Hey so I always had this question, is the T1S Cycler any good? I tried it in the VR Training and I liked pretty much everything about it, from sound effects to its versatility, but since I have not actually been able to try it in the battlefield, I was wondering if this gun was actually worth investing a whoppin 500 certs. I hear it's basically like the original Cycler but a litter worse, which is a little deterring since I already have both the T1 Cycler and the Tar.
I used it for quite a while during the first few months of gameplay, and I liked it... then. Now, not so much. It's a good gun for versatility. It has more attachments than any other gun you can get for your class, and functions relatively well at all ranges. That said, if you play even semi-regularly and are halfway decent, I wouldn't recommend it unless you just really want an under-barrel grenade launcher or a 6x scope on an assault rifle. Because of the fact that the gun is so versatile, it's actual stats suck compared to just about everything it competes against for any given specific situation. For close quarters the TAR or TRV are much better options. For long range, I'd pick something like the SABR-13, the NS-11c or just the default Cycler. Personally, though. I just use the TRV all the time. I've gotten good enough with controlling the recoil that I don't really use other weapons on my TR medic.
To me, what it basically boiled down to was that I wanted HV ammo for my Cycler, but I didn't want to be limited to only burst fire with the T1B. I'm very satisfied with it, its a great weapon platform for those combat situations where you just don't know what range you'll be engaging at, and don't have access to a nearby terminal to switch to something specialized. Foregrip, HV ammo, and a compensator gives you a rock solid weapon for anything up to ranges where you'd rather have a SABR, and its still very steady even without the foregrip if you have to have an underbarrel.
With Compensator + Fwd Grip its a very competent gun in 20-60m range, after that its still decent provided you can burst effectively. For CQC I'd recommend Laser + SPA + Scope of your choice only, provides a decent hipfire alternative (though nothing in comparison to TAR) and you can work with it in this range. I think its a great weapon for people who want versatility, want to be tacticool with UBGL/UBSL or prefer support roles. In comparison to the T1 Cycler you will miss a little of its dakka in close range fights but it will prove a better weapon in fights where enemies are 30-70m away.
Set that baby up for mid range with 2x scope, HVA, foregrip and compensator. Wreck face, disregard the police, acquire certs.
I personally used for only 2 reasons. Firstly, for dat shiny purple medal known as Auraxium (which I finally got after a pretty painful 2 months). The second? As a lifesaver. I personally only equipped my T1S with an UBGL and a 2x. I had a Suppressor at one point, but found using it gimped my medium range capabilities. I did consider Soft Point, but never bought since I'm such a hoarder when it comes to certs However, the UGBL made the gun so much more powerful. While I will admit that my aim is pretty horrible and I found it hard to compensate for recoil at 50+ meters, and in CQC I usually got wrecked unless I had on enemies (which I had to heavily rely on doing), the UGBL saved me many a time. One example would be those moments you're pinned down behind cover. Low on health, you AoE ability is on its last legs, and a big, scary Giraffe camo NC HA coming around the corner with a Jackhammer becomes your personal little escort to Nanite hell. He's at around 10+m away, and poof goes your launcher. An instagib and a gasp later, he's staring at the respawn screen. Another would be MAXes. Yes, you may have C4. No, you may even get close enough before you're torn apart by those abominations known as Blueshift ZOE MAXes. Anyhow, 2 accurate (Note: ACCURATE) nades later and he's a goner. So much for ZOE. Yes, in my own personal opinion, the T1S is pretty... meh. It is easily out shined by "specialist" guns such as the TRV, or the SABR-13. Heck, even the T1B. BUT. That being said, it's versatility should be ignored like I did. For 500 certs, and a little more investment on attachments, you can get a decent gun. Like stated above. Slap on the usual long range, e.g. Compensator, Forward Grip, and you've got a pretty decent medium to long range gun, depending on your own aim. Get Soft Point, a Laser Sight and maybe even a suppressor, you've got the perfect stealth rifle. However, the main motivation for this gun is partly for the "tacticool" factor, and what the underbarrel attachments bring to battles. A UBSL is probably only useful in a team setting. Sure, if you see a building which can be stormed, launch some smoke in there. But it usually only works when you're actively communicating with your squad mates, "Alright guys, got some smoke cover down for you. NOW GET IN THERE." On the other hand, a UBGL is generally an overall useful tool. Whether you're going Rambo, or fighting alongside buddies, explosive ordinance is always a welcome sight. There will be MANY situations where you will find the UBGL helping both you and your team, or even saving them from threats, be it a MAX or those guys. You know, the kind to whom you react to with "IT'S THAT GUY". Again, I'll admit, for most of the ride I was pretty awful in general. My aim was constantly off, running into stupid situations, the like. I've gotten better, but still I feel it's not enough to warrant the gun a second try. You've only got 2 shots, which is why I recommend using it in a team setting, especially with Engineers. Go solo, and those 2 shots can only get you so far. Yes, they are awesome lifesavers. No, they do not last forever. You can only kill so many in one life. While this gun can be equipped be decent at CQC or longer ranges, it WILL be out shined by anything other than itself. It's recoil is, personally, a pain to control. I HATED this gun down to its Nanite guts. I was glad to finally be rid of it after seeing the Purple Nanite Medal of "You did it" However, if there was anything this gun is worth for, it's the launchers. They. Are. Amazing. Until you run out of ammo. Or range. Or into a ZOE max. At point blank. (Although there WAS that one time the MAX was so low on health, my undetonated grenade killed him) Make no mistake, this gun shines when playing support. Heal up friends, reviving everyone, being the class known as Combat Medic. But the word combat IS in the class name. You're gonna have to fight too. And those launchers can clear paths, render cover useless, pin down enemies and even take down MAXes in desperate situations. But other than that, you've honestly got better options, and you can certainly live it. You just have to play a little more cautiously without that 1-UP known as UBGL. BUT NO UNDER BARREL SHOTGUN. JUST, NO.
The T1S Cycler was the first gun I unlocked after using my default Cycler. The main reason was the wider attachment options and my hopes that it would be a good weapon for general purposes, one-gun-for-all-occasions sort of thing. And indeed it is just that, a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. And that's sort of where my problems with the gun start.... see, I'm by no means a very good FPS player (my aim ain't great and I play PS2 fairly casually and often play drunk or tired etc.) so if I end up face-to-face with some enemy player then I really really need a weapon that's working in my favor. What I mean by this is: if you're facing an enemy with a decent CQC weapon and you're holding a T1S then you basically need more skill to win then you would if you were wielding a CQC-optimized weapon. Same goes for long-range if you're facing long-range-equipped enemies and using a versatile weapon like the T1S... the odds are basically stacked against you (but in return you'll not be restricted to a single range like with many of the more specialized weapons). So what you should think about is: do you have the skill to compensate for the versatility of the T1S? If you're a great player then go for it but if you don't have so much confidence in your skills (like me) then it's probably better to stick to fairly specialized weapons that will give you as many advantages as possible for your chosen engagement range. So is the T1S "worth it"? Yes, definitely! But is the T1S a good weapon for beginners? Absolutely not because the versatility comes at a high price (especially if you're not such a great player). As a beginner combat medic I'd simply get the TAR and stick to fairly close range fights (it's great for close range but fairly mediocre at long range but still fairly versatile compared to other weapon classes). That will be way easier on you then trying to deal with being out-classed in virtually every range by more specialized weapons. Hope that helps.
