Rifle Guide

=Rifle: a detailed guide=

Overview
The rifle is a hitscan weapon (there is no bullet travel time). It has the lowest spread behind the lasgun and the mass driver (which have none - 100% accuracy if you prefer). The rifle has a higher firing rate and DPS (only if you don't have to reload!) compared to the lasgun, but unlike its analogue suffers from limited ammo capacity, and a long reload time.

It is better used in close to middle+ ranges as a burst weapon, but is suboptimal in longer ranges where it suffers from the spread (most notably against smaller aliens). At those ranges the lasgun or mass driver will be preferred. You can still shoot targets closing into you from far away somewhat efficiently to weaken them but don't even think you can do anything against those that are going to hide unless they have very low HP or are fighting.

In melee/close ranges, the shotgun or the chaingun are both better solutions, although the rifle's advantage is that it is totally free and can be effectively used at medium ranges such as most places in ATCS, Nano, UTCS, and niveus.

Other weapons will generally be preferred at alien S3 when the game gets filled with bigger aliens, such as the chaingun or the shotgun. It is still viable if you know how to make the most out of it but don't expect miracles. The rifle and shotgun's DPS are identical (without counting reload). The difference in their viability in S3 is the shotgun's ability to output 448 damages before reloading, vs the rifle's 150. Shotgun is also way easier to manipulate when you are heavily dancing. The chaingun will melt down anything in melee range. However, those two other weapons lack range and can't fill all of the roles a rifle can nearly as well. (ex. chasing, stacking money, anything requiring a minimum of range). The lasgun is a better alternative in S3 for supporting fire, taking defenses out, long range and controlling/pressuring medium sized aliens (worse than rifle vs dretches), and the MD overclasses it at killing dretches and basis.

The rifle remains a choice weapon for other stages though.

Statistics
See also: Human Weapon Statistics
 * DPS: 55.5 - DPS with reload calculated: 33.98
 * Damages per shot: 5 - Per clip: 150
 * Repeat rate: 90ms
 * Clips, clip ammo, total ammo: 7 (clips) * 30 (clip ammo) = 210 total ammo.
 * Reload time: 2 secs
 * Spread: 200
 * Price: free
 * Evos on death: 1

For comparison, the lasgun has no spread and no reloads (200 ammo clip) allowing it to have a constant 45 DPS. It does 9 damages per shot and has a slower rate of fire of 200ms. The shotgun has a DPS of 56 (56 per shot split in 8 pellets that do 7 damages each). The mass driver's clip contains 7 ammo and does 38 damages per shot and per second.

Considering no shot is missed and the reload time of 2 seconds:

VS regular marauder Rifle: It takes 30 shots to kill, so 2.7 seconds (no reload needed). Shotgun: 3 shots, 3 seconds. Lasgun: 17 shots, 3.4 seconds.

VS regular dragoon Rifle: It takes 40 shots to kill, so 5.6 seconds. Shotgun: 4 shots, 4 seconds. Lasgun: 23 shots, 4.6 seconds.

VS advanced dragoon Rifle: It takes 50 shots to kill, so 6.5 seconds. Shotgun: 5 shots, 5 seconds. Lasgun: 28 shots, 5.6 seconds.

Usage tips, tricks and things to know

 * Target priority will often be immediate threat to you or your teammates, if they are handling the bigger aliens fine, target the threatening basilisks and dretches getting past them. Also, know that marauders aren't very docile targets for rifles because of their evasiveness.
 * Keep yourself away from melee range as much as possible. If you get pounced on, try creating a gap inbetween you and the goon. Make use of higher ground as much as possible.
 * Good mobility and smart movements are big factors in being succesful as a rifler and will often make the difference between an average user of the rifle and a very good/excellent one. Managing to negate (not take any hit and stay in a good position) the 2 seconds reload time is something very needed.
 * 2 seconds of reloading time is long. If you are in danger, run around and wiggle hard. This is often a decisive part of a fight since the next clip would likely allow you to finish the target. Try to use this time to create a gap between you and your opponent, but don't go too far back since you will likely need to chase them down.
 * If your aim lacks practice, a common, good recommendation is that you try shooting only when your crosshair is over the target, in bursts of 2-5 shots. However, this is only really viable for dretches - and basis far from you. If something is dangerously getting close just SHOOT IT.
 * Using the move keys slightly to correct your mouse aim is an option, but keep in mind you might run in front of teammates unpredictably.
 * It takes about 25-30 bullets to kill an acid tube. When you are going to reload, aliens will attack you. You can fake reloading with some ammo left in your clip (6 - 8) to try and pick up easy dretch kills (5 shots kill a dretch). This tactic is based on sound. Avoid this if you know a bigger alien will come out.
 * You can taunt immediately after reloading to hide the animation and trick the enemy.
 * 3 rifles with good aim can take out a tyrant in 2 - 2.7 seconds. People don't often realize this.
 * The rifle has a rather good knockback, which can become disgusting if you hit all shots from the same general direction.
 * Human towering in S1.
 * Naked rifle might be free but it isn't a reason to carelessly feed the enemy team.

Synergies
The rifle works good with pretty much anything, with a preference for shotguns and painsaws. It is least efficient in combination with (assuming there is nothing else in your group) lasguns. Rifle is a good weapon to take out dretches and the other smaller aliens. Painsaws are shit at that but provide immense threat to bigger aliens. FRIEND.

Shotguns/Chainguns: They will often expect you to take care of the dretches in priority over them, especially if busy with a goon/rant. If you don't do it sufficiently they will eventually end up doing it themselves automatically which can often lead to the entire group dying: bad spread so the dretches survive, while a goon is coming. They will also expect you to shoot tubes and trappers, often, since you can take them out without taking damage, or simply reach something they can't easily. Not to mention the absolutely HUGE front liner role these weapons hold.

