Dust 514: Unleashing the Swarm, a guide to being effective with the Swarm Launcher
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This page provides information on the history of DUST University. DUST 514, a game for Playstation 3, was shut down by CCP Games on May 30, 2016. |
Transcriber's note:
I'm Sulec Aravi, better known in Dust as Celus Ivara. I did not produce any of the content here, I'm simply handling the copy/pasting process. This guide was written by our hard working Director of Education, Fox Gaden. This guide was originally posted to the D-Uni internal forums. In an effort to provide education to all it is being copied to the public wiki. ATM, this transcribing effort is a work in process; if you can read this text, presume the following to be incomplete and in need of proper formatting (which I am working on).
This is a guide to Swarm Launcher operation written by Fox Gaden, the D-Uni Director of Education.
The information here is up to date as of Uprising 1.2 .
Contents
Intro
Swarm Launcher specialists are a rare breed.
The Swarm Launcher is the only weapon that can’t target Infantry, and if you can’t defend yourself against Infantry you are not going to last very long on the battlefield. Particularly when you are shooting flares in the air to mark your location. So very few people put points into Swarm Launchers because what is the use of an Anti Vehicle (AV) weapon if you can’t survive on the battlefield long enough to use it?
There are two answers to this dilemma: Get good with a Submachine Gun (SMG), or switch to a Commando suit. This guide will focus on the SMG option, although the Swarm Launcher advice will apply to a Commando as well. While most people know the SMG as a sidearm capable of finishing off a half dead opponent when your primary weapon runs out of ammo, there are some who have discovered that with SMG Operations 5 this little gun will rival an Assault Rifle in all but range. With proper skills you can be a fully functional Assault, Logi, or Scout while using SMG as your primary weapon. Because a Swarm Launcher fit depends so strongly on SMG as its primary anti infantry weapon, I will include a mini SMG guild as part of this Swarm Launcher guide. (A Scrambler Pistol can be substituted for the SMG if you know how to use it.)
Skills
Swarm Launcher Operation: 5 (Mandatory) Unlocks Proto, & Increase Clip size to 5.
Swarm Launcher Proficiency: 2 or 3 (Strongly Advised) +3% damage per level.
Swarm Launcher Ammo Capacity: 4 (Recommended) Increases capacity to 8.
Submachine Gun Operation: 5 (Mandatory)
Submachine Gun Proficiency: 2 or 3 (Strongly Advised)
Submachine Gun Sharp Shooter: (Recommended)
Level Fitting skills (Engineering & Electronics etc) until you can fit a Proto Swarm Launcher.
For your Swarm Launcher, Go Proto or Go Home
Fit a Proto Swarm Launcher as soon as possible. I don’t care if the rest of your fit is Basic, your Swarm Launcher needs to be Proto. The reason is that each level of Swarm Launcher shoots an additional missile, and each missile does 330 base damage.
Militia/Basic Swarm Launcher: 4 x 330 = 1320
Advanced Swarm Launcher: 5 x 330 = 1650
Proto Swarm Launcher: 6 x 330 = 1980
With points into Proficiency and Damage Mods that can go well over 2000 damage per missile swarm.
I actually like the way this is balanced. You can get a free Militia Swarm Launcher with the Anti Vehicle Starter fit. It is good enough for killing Militia LAVs or turrets, but is weak against fitted tanks, as a free AV weapon should be. While the Proto Swarm Launcher which is skill point intensive is considerably stronger, and with enough cover, time, and ammo can take out any vehicle currently in the game.
Suits
If you are running an Assault suit, fit it as you would a frontline Assault suit, and equip a Nano Hive. The Minmatar Assault suit bonus adds 4 bullets to your SMG clip size per level, so I give a slight preference to the Minmatar assault suit for its bonus and its speed. On the flip side, the Minmatar assault suit has the least effective health of the assault suits, so some may prefer to go with another racial assault suit for increased survivability. Any assault suit will work.
If you are running a Scout suit, fit it as you would normally fit a Scout suit, and equip a Nano Hive. A Scout suit’s speed for getting into and changing positions is a big plus. Its ability to hide from active scanners is very helpful as well, especially when tank hunting. With the Minmatar Scout, substituting Nova Knives for the SMG might be workable.
If you run a Logi suit, then you are suicidal. I mean really! You better be good at Melee! The exception is the Amarr Proto Logi suit which has a sidearm slot.
If you run a Heavy suit, you better be able to drive a LAV because you are not going to catch those tanks on foot! Also, why aren’t you using a Forge Gun?
Equipment
A Nano Hive is mandatory. A Proto Swarm Launcher has a total capacity of 6 to 8 rounds and holds 5 rounds in the clip, so that is only 1 to 3 rounds for reloading, depending on Ammo Capacity skill level. You will burn through those rounds very quickly.
SMG Guide
The strengths of the SMG is that it is light and has good tracking. Unlike larger weapons, you can use the SMG almost instantly when you come out of a sprint, or when you switch weapons.
In close quarter combat (CQC) you should be hip firing while strafing and dancing around to avoid incoming fire. When hip firing the SMG has the tracking speed to allow you to keep on target more easily than with an Assault Riffle, even with all this moving around. Don’t Aim down the sights (ADS) in CQC unless you are taking your target by surprise. ADS reduces your tracking speed. If you can successfully take advantage of an HMG Heavy’s slow tracking speed to dodge their fire, you can take an HMG Heavy down 1v1 with an SMG.
The SMG has less range that an Assault Riffle, but you should be effective out to about 30m, particularly if you level SMG Sharp Shooter to reduce spread. Aim down the sights (ADS) when your target is more than 10m out or is stationary (such as an Uplink, or a guy hacking). Use cover to get close to your opponent, or to force your opponent to come to you.
