Deployment checklist
Your next steps
- Pick Sickle for heat-managed light-enemy fire.
- Use One-Two when rifle and grenade roles both matter.
- Revisit Trident after its 7.1.0 recoil correction.
- Use Blitzer where close-range crowd pressure is the problem.
- Cover Evictor reloads with a rapid-fire support weapon.
- Choose a heavy-response Stratagem before finalizing the primary.
S, A and B tiers: weapons and unlocks
S means an easy starting pick for its stated role, A means a useful specialist with a range or safety tradeoff, and B means a specialist needing more reload or squad cover. The tiers describe role fit rather than measured damage-per-second. Pick the row that covers your missing job; the highest tier cannot replace a separate response to heavy armor.
| Tier / weapon | Best job | Unlock | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| S · LAS-16 Sickle | Sustained light-enemy rifle fire | Cutting Edge | Manage heat; reserve a heavy tool. |
| S · AR/GL-21 One-Two | Rifle fire plus clustered targets | Python Commandos | Track separate grenade ammunition. |
| S · Trident (LAS-13) | Close-pressure laser fire | Siege Breakers | Use it for the close role; cover distant threats. |
| A · ARC-12 Blitzer | Close-range multiple-target pressure | Cutting Edge | Leave a clear arc lane away from allies. |
| A · SG-8P Punisher Plasma | Explosive crowd utility | Cutting Edge | Keep blast room around teammates. |
| A · AR-11 Arbitrator | Rifle with emergency shotgun utility | Ironclad Democracy | New hybrid choice; keep heavy response elsewhere. |
| B · GL-15 Evictor | Methodical explosive primary fire | Ironclad Democracy | Individual reloads need cover and a fast backup. |
Three starting picks for each faction
Use these shortlists to decide the primary slot, then select support for the targets that remain. Long Automaton firing lanes favor a rifle option, close Terminid pressure makes Blitzer or Trident easier to assign, and Illuminate squads benefit from keeping routine crowd fire separate from priority-target tools.
| Faction | Three primary options | Pair with |
|---|---|---|
| Automatons | Sickle / One-Two / Arbitrator | Recoilless Rifle or Autocannon plus a precision strike. |
| Terminids | Blitzer / Sickle / Trident | Anti-tank for heavy targets; an explosive sidearm for utility. |
| Illuminate | Sickle / Punisher Plasma / One-Two | A rapid-fire support tool or a focused heavy tool, according to squad coverage. |
Which sidearm complements the primary?
GP-31 Grenade Pistol from Democratic Detonation supplies explosive utility beside Sickle or Blitzer. LAS-7 Dagger from Cutting Edge gives a non-explosive laser option beside Evictor or Punisher Plasma. P-34 Breacher from Ironclad Democracy adds sticky explosive utility beside a conventional rifle. Carry a separate heavy-response tool rather than expecting a utility sidearm to clear every armored target.
What changed for Trident and One-Two?
7.1.0 reduced Trident vertical climb recoil from 12 to 2, correcting an unintended change. One-Two grenade ammunition increased from 2 to 3 at start, from 3 to 5 spare, and from 3 to 5 on refill. The practical decision is to revisit Trident if climb recoil was your obstacle, and to use One-Two’s grenade function more freely for groups without replacing the rifle role. 7.1.1 then fixed two crash cases; it did not publish another weapon-balance table.
Choose with your unlocks and squad in mind
If you own Cutting Edge, start with Sickle or Blitzer instead of buying a new catalogue just to copy a loadout. If you own Python Commandos, One-Two already combines rifle and grenade jobs. Buy Ironclad Democracy when Arbitrator or Evictor changes a role you actually want to play. On defense, pair a reload-dependent primary with someone who can keep firing; on moving objectives, avoid four players bringing the same narrow heavy tool.