The Heavy Assault is meant to be the Frontline Soldier. It's meant to be good at fighting everything, because it can't do anything else. It can't fly to flank or scout, it can't heal, it can't repair or drop ammo, it can't cloak or hack. Heavy Assaults can only fight. It's close to the Max in that respect, which is yet a bit more specialized. As for statistics, Light Assaults frequently have a higher Kill Death Ratio because they can flank. Light Assaults are not the frontline, what do you need a Jetpack for, then? The Frontline can quite literally be imagined as a line, not a fuzzy cloud. Thanks to their accuracy, Heavies are worse at long range than Medics, and worse at short range than Lights or even Engineers thanks to the lighter weapons great hipfire. All those classes can pick Shotguns for weapon equaility in those situations, as well. The only real strength of heavies is lasting long; They get their shield, and they have a lot of ammo.
Waaaiiiit... now I get why the OP thought LA was the front-line fighter. The PS2 front lines are clearly located in the sky.
It gets real old reading people saying that LMGs 'do the most damage' or that they are somehow superior in any way other than their magazine size. In fact, LMGs are the worst gun out of the three basic types of AR, Carbine, and LMG. Their TTK is higher across the board. LMGs do the least damage, not the most. End of story. Medics, Light Assault, and Infiltrators are all better classes if all you care about is killing infantry. Engineer and LA can be better anti-vehicle, as well, depending on the situation. HA is easy to use and is good in a 1v1 fight due to their shield, that's all. They have survivability, they're meant to be the basic tank and foot soldier, but you can't win a fight with HAs alone facing combined arms infantry.
You begin with an assumption that isn't entirely accurate. HA is a class designed to engage vehicles and infantry both. Otherwise they would be equipped with a pistol, rocket launcher, and nothing else. They have always come with high capacity LMG's, which, like any other gun, are designed to kill people. LMG's kill lots of people before reloading, which makes them inherantly better for sustained combat than a carbine. They are the foundation of an effective fighting force, because they are solid, and can engage all targets. Your assumption that LA are front-line infantry is also completely wrong. Their ability grants them mobility which is supposed to be used to out-maneuver, surprise, or flank enemies. Compare this to the HA, who has a straight up damage shield, and you can see how your argument doesn't stand on its own. LA also do not have much ammo, and cannot engage vehicles at range, making them also appear to be focused on hit-and-run actions. There are many things HA cannot do, such as: heal and revive fallen soldiers and maxs, resupply ammo, hack terminals, repair vehicles, maxes, and terminals. They cannot support. They are a good 'lone wolf' choice if someone is looking to have at least some threat to vehicles, and that is why they are played so often. Asking for a nerf to something that your empire probably relies on the form their front line is quite ill-advised. HA have already been re-balanced several times through tech test and then beta. It used to be that they also had more health than other troops. This was changed. It used to be that the default launcher was lock on to everything, and also dumbfire. This was changed. The LMG's used to also be much more accurate and have less recoil. This was changed. People still play HA more than others, because it gives them options and they can have an 'oh ****' button. It's the well-rounded anti-vehicle troop, which will be inherently popular in a game about vehicle spam.
Why are HA the best killers of infantry? Because they are the HA, or HEAVY ASSAULT!!! Derp, they assault, and do it heavy...so der, of course they are the best at it. The LMG for mowing down or suppressing infantry and the Rocket for blowing up unsuspecting jets or putting rockets up the tail pipes of oblivious tanks or you can even Rocket noob a clueless infantry man... If the HA wasnt the best killer of infantry it would pretty much be a worthless never played class.
He wants a nerf because he got killed by one. I think I've now read about nerfing almost everything. HA shield can absorb damage at a cost or deflect some damage at a cost. Two very accurate guns can wipe out a HA with shields and walk away. Their shields only provide a limited amount of time with protection depending on how much damage they are taking. I see you coming and I activate my shield I may have a good chance of getting you. I don't hit my shield in time and I'm toast. You start jumping around and I will go full auto on your *** trying to follow you around and wasting rounds, and with the CoF its like pissing in the wind. Once my shield is used up I gotta wait for it to recharge, guess how useful I am then? I use HA to try to take out tanks and vehicles. 5 rockets won't kill a sundy but it helps a lot. Sometimes its a debate whether to have an extra grenade or extra rocket as a side. If I catch some guys unaware, then I can kill them but then again, if I was an engy I would put down a turret and its mowing time.
Most LMGs are actually outgunned by ARs and Carbines. But OP doesn't seem to care about the little thing we call "facts"
I play HA for the most part and there's no difference in any class I play - I find I kill and die pretty much the same unless I play an infi. It really depends on you're play style, where the enemy are, who are your team mates, what's your SA (situational awareness) and how you position yourself. Do that right and you'll get more kills or survive more but sometimes you just have to run into the grinder (unless ur one of those sissy "I can't lose my KD rating" players)
Lmg do the same damage as carbines and assault rifles(except for the SAW) The damage comes in 143 or 167 flavors (240 for the SAW but it pays for it dearly in the rof department). Lmg have weaker rof mostly and are not as accurate in exchange for larger magazines. So now you know.
LA is the best class in inf fights if you know how to play it. Their weapons kill faster than HA, if you can aim better than your opponent. Not to mention the positioning edge, and LA will get scavenging soon.. so tbh learn to play as LA is the best 1vs1 class in the game. I\m a HA player, I see other HA loose most of the time to LA\s because of LA\s rate of fire and speed&flying messing up their aim. Personally, I kill 4/5 times the LA who engages me if I know he\s near by. Call it experience and superior aiming skill.
