This Is My Rifle: A Guide to the Assault Rifle
By
American_Valor,
Posted on: 2007-10-12 13:56 in Player Guides
Thanks for giving us a very nice Guide for one of CoX's most under-appreciated Primary sets. My AR/Devices (an FBI sharpshooter) is at level 29, and I love playing the character. I've also started an AR/Traps Corruptor for more villanous blasting. The format you've followed in your Guide is extremely helpful for planning a build.
One note about Buckshot and M30 Grenade, though; knockback enhancers only enhance KB distance, not the likelihood of KB (I found this out the hard way). I've had some success replacing those with Range enhancements so I can blast from a somewhat safer distance.
Please try my arcs:
Arc# 63910 "Why Do Bad Girls Like Bad Boys?" (length=Long, levels 40+)
Arc# 401500 "How to Be a Successful Professional Criminal" (length=Very Long, levels 1-10)
Nice job FF! Now if only you could put together a decent fire tank...well then you'd have me! Snark.
Nice to have you back my brother!
I'm a long time AR/ player myself. I like your guide a lot and I think it will be very helpful to new players. I disagree with some of your slotting though.
Buckshot: This attack does more damage than either Burst or M30 Grenade. Why would you not slot it for Damage? I believe this is a mistake.
M30 Grenade: While this is one of the lowest damage attacks I believe that slotting 1 Damage Enhancement is a waste. In my opinion you should either 3 slot it for damage or not bother and spend that slot on a Range or Recharge Enhancement.
Beanbag: This is not something that you can use very often unless you have another Stun power to stack with it. Therefore my personal recommendation is to slot it with Range instead of Recharge.
Sniper Rifle: You really can't use this in the middle of combat unless you have Interrupts slotted. Therefore I recommend slotting Range instead of Recharge or Interrupts if you do want to try to use it in combat.
Flamethrower: I'd recommend slotting 1 Range and 1 Recharge. More range means bigger area of effect.
Ignite: You do realize that the recharge on this is 3 seconds right? Recharge is really not necessary, and since Targeting Drone won't affect its accuracy I recommend 2xAcc 3xDam.
In general I recommend against slotting Knockback. People already hate Energy Blasters because of too much knockback, and some dislike AR/ for the same reason. Unless you're able to take advantage of the knockback for some specific reason I always recommend slotting something else or saving the slots. YMMV.
All very good points Falcon.
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I'm a long time AR/ player myself. I like your guide a lot and I think it will be very helpful to new players. I disagree with some of your slotting though.
Buckshot: This attack does more damage than either Burst or M30 Grenade. Why would you not slot it for Damage? I believe this is a mistake.
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Im not entirely sure what I was smoking there. It must have been good, whatever it was. Youre entirely correct, this is a damage power, and should be treated as such.
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M30 Grenade: While this is one of the lowest damage attacks I believe that slotting 1 Damage Enhancement is a waste. In my opinion you should either 3 slot it for damage or not bother and spend that slot on a Range or Recharge Enhancement.
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Agreed. 1 damage slot is in fact much like pissing in the wind. Except your pissing a weak stream of napalm that falls on your toes and sets you on fire.
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Beanbag: This is not something that you can use very often unless you have another Stun power to stack with it. Therefore my personal recommendation is to slot it with Range instead of Recharge.
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This is an artifact of my playing /Devices all this time. I want Beanbag up often enough that I can stack it and Taser for chain disorient. But taken by itself, in the spirit of this guide, it still makes sense. Those two recharges (and this is all assuming SOs) alone drop you up from a 20s rech to an 11.2 second rech on a 12 second stun. Add in the stun durations, and youre suddenly chain mezzing at mag 3. Sounds tasty to me 
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Sniper Rifle: You really can't use this in the middle of combat unless you have Interrupts slotted. Therefore I recommend slotting Range instead of Recharge or Interrupts if you do want to try to use it in combat.
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I dont find myself having too much trouble using it in a fight as long as, like I stated, the attention is elsewhere. I agree that if you were to use it in combat, a few Interrupt Time decreases would help. And yes, range is always fun to have in a snipe 
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Flamethrower: I'd recommend slotting 1 Range and 1 Recharge. More range means bigger area of effect.
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Cant argue with the range. I just prefer having it up more often, since I seem to have little trouble catching all the enemies I want. As always, slotting is personal preference.
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Ignite: You do realize that the recharge on this is 3 seconds right? Recharge is really not necessary, and since Targeting Drone won't affect its accuracy I recommend 2xAcc 3xDam.
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Once again, what the hell was I thinking? I think I may have just copy and pasted a couple of these where they totally didnt belong. Actually, in this power, accuracy is pretty much a waste because the fire patch itself already has an accuracy of 2, which is massive. Damage and recharge are the only things you should be slotting here.
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In general I recommend against slotting Knockback. People already hate Energy Blasters because of too much knockback, and some dislike AR/ for the same reason. Unless you're able to take advantage of the knockback for some specific reason I always recommend slotting something else or saving the slots. YMMV.
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Agreed. I find myself wondering why the hell I put KBs in any of those.
I'd love to alter the original, but, um, I can't.
Odd. Anyway boys and girls, listen to those wise words, and ignore my occasionally cracked out slotting.
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Beanbag: This is not something that you can use very often unless you have another Stun power to stack with it. Therefore my personal recommendation is to slot it with Range instead of Recharge.
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This is an artifact of my playing /Devices all this time. I want Beanbag up often enough that I can stack it and Taser for chain disorient. But taken by itself, in the spirit of this guide, it still makes sense. Those two recharges (and this is all assuming SOs) alone drop you up from a 20s rech to an 11.2 second rech on a 12 second stun. Add in the stun durations, and youre suddenly chain mezzing at mag 3. Sounds tasty to me
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I agree... being able to keep a Lieutenant stunned can be very useful, esecially if it's resistant to most of your damage. While my AR/Dev blaster enjoys stunning bosses, my AR/Traps corruptor gets decent use from this power as well.
