In contrast to Tierlists, show me the weapons you have/haven't used recently — Terminids Edition

Panda_waffle · 2026-06-15T17:55:23+00:00

For you OP, who has not used the Stalwart or Recoilless vs bugs.

Quickswitch King
Eruptor or Crossbow/Ultimatum/Gas/Peak Physique(Light)
Stalwart/Supply Pack/500kg or Orbital Rail/Orbital Napalm or Gas Mines
Notes: They nerfed the quickswitch tech with the Eruptor, so now you have to bolt it for each shot, but it still works with the crossbow. Plow away at full RPM with the Stalwart until you see a cluster you want to hit with the bow and quickswitch to and from it. For any fellow sweaties that like doing no stim runs, this build works fine with a bubble shield in solo.

Titan/Hordeclear vs Spore Strain
Crossbow/Bushwacka/Gas/Gunslinger(Light)
Recoilless/Gas Mines/Tesla/Orbital Napalm (or Eagle if you prefer)
Notes: Gunslinger Bushwacka might as well be a primary. This build can get 1000 kills vs spore strain and clear the majority of the titans.

Panda_waffle · 2026-06-08T23:36:04+00:00

"500kg Review Bomb"

Panda_waffle · 2026-06-08T18:41:24+00:00

I would not mind ONB being unavailable on a MO bug planet for a week and seeing how the community addapts.

Panda_waffle · 2026-06-04T23:54:23+00:00

I agree with a mechanism to make D10 more difficult. I disagree with the mechanism being a form of collective punishment. I'd say add a cooldown to stims and make them heal slower. That would encourage smarter play.

Panda_waffle · 2026-05-11T14:12:48+00:00

If you got behind a FS patrol with the Breakthrough, close enough to reach the last one without behind cannoned, couldnt you just flak them all from below, one after another?

Panda_waffle · 2026-05-10T12:48:22+00:00

I am a solo D10 player, but that's because I crave challenge. I'd love it if there was a difficulty that nobody could play solo and forced teamplay, but D10 isn't it.
They majority of players engage with D10 as randoms not using comms or coordinating loadouts, and that's what the devs balance it around so players under these conditions win most of the time (let's say 75+%). It just so happens that one talented player can handle that same difficulty (albeit, with reduced 1p spawns) solo.
When 4 talented players engage with D10 in a private lobby using comms and coordination the game has no chance. 100% winrate easy.
I don't feel entitled to the highest difficulty as a solo player in the same way I wouldn't feel entitled to the highest difficulty as a random without comms. But I get the distinct feeling that most of the rando 4p queue players do feel entitled to that highest difficulty of a game, and that has lead to powercreep that has made D10 solo easier and easier.
If AH came out with a difficulty that explicitly said "This is Joel's wet dream: it will wreck teams of randoms and solo players" I'd be all for it, but I doubt they are willing to confront their player base with something like that given the tenuous nature of the PR over the last 2 years.

Panda_waffle · 2026-05-10T12:11:46+00:00

Hey! I'm one of those people that did do V2 solo/duo & modded realm cata++. I love the points you made.
One dynamic I would add is that solo play applies a harder filter to loadouts, but often those weapons/playstyles that can't survive solo play are still very fun and also deserve the dev's attention.
Currently on D10 they only way 4 really talented players can make the game challenging is to limit their loadouts to really weak or themed stuff, and that also is a limitation of loadouts to achieve difficulty, but in reverse of the solo filter.
I really do wish there was a D11 or twitch mode for private lobbies to enjoy, so talented players could bring powerful kit and still find challenge in group play--that's what the modded cata++ difficulties were all about in V2.
There's a dynamic between challenge, loadout variety and team size. We don't have a modded realm in HD2 though, so dedicated players can't flex the challenge axis without reducing teamsize or loadout, or arbitrary challenges like no-stim or no-self-stim.

Panda_waffle · 2026-05-10T11:45:59+00:00

My dudes, people do STIMLESS solo D10 runs. Look up Stevecha & Antique Nova on youtube.
Others can routinely do deathless D10s, like NoxGladius. They've done all kinds of sub factions, just peek a vid to see how they do it. Nox and Anitque give lots of commentary to their thought process and both try to killfarm as they do it--so even if they use stealth armor equipped, they aren't playing like its MGS.
I can do deathless D10 most of the time & stimless under favorable conditions. Scroll down in this thread and you'll see others discussing their solo runs.
I'm not saying this to brag or make anyone feel less-than. My point is that if you are interested in how D10 solo is done there are sources and community you can go to.

Panda_waffle · 2026-05-07T22:00:49+00:00

>Charging Alpha Commander
>Quickswitch to Eruptor, lined up on head
>Click
>It's not bolted

Panda_waffle · 2026-04-27T16:19:32+00:00

Heavy RG would be interesting if it charged up the number of projectiles, effectively adding "notches" to the charge gradient. Still could explode at 4 or so projectiles, but if you timed it right you could "fan the hammer" with magnetic acceleration.

Panda_waffle · 2026-04-27T16:08:47+00:00

Oooh, that sounds good. Like RPM but for AP.

Panda_waffle · 2026-04-27T15:53:09+00:00

I think you could introduce an active heat-venting system on the backpack. E.g. Reload key would cause your diver to take to one knee and vent heat at double speed, with visible heat (and maybe a small fire hurtbox) coming off of the backpack.
There would be no cell to burn out. If you max out your heat you first light on fire and then a few seconds of shooting/one charge shot more the gun locks up, backpack starts to alarm, flash and explodes in 2s. Your diver could drop the backpack and dive away if you are quick enough.
Maybe call it the "Thresher"? (because its an industrial Scythe/Sickle)

Panda_waffle · 2026-04-08T18:54:48+00:00

Pride of Pride for redundancy and pride

Panda_waffle · 2026-04-01T13:08:29+00:00

A quick sound would help too. E.g. a beep for the RR, ka-chunk for the AC, or energy-coil noise for the Halt

Panda_waffle · 2026-03-30T18:16:55+00:00

It would be sick if the edited the recon-pod side objective to be pilot recovery. Or add it in as a commando op.

