The AR needs a nerf

Games Halo Infinite
81

And the issue is that the vast majority of those weapons are also slotted into hard, specific niches. The Bulldog, for example, does have a faster TTK than the AR… At optimal ranges. If the question becomes “Do I want the Jack of All Trades AR, or the Master of One Bulldog?” I know for certain which one I will keep on me, especially if everyone else spawns with one.

This is was the significant issue with Halo 4 - if you spawned with a Boltshot, Plasma Grenades and DMR, you’re immediately more powerful than anyone who doesn’t have one of those.

Then there’s risk vs reward. If we were to apply that system to the AR, the AR’s most glaring issue is that it is an extremely low risk weapon that often dispenses high rewards. You’re less likely to be caught with your pants down when you have the AR, and it’s the most reliable weapon in the sandbox. The Pulse Carbine (which is borderline unusable on PC) has extremely high risk with low chance of reward.

When you spawn with arguably the most versatile and reliable non-power weapon in the game in your pocket, why would you ever swap it for anything else? This is the exact same issue that Halo Reach, 4 and 5 had. You almost always spawned with arguably the best weapon in the sandbox and made swapping weapons around more of a chore than a strong tactical decision.

In my opinion, we should go back to the Halo 3-style of balance. The Battle Rifle is good, but you aren’t going to be able to cross-map with it, really. Your starting weapons are strong enough in the right hands, but you should find more to swap them for. When I played Halo Infinite, I found myself constantly avoiding almost anything that wasn’t a Power Weapon in the sandbox. None of them were as good as what I started with.

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82

Don’t be bad then.

That logic would only apply if you were saying the AR isn’t OP.

Except it factually isn’t

It means you didn’t know how to use the AR

No, people are pro AR starts because they come from other shooters and want easy guns that get easy kills.

83

That isn’t me. I find the BR so easy to use. I don’t really have to worry about much outside of the power weapons and its so easy to beam people. Aiming is not hard in Halo, especially in older ones. The AR makes me think about what gun i have vs my opponent. When i have a BR there is no thinking, just an instant death beam. All i have to do is point and pull the trigger outside of incredibly niche circumstances.

We just disagree on how we think Halo should play. Thats fine. I wouldn’t mind if they added a playlist for BR starts in casuals and i would like a ranked AR starts. They play so different and we just prefer opposite styles.

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84

And the AR is even easier and safer to use.

This is incorrect, you always think about what other players are using unless you have a power weapon.

Same with the AR, sit around corner, run out and hold RT at player and autowin because OP AR.

Not really

You can’t pick a middle road, then you appeal to nobody and everybody leaves unhappy. Precision starts is just how Halo is meant to be played.

85

Look dude, i tried to throw you a bone but pro BR people just seem to hate anything else and don’t want others to enjoy the game.

The AR does make you think a ton about positioning. You can’t be too close if they have a close range weapon and you can’t be exposed if they have a long range weapon. You have to work to keep the optimal distance. If you have a BR all you have to do is easily aim to the head and pull the trigger. No worry about range outside of close range because you can alway back peddle to keep range.

Say what you want but everyone here knows the BR is vastly superior and eats much of the variety as a spawn weapon. If you find the BR so difficult to use i suggest running some of the training drills to help you out. If you find the AR too OP, which again it is for a fact not OP, maybe try playing differently than you did in previous Halos because in previous Halos the AR was trash, also a definite fact.

Games change, Infinite isn’t a remaster and the sandbox can’t always be based on one gun, that got old 3 games ago and you are out here arguing it needs to be the same. Go and sulk if you must but you aren’t convincing anyone by claiming things that just aren’t true.

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86

At least it seems to be getting better. 4,5 and now Infinite have an “okay” AR. 5’s was just overshadowed by the Magnum.

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87

I think the commando could use a buff.

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88

By taking the Bulldog you are giving yourself an edge in close range combat over every player with an AR in the game. Trading out the AR for the Bulldog is a no brainer (exception BTB maybe)… you still have a Sidekick in your pocket which beats the AR in ranges the Bulldog is ineffective. Or better yet you find a BR to pair with that bulldog… now you have every range covered.

The AR is low risk, absolutely. High reward? I don’t see it. 80% of the sandbox offers a faster TTK which means higher reward for using those weapons. As already stated the other 20% have their own advantages compared to the AR besides TTK.

If you want to stick with the AR, that’s fine, but the players that use the rest of the weapon sandbox effectively will have a competitive advantage over an AR user. Even the players that use their default secondary weapon, the Sidekick, will have an advantage over the AR.

