Weapons that I feel need the most deserved work are the Commando and the Ravager.
Both weapons were actually rather decent in the BTB Flight. I actually downright loved the Commando, actually preferring to pick it up over the BR during the Flight, but that didn’t mean I found the BR inferior to it or anything. They were both good guns; I just liked the design and versatility of the Commando a little bit more. The changes they made to it since the Flight (taking one more bullet to kill and something else I forget) actually impacted it far more than I expected it to to the point where it has the reputation it does now. I think a reverse of the changes and back to how it was in the Flight would make it a decent weapon again.
People were actually picking up and using the Ravager as well back then. They’d hop around, with the Ravager actually devastatingly disorienting, where if you didn’t see it coming you were going to get destroyed by it. Was actually very effective when enemies were gathered around a point on Total Control and they’d start bombarding it with the Ravager. Maybe not a complete return to form but definitely roll back what was done to it as well.
I find the Bulldog, Battle Rifle, and the Assault Rifle to be completely fine as they are now. Maybe a slight fire rate increase for the Bulldog but I’ve been satisfied with it and people have really been picking it up and destroying others with it when playing it right. These weapons all feel very balanced - excelling when you play to their strengths and being defeated most of the time when you play against them. The Heatwave can be lumped in there with them; good enough as it is right now, its range and damage being tempered with its need for more precise aim with the added bonus of ricocheting to damage/kill if you’re lucky or have some feel for where its gonna bounce.
The Sidekick is a tricky one. I want to say its fine but I do concede that there could be a little bit of concern with how fast it can kill at close range - faster than the AR if you land all your shots. That’s the key thing though: being able to land all your shots consistently which does take a bit of skill to be able to do consistently. Some of the pistoleros out there can be pretty devastating but they’re rather few and far between in my experience and the AR is a lot more forgiving with its rapid fire rate. I myself will swap to the Sidekick when I’m in a situation where I can preemptively line my shots up (such as knowing where and in what direction an enemy is coming from) but when you’re running around searching for enemies that can just pop up in the chaos of battle, I do still mainly use the AR with the Sidekick in its backup role.]
Pulse Carbine could use some reworking. The damage is rather ridiculous if you can land your shots, but that tracking is just absurd. May be nicer if it could act a little more like a Storm Rifle or the Type-51 Carbine, maybe.
Disruptor Pistol…honestly, what’s the point? Its really just a weapon you pick up when no other EMP option is available when you know a vehicle is coming but it just feels pretty inadequate even in that role. Its just too niche that you can just dump the thing and give the Plasma Pistol back its EMP effect and I think a lot of people would be fine with that solution.
Shock Rifle I think is fine the way it is. For those who didn’t play the BTB Flight, that thing was ridiculous: not only EMPing but hitting like a Sniper Rifle, able to annihilate Wasps or other vehicles with one mag. The way it is now where a Perfect headshot is the way to play and having some EMP utility usage makes it a decent weapon all around and needing some good skill/aim to bring out its full potential against enemy Spartans. With vehicles like the Warthog still able to use their turrets even after being EMPed, I don’t think its EMP effects need a nerf and it definitely makes Wasp pilots play a bit more cautiously when they know that’s on the field.
Hydra is mostly fine. It can quickly annihilate vehicles if they’re in range for dumb fire, with the tracking for some problematic vehicles (the Wasp) making it a good counter against them. When it comes to Spartans…I think maybe the Splash Damage could use an increase? Three direct hits to kill a Spartan sounds right to me but I think it could use a bit more in terms of Splash Damage.
Rocket Launcher, my only criticism is that its Splash Damage also feels rather weak. There’s a lot of kills that I didn’t get that I feel that I would’ve gotten had I been using previous iterations of the Rocket Launcher and I think its due to the Splash Damage. Maybe bump that up a little.
Stalker is fine as it is. Its two to the body one to the head capability makes it a devastating weapon - its just a rather weird one to get a feel for, especially when it comes to long range as it has some travel speed that I’m still struggling to get a firm grasp on. But, man, on an open field with that thing you can just pick off Spartans easily.
Mangler is fine as is. A return to its one-two punch capability back in the Mauler days can be very effective when played right but still able to pull its weight in a gun fight with its three headshots. I don’t think I’ve seen any bad things spoken about it.
As much as the Skewer has become that one weapon where everyone else can hit their targets with pinpoint accuracy while I’m uselessly flailing around with the damn thing, I think its fine as well. Not as completely dominating over the vehicle space as the Spartan Laser used to be.
Needler is…fiiiinnne? I don’t know. I want to say it could use some reworks like the Pulse Carbine but there’s definitely been a lot more instances where someone can really wreck me with the Needler and vice versa where I can’t say the same for the Pulse Carbine.
Most of the power weapons are fine such as the Cindershot and the Sniper Rifle. Gravity Hammer…the wind-up time can really screw with me but considering how devastating that thing can be in close quarters I think its a good trade-off. Sword…I think I’m with some others in saying that the Sword could use less ammo. People can really carry that thing nearly all game if they conserve it enough.
Sentinel Beam is rather good too. Little tricky to keep that beam on target but if you can…hoo boy. Getting my Sentinel Kill Challenges let me experience how it can literally melt people.
I believe that’s all the weapons.
