Current loadouts for high level/difficulty squads

[Chaingun]

Interested in other opinions. In my experience, mobile (attack) missions work best with the 500kg and targeted orbitals like the railcannon and laser. Not only are 120 and 360mm worthless, they're dangerous and kill squadmates as much as enemies. Effective teams use shield generating backpacks and railguns for all in my experience. I'm a huge hater of the laser Guard Dog. I'm typically loaded out with the Orbital Laser, Eagle Airstrike, Shield Generator Pack and Railgun.

For defense missions, targeted orbitals only and usually mortars. Most of the better squads I've seen skip backpacks in favor or more air assistance, but sometimes still take a railgun for when the bile titans show up. I usually go Eagle Cluster Bombs, Eagle Airstrike, Mortar Sentry and Railgun. When I see someone with stuff like 120/360mms, and the Guard Dog, I usually bail on loadup or ask them to re-equip.

What effective loadouts are other folks seeing on good squads?

[ConnieCooks22]

I also use Orbital Laser, Eagle Airstrike, Shield Generator Pack and Railgun. But sometimes I swap the rail for a grenade launcher. Good to literally get around medium armor with splash damage and crowd control. Can also switch shield pack for ammo to just multi-mag dump. You're basically a mortar at that point.

And your're right 120 and 360mm suck big time.
I stick to Airstrike cause blows up buildings and holes. Sometimes I stick to clusters alot. I love having 5 and the call in is so quick.

[Porkwhitemeat]

Airstrike, rail cannon, rover, EAT's

Airstrike rail cannon, railgun, Rover/ammo

Airstrike, rail cannon, recoiless, orbital lazer

[MagikarpMagi]

The barrages aren't great. They rarely kill 50% of what you want them to, and often 50% of your team.

Eagle airstrike + orbital laser or rail cannon just seems like the best choices for most situations. Eagle for groups, holes and factories, and heavies in a pinch. Orbital for the biggest of boys... although lately I've come to prefer the rail cannon over the laser for the unlimited shots.

Eagle Cluster imo can be sidelined with the barrages... the airstrike just outclasses it and kills your teammates less often. The up-time is of course nice if you forgo heavy killers and just bring both.

[Botji]

For bugs I think people should experiment more with EMS and gas, with how long the breaches last on higher difficulties you pretty much have these available when they happen and while they are somewhat meh against the larger stuff the gas significantly reduce the amount of filler enemies while the EMS does work against Chargers and all the other tougher mid sized bugs.

Ofc everyone shouldnt bring these but one or maybe even two works well.

A single airstrike or w/e near the end of the EMS effect can wipe out a undemocratic high number of enemies or a 500kg wiping multiple Chargers just standing there... not to mention how easy it is to kill the Chargers with railguns when they are stationary or very slowly moving around.

Because that is what you fill your other 2 slots with, Railgun and ammo pack to spread as much liberty to as many as possible(and help supply your teammates in a pinch). It also lets you liberally use grenades on nests if needed.


Against bots I feel there is more freedom in what to bring, even after you unlock Railgun the AMR does amazing work against them and even a few primaries are good enough to handle most things except tanks and turrets.

I do think the 110 missile Eagle is a S++ tier for automatons just for their quick call in and instant removal of tanks/turrets without really having to aim the throw that much and the multiple use before they go on a longer cooldown makes them imo much more value than the orbital railgun.

[Polar Test 53]

i usually run the eagle cluster strike, rail cannon, orb beam, and auto cannon.

AC can actually deal with pretty much everything in game besides some of the heaviest armoured units like bio titan, hulks and tanks if they are facing me. which i would just use the rail cannon and orb beam to deal with relatively quickly. and if those are on CD well most times at least one teammate has a railgun so i kinda leave it up to them.
and i pretty much use the AC as a primary with my actual primary being for getting hunters off of me mostly and my pistol i honestly never have to use.
and cluster eagle strike for if theres just way too many little guys on me. but gotta be carful with its placement as yeah it kills teammates pretty easily. usually only use it while im alone or if there's no one in front of me.

oh and my primary is the knight been liking it quite a bit lately. wish it had a bigger mag size tho. doubling it would be perfect honestly.
the revolver cuz its cool and i never gotta use it lol. it would benefit if you used a speed loader if you used all the shots or just a better/faster reload animation. silly how it restarts completely every time its interrupted.
and i like the default nade. impacts are cool too but the AC kind of functions like an impact with better range and half damage.

[Furia]

Shield, Railgun, + railgun strike/ global laser
you can use Rover instead of shield against Bugs.

[McFuzz]

I run stalwart with plasma rifle.

Stalwart has 750 bullets per calldown and is excellent at mowing down waves of both factions. Plasma rifle has an AOE that armor pierces and kills things like scout walkers from the front. They are a great team.

Airstrike and orbital railcannon will get you out of trouble from heavies / destroy nests/factories.

Shield is usually optimal backpack.

