The problem is ammo when it comes to the HMG (and technically also the minigun's problem too). You only have 100 rounds per mag, so at full RPM, you burn through that VERY fast. It's satisfying, but unless you carry a supply pack, yeah. The dakka ride ends quick XD
It's actually a pretty good option to whip out once you break the outer shell of a hive lord. You need high DPS weaponry and the Maxigun is the fastest gun in the game that we can use.
That works better with enemies with smaller health pools than 150,000 HP. You need a lot of bullets and you need them fast and accurate since you're shooting a Hive Lord mostly from 40+ meters away usually. Weapons like the Machine Guns, Lib Carbine, Knight, and anything else with a big mag that shoots straight is best for killing the Hive Lord once its shell is opened up.
Tbh, the stalwart is probably better. More mobile, safe, and the DPS is also higher: 90 damage * 1725 RPM = 155,250 DPS VS 80 damage * 1500 RPM = 120,000 DPS
Med vs light pen doesn't matter for it, and it's 0% durable.
You'll probably land more shots too, and it doesn't take up a backpack slot.
It matters a little bit since Hive Lord skin is AP2 rated meaning that the Stalwart is only dealing 65% of its damage per bullet for meeting armor rating. Also the Stalwart caps out at 1150 RPM, not 1725.
Oh yeah, my numbers are completely wrong. The 1725 number I saw on the wiki is the max DPS of the stalwart. And I didn't realize the Hive Lord actually had light armour. I totally thought it was unarmoured.
Anyways, that means the Stalwart's DPS is 1725 * 0.65 = 1125.25, and the Maxigun's is just a simple 2000.
I still like the Stalwart for the other reasons like mobility and the backpack, but almost double the DPS is very compelling
It’s not viable solo in the slightest but I’ve found having another person around you makes it genuinely god-tier. Even for large nests/fabricators/ships my maxigun teammate just decimates all the bots while I rush in and destroy all the spawners and if there’s too many for me to go in I stay behind them, keeping them stocked on ammo with a supply pack, healing them with a stim pistol, and covering them from the occasional enemy that tries to flank them.
TL:DR find yourself a logistics/support diver and you’ll be feeling like a heavy medic combo from TF2
The thing with those missions is they sort of play themselves, all the way up to d10.
You can bring anything you want and it’ll work out fine. Which is nice in a way because it lets you try out the worse strategems, but also bad because they can get boring. Defense specifically can drag a bit
The difference between these missions on the bug and bot fronts is genuinely insane, at least on D8 through D10.
On bugs, you can just sit back, relax and watch your sentries do all the killing. I genuinely think I've suffered more deaths to friendly fire than bugs on these missions, and my squad usually sticks around to clear all of the stragglers before boarding the Pelican with 3-5 minutes of mission time to spare to TK one another.
But on bots? It's the fucking Congo, from start to finish. You spend more time in the air than running around, in at least 3 different ways. Danger close ordnance falling all around you, all the time. Hulks, tanks and factory striders dropping directly over your head. Orbital lasers crossing streams. Good luck bringing a sentry, mech or emplacement, because it's getting overrun and blown up in seconds. Shit's like the Lone Wolf mission in Reach.
But I still somehow prefer Eradicationd over Blitzes.
It can be decent in the caves of Oshaune 2, but you need to utilize the hallway choke points, and have someone watching your ass and flanks as necessary.
It’s a weapon that’s far more effective on a team that coordinates & sticks together.
It’s also pretty fun on defense missions. Just an endless BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT
Oh and it’s not the quickest method but I’ve found the Urchin grenade + flamethrower of any type to be a pretty solid anti-charger weapon. Definitely saved some squadmates with those Urchins too. Oh and you can use them to stun-lock small passageways.
That's some good cooking you're doing, for sure, but my problem is I have this NEED to fill all the roles myself on 40-minute Missions. So I can't bring any grenades that don't destroy spawners.
Yeah that’s definitely a limitation, best handled by swapping the minigun for the spear-gun and hotdog. Those handle the same niche as the urchin & burning combo, & closes spawners, so pistol and grenades of choice for spawners. You lose chaff-clearing potential but the gas & fire effect handles them in a different but still wholly effective manner.
Or keep the load-out, bring the one-two, and hope your squad can handle some of the holes for you.
Idk part of what i like about this game is the VAST amount of synergies you can craft - especially in a full squad with comms.
For bugs I run thermite for AT, grenade pistol for spawners, MG43 I use like a primary and then whatever guard dog and primary slot I'm feeling in that moment. Usually the gun dog and either lib carbine or eruptor.
For bugs and illuminate maxigun and for bots HMG. I personally really like the maxigun it's close to perfection (mainly ammo just give it 1000 instead of 750 and It's good enough for me)
They did good by Dog Breath. I didn't expect them to retool the AI and make it a grate drone, but they did.
I still have hope for the sterilizer, if barely by this point. I like playing around with CC options but there are too many drawbacks for that thing :(
Quicker target acquisition, moving while firing, better accuracy, less spread, and can take other backpack slots.
I genuinely believe it would be perfect if you could just move (albeit slower) while firing.
My main issue (I’ve been focusing on bots to be fair) is that I need to be out in the open to mow down targets but I get shot up too quick vs with the mg-43 I can maneuver around very easily killing enemies and avoiding lasers. My biggest annoyance is devastators since they can only be dismantled from the front by knocking out the arm gun or going for the head (which has a very narrow opening to fire open). If I could at least move while firing, I would be able to dodge some laser fire and beat targets that right now smoke me (devastators).
I really do believe if they do this change, it’ll then be easier to determine other possible very minor stat changes like ammo capacity or dps.