The SMG does more damage to armor than shields, so starting an engagement with a Flux grenade can give you an advantage.
As mentioned above, maxing out SMG Operation is important to making the SMG effective. Also, the Minmatar Assault suit bonus adds 4 bullets to your clip per level. Due to its tracking speed, the SMG also works very well with Scout suits.
Swarm Launcher Tactics
Standing still on the top of a hill, silhouetted against the horizon, will make you an easy target for every sniper, tank, or turret in the area. So move! You can lock your target while walking or strafing, so you don’t have to stand still. If you are on open ground, move toward your target in a zig zag strafing pattern while getting your lock and firing. If you can find cover, snug up close to it to reduce the angles you can be sniped from. Even with cover, it is good to strafe a bit.
Change your location. Firing swarms can give away your location. When firing on a tank or turret, watch the turret. If it turns toward you, duck for cover, then pop out somewhere else to get your next lock before ducking for cover again. If the turret does not turn your way or is turning slow enough, you can launch another swarm, but factor your exposure to snipers into your decision.
You will always be weighing your safety against your damage. While you are ducking for cover or running to a new location, your target’s shields are regenerating. If you remain exposed too long you will likely die. If you remain behind cover too long it decreases your overall DPS. So try to pick cover which will allow you to quickly move between several shooting positions so you can reduce the time between swarms while making it difficult to predict where you will pop up next.
Once you get a lock, reposition your aim to fire the missiles into the air. This serves two purposes. First, it makes it less likely that your missiles will impact on hills or structures, and second, it will make it more difficult for your opponent to pinpoint your exact location. Since your lock will hold for a couple of seconds you may also duck back behind cover before releasing your swarm around the corner or overhead.
It is best to wait until you have expended most of your ammo before deploying a Nano Hive. If you deploy it early you may find you are forced to move on before you have restocked more than a couple of missile rounds. Also, place your nano hive behind cover, preferably close to one of your firing positions, so that after firing, when you duck back to cover, it replenishes the round you just shot.
Swarms have a range, so if your target is far off and is not taking damage, try getting closer.
If you lock something you don’t want to fire on, you need to swing away from it and have the patience to wait until you lose the lock. Otherwise, you will waste ammo on an unintended target. If your target is destroyed while you have it locked, your missiles will be dumb fire until the lock is lost.
If you see an RDV delivering a LAV, lock it, but don’t fire until the driver gets in. You don’t want to miss your chance for a kill. Same for Dropships. For tanks I would start working on them before they land, to soften them up.
Taking on a Tank
In order to solo an advanced tank you need cover, ammo, and time. Find cover that allows you to fire from two or more different positions. Make sure it is an area free of enemy infantry, or that you have squad members covering you. Then fire on the tank, and keep firing until it turns on you or finds cover. (Remember to take precautions against snipers.) When the tank turns on you, duck behind cover. Then pop out somewhere else, and watch that turret. Take the shot if you can. If you can lock the back of the tank, without exposing yourself to its turret, that is ideal. When your ammo gets low, deploy a Nano Hive behind your cover and reload. Then keep popping up unpredictably and taking shots. If the tank turns and runs, run after it (zig zagging) while continuing to fire. You want to make sure to keep it in line of sight so you can finish it. Most tank drivers will not be able to snipe you while driving in the opposite direction. It will likely take 8 to 10 shots to take out a decent tank. More if you take too much time between shots. So if you lose line of sight, can’t resupply, or take too long between launching swarms, you will not get the kill.
If you can team up with another AV your chances of getting the kill improves greatly because the higher DPS will mean that the tank has less time to regenerate its shields between hits. Even teaming up with a militia Swarm Launcher will help. 10 missiles are better than 6.
Taking on a Dropship
Because of a Dropship’s elevated position, it is often possible to find cover that protects you on all sides (or at least several sides) from terrestrial attack, while still offering a wide field of fire skyward. You may want to drop a Nano Hive that you can stand on while firing. Then fire as fast as you can until the Dropship goes down, or finds cover. If the Dropship is moving, fire ahead of it so your missiles will be on an intercept course rather than getting into a stern chase. An alert and skilled Dropship pilot will bug out and find cover before you can bring them down, but it seems there are a lot of distracted or less skilled pilots out there who will not react quickly enough.
Taking on a Turret
Two swarms will take out most turrets. If the turret turns on you before you can lock your second shot, run for cover. If you can find a second firing position, pop out and nail it. If not, wait a moment and then pop out again where you were. If it is not manned it will lose interest in you after a moment. If it is maned, treat it like a tank.
Some turrets deep in the red zone seem a bit glitchy and don’t take damage.
Taking on a LAV
You can 1 shot a militia LAV if it is empty or its driver has no vehicle skills. LAVs with skilled drivers usually take 2 swarms, but some well equipped LAV’s can be more resilient.
LAV’s are harder to track when locking due to their speed, and they often drive behind stuff causing you to lose the lock. However, if you can get the lock, they are usually a fairly easy kill and can net you up to 3 kills for a full one. Very juicy.
Having a LAV trying to run you down when you are in an open field with no cover feels like a Gladiator event. Trying to dodge a fast moving LAV while also trying to acquire a lock on it is quite exciting. Unless it is a well tanked LAV, you are fairly evenly matched.
An active Swarm Launcher can deny the opposing team the use of LAVs. If you kill 4 or 5 LAVs in the opening minutes of a match, they will stop calling them in, and your team will gain the mobility advantage.
Taking on CRU or Supply Depot
CRUs and Supply Depots have a lot of health. You can kill them if you work at it, but you will probably exhaust your Nano Hives in the process unless you have help. You can steal a kill from a tank, but that would not be very nice.
RDVs also have a lot of health and don’t stick around long. Firing at them is usually a waste of ammunition.
