Review [Issue 33] Vulcan or Hammer: My Thoughts

[S.C.Y.T.H.E 1,072]

 The New Turrets

 

 

Recently two new turrets have been added to the game-- Hammer, and Vulcan. 

This article will cover the pros and cons of each turret, how to play them, and finally... which is better.

 

Hammer

 

Hammer; It is short range, long loading and quick firing. It has the ability to damage multiple enemies at once; Its damage decreases at distances. I have Hammer M2, and it has been my primary turret from Major to late Colonel. Many people call this a 'noob turret', but really this is not quite the case. This turret does take skill to use effectively. 

There are many reasons that Hammer is superior to other close range guns. This turret can do a lot of damage in an extremely short amount of firing time. If an enemy peaks out from behind a wall for a quarter of a second, you can still cripple them. You can't do this with any other close range gun, or any turret, for that matter. Railgun has a warm up, Shaft has a warm up, and Thunder doesn't do quite as much damage as Hammer. With a firebird, you will do little to no damage if you are only burning an enemy for a quarter second. This applies to Freeze and Isida as well. Surprise tactics won't work very well on Hammers, since they fire so instantaneously and with so much damage. Another thing that gives Hammer an advantage over other close range guns is its impact force. No other close range turret has any impact force whatsoever. If they fall sideways, they can't use their recoil to get back upright. They can't flip enemies or use impact force to knock of enemy shots.

Hammer excels at flipping people and knocking of shots. This is one of Hammer's finest points.

Also, protection paints against hammer are quite rare to be seen, currently. This gives Hammer a pretty huge advantage. 

However, Hammer has some disadvantages to other close range turrets. For starters, Hammer is the most vulnerable if it runs out of ammunition. Once a Hammer has fired its three shots, there is about a seven second reload, in which it can not deal any damage at all. This makes it about as vulnerable as a reloading Railgun. Enemies will likely hunt you down if they think that you have fired all of your shells. 

Also, Hammer doesn't quite have the Damage per Minute or Burst Damage of other close range guns. Also, all close range guns have a unique ability; Hammer does not. Its unique ability in my opinion is a combination of three round burst and impact force. 

Hammer does best when paired with a relatively fast hull, that can make quick escapes, and pop out where no one will expect it.

When using it, stay covered at all times. In the open, a Hammer will be scrap metal in a few moments, due to long range guns. Use alleys between buildings, walls and plants to stay covered. Don't charge into the center of an enemy base, but be stealthy. If you are ganged up on while driving Hammer, you will most likely die. If you fire two rounds into enemies, and it looks like there won't be any enemies attacking you for a while, fire your third round so you can attack with all three rounds. Use peek-a-boom tactics. Poke out from cover, fire, then disappear behind cover once more.

 

Wasp:

7.0 out of 10.

A Wasp/Hammer can be very fun to drive. Wasp's maneuverability and speed make for great ambushes and escapes. Wasp complements Hammer's peek-a-boom-ish-ness, but it can require some skill. In all, this is not a bad combination, but it is not always practical. It can do well in big yet close range maps, such as Polygon or Dusseldorf, but in many maps it will fail miserably. 

Hornet:

7.5 out of 10.

Hornet can excel with Hammer for the very same reasons as wasp; It has high speed, letting a Hammer get out of tricky situations quickly. But Hornet has significantly higher armor value. This will make a big difference in your survivability. If you use Hornet and Hammer, be sure to make use of your quick speed. In all, this is a very decent combination. It can do well in most maps.

Hunter:

8.2 out of 10.

Hunter and Hammer is a very good combination. It is known as 'Pitbull' after the product kit. Hunter has great speed and great armor. Hunter is pretty quick, but Hunter can still hold its own in a brawl. It is also fairly high to the ground. Because of this you can flip enemies and take goldboxes a lot easier. Hunter and Hammer can be used in just about every map, and it will do very well. Hunter's compact size lets it fit in tight spaces, and attack where enemies are weakest. 

Viking:

7.5 out of 10.