Forum Game: Lower the Rep
I have a suggestion about slotting for the AR if your play style is generally up close. I think many people look at AR as a sniping set because of it's longer range damage poetential but I find myself as an AR/NRG using the set differently.
Because many of my enemies tend to be orange and up I slot for accuracy early on before damage.
I also skipped the M30 in my build. On the AoE damage I don't slot any accuracy and only damage early on. The reason for skipping the M30 and not slotting for accuracy is that in large groups I simply don't want that much attention. If I can do more damage but not agro a whole group it gives me time to crack off more shots with the slug, burst, and sniper rifle.
Now in my play style one of my most important tools is the beanbag. Slot this with accuracy early on as well and then for duration later. I can usually snipe and take out one minion and then quickly use stun to shut down another enemy depending on the level. I have been able to crack off quite a few extra snipes with the use of beanbag.
This play style can get technical so make sure to at least have closest enemy and next enemy targeting handy during fights.
What this does for me is allows for flexibility for solo and team missions. I use sniper single target attacks mostly during solo sessions and in teams I can unleash my AoE's. I particularly like to lead with a single sniper blast and then switch to my flamethrower and then hit the group with my buckshot. If you have a decent team this method will really chip away at oranges and below.
The main thing to remember is mez is quick death for a blaster so take those enemies down first if possible and don't use AoE's until a tanker or scrapper has got a groups attention. AR's really can't pull effectively unless you are funneling a group through a doorway or around a corner and your team is on board.
I am sure opinions will differ from mine a bit but as an AR/NRG set I play up close and personal quite a bit and need to be able to hit my targets often to get the full effect and keep my enemies on their heals.
Although we do great damage you still need to go into a fight with the mindset of chipping away at enemies and being sly with angles and catching enemies not looking your way off guard.
If you have read Sniper you can think of Hathcock flanking the enemy and sniping from the side of the enemies front line.
Excellent guide!
As a longtime AR/Dev, I'm glad to see a newer guide for us. One suggestion I have to add, though, is that the combination of beanbag + snipe lets you pull off your strongest power without worrying much about interruption. Ignite is also an excellent power when you're in a group to spam on AV's (how I took down most of the praetorians). I'd like to see your IO set suggestions as well. I've found that SOTM fits perfectly into snipe, and Air Burst is efficient and low-cost slotting into Flamethrower.
Thanks for putting this up for us, though!!
Global- @SailorET, Justice Server
Sheryl Fiero, 50 AR/Devices Blaster
Louise Fiero, 50 Merc/Traps MM
Various assorted alts
Proudly serving in our military so you don't have to.
This is an updated version of the guide, since I can't edit the original. Now with more words!
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[u]A Word On Introductions[u]
Sit down, listen up. I figured it was about time to put out an up-to-date Assault Rifle guide. There hasnt been one since I6, and that one mentions 6-slotting damage with some frequency.
Up front, I will say that this is only an Assault Rifle/ guide. This makes it workable for Blasters & Corruptors. My experience has been solely with /Devices, so any comments made in that vein are made based on my own experiences. I will not be suggesting Ancillary Pools either. For the great majority, these are aesthetic in nature and highly specific to the player. I will merely say that it never hurts to get Hasten. And no, you cant perma-hasten any more, 3-slot it and be done.
In case you needed it, here comes the obligatory Ive been playing one since before you were born statement. The first character I ever made was an AR/Dev, back in Issue 1, (which wasnt really Issue 1, but post-initial-release). I made him on a friends account, and lost him just after hitting 31, around Issue 3. I came back after the cataclysms wrought by Issue 5, and have slowly and lovingly ground a new one up to 45 on my own. Plus I've run a Merc MM up through the mid 20s, which steals several of AR's weapon powers. So, Ive been playing with the Assault Rifle set for a considerable amount of time.
Now, what the hell do I have to tell you thats useful? Damned if I know. I guess the real point is to give the new kids a leg up on this powerset. By new kids, I of course mean new players and Corruptors. A lot of people come in to these forums with high hopes about the Assault Rifle, and all they get to read about is the heinous late game resistances to Smashing and Lethal damage. Being a primarily Lethal set, AR gets dumped upon a lot.
Well, bollocks. The real question is why are you here? Are you here to min/max and pwn? If so, go find yourself a Flavor of the Month (FotM) build. If youre here to rain destruction down upon unsuspecting enemies, read on. If youre here to be a lead hurling, fire spewing animal, dumping case after case of smoking shells on the ground, mingling with the blood of your shredded enemies as their screams are consumed by the roaring flames slowly crisping away their flesh, read on.
[u]A Word On Powerset Overviews[u]
Assault Rifle, the powerset that allows you to blow enemies away with a big gun. This set offers a good mix of single target and AOE powers. You even get a couple of controls to make you feel safer.
Single Target: Burst, Slug, Sniper Rifle
A.O.E.: Buckshot, M30 Grenade, Flamethrower, Full Auto
Controls: Beanbag, Ignite (sort of, see below)
In addition, all of the AR powers have an inherent accuracy bonus (1.05 vs. 1.00). This bonus goes all the way up to 1.35 with Full Auto. So, without further ado, lets check out the set.
[Further Ado: All of the basic intel is from the preeminent sources of all current CoX knowledge, Red Tomaxs City of Data and the Paragon Wiki. Any errors are my mistyping. Usefulness and Notes are likewise my own opinion.]
[Further Further Ado: Lucky you, this guide comes complete with sound effects ]
[u]Burst[u]
Quickly fires a Burst of rounds at a single target at very long range. Damage is average, but the fire rate is fast. Can also reduce the target's defense.
Level: 1
Accuracy: 1.05
Damage: Moderate (DoT, 4 ticks * 15.01)
Damage Type: Lethal
Recharge: Fast (4 s)
End. Usage: 5.2
Range: 90
Area of Effect: Single Target
Effect: -7% Defense to Target for 8 seconds
Usefulness:
Notes: Rat-tat-tat-tat. Thats what you hear, thats what you get. Simple power. The -Def would be nice if it stacked in any appreciable way. Many folks leave this power off and take Slug at 1st level instead, but Ive found it makes a good filler when all your other powers are reloading. I myself hate waiting for powers, so its nice to have this keep popping up so I can keep blazing away. The range is nice for taking that last sliver of health from a runner. Plus, with the new Defiance coming down the pipe, Tier 1 & 2s are going to be more important to have.
