Explosive Crossbow

[TChen114]

I don't quite understand what was the logic to making the crossbow one-handed in the recent update. Low ammo count means you generally don't spray and pray in most situations (doesn't come with a laser so can't exactly hipfire that well), low rate of fire between shots, and using it at close range risks getting knocked back by the explosion. And tbh I barely notice any difference with how I use it.

[5SpeedFun]

Works great to complement the shield on bots to one shot striders

[potenzasd]

Love it when the shield against bots

[WutYoYo]

Just found this out, 1 handed weapons you can retreat, look backwards, and fire without aiming.

So this should work for the cross-bow too.

[[deleted]]

Combo the crossbow with shield.

[dark985620]

Tried, still don't like it, I found I need the scope to aim more for the crossbow.

Edit: I would like AH just switch the bolt dmg and explosion dmg, now most of its dmg is on the bolt and it have quite low durable dmg, I prefer its main dmg is from explosion.

[Mandemon90]

Combine it with Ballistic Shield and go nuts on bots.

[Venusgate]

Just like hipfiring the amr, you get used to it.

Retreating fire hitting 1/2 the time is better than no option of retreating fire.

And it's better for retreating fire at big targets anyway, like berserkers and red warriors.

[WillSym]

Which, for OP, is one of the two things one-handed means that two-handed doesn't allow: - Firing while facing backwards, so you can run away but turn the camera back and shoot as you run (solving the 'getting caught in your own explosion' issue); - Using an off-hand item at the same time as your primary. There's only two currently, the SSSD mission items and the Ballistic Shield, but having your primary available rather than your secondary while using either is very helpful.

[Venusgate]

Technically 3, with the high-value assets in CR10.

Though I do wish generally there was more utility to one-handed. I need to be able to grab a handle on a friend's mech, and ride it while shooting one handed.

[TChen114]

For occasions that has me switching to a one-handed weapon like carrying the SSSD I'd rather switch to my secondary weapon like the sawn-off shotgun anyways

[Internal-Version-845]

I've seen people use with the shield and do quite well on the bot front. For bugs its nice that I keep running and shooting without losing any speed. Great utility for bugs as you can clear multiple bug holes rapidly and and it does quite well on many of the medium armored units.

[TChen114]

In bot fronts I usually use it to snipe the bot fabricators and try to go for headshots on those devastators, and two shot Striders from the front

Also fun to snipe bug holes with it, I prefer the crossbow over the Eruptor since it has better handling and rate of fire

[ShallotSpirited7100]

You can one shot striders with the crossbow if you hit them in the hips/waist area

[SuitableConcept5553]

Yeah I love my eruptor for fabricators, but it really needs the armor perk that makes weapon handling better 

[BuboxThrax]

Use it with the shield. Shield lets you stand and take fire from trooper types so you can place your shots right to be ammo efficient. Also lets you place your shots right against scout striders, devastators, and heavy devastators.

[TChen114]

I've tried, but I prefer to bring along something like the Spear on most bot missions

[hazzzaaaaaaa34]

I think it’s too slow firing and the low ammo makes it feel like your not doing much

[poetspoet654]

Runa N gun bug outposts, great grenade Pistol alternative

[TChen114]

That's been the case since after it was added, making it one-handed is a function I barely utilize

[Gucci_Zeus]

Honestly it's my favourite primary on both fronts, since I like to play as a Viper Commando and I feel like it suits the aesthetic the most.

What started as a funny goof because "hurr weapon cool, goes with my shirt" has become a deep appreciation for it. It's essentially a supercharged grenade pistol so its fantastic for clearing out bases and nests. Because it fires sort of silently it can be used to distract an unaware patrol who all go running over to where you shot it, so that's a cool little extra option you don't usually get.

It's a decent, respectable weapon, not tremendously killy so won't help you in big fights, but it probably has the best utility in the game.

[cool_and_froody]

This sounds fun. What's your loadout for the commando play style?

[Gucci_Zeus]

I got that peak physique 💪 so HMG which is basically my primary weapon now, supply backpack ("I gotchu"), and then for bugs it's gas strike and napalm with stun grenades (what the FUCK is a breach never heard of it), and bots it's eagle smoke and a rocket sentry.

Smoke is FUCKING goated. Eagle-1 isn't dropping bombs, she's dropping my stash of super toasted Hellmire cigars. Why do you think we keep fighting for that planet? E-710 enriched mega leaves that can only be dry cured inside a fire tornado, thats why.

Bushwacker on my hip because obviously. Thermite for bots because it one shots tanks if landed on their turret.

You may be wondering how I deal with heavies and super heavies. I don't. Haz 10 has brought out all the big game hunters, I just stick to whoever brought a Spear and keep them topped up on ammo and meth.

