This guide is pretty lengthy and I don't expect people to read every word of it. It is pretty easy to understand the main point of all that's here, "your starter weapons are good, upgrade something else for now". However, I will say that I've sprinkled some generally helpful advice throughout the guide. Truth be told this started as a dumping ground of info so I didn't have to keep explaining things to friends/new players every time they asked me about a gun. The write-ups are designed to make sure you aren't making any glaring mistakes with your weapons and I have included alternative weapon choices when they apply. If you get tuckered out while reading that's fine and expected, but
as those will connect you to good sources of information.

Edit:
Q: "Is this guide saying I should never buy a new weapon?"

A: For all that is holy, ♥♥♥♥ no it is not. People who tell you that the only weapons ever worth using are the starter ones have no idea what they're talking about and should be ignored. With that being said, many starter weapons are great places to start. Details on that are, obviously, in the guide. Also, this guide was written back when certs were much harder to come by. I do keep it updated but these days the game sees fit to shower you with certs. Still get your starter certs out of the way first, but early new weapons are not as serious of an offense as they used to be.

NC = AF-19 Mercenary:

The Mercenary is one of the most reliable carbines in the game and is absurdly easy to pick up and use. It has a lower tier rate of fire, but makes up for it with high damage per shot and a very fast reload. The only significant thing working against you with this weapon is the relatively high vertical recoil (which is already the easier kind of recoil to compensate for). Due to these characteristics, the weapon shines in pretty much any scenario. Don't try to shoot way beyond your max damage range though; because even though the merc does have pretty good damage falloff stats for a carbine you also don't want to be engaging people who are very far away. Conversely, while it certainly can hold its own in barrel stuffing range you run the risk of engaging enemies who have weapons better suited for the job. Use your jetpack to place yourself on rooftops and control the range of your engagements. As an engineer you are normally in the back of the herd so you’ll already have some range to work with.

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The laser sight you start with is a very good option, arguably the top pick, but might not be what you want as a player just starting out. Dropping the laser in favor of a forward grip will help you control the gun's horizontal recoil, which can be helpful for new and old players alike (as compensating for the RNG based horizontal recoil in this game is basically not consistently possible). Don't get me wrong, the Merc's horizontal recoil is basically a non-issue but a forward grip is always a nice quality of life improvement. My personal loadout of choice is: 1x optic, flash suppressor, and laser sight but do what suits you best in regards to the laser vs grip debate. In regards to the flash suppressor, if you're just starting out then I encourage you to drop the it in favor of an empty slot, as all it does is remove muzzle flash and also has the downside of increased mini-map detection. It also costs 100 certs, which is pretty steep for a brand new player, so I would only equip it if the flash is really hurting your eyes (in which case you should probably be more concerned with graphics settings).



TR = TRAC-5

When it comes to fire rate the TR often like to lead the pack, and the TRAC-5 exemplifies this perfectly. While one might view its damage as lackluster (especially when coming from the Mercenary) the fire rate is what is special here. This weapon fires significantly faster than other faction’s starter carbines and should be used accordingly. This means that the TRAC is easy to use in close range combat but can struggle when attacking from range because of the horizontal recoil. High rate of fire weapons certainly can be used at medium ranges, you just have to be diligent and burst correctly. With that being said, most points in the game are inside of rooms where close range weapons dominate so this is a very strong pick compared to other potential weapons.

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If you're paying to the weapon’s strengths then you actually start out with a pretty good setup. A 1x optic and laser sight suits this gun quite well, and doesn’t demand switching. However, a forward grip is also pretty handy, more so with this gun than the merc. This is because high rate of fire weapons are prone to pretty nasty horizontal recoil as each shot is another chance for the gun to kick in a random direction (within the weapon's tolerance value). A forward grip helps to bring that kind of recoil back in line. Ultimately, it really depends on the play-style that you personally are seeking. Once you've decided what rail slot suits you best, go ahead and throw a flash suppressor on whenever you feel like burning the certs.