Viking and Hammer is a decent combination. Viking is slightly slower than Hunter, but it is a lot more armored. A Viking and Hammer will preform very well in close range squabbles, but in more open, wider maps it may not do as well. Viking's speed is still quite fast, but it isn't always adequate when facing insistent enemies. Viking is very low to the ground. When a Hammer/Viking shoots, it will not be able to flip enemies as easily, since it is striking the hull, not the turret. In all, I would say that this is a good combo, but personally I prefer Hunter. 

Dictator:

7.55 out of 10. 

Dictator and Hammer will do great in the right hands. Dictator's high health pool allow it to stay alive for quite some time. This combination can deal a lot of damage each life. But Dictator can feel sluggish compared to lighter hulls. Frequently you will find your health quickly devoured while you are retreating and reloading. Dictator is very tall. When it shoots, it nearly always hit enemy turrets, nearly flipping them. This is a major advantage that Dictator has over the other hulls. Dictator and Hammer is a combination that many Gold Hunters enjoy. In all, I would say that this is a decent hull, perfect for tankers who want to live a long time yet destroy enemies.

Titan:

6.6 out of 10.

Titan is just too slow to be very good with Hammer. In certain maps, Island or Ping Pong for example, Titan and Hammer can excel, but in the majority of maps it will sometimes preform miserably. If you are really, really into very close range maps, this may be your combination. But its slow speed and inadequacy in many maps will frustrate lots of players. 

Mammoth:

5.8 out of 10.

Mammoth and Hammer can be torture. Mammoth's turtle-like speed combined with a fairly fast paced gun is not a good mix. In close range maps, it will do well, but in most maps it will honestly be terrible. Mammoth's gigantic size adds more to its awkwardness. Sometimes it feels like Mammoth is so big and slow that enemies can't even get close enough to receive significant damage. I would not recommend this combination at all. 

 

Vulcan

 

Vulcan is the antithesis of Hammer. It is long range, quick loading but slow to fire and low on instantaneous damage. At first glance, it appears a lot like a Twins but with the addition of over heating.

It is very intimidating to behold. This is one, big gun, and not something to be messed with. 

Ever since I have started using it, I have realized that this is not a duplicate of Twins. In fact, I think it is more similar to Ricochet than Twins. Twins' main feature was that it never had to reload. Vulcan needs to stop shooting to avoid overheating. This is very similar to the way a Ricochet can shoot out its entire loading bar, and then keep shooting twice as slow, or reload its clip. But Vulcan is on a much faster level than Ricochet. In a brief few seconds, you can begin to overheat. You can stop firing, and start all over again in about three seconds. Or you can choose to continue shooting, but risk overheating. Vulcan has a warm up before it can shoot, while the barrels begin to rotate. This is comparable to Railgun's warm up, but slightly longer. 

Because of the risk of overheating, and Vulcan's slightly lengthy warm up, a Vulcan user must be very observant. You have to be watching the whole map at once, knowing exactly when to begin shooting. If you think an enemy will pop out from behind a building, you should begin your warm up before you can even see them. If you are coming out from behind a building, you should begin shooting before you are exposed.

To continue shooting, or not to shoot:

This is the classic dilemma of a Vulcan user. The answer is simple; both. If you think that an enemy is very near death, continue shooting. If an ally is damaging an enemy simultaneously as you, keep shooting as this enemy will be dead in no time. If you are very close to death yourself, I would try to deal as much damage as possible with my last few breaths, so I would continue shooting. 

BUT, don't continue shooting for longer than a second and a half, unless you are shooting at an enemy with your flag. 

If you have killed one enemy, then started shooting a second enemy in one clip, don't continue shooting. The second enemy shouldn't be very close to death, and you will damage yourself for litter reason.

Be sure to damage as much as possible. If you killed an enemy, but still half half a clip until you overheat, keep firing even if no enemies are in sight, until you are on the brink of overheating. You never know when an enemy will appear out of nowhere. 