Set Type Available: Ranged Damage
[u]Slug[u]
Fires a single Slug at a targeted foe. Firing a single Slug is slower than firing a Burst, but deals more damage, is longer range, and can knock down foes.
Level: 1
Accuracy: 1.05
Damage: High (91.2)
Damage Type: Lethal
Recharge: Moderate (8 s)
End. Usage: 8.53
Range: 100
Area of Effect: Single Target
Effect: Knockback (Magnitude 1.25, 25% chance)
Usefulness:
Notes: Bang. A very satisfying power that does good damage and has a satisfying sound as a single shell is ejected from the rifle. Recharge can seem a bit long at low levels if you took this first. Take it, its a staple.
Set Type Available: Ranged Damage
[u]Buckshot[u]
Good at close range. Fires a cone of Buckshot pellets and can knock some foes down.
Level: 2
Accuracy: 1.05
Damage: Moderate (50.61)
Damage Type: Lethal
Recharge: Moderate (8 s)
End. Usage: 10.19
Range: 40
Area of Effect: 30° Cone (Max 10 Targets)
Effect: Knockback (Magnitude 1.25, 50% chance)
Usefulness:
Notes: BLAM! This is your standard shotgun blast, with a decent cone effect. Not hard to catch 10 baddies in the line of fire. Great for hallways and other close quarters. Plus there is a chance for knockback, adding to the overall aesthetic. Many skip this or spec out of it later because of its sub-par damage. I still have it.
Set Type Available: Targeted AOE Damage
[u]M30 Grenade[u]
Launches a Grenade at long range from beneath the barrel of your Assault Rifle. This explosion affects all within the blast radius, and can knock them back.
Level: 6
Accuracy: 1.05
Damage: Moderate (16.68 S, 33.37 L)
Damage Type: Smashing, Lethal
Recharge: Slow
End. Usage: 15.18
Range: 80
Area of Effect: 15 Sphere (Max 16 Targets)
Effect: Knockback (Magnitude 3.32, 50% chance)
Usefulness:
Notes: Foom! This is your second (distant BOOM)... second AOE power. Decent range, good knockback. Sometimes too good. And with the damage being about the same as Buckshot, it tends to just blow spawns every which way and mess up their hair. Decent enough as an oh sh*t tool, but also skip able/spec out able. Damn does it look and sound cool though. Also fun to fire at your feet when enemies are up close and personal.
Set Type Available: Targeted AOE Damage
[u]Beanbag[u]
Fires a single non-lethal Beanbag that can seriously Disorient a target. Deals little damage and takes a long time to reload, but renders most targets unable to attack for a good while.
Level: 8
Accuracy: 1.05
Damage: Minor (11.12)
Damage Type: Smashing
Recharge: Slow (20 s)
End. Usage: 10.19
Range: 60
Area of Effect: Single Target
Effect: Stun (Magnitude 3, Duration 12 s)
Usefulness:
Notes: Thump. Another grenade like weapon, this makes a decent control. It can take a minion or lieut out of the fight for a few precious seconds to mitigate incoming damage. If you have another stun in your secondary, these can stack nicely to dizzy up some bosses. Remember this is not a good damage power. There is no reason to use it as such.
Set Type Available: Ranged Damage, Stuns
[u]Sniper Rifle[u]
Sniper Rifle is a powerful piece of hardware. It is very accurate and has a very long range. The impressive round can knock down its target. Like most sniper attacks, you must take your time to aim, so this attack can be interrupted.
Level: 12
Accuracy: 1.25
Damage: Extreme (153.48)
Damage Type: Lethal
Recharge: 12 s
End. Usage: 14.35
Range: 150
Area of Effect: Single Target
Effect: Knockback (Magnitude 1.16, 50% chance)
Usefulness:
Notes: (Distant crack) Personally, this is my favorite power, even more than Full Auto. It does incredibly accurate damage from an extremely long range. There are few better feelings than dropping a runner from halfway across the map. The minor inconvenience is the knockback. If youre sniping to pull a mob, the knockback can alert his buddies and grab the whole spawn. So be aware. Also keep in mind the attack is interruptible, so you will have trouble using it in combat. It is best for an opening volley or catching runners. That said, you can use it in combat if the enemies attention is elsewhere and you arent getting hit by AOEs.
Set Type Available: Ranged Damage, Sniper Attacks
[u]Flamethrower[u]
Spews forth a cone of flames from underneath the barrel of your assault rifle, setting foes on fire. Very accurate and very deadly at medium range.
Level: 18
Accuracy: 1.3
Damage: Extreme (DoT [7.1 s], 8 ticks * 13.35)
Damage Type: Fire
Recharge: Slow (22.6 s)
End. Usage: 23.92
Range: 40
Area of Effect: 45° Cone (Max 10 Targets)
Effect: Theyre on fire.
Usefulness:
Notes: Fwwwoooshh. Use it early, use it often. This is your first non lethal/smashing power. Use it well. Burn things. Burn everything. If there are not villains around, use it on civilians. Just use it.
Set Type Available: Targeted AOE Damage
[u]Ignite[u]
Sprays a targeted location with accelerant from your flamethrower, igniting the location. Any foes that pass through the flames will be burned. Great for blocking doorways and small passages.
