I don’t wanna make a long and drawn out post about how the sidekick is op, but it is. It’s ttk is the fastest of any non-power weapon in the game, rivaled only by the pulse carbine used on a non-moving target with peak efficiency (good luck). It just doesn’t make any logical sense that a precision rifle (BR/Commando) is less effective with a slower ttk. IMO it makes even less sense that a literal bullet hose (AR) has a slower ttk at a close range. Even just looking at the different rounds each one fires… how is a 10mm sidearm this effective comparatively speaking.
The melee/mangler/BR nerf/changes hurt the entire sandbox’s balance and made the sidekick even more OP. This thing isn’t the magnum and yet it has a faster ttk than H:5’s magnum and a faster ‘avg ttk’ than the CE magnum. Overall, I find it ‘pretty much’ nullifies the rest of the sandbox when playing on smaller maps, and I hope 343 addresses this in a way that makes it function more as a “Sidekick” instead of everyone’s main.
@General_Fox Before the recent changes and nerf to melee, I might’ve agreed with you. Now, there isn’t a reliable and effective counter, thus its OP. It pains me to say it too because I really like it (when my aim is good) but its hurting the rest of the sandbox from a viability aspect. Lately I’ve been in matches where I start to think I’m playing H:5 because of how prevalent it is. It’s literally better than the Halo 5 magnum because of how fast it can be fired.
I think an outright nerf could potentially cause more harm than good, slower fire rate with less bloom would work. However, less bloom + same fire rate with slight damage nerf would also work. Another thing that makes no sense to me is how it strips shields faster than the plasma pistol… like what? It should absolutely be a 1 shot HS when someone’s no shields, but it’s more effective at popping shields than any other non-power weapon, why bother using any plasma weapon.
That’s why I said “‘Pretty much’ nullifies the rest of the sandbox on smaller maps”
With that being said I’ve been absolutely removed by people maining the sidekick faster than a BR or a commando at a distance, it’s not often but it shouldn’t even be possible to accomplish.
Really not seeing the issue. It’s a starter precision weapon that’s a nice tradeoff for people who prefer precision starters without giving everyone a BR or a mini sniper rifle like the magnum in every game. The bloom keeps it in check at mid-long range, so there are plenty of reasons to trade it out for other weapons like the BR.
If anything, the real issue is that a lot of its competition is bad. The pistol class itself is a mess, the Mangler is meh after the nerfs, and the Disruptor and Plasma Pistol are garbage. For other precision weapons, the Commando’s best TTK is unrealistic because of all the bloom. These weapons need changes, the Sidekick is fine.
I agree. It doesn’t make any sense for it to have a faster TTK than a BR. The fact that it has randomness with bloom makes it worse. If someone has to pick a BR off the wall, then they should be able to outskill starting weapons at any range. If its a back up weapon, then it should perform like one.
I totally agree with you here. I love the sidekick, but the changes made to nerf the mangler and melee as a whole, had unintended side effects. 1. is, lack of defense against the sidekick (this helped balance it where it was previously) and, 2. due to the lack of defense most everyone’s playstyle has changed to be significantly more aggressive. 3. both of those side effects have resulted in a lot more light being shed on the other balancing flaws in the rest of the sandbox.
If they reversed the changes and nerfs they made to melee at the start of season 2, it’s likely that there would be no issue with the sidekick since its really a symptom of a bigger problem. Either they reverse those changes (because the mangler is still GA’d for pros) or start changing the rest of the sandbox. It bothers me that even the BR can’t perform a 2 shot + melee to defend against someone charging you and spamming the sidekick. Things like this just hurt the social experience and don’t reward skill. At close range the sidekick is basically the new mangler but with no reliable way to counter and live.
If you have a pistol who’s main purpose is to excel at short range, what is the point if you get out gunned by a weapon performing too well outside the range it’s meant to excel in?
No way should a BR consistently own at short range. Now if the sidekick is consistent shooting and beating the BR at midrange, then you’d have an issue but it’s not doing that.
I have actually gotten really good with that commando.
It’s one of the Weapons that hardly gets picked up, so I just decided to get used to it.
