We need to talk about disposable anti-tank

[lemmonoski]

I get its an early available weapon you can use when you don't have autocannon/rail/spear due to being low level.
Aside from that, is there any reason for it to exist in its current form? It seems a waste since performance is so bad: average damage, single shot and has a 70sec recall cooldown means low level players are gimped, and high level players will never use it.

I suggest it needs something done to make it not terrible. Like one of:
- remove cooldown to maybe 10 sec. Still bad but not ludicrously so. Possible hilarious abuse as a "pod is more useful than the gun" scenario.
- make it a contained multi-shot unit. Think the 4 shot launcher from "Commando". No reloads allowed. 4 shots with a slight per-round delay and throw away.
- Add a secondary effect or exotic ammo option for your limited shot(s)
- Drastically improve flight or explosion stats.
- Maybe scale it by adding functionality once you're over level 20?

Agree? Disagree? Other suggestions for it?

[Nobody watches your TTV]

Originally posted by Tooth:

I consistently choose EAT over almost all the other options on higher difficulties. If a Bile Titan spawns and I'm already carrying one I can kill it with 3 rockets faster than I can reload and I can do it while moving.
Remember grabbing another rocket is faster than reloading.

why can't you do 2 headshots?

[THROBNAR]

Originally posted by Recel:

Originally posted by THROBNAR:

Well it's downhill from there because it's WAY better than the level 20 Spear lmao by a mile

The spear is great... IF you shoot it at stuff from the right range, the right angle, and the stars align and it actually locks on in the first place.

What the EAT 17 has above other options is simply reliability in all aspects.
It's fast cooldown, easy to use and preforms consistently damage wise. It's not the best option, but it has no real quirks to work around and it's almost always there when you need it.
The only thing I'd love is if I could carry both of the EAT-s with me. Would feel a bit less wasteful when you only need one, and a bit less chaotic when you have some trouble getting to its pod. But it's a minor thing either way.

Yeah just a tube with a rocket and breaks armor. If I could get the Spear to work more than 50% of the time I should start buying scratch off tickets.

[lemmonoski]

I just tried it again to make sure I'm not being too harsh...
Could not reliably kill a hive guard in 1 shot to the face?

I dunno. Trying to like it but seems like the only thing keeping it relevant is the recoilless' brutal reload time.

Also, server D/C'd me lol.

[Drax]

Lol you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. EATs are one of the best strategems in the game, they just require some skill to use.

Is this a troll or something...

[John Digger]

All of these early weapon that get throw aside as soon as you unlock higher level weapon is the prove dev don't know how to balance

[Nobody watches your TTV]

Originally posted by ⬆️➡️⬇️⬇️⬇️:

All of these early weapon that get throw aside as soon as you unlock higher level weapon is the prove dev don't know how to balance

except they're not, EAT-17 is still seen at helldive, just not common.

[THROBNAR]

Originally posted by ⬆️➡️⬇️⬇️⬇️:

All of these early weapon that get throw aside as soon as you unlock higher level weapon is the prove dev don't know how to balance

Yeah level 5 has a lot of S tier items. Stupid really. First unlocks in the game

[CharChar]

You get 1 more rocket per minute than the recoilless rifle and it doesn't matter if you lose it. It is better than the RR in every possible way unless cooldown is increased by a debuff.

[asl pls thx]

lol, was just thinking how this is likely to get nerfed next if people figure out how to use it. by far my new favorite support weapon stratagam post railgun nerf.

fast cool down, almost always up when you need it

great against armor (1 shot's charger leg armor)

fast (minimal weapon sway/time to ready/fire)

requires no backpack

useful for difficult outposts where you can't get in close to grenade (struggling on a last bug hole, etc)

1 shot spore spewers/illegal broadcasts at range

creates value in random support weapon spawns due to the way it's used

can stockpile defensively (multiple pods)

shareable (useful when team members use them)

(playing on difficulty 8)

[Nobody watches your TTV]

Originally posted by asl pls thx:

lol, was just thinking how this is likely to get nerfed next if people figure out how to use it. by far my new favorite support weapon stratagam post railgun nerf.

fast cool down, almost always up when you need it

great against armor (1 shot's charger leg armor)

fast (minimal weapon sway/time to ready/fire)

requires no backpack

useful for difficult outposts where you can't get in close to grenade (struggling on a last bug hole, etc)

1 shot spore spewers/illegal broadcasts at range

creates value in random support weapon spawns due to the way it's used

can stockpile defensively (multiple pods)

shareable (useful when team members use them)

(playing on difficulty 8)

well recoilless and autocannon, or even handgrenade, can one shot illegal towers.

it just has too little skill expression; you're hard limited by cooldown rather than how well you keep distance from enemy and find opportunity to reload...etc.

Still probably top tier for most players since they die a lot and might not recover recoilless/backpack.

[Meefreese]

I personally prefer it over thr recoilless. I can call it on demand it feels like, and I can pick up a support weapon or drop with an extra one, then pick it back up when I'm done using the expendible.
Expendible + guard dog + machine gun + minefeild + eagle airstrike feels so good.

[PlazmaBolt]

This post is a prime example that gamers don't understand what balance is or how to apply it to the games they play and it's about the best anti-tank option in the game that eclipses the other options almost completely.

[Death a Barbar]

Needs slight damage boost, and needs to drop more while allowing to carry more. I also think it should be a permanent free stratagem like supplies.

[Lost]

EAT's are literally just for stripping armor on the move, you want damage hit a weakspot.

Mobility is such a key factor in high tier game play reloading is rarely an options for heavy weapons, having a "pop and drop" set up already will help deal with bile titans, chargers, tanks and hulks..

Hulks and Chargers go down in one rocket to a weakspot...

-Leg for charger follow up by light arms fire, or the hind leg while it's charging or after.
-Hulks can be one tapped by hitting center mass of the glowing light or rear vents.
-Bile Titans drop after two headshots.
-Tanks can be dropped by hitting the turret top twice.

Having multiple people carry it only makes your odds higher as you can set FOB's with resupply and rockets to sprint by or fall back on when things pop off.

If you're using the drop pod as a offense.. you're already using it wrong.

The odds of you getting into a group of enemies on higher tier difficulty is suicide.. You NEED to have the EAT's pre set-up at least 50m-100m away this can give you some distance and time to soften targets or crowds while you line up shots.

[Anzaman]

Originally posted by Death a Barbar:

Needs slight damage boost, and needs to drop more while allowing to carry more. I also think it should be a permanent free stratagem like supplies.

After some testing, I gotta agree with the slight damage boost.

Most things seem to be with 1 health after the EAT impact, for example Automaton Tower cannons. Blasted the EAT into it, and I could finish it off with single Slugger shot afterwards.

Also I wouldn't say no to being able to carry 2 and/or having larger supply pod that contains 4 EAT inside it, instead of our current two shots.