Level: 26
Accuracy: 2
Damage: Moderate (DoT [10 s], 5.56)
Damage Type: Fire
Recharge: Fast (3 s)
End. Usage: 5.2
Range: 30
Area of Effect: 4 Sphere (Max Targets 5)
Effect: Patch of fire on the floor
Usefulness:
Notes: Kiiiiish. One more way to burn things. This is essentially the Fire Tankers Burn patch, which means baddies will run away from it. You set their sneakers on fire, they will run away. You shoot them in the face with a shotgun, they stand there and take it. Go figure. Youll want a slow or immobilize or hold to make this power do its full damage. That said, the damage is very impressive if you can make it work. Personally, I set my Caltrops on fire. You can use this for denying an enemy access to a room, or to block them in. Or you can go the slightly more haphazard route and use it to scatter a spawn. Which is sort of a form of control; for a couple seconds theyre running around and not shooting you.
Set Type Available: Targeted AOE Damage
[u]Full Auto[u]
Opens up your assault rifle on Full Auto to lay down a massive spray of bullets at your target. Although very slow to reload, damage from this attack is massive, shredding all targets within the narrow cone of effect. There's a chance you may land a lucky hit for extra damage.
Level: 32
Accuracy: 1.35
Damage: Superior (17 ticks * 8.9)
Damage Type: Lethal
Recharge: Very Long (60 s)
End. Usage: 15.6
Range: 80
Area of Effect: 20° Cone (Max 10 Targets)
Effect: Chance for Lethal (10%, 55.61 L damage)
Usefulness:
Notes: Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat (That was 17, see what I did there?) This is ARs answer to the nova from other sets. Sure, you dont explode in a ball of energy. You do however fling shrieking hot lead into the bodies of your foes. The sound and spraying animation are tasty, and the damage is Snipe level. The only jammed round in the chamber is that the cone is only 20°. The range is plenty long though, so if you have a bunch of enemies in a long hallway (like on most indoor maps), you can clip quite a few. If its looking like a problem, just back up . Plus, your recharge is 1/6 of the other guys! You are Full Auto-ing much more often than they are Nuke-ing. And, you get to keep your endurance, theres no drain. I dont think Ive ever noticed the extra damage tacked on the end, because Full Auto throws up so many numbers.
Set Type Available: Targeted AOE Damage
[u]A Word On Tactics[u]
Play All the Angles: You should always be on the move. You have enough attacks that root you that you should take every opportunity to move around. Plus, theres a good chance you can hit a couple more targets if you move just to the left, or just a few feet forward, whatever the case may be. You have a lot of cone attacks that rely on you to know where your enemies are and what the best angle of attack is. Your life as an AR user is all about the angles, and how fast you can figure them out to maximize your kill zone. Youll figure out as you go along where and when and how to move, in accordance with your playstyle.
Know When Youre Outgunned: Lets admit it to ourselves, we are squishy. You are an AR user, which means against certain enemies (those highly resistant to S/L damage) it could take you longer to take them down. Make peace with that. If your shots are ricocheting off your target, not making a dent, back off far enough for them to quit chasing you, and try again. Try a different approach, try a trap, try something. This is an unforgiving occupation. If youre not killing your enemies quickly, theyre usually killing you very quickly. Eating pavement does you little good. Though it is sometimes nutritious.
Keep A Bead On Em: You may notice as you work with the targeting that when you fire off an attack, even if your targets move or break LOS (Line Of Sight), the attack will still hit them. You can use this dynamic to pick off runners just before they round a corner. As long as you have the attack cycled while they are in view, they will still get hit even if by the time the animation ends theyre out of LOS.
Now, as a heads up: You cannot fire your Sniper Rifle through a wall like this. Your target has to be in LOS the entire time you are standing there putting crosshairs on the back of his head. If he runs around a corner or behind a tree or anything, you will fire off a shot and he will be untouched. Youve just lost 5 seconds standing there exposed and the recharge time before you can fire again. Be aware of that.
Now, heres the best thing about this dynamic. Spawns cant outrun your bullets. When you alpha strike, especially with an AOE, the spawn tends to scatter, either running away or approaching. If you lead with one AOE, and have another queued, the second attack will treat the spawn as if they never scattered. It uses their original configuration when you queued the attack to determine which targets are affected. This is terribly important when dealing with cone attacks especially, since youre trying to maximize the number of affected targets.
For example: You lead off with an attack like M30 grenade. You know damn well the spawn will be blown all to hell. Thats fine, because as soon as you queue M30, you queue Full Auto right behind it. So M30 goes off, and the spawn is knocked all over the place. Then Full Auto kicks in, and you spray bullets at nearly every target originally hit by the M30, even though they are now far outside Full Autos slight 20° cone. As long as they were in that cone to begin with, they will get hit, even if theyre halfway across the map now. And, instead of being ready to charge you like they would if you had lead with Full Auto, they are flying through the air, landing on their backs, and slowly getting to their feet, all the while being peppered by machine gun fire. Learn to love your ragdoll physics.
[u]A Word On Slotting[u]
Slotting is up to you. You may slot M30 for KB. You may slot Sniper Rifle for Interrupt. You may secretly hate yourself and slot Ignite for recharge. I originally gave slotting, but it was all kinds of cracked, because I wasn't at my real computer when I wrote it.
That being said, here's a brief and most likely apocryphal listing of slotting, based mostly on what I could afford up to level 45:
Burst: Don't have it, but will probably spec back into it when the new Defiance hits.
Slug: 6 Slots, Thunderstrike
Buckshot: 6 Slots, Air Burst + Acc, Dam
M30 Grenade: 6 Slots, Detonation
Beanbag: Don't have in this build.
Sniper Rifle: 6 Slots, Sting of the Manticore... mmmm Toxic
Flamethrower: 6 Slots, ummm... Detonation again?
Ignite: 2 Slots, Damage... will be upping to three at 46 and then leaving it alone.
Full Auto: 6 slots, Positron's Blast
You'll notice that there is a dearth of Targeted AoE sets. We have three to choose from for, that's right, FIVE powers. Eventually there will be more, I'm sure, but for now, we languish.
[u]A Word On Blasted Corruptors[u]
Since our freelance brethren from the other side of the docks may be reading this as well, a quick note. Some of the aforementioned dynamics change when your Scourge ability takes effect. The underperformers like Buckshot and M30 suddenly become much more useful after your enemy has lost his edge. Granted, it can be harder to maximize your kills when the spawn is already scattered, but every little bit helps, and with Scourge behind you, the damage becomes real.
