DUST 514 Laser Rifles Guide

DUST 514 Laser Rifles Guide by Zero Harpuia

Many people have been posting to nerf Lasers, many to buff, and just as many to fix the many bugs and issues with the skills or to add variants. I think the reason many of these people want nerfs and buffs is simply because they have either never fired a Laser or are a bit naive as to how they work, so allow Zero to explain.

First, get Laser Rifle Operations I, and THAT’S IT. Laser Rifle Operations and Proficiency are both bugged at time of writing and do flat-out nothing. Don’t waste the SP.

Now you buy some Laser Rifles. Not too hard to choose, there are Lasers and… that’s it. No variations to speak of.

So now you have your Laser. How do you work it? Well, the Laser works by keeping the reticule on the target and pulling the trigger. The secret is that unlike other weapons which get stronger the CLOSER you are, a Laser is stronger the FURTHER the target is from you. Furthermore, while most guns will have you fire in bursts to control accuracy, you need to keep up a steady stream with the laser. Pulling off the trigger will reset your constant fire bonus, and without that ramp-up you may as well be firing a squirt rifle. Finally, you get a small weak-point modifier, and do more damage to shields, less to armor, so although you could help with draining a vehicle’s shield, you won’t be more than a nusance to any Gallente vehicles or HAVs, and Type-I Heavies will take an entire clip. Just keep to center-of-mass tracking and rack up the Type-II dropsuit kills.

Now for tactics, both on fighting with and against the Laser. Many people wonder why they get insta-slaughtered by a Laser, and the reason is simple: Lasers are a heavily defensive weapon, much like Snipers and other long-range armaments. The difference here is that a Sniper can shoot anything he can see, while a Laser wielder can only fire within a limited range. the issue here is that if you approach that range, you are going to set foot within his best damage zone first. The closer you can get to him before he opens fire, the LESS damage you will take. Furthermore, some of you get killed by a Laser to the back, and wonder why it happened so fast. Using the other Laser damage tool, the ramp-up, they PURPOSEFULLY MISS to charge, then bring the Laser to bear. You never see the ramped power coming, and the first thing a ramped Laser gets on the way to center-of-mass is your head.

If you are the Laser, then use the purposeful miss to charge, and always play defensively. A Laser does 14 base damage, and has a 25% effectiveness rating on shields at point blank. Worse on armor. If you don’t have a worthy sidearm you will die horribly the moment you decide to close in on a target. Also, try to gain altitude, as the extra distance from being on a different plane from your opponent is the difference between a painful laser and a fatal laser. Like a Sniper, you need to find a way to overlook the battlefield and pick targets. Unlike a Sniper, you actually need to be but so close, so stick to 1-3 story buildings.

Also, adding Light Sharpshooter levels will cause the effective range minimum and maximum to go up, so it will force you to fight at longer and longer ranges. DO NOT GET THIS SKILL IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT AT MIDRANGE.

If this helped you, please comment or like, and if you see any problems/issues/things I missed please point them out. I won’t tolerate faulty information, especially from myself.