Titanic Titanfall Tips: pilot loadout – weapons

We’ve covered basic pilot tactics, and basic titan strategies in Attrition and by extension other modes, but Titanfall allows you to equip both man and machine to your personal specification. In most modes in Titanfall, your goal is and should always be the complete decimation of enemy pilots and minions, though not always in that order. To achieve this, you’ll want to move fast and hit hard. In this article, the focus is the pilot; which weapons, kits, ordinance, etc. are best suited to dominating on the battlefield.

Primary weapons

With the limited primary selection in Titanfall (at least compared to it’s competitors), your choices mean much more and much less. More because each weapon has a more direct counter, less because you don’t have to consider how 50 weapons counter 50 others. Your choice of primary comes down to playstyle preference. As I play it, there are three main methods of attack: close quarters, middle range, and “the unseen,” which encompasses tactics from the first two.

• Close quarters: There are three main options for the close quarter class – the EVA-8 shogun, or the R-97 and C.A.R. SMGs. While your choice between them should be based on the map, of the two categories I prefer the SMG. While the shotgun has one-hit-kill capacity, it’s range is limited and the delay between shots can sometimes spell your doom. Then, between the SMGs, I prefer the R-97, as its damage model isn’t too different from the C.A.R.’s and it has 10 more bullets to spew. The C.A.R. has lower recoil out to middle range, but if your goal is to be in the enemy’s face, recoil isn’t often a factor.
• Middle range: There are plenty of weapons with strong middle range power, from the G2A4 DMR or the Spitfire LMG. These are guns that don’t necessarily excel up close (for the most part), but at a middle range they can dominate. That said, and you probably saw this coming, the R-101C is by far the most consistent and versatile. Not the most accurate at range nor the most powerful, it runs the middle ground, and in Titanfall you want something you can depend on. The carbine will always do that for you.
• “The Unseen”: You also probably saw this coming, but “The Unseen” relies on the suppressor. But not just the suppressor. Because of the decreased range, you have to play the close quarters game, to maximize both your damage and surprise potential. Staying in close lets the suppressor do it’s mini-map hiding work and keeps your gun deadly. Then again, you need to play the middle game, taking potshots at pilots and killing grunts to decrease titan build time. Most Titanfall players are heavily reliant on their mini-map, and even when they get hit notifications, they probably won’t be able to find you, especially at longer distances. Barring a complete mag dump, the unseen middle game can dominate in modes like Attrition where grunt kills matter.

Sidearms and anti-titan weapons

Even when placed against the primaries, there are exceedingly few choices when it comes to secondaries and anti-titan weaponry. Your choice of either is, again, dependent on your playstyle, but there are good options no matter how you wish to engage enemies. As above, I’ll focus on the three main modes of pilot play: close quarters, middle range, “the unseen.”

• Close quarters: While the RE-45 autopistol might seem the obvious choice in close range, do not neglect the B3 Wingman. Where one wins in pure output, the other stands tall with incredible damage and handling. If speed is your goal, the 45 is by far the best choice, but for hit and run tactics, stick to the B3, as the limited cylinder capacity means you need to plan your shots and use your enemy’s health regen against them. For anti-titan combat, go for the Sidewinder or Charge Rifle. The former has a speedy reload and good damage over time, where the latter has no splash damage and a decent rate of fire. Both are useful against both pilots and titans, and rewarding if used correctly.
• Middle range: For a pure anti-titan loadout, there are few better choices than the Archer Heavy Rocket, as its possesses unparalleled damage against enemy armor. The Charge Rifle is a good choice as well, as the beam travels instantly to your target, but requires more time and skill to use. Your sidearm should be whichever you’re most comfortable with, but the Hammond P2011 is the most reliable both in damage, range, and fire rate of all the pistols. If you can manage the B3’s slow fire rate and heavier recoil, it is also a worthy secondary.
• “The Unseen”: Unfortunately for this playstyle, none of the sidearms or anti-titan weapons have a means to stay off the mini-map. How then to best use a pure stealth role when the only silence you have is personal? There are two answers: melee and rodeo. While sidearms offer little in the way of extra mobility, they do free up more of the screen for viewing and in those situations where they’re most effective, melee attacks are as well. When you must fire, it should only be when you can guarantee a kill and escape seconds later. If you have to be on the mini-map, confuse your enemies by being nowhere near your red dot. As for titans, rodeo with your anti-titan weapons is foolhardy. Use the titan’s logo on the mini-map to shield yourself from sight while you wail away at its insides, only to jump into the air when danger rears its head.

Return tomorrow for an article about the most effective ability, ordinance, and kit set-ups, followed by coverage of the titans themselves.