As a veteran of the Dinogen games (as well as Tactical Weapon Pack and Deadswitch--be sure to try out Arsenal Online and Deadswitch 3 if you're enjoying Dinogen!) one of the things I've always valued is the vast selection of weapons and equipment that makes it easy to play the game however you'd like to. That said, with such a vast armory, there are bound to be some... shall we say, redundancies. With the addition of the Shards system in Dinogen Online, this guide seeks to provide guidance on what items you should and should not buy with those precious Shards.

Melee

(Note: It is currently unknown if the Penetration stat has any significance with melee weapons. This section may be updated accordingly.)

Buy: The Katana has a solid rate of fire with a much bigger radius than the basic knife.

Don't Buy: The Hatchet is completely inferior to the much cheaper Machete, just as the Shovel is almost completely inferior to the Katana. The Sledgehammer is also quite pricey for a weapon with such a massively reduced rate of fire, which largely negates it having the highest damage per swing.

Handguns

Buy: The high-power handguns (the .44 Magnum, Desert Eagle, Rhino, and Detective Special) are spammable enough, but have the advantage of killing infantry in only two or three hits compared to the four to six required of the other handguns. It also helps that the Rhino, Desert Eagle, and a .44 Magnum with Piercing ammo have piercing values of 5, making them good anti-dinosaur weapons as well. (A little fun fact the game doesn't tell you: a weapon with 5 piercing deals double damage to dinosaurs, and each additional point of piercing adds another 20% on top of that!) Their magazines may not be big, but these are intended to be used as emergency weapons, so the six or seven you have is more than enough to finish off a single target when your primary is empty. The RSh-12, although quite expensive, uses 12 gauge ammo, so it can be a substitute shotgun for non-Assault classes.

Don't Buy: The low damage, high fire rate pistols (the G17, Five-Seven, Mk22, and Maxim 9) just aren't good enough at quick kills to be worth the investment, and even more so when compared to the easier-to-use machine pistols. A player skilled at clicking fast enough to actually hit their potential DPS might be able to get away with the cheap G17 or Five-Seven, but the Mk22 and Maxim 9 are far too pricey for a negligible improvement to mediocre pistols.

Machine Pistols

Buy: The MP9 has a high rate of fire and big 30-round magazines, making this the go-to machine pistol. The MP1911 has better damage and penetration in exchange for smaller magazines, making it better for single heavy targets compared to the other machine pistols. The burst-fire KARD strikes a nice balance between the machine pistols and handguns, retaining a bit of accuracy and control while still putting plenty of shots downrange.

Don't Buy: The FMG9 is completely inferior to the cheaper MP9, just as the CZ-75 is inferior to the MPA57. The only advantage the Skorpion and TEC-9 have over the MP1911 is larger magazines, which, while sometimes helpful, only amounts to five additional bullets given that the MP1911 starts with an extra reserve magazine to compensate. The VP70's advantages over the KARD on paper--its better accuracy and reload time--are undone by the KARD's advantages in recoil and magazine size.

Shotguns

Buy: An automatic shotgun with Dragon's Breath ammo is a great crowd-control weapon in Survival modes. I personally like the AA-12 for this, partly because it's got a great mix of damage and fire rate and partly because of the nostalgia of using it in the original Dinogen's survival mode, but there's nothing wrong with picking the M1216 for its higher magazine capacity. For regular Multiplayer, the massive boost in damage and rate of fire the DP-12 boasts over the starting M3 make it an expensive but promising upgrade.

Don't Buy: The M1014, while cheap, doesn't have much going for it over the SPAS-12 (only range, whereas the SPAS-12 has a higher capacity, damage, and has full-auto fire). The same could be said of the Saiga-12 versus the Jackhammer (cheaper and better capacity, reduced rate of fire), the Sawed-Off versus the Stoeger (too pricey for a damage boost that's just overkill and negated by its reduced range), or the M1887 versus the M47 (far too expensive with only half of the reserve ammo and a damage boost that gets negated by the reduced range).

Submachine Guns

Buy: The P90's high rate of fire, 50-round magazines, and higher-than-average pierce make it an outstanding SMG. The Honey Badger's a bit expensive, but versatile and stealthy.

Don't Buy: The most expensive SMG, the QCW-05, can only brag about ithe free suppressor and slightly faster reload compared to the superior P90. The MP7 and PP-19 Bizon are both in a similar boat, but at least the MP7 is cheaper and the Bizon has a bigger magazine. The MPX's damage advantage over the Honey Badger isn't worth the loss in penetration or the much higher price.

Carbines

Buy: The ARP-556 boasts a ridiculous rate of fire with carbine-level utility and range. On the other end of the spectrum is the hard-hitting but slow SA-58, a full-power battle rifle that got lost and wound up in the all-classes carbine category. The AS VAL's integrated suppressor, high damage, and full mobility gives it a little more utility for a stealthy, hit-and-run playstyle.

Don't Buy: Not even a substantial buff to its damage and recoil in patch 1.0.7 could save the LVOA-C's irrelevance compared to the much cheaper G36C. The K1A is in a similar boat, although the mobility boost at least gives it a niche among the other carbines. The MCX fares even worse than those two--one measly point of damage, irrelevant in the overwhelming majority of gunfights, is its only advantage over the M4A1 that's unlocked for free.