VS = Solstice VE3

So if the NC have high damage, and the TR have high fire rate, what does the VS have? The VS is focused on finding a happy medium between both of their rival factions. The Solstice doesn’t have a great rate of fire, but it isn’t bad either. It’s damage isn’t huge, but it’s got a relatively chill recoil and ok velocity to help make the most of it. The weapon is a good example of the VS design philosophy, and that is to make well-rounded tools that are flexible for many situations. To some that might sound like it’s the best thing ever, but keep in mind that specialized weapons will still be better in their respective fields. This gun simply holds its own in many niches. When using this gun make sure to take note what kind of enemy you’re going up against and exploit the kind of situation he or she is not suited for. However, I do acknowledge that doing that is a lot easier said than done, especially if you are a new player who doesn’t have much gamesense under their belt. If you find yourself playing a lot of light assault (engi doesn't warrant buying a new gun early) and don’t quite like the feel of the Solstice, it is one of the few starter weapons I’ll say is fine to drop early in favor of something like a Pulsar-C (heaving hitting carbine) or a Serpent/VX6-7 (fast firing carbines). Be sure to thoroughly research your options before buying, and don’t be afraid to hit up the community discord listed in the "Special thanks and further reading" section to get some help with the purchase.

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On account of the Solstice being such a well-rounded weapon, you can afford to put pretty much anything on here easy. Laser sight if you want to spec into hipfire/CQC, or grip for medium ranges/controllability. Speaking to that debate, I will say that the Solstice does have a bit of an awkward recoil angle while still retaining a perfectly serviceable hipfire (and actually has a marginally better than average hipfire bloom) so the grip would be where I would go if I absolutely could not make a decision based off of personal preference. It just helps standardize the horizontal movement is all, but either option works. Moving on, I prefer 1x optics as usual and the flash suppressor remains optional.

NC = NC1 Gauss Rifle

When you compare the Gauss Rifle to something like the Terran T1 Cycler it fires pretty slow at an even 600 RPM, but the thing is that the Gauss hits harder and is more focused on accuracy. It's cone of fire and projectile velocity stats are better than its rival starting ARs and are pretty good even among cert locked options. This makes this gun great for supporting medics who like to shoot over the shoulders of their front-line allies. Alternatively, you can take advantage of it's higher alpha damage by being aggressive and 3-shotting people in the face before they even know you're there. However, you may find yourself exposed if an enemy light assault or infiltrator makes it behind your lines and gets in close. Really though, out of all of the starter weapons this is one of the most "generalist" weapons available so it's hard to find a place where it doesn't work. As long as you keep your head on a swivel and fire in bursts you should do just fine.

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Being the big brother of the Merc, the Gauss Rifle has pretty much the same setup. Your personal choice of optic (1x is always advised), a flash suppressor, and a forward grip or laser. This is where the forward grip starts to get more competitive in my opinion. Minimizing the horizontal recoil on a weapon that is suited for medium ranges can help a lot, so the grip is really appealing. It is also a nice option because, unlike the Merc, this gun also has a recoil angle so it doesn't kick straight up forever. A grip reduces both the recoil angle and horizontal tolerance, a representation of this can be seen in the picture shown in the following T1 Cycler section. The laser is still a viable and strong option though.



TR = T1 Cycler

This weapon boasts the highest rate of fire out of the starter assault rifles at a speedy 750 RPM and ties with the VS on its damage profile. Unlike the Gauss Rifle, it doesn’t have a stellar muzzle velocity so it is intended as a CQC weapon but can still push out to medium ranges if you treat the horizontal recoil with respect. If you haven't already, I highly recommend looking up some aim training tips so you can best wrangle the weapon (see the special thanks section for links). This is my personal favorite starter AR.

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A laser sight helps the gun shine as a PDW, but a forward grip never hurts. The forward grip is especially helpful because high firerate weapons like this are prone to severe horizontal recoil while the laser sight provides a more "run and gun" style of play for lack of better terms. Optic and barrel slots are the usual 1x and flash supp recommendations.


To better illustrate the affects of the grip I've included this pic of *REDACTED*'s old weapon simulator:
It's an admittedly absurd burst size and has 0 vertical compensation but, I think it shows off the grip's use very well. Yellow dots = crosshair placement and cyan lines = max horizontal tolerance (so once a shot is put past that line the next time the gun recoils it will move back in).