[DebrisHauler]

Emplacement Turret! While it may slow down the pacing of the mission progression, it has a high fun factor if you develop a sixth sense to place the thing well. Lots of fun when a bug breach opens near it. Lots of fun if you can place it with a vantage on a huge bug nest to give top cover to teammates running around plugging the holes. It is the only turret that feels safe. As in it won't wipe out your mortar sentries, and it won't kill your teammates because you are in control. Do pair it up with a mortar sentry and/or the big shield ball to commit to the play-style of emplacing into strategic positions that will support your team. Think of setting up in a place to suppress a large objective on a side that your future route will double back through later to give it a second use. And remember to step off to kite any chargers tangentially away from the thing.

[DebrisHauler]

Originally posted by Botji:

For bugs I think people should experiment more with EMS and gas, with how long the breaches last on higher difficulties you pretty much have these available when they happen and while they are somewhat meh against the larger stuff the gas significantly reduce the amount of filler enemies while the EMS does work against Chargers and all the other tougher mid sized bugs.

Ofc everyone shouldnt bring these but one or maybe even two works well.

A single airstrike or w/e near the end of the EMS effect can wipe out a undemocratic high number of enemies or a 500kg wiping multiple Chargers just standing there... not to mention how easy it is to kill the Chargers with railguns when they are stationary or very slowly moving around.

Because that is what you fill your other 2 slots with, Railgun and ammo pack to spread as much liberty to as many as possible(and help supply your teammates in a pinch). It also lets you liberally use grenades on nests if needed.


Against bots I feel there is more freedom in what to bring, even after you unlock Railgun the AMR does amazing work against them and even a few primaries are good enough to handle most things except tanks and turrets.

I do think the 110 missile Eagle is a S++ tier for automatons just for their quick call in and instant removal of tanks/turrets without really having to aim the throw that much and the multiple use before they go on a longer cooldown makes them imo much more value than the orbital railgun.

gas placed immediately and precisely on a bug breach works wonders.

[JustaGamer]

Originally posted by CritMasterFlex:

The barrages aren't great. They rarely kill 50% of what you want them to, and often 50% of your team.

The reason Barrage sucks so bad because the game has terrible drop off for splash damage. This actually applies to most weapon in the game, Even a 500kg still won't scratch a light mech if it's more than just 20 feet away from the impact point. The reason it's not an issue with airstrike is because most people will place them exactly where they want to hit so drop off radius isn't a big issue. But since barrage are random hit over a large area, the massive drop off make them very much useless.

[BBSon John]

Originally posted by Polar Test 53:

i usually run the eagle cluster strike, rail cannon, orb beam, and auto cannon.

AC can actually deal with pretty much everything in game besides some of the heaviest armoured units like bio titan, hulks and tanks if they are facing me. which i would just use the rail cannon and orb beam to deal with relatively quickly. and if those are on CD well most times at least one teammate has a railgun so i kinda leave it up to them.
and i pretty much use the AC as a primary with my actual primary being for getting hunters off of me mostly and my pistol i honestly never have to use.
and cluster eagle strike for if theres just way too many little guys on me. but gotta be carful with its placement as yeah it kills teammates pretty easily. usually only use it while im alone or if there's no one in front of me.

oh and my primary is the knight been liking it quite a bit lately. wish it had a bigger mag size tho. doubling it would be perfect honestly.
the revolver cuz its cool and i never gotta use it lol. it would benefit if you used a speed loader if you used all the shots or just a better/faster reload animation. silly how it restarts completely every time its interrupted.
and i like the default nade. impacts are cool too but the AC kind of functions like an impact with better range and half damage.

Correction: AC can deal with hulks efficiently from both front (eyehole) and back. It can deal with tanks from the back.

[Jason Eroge]

i hate AC because some people like to spam it on heavy and the bombs just bounce everywhere lol

[Bob]

One guy take 500kg, rest take railcannon. At least 3 take railgun (if not all). 1 guy can prob be a trash clearer dedicated in some way with sentry support, and frankly kind of take whatever.

[BBSon John]

For bugs 45 mins:
Autocannon (objective sniping and killing mediums)
Eagle 500 kg (for bio titans or thinning guards on objectives)
Autocannon turret (to mostly divert aggro and sometimes assist defense objective/extraction)

if teammates have a lot of railgun and railcannon: 180mm orbital to thin out mobs chasing the team or guards on objectives before entering the position.
if teammate have diverse equipments: railcannon for bio titans and persistant chargers.

For bugs search and distroy:
Grenade launcher (for eggs, bugholes, and medium esp. spewers)
Shield backpack (survivability when diving into bases)
Eagle 500 (bio titan, mobs, and sometimes reduce numbers of eggs I need to kill)
orbital 180 barrage (thin out guards on nests, and maybe lucky shot on eggs and bugholes)

For bots:
Autocannon (for sniping objectives and all enemies)
Eagle 110mm rocket (for sniping facilities, objectives and tanks)
Walking orbital barrage (to take out some fabrication facilities in large bases while Eagle can take out the rest. Also good for sniping objectives like air bases, AA guns, mortars, surveillance towers, interference towers and cannon towers. Good at thinning out mobs in and reinforcement from dropships as well)
Autocannon turret (to divert aggro, distract guards on objectives, and defense/extraction)