My thunder was first turret I got to m4. When they buffed it back a month or so ago I began to use it again

I just play the missions, save, save, save and every couple of weeks take another step closer to M4. I chose 3 turrets and three hulls to slowly MU toward m4. So far I am almost there. On the other turrets I have taken most to m3.5. When sales hit, I don't waste crystals on the speed ups. Be patient and you will have a good garage slowly but surely.

I think Rico is very solid at m3.5. If someone doesn't have protection it can be dominating, depending on the board. The challenge at the upper ranks is if they have protection and DA, then you will run out of your energy before you destroy them...that is where the long range alt is helpful...it gives you the option of landing several shots before they are close...giving you some time to drop a mine, hit some cover, allow a few seconds of recharge and then come out swinging to finish them off. On a side note, I have both alts. Don't waste crystals on the splash damage...it really doesn't give enough of a radius to really matter. If crystals are no problem, however, get it for kicks and play with it. On some boards it is helpful.

Are you saying my jeans make me look fat :D

The reason Rico protection is more noticeable in game play (as well as Isida, Freeze, Firebird) is that it has a limited energy supply. Twins will keep blasting away and it's rate of damage will NEVER decrease:( If you have enough Rico protection to survive 10-12 shots, its reload speed is so much slower you can usually finish them off. That's one reason thunder, smoky, and twins can seem OP. They consistently lay out damage at a predictable rate without running out of ammo. Hope that makes sense some.

True, but there is no drug for stability. DS is a hunter's best friend. For a viking you have no way to remedy the instability.

I use the alt a lot. But I've also MU'd my shaft halfway to next level before I invested in the alt. If crystals are limited I'd save up for m3 (if you don't already have it). If you are m3, then what is your mu?

Try using it more quickly...half charge in scope mode (no laser to give you away). I can shoot 2-3 shots in fairly short time frame and often bring at least one kill to my team. Double damage is used best that way too. Otherwise you will maybe get off one full charge DD shot and then nothing else. I prefer 3 shots at less than full charge on DD. Just a suggestion. Also do you use Heavy Capacitor alt?

The shaft is not OP however. Just look at over XP won with various turrets. I would wager that shaft is one of the lower XP/hr of play of most turrets. The highest are probably Thunder, Twins, Rico, Fire, Freeze, (and the pre-nerf Isida). I love Thunder...I don't think it is OP either, but it cranks out damage quickly and endlessly. Sure the shaft can one shot light and medium hulls of comparable level, but that is sitting still for a lengthy period of time, with your laser, completely exposed to enemies that have a desire to eliminate you. On some boards shaft is great...like Highways, but it is also a load of fun on such a board to strap on shaft protection, a medium hull, and firebird, freeze or Isida and go hunting the shafts...they are pretty helpless for sure.

Unless you are using the heavy capacitors and then it is something like 6 I usually don't get the joy of a full charge since sitting still that long is inviting death on many boards...

Mine just arrived at m4 and it is a wrecking ball with the alt...any board with vertical walls or tunnels is bad news. Hit overdrive and it 3 shots most light hulls and 4 shots most medium hulls. Good days!!!

I have been trying to edit the above post on my connection which is so laggy at times I can't even play TO. It wouldn't even let the edits go in:) Anyway, The first sentence above should read: "For correction, I was NOT trying to state that Shaft should have the SAME power as Smoky shots at EVERY range." Thanks! I agree with your assessment. Please see my reply above. That said, the current nerf of the arcade shot I am not a fan of.

For correction, I was NOT stating that Shaft should have the SAME power as Smoky shots at any range. I was stating that the current damage dealt by Shaft's arcade shot at medium and long distance was nerfed far too much to make the Shaft usable for anything other than camping. I was in favor of the nerf from a year or so ago on the Shaft's arcade shot since it was definitely OP. The more recent nerf made the turret too weak for much other than camping, however. Sorry for any form of miscommunication. I see how what I said could be taken to mean that. I use (and enjoy) a wide range of turrets and styles of play. But when a nerf/buff radically alters the gameplay of a turret, I am not a fan. The most recent nerf of shaft arcade (as well as Vulcan buff) have both altered those turrets game play tremendously.

