Guide [Issue 33] The Ultimate Guide to Vulcan

[Thekillerpenguin 1,731]

 

Vulcan's release last month was met with mixed feelings - some claimed it was utterly useless, and others loved it. By now, most of us have seen (or used) Vulcan in combat, but there's still not a whole lot of information on how to use it or how to fight against it. Well, let's pick apart this bullet-spewing medium range turret and see what makes it capable of unleashing terrifying amounts of firepower in battle.
 
The History of Vulcan

 

Vulcan's the newest turret in the game, so most of you here will know its origins already. I'll write this section just in case somebody looks at this guide in the future.

 

Vulcan was first revealed alongside its sibling Hammer in late 2014 in an episode of the international V-LOG. Semyon described it as a turret meant for destroying enemies before they get close. It was shown to have a gyroscope feature, something that I'll talk about later. There was quite a bit of hype over it, along with a lot of speculation over what it would be like.

 

It was a few months later when Vulcan was put into the test servers for open testing. The first iteration of Vulcan wasn't quite what we're seeing now; it was more powerful and had far more impact force and recoil. I had a lot of fun with it, but it evidently wasn't very balanced- it could flip light hulls very easily, and the recoil was a big hindrance for more mobile players.

 

By the time it was released in February, the stats were tweaked. The damage, impact force and recoil were lowered, and the unlock ranks for all 3 modifications were finalized. When it was first introduced a lot of players were running around with M1 and M0 Vulcans on the battlefield, even at M2 ranks. They obviously weren't very effective and because it's hard to tell the difference between each modification of Vulcan, a lot of players mistakenly thought that it was horrendously underpowered. After a while, people started buying the far more powerful M2 and M3 Vulcans, and it soon became a respected weapon on the battlefield.

 

Basic Stats
 
Throughout M0-M3, Vulcan retains some key characteristics:

• When you hold down the spacebar, Vulcan's barrels will spin up, and it takes about 1.5 seconds before it will start firing.
• Vulcan has technically infinite ammunition. You can hold down the spacebar for as long as you want, and you'll keep firing as long as you don't die.
• The ammo bar in the HUD will indicate how much time you have left before you start overheating. I like to think of it as "coolant". If you continue to fire when you're out of coolant, your tank will start heating up, and you'll suffer from the damage of afterburn. If you stop firing, the ammo bar will go up quickly.
• Vulcan has a gyroscope. This means that when you start firing, your turret will be locked in the direction that it is currently facing, and you can turn your hull without worrying about shifting your aim. You can still turn your turret while doing this.
• Vulcan doesn't have a whole lot of impact force, but it's important to remember that this impact force is applied very frequently thanks to its high rate of fire. If you fire on an airborne enemy, they will be constantly hit until they flip or become very unstable.
• When firing, the turret rotation speed is quite low. It's decent when you're not shooting.

There's a bit of recoil when you're firing, but it's not a big deal unless you're trying to shoot enemies at long range. It's good for doing barrel rolls in parkour.
 
Pros and Cons
 

Pros:

• Vulcan deals quite a bit of damage per second.
• Vulcan bullets will travel instantly. This makes hitting enemies at long ranges much easier than with Twins or Ricochet, and it's the reason why Vulcan can be so powerful - enemies can't dodge the shots, letting you take full advantage of the damage per second.
• The gyroscope will make it very hard for an enemy Railgun, Smoky, or Hammer to shift your aim, since your turret will stay fixed in their direction even if your hull is shifted. If your aim gets shifted upwards, you'll likely miss a few bullets, but the auto aim can often counteract that.
• Speaking of auto aim, Vulcan has pretty good vertical auto aim angles, letting you fire on enemies of high and low elevations.
• The infinite ammunition helps if you need to destroy an enemy at all costs.

Cons:

• The overheating can cause your tank to burn out like a dying star. Even burning out slightly can kill you if you are low on health. This can fortunately be mitigated by a Freeze or friendly Isida.
• The turret rotation speed is quite low while firing. Combine this with the gyroscope, and you have a turret that really isn't meant for close range combat - an enemy using a light hull will find it very easy to circle-strafe you. Especially if they're using Freeze.
• Although Vulcan does a good amount of damage, it's generally not powerful enough to destroy medium or heavy hulls in less than one "clip". If you want to destroy one without teammate help, you need to either cool down first or continue to fire while overheating.

