Double Barrel Shotgun in Ark Survial Evolved

The Double Barrel Shotgun in Ark Survival Evolved and its dlc's is one of the coolest weapons in the game, but not necessarily the most useful.  I like to use it for its fun factor rather than its utility.  The utility comes into play though in close quarters combat, even at medium range its power fades to poor.  However, when it's in your enemy's face it is the most powerful gun in the game.  It does 630 damage if all the 10 pellets land on target, truly devastating.  The two barrels fire in rapid succession, but the reload is long.  If your target is very dangerous make sure you can take it out in two shots, or you've got room to run after. 

The double barrel shotgun is crafted in the smithy and requires:

• 80 metal ingots
• 20 wood
• 25 hide

It's not too expensive at all.  However, the shotgun shells really start to add up if you use it a lot.  They require

• 3 -  simple bullets
• 1 - metal ingot
• 3 - gun powder

The double barrel shotgun is a lot of fun in Ark Survival Evolved and Ark Scorched Earth, it might save your life.

Weird M26 Shotguns: Battlefield 4

The cray bulky M26 Shotgun attached

to the C-805 assault rifle in Battlefield 4.

The under barrel M26 Mass and the resto of the M26 shotguns are a ridiculous set of stand alone, or under barrel assault rifle attachments for the assault class.  In Battlefield 4 they may have some advantages, but real life I can’t imagine the use of these things, but this is a video game, so let’s take a look at their usage in game.  I think these weapons are silly, but that doesn’t mean they can be used to good effect in the game if you use them wisely.

The M26 can be attached to the bottom of an assault rifle.  The main advantage of this is switching from primary to shotgun takes less time.  The disadvantage of having the M26 attached to the gun it takes the place of a grip on the assault rifle, not having a grip may make you less accurate.  A lot of people with just run with the M26 as a separate weapon.  Either way this shotgun takes up one of your toolkit slots.

As a straight up shotgun the M26 has its draw backs.  There are a lack of barrel options.  There is no option to have modified, full chokes.  There are no grip options for the shotgun either.  This lack of accessories makes the M26 shotgun less functional than regular BF4 shotguns. 

M26 kill shot

M26 Mass

The M26 Mass fires buckshot just like any other shotgun can in Battlefield 4. This shotgun seems to be as effective as the average BF4 shotgun.

M26 Dart

This shoots flechette rounds, which are small darts.  In game the M26 Dart will do more damage at range than buckshot.  I prefer the buckshot, but the darts are very effective. 

M26 Frag

This shotgun shoots exploding frag rounds.  Essentially a frag round is a tiny grenade.  Frag rounds are useful to do splash damage against enemies that are behind cover.  Shoot the frag rounds on the ground next to them and they will get splash damage.  It will take several rounds to kill most opponents, depending on weather they have already taken damage.  I think this is the most useful version of the M26 shotgun.  Having the ability to kill hiding enemies is a great asset to any soldier.  In real life frag rounds are probably useless and inhumane. 

Exploding frag round - M26 Frag

M26 Slug

Why would you use this unless you ran out of ammo in your primary weapon?  Any assault rifle is better at any range when compared to a shotgun slug.  Sure the slug has more damage potential at close range, but I’ll take the ability to spit bullets down range over the slow pump action shotgun any day.  I don’t like shotgun slugs in real life either, although they are devastating at close range, they lose velocity quickly and drop like a stone. 

Real World Uselessness

The M26 shotguns are incredibly bulky and would be a huge pain in the ass to carry around.  It would also add a lot of weight which slows down how fast you can move a gun up to your shoulder and acquire a target.  To a real soldier I think this gun would be a major liability.  I don’t think anyone would use these shotguns by themselves either.  There are just so many better standalone pump action shotguns like the 870.  On the gun range it would be kind of a neat and expensive “toy.”  I suppose for the hunter it could open up your options for the quarry your after just like combination guns do, but the bulkiness and weight would make using it a chore, and the weapons they attach to aren’t really used for hunting anyway. 

M26 Mass shotgun killing the enemy. 

RPG and SMAW Rocket Launchers – Battlefield 4

A SMAW rocket launcher in mid reload while an

attack chopper explodes in Battlefield 4.

The RPG and SMAW are similar rocket launchers in Battlefield 4 because they both are dumb fire, meaning they have no guidance system of any kind, unlike the, javelin and the LBT LAW. The RPG and SMAW also have iron sights with no option of magnification, making sighting your target a little more difficult at longer ranges.  Like all rocket launchers, they are only available to the engineer class.