[u]A Word On Weapons[u]
Luckily for you new kids, the Frankengun is on its way out. Thats our loving name for the big ugly super soaker wannabe that everyone has been ripping out of their backs since release. Issue 11 brings us Weapon Customization, the ability to change weapon models as easily as you change costume pieces. This opens up a whole new realm of distinction for your character, not having to lug around the same general issue duct taped together mess everyone else does.
[u]A Word on Breaking Your Word[u]
I said I wouldn't talk about Pools. I meant it. I have no opinion either way on whether you buy a pool. That said, Munitions Mastery has made life sweet again. Minty fresh even.
Body Armor is decent resistance, but huge for slotting what I will call Quality of Life (QoL) enhancements. Right now I have Aegis: Psionic + Mez Resist, Impervium: Status resist, and Steadfast: -KB protection. My life has improved tenfold.
It's not just amazing because I do not have to toggle the damn thing, it's that it's protecting me at all times. I always have 27.5% mez resist. I always have -4 KB protection. That seems small, but it cuts down on a majority of KB effects.
Cryo Freeze Ray is why I didn't take Beanbag and Taser. Sure you can stack the stuns from those latter two. But Cryo is a HOLD. You must understand that Hold + Ignite = You win. I could go on, but you would get bored.
I don't have LRM yet, but I hear nothing but good things. I have two SG mates, who I will respectfully refer to as "the Bang Brothers" for our purposes. They enjoy Nova/Inferno'ing spawns simultaneously. This of course is great fun, but Nova's have long recharges. Then they both got LRM. FYI, two LRM's = one Nova. Try it. You won't be disappointed when you and a friend can nuke from snipe range. There's a certain feeling that accompanies it that can only be described as scrumptious.
[u]A Word on The End[u]
Thats all I have to impart at the moment. You should now be ready to grab your gun, slap in a magazine and get to the business. Good hunting.
Updated Guide.
Ex
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Updated Guide.
Ex
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Thanks Ex!
Sweet...somehow I had missed the guide before and had an AR/* just languishing...now I have a better idea what to do with him...
Proud Member of
'Well, I found the "fight" button, so lets do that.' Bun Bun
My Characters
Just wanted to make a note for you Fireforged with regard to Burst so maybe it can earn an additional smiley face. It remains the most effective power for pulling as it has no chance for KD/KB like sniper rifle, yet still has a decent range. As a /Dev guy myself, setting Trip Mines and pulling w/ Burst is definitely gratifying. So, you may wanna stick that in there at some point for the n00bs to AR/. Good guide buddy.
Thanks for the excellent guide. I'm late to the party, but I have a few updates that future readers may find helpful. These updates are specifically directed at Blasters, but most should apply to Corruptors as well.
I11:
I11 added some new set types, 2 of which may be of use to ARs.
I11 Sets available:
Burst: Defense Debuff
Slug, Buckshot, Sniper Rifle: Knockback (Note: M30 might be able to slot Knockback sets as well, but I don't have it and thus can't check. Test is currently beta testing I12, so no luck there.)
On Beanbag:
Yes, Beanbag's damage is terrible. But it takes Ranged Damage sets, so it takes the associated procs (chances for end drain, heal, build up, hold and negative energy damage scattered across the sets; details here). I'm not saying it's a good idea, I'm just saying it's there.
On Body Armor and the globals:
ParagonWiki claims that all the QoL IOs mentioned for Body Armor are continuous, which means that they work even if the power they're slotted in is shut off so there's no difference between slotting them in Body Armor and slotting them in a toggle armor. I haven't tested this, so spend your respec and/or umpty-million inf at your own risk.
[ QUOTE ]
[u]Ignite[u]
Sprays a targeted location with accelerant from your flamethrower, igniting the location. Any foes that pass through the flames will be burned. Great for blocking doorways and small passages.
Level: 26
Accuracy: 2
[/ QUOTE ]
Small note here. Ignite does not have the accuracy that you have listed here. Not really. The summoning of the Ignite pseudo-pet has an accuracy of 2, and never misses. Selecting Ignite summons "pets_flamethrower"
http://coh.redtomax.com/data/powers/....Flame_Thrower
And the pet has standard accuracy. If you don't slot Ignite for accuracy, you'll be missing out on a lot of potential damage. You'll never get "missed" messages regardless since you never get those from pseudo-pets, but you won't get as many orange numbers as you could have with accuracy slotted.
[ QUOTE ]
Small note here. Ignite does not have the accuracy that you have listed here. Not really. The summoning of the Ignite pseudo-pet has an accuracy of 2, and never misses. Selecting Ignite summons "pets_flamethrower"
http://coh.redtomax.com/data/powers/....Flame_Thrower
And the pet has standard accuracy. If you don't slot Ignite for accuracy, you'll be missing out on a lot of potential damage. You'll never get "missed" messages regardless since you never get those from pseudo-pets, but you won't get as many orange numbers as you could have with accuracy slotted.
[/ QUOTE ]
For what it's worth, I once asked Castle about this (while pursuing other anomalies in City of Data, having to do with Burn). My question was whether, given the way it was coded, Ignite was in fact auto-hit, and whether this meant that Accuracy enhancements were doing nothing. His brief reply was that Ignite, like Burn, is "effectively auto-hit." So make of that what you will. My one AR toon isn't high enough to test it yet ... anyone want to check with and without Acc and count the damage ticks?
Love your guide. Well thought out and put together nicely and nice to see the update.
Valor
Quote:
|
by Star Ranger 4 WIN LOSE OR DRAW, WE WILL FIGHT. WE ARE HEROES This is what we DO! |
Decide that this will be another day in which you Walk The Talk.
MA #14724 Operation: Discredit @American Valor
Sentinel Of Liberty SG
Now if only you or someone would make a AR/KIN guide for red side! =P
I was working up an AR/Storm guide, but Industrial beat me to it.