I hope it's armor penetration gets buffed, doesb't make sense that a minigun (a gun famous for being uncredibly destructive) can't pierce a hulk's armor (not saying it should kill factory striders or anything, but it should at least have AP similar to the HMG imo)
Hope they give it the Aliens smart gun treatment, where the gun itself helps you stabilize it. Would be an easy way to explain giving it better ergonomics.
Because the entire subreddit was acting like the maxigun was god's gift to HD2 when it was obviously mediocre at best, and if you pointed this you got an endless screed of 'skill issue' 'it's actually OP' etc thrown in your face over and over again.
I think it should have more ammo tbh, but I still really enjoy it. Especially on squids, this thing mows down voteless like nothing else and thanks to medium pen it also takes out overseers and harvesters much easier than the stalwart. For bots and bugs I still prefer hmg though, since you need to be more mobile for those
My problem with the squids is you're not going to reliably take down Harvesters/watchers from any respectable distance due to how unwieldy it is. It's also pretty easy to get overwhelmed by the wall of meat unless you're next to buds who can help make sure you don't get overran.
I unironically think it's better against bugs than Squids. Even in perfect conditions against squids (no Harvester in LoS, wall of meat is not on you) Crescent Overseers will bully you so hard that you can't setup and mow grass.
Not really. Might try again to check how it works with my loadout now but it's basically supposed to be the main firepower, and I use double freedom for that. Imo it's better to have either long range heavy pen or something more mobile like stalwart (or HMG)
personal experience, if it's difficulty 8 or lower on either squid or bug front (not rupture strain) I'd run it and spray into a hoarde for maximum dopamine. It's not that good on the bot front because standing stationary in the wide open is not a good idea against bots, also the bot front can drop like 3 hulks and walker/tank stride at once which... the maxigun is pretty much useless against.
I'd run it against the bots more if Warstriders had a Medium pen weak point. They're so damn common that you can't setup with Maxi without getting bullied. Even if you run Rocksolid like I do they're still going to DPS you to death instead of shoving you around.
It’s really fun to shoot but you gotta realise the MG is better, still won’t stop me from taking it on bug missions are starting a breach every 2 minutes
Needs either more durable damage or ammo and the dogshit heat haze+smoke combo toning down so you can actually see what you're shooting at in first person. Oh, and fix the bug that bolts you in place a second or two after you stop firing.
I'll probably use it on Terminid Eradicate or Evacuate Assets, but I can't think of a use for an AP3 Support weapon anywhere else for me. Not that I'll get a chance to use it in either of those missions, considering everyone and their mum lets the mines and clankers do all the killing on those missions.
I'm mostly trying to get the chainsword to work. Miniguns alright but straight forward. Not really that interesting outside managing the recoil downside and the lack of mobility. Doesn't feel that rewarding compared to other jank guns.
Objectively it might be worse than the machine gun, but that is superseded by the fact that I believe it’s really fun to use.
It is incredible in chokepoints, which is why I’ve been trying to make it work on give worlds, but is an active liability in open areas. You can really only use it prone as well. It does take up a backpack slot, but I don’t mind that.
It’s fun, and despite the downsides, can be effective. Good enough for me.
No. The guard dog backpack, when combined with firing a primary weapon such as an assault rifle, offers similar damage per second, with the advantage of allowing multiple simultaneous firing angle solutions, as well as fully autonomous sentry mode to protect critical blind spots. All Helldivers know, a good guard dog always has your back!
Guard Dog should not be used by children under 8 without adult supervision. Side effects of guard dog may include shooting at enemies behind walls, not shooting for extended periods of time even if an enemy is right there in front of you shoot damnit shoot already, and shooting yourself in the head. Ask your doctor if guard dog is right for you.
I love it, I've used it for plenty missions and it works great. I think the only two things I'd change, would be 1k ammo, and letting aim down sights rev the barrel.
Pretty fun against the bugs and a bit less so against the squids. It’s not meta by any means unfortunately since movement and maneuverability are crucial against them, but it is still very fun. You’re gonna struggle with it against the bots tho, unless you master it’s brutal recoil
It's fun for hvt extract and destroys bio-processors pretty quick but otherwise, it is kinda clunky, taking a backpack and support slot for not much more benefit than a Stalwart with supply pack.
Biggest upside is feeling more like Arnold than Stalone but that depends on the map/mood really
Backpack+not anti tank+initial recoil kills it for me. I don’t see why I wouldn’t just take a grenade launcher+supply pack if I wanted to go so heavy on anti chaff. Doing that at least lets me use ultimatum/thermites to kill heavies too.
Nah, don't like the movement delay after firing. Can't even dive out of it, just makes you go prone on the spot, the exact opposite of my intent. Too sluggish for me.
If i prefer firepower and control, i choose HMG emplacement, mobility then MG, just wanna play for fun then i pick maxi.
I play only bot missions, so i get plenty of space during firefight, at other front i wouldn’t grab maxi just because i prefer not to get things jump on my face all the time.
Yes. against the illuminate it’s awesome. The only thing with more than medium armor is the tripod/harvester and that thing still has medium weakpoints so that you can destroy it.
I haven’t tested it against bugs I have to admit.
Bots on the other hand … it’s great to get through the berserker, but I usually dive on D8-9. And Hulks, the main bane, war striders and tanks spawning so frequently on these difficulties, it’s not that viable.
I didn't like it at first, just saw it as a worse mg43. After taking it to the illuminate though, I'm happy with it. I found that the constant stream of bullets made up for having less overall ammo, not having to reload is a big positive.
I still think it should get heavy pen, it doesn't have the accuracy to aim for weak spots and doesn't have the mobility to get to the rear.
