All COG and Locust soldiers on the battlefield are armed with one of three different rifle types. Each type has strengths and weaknesses, and no rifle is the perfect weapon for all maps and modes. Spend time with all three rifles in each mode and map to get a feel for their strengths and your personal preferences.
Lancer
> A deep magazine, high rate of fire, good accuracy, and the iconic chainsaw make the Lancer an ideal medium range and all-around weapon.
Weapon Profile
The Lancer is an automatic rifle with a high rate of fire and relatively low damage per bullet. The Lancer’s accuracy is high enough that you can take out targets at medium range, and it’s very accurate when blind-fired over cover.
Take advantage of the Lancer’s magazine size by laying down constant streams of suppressive fire at enemy positions. Continue to fire at enemies in the open, even if you’re only scoring passing hits…you have the ammo to spare.
The Lancer comes equipped with an under-slung chainsaw that you can rev by holding the B Button. Once it’s revved, the chainsaw instantly kills any target with which you make melee contact. Be aware that if you’re damaged while you’re revving up the chainsaw, the revving is cancelled. Don’t try to use the chainsaw while you’re under fire or when you’re in the midst of a large firefight. The chainsaw beats a Retro Lancer charge and clashes with another Lancer chainsaw. If you clash, hammer on the B Button as fast as you can…whoever inputs more button taps wins the duel in a spectacularly messy manner.
Chainsaw Usage
The Lancer’s chainsaw is powerful, but you need to know when to use it for best effect. First, the chainsaw takes a moment to rev, and you move at only normal walking speed while you’re holding it. It’s not an ideal weapon for approaching an enemy position.
Use the chainsaw to defend yourself at close range when you spot an enemy moving in and you don’t have time to switch to your shotgun. You can also use surprise to great effect with the chainsaw. Hide out of sight on a common movement route, and jump out from cover with the chainsaw revved as soon as your victim moves into range.
Smoke Grenades also work well with the chainsaw. A well-timed Smoke Grenade stuns nearby enemies and gives you the cover you need to make a lethal approach. Because the chainsaw kills instantly on contact, walking into a cloud of smoke with the chainsaw revved almost always guarantees a kill if enemies are within.
Be aware that an alert target can easily take you down while you approach with the chainsaw. This is particularly true if your foe has a shotgun or the Retro Lancer…you’re an exposed and noisy target while you hold the chainsaw raised. Go for quick kills and then get back in cover. Don’t walk around in the open with your chainsaw active!
As a final warning, chainsaw executions take time. If you perform a chainsaw kill with any nearby enemies, expect to die soon after. If you have no other choice as you face a group of enemies, you can score one kill and then go down. Whenever you can, use the chainsaw on lone targets or while your team covers you.
Comparison
Up close, the Lancer is weaker than the Retro Lancer. At long range, it lacks the accuracy to compete with the Hammerburst. But it compares favorably at any other range outside those two extremes.
Be aware that the other two rifles deal more damage per shot. Don’t expose yourself for lengthy periods if you’re taking accurate fire from either the Retro Lancer or Hammerburst. Try to exploit your deep magazine and quick reloads to overwhelm opponents using the other rifles. You can often force them to keep their head down while you move to an angle, where you can hit them behind their cover. If you push the attack while they reload, they can do little to avoid being downed if they don’t immediately retreat.
Cautions
It takes a fair amount of time to down targets with the Lancer, even if they’re out in the open. Stay alert to nearby enemies when you concentrate on a single target. It’s easy for a flanking rusher to kill you just as you barely down your target.
The Lancer has a very obvious stream of fire, so when you light up an enemy position, flanking opponents are very aware of your location. Continually scan your surroundings to spot approaching enemies, and be ready to switch to a shotgun or relocate.
Secondary Weapons
The Lancer pairs well with either shotgun. Make your choice based on your preference and the map in question. Taking the Sawed-Off Shotgun gives you better protection against Gnasher rushers.
The Gnasher gives you more backup ammunition, another weapon with solid blindfire, and aimed shots when you’re behind cover at short range. If you plan to play aggressively near power weapons or objectives, the Gnasher is generally a better choice unless you’re totally comfortable with the Sawed-Off Shotgun’s reload time.
Having the chainsaw means you need to know when to switch to your shotgun and when to go for a chainsaw kill. Generally, use your shotgun when you know you’ll be involved in a shotgun duel against an opponent aware of your position, or a close-range firefight against multiple enemies. Use the chainsaw if you don’t have time to switch, or if you can ambush someone unaware of your presence.
Active Reload
The Lancer has a quick and easy-to-hit Active Reload. The Lancer becomes considerably more dangerous with Perfect Reload ammo, especially if you burn an entire magazine and nail a Perfect Reload. You can then dump damaging suppression fire for an extended period. This makes it difficult for the Hammerburst to retaliate at close range and almost impossible for the other rifles at medium range.
Because the Lancer has such an easy Active Reload, and it’s so useful to have a lengthy damage boost, consider pre-loading an Active Reload before you engage a known combat hotspot.
Hammerburst
> A powerful and accurate rifle, the Hammerburst is ideal for medium- to long-range engagements.
Weapon Profile
The Hammerburst is an automatic weapon, but it fires more quickly if you fire semi-auto and mash the trigger rapidly. Because the Hammerburst has almost no recoil, this effectively increases your damage output as long as you can maintain your aim.
The Hammerburst is the only weapon that has ironsights when you zoom. This gives you an almost sniper-rifle level of magnification. On open maps, you can pick off enemies well beyond any other starting weapon’s range. If you decide to hang back, expect to get a lot of downs and not as many kills with the Hammerburst. Many of your marks will be at long range and behind cover, so occasionally they’ll drop into DBNO behind distant obstacles, obscuring your view and preventing you from finishing the job.
