Which division, DPS, or weapon level should we focus on?
Which division, DPS, or weapon level should we focus on?
Mostly aim for the weapon with the highest damage per shot, except for sniper rifles where I prefer bolts. This way you maximize damage each time, deal more to weaker foes and powerful targets. But it’s important to discover weapons that suit your playstyle—some just don’t work well even if they look strong. When I was leveling up, finding a good weapon was tough until the blue M60 appeared, offering a huge DPS boost. Once I added it, everything changed; it turned me into a real threat and easily broke through enemy lines. As you progress, you’ll discover better options like assault rifles that match your needs.
It varies. Higher DPS is beneficial, yet I occasionally trade a bit of DPS for better weapons with stronger skills. I might switch to another weapon offering 20k more DPS, but it would cost two valuable skills from my primary weapon, ultimately lowering overall performance. Just test weapons on the range if you're unsure what to choose.
It depends on the update - don't stress about leveling, just pick the weapon that deals the most damage, currently Assault Rifles are top choice and I use a sniper as my backup, which helps with leveling too. For the end game (still early), aim for 4 x Alphabridge pieces of armor and try to get the Laraes Barrets Chestpiece (assuming run 80). At exotic levels around 30, your weapons will gain extra skills—Alphabridge gives you three per weapon, so all six count for both primary and secondary. You might want to focus on Brutal, Fierce, and Deadly styles, which work well with one weapon but are easier with four. This setup could shift after the 1.6 patch, which seems likely to boost skill power significantly.
What's optimal depends on your situation. Sometimes a good assault rifle works well, other times a superior light machine gun offers better performance. You switch weapons often—should you? At around level 15 you might have an assault rifle, but by level 18 a lighter option with higher damage could be better. The process keeps repeating.
For leveling, just use whatever works best. As mentioned earlier, it doesn’t take long to gear up—especially with world brackets, you might hit 256 in a night (with a cup of coffee). You’ll typically go through four alphabridges, and the best choices are Famas (assault rifle) and LVOA (assault rifle). Skip any accuracy or stability mods. If you roll well on your LVOA, you’ll get extra perks: 15% crit chance, more headshot damage, +15% damage, improved accuracy, mag refill on kill, and a 10% boost to elite mob damage. Here’s the talent stack from the second wave—green items are highlighted.
I have two questions about the sniper. First, at level 21 with MK17, you get 5506 damage per minute at 275 DPM. Second, at level 22 with M44, you receive 12.1K damage per minute at 55 DPM. The second option has higher damage per shot but seems to lower your overall DPS, even though it appears more powerful. Why? If it’s stronger and kills faster, what’s the difference? What should I be watching for in a sniper role?
Bolt action sniper rifles move more slowly which results in lower DPS (damage per second). Over time, a quicker weapon might deal more damage. However, with critical hits and higher damage each time, the bolt action sniper remains effective if you land hits consistently. Personally, I prefer the M44 over the M1A because I believe it allows for greater damage from headshots. Plus, using the third-person view lets you sneak behind cover while still firing around it.