At the end of the day it still takes up a backpack slot that otherwise could go to something like a hot dog which can kill chargers/heavy pen enemies anyway. Giving it heavy pen would make it extremely good instead of just usable, maybe on par with the recoilless. I don't think it would be op though because of its many downsides and you would still need strategems to take out tank units.
Right now, maybe B tier, I enjoy it but there's way better options and not having a backpack really hurts when the weapon isn't that good. With heavy pen definitely A tier maybe S.
Used it once. The biggest deal breaker for me was being unable to dive while using it. Like, I understand you're not supposed to be able to move while using it. But I really don't see why we can't stop firing and then dive instead of just going prone when I hit ALT.
Desperate need for ammo, and maybe better ergo considering you already have to stand still and sacrifice a backpack, would honestly love to see some power armor in the future that syncs with this and lets you move.
Great chaff clear abilities, pretty great damage, and of course no reload, if you stick with teammates, this punches above its weight, and solo it's definitely below weight.
It's my favourite stratagem weapon, I do wish it was heavy pen and I wish the visual effects were removed when you were shooting in first person because It's hard to aim for the weak points on shield devastators.. At least on the lava planets.
But generally? Yea it's a really cool weapon and it's fun to use.
I’ve been fighting bots so no. My support weapon of choice is the recoil less rifle. I’m super excited use it on a hive world so I’m waiting for the bug MO
I still sometimes use it but the Maxigun is literally just a mildly worse version of the MG43 but with more hype moments and aura, and the hype moments and aura phase of this thing wore off for me. So I went back to the HMG. Hopes Maxi gets a slight buff soon because in its current state its painfully mid. Not the bad kind of mid but not good kind either.
It's fun to use, but the current MOs are against bits makes it feel bad. The inaccuracy and immobility against shielded devastators feels bad, over half your shots hit the shield and ping off. And there are just so many shielded devastators in the incineration brigade.
It's really fun against Illuminate, since it basically everything dies to it. Shreds zombies, shreds overseer shields and the guy behind it, shreds planes, etc..
Only for fun because it's not as good as the stalwart or other call in MGs.
The stalwart is absurd with the fire rate turned up + resupply back. You absolutely will have more damage and ammo than the maxigun plus stims and grenades on top of it. Also being able to resupply your friends.
maxigun is fun as hell, it's just nowhere near as good because of all the downsides plus the lower damage.
i think it would be really cool if it has a similar mechanic to the defoliation tool where it would slowly go from medium pen to heavy pen, but keep the defoliation tool relevant by keeping the defoliation tools ability to go to anti tank 1
It’s great for chaff spam seeds like on the bug front hunter leaper spam seeds. It’s good at bile spewer spam too. But if you get a heavy enemies spam seed you lose effectiveness. If we could find out what enemy seeds we’re getting then I would use it more often.
It is satisfying seeing everyone who said not moving with the machine gun would be fine and those same people now asking for the maxigun to be buffed, classic i told you so moment
I tend to run expendable builds (EAT/H-EAT/Commando/Silo is my basic “right time to get sweaty” loadout) and swapping the Commando out for the maxigun is excellent to have a horde demolisher ready to launch at all times, and use the others as needed
I wish it had a very slow walk so I can partially reposition. Either that or keep the spin up for a second between dropping to reposition. Either would be nice.
Nah but im completely in love with the chainsaw idc if i get blown to smithereens i will continue to try and saw through a whole squad of heavy devastators
Brother its been the only blue stratagem ive brought since it came down. I know uts outclassed by other stuff but its about a hundred times cooler than anything else for me.
I like to use it for squids and bugs, but even then only when i use a turret or have teamates cause its kind of tedious to stand still most of the time when you can actually get good point tho its so fun🫶
I've found that the stalwart outperforms the maxigun in every way that matters, especially versus the illuminate where it can kill everything but fails to do so because of its high recoil and low ergonomics.
It is a very fun gun, but objectively bad. Given the chaotic nature of HD2 the stationary nature of it ruins it. Need to shift left 4 steps because a dead charger is blocking your bullets, too bad.
Aiming should spin the gun up and allow movement at old artillery carrying speed, firing the gun should immobilize the diver. This way you can make small adjustments to your position without a 1 second break in your firing.
I am on of those who use an lmg and supply back at div10. Having one more anti tank strategem does help. I’d like the minigun to have another 250 and I’d be happy.
But yeah, I understanded others who found its downside a little too much for it to became effective compare to others. While I played around its limitation quite fun, other might think the opposite.
Yes because it's fun and in some situations can be extremely effective (mostly bugs and squids).
But it definitely isn't the most effective option in a lot of situations.
And that's ok! Use whatever is fun and you feel like you using!
But also it kind of falls into the same pitfalls as the MG43 in that the grenade launcher does almost everything you need but better (in most cases.)
I will say the stationary shooting really isn't as bad as a lot of people make it out to be if you're using this as a SUPPORT weapon for the team and not as your primary.
some missions it is a fun weapon. Have not tried on bugs yet but expect it to be great. I have a few load outs I use and hope this will earn its place as a special load out with them. But as mentioned it is some kinda fun and love when a fellow diver brings so we can rock together.
I REALLY like it tbh. I have a lot of fun playing it with siege ready, double barrel freedom, thermite, and talon/ultimatum. Rarely come across a situation I can’t handle or get out of solo and the serotonin boost from just ripping the maxigun as a horde of enemies approach, is just peak gaming imo 😂👌🏻
Technically no because the mo are bots and medium pen with no backpack option isnt not enough but when we get to fight squids...
