Pros
- Fastest vehicle in the game (Jet) with lock on missiles. Scout doesn't have shit on their hit and run tactics. Honestly.
- Beastly when paired up with other classes of equal skill (Leader or Scientist). Warcry and Drain will substantially lengthen your lifespan in heated firefights while dual Scientists can help take control via jet, turret, healing or just plain ability harassment.
- Access to some of the most accurate, deadly (Photon Burst Rifle w/ scope btw) and arguably powerful (EMP Shotgun) weaponry in the game IMO. Killstreaks with the PBR aren't issue with good aim and the EMP is still a two shot kill at close range.
- Solid all around abilities (especially Drain) depending on your play style that can seriously tip the scale in your team's favor fast.
- Depending on your willingness to search the battlefield for dropped weaponry (Sniper, Frag Launcher, Homing Missles, etc.) you can quickly turn your Scientist into a long range beast.
- Killstreaks are pretty damn good. I haven't tried out the rocket turret yet but 3 and 5 can turn the tide of battle quickly providing your team doesn't suck. All of them affect you as well.
Cons
- It isn't all bad but turrets are a pure supportive role so don't expect to rack up free effortless kills with them unless you're particularly lucky or clever. They are small floating pods with weak health and armor, zombie slow cool down rates, rocket types (lvl. 7), extra damage (lvl. 24) and extra armor are level upgrades. Even with extra armor all it takes is one melee to kill them. Spawns also only last for certain amount of time before they self destruct to prevent spam and spawn camping I suppose.
If you want your baby to last you'll have to either keep an eye on it, use clever placement or save them strictly for teammate support. I haven't tried rocket turrets yet but I can at least understand most of the nerfing.
- Scientist have the least amount of health of all classes (3 bars) so unless you're striking the severely wounded, backed by good teammates, or fully prepared (drain + turret + emp shotty combo for instance...) a large majority of close range firefights aren't an option. Scientists are the TRUE hit and run masters of this game. More often than not when you get a kill you've skillfully earned it and will live to fight another day provided you're quick about it. Jets are lightning fast and a bitch to catch up to for other classes so get used to quick strikes, hasty retreats and constantly being on the move. It's hell of a lot more fun than it sounds. Seriously.
Snipers and cloak melee are your worst enemies so camping alone is NOT AN OPTION. You'll learn to commit this to memory once you've died 5+ in a row in spawn to the usual Scout nonsense.
You won't die to one melee on a full health bar but you will if you get shot (just like everyone else more or less...) so keep that in mind. Snipers will have a field day with either form of your fragile ass so learn to flank fast, stick with and support your team, counter snipe with your BPR or stay the hell away from them.
Turrets won't save you from cloak melee either because you'll be dead before it is able to recognize and react to a threat as they won't dare approach you head on. Better off to lay one down while hovering off in the distance (not for long though lest you get sniped) or drop one off in the middle of a firefight than bother standing right next to one for very long.
Because of this you will have to get used to being the biggest target on the playing field. A good team won't hesitate to seek and single you out for what they believe will either be easy kills or a headache waiting to happen. A solid Scientist especially one with useable abilities is a class you always want to shut down quickly.
I've lost count of how many times I've flown away from fights I should have lost because I didn't hesitate to use every ability I had along with the EMP and some decent maneuvering to stay alive. Drain is SERIOUSLY underrated. The regen is fast, radius is fair, length is reasonable and it affects more than one enemy at a time so it can and will save your life provided you don't stop firing on your target. Swoop into a crowded battlefield and activate it if you want be a particular asshole to the opposing team. If you aren't killed for it more than one person on your team is going to either thank you for a free kill or for saving their asses.
- The missile lock on and blast radius are pretty mediocre but decent enough to be a potential go to in an unexpected firefight (e.g. cloak melee'd on a full health bar). Just don't expect to go on a killing spree any time soon unless your aim is ridiculously good or you're specifically targeting the wounded.
- THIS. CLASS. SERIOUSLY. NEEDS. A.
ING. SNIPER. UGH.
PBR can get the job done just as efficiently (headshots are an honest breeze and most enemies underestimate its accuracy and dmg output until the third burst hits them in which case they run like bitches) but nothing beats a two shot kill. ;\
Keep in mind I'm only a level 6 right now so I haven't had a chance to test out the usefulness of Disguise or RTs yet but I can't imagine touching another class any time soon
Host migration please.
