Yep ;) Funny that on my main, I have the exact same combo as him. Still remember when he was an M1 Hornet/Shaft on Forester way back in the day. It really boils down to three interrelated reasons: Standardized map list - A good chunk of non-PRO maps are medium sized and often open. Not exactly the main problem now that a map overhaul is partially done to add extra space and cover, but these maps for the most part are still not optimal Shafting grounds for the average TO player who stays in the base taking potshots at the enemy. Other turrets/combos are seen as better and more efficient in some maps, but this further reduces Shaft's usage, and more importantly, lessens weapon diversity + dumbs down battle tactics to "who is the most drugged up and MU'ed." Learning curve - Shaft definitely has the potential to be one of the more complex weapons that TO has, if not the most. But potential is just that, potential. You can sit around casually camping with Shaft and that's okay, but if you want to be competitive and win matches more often then you have to Git GudTM and learn Mouse Controls + basic positioning + psychology (yes, that's right, psychology). Unfortunately, most players plateau at Level 1: Camping, then everyone complains on both ends of the shot. Stigma and General Unpopularity - Shaft gets a bad rep for being a camper's weapon and still does even with Magnum thrown in. When people take a dump on a turret (and its alterations) for being boring, annoying, and difficult to use, it really kills usage. Add to this the near-propagandist appeal of Railgun and Thunder by TO themselves and you effectively have a siphon in place.

Note: Depending on demand, I may make a better formatted and more detailed Google Doc. ----------------------------------- Introductions ----------------------------------- Hi all. TO veteran Longcat970 checking in under my 3rd alt. Since 2011, I have seen my share of battle strategies ranging from cents-cheap to spontaneous E-Sports level. I've seen squads of pre-rebalance Shaft M3's on Silence, solo/train Vamp-Isidas with 2-story or so cone angles on Noise, troll Hammers flipping enemies and allies indiscriminately, the Alpha Vulcan sending Mammoths into space, and of course, Ghosting. I've seen unofficial clans using Xat chat rooms and Skyping for backup in 1000+ BF matches, thoroughly annihilating the enemy team when the M3'ed Captains showed up. And I've seen the random EN players who would team up and attack the flag all at once or change equipment by opening a new tab of TO, all with a simple team message. Several years later, most of these strats have been rendered obsolete by rebalancing, content/QoL updates, and player trends. Then again, these updates bring fresh new tactics to the table. Alterations, stat changes and new turrets are the most obvious contributors that come to mind, but map revisions can be just as changing. Going deeper, even small, forgotten mechanics such as mouse controls, console commands, and the -pause- function could wind up in a team victory, speaking in extremes. That being said, I wanted to compile a centralized list of strategies that I've picked up on over the years. May these tips give you some new perspectives (and potentially win more battles*!) *Note that unorthodox strats carry an inherent risk to them; they are uncommon, after all. Be warned. ------------------------------------- I. (Not-so) Basic Tips Lobby - Choosing a Battle Lobby - Preparing for Battle Battles - General Overlooked Features II. Equipment 1. Turrets - Another Look at General Stats 2. Turrets - In-depth (WIP) 3. Alterations (WIP) [Firebird] [shaft] III. Modes and Map-specific Tactics