This shit demolished anything in that front i love it and you can't shot while moving but you dont need to reload but you can reposition and demolish alot of things
This its even better with gas granades mines or strike and damm
You can use the machine gun medium or heavy but like i said my problem was the reload time and this one its amazing
Occasionally. It’s good on planets with a lot of choke points, and especially colony or city maps where you can find lots of ammo.
Most of the time though I prefer the HMG.
Agreed. Supply pack and the MG-43 is significantly better for almost every scenario.
I bring the pair everywhere.
Give me my HMG, a supply pack, and my senator. I shall need no primary.
This plus the eruptor
I've finally found my brethren
o7
Literally my build lol. Altho some times I take jump/hover pack instead of supply pack, especially on colony maps.
Counterpoint
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT
Counterpoint to your counterpoint
Two chargers
Oh whatever will I do I only have
3-5 grenades
The ultimatum
Red strats
Green Strats
3 other teammates with all these items
Counterpoint to your counterpoint. I cast ultimatum
Which is fine, because that’s 2/4 of your stratagem slots instead of 1/4.
That's two stars vs one tho
You don't even need to bring the supply pack to have the MG compete with the minigun, it's just an extra benefit over the latter
I don't get the HMG. It should be dakka but you can't dakka because of insane recoil and almost no ammo. Maxigun dakka, Maxigun good.
Engineering kit, crouch or prone. Have fun.
The problem is ammo when it comes to the HMG (and technically also the minigun's problem too). You only have 100 rounds per mag, so at full RPM, you burn through that VERY fast. It's satisfying, but unless you carry a supply pack, yeah. The dakka ride ends quick XD
Which is why I always carry my supply backpack with me, stay supplied out there brothers
Yeah, supply pack is really the best way to roll with almost ANY support weapon with a mag these days. Bonus points if you use Siege Ready 😅
HMG can easily dakka when crouching while wearing recoil reducing armor.
I'm not a huge fan of how immobile it makes me feel, but sometimes I take it on bug exterminate/defense missions.
It's actually a pretty good option to whip out once you break the outer shell of a hive lord. You need high DPS weaponry and the Maxigun is the fastest gun in the game that we can use.
They’re still spawning? Where? Are the planets in the gloom available?
Omicron
Persei-8?
Emperor Lrrr?
Psycho Mantis?
Second floor basement?
Card keys?
the double barrel with siege ready armor while set to volley has higher dps i think
That works better with enemies with smaller health pools than 150,000 HP. You need a lot of bullets and you need them fast and accurate since you're shooting a Hive Lord mostly from 40+ meters away usually. Weapons like the Machine Guns, Lib Carbine, Knight, and anything else with a big mag that shoots straight is best for killing the Hive Lord once its shell is opened up.
Tbh, the stalwart is probably better. More mobile, safe, and the DPS is also higher: 90 damage * 1725 RPM = 155,250 DPS VS 80 damage * 1500 RPM = 120,000 DPSMed vs light pen doesn't matter for it, and it's 0% durable.You'll probably land more shots too, and it doesn't take up a backpack slot.
* My math was completely wrong, please disregard
It matters a little bit since Hive Lord skin is AP2 rated meaning that the Stalwart is only dealing 65% of its damage per bullet for meeting armor rating. Also the Stalwart caps out at 1150 RPM, not 1725.
Oh yeah, my numbers are completely wrong. The 1725 number I saw on the wiki is the max DPS of the stalwart. And I didn't realize the Hive Lord actually had light armour. I totally thought it was unarmoured.
Anyways, that means the Stalwart's DPS is 1725 * 0.65 = 1125.25, and the Maxigun's is just a simple 2000.
I still like the Stalwart for the other reasons like mobility and the backpack, but almost double the DPS is very compelling
It would be okay if you could spin the barrels when aiming
It’s not viable solo in the slightest but I’ve found having another person around you makes it genuinely god-tier. Even for large nests/fabricators/ships my maxigun teammate just decimates all the bots while I rush in and destroy all the spawners and if there’s too many for me to go in I stay behind them, keeping them stocked on ammo with a supply pack, healing them with a stim pistol, and covering them from the occasional enemy that tries to flank them.
TL:DR find yourself a logistics/support diver and you’ll be feeling like a heavy medic combo from TF2
which makes sense, the game is not designed to be played solo at all and i dont think weapons should be balanced around solo players
The thing with those missions is they sort of play themselves, all the way up to d10.
You can bring anything you want and it’ll work out fine. Which is nice in a way because it lets you try out the worse strategems, but also bad because they can get boring. Defense specifically can drag a bit
The difference between these missions on the bug and bot fronts is genuinely insane, at least on D8 through D10.
On bugs, you can just sit back, relax and watch your sentries do all the killing. I genuinely think I've suffered more deaths to friendly fire than bugs on these missions, and my squad usually sticks around to clear all of the stragglers before boarding the Pelican with 3-5 minutes of mission time to spare to TK one another.
But on bots? It's the fucking Congo, from start to finish. You spend more time in the air than running around, in at least 3 different ways. Danger close ordnance falling all around you, all the time. Hulks, tanks and factory striders dropping directly over your head. Orbital lasers crossing streams. Good luck bringing a sentry, mech or emplacement, because it's getting overrun and blown up in seconds. Shit's like the Lone Wolf mission in Reach.
But I still somehow prefer Eradicationd over Blitzes.
Well I've seen some big use out of it as it's is very good at killing off Hive Lords once their flesh is exposed
Metal
Gey, i returned i to the game after a long break, where can i find hive lords?:)
Oh you'll see them in the map.
Omicron on high difficulties
I thought this weapon was great at first, but unfortunately I do not enjoy the weird downsides it has, definitely not my cup of tea.