Painsaws: They will roll themselves on the floor and beg you to take the dretches off of them. If the carrier of the painsaw is good, chances are he will utterly anally rape anything bigger, leaving dretches for you to feed on. If you add a mass driver to the squad, you will have severe competition however.

Lucifer cannons: So-so. The lcannon will be a huge threat and deal great damage to anything getting close, allowing you to eventually take out weakened goons, maras, and splashed dretches easily with your range. Indirectly, lucis will make rifles more efficient at AS3 by regulating the number of big aliens. The downside is that the lcannon as a front line won't be able to help you much (splash TK, slow projectiles), and the rifle by itself won't do much against good marauders, decent/good dragoons or rants if they get through. The MD will outclass rifle badly at taking dretches out and making money from them, but the rifle is more forgiving. Good marauders may totally counter a rifle/luci duo. Always stay atleast a good few meters behind lucis and make use of your range and burst.

Lasguns: Being alone with them may make them want you to be the first line/dancer. Lasguns must stretch fighting time to output damage, and you really won't scare any big aliens with your rifle/lasgun squad most of the time, and are unlikely to output enough damage fast enough to survive a direct encounter. In groups, both weapons share the same pool of targets and mechanism. This is why rifle+lasgun is a mediocre combination in most cases.

Suggested roles and positions in groups
Yellow cross is you (the r1fl3). Green dots are lasguns and MDrivers. Blue dots are shotguns, chainguns, flamers, pulse riflers, lucifer cannons and eventual painsaws. Red dots are enemies. Lines are lines of sight. Arrows describe a movement.

General positioning
Optimized positions. The front shotgun can then move safely forward.

Stay behind lucifer cannons, shotguns, flamers, pulse rifles, painsaws and chainguns at ALL cost. You don't want to get accidentally bled by them for being in the wrong spot. The only time you would go in front is to take out base defenses, poke around corners, and chase. If you get flanked, only hide behind (in front,..) of shotguns if flank was called (by you, or team in base) and there is no bigger danger on the other side. Don't literally hug the front line's back either, they need to have room to back off or dodge. In cases where you are teamming up with lasguns, or MDs, try to let them have the deeper line of sight, as on the following picture (which, is a safe value if you're looking for your place in a public game.)

Dislodging aliens in corners and killing base defense
If there are shotguns, they should position themselves this way.

If an alien is hiding/camping in a corner, carefully poke around the corner back and forth until they come out or run away. Make sure your teammates are prepared to cover you. Shotguns should stay close to the corner and be ready to intercept whatever threat comes out and allow you to fall back.

The picture is also a fine example of how you take out acid tubes and other base defenses safely. It applies the exact same for ATCS' default hall tube, for example.

The naked bait
Simply wiggle your ass and shoot your rifle at whatever is coming at you. When close enough, retreat and lead them to your teammates hiding in a blind spot (area where radar doesn't reach). Rifle suits this role best obviously, because it's free and an easy matchup for most aliens. Can be especially useful when trying to deal with dragoons during S1.

Suicide/Trap nader
If you suicide nade you pretty much always will use rifle since it costs nothing and as previously said, is an easy matchup so a good bait, even though the 150 damages output in 2.7 seconds are lethal combined with a grenade. Those are all viable options either naked or not, depending on if you want to suicide or trap or both. To achieve these you need… a grenade, which costs 200 and, with armour and helmet 360. Suicide nading is harder against rants since one clip and a grenade will leave them at 50 hps, but you can still take out a lot of them (not full HP) this way if you hit your entire clip.

1 - Throw a nade right behind a corner in prediction of a dragoon or something big coming to munch you, expecting an easy fight. If you timed it right it will explode right away, if not, sit/dance on the grenade, hide it without making that famous KNKCNCKNCKN noise ideally. If you are going to have to fight, keep dancing, slightly in front of the grenade to hide it from alien sight and gain time. Shoot the alien as much as you can to distract it and make sure the explosion takes it away. Don't forget to jump away from the nade when it is about to explode (count about 3-4 seconds after pushing the key to drop it), ideally leading the alien right on top of it.

2 - Complicated, but throwing your grenade at an angle while shooting rifle will cover up the sound of nade or make it completely silent in the best cases. Do this when fighting in close range so aliens don't see it. Very tricky to do right.

3 - You can also use the grenade to deny aliens' access to a zone. Throw the grenade out in front of them so they see it and shoot them to apply damage pressure. You may gain anywhere from 1 to 5 seconds with this, and can be used to split groups of aliens (1 engaged, others denied). Staying close to the nade should keep them away from you. Again, the rifle is an amazing weapon in this situation.

4 - Holding a grenade on at all times is useful for versatility. You can sit on your grenade to reach higher places, like ATCS bunker, alien base via gap, the ledge in niveus, tremor's box room,… Will often surprise aliens and rifle allows to shoot them if they run back (and also has the bigger burst damage/DPS of all medium+ range hitscan weapons). Best used to chase weak aliens, push aliens out of cover, or kill hidden unreachable eggs. Note: Do this with armour or you will only kill aliens with laughter.

5 - Run naked in alien base and yell allahu akbar. I wouldn't recommend this unless you are really desperate though. Try to nade spawns as a priority since a well placed nade will take out an egg, and/or aliens with it. If you can hide behind OM after nading, you may attract big aliens onto the nade. Targetting the booster can also get you quite a few goon kills and weakens/annoys them, so it is a viable alternative if you know you won't reach eggs.

Source
MaeJong GrangerHub.