For sure, the damage buff and increased time of shooting before you begin to overheat have made the Vulcan a long range suppressor of many enemy tanks:) The problem is that the spin up/spin down coupled with incredibly slow turret rotation have made it a very one dimensional turret (similar to a shaft if you take away the arcade shot effectiveness). I do hate it when I am being drained by a Vulcan...usually die (I'm using m4 Titan more consistently) before I find cover:(

Railgun is for surgeons. Thunder is for brawlers:) I always us protection versus both for good reason...used well they both devastate tanks quickly from good range. I always dread facing hornet/wasp+rail when they know what they are doing.

So which of the firebird alts are no longer beneficial? What do you recommend?

Consider this...you spawn in an area where the enemy is over running it...no matter what you do you have zero ability to inflict ANY form of damage upon the enemy to retake your base. At least with Thunder, Shaft, firebird, etc. you can inflict large damage before you are dead. In the case of Vulcan, you are now dead before you even start shooting anything. Totally ridiculous.

I retired my m4 viking for m3+ (now 12/20) Hunter...haven't regretted the switch.

On several boards...like Highways...I actually rock the Vulcan and am able to land substantial damage at fairly extreme angles for the turret. You might try that with the Alt. I personally haven't spent much crystals on alts...got the long range on Rico, Capacitors on Shaft, long range on Twins, and the compact tanks on firebird. The ones that really make a huge difference are Stable Plasma, Heavy Capacitors and twins m2...haven't noticed much difference on the rest. Wondering if I should rent the Vulcan Alt...

I had the pleasure of playing a CP game today where the other team only had one player with Thunder protection:) I scored my first ever Quad-Kill...it was the perfect display of Thunder's best attribute. I never enter battles without rail and thunder...both devastate so quickly. MM combined with buffing firebird and freeze has continued to reduce Thunder protections...good stuff!

I agree...they are one of the positive aspects of tanki! Makes game fun and rewarding and challenging!

Okay...I have experimented with different approaches to using the Vulcan. Sort of my last attempt at salvaging a turret I have invested quite a bit of crystals and time into. Prior to the "buff" I enjoyed using it even though it felt underpowered on most boards. Normal outcome was a top half finish on CTF, CP, Assault, and Rugby. I usually play with m4 Titan and Vulcan. When Firebird afterburn got buffed, I noticed an immediate penalty for barely exceeding the shooting time (normally around 5.8 sec) to finish off an opponent. I began to notice 2-3 self-destructs in a game, prior to firebird buff I rarely experienced that. I hated the afterburn... After the "buff" I did horribly in almost every battle except 2 (large maps). Instead of finishing on top half I was bottom 1/3rd. Instead of a good k/d ratio I was below 1.0. I vented above several times. I was leaving Vulcan forever...I still might, but So what has been working to improve my new Vulcan experience: 1) If I join a battle and the enemy has taken over the base (i.e., spawn killing), I quit the battle immediately. Normally I wouldn't...but this turret does no damage for 5 seconds, which means you are fried by firebird, frozen by freeze, or sucked dry by Isida before you can hurt them at all. 2) Immediately upon spawning hit the space bar and hold it...you know, just like those twins users:) 3) Unlearn turning your turret and begin rotating your hull along with turning turret...if you do not do this you will rarely get a kill on a moving hull. 4) Release and re-hit space bar every 11-12 seconds. It doesn't even matter what or who is around you. Since it takes so long to spin up the turret, you have to assume that you will need it. In other words, playing with the new vulcan involves non-stop starting spin up, shooting through energy bar, releasing before it is gone, and immediately hitting the space bar again to get the spin up. 5) Navigate to safety when you are beginning to get close to the energy bar being gone...this will save your life often. I know this isn't rocket science, but I have finished in the top-5 once again over the last few battles employing this approach. I would love to know what is going well for other Vulcan users too. Make suggestions.

The drift on the viking is now well beyond what I experienced in the hunter years ago...not sure why or how, but it is unusable when facing most turrets.

Save them for the next world cup or better yet, european cup

I definitely performed better before the "buff" that was in reality a nerf. I think the damage increase would have made it a much better weapon and would not be OP still. Now if they extended heat up time, kept spin up/down at a second, and increased DPS while leaving turret rotation alone it would have been ridiculously OP. All they needed to do was fix the hyper-burn dynamic and buff the DPS...all the rest would have kept it in balance against the other turrets while encouraging a variety of playing styles...as it stands now I went back to Thunder, Rico, Shaft and Twins last night. Placed top3 most times. With Vulcan close to the bottom.