However it has felt great to bring the supply back pack and watch others enjoy it and their appreciation for the supplies 👍
Not your cup of Liber-tea, you say.
Oh, liber-tea? I'll make an exception for that any day of course
https://preview.redd.it/enqj1afhiz6g1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7d37acba0e444ed3137415c3d2778a513effe39c
I can hear this image
https://preview.redd.it/hwnemqiolz6g1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5368d7bb1c2a3963a8ee4c556450e04b9a6adcb
Democoffee
Shoutouts to the Germans
It can be decent in the caves of Oshaune 2, but you need to utilize the hallway choke points, and have someone watching your ass and flanks as necessary.
It’s a weapon that’s far more effective on a team that coordinates & sticks together.
It’s also pretty fun on defense missions. Just an endless BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT
Hiveworlds are definitely a use-case I hadn't thought of! Well, when they're not swarming with Impalers...
You definitely want a friend with AT…
Oh and it’s not the quickest method but I’ve found the Urchin grenade + flamethrower of any type to be a pretty solid anti-charger weapon. Definitely saved some squadmates with those Urchins too. Oh and you can use them to stun-lock small passageways.
That's some good cooking you're doing, for sure, but my problem is I have this NEED to fill all the roles myself on 40-minute Missions. So I can't bring any grenades that don't destroy spawners.
Yeah that’s definitely a limitation, best handled by swapping the minigun for the spear-gun and hotdog. Those handle the same niche as the urchin & burning combo, & closes spawners, so pistol and grenades of choice for spawners. You lose chaff-clearing potential but the gas & fire effect handles them in a different but still wholly effective manner.
Or keep the load-out, bring the one-two, and hope your squad can handle some of the holes for you.
Idk part of what i like about this game is the VAST amount of synergies you can craft - especially in a full squad with comms.
For bugs I run thermite for AT, grenade pistol for spawners, MG43 I use like a primary and then whatever guard dog and primary slot I'm feeling in that moment. Usually the gun dog and either lib carbine or eruptor.
Try a Hotdog plus a Torcher for melting chargers. I don't have Urchins but I was doing pretty good playing bullfighter.
Is this actually possible? With less than three supply packs?
Been using the minigun more, and it just confirms what I've been saying:
minigun needs more ammo (at least 1000 rounds, no less)
minigun needs equivalent damage per round as the MG43, which share basically the exact same bullets
slow movement while shooting would be a blessing
Don't get me wrong, the minigun is FUN! But it needs more ammo, and maybe a slight round damage buff.
For bugs and illuminate maxigun and for bots HMG. I personally really like the maxigun it's close to perfection (mainly ammo just give it 1000 instead of 750 and It's good enough for me)
Lol, the hype for this gun is adorable. I was there too, until I realised the MG-43 does its job better and keeps you alive way more.
Now I'm just awaiting the inevitable buff for it. More ammo, more ergonomics.
I’m still waiting for the sterilizer buff. Good luck buddy
Holy shit a Sterilizer user.
I tried it with the Hot Dog to some limited success.
Other way around is a lot better, flamethrower with gas drone. I especially liked it in bug mega cities.
They did good by Dog Breath. I didn't expect them to retool the AI and make it a grate drone, but they did.
I still have hope for the sterilizer, if barely by this point. I like playing around with CC options but there are too many drawbacks for that thing :(
I'm still having a ton of fun with it. I don't think it's especially great on Diff 10 But when I play on 6-8 its relatively all right.
And I'll pop into games with newer players and let them try it out.
Quicker target acquisition, moving while firing, better accuracy, less spread, and can take other backpack slots.
I genuinely believe it would be perfect if you could just move (albeit slower) while firing.
My main issue (I’ve been focusing on bots to be fair) is that I need to be out in the open to mow down targets but I get shot up too quick vs with the mg-43 I can maneuver around very easily killing enemies and avoiding lasers. My biggest annoyance is devastators since they can only be dismantled from the front by knocking out the arm gun or going for the head (which has a very narrow opening to fire open). If I could at least move while firing, I would be able to dodge some laser fire and beat targets that right now smoke me (devastators).
I really do believe if they do this change, it’ll then be easier to determine other possible very minor stat changes like ammo capacity or dps.
I hope it's armor penetration gets buffed, doesb't make sense that a minigun (a gun famous for being uncredibly destructive) can't pierce a hulk's armor (not saying it should kill factory striders or anything, but it should at least have AP similar to the HMG imo)
Hope they give it the Aliens smart gun treatment, where the gun itself helps you stabilize it. Would be an easy way to explain giving it better ergonomics.
It's unfortunately very on par for Arrowhead to release a weapon that could be great but gets ruined by arbitrary and unnecessary downsides.
Why do you have to act so condescending?
Because the entire subreddit was acting like the maxigun was god's gift to HD2 when it was obviously mediocre at best, and if you pointed this you got an endless screed of 'skill issue' 'it's actually OP' etc thrown in your face over and over again.
I think it should have more ammo tbh, but I still really enjoy it. Especially on squids, this thing mows down voteless like nothing else and thanks to medium pen it also takes out overseers and harvesters much easier than the stalwart. For bots and bugs I still prefer hmg though, since you need to be more mobile for those
can't believe I scrolled this far to see the right answer
it dominates the squids
maybe shows how much Reddit Modives (haven't had a squid mo since pythons released)
and from what we know from squid divers they seem to be mostly boxdivers that probably don't have it unlocked yet
My problem with the squids is you're not going to reliably take down Harvesters/watchers from any respectable distance due to how unwieldy it is. It's also pretty easy to get overwhelmed by the wall of meat unless you're next to buds who can help make sure you don't get overran.