It's an excellent guide.
Awesome guide, thanks! I play an Empath/AR Defender and have been looking for ages to find good advice on this powerset.
As for Pool picks, I chose Stealth (for obvious reasons) and Teleport.
Teleport is really handy for a Empath/AR Defender.
It allows you to:
Change your position mid-battle.
Pick off unsuspecting bosses/guards to ease any final fight.
Rescue fallen comrades, Heal/Rez, send 'em back into the battle as quickly as possible.
If it's OK with the OP I'd like to post a link for this in the Defenders section.
This is an updated version of the guide, since I can't edit the original. Now with more words!
]
. Plus, your recharge is 1/6 of the other guys! You are Full Auto-ing much more often than they are Nuke-ing. And, you get to keep your endurance, theres no drain. I dont think Ive ever noticed the extra damage tacked on the end, because Full Auto throws up so many numbers.
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[u]A Word On Introductions[u]
Sit down, listen up. I figured it was about time to put out an up-to-date Assault Rifle guide. There hasnt been one since I6, and that one mentions 6-slotting damage with some frequency.
Up front, I will say that this is only an Assault Rifle/ guide. This makes it workable for Blasters & Corruptors. My experience has been solely with /Devices, so any comments made in that vein are made based on my own experiences. I will not be suggesting Ancillary Pools either. For the great majority, these are aesthetic in nature and highly specific to the player. I will merely say that it never hurts to get Hasten. And no, you cant perma-hasten any more, 3-slot it and be done.
In case you needed it, here comes the obligatory Ive been playing one since before you were born statement. The first character I ever made was an AR/Dev, back in Issue 1, (which wasnt really Issue 1, but post-initial-release). I made him on a friends account, and lost him just after hitting 31, around Issue 3. I came back after the cataclysms wrought by Issue 5, and have slowly and lovingly ground a new one up to 45 on my own. Plus I've run a Merc MM up through the mid 20s, which steals several of AR's weapon powers. So, Ive been playing with the Assault Rifle set for a considerable amount of time.
Now, what the hell do I have to tell you thats useful? Damned if I know. I guess the real point is to give the new kids a leg up on this powerset. By new kids, I of course mean new players and Corruptors. A lot of people come in to these forums with high hopes about the Assault Rifle, and all they get to read about is the heinous late game resistances to Smashing and Lethal damage. Being a primarily Lethal set, AR gets dumped upon a lot.
Well, bollocks. The real question is why are you here? Are you here to min/max and pwn? If so, go find yourself a Flavor of the Month (FotM) build. If youre here to rain destruction down upon unsuspecting enemies, read on. If youre here to be a lead hurling, fire spewing animal, dumping case after case of smoking shells on the ground, mingling with the blood of your shredded enemies as their screams are consumed by the roaring flames slowly crisping away their flesh, read on.
[u]A Word On Powerset Overviews[u]
Assault Rifle, the powerset that allows you to blow enemies away with a big gun. This set offers a good mix of single target and AOE powers. You even get a couple of controls to make you feel safer.
Single Target: Burst, Slug, Sniper Rifle
A.O.E.: Buckshot, M30 Grenade, Flamethrower, Full Auto
Controls: Beanbag, Ignite (sort of, see below)
In addition, all of the AR powers have an inherent accuracy bonus (1.05 vs. 1.00). This bonus goes all the way up to 1.35 with Full Auto. So, without further ado, lets check out the set.
[Further Ado: All of the basic intel is from the preeminent sources of all current CoX knowledge, Red Tomaxs City of Data and the Paragon Wiki. Any errors are my mistyping. Usefulness and Notes are likewise my own opinion.]
[Further Further Ado: Lucky you, this guide comes complete with sound effects
[u]Burst[u]
Quickly fires a Burst of rounds at a single target at very long range. Damage is average, but the fire rate is fast. Can also reduce the target's defense.
Level: 1
Accuracy: 1.05
Damage: Moderate (DoT, 4 ticks * 15.01)
Damage Type: Lethal
Recharge: Fast (4 s)
End. Usage: 5.2
Range: 90
Area of Effect: Single Target
Effect: -7% Defense to Target for 8 seconds
Usefulness:
Notes: Rat-tat-tat-tat. Thats what you hear, thats what you get. Simple power. The -Def would be nice if it stacked in any appreciable way. Many folks leave this power off and take Slug at 1st level instead, but Ive found it makes a good filler when all your other powers are reloading. I myself hate waiting for powers, so its nice to have this keep popping up so I can keep blazing away. The range is nice for taking that last sliver of health from a runner. Plus, with the new Defiance coming down the pipe, Tier 1 & 2s are going to be more important to have.
Set Type Available: Ranged Damage
[u]Slug[u]
Fires a single Slug at a targeted foe. Firing a single Slug is slower than firing a Burst, but deals more damage, is longer range, and can knock down foes.
Level: 1
Accuracy: 1.05
Damage: High (91.2)
Damage Type: Lethal
Recharge: Moderate (8 s)
End. Usage: 8.53
Range: 100
Area of Effect: Single Target
Effect: Knockback (Magnitude 1.25, 25% chance)
Usefulness:
Notes: Bang. A very satisfying power that does good damage and has a satisfying sound as a single shell is ejected from the rifle. Recharge can seem a bit long at low levels if you took this first. Take it, its a staple.
Set Type Available: Ranged Damage
[u]Buckshot[u]
Good at close range. Fires a cone of Buckshot pellets and can knock some foes down.
Level: 2
Accuracy: 1.05
Damage: Moderate (50.61)
Damage Type: Lethal
Recharge: Moderate (8 s)
End. Usage: 10.19
Range: 40
Area of Effect: 30° Cone (Max 10 Targets)
Effect: Knockback (Magnitude 1.25, 50% chance)
Usefulness:
Notes: BLAM! This is your standard shotgun blast, with a decent cone effect. Not hard to catch 10 baddies in the line of fire. Great for hallways and other close quarters. Plus there is a chance for knockback, adding to the overall aesthetic. Many skip this or spec out of it later because of its sub-par damage. I still have it.