Both weapons are suitable for taking out land air and sea vehicles, as well as infantry, buildings and cover.  They require a great deal more skill than other rockets, except for the SRAW because of drop and the leading required with moving targets.  However, there are those like the YouTuber matimi0 that use the manually guided SRAW with amazing skill.  Helicopters are very difficult to take out compared to land vehicles, because of their unpredictable movements.  Luckily, a hit to the rotating blades as well as the body will blow up a helicopter.  Being able to hit a jet mostly comes down to luck. 

When using either of these two rockets against armor try to get behind and shoot it in the back. Tanks, LAVs and other vehicles have the least armor in the back so the rockets will do more damage.  I occasionally use rockets in conjunction with SLAMs because it gives me a one shot kill.  When taking out infantry in buildings it is helpful to shoot the ceiling, or floor, depending on your angle of view, to get splash damage even when there is no direct shot. 

RPG

The RPG, or rocket propelled grenade is made by a number of nations.  It is iconic and easy to recognize because the bulbous warhead sticks out of the front end of the launcher. The RPG is the most powerful shoulder fired rocket in BF4, and it takes the most skill to use, because it also has the most drop of all the rockets. 

SMAW

The SMAW is easier to use than the RPG, because it has less drop, but does a bit less damage.  Currently the SMAW is my favorite of the two, just because I am just better with it.  However, I’m working on improving my RPG skills, and if I get good I’ll switch over to it since it is the most powerful rocket launcher in Battlefield 4.  It may sound stupid, but I also think the sound the RPG makes, and its reload animation are pretty cool.

Bad Battlefield 1 Weapon Balance?

More details about Battlefield 1 continue to trickle in after the official announcement and trailer made their debut a few days ago.  One of the details that has come down has me a little concerned from a historical perspective rather than gameplay, and that is lack of information about bolt action rifles.  We know that there will be bolt action sniper rifles with telescopic optics, and those were certainly commonly used on the front lines of WW I.  However, there is no other mention of them in all the talk that I have heard on YouTube and read.  Bolt action rifles with open iron sights were more frequent than any other type of infantry weapon.  I would imagine that 99% of the primary weapons in the Great War were of this type.  Yet I have heard that the classes will work this way.

1. Medic - Semi-automatic rifle
2. Assault - Submachine guns
3. Support - Light Machine Guns
4. Scout (recon BF4) - Scoped bolt action rifles

• Semiautomatic rifles in WW I were very scarce as well because of their complexity and unreliability.
• In World War One the submachine gun (smg) was in its infancy and saw very little use on the battlefield.  The standard infantry rifle of the German army, the Gewehr 98 (G98, M98) had a production run of 5,000,000 1898-1918 (note: many were contracted to other countries).  In contrast the MP18 submachine gun did not reach full production until 1918 and only about 5,000 were produced, and saw action at the very end of the war. 

• The light machine gun (lmg) like the British Vickers gun would be very difficult to impossible use standing up against the shoulder for any period of time because its minimum weight was 33 lbs (15 kg)  Today the M60 machinegun is bad enough and weighs in at 23 lbs (10.5 kg). 

• Scoped Sniper Rifles were uncommon, but not rare, and very similar to their modern counterparts

• There was also mention of shotguns, which were uncommon compared to long rifles, but that doesn't trouble me. 

The No. 1 MK III Lee Enfield bolt action rifle was the main
infantry weapon of the British Army in World War I.

Because of the lack of discussion of bolt action rifles I'm worried that the historical infantry weapon balance will be way off.  I now this all speculation at this point, but I'm still concerned. What Dice may end up creating is an elite group of soldiers set in 1918.  I think that would be too bad from a historical, but it still can make a fantastic game.   For instance, in BF4 the number of aircraft and armor to the number of infantry is completely wrong, and it is an amazing game.  As primarily an infantry player I would like to see the number reduce, but I am satisfied with the current gameplay. 

I can see why DICE may have reduced the bolt actions role in the game.  Turn bolts are harder to use because of their low rate of fire.  To be successful against any enemy your aim as well as you tactics must be very good.  The big old clunky guns are less sexy then the massive firepower of the lmg, or somewhat steampunk looking smgs.  For those that decide to use a Mauser 98 or a Lee Enfield No. 1 Mk3 I hope they do an incredible amount of damage to make up for their slow fire rates.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this all plays out in the reality of the game.  DICE just have made the bolt action rifle a side note compared to all the other rifles because they are less cool.  I like the big old long guns a great deal, but on the video game battlefield they wouldn't be my first choice.

Production numbers were taken from Wikipedia.  My professors would not be proud...

M2 SLAM Landmine Guide - Battlefield 4

The M2 SLAM (Selectable Lightweight Attack Munition) is a land mine that only works against vehicles and there are several strategies in their use in Battlefield 4 that I would like to share to help you successfully use them.  Before the tips I would like to clarify something about their description in Battllog which is rather vague. 