I unironically think it's better against bugs than Squids. Even in perfect conditions against squids (no Harvester in LoS, wall of meat is not on you) Crescent Overseers will bully you so hard that you can't setup and mow grass.
I’m still trying to unlock it lol.
There are other support weapons?
Not really. Might try again to check how it works with my loadout now but it's basically supposed to be the main firepower, and I use double freedom for that. Imo it's better to have either long range heavy pen or something more mobile like stalwart (or HMG)
personal experience, if it's difficulty 8 or lower on either squid or bug front (not rupture strain) I'd run it and spray into a hoarde for maximum dopamine. It's not that good on the bot front because standing stationary in the wide open is not a good idea against bots, also the bot front can drop like 3 hulks and walker/tank stride at once which... the maxigun is pretty much useless against.
I'd run it against the bots more if Warstriders had a Medium pen weak point. They're so damn common that you can't setup with Maxi without getting bullied. Even if you run Rocksolid like I do they're still going to DPS you to death instead of shoving you around.
It’s really fun to shoot but you gotta realise the MG is better, still won’t stop me from taking it on bug missions are starting a breach every 2 minutes
It's not that good actually, but it's pretty fun to pair with a Gatling sentry.
I'M A SENTRY NOW
Yes and i love it, is it meta? No is it fun? Fuck yeah
It's a fun gun but it's no MG43.
Needs either more durable damage or ammo and the dogshit heat haze+smoke combo toning down so you can actually see what you're shooting at in first person. Oh, and fix the bug that bolts you in place a second or two after you stop firing.
If you want this gun, you will have to pry it from my cold dead fingers
Do not have the warbond yet, but I always ask my mate to give me the second one he can call in.
I'll probably use it on Terminid Eradicate or Evacuate Assets, but I can't think of a use for an AP3 Support weapon anywhere else for me. Not that I'll get a chance to use it in either of those missions, considering everyone and their mum lets the mines and clankers do all the killing on those missions.
Certain heavy weapons should also grant increased melee damage. Maxigun is one of them
I’m using it for Illuminate. Makes Voteless and Fleshmobs super easy to get rid of
No, needs heavy pen
I'm mostly trying to get the chainsword to work. Miniguns alright but straight forward. Not really that interesting outside managing the recoil downside and the lack of mobility. Doesn't feel that rewarding compared to other jank guns.
I like it, but nah. I'm addicted to the chainsword
Oh sweet liberty yeah I am, I’ve bearly NOT used it in my starts, the only time i didn’t use it is when my SC farm or when I went into a level 10 dive
Speaking of, Oshaune 2 is great for credit farming
Oh absolutely, when I can, I will definitely try it out
Objectively it might be worse than the machine gun, but that is superseded by the fact that I believe it’s really fun to use.
It is incredible in chokepoints, which is why I’ve been trying to make it work on give worlds, but is an active liability in open areas. You can really only use it prone as well. It does take up a backpack slot, but I don’t mind that.
It’s fun, and despite the downsides, can be effective. Good enough for me.
No. The guard dog backpack, when combined with firing a primary weapon such as an assault rifle, offers similar damage per second, with the advantage of allowing multiple simultaneous firing angle solutions, as well as fully autonomous sentry mode to protect critical blind spots. All Helldivers know, a good guard dog always has your back!
Guard Dog should not be used by children under 8 without adult supervision. Side effects of guard dog may include shooting at enemies behind walls, not shooting for extended periods of time even if an enemy is right there in front of you shoot damnit shoot already, and shooting yourself in the head. Ask your doctor if guard dog is right for you.
More like Minimal gun, thing is dogshit
yes
Yes. Big gun go brrrrrrrt. It might not be able to deal with heavies, but that's what I have EATs and the orbital railgun strike for.
I’ve been rocking it on the bug and squid front. Doesn’t shire too bright on higher dif bots
Not that great against bots, I find. Against Iluminate it feels better. Waiting to try it on bugs later.
I want to but I prefer the recoilless for bots. You bet I’m going to bring it on the next bug/squid MO.
I love it, I've used it for plenty missions and it works great. I think the only two things I'd change, would be 1k ammo, and letting aim down sights rev the barrel.
yes. and still tweaking my phalanx CIWS audio mod
Pretty fun against the bugs and a bit less so against the squids. It’s not meta by any means unfortunately since movement and maneuverability are crucial against them, but it is still very fun. You’re gonna struggle with it against the bots tho, unless you master it’s brutal recoil
It's fun for hvt extract and destroys bio-processors pretty quick but otherwise, it is kinda clunky, taking a backpack and support slot for not much more benefit than a Stalwart with supply pack.
Biggest upside is feeling more like Arnold than Stalone but that depends on the map/mood really
Yes. I left my beloved wife (the RR) AND my husbands (Missile silo/portable hellbomb). My NB SO (EAT) still gets to liberate with me
Backpack+not anti tank+initial recoil kills it for me. I don’t see why I wouldn’t just take a grenade launcher+supply pack if I wanted to go so heavy on anti chaff. Doing that at least lets me use ultimatum/thermites to kill heavies too.
Nah, don't like the movement delay after firing. Can't even dive out of it, just makes you go prone on the spot, the exact opposite of my intent. Too sluggish for me.
Used it, but I mostly went back to standard MG if I even want to bring such stratagems.
Imo it needs RPM settings to be on par with rest of the gun-stratagem family.
If i prefer firepower and control, i choose HMG emplacement, mobility then MG, just wanna play for fun then i pick maxi.
I play only bot missions, so i get plenty of space during firefight, at other front i wouldn’t grab maxi just because i prefer not to get things jump on my face all the time.
