how do i use the EPC for mining

[Chocolate Carrots]

yes im a noob

[Ailen]

Tier 5 upgrade. Thin Containment Field. You have to shoot your charged shot by basic one in mid air.

[Chibbity]

I'm sure someone will be along to explain it shortly but if you want my advice? Don't.

You'll be using most of your secondary ammo to mine a bunch of stuff the team could have easily mined already via normal methods. (Unless you're a solo Driller?)

It's just a trick for showing off, it's not terribly practical.

[Ailen]

Originally posted by Chibbity:

I'm sure someone will be along to explain it shortly but if you want my advice? Don't.

You'll be using most of your secondary ammo to mine a bunch of stuff the team could have easily mined already via normal methods. (Unless you're a solo Driller?)

It's just a trick for showing off, it's not terribly practical.

Not agree at all. TCF can be used as a weapon and you can balance it out with mining. You don't have to mine all the ores in the caves, just some of them, to spare some time for the team.

[Chibbity]

Tools are for minerals, guns are for combat, ammo isn't interchangeable between the two.

If you have full drill ammo but used up half your EPC ammo mining, you're wasting potential when resupplying.

I'm fairly unimpressed when I see hot dogging Drillers using it excessively, especially when they are accompanied by competent Engi/Scout who could have easily gotten it.

[Jack Nicowlson]

Agreed! It looks cool from distance, but isn't too practical. And surprisingly lots of Drillers are so focused on this shot and oblivious to their surroundings, they don't even realise that in the meantime somebody else is already mining, dealing a lot of damage.

[Ailen]

Originally posted by Chibbity:

Tools are for minerals, guns are for combat, ammo isn't interchangeable between the two.

If you have full drill ammo but used up half your EPC ammo mining, you're wasting potential when resupplying.

I'm fairly unimpressed when I see hot dogging Drillers using it, especially when accompanied by competent Engi/Scout who could have easily gotten it.

TCF mining is MUCH faster then drills. You have 24 shots comparable to engie PLG so you can spend 6 of them to mine out some gold veins or nitra and still has 6 shots for the fight.

Competent TCF driller can mine an entire event room on aquarq like trice faster than competent Engi/Scout combo. I often ended up missions on haz5 with mining score comparable or higher then scout.

[Deadweight]

Worth remembering that you lose out on some minerals by mining with it.

[Chibbity]

You think what you want, use it if you like.

I'm not impressed by it, it's just showing off for newbies as far as I'm concerned, no offense.

Going w/o a bunch of secondary ammo for combat is a negative I'm not going to ever embrace. Also, it means you cant take subata-chan. So, hard pass lol.

[Ailen]

Originally posted by Chibbity:

You think what you want, use it if you like.

I'm not impressed by it, it's just showing off for newbies as far as I'm concerned, no offense.

Going w/o a bunch of secondary ammo for combat is a negative I'm not going to ever embrace.

Im fine that you have your own opinion. Just have my own to share. People tend to underestimate how much time can spare TCF and what it can do as a weapon.

[Devmon]

Originally posted by Chibbity:

Tools are for minerals, guns are for combat, ammo isn't interchangeable between the two.

I can understand where you're coming from, but on the other hand that's the beauty of Deep Rock Galactic's weapons/tools. Gear and be used in so many ways and can be built for different styles of play. Using the Experimental Plasma Charger as a drilling tool that can also fight is not wrong. It's different (and really helpful for getting resources in the ceiling to make efficient use of time and other ammo).

[Cactus-Cat]

I use EPC mining for over 1 year and in my experience it's the strongest EPC build you can have. But it also requires some practice and good timing.
My favourite build is 22112. The best overclock for it is "Heat Pipe", but "Energy Rerouting" is also good.

It has a larger damage radius and a lot more damage than a normal charged shot. (4,5 radius, 240 fire damage)

Charge a shot and release it before the weapons overheats. Then fire a normal shot at it to trigger the implosion.
You can also throw an axe to trigger the combo right in front of you. You can pick up the axe after that.