When you play with a team that’s even slightly organized, you can be a valuable asset. Find an elevated position with good line of sight, and act as a spotter and target caller while you use the Hammerburst. While you can do the same thing with any rifle, only the Hammerburst has a good chance of inflicting significant damage at long range.
Comparison
Up close, the Hammerburst suffers greatly against the other two rifles. It lacks the Lancer’s chainsaw and the Retro’s close-range damage. It’s more competitive at medium range, and most firefights become a toss-up depending on who has the better angle, and whether an Active Reload is involved. At long range, the Hammerburst excels against the Retro Lancer and has little to fear from the Lancer. However, enemies at long range are unlikely to stay in one place and let you fire at them for long. Get your shots in when you can. Assisting teammates who are fighting at close range can be just as helpful as taking out the target yourself.
Ammunition can be an issue, as the Hammerburst is somewhat less popular than the other rifles. If you’re fighting at a distance, you have fewer opportunities to pick up many ammo drops.
Cautions
If you use the iron sights extensively, be sure to do a quick 360-degree sweep of your immediate area occasionally. Bring up your Tac/Com to see where your teammates are relative to you. If you see no enemies but your entire team has relocated away from you, consider moving. Maintain an awareness of your surroundings, and switch to a shotgun when you know an enemy is getting close to you.
Secondary Weapons
The Sawed-Off Shotgun pairs well with the Hammerburst if you intend to spend most of the match at a distance. You can use the double-barreled shotgun’s superior power to take out lone Gnasher rushers in a single shot. If you expect to engage in medium-range combat, or to fight near a hotspot, you should take the Gnasher instead. The Sawed-Off Shotgun’s reload time and limited ammunition are liabilities in those situations.
Keep an eye out for the Gorgon if you can find it. Its automatic fire is a good complement to your low rate of fire at shorter range.
Active Reload
The Active Reload on the Hammerburst is moderately difficult to land. It’s located at the end of the reload cycle, making it a poor option if you need to reload while you’re being rushed. At a distance, you have the time to try for a Perfect Reload every time. Its added damage can greatly increase your ability to down targets and finish them off at long range.
Retro Lancer
> A brutally powerful rifle, the Retro Lancer pays for its strength with a loss of control.
Weapon Profile
A powerful close-to-medium-range weapon, the Retro Lancer is perfect for fending off shotgun rushers and downing players at close range in record time. When you aim it, the Retro Lancer suffers from severe kickback and rapid accuracy degradation. When you aim at a target beyond close range, fire in very short bursts to have any chance at hitting your mark.
You can hipfire the Retro Lancer to great effect at close range, typically the distance from which a Gnasher user is trying to kill you… However, when you hipfire or blindfire, muzzle climb on the Retro Launcher is close to four times higher than aiming, but you don’t suffer from the loss of movement speed. Thus, it’s very easy to down targets in the open with blindfire, simply by moving continually to make yourself a difficult target.
The Retro Lancer features an attached bayonet, which you can use to make a lethal charging attack by holding the B Button. Be aware that it requires a short run before the charge
becomes lethal. A short rush simply results in a regular-damage melee hit, and you’re unable to fire for a moment while your enemy can retaliate immediately.
bayonet charge
When you hold the B Button with the Retro Lancer, you begin the bayonet charge. If you watch the charge ‘meter’ where the reload meter normally is, you can see it begin to deplete as you charge. When the meter turns red, your charge has gained enough speed to become lethal to any enemy you impact. If the meter depletes fully, you stop charging.
Charging with the Retro Lancer is similar to Roadie Running, but you have even less maneuverability, and you scream while you run. This yelling can give away your charge to an enemy hiding out of sight, or warn someone that you’re charging from behind.
Try to start a charge as close to your target as you can while still getting up to lethal speed before impact. It’s possible to charge an enemy waiting around a corner. Just steer into the wall and you will impale the foe when you round the corner.
Don’t try to Retro Charge someone with a shotgun who is aware of your presence…that’s playing a coin-flip game of chicken. Charging another Retro Lancer carrier who’s also charging you results in a double kill. However, charging a revved Lancer chainsaw results in your death.
Comparison
The Retro Lancer is the close-ranger bruiser of the rifles. It lacks the accuracy to fight at long range. It also requires strong trigger discipline to be effective at medium range. It shines at close to close-medium range.
The Retro Lancer deals heavy damage, and it’s perfect for dispatching foes on close-quarters maps, or when enemies are fond of using shotguns. It’s very easy to down a shotgun user with the Retro Lancer if you’re aware of him as he approaches your position.
Cautions
The Retro Lancer’s kick is ferocious; control it by firing in very short bursts. At closer range, ignore the kick and simply focus on trying to keep the weapon from rising too high as you continue to spray bullets at your target. Retro Lancer hits are damaging enough that you can down your target if he or she is using either of the other rifles, and possibly even one of the shotguns.
Don’t get into mid-range or longer fights against more accurate weapons…you’re asking for trouble. Instead, look for a way to get closer to your opponent or use a different weapon.
Secondary Weapons
The Retro Lancer is already strong at close range, so consider your shotgun choice based entirely on the map and your personal preference. If you want more backup firepower for extended fights, take the Gnasher. Or, if you want even more defense against other Gnasher rushers, take the Sawed-Off Shotgun.
Active Reload
The Retro Lancer has the most difficult Perfect Reload of all the rifles, as it’s already the most damaging of the three. Landing a Perfect Reload gives you even more punch at close range. But don’t risk a jam if you’re already in a close-range brawl…you can’t afford the delay when you’re fighting someone with a shotgun in your face.