Yes. against the illuminate it’s awesome. The only thing with more than medium armor is the tripod/harvester and that thing still has medium weakpoints so that you can destroy it.
I haven’t tested it against bugs I have to admit.
Bots on the other hand … it’s great to get through the berserker, but I usually dive on D8-9. And Hulks, the main bane, war striders and tanks spawning so frequently on these difficulties, it’s not that viable.
Perfect against bugs, mid against bots and I don't really fight aliens unless it's a MO
Used it once so far. Meh. Not great vs bots, so I won't be using it very much.
I didn't like it at first, just saw it as a worse mg43. After taking it to the illuminate though, I'm happy with it. I found that the constant stream of bullets made up for having less overall ammo, not having to reload is a big positive.
I still think it should get heavy pen, it doesn't have the accuracy to aim for weak spots and doesn't have the mobility to get to the rear.
At the end of the day it still takes up a backpack slot that otherwise could go to something like a hot dog which can kill chargers/heavy pen enemies anyway. Giving it heavy pen would make it extremely good instead of just usable, maybe on par with the recoilless. I don't think it would be op though because of its many downsides and you would still need strategems to take out tank units.
Right now, maybe B tier, I enjoy it but there's way better options and not having a backpack really hurts when the weapon isn't that good. With heavy pen definitely A tier maybe S.
Need to do something about the recoil. Like I get it, I do but it’s hard to hit things with it sometimes. Gotta aim at their feet.
AH, Double the ammo pls. This gun is a gimmick, let us have a fun gimmick.
Used it once. The biggest deal breaker for me was being unable to dive while using it. Like, I understand you're not supposed to be able to move while using it. But I really don't see why we can't stop firing and then dive instead of just going prone when I hit ALT.
Desperate need for ammo, and maybe better ergo considering you already have to stand still and sacrifice a backpack, would honestly love to see some power armor in the future that syncs with this and lets you move.
Great chaff clear abilities, pretty great damage, and of course no reload, if you stick with teammates, this punches above its weight, and solo it's definitely below weight.
It's my favourite stratagem weapon, I do wish it was heavy pen and I wish the visual effects were removed when you were shooting in first person because It's hard to aim for the weak points on shield devastators.. At least on the lava planets.
But generally? Yea it's a really cool weapon and it's fun to use.
Once it's not a Bot MO I'll use it more
I’ve been fighting bots so no. My support weapon of choice is the recoil less rifle. I’m super excited use it on a hive world so I’m waiting for the bug MO
I still sometimes use it but the Maxigun is literally just a mildly worse version of the MG43 but with more hype moments and aura, and the hype moments and aura phase of this thing wore off for me. So I went back to the HMG. Hopes Maxi gets a slight buff soon because in its current state its painfully mid. Not the bad kind of mid but not good kind either.
It's fun to use, but the current MOs are against bits makes it feel bad. The inaccuracy and immobility against shielded devastators feels bad, over half your shots hit the shield and ping off. And there are just so many shielded devastators in the incineration brigade.
It's really fun against Illuminate, since it basically everything dies to it. Shreds zombies, shreds overseer shields and the guy behind it, shreds planes, etc..
Only for fun because it's not as good as the stalwart or other call in MGs.
The stalwart is absurd with the fire rate turned up + resupply back. You absolutely will have more damage and ammo than the maxigun plus stims and grenades on top of it. Also being able to resupply your friends.
maxigun is fun as hell, it's just nowhere near as good because of all the downsides plus the lower damage.
i think it would be really cool if it has a similar mechanic to the defoliation tool where it would slowly go from medium pen to heavy pen, but keep the defoliation tool relevant by keeping the defoliation tools ability to go to anti tank 1
I got my use out of it, back to quasar-warp-pack
Yes. It's fun. Is it better than an MG or AT? No. But I can bring EATs if I absolutely need too. Otherwise I have thermite.
There’s some anti mini gun wojak who’s downvoting every comment talking about how they like using mini gun.
On asset defense and eradicate missions yeah, it blows on the 40 minute missions
Unironically good on Eradicate if you have mega bubble and a teammate on Heavy duty.
It’s great for chaff spam seeds like on the bug front hunter leaper spam seeds. It’s good at bile spewer spam too. But if you get a heavy enemies spam seed you lose effectiveness. If we could find out what enemy seeds we’re getting then I would use it more often.
Yes. On omicron, against hive lords.
Nah, they keep giving us bot MOs now, which is the worst faction for it
I used it once and went back to stalwart....
It is satisfying seeing everyone who said not moving with the machine gun would be fine and those same people now asking for the maxigun to be buffed, classic i told you so moment
Next up able to upgrade stratagems
If only I could see where I'm shooting...
I'm loving it. It's not the best gun, but I'm no meta slave. The pure amount of hatred this thing can throw down range is so damn fun.
I tend to run expendable builds (EAT/H-EAT/Commando/Silo is my basic “right time to get sweaty” loadout) and swapping the Commando out for the maxigun is excellent to have a horde demolisher ready to launch at all times, and use the others as needed
I wish it had a very slow walk so I can partially reposition. Either that or keep the spin up for a second between dropping to reposition. Either would be nice.
Nah but im completely in love with the chainsaw idc if i get blown to smithereens i will continue to try and saw through a whole squad of heavy devastators
Yes. I wish pushing dodge made him stop firing and dodge instead of laying down.
I do! Even though it's not really compatible with my favorite playstyle...
I love the gun but I just feel like I run out of ammo too fast with it. Give me a thousand plus rounds Arrowhead and my life is yours.
https://preview.redd.it/55fgyjw6g07g1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9932d1546be1717c68d397c84a6c4b9c2bf73a36
I personally just prefer the HMG the most, not really a fair contest since the HMG was my favorite since it released.
