Completely agree with the accuracy version of the heavy bolter being the best. Not only does it make stuff easier to hit at range (I'm looking at you, tiny sniping nids at 1k yards), but it makes head shots *a lot* easier. And with head shot damage being what it is, you end up saving a *ton* of ammo (not to mention stuff dies a lot quicker). I'd argue you end up getting more ammo (since it takes fewer shots to kill stuff and fewer misses) with the accuracy version than you do with the extra ammo version.
Sorry for the string of comments, but heavy is my favorite class. : ) I, too, have refused to level the melta. It just trivializes the game too much. But I've gotten to *really* enjoy the plasma incinerator, especially on the Inferno Op. It's like they designed this Op to be paired with the plasma incinerator. There are so many opportunities to drop *uncharged* plasma bombs into dense groups of nids and watch them all explode. Especially during the final segment when you get the swarm that comes in from behind, from either the left or right side. You might as well just have a bunch of explosive barrels coming out of your gun. It's just a blast (sorry for the horrible pun) to play. You can just stand at the ammo crate on the final section and drop bombs up front or behind. Nothing ever even gets close to you. Pull out your plasma pistol should any sneaky sniper get past your initial barrage. The point of all this is that I wasn't a fan of the plasma incinerator, either, but after the patch there have been so many videos about how good it is, I decided to put in the work to take it up to relic tier. I really didn't like the grind much at all, but then a switch flipped, and now I'm using it more than the heavy bolter, which I never thought would happen. I think the key to enjoying the plasma incinerator comes when you realize that you only need the charged shots for majors and above. Uncharged shots STILL HAVE THE SAME AOE as the charged shots (just less damage), and uncharged shots are more than enough to clear ankle biters. So just rapid fire uncharged shots for minors
I love the weapon swap perk for 1 reason - Overheating my main weapon then switching to Plasma Pistol Secondary and either maintaining the heat (and the damage boost) or overheating that too and then switching back to primary gets big things to MELT. With the fact that unless you fuck up Zoanthropes literally cannot hurt you while Iron Halo is up and Neurothropes can only hit you with the close range Scream (I'm not too sure it can hit you through Iron Halo but I wouldn't be surprised) and the Lightning Artillery moves you become a NIGHTMARE to anything with 0 legs and too much brain if IH is off cooldown, which it usually is if you're doing things right.
So I tried a few builds on the heavy plasma. I've found that the only one that makes it playable is straight across the bottom to the projectile speed buff. It makes hitting shots insanely easier. It's a shame it means you can't mess around with the build, but at least it feels better.
@Jesuslordofthedance - Yeah I tried that too; quality of life was better but also came with other deficits, so I chose to tolerate the slower projectile speed 🤷♂️
Just got the game yesterday so i havent been able to test all the weapons a lot but heavy is the second character i played after sniper, and is currently my main, and my favorite weapon is for sure the heavy plasma, honestly didnt care for the multi melta at all, im playing the heavy, not the bulwark, i dont want to be touching the enemies to kill them, but i will try the heavy bolter more, but i doubt i will like it more than the plasma. Started doing the 3rd difficulty at level 4 and was outdamaging the level 25's while taking less damage with the heavy plasma. Now i have played a lot of similar games to this so im not just a random timmy, but i think this speaks to how strong the heavy plasma is even when ridiculously under powered compared to my teammates.
I'll give this combo a shot. I was hesitant about the 30% durability drop because durability was an issue for me on ruthless but as I've gotten better I'm relying less on it
If you run the plasma you don't need extra health cause anything that spawns on you turns into a free armor segement just waiting for you to press execute :). Chaos is cursing the last update for sure, the time it takes them to spawn in with their teleport is perfect for them to appear just when your shot is fully charged and all of them get vaporized or turned red instantly :P
I mean.... Melta has infinite Ammo insane range and 1 shots without the need to charge. You get more range with plasma but it eats a whopping 10 ammo per charged shot which takes a precious second to charge every time to get equal damage to the multi melta.
@@The-Spanish-Inquisition490 I have all weapons on the Heavy maxed out, and im 99% positiv that the Melta does not onetap any Majoris enemies on Ruthless. You need anywhere from 3-5 shots for that. Whereas the Plasma with a fully charged Shot and the perks going along with it will 100% put Majoris enemies into execute stance on a direct hit. 2 Charged shots for Extremis. And as mentioned below, the Plasma requires 5 to 3 ammo, not 10 to 8 like the Pistol. The melta is superior at clearing Minoris but those don't cause any issues anymore since they are also free armor supply, just hit parry between charging once for free bars when you're surrounded.
