How do you deal with running out of smartgun ammo?

[xeroxemnas]

With every other gun you usually have a lot of backup ammo from requisitions being sent down, how do you deal with powerpacks running out? It's a pain in the ass to have to go all the way back just to get a refill.

[Sulaboy]

Some people stash power packs on the planet for later with their points. Requisitions can reload your power packs, or send you fresh ones via a supply drop, but that isn't self sufficient.

The way it's supposed to be done is to request a resupplying from your SL, they forward it to their LT while losing coordinates for the drop, and the LT forwards the order to the RO who prepared the supply drop with the power pack and other useful gear. Hopefully by now the SL would have relayed the coordinates to the LT who would be ready to send the supply drop when it was properly set up. You would then retrieve the fresh power pack, and continue on with the mission.

However this isn't often a reality. The usual problem is a break down in communication or a weak link so we go back to that old saying "Marines make do". Take some form of sidearm that you are comfortable using in combat for a while, it will have to be something that fits on your belt slot so that limits your options, but a M39 can fit on there with a proper holster, and decent amounts of ammo can be stowed in your webbing. As a plus with the M39, and the smartgun harness you'll be moving very quickly which is always nice.

[Avalanchee]

M39 here
M39 there
Eek.

Grab a rifle from the ground.

[Dorkkeli]

If I run out, I get more
Lol

[Kineem]

put the smartgun back into your suit storage and grab a rifle off the ground from a long dead marine, whine at every opportunity that you have no ammunition in your powerpack

[MattAtlas]

; FUCKING SMARTGUN NO AMMO
; FUCK RO HELP NEED POWERPACK
; POWERPACK NOW
; NEED POWERPACK

dont forget to steal a powerpack off of the dead (being defibbed) smartgunner and stealing a command headset to bitch at the RO

[Grubstank]

I bring an extra power pack with me and stash it somewhere convenient -- eg; hydro, crashed ship, or FOB. Using your points vendor to get the pack increases the chances that the RO won't run out (or that they'll be generous) when sending them down later in the game. And cargo will usually give you gross amounts of AP/extended if you ask anyways.

I also try to reserve the smartgun for situations where it's actually needed, which is usually only during a major marine push when you have a rank or two of marines between you and the enemy. For the most part, you can get by with an M39, which is a great weapon for a smarty -- between your webbing, armour and what's loaded you have six mags on you. It's also great because wielding it keeps you at full move speed -- pair that up with your night vision and you're in a position to do a lot of damage in 1v1 fights.

Setting a toggle-burst-fire macro has also helped me cut down on ammo use, and I find single fire has equal, or greater DPS at long range versus moving targets

My less popular opinion is to never put attachments on the smartgun -- the BFA makes your ammo situation even worse, and the BC puts you in a situation where you're wasting ammo unless you fire towards concentrated groups of xenos. The stock smartgun has the best balance of DPS and utility imo.

[conthegodoffire]

Guy what about this, you ready?
What if.... What if..... Smart gunners had 1 supply beacon and there headset could talk to REQ?

[Grubstank]

Guy what about this, you ready?
What if.... What if..... Smart gunners had 1 supply beacon and there headset could talk to REQ?

That's pretty unnecessary in my opinion. It reduces the importance of overwatch and ammo efficiency. The smart smartgunner already has a load of ways to conserve ammo. Making your ammo count is one of the few strategic considerations the role has.

[FGRSentinel]

I remember one time I was a PO and an SG showed up before briefing to ask me to stash their spare powerpack in my cockpit. They never came back for it, but I understand the idea of having the ammo somewhere tucked away where someone else won't snatch it up.

[Garrison]

M39 here
M39 there
Eek.

Grab a rifle from the ground.

There was one time I was on LV-624 as Bravo Smart gunner. I ran out of bullets but I still needed to stay on the front. Then I picked up a rifle and started throwing down suppressing fire. When the clip ran dry, I simply dropped it and picked up another. If it had good attachments, I went around scrounging ammo off assault rifles or dead marines on the ground.

It wasn't until I had to medevac the squad leader that I finally got a refill for my powerpack. and the battle was almost over by that point.

[Bancrose]

Make do, grab a machete or a weapon off the ground and rummage through the dead, or hope your SL and Overwatch Officer gives a single fuck about you.

[Avalanchee]

There was one time I was on LV-624 as Bravo Smart gunner. I ran out of bullets but I still needed to stay on the front. Then I picked up a rifle and started throwing down suppressing fire. When the clip ran dry, I simply dropped it and picked up another. If it had good attachments, I went around scrounging ammo off assault rifles or dead marines on the ground.