M2 SLAM “Selectable Lightweight Attack Munition usable as either an off-route Anti-Tank mine or a traditional land mine. Blast damage is less than the M15, but is still capable of a Mobility Critical on heavily armored vehicles.”

The slam only does not work against infantry, only vehicles.  You are given an inventory of three slams, but you can only deploy three slams at a time unless you use the ant-tank field perk and work your way up the field upgrades, which will also allow you to have more in your inventory.    

SLAMs are sticky.

Sticking a M2 SLAM mine onto a tank in Battlefield 4

The most unique feature of the slams is they can be stuck to the sides of buildings, fences, rocks etc.  When deployed in this fashion they are very difficult to spot by the enemy making it likely they will do some serious damage.

You can also stick slams to unoccupied vehicles.  When an enemy takes off in them they will detonate and either destroy or seriously damage a tank. 

Using SLAMs like c4

SLAMs stick to vehicles in BF4, so you can use them a lot like c4.  Toss three slams on a tank and run away.  As soon as the tank achieves a certain speed the slams will detonate and destroy the tank.  i like to use this in combination with rockets  like the MBT-LAW.  It can take 4 or more rockets to destroy a healthy tank, and if you are attacking alone is more than likely you’ll be killed before you can get enough rockets into it.  If your close enough to the tank you can run up to it, stick on some slams run a short distance, turn and fire a rocket into the area with the slams and boom, dead tank.   

SLAMs work in water

Tossing a M2 SLAM into the shallow water of a Naval Strike map

to take out attack boats, and jet skis

Slams will work against boats when placed on them like c4, but they will also work when placed in shallow water.  I’m not sure if their damage is reduced in the water, it seems to be, but I’ve sunk a number of attack boats, rib boats and pwc doing this.  Place the slams in places where boats are likely to travel, between islands, or next to objectives on conquest maps.  There the boats will get in close to capture the flag, and get a nasty surprise.  There are also other places where boats travel in channels and slams can be stuck to the side.

SLAMs can work in combination with anti-tank mines

Slams are not quite as powerful as anti-tank mines, but you can use the two together to increase the likelihood of getting kills with mines.  Just out of site put down a slam, say in a shrub or on the wall then place down an antitank mine.  The slam will detonate when a vehicle gets nearby and then set off the antitank mine which is also hidden.

SLAMs can be used with claymores

You can use slams to make what I call an atomic claymore.  Place down a claymore, and then put the slams nearby in a loose cluster or line.  If the infantry that sets off the claymore has a bunch of friends nearby you’re going to get a multi-kill.    Well you’ll only get a multi-kill if you set the slams as an engineer and come back as a recon or support player and place the claymore.  If you’re in communication with teammates the you can work together to make an atomic claymore.  These aren’t really very tactical, just a fun sort of thing to do.  

Hide SLAMs

Since the slam detects motion within a certain range they don’t have to be put directly where the tank will run.  This is a great feature over the anti-tank mine, because anti-tank mines are easy to spot in the road if you’re paying attention.  On a narrow road you can place a slam next to a rock or in a shrub, a driver is very unlikely to see it lying there.

Throw a SLAM

The anti-tank mine has to be place directly in front of the engineer laying down.  The slam can be tosses a short distance.  A slam can be tossed in the path of oncoming jeeps and tanks from a building.  They can also be dropped from a helicopter.  The helicopter drop is very difficult to attack a specific target, but slams can be sprinkled throughout the battlefield to do damage.

Slams can be very useful to the engineer class in Battlefield 4, but like claymores and anti-tank and anti-aircraft mines they take patience.  One thing I like to do at the start of the match is to lay down mines, when I die I respawn as an engineer equipped a repair tool and rocket launcher.  The mines will stay there for the rest of the match until they are triggered by a vehicle, or found and destroyed by the enemy.  Give slams a try in BF4and see if you get lucky.  Happy tank trapping. 

The M2 SLAM was once considered OP because they did a lot of damage, you could attach friendly slams to a jeep of bike and drive close to a tank and set them off destroying the tank, and they glitched into the ground, which sometimes made them impossible to spot.  However, the M2 SLAM has been nerfed., and “fixed” those problems.  The SLAM is now less of a problem for tanks, three wont destroy one unless it is already damaged.  This landmine remains very deadly to unarmored vehicles like tanks snowmobiles and quadbikes. 

