I've been playing with the Blackhand for a few minutes and I want to know what your thoughts on this new weapon are? As infiltrators but also when you use it with other classes. I've been playing infiltrator for pretty much all my PS2 "career" and still absolutely love the class. I've been waiting for this weapon to make it live (been playing around with it on the PTR) and can't wait to use it more. But I kinda forgot that other classes will be able to use it as well. While I enjoy soaring through the air like Boba Fett with my LA loadout, I can't help but feel a bit sad as an infiltrator...with the cloak pretty much useless except for marking removal and hiding in tall grass, and our already diminished health, it feels like a bad choice to stick with the infiltrator. As an LA I have a superior primary weapon, now the blackhand as a really good choice for long range. I can get easier and faster into good positions (esp. on hossin) and have C4 to deal with Maxes/vehicles. I'll stick with the infiltrator as my "main" class, because there are still a few other aspects I enjoy, but we definitely have a mighty need for a major overhaul. But that's only how I feel right now, still needs much more testing and stuff...have to get back to work. What are your thoughts on the matter?
On infil the Blackhand is alright. It's not terrible, but it's not the most amazing thing ever. Any sniper rifle is way better suited to getting long range headshots and it's not a good panic sidearm due to the small magazine. You'll often find yourself out of ammo before your enemies are dead. Heavies who pop their shields make it nearly impossible to kill them without headshots. If they have nanoweave you aren't going to do enough damage at point blank range to kill them. For most things I'd say the Commisioner is still way better and more reliable. Light Assault is definitely where the pistol shines and where I had a lot of fun using it. The 2 shot headshot gives you a little bit of a range increase, but the harsh recoil on it does make it difficult to pull off two rapid succession headshots at range. It's still not amazing for a lot of pistol work, but it is nice to see the LA get something that adds a little versatility to the class. For other classes we'll have to see. There's not many situations where a 2 shot headshot becomes more useful than a reliable panic pistol. It'll likely be a bit of a novelty weapon, although unlike the crossbow it has the potential to actually be used effectively so we'll probably see them used from time to time.
It's a pointless addition to the game that I won't be certing. More actual CONTENT please. Less useless crap.
I guess I'll be using it on smg and pump action loadouts. I prefer a silenced rebel for stalker infiling.
I thoroughly enjoy it on my light assault. I use my shotgun, so the Blackhand is really nice for picking off enemies outside of my shotgun's range who would have otherwise killed me. Plus you can hop up on top of biolabs when the enemy is on the air pads and snipe unaware enemies.
i like it on my LA, get in an high spot and go for that head shots it works nice with my stalker also but have to be careful when enemy's are close hope it will work for my smg hunter, not played with this layout yet all the other classes are better off with the battle rifle and fast shooting sidearm
What I love about using this as a stalker infil you can take your time and pick the perfect shot. Unlike the LA on the rooftop your cool to just chill on the edge looking down and wait for a good opener. With a crossbow you have to anticipate the enemies future location, and then lead the shot to land where you *THINK* they will be. With the Blackhand you lead their current position ever so slightly and BANG. Much easier to get kills, less guesswork and much more responsive. However to score those kills it is dependent on a headshot opener, which is fine, otherwise its just a COMMY. That recoil / visual kick (where you loose sight of your target) makes the second shot tricky to follow up though. The weapon is not silenced, forcing you to adopt a more fluid, mobile playstyle. I found I could maintain the element of surprise when alongside allied forces, but I could not be as sneaky with it. Re-positioning is vital, and thankfully the extended range makes disengagements easier and safer then our current selection of pistols. Sadly it comes at the cost of sacrificing allot of stopping power. It wasn't impossible to use aggressively but I felt I did much better with my crossbow CQC. The OHK knife is a good solution I am exploring in order to deal with this issue... Honestly it kinda feels like the reverse of my current play-style. With my crossbow I feel more deadly up close an personal. The blackhand you kind of want to be a good distance away from your target. It might be a fun gun to use if you want to sharpen your aim and go for headshots as a stalker infil. I had success getting assists, and kill stealing from strange places and ranges no one expected. However the biggest issue what to do when someone closes the gap. Hiding, and waiting or trying to OHK knife, proxy bait, seems to be the best solution to deal with this. Still need some more testing but I would already recommend for a change of pace.
You are right that it is similar to the commish with one distinct difference. Look at the drop off damage. The same gun it is not. That said, I do not have it yet.
The difference is huge. Do you get kills at 150m with your Commissioner on a regular basis? Didn't think so. It's not just the range of the damage dropoff, but the minimum was bumped up to 250 to ensure a 2-headshot kill at any range, and the CoF was reduced, making long-range headshots less of a lottery.
I trialed it, and absolutely loved the thing. It felt like a handheld Ghost. I then purchased it, but refuse to touch it again until I finish aurax'ing my Commie (like 200 kills left, so that shouldn't take long xD). I adore the range on the thing, and although it is far from an oh-sh*t pistol, I still find it amazing at what it's made for.
buy it, i already know now that this gun will be in my top 5 on paper it's an small upgrade to the commie, in the field at the right distance it's an beast when you go for head shots it works well to counter snipe snipers if they are in range of the weapon and i am sure that in an couple of days one of the top players will post an positive video
Maybe i didnt use it enough in vr. At any rate there's no way im sinking any sc or certs into a pistol just not my playstyle.
Ya, I am loving this this. Its a near perfect Stalker weapon; you can peg people from a Distance, or get up close and hit um hard. All in all, its definitely a nitch weapon; LA and Infil are probably the only ones that will get much use out of it, HOWEVER, for what it does? It does it well. And its fun to use, lol
I have been using the crossbow and just not able to hit moving targets(85% of all targets) well enough to kill or even hit them. Going to try the BLACKHAND on my stalker.
For my stalker loadout I love it! I have tried scopes on every sidearm available and for my style of play the blackhand is the one I use 24/7. I've gotten some sniper rifle range kills with this handgun. One guy chasing a tank trying to get in and they wouldn't let him. he stopped at the crest of the hill and must have been typing or looking at the map, that brief pause was enough and I picked him off from that far distance! Definitely not a close quarter combat but mid to long range its great! I really want to love the spiker and its charged silencer option but I can't kill anything with it. Once you hit them with the charged blast they start jumping around if they weren't already from hearing the charging noise!
The Blackhand is going to be my next gun purchase. I've tested it a fair bit in VR room and I REALLY liked it. Been wanting a better medium-long range sidearm to complement my shorter range primaries (AF-18 Stalker, and AF-4 Cyclone; that is, FASR, and SMG).