It wasn't until I had to medevac the squad leader that I finally got a refill for my powerpack. and the battle was almost over by that point.

The art of looting is extremely important when you're a SG
If you run out simply pickup a gun, you have NVGs and that makes you powerful.

[Garrison]

The art of looting is extremely important when you're a SG
If you run out simply pickup a gun, you have NVGs and that makes you powerful.

Is it really night vision though? It just seems to be a gimmick version of the SS13 Meson goggles. They reveal the terrain but you can't actually see into the dark. Though I will admit, being able to clearly see things in the smallest glimmer of light is certainly helpful.

[conthegodoffire]

Is it really night vision though? It just seems to be a gimmick version of the SS13 Meson goggles. They reveal the terrain but you can't actually see into the dark. Though I will admit, being able to clearly see things in the smallest glimmer of light is certainly helpful.

Oh 100%, it makes fighting even with a normal rifle way more easy then normal.

[Dolth]

Who else think smurtguns should have more rounds per pack?

A belt + loaded rifle is 240 rounds.
A smartgun is 300 (can't deploy with another pack cuz meta)

Now how much ammo has the HPR?
Yeah dats right. Lotta more than the 56B.

Anyway I don't play SG because it doesn't deal enough damage AND for what's stated above.

[DefinitelyAlone0309]

A belt + loaded SMG is 288 rounds. And the SMG has no wielding delay + better variety in attachments + AP mags with serviceable damage. We're also not counting in webbing+armor+pouch+satchel

An HPR + one extra mag is 600 rounds, with a better variety of attachments, and way better stats at the cost of 60 points

A belt + loaded M41, as Dolth said, is 240 rounds, and again with a better list of attachments, and BC/RDS/VGrip actually bringing home the damage alongside easily refillable AP mags.

A belt + loaded M37 is 59 shells, with each shell hitting like a truck (for Cuckshot), or stunning T1s and T2s (aside from Hivelord) with ease.


All of the above doesn't need 6 seconds of you standing still to reload.
Think about it.

Also, 2 power packs (500 ammo) cost 30 points, while 1 M41 AP magazine box (10 mags, 400 ammo) costs 40 points. So for 10 points, while you're losing 100 ammo (which is barely 3 mags for the M41), you're gaining actual damage with AP, and mags that can be reloaded manually in mere 1.5 seconds.

[FGRSentinel]

Also, 2 power packs (500 ammo) cost 30 points, while 1 M41 AP magazine box (10 mags, 400 ammo) costs 40 points. So for 10 points, while you're losing 100 ammo (which is barely 3 mags for the M41), you're gaining actual damage with AP, and mags that can be reloaded manually in mere 1.5 seconds.

This requires you to either have someone else willing to carry your spare power pack around for you or for you to lug it around in one hand, drop when you have to fire, and then pick it back up. In both cases, there's a decent chance you end up losing that spare pack in some way or another, which is 250 rounds wasted. The M41 AP magazine box, if properly divided up, is 1-2 mags in the hands of 5-10 marines, which is much less likely to go completely to waste and if one of those marines are killed, the ammo can just be looted off them anyways. PFCs are everywhere on the battlefield, there can only ever be four SGs.

[Heckenshutze]

Choose vice: Kleptomania.

[Dolth]

In all honesty as long as you are a SG you should use your class weapon as much as you can. Therefor, keeping a link with the RO and hidding your packs seems the best solution.

Also remember to NEVER GET ON POINT AS A SG.

Edit: Ffs Ruben.

[Maxim Inc]

Easy...die early, that way you wont have a change to run out of ammo.

[Madventurer]

Easy, play Bravo.
You'll be sitting at the FOB and only firing your gun during the evac anyways.

[Jonesome]

Is it really night vision though? It just seems to be a gimmick version of the SS13 Meson goggles. They reveal the terrain but you can't actually see into the dark. Though I will admit, being able to clearly see things in the smallest glimmer of light is certainly helpful.

The days when you could still don meson goggles to hunt down aliens were fun days indeed.

[Drover]

I try to get some private to carry my spare because I like to shoot a lot. I also like the BC because it slows down my rate of fire, which works well for my trigger happy self.

[KittyHawkpilot019]

With every other gun you usually have a lot of backup ammo from requisitions being sent down, how do you deal with powerpacks running out? It's a pain in the ass to have to go all the way back just to get a refill.

loot a normal PFC and become one of them

also earrape comms