@@baldsquidgaming that’s exactly what I appreciated. Look, I love SM2 (don’t believe me - I’ve been uploading it like crazy 😆) but I will say that the number of “viable builds” per class does seem to be lacking. It’s early days, the game will continue to add content and increase in depth/complexity but I do think the majority of players are falling into very similar categories in terms of build specializations and perk synergies. Your video directly combats that monotony so I applaud you for that brother ✊ Check out my stuff and lmk if you would be interested in collaborating on a video.
I dont know why people hate heavy plasma, i love it its great at clearing hord groups and when charge 1 or 2 times is almost a one shot for heavy commanders. Also long range when you practice with it is lovely
Personally, I can bother to get it past masterwork tier. It really just feels so tedious to use, that charge time on top of the slow projective speed makes it a pain to kill Majoris since they doge a LOT
I could solo all operations with heavy multimelta I don't even need those two ai allied but heavy bolter can't even finish substantial difficulty reliably 😢
Sadly "overcharge" in core 3 column is only for your melee stomp now if I am to believe what others have told me here on YT :/... hold on... DUDE!!! You are taking "perpetual penetration" on the heavy bolter?!? WHY??!!! It already has piercing 4 and shreds hordes so well that I have serious doubts about the uptime on finding a 5th gaunt lined up behind the 4 you already gibbed (though I suppose it can take a while for the body to clear out of the way). As you can imagine I went for "heavy immunity" instead =) Edit: I also didn't pick "adamant restoration" for the heavy bolter though I find that perk absolutely mandatory for the heavy plasma (headshot damage was too tempting)
@Flakzor123 Different preferences. That headshot dmg node only applies when below 25% hp, and my squaddies tend to walk in front of me often enough that penetration was appealing to preserve the 4 pen. As a general rule the heavy immunity perks reward/encourage poor play imo and I'd rather stop dps to get a perf dodge -> gunstrike than tank a red hit and now have to regen contested.
@@baldsquidgaming good points both of them, Also "heavy hits" refer to the regular hits of enemies that use heavy attacks such as the bonesword warriors for tyranids. The attacks that flash a blue or orange indicator are "special" and will still do their thing so the perk isn't even effective against those but having that perk lets me keep pumping rounds until I see an indicator.
I went for the top row of perks, i almost never miss anymore and if i do, i have 80 shots and charged shots come out almost as fast as a plasma pistol's
3:09 if you dip in and out consistently then would it not be perfect for you to use that perk? How would that perk affect your gameplay if you already do the ONE thing to counter the negative o that perk. In a way we all have to learn to get in and out of that stance to dodge.
@The-Spanish-Inquisition490 - Rather than rely on the internet grapevine of who says it does what, I just tested it. The talent doesn't apply to charged plasma. Some people like it for the stomp; I don't take it. 🤷♂️
Everybody has different preferences; it's absolutely possible to shred with it, I just dislike the playstyle and other options are comparable performance 😉
I am trying to find answers because i don't think anyone bothered to test this lol. Does +Range on melta guns actually do anything? I can tell no difference in effective range or actual beam length on range 1 or range 6
Truth be told I’m not even sure how we’d go about testing this outside of standing incrementally further away than the one warrior at the start of inferno and dying to check the end screen, and idk that I have enough dedication for that. Really want a target dummy.
I think the problem is not the difficulty of the game its the difficulty of the mechanics. After i maxed my first class i went ruthless only from lvl 1 onwards on the other classes. The mechanics are too easy. Make mechanics harder, more hp and more damage for the enemies is not the kind if difficulty these people are looking for. More mechanics please
@@baldsquidgamingi was commenting on a video where a discussion was going on about the difficulty of the game and how it is way too easy for players who played dark souls and elden ring and too hard for some other players
@Erik-cc6oe Oh. Well um...hi. There's punch and pie over there, and uh...don't go upstairs. That's where we keep the Death Company and Power Fist users.
btw i noticed something weird yesterday about the heavy, and thats the bottom skill tree changes the guns hold animation. from grenade launcher to just a rifle
Bulwark is coming, I promise. Still working on him.
Lightning
Extra PSA: the 3rd column first row “increase charged attack damage by 20%” refers to stomp attack, it does not affect plasma weapons at all.
Completely agree with the accuracy version of the heavy bolter being the best. Not only does it make stuff easier to hit at range (I'm looking at you, tiny sniping nids at 1k yards), but it makes head shots *a lot* easier. And with head shot damage being what it is, you end up saving a *ton* of ammo (not to mention stuff dies a lot quicker). I'd argue you end up getting more ammo (since it takes fewer shots to kill stuff and fewer misses) with the accuracy version than you do with the extra ammo version.
Good video. solid info can confirm weapon info from my experience.
Short and concise video. I appreciate how you convey information in a fast rate but still very understandable.
Love the vid. Heavy is my fav class. Thumbs and subs.