Possible combinations
 
Let's see how Vulcan does on different hulls.

 

NOTE: The pictures here look a little off. For whatever reason, Vulcan wasn't drawn at the same angle as the other turrets and hulls, so these will look awkward. Don't worry, it looks fine in gameplay.
 

---

Vulcan-Wasp

This is an inadvisable combination. Vulcan's constant recoil makes driving while firing both slow and hazardous - if you fire forwards while driving, the recoil will drastically slow down your acceleration and speed. If you fire to your side, you will become somewhat unstable and a lot of your shots will pass right over your opponents due to the recoil. And if you leave the ground while firing to your side, you'll do tons of barrel rolls. Fun to do in parkour if you don't get dizzy, not so good for combat purposes.

 

The gyroscope also makes driving and turning your turret quite awkward, and it's really hard to get used to it. Overheating is also a big deal, since Wasp doesn't have much health.
 
How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: I think that this is officially the second worst thing to use on Wasp for CTFs (after Shaft). It's bad for close range combat, but unlike Thunder, it impedes your driving and aiming too. The firepower is good, but you won't be able to take advantage of it since Wasp is weak.
• DM: This combo isn't much better for DMs. Survivability is already quite hard for Wasp users here, and Vulcan's added instability doesn't make your job any easier.
• TDM: You now have teammates, so you won't be quite as vulnerable since not everyone on the battlefield is trying to kill you. It's possible to do OK here, but Vulcan's special aspects (delay before shooting, overheating damage, gyroscope) still don't mesh with Wasp very well.
• CP: Not very effective here. You can get to points quickly (and maybe dispatch an enemy or two), but when it actually comes down to holding them, you won't last very long. It's not impossible to use this well in CPs, but it's a lot easier with other hulls.

Special Notes:
This might be good for parkour, but in my opinion, that's about it. There are much more suitable combinations out there.
 

---

Vulcan-Hornet

Hornet's increased stability and health are really much more noticeable here. The recoil won't impede your driving quite as much and the increased health means that overheating a little bit won't significantly weaken you. If you want to be fast while using Vulcan, this will be your best bet.
 
How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: Not good for capturing flags, but it's good for covering your teammates. You can reach the front lines very quickly, giving friendly Wasps and Hornets enough support to capture flags. It's reasonably effective for defense, too, since you can chase after enemy flag carriers and put them down.
• DM: Still not really a DM combo. The spin up time and overheating damage will increase your vulnerability, which is already a problem with light hulls like Hornet.
• TDM: About the same as Vulcan-Wasp here, just a bit slower, more robust, and more stable.
• CP: See my comments for Vulcan-Wasp in CPs.

Special Notes:

For whatever reason, I still see a lot of Hornet users that don't turn their turret (mostly with Hornet-Ricos, but sometimes with other turrets too). Note that if you don't turn your turret with Vulcan, you won't be able to hit anything, thanks to the gyroscope.

---

Vulcan-Hunter

Yay, we've gotten to the point where Vulcan's recoil isn't going to be a problem at all! Hunter lends itself well to use with Vulcan thanks to its balanced stats. It's stable with good health, allowing you to settle into a vantage point and fire upon your enemies for long periods of time, but it's also quick enough to get you out of trouble if necessary (like running away from close range weapons).
 
How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: I've captured a few flags with this, but it's not really suited for the job. Instead, you can help out by midfielding or defending. As a midfielder, try to attack enemies, especially light hulls who are going for your flag or enemy defenders who have exposed themselves. As a defender, stay in your base and fill any enemies up with lead.
• DM: This will probably work alright in DMs. You can fight light hulls at medium range easily, but Vulcan tends to overheat before it can destroy a medium or heavy hull, so try to steal kills if you're faced with heavier enemies.
• TDM: Pretty good here.
• CP: Get into a good spot and open fire onto any enemies trying to capture a point. This can be incredibly useful on maps like Stadium, where all 3 points are rather exposed with little cover.

