A little more spread and a slightly longer reload time for an extra two rounds. Damage is the same. I've auraxiumed all the MAX shotguns. They're all great. Scatts are the best general use. Mattocks for range. Hacksaws for extreme cqc. Grinders fit between scats and hacksaws. Btw, slugs are worth getting for any max shotty. Use with and without.
Room Control - Grinders Mixed/Longer Range - Mattocks Room Clearing/Mag Dumping - Hacksaws There is nothing the scattercannons do that is not better replaced by another choice, "middle of the road" doesn't bode well when your baseline weaponry is built to excel in areas rather than "suitable for all occasions". The "its only 250 certs" ends up being a trap after you waste the certs on extending the mags and slugs. YMMV but there is virtually no time I think "**** I wish I had scattercannons" ... ever. And I've Auraxium'd all MAX weapons (including Punch) excluding Flak (WIP).
Grinders are my absolute favorite MAX arms. With the exception of the Mattocks all the arms are pretty much the same damn gun and even then the Mattock only gets a pass because it has better buckshot damage falloff. If you're running slugs like you should be, all the arms are the same damn gun. HOWEVER, the +2 rounds per arm that the Grinders provide ON TOP OF being so cheap in the first place are simply hands-down more useful than you could possibly imagine. You can have the range and versatility that slugs allow and still not give up anti-MAX lethality thanks to the extra rounds. Once I aurax my Scattercannons I will have auraxiumed all of the NC MAX AI guns (and probably have the Falcons done by then too ), and then I will be Grinders or Falcons full time As a general rule though, the best arms are whichever ones you have exmags for already or own a matching pair of already.
Honestly NC AI MAX weapons can basically be summed up by: Grinders (with extended Mags) for 0-8m and against other MAXs - Mattocks (with extended Mags and Slugs) for absolutely everything else. (there are a few instances where Hacksaws might be marginally better, but really they are so rare and not better by much, it's not really worth bothering with them)
Yeah scattercannons are the unwanted children among NC MAX weapons. I bought the other one when I purpled mattocks and I feel no love for it. They have higher damage which isn't noticeable.
I love my Hacksaws. I currently run both with extended mags and one with slugs for those occasions when I need to reach out and touch somebody.
