trialed it and thought it was too much like an assault rifle than an LMG. The SAW can be very good at long range (it has 100% accuracy on the first shot). But you need to have it certed for that (typically Advanced foregrip, compensator, and high-velocity ammo). You also need to practice tap-firing it. If you have SC, the EM6 is on sale today for 99 SC, and has selectable fire modes. Many consider it the best all-around LMG for the NC.
Yes, it is normally 1000 certs or 700 Station Cash (SC). That's why I mentioned today's 99 SC sale. That's a heck of a deal (yeah, I bought it too).
GD-22S is a great gun in the 1x or 2x reflex range. Very controllable, low first shot recoil, low horizontal pull, best accuracy when you move while aiming down sights and best recoil recovery (meaning when you let go of the trigger the cone of fire shrinks back down faster) of any NC LMG. Versatile, mobile, but not specialized like other LMGs since it gets no Advanced rail attachments or ammo upgrades. It also reloads blazing fast for a 50 shot/167dmg LMG - the NS-15M reloads slightly faster but has less damage in the mag. For 100 certs and another 130 for a grip and sight (or laser instead of grip) the GD-22S is a real workhorse. Sure, other LMGs may have better attachments and/or higher damage output, but the GD-22S is a dream to control in mid range and less incompetent up close than the 652rpm/143 damage guns, which is even less burst damage.
If you want an affordable alternative to the standard NC LMG, go for GD-22S. It will give you much noticeable accuracy and reload time in exchange for the 100 magazine size that many LMGs have. Personally chose the Gauss Saw S for the semi-auto fire mode (Yes, I use it) , the increased accuracy, and more attachment options.
Oh god, not you again. Even your normal insane argument of "well what reality reflects doesn't matter because the *~*~*SPREADSHEET*~*~* says this gun is better" doesn't work here because the battle rifles stink out loud even on paper. ESPECIALLY to a faction with the SAW. SAW S is pretty great with SPA/grip/comp. It's like an EM6 with an improved damage profile.
I don't know why you'd think the battlerifles wouldn't be good at mid range compared to our LMGs. Wait, it has the first shot accuracy of a 143dmg gun? Oh. I mean pretending to have a Space-Garand is pretty amusing but the gun is just kind of poorly put together. Seriously though, as someone who owns all the NC LMGs the main difficulty is deciding which to use - even the EM1 is pretty amusing now. I've spread my LMG use other various alts so I don't have to blow hundreds of certs on attachments all over the place. For a player on a budget, the GD-22S is hard to beat, in any case. Personally also a big fan of the SAW S, gives up some raw burst compared to the SAW and EM6, but handles smoother in terms of recoil, and I like having the SPA option.
It's a good gun. The GD22s should be the NC's default gun instead of the Gauss saw. It's an all-rounder that can function well with a minimum of attachments (weapon + optic and either forward grip or laser sight for a total of 230 certs) and as a package costs less than a fully upgraded Guass Saw (optic + adv foregrip + compensator, 330 certs total). Go for it.