Sorry for the string of comments, but heavy is my favorite class. : )
I, too, have refused to level the melta. It just trivializes the game too much. But I've gotten to *really* enjoy the plasma incinerator, especially on the Inferno Op.
It's like they designed this Op to be paired with the plasma incinerator. There are so many opportunities to drop *uncharged* plasma bombs into dense groups of nids and watch them all explode. Especially during the final segment when you get the swarm that comes in from behind, from either the left or right side. You might as well just have a bunch of explosive barrels coming out of your gun. It's just a blast (sorry for the horrible pun) to play.
You can just stand at the ammo crate on the final section and drop bombs up front or behind. Nothing ever even gets close to you. Pull out your plasma pistol should any sneaky sniper get past your initial barrage.
The point of all this is that I wasn't a fan of the plasma incinerator, either, but after the patch there have been so many videos about how good it is, I decided to put in the work to take it up to relic tier. I really didn't like the grind much at all, but then a switch flipped, and now I'm using it more than the heavy bolter, which I never thought would happen.
I think the key to enjoying the plasma incinerator comes when you realize that you only need the charged shots for majors and above. Uncharged shots STILL HAVE THE SAME AOE as the charged shots (just less damage), and uncharged shots are more than enough to clear ankle biters. So just rapid fire uncharged shots for minors
I love the weapon swap perk for 1 reason - Overheating my main weapon then switching to Plasma Pistol Secondary and either maintaining the heat (and the damage boost) or overheating that too and then switching back to primary gets big things to MELT. With the fact that unless you fuck up Zoanthropes literally cannot hurt you while Iron Halo is up and Neurothropes can only hit you with the close range Scream (I'm not too sure it can hit you through Iron Halo but I wouldn't be surprised) and the Lightning Artillery moves you become a NIGHTMARE to anything with 0 legs and too much brain if IH is off cooldown, which it usually is if you're doing things right.
So I tried a few builds on the heavy plasma. I've found that the only one that makes it playable is straight across the bottom to the projectile speed buff. It makes hitting shots insanely easier. It's a shame it means you can't mess around with the build, but at least it feels better.
@Jesuslordofthedance - Yeah I tried that too; quality of life was better but also came with other deficits, so I chose to tolerate the slower projectile speed 🤷♂️
Just got the game yesterday so i havent been able to test all the weapons a lot but heavy is the second character i played after sniper, and is currently my main, and my favorite weapon is for sure the heavy plasma, honestly didnt care for the multi melta at all, im playing the heavy, not the bulwark, i dont want to be touching the enemies to kill them, but i will try the heavy bolter more, but i doubt i will like it more than the plasma. Started doing the 3rd difficulty at level 4 and was outdamaging the level 25's while taking less damage with the heavy plasma. Now i have played a lot of similar games to this so im not just a random timmy, but i think this speaks to how strong the heavy plasma is even when ridiculously under powered compared to my teammates.
I'll give this combo a shot. I was hesitant about the 30% durability drop because durability was an issue for me on ruthless but as I've gotten better I'm relying less on it
If you run the plasma you don't need extra health cause anything that spawns on you turns into a free armor segement just waiting for you to press execute :). Chaos is cursing the last update for sure, the time it takes them to spawn in with their teleport is perfect for them to appear just when your shot is fully charged and all of them get vaporized or turned red instantly :P
I mean.... Melta has infinite Ammo insane range and 1 shots without the need to charge.
You get more range with plasma but it eats a whopping 10 ammo per charged shot which takes a precious second to charge every time to get equal damage to the multi melta.
@The-Spanish-Inquisition490 it only takes 5 ammo and drops to 3 after a perk in its tree. Only time I ever have ammo issue is when a boss spawns in.
@@The-Spanish-Inquisition490 I have all weapons on the Heavy maxed out, and im 99% positiv that the Melta does not onetap any Majoris enemies on Ruthless. You need anywhere from 3-5 shots for that. Whereas the Plasma with a fully charged Shot and the perks going along with it will 100% put Majoris enemies into execute stance on a direct hit. 2 Charged shots for Extremis.
And as mentioned below, the Plasma requires 5 to 3 ammo, not 10 to 8 like the Pistol. The melta is superior at clearing Minoris but those don't cause any issues anymore since they are also free armor supply, just hit parry between charging once for free bars when you're surrounded.
Great video - subbed.
Thanks! Trying to keep the thread of to-the-point guides that aren't just "equip melta and the same perks everyone else says are good"
@@baldsquidgaming that’s exactly what I appreciated. Look, I love SM2 (don’t believe me - I’ve been uploading it like crazy 😆) but I will say that the number of “viable builds” per class does seem to be lacking. It’s early days, the game will continue to add content and increase in depth/complexity but I do think the majority of players are falling into very similar categories in terms of build specializations and perk synergies.