VS = Pulsar VS1

Lastly, we land on the Vanu’s Pulsar. This weapon has a middle of the road fire rate settling in at 698 RPM and a muzzle velocity of 615 m/s, making the projectile move only 5 meters per second slower than the Gauss Rifle. It also has both low vertical recoil and reload speeds. As a result, it plays pretty similar to a gauss rifle, but is a little easier to use if you've got poor gamesense and recoil compensation. Similarly to the Solstice, this isn't a gun I would scream at you for wanting to replace. It's not bad, but it's also not great either. I'm not explicitly telling you to replace it, but rather that you can do so without feeling bad about it. If you do decide to replace the gun, the H-V45 is cheap and is a top tier pick. However, if you want something a little more flexible you could roll with the Terminus, but you will have to pay an extra 350 certs for that. The NS-11a is also a viable pick, but I know a lot of players prefer faction specific weapons.

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Just like the Solstice, this is a very flexible gun in terms of attachments. However, considering it is an assault rifle and has a pretty good damage drop off I’d run a forward grip to make kills at range easier, but the laser vs grip debate is personal preference. Optic and barrel are the usual 1x and flash supp options.

Side Note: ARs are often some of the best weapons in the game and, as a result, the community sometimes refers to the medic as "medium assault". No matter which of the above weapons you are toting, you have got a serious killing machine at your disposal. Do not underestimate your ability to frag dudes.

NC = NC6 Gauss SAW

I really like this gun, but as a new player it can seem useless. Rest assured though, that isn't the case. The Gauss SAW hits like a truck, but comes with a pretty high vertical recoil and will be unwieldy for those that don't respect that. The tooltip of this gun also claims it was, “designed to perform well in many combat situations” which is sort of stretching the truth for an inexperienced player. The high base hipfire cone of fire and slow firing speed makes this harder to use in close quarters compared to other options. It is definitely feasible to use this in CQC, but if you're the kind of person reading this guide then I assume you're new and may not have recoil compensation under control so things may prove difficult for you there. With that being said, this gun works very well out of the box in medium to "long"-ish ranges so if you keep your enemies at a distance then you’ll shred infantry like nobody’s business. Once you do get recoil compensation under your belt you'll find that the SAW pretty much only has vertical recoil and, while there is a lot of it, it's not hard to compensate for when you put a little effort in. Then you're just left with an absolute god of a gun to terrorize the entire hex with in-between reloads. If you still dislike the SAW and don't intend on playing/improving HA too much then consider picking up the GD-22s. That gun is versatile, forgiving, and cheap! Come back to the SAW when you’re more experienced and it will feel much better. If you're already at the stage where you can control the SAW, then continue to have fun and check out the info about trinity LMGs mentioned at the bottom of this section as an Anchor is a logical next step in weapon choice.

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This is an auto that works at longer ranges, but running too high of an optic on it can make the recoil feel unbearable (especially if you're not bursting correctly, like most new players don't). Just run a 1x optic and be done with the issue. The vertical recoil is also so severe that a compensator is pretty helpful for new players but, with the compensator being such a bad attachment in the first place, this pick comes down to preference and is very debatable. If you do feel like totally trashing your hipfire and put on a compensator, then a grip isn't bad for full committing to shooting people at a distance but you will be 100% in the bone zone if anyone pushes in on you (and you will get pushed). A laser/comp combo can sort of cancel out the hipfire debuff, albeit not entirely. If you forego the comp entirely, then you've got your normal laser vs grip debate. My normal setup is a 1x optic, laser sight, and HVA for when I know I'm going to be shooting longer distances like at amp stations but left off if I'm bouncing around something like a biolab (although I do forget I have it on a lot and it doesn't really matter). I also occasionally run a suppressor on this weapon which, if you've read the other sections of this guide, might sound pretty strange. The thing is that, while it's great at range, the weapon doesn't really demand to be used there. Like I said in the main paragraph, this weapon *can* be used in CQC so a supp comes at little cost when you're shooting dudes within 10 meters anyway. So the "long range" stats help counteract the downsides of the supp and you get a quiet SAW that comes with mini-map immunity. I'd leave it off while learning but I'm including it here just to let you know not to sleep on it forever.

