Guide [Issue 11] The Definitive Guide to: Railgun

[Ranger7 75]

The Definitive Guide to: Railgun



Hello fellow Tankmen! Rail is one of the most iconic weapons in game, and it certainly has a very long record. In this article, I will review some of its history, and give you a few tips as to how to use it, and protect yourself against it.

History



Railgun has a very interesting history. Like Smokey, Firebird, and Twins, this weapon has been around for a very long time. However, it was not initially known by the name "Railgun." At first it was named "Fear Machine." This name fit it exceedingly well, since it was at first, the most powerful gun that crystals could buy. Every successful tankman had a M3 Railgun with M3 Dictator. The "Fear Machine" mounted on Dictator really did rule the game. However, that all changed when new weapons came out, such as Thunder and Freeze. It was about this time that Railgun got its new name, "Railgun." So, in the next era of Tanki, Railgun became a historic weapon, which was used mainly for clan wars and special events. With the rebalance, Railgun has become a weapon that is ready and able to compete with its old rival, Shaft.

Statistics



Game play



Though most of the time Rail's gameplay isn't fast paced, it still is a whole lot of fun if you like knocking out enemy tanks at long range. Since you will be doing a lot of sniping, you probably will want to take a bit more time choosing sniping positions, and so that will slow you down. Once you get to your position, though, you will have a lot more fun. This weapon is really effective in NS battles, where the enemy cannot be protected by punching the 2 button. However, this means that you will probably have to go without punching the 3 button, and rely on your skills. Most tankmen enjoy Railgun because it sharpens their skills. If you miss even one shot with this weapon, you are in big trouble! This weapon usually can play both mid field and attack positions very well.

How to protect yourself from it



If you feel like you have problems defeating this weapon, or if you encounter this weapon often, you might want to try equipping a strong paint to protect against it. I have compiled a small list of suggested paints that protect against this weapon here:

Forester: Warrant Officer 3 and below

Tundra: Warrant Officer 4 - First Lieutenant

Digital: Captain - General

Prodigi: Marshal - Generalissimo

These are the best paints that protect against Railgun. I did not include other paints that also have moderate protection for their rank, for the sake of brevity. If you think that protection from this weapon will really help you, then look at your rank and purchase one of these paints. They are the best protection for their rank. I suggest that you buy Digital or Tundra if you do not wish to spend many crystals on getting a new paint. But, for those who can afford it, and need it, these are the best selections.

How to use it



In short, this weapon is not to be used as an attacking weapon. It is best to find a good camping spot with plenty of cover. This will allow you to use Rail as it was initially meant to be used for. It probably isn't a good idea to use it in games without teams, since it is definitely a team weapon. Without a team, Rail is not nearly as effective. CTF is an okay choice, but it isn't the optimum one since the best way to get points in that game mode is to capture a flag. Still it is very useful there, and in clan wars it can be deadly. The best mode to play this weapon in is TDM, since that is exactly what Rail is best at. Most of you know that it is important to work like a team, but if you work like a team with Rail, you will noticed a great improvement in your effectiveness. Since Rail takes a longer time than most weapons to reload, you will find a partner extremely helpful, and it will increase both of your scores to work together. Another last reminder: Don't miss! Rail is great, but since it takes so long to reload, one mistake can mean death.

Conclusion

Well, I hope I have gone over most of the important things regarding Rail, and I hope that you will have tons of success with this weapon. If you like camping, this definitely is an excellent choice, and you will really enjoy Railgun. Good luck!

Edited July 31, 2017 by Hexed

[robbie56 2,403]

Very usefull , i use Railgun myself to ( also with Hunter ).

Edited May 4, 2013 by robbie56

[adams202 8]

nice!

I am one of the best players in using that weapon B)

Its difficult to use, especially for beginners but your article will help them to be good in using this railgun :)

[I.EatMyBullets 497]

i use rail too with hornet

[skitee 555]

WAAAAAH. Smoky! Smoky! Smoky! Not. Smokeeeeeeeeeey! There is no "E" in "Smoky"!

 

Also, Railgun had it's name change when ISIDA came out, not Thunder (and Ricochet and Freeze only came out about four months after Thunder did) because after Isida it no longer was the best weapon and no longer inspired such fear. And Railgun was not a "historic weapon" pre-rebalance. Used properly, it was still on a par with Thunder and Ricochet.

 

Good paint review, and nice tips, but... Overall, it's best to make sure that you get your facts right. :( :thumbdown:

[Turpz 18]

Great Tips!!