DO NOT go into close range situations. Vulcan's gyroscopic effect and other characteristics give you a large disadvantage in close range squabbles. However, you don't want to be a mile away from enemies. Try to find a secure location at a medium distance from enemies. Remember, Vulcan's damage decreases with distance, so there is no need to go very far out. 

There are two quick strategies that I use with Vulcan: Blazing, and Active Camping. With the Blaze strategy you attack an enemy base from the front, preferably with allies. Try to stay in relatively open territory, because in close range you will not do well at all. 

Active Camping: Choose a secure and safe position fairly close to enemies, and stay here. But don't be a rock, you can still move a few feet back and forth. It is relatively simple; keep a very good eye on the map, and shoot enemies whenever possible.

Vulcan will never flip enemies unless they have gone airborne or jumped off a small cliff or building. If they do jump off a cliff, they will be easily flipped upside down by Vulcan.

Vulcan can be very fun to use. Its high damage and long range make it effective in many maps. I personally prefer other turrets in most cases, but that is just my opinion. Vulcan certainly takes skill to use. If you are an experienced tanker looking for something brand new to try out, I recommend Vulcan. 

 

Wasp:

6.5 out of 10. 

Wasp will almost never do well with Vulcan. Vulcan does sometimes need speed to escape, but Wasp is simply to low on health to be very effective. Wasp is more suited to peek a boom tactics with higher instantaneous damage and flanking strategies. Vulcan is the opposite of peek a boom, and its gyroscopic effect does not allow it to circle and flank enemies with ease. So I really wouldn't recommend this hull to be used on Vulcan. 

 

Hornet:

7.2 out of 10. 

Hornet is a decent hull to be used with Vulcan. It does well when using the Blazing tactics mentioned earlier. Hornet's higher HP than Wasp makes a significant difference. Hornet may lack some survivability, but a skilled fighter should do very well with Hornet. 

 

Hunter:

8.5 out of 10. 

Hunter and Vulcan is a very good pairing. I call this combination 'Spock'. Hunter's quick speed and moderate armor are the perfect combination for Vulcan users. Hunter has the maneuverability to survive in tight situations. It can advance or retreat very fast. You can respond to enemy movements very quick. It has enough armor that it will survive a while-- long enough for you to be very useful to your team. This is my top pick for Vulcan.

 

Viking:

7.9 out of 10. 

Viking feels a lot like Hunter. It has slightly higher armor, which is a good thing. If you are planning on camping in Vulcan, Viking is a better choice than Hunter. Viking is low to the ground. This is a good thing; Vulcan doesn't have enough impact force to flip people. But with Viking, you will usually be hitting enemies below the turret. This is good, because there is are bugs in which Vulcan doesn't damage Hammer turrets and occasionally others. Viking is a good fit for Vulcan.

 

Dictator:

7.5 out of 10.

Dictator is a lot slower than Viking and Hunter. It has much more armor than either. Dictator doesn't quite match with Vulcan's playstyle. Vulcan isn't meant to be an in-your-face turret, unlike Dictator's tyrannical tendencies. Vulcan is kind of a whiny, annoying mosquito that is actually a lot more dangerous than you expected. Dictator and Vulcan can do well, but it doesn't quite use Dictator's full potential. 

 

Titan:

8.2 out of 10. 

Titan is quite a good combination with Vulcan. It is very well armored, but lacks some speed. This doesn't matter so much. Titan has very high survivability. A Vulcan/Titan can still do well in close range scuffles because of Titan's sheer HP. I really recommend Titan to be used with Vulcan. It preforms quite well. 

M1 and M0 values of Titan may be too slow to be effective with Vulcan. My experience is based on M2 Titan. 

 

Mammoth:

7.0 out of 10. 

Mammoth and Vulcan isn't an amazing combination. It can still do well, but Mammoth is too slow to fully utilize Vulcan. I would highly recommend using Titan in place of Mammoth. If you are trying to use Vulcan and Mammoth, the easiest strategy is camping. But Vulcan isn't a solely camping turret, and this is why Mammoth may not be the best fit.