Quick Tip: Compensators should only ever be used on slow firing weapons with high vertical recoil per shot, but even then are usually best left unequipped. In fact, this is just about the only weapon in the entire game I would even consider putting a compensator on. Learn more about why this is here (video has some outdated info about HVA and flash hiders, but is very good otherwise).


TR = T9 CARV

The carv is the defining starter gun for the Terran Republic. This thing fires long and fast by sporting a 750 RPM and a 100 bullet mag of 143 damage projectiles (combining the Orion’s RPM/DMG and SAW’s mag size). As a result, the carv is great for point holds where enemies just don’t stop shoving themselves through the front door or for chaining several kills together off one mag. It does have a pretty long reload though, 5.4 short and 6.2 long, so make sure you are hitting your short reload (which should be pretty easy with a 100 bullet mag). This is the weapons to go to for Alamo style point holds, and doubles well as a breaching tool when the situation demands it. If it feels unwieldy then check out Conflict's Combat Fundamentals video linked in the further reading section.

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I only run 1x optics and tend to leave the laser sight at home in favor of a forward grip as the grip helps to bring down the wicked horizontal recoil that high rate of fire weapons have. Really though, that is just my personal preference. If you find yourself hipfiring often than go ahead and run a laser. A flash hider can also be nice to keep the glare down, especially when ♥♥♥♥ is hitting the fan in a point hold, but it's not an important enough pick to be bought early.



VS = Orion VS54

The Orion is often touted as one of the most competitive LMGs in the game (being part of the "LMG trinity"). It has got the same fire rate and damage profile as the CARV and has a lighting fast reload making its relatively small mag size of 50 rounds not that much of an issue (for comparison the SAW has a short reload of 6.5 seconds and the Orion has one of 3s). This gun breaks point holds and, if user skill permits, can cheese enemies at range. The main negative thing to note is the rather high first-shot-recoil multiplier. Each time you click and start a burst you'll notice the gun jump a little farther than it normally does when shooting, this is the fsrm at work. The Orion's fsrm is one of the highest you can find on an LMG so you may find use in either starting a burst around the upper chest of an enemy and letting the fsrm carry you into the head or in getting used to starting your bursts with a heavier jolt down on the mouse. Over time you'll get used to it and see just how good this weapon really is.

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So right out of the box the Orion is a very competitive weapon with very forgiving recoil, but a forward grip increases that good quality even further. That's not to say a laser sight doesn't have merit (this is a CQC LMG after all) but, like I have said before, forward grips always offer nice improvements. I personally go with a laser on this, but you do you. Also make sure to slap a 1x optic on here and you’re ready to go.

Side note (LMG Trinity?): The terms “LMG trinity” or “Trinity LMGs” refer to the Orion (VS), Anchor (NC), and MSW-R (TR) LMGs. These are the dedicated CQC LMGs for each faction and are very good weapons. So much so they are often looked to as the best LMG options in the game. So, why don’t I tell everyone to dumpster the guns listed above and buy these? Well, aside from the SAW and Carv being very good, the Anchor and MSW are comparatively difficult to use and you have more important things to spend certs on. The Orion gets a bit of a pass in this regard as it trades some kill potential for controllability (so the user can make up for it). If you're new then you should be spending certs on things like medkits and suit/ability slots, but these are good things to buy as your first weapon purchase. If you are NC and need help deciding between the Anchor and GD, get the Anchor if you think you'll spend a significant amount of time on Heavy and the GD if you don't and want to save certs.

Preface: Infiltrator, in general, is a class that relies on both solid aim and game-sense. These things are skills that most new players don't have (since it's kinda hard to have game-sense for a game you've never played before). I advise not playing this class when you're just starting out. However, I know you're gonna play the class anyway so here are my tips:


NC = NC14 Bolt Driver

This sniper is the only bolt action rifle given to new players by default so it attracts a lot of what the community calls “bolt babies”, aka new players who sit on far away hilltops and in spawn rooms trying to hit ANYTHING with this gun. You do not want to be a bolt baby. Let me first start by saying that sniping in PS2 isn’t like many other games and while I will not describe how to properly do it in this guide I encourage you to look up other content to help you learn (see, community discord mentors). With that out of the way let’s talk about the gun. It’s a pretty standard sniper rifle, nothing to write home about but also nothing to scoff at. It’s got some pretty hard bullet drop when compared to other rifles, but you shouldn't be using it at such extreme ranges as to make this point matter. It gets the job done with a one shot kill headshot and high damage profile, so there isn't a whole lot to complain about. Just… get out of the spawn room when you snipe.

