how useful is gunner in haz5 and elite deep dives?

[Kao]

So I started playing as gunner, currently doing haz 2/3/4 missions and just reached my first promotion. The thing is, in these difficulties, most teammates will entirely disregard ziplines because they can afford to (engies staircasing, drillers carving their way around a chasm, scout full yolo). Also they seem to be way better than me at burst killing stuff, and I feel like my grenades are not as good. As for my shield pod, I feel like engy does better, just as I feel he does better aoe damage, at these difficulties at least.

Unless we stumble upon a very nasty cave lobby, I feel like my team utility isn't there. The only gimmick I find unique is zipline shooting to be safe from ground crawlers, but then again drillers can make bunkers and I only have 4 zippies with angle restriction.

Does it get better in the high level content ? should I change my perspective of what a gunner is supposed to be ? should I just be here to shine -sometimes- with a good zipline ?

will take any input from people doing high level stuff, particularly seasoned gunners or people who love playing with one :)

[Cactus-Cat]

Gunner gets more important on higher hazard levels because his main strenght is his sustained firepower. And hazard 5 requires a lot of sustained firepower. Good shield timing is especially important because it can prevent sudden teamwipes if RNG wants to kill you at all costs.

[Syncourt]

Yes they get a lot better on higher hazard play. They have the ammo to sustain gunfire at all times which is one of thier main roles. This gets more useful with more enemies.

Defending the team is your other main role.

Ziplines aren't as often used as other mobility tools but are extremely helpful on point extraction to move aquarq quickly and are priceless for deep chambers or creating quick escape routes for the team in a pinch.

Shields also are a lifesaver. Literally, you can use them to revive teammates as well as save them from life threatening situations. You can also combine them with ziplines make an escape route or vantage point for when the shield wears off.

[Chibbity]

I mean, it's in the name. "Gunner."

You have fantastic offense, some good defense, and poor mobility. You can't have everything. Gunner has the worst mobility item in the same way and for the same reason that Scout has the least total damage from his guns.

To answer your question though, yes; Gunners are very desirable at all difficulty levels. I'm triple gold star on every class, including Gunner since you mentioned preferring seasoned opinions. (I should also mention that Lokimut is the highest level player I know, and Syncourt is another extremely respected veteran.)

[Kao]

Originally posted by Chibbity:

I mean, it's in the name. "Gunner."


You have fantastic offense, some good defense, and poor mobility. You can't have everything.

I think I probably cannot fully see the offense/defense potential in lower difficulties because there's barely any mobs and they get shredded by anyone, but I can already feel the mobility disadvantage because lower difficulties already challenge you with 3D delving. That asymmetry must be why I feel a bit useless for now.

Thanks a lot for your opinions! sounds like gunner is the heavy duty combat role I wanted to play, but it sounds like I have to dig deeper in the content to discover it.

[Phoenix7786]

Don't forget that Ziplines are a source of perma-light and are also very useful as a beacon to keep track of where you've been. Not sure where you came from in a Dense Biome due to how cylindrical the maps are? Use a Zipline to mark where you entered from.

[MisterSpock]

Autocannon and revolver is allmost op. The shield is superusefull and zipline is ok.

[kestrel]

its better to have ziplines and never need them than it is to need them and not have them

besides, there's far more to gunner's job than setting up some cables. i shudder to even think about playing haz5 without his barrier

also the autocannon is the best weapon in the game

[Humphrey]

autocannon with carpet bombing is horde annihilator on high hazards. You can literally stay still and shoot right under you foot into the ground, and everything in 5m radius will die. Yep, maybe its not insta OP like engie and driller, but he has its important role

[Bogan]

He's the strongest character for taking out aliens

[Kao]

Originally posted by kestrel:

its better to have ziplines and never need them than it is to need them and not have them

that I agree. sure love to have 'em in certain situations

[Scrublord]

Shield also has some pretty strong applications, given its effects of providing (relative) safety to the team, as well as repelling mobs out of it and keeping them away. I've thrown them at Bulk Detonators before when defending Salvage Operation points (did it today on Haz 5) which gave us enough time to deal damage and freeze it before death. Didn't even have to move out of the defensive zone, although that would have worked too. Not to mention shields provide safety for when 7-8 Mactera Spawn fly out of nowhere and begin taking your team down. On Hazard 5, their acid shots hit really hard.

Also the whole free revive thing with shields, but you still have to consider its not a complete get out of jail free card. Use one for every downed person on high difficulty missions, and in some matches you may run out quick.

[Ailen]

3 gold stars on all dwarfes. Yes, gunner is pretty useful.
Ziplines has hidden sides, that is not so obvious for a novice players. For example, you can jump in the pit like 70 m high with hover boots, and shoot zipline into the wall, allowing your teammates to get there immediately, as zipline, unlike engies platforms, completely negate all fall damage.
Also it provides constant light, and can be used as a defensive tool, if enemy wave lack of spitting or flying mobs.

[Ailen]

> Engi has aoe, what he doesn't have is sustained firepower, shield, and stuns, which you
have via minigun/autocannon with fear upgrades and/or with neurotoxin payload oc

Engie with BC can do anything and often outnumber gunner on kill score (both small and big bugs) while has better CC (AoE stuns and electrocution). But i think GSG gonna nerf it a bit, sooner or later.

[Kao]

Originally posted by Wiawyr:

and going in with the mentality of "There must be a best class so I only want to play that!" doesn't fit with this game.

not sure you grasped my stance here, but yes playing all classes is useful in all games I agree!

Originally posted by Ailen:

For example, you can jump in the pit like 70 m high with hover boots, and shoot zipline into the wall, allowing your teammates to get there immediately

I gotta try that, that sounds awesome, ty for the tip :D