Assault Rifles

Buy: The AK-47 and SCAR-H are slow but powerful, and their 4 pierce means that they're outstanding against dinosaurs with Piercing ammo. Joining them in the 4-pierce club is the SKS, which boasts enough firepower and accuracy to make most of the DMRs obsolete for the Assault class. Although it's a little trickier to use, the higher damage and fire rate of the AN-94 make it the best of the burst-fire rifles. The PAR4-C is pricey, but incredibly versatile and easy to use.

Don't Buy: The L85A3's two-meter improvement in range over the much cheaper TAR-21 is far too situational to be worth it. Ditto for the G11 against the default M16A4 with Extended, the ACR 6.8 against the AK-47, and the Perun X16 SR against the G3A3. Although the AUG A3 may be ever so slightly cheaper than the PAR4-C, I'd argue that the lower recoil, speedier reload, and integrated suppressor make the PAR4-C worth the premium.

Light Machine Guns

Buy: The PKP Pecheneg is the essential general-purpose machine gun, boasting 5 penetration by default with a substantial rate of fire. Both the QBZ-95 and RPK-16 fill the squad support role a little better thanks to their lower recoil and higher rate of fire--they're similar enough that which one you buy is down to personal preference. Few weapons come close to the MG42 in terms of sheer DPS, but may require some recoil management skills (or the Compensator). An interesting strategy for Dino Survival revolves around having a designated "dino delayer" using the M60E4 with Hollow Points and Mag Assist, keeping dinosaurs crippled so squadmates with heavier weapons and vehicles have time to finish them off or maneuver safely.

Don't Buy: The Ameli is completely inferior to the cheaper QBZ-95. If the higher mobility of the AUG HBAR or RPK is at all tempting to you, then you're just using machine guns the wrong way. Given the staggering rates of fire they have, the L86 LSW and Trident LMG's improvements in damage are barely noticeable against the main competition, the Ultimax MK5, and gets even worse when you're shelling out 25 and 31 shards, more than twice the price of the Ultimax, and you still won't be able to match the MG42 for sheer DPS.

DMRs

Buy: The SA58 SPR's high capacity, damage, and rate of fire make it well worth the price if you want a versatile yet powerful DMR (not to mention the dino damage boost when using Piercing ammo), but if the shards and XP are too much for your liking, the RSASS is an easy-to-use substitute. Although it's niche and expensive, the Mk20 SSR is a personal favorite thanks to it being the only DMR that starts with 5 pierce, along with having solid damage and lower recoil than the other high-power DMRs, making it the best weapon for countering enemy snipers.

Don't Buy: It may be cheap, but the MSG90's high recoil and reduced reserve ammo make it a fairly hard weapon to use. The Mk 11 Mod 0's space between the higher-damage Dragunov and Mk20 SSR and the higher-capacity SA58 SPR isn't very comfortable, since unlike the Dragunov or Mk20 SSR, it can't use the Muzzle Brake to get two-shot kills on infantry, and it has to sacrifice that critical Piercing ammo to equip Extended or the FMJ/Muzzle Brake combo for the two-shot kills.

Sniper Rifles

Buy: The Sniper Rifles are all so similar that any improvements over the default M40A3 are marginal at best. That said, if you're looking to upgrade your sniper rifle, the DSR-1 trades some reserve ammo to be a pure statistical upgrade to the M40A3, and splurging on the higher damage and magazine capacity of the MRAD isn't a bad idea, either.

Don't Buy: As mentioned before, most of the sniper rifles are so similar that any improvements are marginal, so almost every other sniper rifle belongs here, but there are two special mentions. First is the Scout Elite, which sacrifices its one-shot kill potential with no attachments--the appeal of the sniper rifles in the first place--for better mobility. Second is the Hecate II for going so far in the other direction as to be a bulky bundle of overkill, especially when the L115A3 does the same thing for fewer shards with better mobility and reserve ammo. Although the Hecate II is the only sniper rifle that can score a one-hit kill against Kevlar and equip Explosive ammo outside of Survival, it's far less efficient than equipping a cheaper sniper rifle with FMJ or using explosive weapons.

Launchers

Buy: The boring-but-efficient MK153 SMAW and FIM-92 Stinger should be your go-to vehicle killers, at least in modes where the power of the Javelin isn't available. If your aim is true, the RPG-7V2 can be just as serviceable, with better crowd control power and an additional rocket in reserve. Not much can stack up to the crowd-control potential of the XM25 or the PAW-20 in Survival modes.

Don't Buy: The M320 might be a solid improvement over the default Thumper, but not nearly enough to justify its cost. The same can be said for the MATADOR against the SMAW. The M202 is the master-of-none of the launcher category, too slow and heavy to be good against crowds like the grenade launchers and lacking the sheer anti-vehicle power of the other rocket launchers.

