Game:

Helldivers 2 (2024)

Duration: 40:03

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421

Coop Helldive, Max Difficulty Lvl 9, all objectives (Main + Optional) completed, all outposts destroyed.
Modifiers: Intense Heat, Sandstorms
Planet: Phact Bay
Patch version: 1.000.303

Re-revisiting the Railgun after its recent buffs - I'm not going to oversell it, it's a far cry from the broken OP state it was on release, but it's also in a much better state than you'd think reading through some of the doom and gloom online. The recent penetration buff means that you no longer need to fully charge the Railgun to take out a Charger head with 3 unsafe shots, or strip the leg with 2 shots; Heavy Devastator shields can be penetrated too now, giving it a brute force option where an AMR might need to headshot hunt.

I think the mistake most people make is to compare the Railgun with the Anti-Tank Specialists i.e. the Recoiless Rifle, EATs, and Quasar. Those weapons are intended solely for heavy targets, so for bugs that's Chargers, Bile Titans and some structures - they lack either the ammo, firerate, or recharge rate to deal with anything but the Highest Value Targets, but to offset that they can take out those targets the fasetset, one-shotting Chargers with a headshot.

That's not what the Railgun's role is though, as it's much closer in role to generalist weapons like the Autocannon, that have the damage and ammunition to take on medium armour enemies but can also solo Chargers (though not quite as fast as the AT specialists), and even finish off Titans that have taken a hit from a stratagem. Compared vs the Autocannon, it compares very favourably, one-headshotting every medium enemy (including the pesky Bile Spewers), and arguably killing Chargers even faster given you can engage at distance from the front without having to matador. Yes, you have to have better aim and manage that chargeup well - but that's a fair tradeoff for the extra mobility, I feel.

Thanks again to my teammates @inexorablewarrior, Tiberius, and Ori for the game! Be sure to check out Warrior's vid (https://youtu.be/JCBOiJszDME?si=jsqWtdizHlLeD1lA) too if you want to see things from his perspective, and if you're looking to join us for some coop games, or do runs with other like-minded players, check us out on Warrior's discord: https://discord.gg/hu3x8VbnrM

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Build:

Mixing things up and splitting the themes to my build this time with a Railcannon Strike to accompany my Railgun, and Incendiary Mines to match my incendiary Breaker. Especially with the extra throwing distance on my armour, I can yeet my Railcannon Strike to take out any heavy enemies chasing down my teammates at ranges too far for a neat Railgun kill - meanwhile the Incendiary Mines do a good job of taking out light enemy swarms. With the 500kg as my only Eagle Stratagem, that ensures I start the cooldown as soon as it's ready, which will be crucial as my first option vs Bile Titans.

Railgun is my go-to for anything medium armour and up - for Chargers, I prefer the 3-headshot kill, but I think there's an argument for going for the legs instead if you're not the one with aggro. There's nothing more frustrating than chasing a Charger's face while it's constantly turning away from you - with the legs you can still get the kill in if it's not facing you.

Trying out the new pistol as well, and it feels good - lying somewhere in between the Senator and the Peacemaker, it has good stopping power, one shotting most of the smaller enemies and with a snappy firerate and reload. The new Incendiary Impact nades are pretty nice as well, useful for chucking at crowds to deal with the smaller guys while you start lining up your Railgun shots - they can still be used for Bug Holes too, just make sure to adjust your aim as with the Impact grenades.

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00:00 Intro
00:15 Insertion, Radar, Research Station / 180mm?
06:50 Nest 1, Stalker Lair 1, Uplink 1, SEAF Artillery / Purifier = warcries on demand
15:15 Stalker Lair 2, Uplink 2 / Guerillas in the Mist
22:45 Nests 4, 5, 6 / It's not your Discord ping
29:00 Evacuation / High-Class Escorts
34:50 Extraction

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