 

 

---

Vulcan-Viking

Probably the most common Vulcan combination you'll see. It's quite good, with no real weakness. It won't burn out as quickly as Hunter or the light hulls, so it's more effective against heavy enemies at long range.
 
How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: Go defend or midfield. Running into enemy bases probably isn't a bright idea, since your medium speed makes it harder to escape from attacking light hulls.
• DM: For DM purposes, you want as much health as possible with Vulcan, at least on smaller maps. This is in the middle of the health spectrum, so it's probably OK.
• TDM: There's no flag here, so enemies are more likely to be hiding in secure areas of their base, making it a bit harder for you to attack. Otherwise, it's good.
• CP: Use like any other Vulcan combination here - don't run up to point except in emergencies. Just find a good spot and mow down anybody on their way to the point.

Special Notes:
Viking's flat. This can make fighting enemies at long range slightly easier, since the recoil won't bounce your aim up as much. It can also help you when fighting enemies at lower elevations, but it will somewhat reduce your ability to fire on enemies at higher elevations.
 

---

Vulcan-Dictator

(I didn't add Vulcan to the picture because the angle issues were very noticeable here, it just looked ugly).

I've only seen 1 or 2 of these before. Dictator's height provides a good position to fire from with Vulcan, and its good health lets you overheat for a little bit when necessary. This is harder to use at close range, unfortunately - Vulcan's gyroscope aside, Dictator's already somewhat awkward to drive at close quarters.
 
How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: This can be a very effective defender- the constant damage will hurt even a Hornet with double armor, and it's even possible to flip enemies if they're airborne. Good for midfielding too, but you need to exercise caution when attacked by close range enemies.
• DM: See my comment for Vulcan-Viking in DMs.
• TDM: You'll probably attract a lot of attention to yourself here, since everyone's focused on combat and neither Vulcan nor Dictator is subtle in any way. It's probably a good idea to put some mines here and there so you don't get overrun.
• CP: Good for covering fire like always, but note that Dictator's height will put you at a disadvantage if your chosen spot is at a higher elevation than the point. On maps like Sandbox, where the point is on a higher elevation, this is especially effective.

Special Notes:
Like I said earlier, this is a very conspicuous combination on the battlefield - Dictator's large and bulky, while Vulcan is noticeable too thanks to its constant fire. Just remember that you're throwing stealth out of the window while using this.

 

Also, Dictator's height lets you fire on enemies of higher elevations more easily, but it also makes firing on enemies of lower elevations harder. Take that into note, since it may not be a good thing on maps like Monte Carlo.
 

---

Vulcan-Titan

Vulcan's description in the garage recommends it for use with heavy hulls, and Titan is a good fit for it. It has a lot of health (even more so after the recent update), letting you overheat for quite a while without draining a large percent of your health. Its low speed also helps out if you're not used to the gyroscope. Titan's prodigious pushing power can also come in handy - when combined with Vulcan's constant impact force, you can stop most hulls in their tracks (no pun intended) in a pushing contest, good for defending flags on CTF.

 

How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: Interestingly enough, you can use this for more than defense. Thanks to Vulcan's excellence at fire support, you can move into a midfielding position on the battlefield and mow down enemies in your line of sight. On maps like Rio, this can be absolutely devastating.
• DM: A fairly sane DM combo. Since you don't have to worry about overheating as much, feel free to hold down the spacebar if you need to finish off a weakened enemy. If you have a Firebird protection paint, you can probably put a brick on the spacebar.
• TDM: Stick to fire support. You can rack up many kills for your team this way. Note that since Titan is slow, you should try to fortify your camping positions with a few mines- you won't be able to run away easily if someone catches you off guard.
• CP: Use like you would any other Vulcan combo here, but you should fortify your position.

 

---

Vulcan-Mammoth

If you really don't want to die from overheating, use this. Mammoth's health is unparalleled, and you can put a brick on the spacebar if that's your thing. With a solid Firebird protection paint, you can practically forget about the fact that overheating exists.

