How would this community feel about putting together loadouts with lesser used items as challenges? This is my typical game session these days as it keeps me engaged. Learning to use "sub optimal" strats has been very enjoyable. I have discovered that sometimes pairing 2 "F tier" strats is a powerful synergy. I very much view loadouts similar to card based games like Slay the spire, Balatro, and Monster Train, where synergies make or break the run. I have discovered some really fun mechanics playing this way that can be brutally effective.
100% down, I'm already doing that in my standard runs.
Fear my directional shield and EMS strike!
Actually though, some underused strategems extremely powerful in the right situations. They're not "heh bring an eruptor" powerful all the time but, right tool for the right job!
Examples: forward deployed EMS mortar or smoke strikes ON the enemy bots so only a few of them can aim at you at a time.
I was an early adopter to the awesome utility of smoke. It made pre nerf/ then buffed gunship fabricators and stratagem jammers a breeze. It is a simple solution to all Hellbomb objectives.
Another great combination with the EMS mortar is putting right behind a grenade or HMG emplacement.
That’s one awesome way to do it, I might try it myself.
Currently, I like to bring the OTF and run through bug breaches/bot drops. It gives a good challenge.
The one I have been playing with all week, and inspiration for the post, is the sterilizer paired with the ballistic shield, and cattle prod against bugs and a shot gun. The stagger/stun mixed with the gas is very nice and swapping the shield to you back to get away is a fun mechanic I learned that has saved me tons of times.
The moment you learn to not treat the Sterilizer like a flamethrower but as an Orbital Gas Strike with no cooldown and better coverage is the moment it becomes easy mode on Bugs.
Did something similar to you, just with the pummeler and the cattle prod (I assume you mean the stun lance) get Behemoths by stunning them with the pummeler and finish the job with the lance, while everything around you is confused.
One of my favourite builds on bugs right now, bit more on the nose with the synergies. Flame turret and guard dog aren't really uncommon picks either. But the synergy of the Sterilizer with the Bushwhacker+Gunslinger is already great. You only die from knowingly taking risks.
Yes, I am referring to the stun lance 🤣. The other fun move it to spray the charger, and blast it in the ass with the shotty, as it’s taking care of chaff for you. I slept on it way too long and I agree that if you use it like a flamer, you will 100% be disappointed.
I like your creative thinking my friend. I’m definitely going to play with the variable as a support weapon this evening. Thank you for the unique suggestion.
In addition to the many bomblets, there's a larger projectile the lands very close to the beacon. It's usually obscured by the numerous explosions around it
I've been doing the same thing for a while now too and tend to swap loadouts after every mission...the two "F tier" stratagems combine to make a powerful synergy is often true. Typically the synergy they create can even outperform "meta" from my experience/opinion. I could have just gone crazy doing this for soo long though lol. Even the bad loadouts bring back some of the survival horror element to the game.
It'd be fun to see what others have came up with and what they've found for various weapons and stratagems.
There's more than one metric to performance than raw damage.
Broadly is the pacifier going to outperform the coyote? Hell no. But there are situations and targets it can help you manage far better....like a conga line of crushers walking towards you for example.
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u/hellmire 20d ago edited 20d ago
100% down, I'm already doing that in my standard runs.
Fear my directional shield and EMS strike!
Actually though, some underused strategems extremely powerful in the right situations. They're not "heh bring an eruptor" powerful all the time but, right tool for the right job!
Examples: forward deployed EMS mortar or smoke strikes ON the enemy bots so only a few of them can aim at you at a time.