Attachments: (quick edit: this was written before the suppressor buff, but they're still not a great idea unless you know what you're doing)

You might be tempted to pick up a suppressor for this weapon… do not use a suppressor on a weapon you're going to use at longer ranges. The massive drop in velocity defeats the purpose of a gun such as this and it’s not like you really need the mini-map stealth when you are so far away and can cloak to hide anyway. I also wouldn't bother with a straight pull bolt as it will teach new players bad habits. It isn't bad in and of itself, but it encourages bad bolt baby behavior and costs certs you could be putting towards more useful things so just pick it up later. Similarly, a higher optic is not really warranted as your bullet velocity keeps your effective range around the default 6x scope's range.

Quick Tip: Suppressors are normally a bad idea on any gun, save for certain ones in very specific play-styles. Do not equip one unless you know what you're doing.


TR = 99SV

Right off the bat you will notice this rifle is semi-auto and you might be upset. I understand your frustration as you might just be looking for that super-sneaky-bolter style of gameplay, but you can unlock a bolt action rifle later. For now this gun isn’t the worst thing you could have, it just requires a different play-style than your average sniper. First, I like to think of this gun simply as a designated marksman rifle. It is designed with medium range in mind and can even kinda cheese close range kills too, but anything too far away just isn’t happening (not consistently anyway). When used in this range, the gun is good for landing multiple rapid fire hits and forgives you if you miss a few. If you are dead set on picking up a bolt action rifle you'd be best to pick up the TSAR-42 as it has the fastest rechamber time and offers you 4x optics and below (meaning no scope sway). Alternatively, the M-77B only costs a measly 325 certs and probably fits the style of play you're looking for, but be sure to research the other options to see what you prefer. The TSAR-42 is the CQC bolter of the TR and is what most high level infils use.

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I honestly would not mess with anything on this weapon. The ballistics computer is nice, and since this is DMR you don’t need a high optic. Make sure you avoid the suppressor (see the bolt driver attachments for reasoning).



VS = VA39 Spectre

It’s just a 99SV. No really, go look at that stats as they are effectively the same. It lacks bullet drop, but the 99SV has a slightly better damage falloff tier (the difference in tiers only starts to be very noticeable at ranges you're irrelevant at anyway). My point is, everything I said for the 99SV can be said here. If you are looking to unlock a bolt action then the Ghost is the equivalent of the TSAR-42 and the XM98 is the equivalent of the TR’s M-77B.

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See the 99SV, above.

Side Note: I see a lot of inexperienced players complain that the lack of bullet drop on some VS weapons is "OP". While it can help to land hits on target, it doesn't nullify damage drop-off. Weapons like the Spectre are going to be just as ineffective outside of their effective range as much as any other gun. I also feel I should note the fact that VS bolt action rifles do have bullet drop (save for the Phaseshift, which has some unique properties). I'd much rather have better damage tiers than no-drop anyway. I can compensate for drop by aiming up a little bit when I'm shooting in the niche cases it's useful, I can't do anything to get more damage out of my gun.

Preface: Before anything I would like to say that shotguns are not good learning platforms. They normally teach bad habbits and can't even be used to their full ability until you have much better game sense. I’ll admit that if you do you use them now you probably will be able to kill somebody if you just rush and spam the trigger, but you'll also die very quickly and not be much of an asset to your team. It's an all around ball-numbingly boring playstyle that doesn't do much for either combatant. I advise not touching these until later (or just never touching them). The fact that these were even given to new players is insulting from an educational standpoint and was a blatant attempt to get bad players to stick around for a few extra cheap kills. However, this ends up frustrating them when they still get shredded by people who know how to play around a goober with a gun that doesn't do anything outside of 5 meters anyway.

Anyway lets get to it.