 

How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: Mammoth is slow. Very slow. Because of that, this combo is more of a mounted machine gun than a tank. As such, you should use it like a mounted machine gun. Get into a nice spot that lets you cover most of your base. Fortify the spot with a few mines and you'll cut down any defenders willing to go to your flag.
• DM: This is one of the best Vulcan combos for open maps. Vulcan's killstealling potential meshes well with Mammoth's health, and you can definitely take down many enemies before you die.
• TDM: Use it like you would in CTFs, but note that enemy traffic won't be as constant.
• CP: About the same as Vulcan-Titan in CPs.

Special Notes:

Smokies, Hammers, and Railguns will literally not be able to knock your aim off one bit with this combo. Mammoth's impressive weight will prevent any impact force from shifting you upwards by much, and your gyroscope will counteract any horizontal shift.

---

 

Vulcan Tactics

 

Don't treat this as an assault weapon: It's important to remember that although Vulcan is a machine gun, it was not designed to run up to enemies and destroy them at close range. If someone decides to circle-strafe you, you're going to be in big trouble. Because of this, resist the temptation to run into enemy bases - try to stay in friendly or at the very least neutral territory so you'll have backup or at least some notice in case you get attacked at close range. Vulcan can work at close range in a pinch, but it really isn't the best tool for the job.

 

Make sure you have a good line of sight to your targets: Vulcan deals its damage via a constant stream of bullets, so you really need to be able to hit your target as often as you can in order to deal damage. Railguns can often end you for this reason. Try not to use Vulcan on maps like Iran, since there's cover all over the place, and you'll have trouble dealing damage to your opponents.

 

Don't be afraid of burning out when necessary: Most people have an aversion to overheating while using Vulcan, and that's usually a good thing. There are situations where burning out is the least of your concerns, however. If someone's running out of your base with your team's flag despite the best efforts of your teammates, forget about overheating. Focus on firing only.

 

Overheating is also fine if you're being overwhelmed. If you're low on health and multiple enemies are attacking you, just shoot. You're going to die anyway, so why not bring a few people with you? Most of the time, you'll get destroyed by enemy fire instead of overheating, so you shouldn't have to worry about the self destruct penalty either.

 

You really don't have to worry about overheating if you're being healed by an Isida or cooled down by a Freeze either. If a teammate takes the time to cool you down, you should compensate for their effort by shooting as much as you can.

 

 

Assorted Tips:

• Vulcan's impact force isn't strong enough to mess up the aim of your opponents, but it will help impede their driving. If you're planning on flipping somebody as they make a jump, aim for a corner of their tank.
• If you need to turn around really quickly while shooting, it's sometimes a good idea to stop firing, turn, and then start firing again, especially if you're close to overheating. It's often quicker than dealing with the low rotation speed incurred by firing.
• Use a Firebird protection paint! In addition to protecting you from a powerful close-ranged weapon, it will reduce your overheating damage.
• It's very easy to pin people in cover with Vulcan. Even firing warning shots once in a while can scare enemies into hiding.

Vulcan against other turrets:
 
This will tell you what to do if you're engaging other turrets in combat.

 

Against Firebird:

Vulcan is unable to compete effectively against a Firebird at close range unless you have a major health advantage. They are more of a problem if they decide to circle-strafe you as well. On the bright side, you no longer have to worry about overheating if you're being attacked by a Firebird - they're heating you up anyway, so any extra heat produced by overheating won't make your situation any worse.

 

Against Freeze:

Freeze is the bane of Vulcan users everywhere. If a Freeze gets behind you, you're screwed unless you have some teammates to help you out. If you're busy fighting when a Freeze snags you in its icy grip, just ignore it and keep shooting. If you panic and try to engage, you're probably not going to be able to destroy them anyway, so there's no good in that.

 

Also, the overheating that would normally be a detriment to you can actually be helpful when fighting a Freeze. Overheating will actually help counteract Freeze's immobilizing effect, so hold down that spacebar and don't let go!
 
Against Isida:

Isidas are the easiest targets to take out from a distance thanks to their very short range, but they can destroy you at close range thanks to their self healing. If you see one coming towards you, fill them with as many bullets as possible. If they get too close, run.

 

Against Vulcan:

 

 

Vulcan vs. Vulcan combat is largely based on health. If you have more health than your opponent and you fire earlier than they do, you'll usually win. Impact force and maneuvering doesn't do a whole lot here.