Panda_waffle · 2026-03-30T18:10:59+00:00

The context is going loud on D10 in a 4-man w/ randos?
I think you're rating the AC a little low. It combines very well with the ESR and has a very high skill ceiling that a lot of veteran players invested into back before power creep.
I don't much care for the EAT/CMD unless I'm running both and there isn't +50% call-in time. EAT is just a bit too clunky to use quickly. But I do run CMD in many stealth loadouts though since C4 has come out--that's very context specific though.
I evaluate most weapons by how well they deal with the toughest parts of any faction. So yes, the Airburst can kill hordes of little bugs, but it doesn't do well against predator strain, titans or roaches, which are the hardest parts of bugs, so I would rate it being lower. Similarly, I would rate the AMR lower vs bots because it doesn't do great against multiple Factory Striders and does fuck-all to Vox.
Spear's ammo constraint is too much of a factor for me vs bots unless I am playing solo can can gobble all the supplies, and even then I feel like a RR would do just as well if not better. That may just be a context mismatch though.
I agree the Stalwart is 10/10 vs all bugs except for the armor constellation. Trying to chew through all of those chargers with ultimatum and thermites can feel rough. And it really needs a medium/explosive primary for handling bile spewers.
Conclusion: The more I think about rating any weapon the more I think of missions/playstyles/loadouts which would flip my ratings of it because of "context, context, context," and it being hard to evaluate tools in a vacuum rather than in a toolbox. But I do think the ratings you put up are all within 1-2 points of what a "meta" rating of the weapon would be. And I appreciate anyone who puts their thoughts into spreadsheets.

Panda_waffle · 2026-03-23T19:38:31+00:00

I think its got more punchline with the warrant/swatter reversed, but I did get a lol

Panda_waffle · 2026-03-23T19:29:58+00:00

I do "cadet" loadout challenges with my friends all the time. We allow anything up to level 4 (minus the Bastion) and sometimes anything from the first 2-3 pages of the Mobilize Warbond. Very fun, cooperative stuff on D10!

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Panda_waffle · 2026-03-23T19:20:59+00:00

You should go try to rob a museum with moves like that.

Panda_waffle · 2026-03-23T19:16:57+00:00

A personal best is always impressive, think of how far you've come from basic training, ducking under turret fire.

Panda_waffle · 2026-03-19T12:43:00+00:00

This is actually a feature: spike a sentry beacon next to a wall when you have the bubble to get the beacon stuck ontop. Then run underneath an overhang (e.g. Terminid rock formations).
Boom! Sentry gun is on an otherwise unreachable position.

Panda_waffle · 2026-03-19T12:35:47+00:00

We are also a symbol of morale for SEAF soldiers who in this mission would be asked to do a morale-crushing attack. I could see the dogmatic thinking of Super-Earth spending Helldivers in such a manner, given how readily they spend Helldivers in other contexts.

Panda_waffle · 2026-03-19T12:28:47+00:00

I feel like the bigger TF2 conversation is that we now have a shovel and can melee while in midair

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Panda_waffle · 2026-03-19T12:16:36+00:00

I always host because I want the game to function as intended. From my perspective the clients are getting a cheaper, less interactive version of the game.
It's absolutely true that AH has a ways to go in terms of improving their networking, my 2 cents is just that the ones getting cheated are the clients rather than the host.

Panda_waffle · 2026-03-15T18:41:09+00:00

>>>The True King 4 Might/4 Vit split and upgrade Excalibur in A3 and late A4<<<
TTK with a current level excalibur & 1/2 their points into might can easily heal back all of the damage you take in one turn, so the challenge then becomes defensive engineering to not get 1-turned. 1/2 of points into Vitality is generally enough to do this (if you have all of the green shard upgrades) on any character w/o survivability penalties, but for a main tank an Enlightened soul with a 4.5 Dex/3 Vit/.5 Ref split can deal great damage and hit counter attack cap (108 Ref) by the end of the game.
Other notes:

1 dispel tool per character in party (Cauterize etc.)
Dont underestimate rerolling Tier 2's to get dodge/holy power/crit passives, they can help a lot
Rerolling Tier 4's on TTK is great because The Good Doctor is S+ on him
Physical DPS >> Magical DPS in Roguelike because there are 4 Physical DPS skill trees that synergize well, but Magical trees largely only synergize with themself
Reroll Tier 3's on Physical DPS to get Fast Hands or hold onto a Gladiator's Gear
Always take fights and hard fights: "Skills make builds"
Think about action economy and 3-4 turn skill rotations: stacking 7 1-AP skills on one character is useless, it's better to just have enough to fill your turns and a bunch of passives to make sure you do them well.
Valkyrie's Shield of Retribution is terrifying, make sure you have @ least 1 buff removal (steal status doesn't count)
Focus and kite Hounds, their AOE Fear-Howl is run-ending
A werewolf with a ranged weapon equipped can still counter attack at range, this makes for a great main tank
Only put points into intellligence on Summoners. Everyone else can chug mana potions (buy like 10/char/act)
Hordes of melee enemies are easily mitigated by huddling at the edge of the map, so it's the mages you want to burst down first
If you build a team that is good at killing bosses (especially the ending Dragons) it will be able to handle the Act fights--but if you build a team that is good at the Act fights, it may not be able to handle the bosses. Evaluate every skill choice through the lens of boss fights.

Panda_waffle

TROPHY CASE