Learning to Remember Your Pistol: Battlefield 4

Muzzle flash of the M412 REX revolver in Battlefield 4

If you’re just beginning in the Battlefield series of games you’ve quickly realized there are a dozen main skills to master, and perhaps hundreds of lesser skills that still important.  It it’s difficult to impossible to work on even half of them at one time. So I’ve been working on concentrating on one or two during a match.  One of those skills I need to work on is really obvious, but you still need to consciously think about it in order to become a better player.  

The skill I am focusing on today is drawing my secondary weapon when needed.  I know it’s obvious, but when you are using a primary weapon 95% of the time it’s easy to forget the side arm in the beginning.  First off the main reasons to use a side arm are when your primary magazine is empty or very low and there are enemies in close proximity.   You need the side arm to take out these guys before they kill you.  Another reason to use the side arm is to take out unsuspecting players lying prone and vulnerable to attack.  This saves ammunition in the primary, and if you have a silenced pistol, you’ll stay off the mini-map.  The third main reason is you completely run out of ammo for the primary and need a means  defending yourself until you can pick up a weapon or find a support class to refill your supply.

So how do I go about concentrating on using a secondary weapon?  Well I’ve devised a few ways that will help, not every method will help everyone, but I hope you find one of these helps you.  

1. Play as a sniper with a bolt action.  If you do, you’ll quickly and instinctively start drawing your pistol anytime you head into a building or area with lots of cover where enemies can hide.  If you don’t you’ll be very unlikely to win many firefights in close quarters with a bolt action rifle.  I find this to be the best method for myself, and it seems to rub off when I play the other classes.  
2. Spend at least one match thinking about your side arm.   It sounds dumb, but just focusing on one aspect of gameplay in a match or series of matches will begin to stay with you and become second nature. Put a post-it note on your screen that says pistol.  
3. The next are sort of companions to #2.  As soon as you run out of ammo in your primary switch to your secondary, run through one magazine in it and switch back.  You could run a whole match with a pistol on a regular server, but you’ll be outgunned the whole time, especially if you are a novice, and you will find it very frustrating.

So there are a few tips, I hope you have found them helpful I know I have while I’m working my way up through the ranks in Battlefield 4.  Also remember if you never use your pistol you won’t unlock new pistols, or attachments that might better fit your play style. Not to mention you worked hard to complete those funky assignments so you could unlock the SW40, Unica, and Deagle.

The G18 pistol outfitted with a suppressor, a Battlefield 4 favorite pistol.

Unlocking the RPK-74m In Battlefield 4

The RPK-74m is a cool weapon, but not because it is the best at anything, or the sum of its parts make it exceptional.

The RPK-74m is cool because it one of the few weapons in the game with a wood stock, and I like traditional weapons.  Because of its wooden furniture it looks more like a traditional AK-47.  I'm not sure why there are no AK-47s in Battlefield 4.  The AK-47 is one of the most widely used guns in the world, and that will continue for many decades. 

The RPK-74 isn't really much of a light machine gun in the game.   It is really just an assault rifle for the support class, but an assault rifle with a large 40+1 round magazine.  It pretty low rate of fire at 600 rounds per minute.  One nice thing about this gun in the game is the iron sights.  The front post is thin and really helps line up long range shots.  

Unlocking the SW40 Pistol in Battlefield 4

The SW40 pistol in Battlefield 4 is patterned after the real Chiappa Rhino is easy to unlock, and many have probably done it by accident.  To unlock the revolver you need to complete the Curve Ball assignment.  To do so kill ten enemies with impact grenades, and that's it.

 Once you completed the assignment you will be rewarded with a strange looking gun that has similar stats as the REX.  Both SW40 and the Rex do the same amount of damage, and have other similar stats. 

Unlocking the MTAR 21 Carbine in Battlefield 4

In order to unlock the MTAR 21- Carbine in Battlefield 4 you need to complete the Multi Talent Assignment.  The requirements for completing it are:

Reach Rank 10

Have the China Rising DLC

Then in one round you must get

A kill with a sniper rifle, light machine gun, assault rifle and a grenade.

The first three kill requirements aren’t hard to do, even though I am a bad sniper.  However getting a grenade kill is not always easy to do.  There is a lot of luck in the grenade.  The best bet is to go to a level where there are often a concentration of enemies, and hope some have already taken damage.   Operation Locker of Metro are good examples.  The next tip if you are waiting to get a grenade kill is to run as the support class so you can replenish your supply of grenades, even though it can take some time. 

After you have completed the Multi Talent Assignment, you will be rewarded with a digital version of the Israeli made MTAR – 21 carbine.  This carbine has a fast rate of fire, blasting away at a rate of 900 rounds per minute.  That statistic alone makes it a great close quarter combat weapon in game, but its other stats make it a poor choice for medium to long range.