 

Against Twins:

You can usually win against a Twins of similar health, but you might get out-maneuvered at close range. Also, be careful of heavy hulls using Twins - you'll usually overheat before you can destroy a heavy hull, and that will leave you at a disadvantage.
 
Against Ricochet:

Ricochet is capable of outmatching Vulcan in terms of damage per second, but you have the upper hand at longer ranges since Vulcan bullets travel instantly. Whittle down Ricochets from longer ranges- if you have a good health advantage by the time they close in, you'll win.

 

Against Smoky:

One of Smoky's key strengths is its high impact force. Vulcan's gyroscope will negate most of that impact force, letting you deal with Smokies with relative ease. Just watch out if they decide to peek-a-boo from cover, and always be wary if they circle-strafe you.

 

Against Hammer:

Hammer can destroy most turrets in a one-on-one confrontation at close range, and Vulcan is no exception. Treat Hammers like Firebirds or Isidas- easy to take out at range, a lot harder to take out up close. The gyroscope will negate Hammer's impressive impact force (unless you get flipped), so at least you don't have to worry about that.

 

Against Thunder:

Thunder is one of the few turrets where closing in with Vulcan can actually be beneficial. Both Vulcan and Thunder are somewhat bad for close range combat, but Thunder's worse for close range combat thanks to its splash damage. Get as close as possible to your Thunder-wielding target so that they will damage themselves as they damage you. At medium range, you'll often have the upper hand, but watch out if they decide to get into cover and take potshots at you.
 
Against Railgun:

Railguns are frustrating to deal with as a Vulcan since they can evade almost all of your shots while putting big dents into your health. Most Railguns will use peek-a-boo tactics, and you really won't be able to deal with them effectively unless you're very lucky. If they decide to move into the open, shoot them as much as possible.

 

The tactic of firing warning shots to keep enemies pinned in cover really helps out when fighting against Railguns, so try that out.
 
Against Shaft:

Vulcan's considered a long range weapon, but it's no match for a Shaft in long-distance combat. Don't bother trying to engage a Shaft from a distance unless you have no other options, since you'll have to expose yourself for a long time. Instead, move closer and try to attack them when they're not looking. Vulcan isn't an anti-Shaft weapon, really, so try to avoid inciting the ire of an enemy Shaft.

 

---

That's about it for this weapon. I hope you got some insight into how Vulcan should be used, something that still seems to be a bit lacking from my experience in-game. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!

 

If you want to see another view on Vulcan, check out Hogree's excellent starter guide here.

 

 

Edited July 30, 2017 by Hexed

[r_priyangshu0 270]

Great job!

 

I loved it!

[Athena369 265]

Well written and detailed! Keep up the good work :).

[deadtoyou 2,502]

Vulcan+Titan=Favorite Vulcan Combo.

[liverpoolaum 811]

nice but still i hate it

[jazz20 1,181]

Another history fact behind the name is Vulcan was supposed to be the original name for Ricochet before they changed it upon its release.

 

The more you know ;)

[PetertheGeniusGamer 74]

Vulcan is my 2nd favorite Turret. Goes best with Titan.

[snipe3000 678]

I have m0 :/

[lukey0 27,543]

Nice, planning to get this on my second account. :D

[ShyamNishanthMK 189]

Good

[Alklines 1,751]

• If you have a Firebird protection paint, you can probably put a brick on the spacebar.

Nicely executed.  :D

[Harry321 111]

i am buying vulcan in next discount  :wub:

[HimalayanPanther 161]

 

Vulcan-Mammoth

If you really don't want to die from overheating, use this. Mammoth's health is unparalleled, and you can put a brick on the spacebar if that's your thing. With a solid Firebird protection paint, you can practically forget about the fact that overheating exists.

 

How it does in different gametypes:

• CTF: Mammoth is slow. Very slow. Because of that, this combo is more of a mounted machine gun than a tank. As such, you should use it like a mounted machine gun. Get into a nice spot that lets you cover most of your base. Fortify the spot with a few mines and you'll cut down any defenders willing to go to your flag.
• DM: This is one of the best Vulcan combos for open maps. Vulcan's killstealling potential meshes well with Mammoth's health, and you can definitely take down many enemies before you die.
• TDM: Use it like you would in CTFs, but note that enemy traffic won't be as constant.
• CP: About the same as Vulcan-Titan in CPs.