Tactical

Buy: The Quadra is an incredibly powerful but tricky-to-use backup weapon, especially against dinosaurs or in Survival with its unique ammo types, making it almost worth the whopping 50,000 Tactical XP required to unlock it. The Riot Shield gets decent mileage out of its very situational utility, but I still hesitate to outright recommend it.

Don't Buy: Why the Compound Bow and Crossbow are categorized as secondary weapons--depriving the Hunter class of badly-needed sidearms for a primary sniper rifle or DMR, instead of being in competition with those primary weapons--is beyond me. The only way I could see myself using them is if I'm picking a carbine as my primary, in which case, I'd ask myself why I'm not just using the Assault or Commando class instead. They aren't bad weapons, and the Crossbow is a good weapon in the early-to-middle waves of Survival, but they don't quite mesh with the Hunter class as well as they should.

Attachments

Buy: For optics, the EOTech and ACOG are generally the best blend of cost and utility. The Mag Assist should always be your choice for its slot. Always use Piercing ammo on weapons with 4 Pierce, but on any others, FMJ is the cheapest and most effective choice. The Heavy Barrel should be your go-to barrel option outside of high-recoil weapons like the MG42 that may legitimately need the Compensator or quirky setups that need the closer-range damage that a Muzzle Brake provides, since Heavy Barrel is the only way to improve range.

Don't Buy: With the sole exception of the Mk20 SSR, the Scope is usually overkill on weapons that don't start with it unlocked, and very few maps have lines of sight that warrant using that full 8x zoom. Since the mini-map is always on and players can be seen around corners, the Suppressor doesn't do enough to hide you, as well as hurting your range and costing you the chance to use a much more helpful barrel. The Smoke, Stun, and Flash ammo for grenade launchers are all gimmicks--just use the dedicated grenade slot.

Equipment

Buy: The Repair Tool is practically mandatory for high rounds on Survival to keep turrets and vehicles alive, so spending those shards is an outstanding investment now that it is no longer unlocked by default in Survival. The Trophy System can be infuriating to fight against in objective games, giving your team much-needed protection against Commandos and vehicles. Stim Shots are a nice and cheap addition to the Assault class for aggressive players.

Don't Buy: The Health Box's modest increase in health regeneration isn't terribly practical for the price, and in Survival, where it's most useful, it's unlocked by default. The Throwing Knife always felt too difficult to use for me to see any point to buying it.

Grenades

Buy: Semtex is a strong yet cheap choice for more direct assaults using grenades, although you lose the crucial ability of throwing frags around corners to flush out entrenched positions. The ET-MP is similar but with a larger range in exchange for slightly less damage.

Don't Buy: The bigger radius of the Molotov is, in most cases, not worth paying more than half of the price of the longer-lasting Napalm.

Dinosaurs

Buy: The Allosaurus is the best blend of price and performance, hefty enough to take a beating yet fast enough to dish it out. The same goes for the nimble, vicious Velociraptor. The Needlesaurus is a decent improvement to the Dilophosaurus, firing multiple projectiles with higher damage.

Don't Buy: For the same price, the Pachy isn't nearly as good as the Velociraptor. You're much better off saving the extra shards for Allosaurus than settling for the Carnotaurus. Perhaps the most egregious of all is the 100 shards for Tyrannosaurus rex--it's for players so desperate for bragging rights that they'll set their wallets on fire.

Vehicles

Buy: The M1 Abrams tank (and, to a lesser extent, the cheaper T-90) are foundational to high-round survival strategies. The LAV-25 is a glass cannon, but its additional firepower and the limit on the number of active tanks make it valuable as backup.

Don't Buy: Any and all other light vehicles. They clog up the map, entice bots to drive them nowhere to do nothing, and if they have any weapons, they're pathetic compared to most other LMGs, sniper rifles, or launchers.

Airdrops

Buy: The cheap Weapon Airdrop is an outstanding choice for resupplying your team and replacing the starting MP5/M9 combo with minimal cost, but should be replaced by the improved Heavy Weapon Airdrop in later rounds. Although pricey, the Escort Airdrop can be helpful not because of what it actually drops, but because the Osprey guarding the drop zone is an outstanding bit of air support in addition to the helicopters.

Don't Buy: Nearly everything in the Support Airdrop has very limited utility in Survival.

Turrets

Buy: For manned turrets, the BGM-71 TOW has outstanding range and stopping power, especially against vehicles or enemy TOWs. For sentries, the SAM Turret is absolutely mandatory in Militia Survival, the Grenade Turret and Flamethrower Turret are great against dinosaurs, and the Sniper Turret is a reliable all-arounder.

Don't Buy: If it was possible to un-buy the worthless M2 Browning, I would, but for now I'd just advise against the Shotgun Turret for not dishing out enough damage and against the Railgun Turret for being a strong but ultimately cost-inefficient upgrade to the Sniper Turret.

Dino Eggs and Air Support

Buy: It's best to go all-in with air support--the UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache are the best, but there's nothing wrong with the Kiowa or Cobra, either. The Spinosaurus egg and T. Rex egg are expensive, but can perform surprisingly well in Dinosaur Survival.

Don't Buy: All other Dino eggs. Compy Eggs are good enough as a diversion. Most other dinos are too weak to be worth the investment.

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