Found the best way to use it is to third party but in terms.ofn1v1 you really have to make each shot count so Infire it a bit like a burst. I drop the first 7 rounds than selective fire that thing after.
I’d say the magazine seems to small for how much bloom it has. But getting a kill with it is rather rewarding.
@l_HyperLethal_l The BR should be better than a starting weapon. That being said, I do get your point because even in ranked the sidekick is a rack weapon because it performs better at close range than a BR. However, in social not only is it a starting weapon but the BR can’t counter the sidekick in social anymore. This leads to trying to use the BR at a distance with most players trying to aggressively challenge them with the sidekick. The only problem is now, there is no way to reliably survive that type of encounter, the best option the player with the BR has is to try and end with a trade. Every Yin needs a Yang for there to be balance, and in social the sidekick is currently without one
This is exactly what BR users risk when fighting within the Sidekick’s range of viability.
No way seems a bit extreme. If you have a BR in your hand wouldn’t your next step be to grab a close range weapon to balance out the disadvantage? Or play to your weapon’s strengths?
The Sidekick is as strong as it is so that it can function as a higher-skill spawn weapon in AR starts.
The AR is an extremely random and forgiving weapon, and the only real advantage you can give yourself in a gunfight with it is firing first. After that RNG and maybe bursting for your last couple of shots for double damage on the head can make a difference, but the skill gap in terms of high-low skill level TTKs on it is very small.
But the Sidekick, despite having some elements of randomness at longer ranges, is generally a more consistent, and far less forgiving weapon. Often shooting first in a gunfight with the Sidekick isn’t what makes the difference, instead it relies a lot more on accuracy and strafing is a far more effective defense against it.
That’s why it’s as strong as it is, so that players are rewarded for becoming advanced enough to use it over the AR. A skilled Sidekick user by design has a TTK advantage over the AR large enough to stand out.
And as far as how it competed with BRs and Commandos, those weapons are designed with a lot more potential range than the Sidekick. They will easily beat out a Sidekick further away, bit will often lose up close, which is weapon balance design 101. Longer ranged weapons have less potential dps. The Commando and BR’s own relationship follows this trend, the Commando kills faster than the BR, but doesn’t have as far an effective range.
Agreed, but the melee balancing changes they made directly affect everyone’s playstyle (mostly in social)
I don’t disagree entirely here but my point is there is no reliable counter (at the very least it should be equal to ranked in terms of melee damage with the BR). At close range if someone spots me first using a sidekick, even if I swap to mine I’m dead. If I run I’m probably dead unless I get lucky with nades. The best option is ‘typically’ going to be, 3 shot with the BR and hope to trade, even this is hard to pull off because 3 direct bursts with the BR are still outside the sidekick’s ttk and then I still have to melee.
At close range, it would be a miracle if someone didn’t spot you. The red lines around your body and all. But I guess avoid close range encounters unless you’re sure you can take the enemy by surprise.
People don’t like surprises all too well.
I do understand where you’re coming from with the melees. They damn near crippled the entire sandbox with that change. All they really needed to do was lengthen the melee time a bit with the mangler, but they tried to please both parties.
I still remember the heat given to various pros for this change, even though they only asked for the “mangler” to be nerfed.
No it is not it is fine the way it is you want to see a powerful pistol play Halo CE in fact I wish the Halo CE pistol would return with it’s amount of ammo and power intact
in reply to everyone (I wish there was a reply all feature) I feel like I went about this post wrong… I like the sidekick where it stands, I’m mainly trying to point out how the melee nerfs they made at the start of season 2 resulted in unintended side effects.
For example, Season 1 the sidekick was absolutely perfect, in terms of its balancing in relation to all the other usable* weapons in the sandbox. The sidekick hasn’t changed at all in season 2 but because of the other balancing changes made to melee, it has effected how people play in social and how the rest of the weapon sandbox functions in use. My gripe with the sidekick is really just a side effect of a much larger problem 343 expanded when they altered melee in season 2. I really hope someone at 343 would read this and consider what I talked about in my replies above. Also just as an additional point the plasma pistol should remove shields more effectively than the sidekick.