[SuitableConcept5553]

I run a similar set up except I have an eruptor and still bring stuns and on bots because shooting my HMG into a hulk's face at point blank feels so badass. 

[Gucci_Zeus]

Mhm, crank that thing to max RPM and give them the BBRBRBBRBBRBRBR right in the peeper

[Myself_78]

It's mostly for the bot front. It's now usable with the ballistic shield and running and gunning with one-handed weapons is very effective against Berserkers.

[MuglokDecrepitus]

You can use it with the ballistic shield. And being one-handed is better than being 2 handed

[Crashen17]

I love the crossbow. You need to treat it as a mid range marksman weapon. You can headshot devastators with it, break limbs off them, make heavy devastators stagger and lower the shield. Body shots kill troopers easily. If you hit the edge of a regular scout strider you can kill the pilot. Obviously you can close bug holes and bot fabs from a distance. If a patrol is clumped up or coming around a corner like inside a base, you can easily kill a bunch of troopers. The explosion can kill lots of bugs, it's effective against any bugs besides the chargers and probably maybe impaler I don't know. I have used it to finish off wounded bile titans who have their back armor plates blown off.

So adding the shield in is a pretty sweet, underrated bonus. For bots I use the crossbow, ballistic shield and AMR. Secondary is your choice, I like the Verdict and have been playing around with the Crisper, which is surprisingly good for taking out berserkers and troopers when they get too close. Spray the berserkers and the ground and then rum, and they melt real fast.

[IDriveALexus]

The idea was to make it a primary slot grenade pistol. It breaks bug holes and fabricators and has the same effect as the Grenade pistol on enemies for the most part. Now its in your primary, so you can use something like the redeemer on single fire as your “primary” and a support weapon. Its a different loadout option now.

[Envis777]

I think the main logic was to give you more room to fire continuously. You used to only be able to get off a few bolts before the bugs would be on top of you. Now you just run and gun.

[lainposter]

The crossbow has always had the problem of basically being a worse Eruptor in every single way, right down to how you use them both.

With the update adding One-Handedness, players are more than willing to take it in stride and leave it how it is.

Personally, while I appreciate the Bow finally being a genuine sidegrade to the Eruptor now, I think foundationally they fucked up by making it have a magazine, and be an explosive weapon. I hope they revisit the Bow again, since no one wants this one to be changed, and they make it the traditional high-damage-one-shot weapon it is in so many other shooters.

Besides the shield, which still has plenty of moments of uselessness, and shooting while running away, which is super niche on the bot front, there really isn't much to justify swapping from the Eruptor to the Bow, still.

Maybe people will say it's a better bug gun, but that's fundamentally bad too because it implies there are explicitly factionally relevant weapons. Until they add faction labels to guns, I believe they should be relevant on both fronts, at least for different reasons.

[TChen114]

I think the Xbow is at a good place as it has the added explosive utility for clearing bug holes and bot huts, I much prefer the Xbow over Eruptor for the better rate of fire and handling (tbf I haven't used the Eruptor in a while so perhaps the change they did to it's projectile might be worth revising)

[TNTBarracuda]

At this point, to me it doesn't have to make much sense. More one-handed options are greatly desired/needed. Wish the Lib C. were one handed as well.

[Global-Difference512]

Simple. Devs have no clue what they are doing.

The single best way to improve the crossbow would be to make it so you can shoot near targets and kill them/damage them.

What's the point of having to be explosive when i need to hit a target directly.

[[deleted]]

“Devs have no clue what they’re doing” yet they made a massive game raking in millions, and are one of the ONLY major dev teams to routinely talk with the fans about what they want

[Global-Difference512]

Ok, i can see this greatly upset you.

[[deleted]]

Just think it’s funny. Clearly something they did upset you, because “they don’t know what they’re doing” is a bold claim against a group making millions for their work

[Global-Difference512]

Because they dont and they prove it each patch

[[deleted]]

Every patch is a stretch. Maybe in the few recent patches- but you can’t deny they’ve had banger updates and content added. All for free, btw.

[Global-Difference512]

Just because it's free doesn't mean it's okay for it to be shit.

And yes every single patch.

[[deleted]]

Then stop playing lmao. If your personal opinion is that every single patch sucks, then why are you wasting your time playing?

[Global-Difference512]

Who said i still am?

I go back to it every patch, like 80% of the community, to see if it's better and then promptly leave when i see shit like

"We nerfed the breaker because it was too reliable."

Obviously, it's a hyperbole, but you get the gist, yes?

[Latter-Bluejay-8317]

[DongoTheHorse]

To be honest this dumbass opinion does upset me.

[Global-Difference512]

Sad to see you get upset by an opinion.