Short version: Yea Long version: The GD-22S is an incredible gun for the price, but it's also an excellent gun overall. The big strength of the gun, I think, is that it can do everything well. With a laser sight, a suppressor, and a 2x sight, the weapon will serve you well in pretty much any situation. The only thing it doesn't do well is suppressive fire, but even still it's a better choice for that than any non-LMG and even some LMGs. In any case, it's a great one-size-fits-all gun, and it's my first recommendation for a new player. What if you're not looking for a versatile gun? What if you specifically want a close-range weapon? Your CQC LMG choices are the Anchor, the GD-22S, the Gauss SAW S, and maybe the EM1. The Anchor is the NC LMG most focused on CQC. Its advantages over the GD-22S are a tiny, tiny increase in Rate of Fire, an Advanced Laser Sight, and Soft Point Ammo. The GD-22S's advantages are slightly faster long reload, a significantly faster short reload, and better ability to extend to medium range. The RoF increase by itself is basically meaningless - the Time to Kill difference is two one-hundredths of a second, assuming all max-damage chest shots at 100% accuracy. When you add soft point ammo, though, it means that between 10 and 15 meters (assuming no suppressor), the TTK difference is .12 seconds. It's not a huge advantage, but it's there. With the Advanced Laser Sight the Anchor has slightly more accurate hip-fire than the GD-22S, but it's a small change. Go to the VR and check it out. Personally, with the overall nerf to LMG hipfire, the bonus is nice, but if my target is far enough away for it to matter I'd rather be aiming down-sights. As for the 22S, it has a short reload that's over a second faster. Also, it's better at medium range combat. I can't quantify it, but, to me, the 22S seems to have less horizontal recoil. More importantly, the 22S can equip a 2x sight whereas the Anchor cannot. So, to choose between the two you basically have to ask yourself "SPA or faster reloads and a 2x sight?" I think the Anchor is probably the stronger of the two for CQC, but 9 times out of 10 I'd rather have the GD-22S. What about the Gauss S? The Gauss S has slightly worse hipfire and a significantly longer reload than the 22S. On the other hand, it also has SPA (TTK difference is a tenth of a second between 10 and 15 meters), and 25 more rounds in the magazine. It also has more rounds in reserve, but that's not a big consideration for me. The Gauss S is a fine weapon, but if we're talking CQC I still prefer the 22S - I feel like I'm much less likely to get caught with my pants down thanks to the 2-second-faster short reload speed. Finally the EM1. There were a lot of things I liked about the EM1, but with the recent nerfs I'm struggling to like this weapon. Even with an ALS, the 22S with a regular laser sight has better hipfire. The EM1 does have a .07 TTK advantage between 10 and 15 meters with SPA and no suppressor and it has a huge mag, but it has a longer reload than the GD-22S. The EM1 is pleasantly controllable when attacking down sights, however, especially with a forward grip instead of the ALS. Ultimately, I'd recommend the EM1 with a forward grip or maybe extended mags if you ADS even in close quarters and if you really like to do suppressive fire, but otherwise I'd recommend the 22S. At medium range the GD-22S isn't as obvious a choice, to me. The EM6, the Gauss S, and even the EM1 have some very nice qualities. The 22S, however, still performs at range even with a laser sight, so it transitions between ranges far more deftly than its competitors. If you chose to equip your 22S with a forward grip, though, it's extremely controllable and stands up very well to the other guns while still having better hip-fire. Personally, I really started to love my Heavy when I put away the default gun and ran with a GD-22S with a 2x sight and a forward grip. Later on I really clicked with the EM1 with a 1x sight, a suppressor, SPA, and an ALS, but now my preferred gun is absolutely the GD-22S with a 1x sight, a suppressor, and a laser sight. It's a wonderful gun and absolutely worth the 100 certs.
I decided to do a quick casual test regarding suppressors and SPA, since SPA is a major factor in choosing a weapon. Basically, if you can use SPA on a given weapon you probably should. The suppressor, on the other hand, is a more difficult choice. For people who rely on their positioning, such as myself, the suppressor can be invaluable and worth putting on any CQC weapon. On the other hand, it severely hurts your bullet velocity and max damage range. So how do the two interact with each other and how does that inform your choice of weapon? Maximum range for maximum damage No attachments - 10 meters SPA - 15 Suppressor - 5 SPA+Suppressor - 10 So, when comparing the Anchor, the Gauss SAW S, and the EM1 to the GD-22S you should assume SPA, and those three guns benefit from it between 10 and 15 meters. If you're the sort of person who slaps a silencer on everything, like myself, the benefit of SPA applies to the comparison between 5 and 10 meters.
If you stand still when you shoot, no matter the range, you are bad enough to switch to Infiltrator. If you don't, I'll just repeat myself: at medium range, nothing beats the battle rifles.
I advise all NC to pick it up if they're having trouble with the Saw. Great weapon for any price and luckily its on the cheap side
GET IT. Maybe not as effective as a good player with a certed out SAW but it is still a hell of a weapon especially for only a hundred certs.