Your video directly combats that monotony so I applaud you for that brother ✊ Check out my stuff and lmk if you would be interested in collaborating on a video.
Love the guide 👍🏼
you get a like and comment just for that based heavy plasma take.
I dont know why people hate heavy plasma, i love it its great at clearing hord groups and when charge 1 or 2 times is almost a one shot for heavy commanders. Also long range when you practice with it is lovely
Didn’t say I hate it, just that the balance of pros/cons leaves it tepid for me imo. Different flavors for different people :)
Personally, I can bother to get it past masterwork tier. It really just feels so tedious to use, that charge time on top of the slow projective speed makes it a pain to kill Majoris since they doge a LOT
AGREED BROTHER.
I could solo all operations with heavy multimelta I don't even need those two ai allied but heavy bolter can't even finish substantial difficulty reliably 😢
Sadly "overcharge" in core 3 column is only for your melee stomp now if I am to believe what others have told me here on YT :/... hold on... DUDE!!! You are taking "perpetual penetration" on the heavy bolter?!? WHY??!!! It already has piercing 4 and shreds hordes so well that I have serious doubts about the uptime on finding a 5th gaunt lined up behind the 4 you already gibbed (though I suppose it can take a while for the body to clear out of the way). As you can imagine I went for "heavy immunity" instead =) Edit: I also didn't pick "adamant restoration" for the heavy bolter though I find that perk absolutely mandatory for the heavy plasma (headshot damage was too tempting)
@Flakzor123 Different preferences. That headshot dmg node only applies when below 25% hp, and my squaddies tend to walk in front of me often enough that penetration was appealing to preserve the 4 pen. As a general rule the heavy immunity perks reward/encourage poor play imo and I'd rather stop dps to get a perf dodge -> gunstrike than tank a red hit and now have to regen contested.
@@baldsquidgaming good points both of them, Also "heavy hits" refer to the regular hits of enemies that use heavy attacks such as the bonesword warriors for tyranids. The attacks that flash a blue or orange indicator are "special" and will still do their thing so the perk isn't even effective against those but having that perk lets me keep pumping rounds until I see an indicator.
I went for all bottom on plasma, making it way easier to aim is better than better damage but miss half the shots
Also fair!
I went for the top row of perks, i almost never miss anymore and if i do, i have 80 shots and charged shots come out almost as fast as a plasma pistol's
3:09 if you dip in and out consistently then would it not be perfect for you to use that perk?
How would that perk affect your gameplay if you already do the ONE thing to counter the negative o that perk.
In a way we all have to learn to get in and out of that stance to dodge.
Because I’m still moving as I do so a majority of the time.
I'm confused with "Overcharged" it says it "increases charged damage" but does that mean the chaged stomp attack? or charged plasma shot?
@The-Spanish-Inquisition490 - Rather than rely on the internet grapevine of who says it does what, I just tested it. The talent doesn't apply to charged plasma. Some people like it for the stomp; I don't take it. 🤷♂️
I do quite well with the Heavy plasma.You just got a figure How to play It
Everybody has different preferences; it's absolutely possible to shred with it, I just dislike the playstyle and other options are comparable performance 😉
I am trying to find answers because i don't think anyone bothered to test this lol. Does +Range on melta guns actually do anything? I can tell no difference in effective range or actual beam length on range 1 or range 6
Truth be told I’m not even sure how we’d go about testing this outside of standing incrementally further away than the one warrior at the start of inferno and dying to check the end screen, and idk that I have enough dedication for that. Really want a target dummy.
How the fuck do you have Almost the exact Same Marine as i have? Peak Alpha Legion behaviour
Hydra Dominatus, Brother.
@@baldsquidgaming I am Alpharius
I think the problem is not the difficulty of the game its the difficulty of the mechanics. After i maxed my first class i went ruthless only from lvl 1 onwards on the other classes. The mechanics are too easy. Make mechanics harder, more hp and more damage for the enemies is not the kind if difficulty these people are looking for. More mechanics please
Wait why is my comment in a whole other video now😅 auto play messed me up
lolwat
@@baldsquidgamingi was commenting on a video where a discussion was going on about the difficulty of the game and how it is way too easy for players who played dark souls and elden ring and too hard for some other players
@@baldsquidgamingand i took so long to write the comment that your video was autoplayed by youtube and now im here😂
@Erik-cc6oe Oh. Well um...hi. There's punch and pie over there, and uh...don't go upstairs. That's where we keep the Death Company and Power Fist users.
btw i noticed something weird yesterday about the heavy, and thats the bottom skill tree changes the guns hold animation. from grenade launcher to just a rifle
That is odd. Seems grips of things remain slightly broken lol
@@baldsquidgaming i think its a choice, for example its more similar to aiming down sights with the plasma weapon on the tactical class