How do you use Emp Packs?

[Elvis]

I know how to trigger them >.>

I'm more wondering how you guys are using them tactically (if you are), cause so far I've never actually used them to almost any extent.

I just find my self preferring other stuff to use up that inventory slot, like a Buster Chip, Portable Sever or heck even a Flash grenade.

Maybe it's just that I like going super stealthy and using Seed + Parasite causing me to not see the needs for an Emp?

I'm not really a fan of Shock Traps either, except during the campaign if you can't get penetration.

Edit: Spelling.

[Qfasa]

1) Against a group of safes with daemons if I don't want to trigger them or just need to hack them fast and I don't have much PWR.
2) Against Omni with 8+ shield when I know I will stun him in the next turn or two.

At higher levels it can help with hacking because it hacks 2 firewalls instead of disabling an object.

This is pretty much it. Previously I was a big fan of EMP but now I only have 1 in my team in case of emergency.

[Dorok]

To disable heart monitor to kill without increasing alarm level. Could be used to disable temporary a power supply but I never found a use case of this. To kill cam drones.

The most handy is for safes but with the cooldown it's not that handy. Buster Chip and Portable server are just if you need more power, it's not for all builds, but the servers can be very handy.

[Muay Tiger]

For Endless Mode they can be pretty handy later on when you have have missions that automatically start with daemon programs like increased power cost or all objects having daemons installed for 20 turns; they make accessing the safes a lot easier as well as getting past cameras/turrets you won't be traveling back through to conserve power.

[Elvis]

Well I just got to day 10 in endless... still find "no" use for these. There is just not enough room on my agents. I prefer my 1-2xCloaking Rig III + 1-2x Buster Chip III on my guys ^^;

Also they attract guards (could be good or bad)... in some way... not sure how. If it's sound and if so, do they hear it within the range of the emp or what? I'm not a fan of that though.

Also most rooms that give me trouble and have 2 cameras and are big, so an Emp wouldn't help anyway. Cloak + Buster Chips work better (provided evil Daemons aren't ruining the fun).

Truth be told though... if you get that start with everything has a Daemon installed I could see some use for them. But with every guys having at least 1 Cloaking Rig + 1 Buster Chip III I can usually manage. Ohhh yeah and 1 Portable Server is pretty much a must (even though I have 2 guys with pwr regen augment and Seed + Parasite + Oracle). Then again... I don't actually hack the Consoles for pwr hehe, gotta get those Echo credits ^^;

Heck I've bought a Gun and a charge pack for the next time I'll get that evil Daemon see if that works better (for killing the cameras)... hope they aren't loud hehe.

They seriously need to tone down the Daemons that can spawn on cameras at least when you get that one at the start (worst I've seen was 3x Spawn guards, 2x Lock Incognita, 1x Safes are alarmed, 2x +2 pwr cost on programs on the cameras... evil) :P

[Dorok]

EMP items disable cam? That's cool, as I mostly experimented with Xu I hadn't this ability, but with EMP items that's cool anyway.

Daemons, don't trigger them blindly until it's totally mandatory. But yeah perhaps some Daemons could be tuned down a bit, I don't know.

There isn't only one way to play, you find the Econ Chip cool but it's a lot of time lost. Eventually it's possible EMP item isn't that useful for the inventory encumbrance, but also no way portal console is always useful.

[Elvis]

Most of my time lost is waiting on Hunter cooldown.

Also... shooting cameras suck... just did a mission with 7+ cameras only 1 could be shoot without alerting a guard (alerting not just suspitious) due to the noise >.<;

[chouia]

It can be useful too to disable drones, isn't it?
If you there is a lot of it, or if you need to do it quickly (especially if you use parasite).

And I like shock trap (III). It's interesting to be sure that no one will come this way, large effect, long stun, useful when guards are armored, efficiant versu guards and drones (I think).

EMP pack and shock trap are maybe not gear I would use at every turn... but their are powerful, and it can save.

[ljep6ep]

I like use EMP in vault, because you won't trigger alarm when you take treasures.

[Wally]

EMPs make a small amount of sound but do not trigger people from other rooms.
They completely destroy drones and disable daemon'd safes. They worth through walls as well...so can be used pretty sneaky.
Safes can be EMP'd or otherwise 'disabled' like 1turn KO from Dr. Xu. They immediately open

[Zarylo]

emps are good for taking out bunches of safes quickly AND avoiding triggering daemons.
clearing a room of 3-5 safes is a thing that you can't do (with parasite) in a single turn without an emp.
(Later on this becomes trickier with the occasional magnetic shielding, so you'll have to get creative)
emp's take out cameras and sound bugs and laser fences, (it is even possible to disrupt the laser fences directly, you don't have to search for the power source first)
emp's take out drones (camera and pulse ones even permanently). Never go into sankaku's without emp's. it's like a out-of-jail card.

magnetic shielding is a serious counter to emp. But it's just a step from completely broken down to viable.
Lastly I want to give a hint: if you play with tony xu, consider equipping him with a Stim IV.
it will allow him to use his emp infinite times during a turn, which is the absolutely fastest way to clear safes, even if those feature magnetic shielding.

[Hotzn]

EMP has multiple uses, as has been pointed out. Personally, I only use grade I EMPs, since their area of effect is smaller. They are less likely to alert guards you haven't seen yet.

[Sumnus]

I've been playing this game quite extensively since Beta, and I've only used them a handful of times, and those were all during campaign runs when I happened to be given one from a Security Dispatch mission. I've never sought them out, or found any particular need for them. Frankly, I feel like running with Dr. Xu is just stronger. If I were playing Endless mode, and didn't have Dr. Xu on my team, I would likely keep 1 EMP on an agent just for handling drones permanently so that they weren't a constant need to keep re-hacking, but that would only be in the event of not having Xu.

[PowPawa]

You can use EMP to disable lasers or turrets too. 2 turns is often enough to get through a dangerous path. It might be useful for weapon mission for example.

The cd is long but you can use it twice in a mission, which can help to handle tricky situations or save a lot of pwr.

[Sumnus]

If I didn't roll with Dr. Xu so consistently, I'd probably use them more frequently than I do, honestly. They're fairly versatile, I just rarely need them with my default play style. I still usually have 1 on an agent in endless though, by the time I get everyone where I want them.

[FatalCharm]

They're pretty handy for drone control on Sankaku missions - but as you indicated, you use 2x cloaks to deal with them.