The factory issue Hemlok fires a three-round burst. While this can be a liability at short range, this tradeoff allowed the engineers at TW Ordnance to deliver a weapon with a good balance of long-range accuracy, damage, and rate of fire.
Pro Tip: StrongSide
The Hemlok BF-R balances accuracy and rate of fire. It’s best deployed as a mid-range weapon where you can pick off most enemies with a single burst. In close quarters, be ready to tap fire—keep shooting until your target drops.
Strengths:
Accurately fires multiple rounds with impressive accuracy
Solid mid-range weapon
Weaknesses:
Poor close-quarter performance
Diminished accuracy due to recoil
Weapon Performance
Magazine Capacity: 24
Weapon Unlock: Level 29
Kill Shot Count*
* = based on three-round burst
Weapon Attachments
Image
Name
Description
Unlock
Iron Sights
Factory issue gunsights are cheap and reliable, but visibility through them can be somewhat limited.
Default Weapon Sight
HCOG
The Holographic Combat Optical Gunsight has an open sight picture, making it easier to acquire targets, particularly in the vertical. The gunsight is fixed at 1.85X magnification, and includes integrated ammunition readouts.
If It Moves... (III) Challenge: Kill 50 Enemies
Holosight
The Holosight’s optics are fixed at 2.1X zoom factor. The sight picture is designed to induce a tighter visual perception, making it effective at range and in close quarters. The Holosight is equipped with an integrated ammunition readout.
The Expendables (III) Challenge: Kill 50 Grunts
AOG
The AOG, or Advanced Optical Gunsight, is fixed at 2.4X magnification, and includes an integrated “current magazine capacity” readout with a backup numerical display. The AOG is ideal for combat at extended range.
The Expendables (II) Challenge: Kill 25 Grunts
Weapon Mods
Image
Name
Description
Unlock
Extended Magazine
This mod increases the ammo capacity of the weapon, so that you don’t have to reload as often.
Machine War (II) Challenge: Kill 25 Spectres
Suppressor
This mod reduces the firing noise and muzzle flash of the weapon, making it ideal for taking your enemies by surprise.
If It Moves… (II) Challenge: Kill 25 Enemies
Starburst
This mod converts the Hemlok’s burst fire rate to five rounds per shot.
The Hemlok BF-R is unique as the only burst-fire weapon available. The weapon’s three-round burst offers impressive damage output, taking down most threats with a single burst. This makes it a very effective weapon when engaging targets at long and intermediate ranges. However, the Hemlok is easily outclassed at close range by all of the automatic weapons. Tap fire as fast as possible to maintain a high rate of fire during close-quarter encounters.
When engaging Pilots with the Hemlok, keep your distance and do your best to avoid detection, preferably by equipping the Suppressor mod. Due to their quick movements, Pilots are difficult to track and hit. Fortunately the weapon can fire several bursts in quick succession, making it easier to score hits on fast-moving targets. If enemy Pilots close on you to short range, consider switching to your sidearm.
This is the ultimate minion-killing weapon, dropping most threats with a single burst. Hold back and engage minions at mid-range, where they pose minimal risk. This allows you to down entire squads of Grunts and Spectres without reloading. But while hunting minions, watch out for enemy Pilots trying to sneak up on you.
When carrying the Hemlok, stealth is key. Therefore consider opting for the Suppressor to keep you off the minimap. If you’re less concerned with stealth, the Starburst mod upgrades the weapon, allowing it to fire a five-round burst with each pull of the trigger. Five-round bursts deal much more damage, but also consume ammo at a quicker rate. Still, hitting a Pilot (or any target) with a five-round burst pretty much guarantees a kill. But you may need to engage targets at closer ranges to ensure all five rounds hit your target; recoil leads to a wider spread.
If It Moves…
Top Gun
Machine War
The Expendables
This is My Weapon
Off the Dome