Thoughts on GL-21 Grenade Launcher

[yourcomrade]

The old nade launcher has grown on me since the recent escalation of nerfs. Here are my humble thoughts on this weapon's performance on Terminid missions, and how it can be hopefully improved by devs.

At first glance, Grenade Launcher might seem like a crowd-control weapon to mow down lighter targets, or a tool to close bug holes, but those roles can be equally or better served by offensive stratagems, MGs, incendiary shotguns and nade pistol, making few players pick the launcher on higher difficulties.

For me, destroying tougher targets is where the launcher shines. It can kill hive guards, stalkers and nursing spewers in 2 shots, and armored bile spewers in 2-3 shots.

For ordinary commanders, 2 direct hits at the torso or head can instantly lay the target down, avoiding the trouble of being chased by a headless abomination. The new alpha commanders are a bit tougher, but can also be destroyed with 3 direct hits.

Some might say MG and HMG have better dps and ammo capacity, but the launcher's ability to reload while moving gives it much better mobility, and doesn't rely so heavily on the wielder's ability to aim for the head. Let alone its bughole-closing function.

The launcher can also semi-reliably deal with chargers and bile titans.

3 direct hits can destroy a charger's tail, starting fatal bleeding and making it unable to charge. Beware that only the orange, unarmored part of the tail takes full damage from the attacks, you'll notice it when a satisfying red cross appears when you hit the target.

2 hits at a bile titan's belly sack can demolish it and prevent the BT from performing ranged attacks, making it an easier target for stratagems like 500KG and orbital precisions.

The only downside of this weapon is its ammo capacity. 31 nades are barely enough to handle a single bug breach on difficulty 7. But this can be mitigated by carrying a supply pack, which gives you not only ammunition, but also a more-than-generous amount of stims and stun grenades, granting superb firepower and survivability.

Pair these with an incendiary breaker, bushwacker, orbital precision and 500KG, and you can basically handle any threats in dif 7+ missions. (You don't really need any anti-horde stratagems in this build, a well-fed breaker and grenade launcher can serve you much better than gatlings, napalm and cluster bombs)

To me, the good old nade launcher is quite balanced currently, with great firepower and a small but manageable ammo capacity.

What this weapon needs could be an alternative firing mode. Multiple times have I got killed by a nade bouncing off a stupid warrior's skull. If players could switch the nades' fuzes and make them explode on contact, regardless of the distance or surface, this weapon can be much more versatile and fun to use.

Please let me know your thoughts on GL-21, and whether there are some other support weapons worth trying after the recent update.

[CloversDrop]

GL + Supply Backpack.
Hit 5 to resupply yourself.

[Lemonidas of Sourta]

Sure but nades launched have an unfortunate tendency to bounce off of armored parts or the terrain sometimes and go flying elsewhere only to probably insta-gib a teammate or two. In this post-nerf-broken-spawn hellscape, I'd rather not add to the teamkilling variables. But good on you if you like it.

[DaS]

+ to the changeable fusing idea to avoid the bouncing, or a sticky option

[gothicpando]

...Sounds like too much fun...AH better nerf it just in case...

[Mahjik]

As with a majority of the weapons, it's understanding the weapon's benefits and weakness; and then how you flush out the rest of the build to maximize/minimize those. GL is going to be weak on the Heavy enemies. Having stratagems to deal with the heavies and having a team that also has 'some' stratagems for heavies makes the build very usable at any level.

Heck, if any of the folks here have watched Doom721's YT channel, he's level 150 and most of his friends are 90 or above. They run all sorts of "non-meta" loadouts on D9 & D10. I say both as they have been doing this for a while before D10 was available. They demonstrate more about how you use the loadout rather than the individual choices themselves.

[yourcomrade]

Helldivers™ 2 a écrit :

It's not anti tank so to me it might as well not exist. If you take this you rely only on call down stratagems to kill chargers and titans

It can't threaten a charger from the front, yes. But you can lob a stun nade when you face its rear, fire three nades at its tail, and then it's as good as dead. I kill most chargers with this combo, and reserve stratagems for BTs and impalers.
It's definitely not as effective as rockets in anti-tank scenarios, but you can still hold your own facing heavily armored foes.

[StaunchStache]

It's pretty funny to see people suddenly discover good weapons that were there the whole time.

The GL + supply pack combo has been the core of one of my staple loadouts for a while now.

Pair it with anti-titan stratagems and any primary that tends to run out of ammo quickly, and you're set.

And you can resupply your launcher-wielding teammates so they can blow up objectives from afar without running out.

[Inardesco]

yourcomrade a écrit :

Overpowered weapon

It's OP cuz it can kill chargers in 3 shots.

'Nuff said.

Nerf incoming reducing damage by 150, increases spread by 50%, recoil also upped with 25, lowered mag count by 2 and decreased mag size by 5.

[remiel]

Im sorry but weapon that needs two slots is not a good one.

[Madjar]

I never understand why people think removing the bile titan's ranged attack is a good thing, all it does is make the bug harder to kill with an OS
The bile titan's melee attacks hit in an area larger than it should and makes every situation worse

[Koala 4peace]

The GL is a good all-rounder in both fronts. Thus is not as good as the "meta" weapons in each front, but it is still very useful. And with practice you can clean light and medium armored enemy groups from quite the distance, being also able to destroy bugholes and fabricators.

[Koala 4peace]

Helldivers™ 2 a écrit :

It's not anti tank so to me it might as well not exist. If you take this you rely only on call down stratagems to kill chargers and titans

Or teammates. I'm quite sure that the idea is not diving with 4 GLs.

[Dahak]

Works great for bots too. Shreds devastator hordes and scout walkers.

[Koala 4peace]

Dahak a écrit :

Works great for bots too. Shreds devastator hordes and scout walkers.

And destroy turrets, both on towers and tanks if you hit the side. Three shots each.

[yourcomrade]

Madjar a écrit :

I never understand why people think removing the bile titan's ranged attack is a good thing, all it does is make the bug harder to kill with an OS
The bile titan's melee attacks hit in an area larger than it should and makes every situation worse

For me, BTs' melee attacks are less annoying as it doesn't slow you down. I always run to my right side when a BT is about to stomp on me, it works every time and keeps the bug still so that a 380 precision can hit it directly.