Special Notes:

Smokies, Hammers, and Railguns will literally not be able to knock your aim off one bit with this combo. Mammoth's impressive weight will prevent any impact force from shifting you upwards by much, and your gyroscope will counteract any horizontal shift.

---

 

My worst nightmare:-

When i met a gizmo using M3 Vulcan+M3 Mammoth+Zeus+Drugs

 

And i went mad when that noob(actuallly he wan't noob.But i hate him) took the gold box

 

Edited March 30, 2015 by HimalayanPanther

[My_Tiger_Psy 4]

Great work!  I might just buy Vulcan m2 now :)

[Deev5 0]

this is awsome im good in vulcan(even thogh i use m0 in high ranks) now thanks to the tips im even better can u do this for other guns like freeze

[Deev5 0]

:)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :lol:  :D  :D  :D  :D  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  ^_^  ^_^  ^_^  ^_^  ^_^  ^_^  ^_^  B)  B)  B)  B)  B)  :rolleyes:  :rolleyes:  :rolleyes:  :rolleyes:  :rolleyes:  :rolleyes:  :rolleyes:  :rolleyes:

[Firenze_PRO 80]

I didnt think vulcan had much potential untill I read this article! thanks for those tips :D

[Raakin_Tanker 3]

i hate vulcan cuz the vulcan turrent always kill me when i go to some where to kill some one else :)

[tanker538N 394]

Extra advice from nuba (me)

Firebird: even if you don't let them come close, they could still come out sneakily out of no where and turn you into tank BBQ special!

 

Freeze: no arguments here :p due to slow turning it is almost impossible for the Vulcan to turn completely and start shooting

 

Isida: Vulcan, being normally equipped with heavy hulls, don't really loose too much health. In fact , against dictator, titan,mammoth might be able to survive an entire bar of isida's attacks, and once they are out of energy, it is easy as pie to fit a few thousand bullets into their tanks.

 

Ricochet: almost useless when out of energy, am I right? No. Ricochet is a mid-ranged weapon, meaning that they can attack you from any spot on the map. In addition to this, once they are finished attacking, they could take cover behind a wall, and wait for you to start heating up. Eventually, you will stop if you aren't a hardcore buyer/impatient dude/ drugger. They will repeat this process a few times before they are easily able to take you out. In short: a Vulcan vs ricochet 1v1 will probably go to the ricochet, if (and only IF) the ricocheted used his intellect

 

Hammer: I may not be as experienced in this field as you so I don't have much of a counter statement. Advice: you should wait for it to take out all 3 shots at someone else, before attacking. This way, they are pretty much helpless against your attacks

 

Thunder: I agree with the fact that both are somewhat bad at close ranged combat, but I advice y'all to use hornet or viking to get up close and personal with thunder. Actually, you should just use a hull which you think is capable of catching up to your enemy. This way, they have no option but to attack you , in their face, which means that they too will be taking extra damage.

 

Railgun: these famous turrets, which are normally equipped with light hulls, are very hard to attack, that is, unless they are not looking. And this is what I would

advice you to do. Wait till they engage in battle with another tanker, and then, sneakily attack the unsuspecting enemy. They won't know what hit em!

 

Shaft: against shaft I really don't have any special advice, but I have one

point.....wait till they are in scope mode, then, attack them from the back. Why? Because , during scope mode, the turning speed of shaft is very slow, and you might be able to take it out before it gets to snipe you

 

 

That's it!

Sorry if I repeated anything in the already existing article. This is the best I could do :)

Edited April 1, 2015 by tanker538N

[pokemonjoe70 4]

So, I was right. My best strategy with hornet and smoky is to play "chicken" before I get too much damage and circle strafe it to death.

[blackdiamand 0]

I use Dictator vulcan mo mo and use peakaboo tactics in ctf

[CREEPERHEAD200 0]

Nicely executed. :D

[CREEPERHEAD200 0]

I did that once, I only needed to aim the turret :D

[kostas604 106]

I just bought it at m1 :D

[kostas604 106]

It's ok to use Vulcan with titan and Zeus?