Have you ever though of mabey making a thunder guide That be a GREAT idea!Ive always wanted to master thunder but i mastered this already!Cause of you :) Great topic Thanks,Ranger! :tank:

[Hop1337 1]

Railgun using as a camping weapon? :blink: I think not! Nice job though :D

Edited May 4, 2013 by Hop1337

[Z3RO_DiM3NSiON4L 82]

:huh: :huh: what? am i dreaming...

[alexminigun 1]

thanks very much iam playing with rail and i wated this topic thanks and yes this topic is very usefull with your instructions thanks again ranger

[mchen 162]

Nice, article, still gna get m2 twins instead of m2 railgun though :P

[Raphael2 3,263]

Nice, I'll get M2 rail at sale. and with the 70k left... M2 rico.

[r_TRUNKS2853450 14]

Railgun yay I play with railgun from the begging of my playing

Nice +1

[Zero-nl 36]

nice!

I am one of the best players in using that weapon B)

Its difficult to use, especially for beginners but your article will help them to be good in using this railgun :)

I want to play with you, as I guess I'm that, actually.

[mchen 162]

I want to play with you, as I guess I'm that, actually.

I don't think you're actually that bad, I've seen you play ;)

[Zero-nl 36]

 

I don't think you're actually that bad, I've seen you play ;)

That was Silence. I prefer Kungur, Sandal or Brest.

Edited May 4, 2013 by Zero-nl

[GoldRock 6,165]

...and with the 70k left... M2 rico.

 

U mad, bro? ;)

[Ranger7 75]

Railgun was not a "historic weapon" pre-rebalance. Used properly, it was still on a par with Thunder and Ricochet.

Incorrect. If you saw a marshal with M3 Rail, you would immediately be surprised. The stats on the old M3 Rail have, at best, only 55-85 damage range. Pretty low, considering M3 Viking had 150 health. Also, according to the actual DPS, Thunder completely out-matched Rail. Thunder's previous damage per shot: 26-46 Multiply 26 with its shot-per-minute (27) and you get 702. Now, let's look at Rail: (Rail had 9 shots per minute) We come up with 495. There is a huge difference in DPS here, and it isn't some minor thing. Rail was out-classed once Thunder came along. Really skit, I know this. I played M3 Rail before the rebalance when I was a Warrant Officer, and trust me, when I bought M3 Thunder, it was much better.

[Raphael2 3,263]

 

 

U mad, bro? ;)

i think they will make it better by changing its stats

[GoldRock 6,165]

i think they will make it better by changing its stats

 

I've heard about that, too... Fair enough, then :P

[skitee 555]

Incorrect. If you saw a marshal with M3 Rail, you would immediately be surprised. The stats on the old M3 Rail have, at best, only 55-85 damage range. Pretty low, considering M3 Viking had 150 health. Also, according to the actual DPS, Thunder completely out-matched Rail. Thunder's previous damage per shot: 26-46 Multiply 26 with its shot-per-minute (27) and you get 702. Now, let's look at Rail: (Rail had 9 shots per minute) We come up with 495. There is a huge difference in DPS here, and it isn't some minor thing. Rail was out-classed once Thunder came along. Really skit, I know this. I played M3 Rail before the rebalance when I was a Warrant Officer, and trust me, when I bought M3 Thunder, it was much better.

I had both m3 rail and m3 thunder.... :P Railgun was a lot harder to use effectively, but it was still possible to be of similar strength to Thunder and Freeze. It just had to be wielded incredibly well.

[I.EatMyBullets 497]

i'm gonna upgrade my rail at the sale

[r_AdvocatusDiaboli0 861]

Incorrect. If you saw a marshal with M3 Rail, you would immediately be surprised. The stats on the old M3 Rail have, at best, only 55-85 damage range. Pretty low, considering M3 Viking had 150 health. Also, according to the actual DPS, Thunder completely out-matched Rail. Thunder's previous damage per shot: 26-46 Multiply 26 with its shot-per-minute (27) and you get 702. Now, let's look at Rail: (Rail had 9 shots per minute) We come up with 495. There is a huge difference in DPS here, and it isn't some minor thing. Rail was out-classed once Thunder came along. Really skit, I know this. I played M3 Rail before the rebalance when I was a Warrant Officer, and trust me, when I bought M3 Thunder, it was much better.

 

DPS is a bad way to compare two weapons that are nothing alike. You can use DPS numbers to compare Thunder and Smoky, or Railgun and Shaft, but don't use it to compare Railgun and Thunder.

[legenddestroyer 824]

i love these guides :D KEEP THEM COMING!!!! ^_^

[Voyager-2 18]

Which hull is great for railgun?

 

Dictator or Viking?

 

I know you all are gonna say viking because it looks more nice am i right?

[Roderick341013662 0]

Railgun is my most used weapon. I usually use it with Hornet and sometimes Viking.