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89

That reminds me, I just had a team slayer match where i was sniping everybody with a spawn BR. The enemies couldn’t even hit me with their petty ARs :laughing:

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90

Very true. The magnum in Halo 5 absolutely wrecked havoc on Spartans lives.

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91

Yup I don’t even know what it’s intended role is since it has a short range scope you’d think close to mid but it has absolutely zero aim assist at close range.

92

Which is a gamble as to whether you’ll be able to close that distance. The Bulldog also requires meatshots in order to reliably kill quick enough.

Right, but the problem is that the AR has more effective range use than the Bulldog. You bring up the Sidekick, but I find the Sidekick extremely difficult to use at range to a degree that the AR is not.

I have no idea where you’re pulling that 80% number from, because every TTK guide that I’ve looked at has the AR faster than most weapons at 1.30 for bodyshots, and 1.30 for headshots as well. Assuming that this is accurate, every other weapon that is not a Power Weapon has a slower TTK. The one from the Competitive Halo Subreddit, which is where I think you’re pulling this “80%” number from, I have issues with. It lacks any background information by which to understand where these numbers are coming from, such as distance, shots to kill, and most importantly, it misses the forest for the trees.

The biggest issue I have with TTK numbers, is that it looks at Halo in a vacuum deprived of other mechanics like melee and grenades. Your gun is not the only tool you have. The AR, when leveraged with Grenades and melee, is too good as a starting weapon. It’s also incredibly easy to use - tap the trigger at longer ranges, you can fat finger it at closer ranges, and/or control your fire, or follow up with a melee after popping shields. Other weapons that may have faster TTKs according to this source I find unreliable at best, are substantially harder to use, especially on PC.

When you start with a low-skill ceiling, high damage, highly capable weapon that works in a capacity as a jack of all trades, master of none, you’re disincentivized to drop it during Casual play. It can drop enemies at range, it can be a close-range bullethose, it can do everything other weapons do, while covering for their weaknesses. When paired with a long-range weapon like the Sniper Rifle or even the Battle Rifle (and I hate that 343 has made it a laser-beam where all 3 shots go straight down the middle), I personally think it’s way too strong.

Halo 3 had the balance I liked the most. My starters were strong, but skill reliant. There was a reason to go and find other weapons on the map. It doesn’t feel like that here.

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93

This is obviously wrong as the AR deals critical damage.

Testing has shown that the AR TTK is ~1.25s (12 shield, 3 crit) or ~1.65 for body shots (12 shield, 8 body) which is consistent with an RPM of 720.

Perhaps you are thinking of Halo 5?

There are multiple sources that confirm this, I prefer the YouTube videos because they are backed with video evidence. Aozolai and Schrawgs have videos on TTK.

94

Not really, it’s effective at all ranges on arena maps.

Yeah so the other dude needs to have more than 2 braincells and just strafe to cover ( which gets easier the farther away he is )

Except it doesn’t, unless the game has a bad sandbox. And guess what: Infinite has a bad sandbox.

If I found the BR difficult why would I call for it to be changed to be more difficult?

You mean play wrong? run out at people while holding RT? the exact thing the developers made sure you were discouraged from doing?

Legit not.

And they usually get worse, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it

Except I literally haven’t

Why would I sulk when I am correct? not my fault you were bad with the AR in prior games.

95

The AR could do without the headshot damage and perhaps some more spread, then I think it’d be OK. Starting to think the sidekick is the starter weapon that might be more of a problem, but it is also really inconsistent at times.

2 Likes
96

Not sure what a meatshot is. But you can kill someone with 2 shots very quickly if your 2nd shot is a headshot.

97

Actually, you have to be real close to hit a 2 shot. The damage you deal is highly dependant on how many pellets hit the target.

If all pellets hit, you are guaranteed a 2 shot kill. If you miss a couple, its a 3 shot.

98

A meat shot, at least from Team Fortress 2, was getting close enough to an enemy to hit all the pellets with a Shotgun blast (or, more accurately, the Scattergun for the Scout). You basically hit the “meat” of the target.

The Bulldog has the same issue. If you aren’t reliably hitting meatshots, you’re going to have to take a lot more shots in order to kill your target. Getting meatshots on PC is REALLY hard because of how bad aiming feels on MnK, mixed with a lack of Red Reticle.

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99

Ohh so that’s what a meatshot is.

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100

No it doesn’t - the pulse carbine just needs a buff, the BR needs a few less bullets per clip, the commando needs a few more and the shotgun could do with not being the shotgun

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