 

 

Vulcan vs Hammer: Which should you get?

Hopefully you should already know after reading the above guides to the turrets. To sum everything up:

Vulcan is a fast loading but slow to fire turret. It is a longer range turret that will frequently be devoured in close range skirmishes. If you like Shaft, you may enjoy this turret. It feels similar to Railgun and Ricochet. It requires a lot of observance over the map. 

Vulcan is the polar opposite of Hammer. 

Hammer is a long loading, quick shooting and high damage turret. It is best in close and medium ranges. It responds very quickly to enemy movements and attacks. If you want a fast paced and exciting turret, Hammer may be just the thing. 

What is my opinion?

I like Vulcan better. Vulcan is a very unique turret. Playing with Vulcan is not like any other turret and it requires different thinking and tactics. I prefer other close range weapons to Hammer, but nothing is comparable to Vulcan.

Edited July 30, 2017 by Hexed

[deadtoyou 2,502]

Nice picture.......I am afraid to disagree with you now. :ph34r:

 

JK! :P Love the article! ^_^

Edited March 27, 2015 by deadtoyou

[LeIouch_Vi_Britannia 6,163]

Playing with Vulcan is not like any other turret

 

Erm,isnt every turret unique? :mellow:

[liverpoolaum 811]

nice man

[PetertheGeniusGamer 74]

Same opinion.

[jazz20 1,181]

I think Wasp-Hammer will be a good addition to parkour scenarios. It's hard punch plus the lack of weight from wasp can really send that little tank flying in certain situations.  

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

Nice one, though you seem to be a big fan of Hunter....

No worries, it's the best you can get for hammer or Vulcan!

[rechargeme 79]

  { VULCAN  }

Edited March 30, 2015 by rechargeme

[iicantfindavalidname 0]

I would say hammer is better, most of the time. Vulcan wont do very well on some maps but on very small maps,(like cross) suited with mammoth can be an unbeatable flag protector. An isida behind a Vulcan mammoth can make overheating not a worry anymore.

Hammer used to be my main but now railgun is, I used it with hornet mainly on aleaksandrovask because of the points teams like to camp where you can sneak up on them., like a ninja. :ph34r:

[Pause_Unpause 50]

I feel like Hammer is better with medium hulls than you give it credit for. I also didn't see any mention of mines as an effective tool with either of these turrets, because I believe that they can be used super effectively.

[NOT_Insane 42]

Nice article, really helpfull :)

In my opinion both guns are strong, and they are usefull in different case ;)

(I prefer using Hammer)

[pizzaslad 471]

Hammer is still a noob turret in my books

 

Like how you stated Hornet's HP in relation to Wasp's. Significant. 17 HP is a lot these days I guess

[francisrpgpro21 0]

i prefer hammer because u can use it in parkour :)

[sudeeprauta 150]

Nice!

But i like Hammer.

^_^

[CRIME_GUY 72]

I told you this was the article I read, remember we met in a battle. scyth

[peursumdefendertje 8]

Hunter is best with both of them???  :o  :)  :)  :D  :D  :P

[Blockbuster_FX 21]

SCYTHE Nice effort as well as nice article. Good for increasing new turret knowledge. But you do need a new logo ? The one you are currently using is pretty much mortifying. I know you are a very good editor, trying making up something new. Anyhow its just a minor suggestion.

[Rzo7 33]

Hammer is really popular with parkourist now! It's an awesome weapon and I like the stars coming out of it when you shoot a tank. But Vulcan's auto aim is so OP and the topic about that has already been gone through but if you have Vulcan M1 or up, Vulcan is so fast it can push your tank back. Maybe not as much pushback as twins but still enough to irritate me :P

[A_Jl_E_H_T.00 615]

You can't compare any weapon...why? There are various maps and several game modes, for example Titan Vulcan or Hammer will be good on Polygon CP, yet it will be bad on let's say...Dusseldorf CP...and so on.

[markgrm 0]

You know every turret with skill can be OP