NC, TR, VS = Mauler S6, FA1 Barrage, and Thanatos VE70

So I've opted to display some information from *REDACTED*'s Weapon Analysis Toolbox[cmdrcyrious.com] to help illustrate my points (and because I have it open and don’t feel like booting up the game to take 3 different pictures of the same gun). As you can see, the damage stats for the two weapons shown



are the exact same and, if you'll take my word for it, every other stat is the same as well. The Mauler and Barrage have the same everything down to a T. However, this is not the case with the Thanatos (not pictured here). While it is true that the Thanatos shares the stock stats for most everything, it slightly differs in bullet velocity. Where the Mauler and Barrage hold a 300 m/s velocity projectile, the Thanatos fires at 275 m/s. This is not a huge deal, since these weapons are intended to be used within 5 meters or so, but I just wanted to point it out. This is the case simply because the Thanatos has no bullet drop. Not really impressive though because, like I said, you need to stay within 5 meters with these things. Other than that, don't baby rage if you get smoked by a dude with an automatic. Worst case for them is that they have to play very well in CQC to beat you, but can still beat you. Worst case for a shotgun user is the auto user they're trying to kill presses S and leaves their tiny effective range.

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I'll start with the ammo attachment, as it basically changes the entire gun. Slug ammunition turns the shotgun into a pseudo close range battle rifle. I don't recommend using slugs though, as there are much better options if you want a semi-auto play-style. You'll also want some kind of optic. A 1x would be fine, but pick what suits you best. Running slugs on a default shotty is already a bit of a meme play, but some people enjoy them.

Quick Tip: You would think that slugs pair well with the Thanatos due to the weapon's lack of drop, right? Well as it turns out there is drop when you equip slugs onto the weapon. It should also be noted that you gain 25 m/s in bullet velocity so you are brought in line with the other starter shotties. This loss of no drop isn't a big deal though, as slugs don't magically turn your shotgun into a sniper rifle anyway. Note that I keep seeing people say that none of this is true and simply assume that the Than stays the same with slug. I've tested this myself gosh niblets, I'm correct and cranky with BR10's saying I'm not.

Conversely, if you are running without slugs then I would also opt for extended mags pretty much the entire time. The laser sight option only changes your initial CoF (cone of fire) and not your pellet CoF (if you want to know what that means, read the next block of italicized text) and you'll want to be throwing as much damage down range as quick as possible with this type of gun as your aim probably sucks if you're using them. If you miss and then get stuck with a reload without killing your target, then you've pretty much defeated the entire purpose you brought a shotgun along to the fight. Extended mags reduce the punishment for missing and can give you more potential kills per mag. The laser option does get better as your aim gets better, but if you're a skilled player (or care about getting better) then you're not going to spend much time thinking about the intricate details of shotgun attachments anyway and should just be using an auto.

Shotgun CoF Explained: So shotguns actually have 2 cones of fire. One is what you see visually represented on your screen just like any other gun. The second one is invisible and only created when you click to fire. When you fire the game picks a random point in your visual CoF and shoots an imaginary bullet. The game then calculates a new CoF around that imaginary bullet and that is your pellet spread CoF (which is then populated by actual buckshot). So while half of your crosshair could be on a target, your pellet spread CoF could cause many of the pellets to whiff anyway (although the likelihood of such bad RNG is low). This is why extended mags are generally better, as the laser sight only slightly changes the base CoF and not pellet CoF (where if you get screwed by CoF RNG with extended mags you can just fire another shot).

NC = NC4 Mag-Shot

The mag-shot is a quaint little gun. It does its job, but once that job is done it clocks out. The Mag-Shot is best used as a finisher tool when you are out of ammo but there is still a low health enemy in front of you. Pull it out and pop the guy, but you want to be getting back to your primary as fast as possible. You can also use this gun as a stalker infiltrator to… some effect, but you’re better off picking up one of the better options available to you. If you are looking to replace this gun then the Commie, Underboss, or Pilot do its job and more but buying a sidearm should be one of the last things you do when getting through your early certifications.

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Not very important on this weapon, but a laser sight can be nice if you’re using it as a panic pistol. You can also throw a 1x optic on it if you really care that much. A darklight could be put on this gun, but I wouldn’t bother. Honestly, not putting a single cert into this thing is a perfectly viable option and is what I would do if I was just starting out.

