At M2 smoky is likely better - it has a large boost from m1 to m2. However, at m3+ I've found Ricco more effective - seems to deal damage more quickly, plus hitting tanks that can't see you is fun. My m3 smoky & m3 Ricco have ~ same MUs - but I'm using Ricco (+ alt ) a lot more.

Any map? Island? Wave? Small maps or maps with plenty of cover do not favor Shaft. Shaft would struggle against a Titan Twins with supplies on in a face-to-face battle.

If it helps any - I forgot to claim at least one mission and had my 4th week re-set. :unsure: Twice. Lost ~ 26,000 crystals (plus supplies) because of that. At least give me third week rewards when I claim next day instead of nothing... :(

That's brutal. maybe you need to un-install and re-load?

Wow. Weak damage is 50% for shaft arcade shot? LOL smoky can't even compete with the arcade shot, let alone the scope mode.

Wrong forum me-thinks this will get moved... but that aside... You are not getting the timing quite right. Why are you re-loading before battle begins. 1st shot is "free". An M2 Rail and m0 smoky will kill an M2 Viking this way... First shot (NO re-load) 900 avg + (re-load 4.70) 2nd shot 900 vg + (4.70) 900 avg 4.70 + 4.70 = 9.4 seconds to do 990+900+900 = 2700 dmg This is overkill on 2200 so AT MOST it will take 3 shots but could very well do it in 2. = (4.7 seconds) M0 Smoky... Including critical chance smoky's avg dmg is closer to 290 means it will take ~ 8 shots to kill m2 Viking. 1st shot (no re-load) 290 + (re-load 1.7) 2nd shot 290 + (1.7) 290 + (1.7) 2.90 + (1.7) 290 + (1.7) 290 + (1.7) 290 + (1.7) 290 7 reloads at (1.7) = 11.9 seconds to do 2320 dmg which is close to 2200 - very unlikely to do it in < 8 shots. But you are forgetting important factor - RANGE. Rail suffers no degradation in dmg over range. So on larger maps it will take smoky MUCH longer to kill same target.

Striker: Enhanced Targeting (ET) - Aiming time (lock-on) -25% - Reload Time +15% - Damage - 15%

There's a reason you rarely see it. Magnum is much newer but way, way more popular. Striker is not very effective at long range due to the very long lock-on time. Targets just have too much warning with the tell-tale laser and use walls, buildings and even other tanks to disrupt the lock-on. With supplies rampant every target is on speed, moving 40% faster. And other turrets are better at medium and short range.

6600 :o Why???? :blink: You can't possibly recoup that cost with a new mission. Just complete one or two and change again next day.

When you click Battle List you will see the same info as you did before the server merger. Ranks are still displayed.

Once they re-introduce MatchMaking the Battle-List will likely be only for "Custom" (Pro) Battles. Else few would use MM and battles won't get filled the way they plan.

Edited for "inappropriate" language. Did Mods remove most of the English?

A sticky-bomb launcher would be a hoot. Trying to recall which legacy first-person shooter had that... Unreal Tournament? Duke-Nukem?

Ricco has better range than twins and can deal a lot of damage quickly. However, if Ricco can't kill target with one magazine it gets in trouble. Twins never has to re-load so has advantage when heavy hulls involved and when protection involved.

I have smoky and ricco both ~ 3.5. No Thunder. There is some overlap between the 3 mostly in middle distance. Of the three Thunder might be best at max range. Ricco I find can fight solo better than smoky - kills much faster. Also better at short distance where you basically can't miss. Over past year of so I've been disappointed with they way they nerfed smoky. Getting m4 is very, very expensive. Getting to 3.5 with sales is not bad. Now I'm concentrating on Protection Modules - that 35% stock makes a huge difference. Do you have short-range weapon like hammer/twins/fire/isida/freeze? If not, it might be best to grab one of those instead of Ricco. (Get it eventually... it's great fun when there are tunnels and walls) In terms of opponents protection... it's a mixed bag. I do see 40%+ protection vs ricco, but not all the time. However, I'm fighting mostly Legends now and they have had time to accumulate and upgrade different modules.

I mostly agree. Unfortunately I have to decline all the "collect gold-box" missions now. I'm not dropping my own gold in a battle where I have only a 10% chance of collecting. And keeping that mission until a random gold drops pretty much same thing... waste of mission-space.

Why can't you pick your own battles? The last button allows this - it's just one extra step vs previous version.

I bought Ricco M3 + long-range alt. Don't regret it at all. Does good damage even at long distance and the increased projectile speed means you hit way more often.

Well then you are using it wrong. It's an indirect fire weapon that can damage targets from across the map while hidden. Exposing yourself to cap a flag is using it poorly - you are voluntarily nullifying it's greatest strengths. Plan on capping flags? Pick a different combo. You claim Magnum is not OP and go on to say if it is nerfed you won't be able to cap flags. You don't see issues with this line of reasoning?

You seem to want to keep Magnum as OP so you can cap flags solo when your team is not helping. That's not a good reason to keep it imbalanced.

It's not the magnum that's the issue. It's the team. If you are on a crappy team it won't matter what equipment you use. Your best bet in that case is to exit and look for a battle with a better team. Why waste your time?

What does that have to do with Magnum damage? Just run (driving forward toward your base) like everyone else. You should not be worrying about targeting chasers when you have the flag. That's what mines, RK and your team-mates are for.

Magnum is mostly a camping weapon, so timing like that is of least importance. It's like dropping bombs from the sky. No way to plan for that unless you hide in tunnels. When is last time anyone ever saw the map Subways? It's the initial hit and what it can do with splash that counts. Too many people worry about damage per minute, etc. Even if there's a long pause between shots it's mostly irrelevant. In CP and CTF games where there's important areas, magnum just ruins the battle. It doesn't even need to hit to cause mass carnage.

No,. And I don't expect them to change magnum's fundamental characteristics. I just want it tweaked like every other turret was tweaked a while after introduction. Devs have had time for analysis and feedback.

Protection modules do have a large impact - and that is directly connected to ranks. Once you can play against Legends, the rank limits are essentially meaningless. As a legend 1 I could regularly be playing legend 5s, 12s, 15s... 25s.... because they have on avg 12-18 "equivalent" ranks on me, they have the crystals to buy more and better tanks and modules. Not only that, they have the time to MU all that equipment to place them tiers above me. I really think there needs to be some sub-division between these legend brackets. It goes both ways... I'm sure the legend 20s won't be too thrilled to have a Legend one join their team and bring down the avg power of their team.