Set Type Available: Targeted AOE Damage
[u]M30 Grenade[u]
Launches a Grenade at long range from beneath the barrel of your Assault Rifle. This explosion affects all within the blast radius, and can knock them back.
Level: 6
Accuracy: 1.05
Damage: Moderate (16.68 S, 33.37 L)
Damage Type: Smashing, Lethal
Recharge: Slow
End. Usage: 15.18
Range: 80
Area of Effect: 15 Sphere (Max 16 Targets)
Effect: Knockback (Magnitude 3.32, 50% chance)
Usefulness:
Notes: Foom! This is your second (distant BOOM)... second AOE power. Decent range, good knockback. Sometimes too good. And with the damage being about the same as Buckshot, it tends to just blow spawns every which way and mess up their hair. Decent enough as an oh sh*t tool, but also skip able/spec out able. Damn does it look and sound cool though. Also fun to fire at your feet when enemies are up close and personal.
Set Type Available: Targeted AOE Damage
[u]Beanbag[u]
Fires a single non-lethal Beanbag that can seriously Disorient a target. Deals little damage and takes a long time to reload, but renders most targets unable to attack for a good while.
Level: 8
Accuracy: 1.05
Damage: Minor (11.12)
Damage Type: Smashing
Recharge: Slow (20 s)
End. Usage: 10.19
Range: 60
Area of Effect: Single Target
Effect: Stun (Magnitude 3, Duration 12 s)
Usefulness:
Notes: Thump. Another grenade like weapon, this makes a decent control. It can take a minion or lieut out of the fight for a few precious seconds to mitigate incoming damage. If you have another stun in your secondary, these can stack nicely to dizzy up some bosses. Remember this is not a good damage power. There is no reason to use it as such.
Set Type Available: Ranged Damage, Stuns
[u]Sniper Rifle[u]
Sniper Rifle is a powerful piece of hardware. It is very accurate and has a very long range. The impressive round can knock down its target. Like most sniper attacks, you must take your time to aim, so this attack can be interrupted.
Level: 12
Accuracy: 1.25
Damage: Extreme (153.48)
Damage Type: Lethal
Recharge: 12 s
End. Usage: 14.35
Range: 150
Area of Effect: Single Target
Effect: Knockback (Magnitude 1.16, 50% chance)
Usefulness:
Notes: (Distant crack) Personally, this is my favorite power, even more than Full Auto. It does incredibly accurate damage from an extremely long range. There are few better feelings than dropping a runner from halfway across the map. The minor inconvenience is the knockback. If youre sniping to pull a mob, the knockback can alert his buddies and grab the whole spawn. So be aware. Also keep in mind the attack is interruptible, so you will have trouble using it in combat. It is best for an opening volley or catching runners. That said, you can use it in combat if the enemies attention is elsewhere and you arent getting hit by AOEs.
Set Type Available: Ranged Damage, Sniper Attacks
[u]Flamethrower[u]
Spews forth a cone of flames from underneath the barrel of your assault rifle, setting foes on fire. Very accurate and very deadly at medium range.
Level: 18
Accuracy: 1.3
Damage: Extreme (DoT [7.1 s], 8 ticks * 13.35)
Damage Type: Fire
Recharge: Slow (22.6 s)
End. Usage: 23.92
Range: 40
Area of Effect: 45° Cone (Max 10 Targets)
Effect: Theyre on fire.
Usefulness:
Notes: Fwwwoooshh. Use it early, use it often. This is your first non lethal/smashing power. Use it well. Burn things. Burn everything. If there are not villains around, use it on civilians. Just use it.
Set Type Available: Targeted AOE Damage
[u]Ignite[u]
Sprays a targeted location with accelerant from your flamethrower, igniting the location. Any foes that pass through the flames will be burned. Great for blocking doorways and small passages.
Level: 26
Accuracy: 2
Damage: Moderate (DoT [10 s], 5.56)
Damage Type: Fire
Recharge: Fast (3 s)
End. Usage: 5.2
Range: 30
Area of Effect: 4 Sphere (Max Targets 5)
Effect: Patch of fire on the floor
Usefulness:
Notes: Kiiiiish. One more way to burn things. This is essentially the Fire Tankers Burn patch, which means baddies will run away from it. You set their sneakers on fire, they will run away. You shoot them in the face with a shotgun, they stand there and take it. Go figure. Youll want a slow or immobilize or hold to make this power do its full damage. That said, the damage is very impressive if you can make it work. Personally, I set my Caltrops on fire. You can use this for denying an enemy access to a room, or to block them in. Or you can go the slightly more haphazard route and use it to scatter a spawn. Which is sort of a form of control; for a couple seconds theyre running around and not shooting you.
Set Type Available: Targeted AOE Damage
[u]Full Auto[u]
Opens up your assault rifle on Full Auto to lay down a massive spray of bullets at your target. Although very slow to reload, damage from this attack is massive, shredding all targets within the narrow cone of effect. There's a chance you may land a lucky hit for extra damage.
Level: 32
Accuracy: 1.35
Damage: Superior (17 ticks * 8.9)
Damage Type: Lethal
Recharge: Very Long (60 s)
End. Usage: 15.6
Range: 80
Area of Effect: 20° Cone (Max 10 Targets)
Effect: Chance for Lethal (10%, 55.61 L damage)
Usefulness:
Notes: Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat (That was 17, see what I did there?) This is ARs answer to the nova from other sets. Sure, you dont explode in a ball of energy. You do however fling shrieking hot lead into the bodies of your foes. The sound and spraying animation are tasty, and the damage is Snipe level. The only jammed round in the chamber is that the cone is only 20°. The range is plenty long though, so if you have a bunch of enemies in a long hallway (like on most indoor maps), you can clip quite a few. If its looking like a problem, just back up
Set Type Available: Targeted AOE Damage
[u]A Word On Tactics[u]
Play All the Angles: You should always be on the move. You have enough attacks that root you that you should take every opportunity to move around. Plus, theres a good chance you can hit a couple more targets if you move just to the left, or just a few feet forward, whatever the case may be. You have a lot of cone attacks that rely on you to know where your enemies are and what the best angle of attack is. Your life as an AR user is all about the angles, and how fast you can figure them out to maximize your kill zone. Youll figure out as you go along where and when and how to move, in accordance with your playstyle.
