Nah, I think IB needs a buff. With all the extra heat immunity around these days it needs its projectile speed increasing ? I posted a lengthy rant against the IB/HI combo when it became available. However, I have used it plenty since, not least because it lets me do some of the short range turret missions as IB kills count like firebird kills. As I've said elsewhere, HI is getting very common but not so much that it isn't still a very effective way to rack up kills in some modes. I think the suggested change to only proc when HR at most is equipped and not HI makes sense. Unfortunately, gradual change to assess the impact of something doesn't seem to be the preferred way to do things around here. As such I expect an extra hull augment slot to become available for purchase only via tankoins so everyone can equip HI as well as something else, causing more problems to solve this one while also trying to make more money.

Choices choices.

Heat Immunity is much more common since the change in containers so IB is becoming less dominating. I myself have got it for 3 hulls on just one account in the last few weeks from shardtainers.

That kind of behaviour makes the Shaft player in me smile with glee.

Everything has been very slow indeed for me. I've been getting lots of messages in the top left corner that would normally say something about a mission or something that just say "undefined". In matches it plays OK but the shop, opening containers etc is painful - click, wait 30 seconds to see if anything happens.

You mean careful with their mines.

It does seem a bit worse. It's very rare that I get in a balanced match. It means that I end up staying in the ones that are unbalanced in my favour to make up for the ones that aren't. Got missions to do, not my fault, sorry.

The idea that a large map means it always works for any battle mode with this many players is also nonsense. Player numbers need to be set based on individual map and specific battle mode. The idea that you can set it as a general rule for all large maps playing in all modes is clearly misguided.

This is a mess. Huge groups make great targets for an IB vulcan but it's a long way from engaging or fun.

It's surprising (or possibly not) how many of your own team start shooting at you or trying to push you off things because they are sick of being deafened by you shooting without cease when you use IB and heat immunity. Oddly, I quite like the projectile speed reduction, it lets you chuck off a volley and duck behind something before they even hit. As a combo it's broken but then so much else is too now.

There I was, minding my own business behind a building and popping out to shaft a tank every few seconds and then some fo sticks a Titan dome down over me, shining like a 'come and kill me' lighthouse across the map, and every tank then descends onto me so they can dump their wasp bombs, every enemy Shaft and Gauss has a look to see if they can grab a quick snipe. Thanks Titan. You're a star.

Oh, I'd never buy it, not worth it. Then again, I could say that about an awful lot of augments. I couldn't understand people saying SBE is now pointless - it seems to still have a niche to me, largely the same one it had before.

Given I'm likely dead after getting one arcade shot off with either given I need to be on top of my target now, I'm not that bothered about any arcade impact. It's now better to super quick scope which this helps with if I don't have LC. As I said, no reason to not use it over stock if you don't have something else you want to use.

Got it from a tainer so no cost. I can't see a reason not to use it - the downside feels even less of a downside now if anything.

OK, I wasn't missing anything then. It's still an obvious thing to equip instead of stock - it increases sniping potential while giving a tiny buff to arcade damage which is irrelevant given that it's not that useful at all now. It would seem silly not to play with SBE on that basis (if you don't have something else you want to use that is).

Can someone explain to me why SBE is wrecked by an across the board shaft range change? Doesn't it have exactly the same upsides and downsides as it already did compared to stock? I'm clearly missing something.

If I could give it you I would ?

I think the point was to make money really but I take your point. The worst bit about the heat resistance was that I got the immunity FIRST. Bah.

They do show up pretty regularly, just not the things I want! ? I've had uranium, high pressure pump, heat resistance AND heat immunity for hornet on one account from the various event containers. Pity I don't like hornet that much.

Not me though... I live in hope.

A total tangent but this made me laugh so hard

I assume that next week/month pro battles will have all exp/cry removed with a stated justification that they will keep the current rates in MM forever so it isn't needed. Seems the logical next step from their point of view.

I think it almost always favours one team or the other based on map but I don't think it always favours the defending team. There are several maps where it's incredibly hard to impossible to defend.

Indeed. The change to allow it to deal full damage under a titan dome already gave it a boost.

I think mammoth and titan users would strongly disagree.