Quick Tip: As a rule of thumb, darklights are best kept on sidearms only (if used at all). They are a waste of a slot on your primary and can easily give your or nearby allies' position away. Plus, a Commissioner+darklight is every stalker cloaker's nightmare, as a Commie instagibs them on headshot and only requires 2 body shots. However, a laser sight is normally a better option regardless as a bullet is going to expose an infil just as much as a darklight.



TR = TX1 Repeater

My favorite of the starter pistols. The gun fires in 3 round bursts and, because of this, is a really great as a finisher tool. If somebody has got the jump on you while you’re out of ammo then pull this little guy out and start hip firing like crazy. The gun is also pretty good at stalker infiltrator ops too, given how it does pretty damn well in CQC. Again however, if you are looking to replace this gun the Commie, Underboss, or Pilot do its job very well, although the TX1 is already close to top tier.

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Pretty much the same as Mag-shot, but I’d say the laser sight has much more merit due to how great this thing is as a panic pistol.



VS = Beamer VS3

The Beamer is very similar to the Magshot, arguably worse but it’s close. It is a little more sustainable than a Magshot so it is good for enemies who you’ve wounded with your primary but also need a few extra shots before going down. This means that it fits pretty much into the same exact role as the Magshot and can be used the same way. Pull it out when you don’t have time to reload and spam the trigger while hoping you take your assailant down. If you really like the spam angle to this gun, then an Underboss is a direct upgrade. A Commissioner or Pilot is also a fair choice, but research all of your options before you buy.

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Similar to the Magshot, I’d just save your certs and put them towards a different sidearm if you care that much.

Side Note: Pretty much all faction specific pistols are outshined by the Commie, Underboss, or Pilot. The TX1 puts up a valiant fight, but the big NS 3 are just too strong of options. Faction specific pistols aren’t always awful, but are completely shown up by their NS cousins in most every situation.

Every faction = Shrike, ML-7, and S1

Once again we have the same weapon reskinned for each faction (not really a bad thing though). All of these launchers are dumb fire, this means that once you fire the rocket it just soars in one direction till gravity brings it down. To make up for their lack of accuracy (or rather their difficulty to be landed on target) they all pack a pretty hard punch. These launchers are great for taking out deployed sundies or other slow moving vehicles/MAX units. Hell, you can even take down a hovering ESF using one of these things. Speaking of swatting ESFs with dumb fires, the next one I'd recommend is the Decimator. That is the high damage NS dumbfire that most HAs use. It's nice because it's high damage helps prevent MAX units from waddling into a room and holding m1 on anything that moves, plus once you get the hang of the drop you can use it at most ranges and continue swatting aircraft with it. However, while we are on the topic of air I should acknowledge your anti-air launcher options. These are relatively cheap ways for you to actually own an anti-air deterrent without investing in a vehicle weapon or the second burster arm for your MAX that leaves you sitting in a suit all day (the single arm is also a joke if you only use that). The faction specific ground to air launcher for the NC is the Hawk. This launcher probably won’t kill your target if you are the sole one shooting at it, but it will put some pressure on the aircraft and if enough allies focus fire it then the aircraft will have to leave. They might come back in a minute or two, but it helps to have some way of fighting back. For the TR and VS I'd not really bother with the budget AA launcher though as you have some better alternatives. Those being the Striker and Lancer respectively (your faction specific launchers). The striker is just about the best AA launcher in the game (short of just hitting the damn plane with deci) and a Lancer provides a very fast/charge up projectile that makes it relatively easy to land hits on flying targets.

All in all though, rocket launchers should not be a priority purchase for you.

Every faction = Mag-Cutter, Chainblade, and Force-Blade

All of them are the same for each faction, but I just want to encourage using them. A lot of players forget that the knife takes out 500 HP, that is half of an infantryman’s base health pool (so things like heavy shields and aux shield change it). That can be a HUGE difference in a CQC fight where you just need that quick burst of damage to make it out alive. Pop 2 or 3 shots into an enemy and finish him off with a quick knife swing for a quick kill.