Know When Youre Outgunned: Lets admit it to ourselves, we are squishy. You are an AR user, which means against certain enemies (those highly resistant to S/L damage) it could take you longer to take them down. Make peace with that. If your shots are ricocheting off your target, not making a dent, back off far enough for them to quit chasing you, and try again. Try a different approach, try a trap, try something. This is an unforgiving occupation. If youre not killing your enemies quickly, theyre usually killing you very quickly. Eating pavement does you little good. Though it is sometimes nutritious.
Keep A Bead On Em: You may notice as you work with the targeting that when you fire off an attack, even if your targets move or break LOS (Line Of Sight), the attack will still hit them. You can use this dynamic to pick off runners just before they round a corner. As long as you have the attack cycled while they are in view, they will still get hit even if by the time the animation ends theyre out of LOS.
Now, as a heads up: You cannot fire your Sniper Rifle through a wall like this. Your target has to be in LOS the entire time you are standing there putting crosshairs on the back of his head. If he runs around a corner or behind a tree or anything, you will fire off a shot and he will be untouched. Youve just lost 5 seconds standing there exposed and the recharge time before you can fire again. Be aware of that.
Now, heres the best thing about this dynamic. Spawns cant outrun your bullets. When you alpha strike, especially with an AOE, the spawn tends to scatter, either running away or approaching. If you lead with one AOE, and have another queued, the second attack will treat the spawn as if they never scattered. It uses their original configuration when you queued the attack to determine which targets are affected. This is terribly important when dealing with cone attacks especially, since youre trying to maximize the number of affected targets.
For example: You lead off with an attack like M30 grenade. You know damn well the spawn will be blown all to hell. Thats fine, because as soon as you queue M30, you queue Full Auto right behind it. So M30 goes off, and the spawn is knocked all over the place. Then Full Auto kicks in, and you spray bullets at nearly every target originally hit by the M30, even though they are now far outside Full Autos slight 20° cone. As long as they were in that cone to begin with, they will get hit, even if theyre halfway across the map now. And, instead of being ready to charge you like they would if you had lead with Full Auto, they are flying through the air, landing on their backs, and slowly getting to their feet, all the while being peppered by machine gun fire. Learn to love your ragdoll physics.
[u]A Word On Slotting[u]
Slotting is up to you. You may slot M30 for KB. You may slot Sniper Rifle for Interrupt. You may secretly hate yourself and slot Ignite for recharge. I originally gave slotting, but it was all kinds of cracked, because I wasn't at my real computer when I wrote it.
That being said, here's a brief and most likely apocryphal listing of slotting, based mostly on what I could afford up to level 45:
Burst: Don't have it, but will probably spec back into it when the new Defiance hits.
Slug: 6 Slots, Thunderstrike
Buckshot: 6 Slots, Air Burst + Acc, Dam
M30 Grenade: 6 Slots, Detonation
Beanbag: Don't have in this build.
Sniper Rifle: 6 Slots, Sting of the Manticore... mmmm Toxic
Flamethrower: 6 Slots, ummm... Detonation again?
Ignite: 2 Slots, Damage... will be upping to three at 46 and then leaving it alone.
Full Auto: 6 slots, Positron's Blast
You'll notice that there is a dearth of Targeted AoE sets. We have three to choose from for, that's right, FIVE powers. Eventually there will be more, I'm sure, but for now, we languish.
[u]A Word On Blasted Corruptors[u]
Since our freelance brethren from the other side of the docks may be reading this as well, a quick note. Some of the aforementioned dynamics change when your Scourge ability takes effect. The underperformers like Buckshot and M30 suddenly become much more useful after your enemy has lost his edge. Granted, it can be harder to maximize your kills when the spawn is already scattered, but every little bit helps, and with Scourge behind you, the damage becomes real.
[u]A Word On Weapons[u]
Luckily for you new kids, the Frankengun is on its way out. Thats our loving name for the big ugly super soaker wannabe that everyone has been ripping out of their backs since release. Issue 11 brings us Weapon Customization, the ability to change weapon models as easily as you change costume pieces. This opens up a whole new realm of distinction for your character, not having to lug around the same general issue duct taped together mess everyone else does.
[u]A Word on Breaking Your Word[u]
I said I wouldn't talk about Pools. I meant it. I have no opinion either way on whether you buy a pool. That said, Munitions Mastery has made life sweet again. Minty fresh even.
Body Armor is decent resistance, but huge for slotting what I will call Quality of Life (QoL) enhancements. Right now I have Aegis: Psionic + Mez Resist, Impervium: Status resist, and Steadfast: -KB protection. My life has improved tenfold.
It's not just amazing because I do not have to toggle the damn thing, it's that it's protecting me at all times. I always have 27.5% mez resist. I always have -4 KB protection. That seems small, but it cuts down on a majority of KB effects.
Cryo Freeze Ray is why I didn't take Beanbag and Taser. Sure you can stack the stuns from those latter two. But Cryo is a HOLD. You must understand that Hold + Ignite = You win. I could go on, but you would get bored.
I don't have LRM yet, but I hear nothing but good things. I have two SG mates, who I will respectfully refer to as "the Bang Brothers" for our purposes. They enjoy Nova/Inferno'ing spawns simultaneously. This of course is great fun, but Nova's have long recharges. Then they both got LRM. FYI, two LRM's = one Nova. Try it. You won't be disappointed when you and a friend can nuke from snipe range. There's a certain feeling that accompanies it that can only be described as scrumptious.
[u]A Word on The End[u]
Thats all I have to impart at the moment. You should now be ready to grab your gun, slap in a magazine and get to the business. Good hunting.