Once MO directs me to Bugs and Squids.
Brother its been the only blue stratagem ive brought since it came down. I know uts outclassed by other stuff but its about a hundred times cooler than anything else for me.
no
I like to use it for squids and bugs, but even then only when i use a turret or have teamates cause its kind of tedious to stand still most of the time when you can actually get good point tho its so fun🫶
I've found that the stalwart outperforms the maxigun in every way that matters, especially versus the illuminate where it can kill everything but fails to do so because of its high recoil and low ergonomics.
https://i.redd.it/3ujifvub167g1.gif
Me every damn day 👁️👁️
This
Yes, for one specific reason. It’s fun!
Yes cuz I’m a heavy weapons guy
Course im still using it
It does need a couple buffs but its a good weapon
So, I typically run orbital smoke, rocket sentry, AT mines, and maxigun.
I run Liberator concussive for primary, ultimatum,senator, or warrant (for squids) as secondary.
Thermite, smoke (If I want to bring EATs, or orbital gatlin), or pyrotech grenades.
I can hose about everything.
Playing solo it does not do the thing for me, but Im having great fun with blitzer+hotdog
Takes too long to get going. Plus you can’t move with it. Give me Gatling sentry, Stalwart or HMG for a better run any day
Movement is king in this game. If it did a lot of damage and/or could kill heavies it would at least be somewhat worth the downsides
It’s not the best gun but I’m having a blast using it.
It is a very fun gun, but objectively bad. Given the chaotic nature of HD2 the stationary nature of it ruins it. Need to shift left 4 steps because a dead charger is blocking your bullets, too bad.
Aiming should spin the gun up and allow movement at old artillery carrying speed, firing the gun should immobilize the diver. This way you can make small adjustments to your position without a 1 second break in your firing.
No - actively avoid it
I am on of those who use an lmg and supply back at div10. Having one more anti tank strategem does help. I’d like the minigun to have another 250 and I’d be happy.
Yes. Comes in clutch on all fronts, even with the Rapid Liberation bot mission. You NEED chaff control.
Try the stalwart, it’s become my favorite gun in the game. It’s the maxigun with the ability to move and a 5 second running reload
I think it’s good game design but I prefer either the MG43 or HMG instead if I’m gonna use a machine gun
Bugs and squids yes bots not so much
Yes its awesome. The only struggle is fire shotgun devastators. They don't have a backpack so its harder to kill them.
Tastes good with EATs or comando so you still have anti tank capabilities when you really need
When fighting bugs and squids? Yeah. Its one of the weapons that are in my "equipment rotation"
I haven't because of the bot MO. It's okay against bugs and great against squids, but man does it struggle on bots.
Gonna try it out in the hive caves
one-two and maxigun on bugs is my new favourite thing so yes absolutely
I love it against illujminate and bugs, bots on the otherhand...
https://preview.redd.it/xzscf4ckoz6g1.png?width=1192&format=png&auto=webp&s=2f22c285310644db1b2ef43410bd64098a72c23e
Yes
YES, my beloved Maxigun
But yeah, I understanded others who found its downside a little too much for it to became effective compare to others. While I played around its limitation quite fun, other might think the opposite.
I’ll use it occasionally, I’ve always been an Anti Tank guy, but I do like to mix it up a little every once in a while
Yes. It works best in a squad where you've got others who can bring dedicated AT.
The tradeoffs are worth the aggressive sustained counterfire.
It annihilated squids, and is still useful against bugs, but i love it
Yes because it's fun and in some situations can be extremely effective (mostly bugs and squids).
But it definitely isn't the most effective option in a lot of situations. And that's ok! Use whatever is fun and you feel like you using!
But also it kind of falls into the same pitfalls as the MG43 in that the grenade launcher does almost everything you need but better (in most cases.)
I will say the stationary shooting really isn't as bad as a lot of people make it out to be if you're using this as a SUPPORT weapon for the team and not as your primary.
some missions it is a fun weapon. Have not tried on bugs yet but expect it to be great. I have a few load outs I use and hope this will earn its place as a special load out with them. But as mentioned it is some kinda fun and love when a fellow diver brings so we can rock together.
It's fun to use on bugs but it's been all bot major orders so I have been using other stuff.
On non-Bot missions, yeah.
Yes, the dopamine rush from blasting a gigantic horde of Voteless is so addicting.
I haven’t even unlocked the warbond yet
Yes, I love the thing.
I REALLY like it tbh. I have a lot of fun playing it with siege ready, double barrel freedom, thermite, and talon/ultimatum. Rarely come across a situation I can’t handle or get out of solo and the serotonin boost from just ripping the maxigun as a horde of enemies approach, is just peak gaming imo 😂👌🏻
I havent even unlocked it yet haha falling the MOs coupled with busy week made me progress almost nothing in the new WB
Yes.
I've brought it on every mission since it came out. It's so fun.
Technically no because the mo are bots and medium pen with no backpack option isnt not enough but when we get to fight squids...
This shit demolished anything in that front i love it and you can't shot while moving but you dont need to reload but you can reposition and demolish alot of things
This its even better with gas granades mines or strike and damm
You can use the machine gun medium or heavy but like i said my problem was the reload time and this one its amazing
I bring it with me everywhere and use the eagle for any other problems I might have.
when im playing against squids or my duo brings an anti tank weapon, yes. otherwise i just go back to eats
Problem is the realized the maxigun and the next major order was bot related. I’m saving it for the terminids.
Yes. Its fun AF
Every dive
I still needa unlock it 💀
I love it. I don't care if another gun does the same thing it does without a backpack, it's a great big minigun. I love using it because it's fun