It doesn't destroy any minerals, but there is a chance that a few chunks will fly far away.

Here is an example video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjRZmyHgaKg

I should really make a new video. The are so many more complex EPC mining tricks that I found and aren't in that video. Things like precise long range mining and variable axe mining distance and height.

[0ptimistPrime (the Gray)]

Originally posted by Ailen:

Tier 5 upgrade. Thin Containment Field. You have to shoot your charged shot by basic one in mid air.

Just in case OP didn't follow:

All you need is the tier-5 Thin Containment Field upgrade for the weapon.
I personally recommend:
2-2-1-1-2

Fire off a charged shot, and then fire a normal projectile at the charged shot as it travels through the air. When the small energy orb hits the big charged one, it'll detonate it.
If the Charged Shot energy orb hits something (and enemy, a wall, etc) then it's not going to detonate correctly. You have to trigger it by hitting it with a Normal Projectile from the EPC.

Here's a video Lokimut made to demonstrate its use:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjRZmyHgaKg


I tend to agree with Chibbity. It can speed up your mining, and it can help get pesky minerals way up on a wall or ceiling that would be annoying to reach otherwise, but mining with the EPC is mostly a flex. I think a group is better suited to have the Driller(s) bring a secondary weapon intended for combat, and let the entire team handle mining in the traditional ways.

While I use it on my driller, I do so because I only play Driller when I'm playing with my friends, and I like to flex on them / be a goof ball :P On the rare occasions that I use Driller in public lobbies, I prefer to bring the Subata for combat-usage.


edit:
Ahhh, Lokimut beat me to the video link!
I also didn't know axes trigger it. Cool!

[Ailen]

Originally posted by Optimist Prime (the Gray):

Originally posted by Ailen:

Tier 5 upgrade. Thin Containment Field. You have to shoot your charged shot by basic one in mid air.

Just in case OP didn't follow:

All you need is the tier-5 Thin Containment Field upgrade for the weapon.
I personally recommend:
2-2-1-1-2

Fire off a charged shot, and then fire a normal projectile at the charged shot as it travels through the air. When the small energy orb hits the big charged one, it'll detonate it.
If the Charged Shot energy orb hits something (and enemy, a wall, etc) then it's not going to detonate correctly. You have to trigger it by hitting it with a Normal Projectile from the EPC.

Here's a video Lokimut made to demonstrate its use:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjRZmyHgaKg


I tend to agree with Chibbity. It can speed up your mining, and it can help get pesky minerals way up on a wall or ceiling that would be annoying to reach otherwise, but mining with the EPC is mostly a flex. I think a group is better suited to have the Driller(s) bring a secondary weapon intended for combat, and let the entire team handle mining in the traditional ways.

While I use it on my driller, I do so because I only play Driller when I'm playing with my friends, and I like to flex on them / be a goof ball :P On the rare occasions that I use Driller in public lobbies, I prefer to bring the Subata for combat-usage.


edit:
Ahhh, Lokimut beat me to the video link! :csdsmile:
I also didn't know axes trigger it. Cool!

What the point to take "heat shield" at level 4? If you a proficient miner you never overheat your gun.

Personally i recommend 22222 and Heat Pipe overclock.

[0ptimistPrime (the Gray)]

Originally posted by Ailen:

What the point to take "heat shield" at level 4? If you a proficient miner you never overheat your gun.

Personally i recommend 22222 and Heat Pipe overclock.

It lets me fire off multiple charged shots in faster succession without overheating. Less waiting for the gun to cool.

If you don't mind just a little bit of waiting, then more ammo is definitely a good choice as well. I just get impatient with my gun :)

[Cactus-Cat]

Originally posted by Ailen:

What the point to take "heat shield" at level 4? If you a proficient miner you never overheat your gun.

The extra ammo doesn't matter if charged shots cost only 4 ammo. I already have frequent ammo overflow in hazard 5.
And the slower overheating makes it easier to use 4+ TCF implosions in a row. This is especially useful against bombers and it makes it a lot easier to excavate a large area around the uplink in salvage operations.