The Gauss Rifle

The most underrated weapon in all S4. Ignored and forgotten, in the right hands this weapon can surprise and shock.
Unlike the SMGs or the Semi-Rifle, the usually picked alternatives, the Gauss has a few unique abilities.

First it’s the only automatic weapon capable of firing single shots (the SMG and the Semi both fire 4 round bursts and the HMG is fully automatic) offering greater control.

Second, it’s the only automatic weapon capable of pin point accuracy and with no horizontal spread. The only spread this weapon has is vertical, resetting every 5 shots or when the user stops shooting. The first shot is dead-on, the second and third shots are marginally higher (not enough to make much of a difference at most ranges) and only the fourth and fifth shots loose accuracy.

And third, it has the second highest damage per bullet of all the automatic weapons (HMG having the highest). 16 damage per shot and 40 damage per critical shot (headshot). Not bad.

Why it’s hated.

I started by mentioning that this is THE weapon nobody wants to use, generally picking the SMG or the Semi over it. The reasons are simple. While statistically it is a very impressive weapon, it comes with a few handicaps that make it hard to use. It’s the kind of weapon that only pays off after you master it, or at very least learn its ropes fairly well. While the lack of horizontal spread makes it excellent for ranged shooting, it makes spraying at close range nearly impossible. The actual vertical spread is also an issue. While the first 3 bullets are pretty much dead-on, the last 2 bullets of the 5 bullet pattern are considerably off target, making fully-automatic fire inefficient. It’s better to fire in 3 bullet bursts, which drops its potential DPS (damage per second) considerably. It also does not possess a zooming feature (like the Semi) and forces it’s user to walk while shooting (much like the HMG). In essence, most people get better results out of the SMGs at close-medium range, and of the Semi at medium-long range.

Why it can actually be awesome.

As mentioned before this is a weapon that relies almost fully on user skill. If aimed correctly, this is a weapon that can pull 72 damage in a single 3-shot-burst (chest>chest>head) at extremely long ranges, and over 120 damage in the same 3-shot-burst at close range (head>head>head). Due to its vertical spread, it’s also incredibly easy to “accidentally” hit criticals, especially at long ranges while aiming at the chest. Once mastered, this is the kind of weapon that’ll perform just as good at any given distance, effectively allowing it’s user to fight at any range. In essence, this weapon is a mix of the Semi and the HMG.

Strategies.

Use and abuse the “pattern reset” function. Remember, every time you stop firing the weapon’s pattern resets to its original pin-point shot. If we consider the first 3 shots are almost dead on, firing in 3-shot-bursts basically grants the user almost perfect accuracy (the 4th shot can be also be used while at close ranges). So, fire in 3 shot bursts (2 at really long distances), and use the “in-between bursts” to dodge if necessary, as the sudden change of speed (walking->dodge roll->walking->ad nauseam) tends to throw opponents off. At close ranges aim straight at the head or upper chest, and the further way the lower into the chest you should aim, this assures that at least one of the bullets gets a critical hit, while the other/s get a normal hit.

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But most of all, remember to not give up at first, as the Gauss Rifle only starts shining after much use.

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