Quick Tip: While knifing is very powerful, knifing a heavy assault is a huge risk. You might be able to get a few shots on one and go in for the knife only to have him turn his overshield on and shrug off your blade. Only knife HAs unless you are certain their shield is depleted and their HP is low. This requires a good understanding of HA shield mechanics though. Read up here[www.kivikasvo.fi] if you want more info.

<-- Rare PlanetLadies laughing at your dumb ass

So after all this, you still think that your starter guns suck nuts and you want to purchase a new weapon? Alright, I can't stop you. To be fair, maybe you don't think the starter guns suck and you're just ready for a new play-style. Lord knows I own more firearms than I know what to do with so why can't you, right? Well, there is one thing I want to stress and that is that you should upgrade your ability slots/medkits before attempting to buy shiny new guns. Guns aren't what make you a better player and they won't increase your survivability; ability slots, medkits, and experience will. So go ahead and buy that sparkly new AR or carbine, just don't come crying back to me when you aren't instantly dunking on people.


However, if you do decide to heed my warning and just don't know what to invest your certs into then check out this section of /r/ps2info (that sub is also great in general). Recatek goes through each class step by step, providing a pretty good set of recommended loadouts. Keep in mind that the loadouts are designed for anti-infantry work and also contain gun recommendations for people who have already completed the starter certs. Just follow the cert order and you'll be fine. However, if something doesn't sound right or you ever aren't sure what to get then you can head over to the Community Discord[discord.me] and ask a set of hand picked mentors that specialize in infantry, armor, and air play-styles.

Update: I've since gotten Recatek and Opshax's permission to transcribe their respective ps2info stuff to steam, so here it is:
Free Promo Codes

PS2 Discord Mentors-Recommended Infantry Loadouts

Useful Videos

Potato UserOptions.ini Settings

Ten Points of Advice

Opshax's Vehicle Loadouts

Also here is my other original guide:
Finding Fun Fights

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I would now like to take some time to thank some people and provide you with some further reading.

The community discord[discord.me]: This place contains a plethora of knowledge and experienced players. The mod team has done a great job of creating a space where players can connect and learn. New players looking to up their game should definitely join and check out the #useful-info and #ask-the-mentors channels; where they can tag Air, Armor, or Infantry mentors and ask questions to their heart's content. If the mentors say anything that goes against what I've said here, take their word over mine.

The /r/PS2info subreddit: This isn't a regular subreddit, its more of a wiki of info. It is a collection of various things put together by the mentors of the discord and other good players. Overall, it is a reliable source of information (which can be difficult to find amongst the amount rubbish surrounding this game).

Conflictt's combat fundamentals video series is pretty much the best of it's kind. In my several years of playing I have not seen another video present accurate information in an effective way like he does (if you've made it to this post then you've probably been subjected to horrible video advice already and don't even know it). He is also one of the mentors in the discord so he's open about helping people directly when he's available there.

(EDIT: This next person has left the community and does not want their name on any of their work anymore, their stuff is still found via the following backup link but they are not credited as per their request. I've scrubbed their name from this guide, but they were a great help to me for many years and I wish them the best. I'm hesitant to even link to this mirror but I just want to emphasize that the person who put in the work to compile all of this is not actively associated with that site and I do not know what other info is on it.)
*REDACTED* of *REDACTED*[cmdrcyrious.com]: If you couldn’t tell by now, *REDACTED* was a very helpful member of this community for his in-depth analysis of… well… everything in the game. His site was a great place for all things stats related and his weapon toolbox[cmdrcyrious.com] is very helpful when analyzing the numbers behind a gun. Just don't get lost in the sea of stats.

There are many more people who I wish to thank, but simply don’t want to take up space here. I encourage you to go out and make your own connections. This is a community not quite like any other and can be what makes the game great if you get in with an outfit you like.

With that I leave you, I hope you learned something new and if you didn't then I hope you at least felt I did a good job. If you ever need any more info then feel free to reach out to me, as I'm happy to help. Comments are good, but can be difficult to respond to so go ahead and add me if you feel like it. Any FAQ will get added to the guide so I wouldn't worry about asking me something common. Also, be sure to check out the community links above. Anyway, no matter what faction you fight for or what server you're on, I wish you the best of luck out there because you're gonna need it.

Welcome to PlanetSide.