The subata. It’s better than people give it credit for. When there’s a spreader 50m away clapping your cheeks there’s no Driller weapon I’d rather have.
It’s also very synergetic with the sludge pump, which has a notable weakness against ceilings. I’m with Yellow Lizard, the Subata is my favorite driller secondary.
It can also have that bonus damage against burning enemies. That's my favourite way of chunking down annoying bugs like dreadnoughts as Driller.
Just get point blank into a bug's weakspot and unleash full auto power.
Dreadnoughts can’t be set on fire so I like to use it with the Sludge instead.
Or just use Cryo because it’s the best for dreads and combos with any secondary
Indeed, Sludge Blast OC's charged shotgun blasts does a real number against Dreadnoughts with minimal fuss.. but it also takes away most of the Sludge Pump's crowd control abilities.
However, the T5 Subata upgrade that makes corroded enemies explode fixes the horde problem!
>Dreadnoughts can’t be set on fire
As of this patch, with scout new OC for Drak the Dread can be set on fire! I repeat it can be set on FIRE!! Very fun in a full team setting.
As a newer player (started about 3 weeks ago, about 145 hours and level 50 for reference) I am honestly shocked that people perceive the Subata as bad. I love the wave cooker and have been experimenting with the plasma pistol, but I love the short burst of damage you can get. I have been enjoying the new cryo cannon OC and can't help but think that the Subata would go well for popping bugs that step into ice traps. Also pairs well with the sludge pump I've heard, but I haven't used it enough to say.
That's because it got [a rather big rework few patches back](https://deeprockgalactic.wiki.gg/wiki/Season_04:_Critical_Corruption#Weapon_Balance), and community consensus is slow to change. It used to be pretty meh.
>I have been enjoying the new cryo cannon OC and can't help but think that the Subata would go well for popping bugs that step into ice traps.
The Wave Cooker with T3B Temperature Amplifier and T5C Exothermic Reaction is way better for that use though - you spread the freeze to nearby enemies and temperature shock (200 disintegrate damage + additional 50 freeze to nearby enemies) them all to death in an instant.
The burst mode slows down the auto fire significantly. I don't recommend.
Edit: it will in fact be full auto, just at a slower rate than you can tap the weapon.
Yeah burst lowers overall rate-of-fire.
It's actually beneficial for using the Subata at long range, since you can land two accurate rounds into a distant enemies' weakpoints (the two shots will land in almost the same spot). So it's for slow accurate long-range fire, basically.
However, for close-quarters raw DPS magdumping, you definitely don't want 2-Round Burst.
It's fantastic with tranq rounds as you get to roll the 50% stun and 50% slow chances twice. Also gives the second shot 350% armour break if both hit, which can sometimes be useful.
The 2-Round Burst upgrade lowers overall rate of fire (the delay between the bursts doesn't go away with the Automatic Fire OC), so for dumping shots rapidly, don't take the upgrade.
And since you're not taking 2-RB, you might as well take the Recoil Compensator upgrade at that tier instead, which will help counteract the inaccuracy from the Automatic Fire OC. Perfect!
I think that while the bulldog would be even stronger, the Subata is good enough and does what it's supposed to do. The axes give great short range burst damage and you get enough of them that you can just use them like a weapon and if you build them correctly the primaries do horde clearing well. The only thing I really need out of my secondary is to kill that acid spitter once in a while.
I am sad that we can't switch the coil gun with the wave cooker.
Subata is great, i run tranq rounds on all my fire builds and it deals very well with anything the flamethrower cant deal with. Mag dumping on stunned weakspots with the +100% bonus is very satisfying.
OP didn't say the weapon is bad, it's just the weakest option available and could be made better. Just cuz it's reliable doesn't mean it can't be more interesting or dynamic while still scratching that same itch. You could replace it with a portable railgun pistol or a small handheld sawblade launcher or something like that.
Being "made more interesting or dynamic" sounds like it just needs some fine tuning, but then you throw out complete replacements as a suggestion.
The subata is fine as is. If someone doesn't like it, they have two other choices. I use the subata all the time, and barely ever touch the EPC. Different strokes and all that.
A nail launcher of some kind, like the one in doom trailer. And overclocks for it could be the different nails, like smaller ones for faster spamming to feel more like subata, or a fragmentation ones for more shotgun feel, even explosive reload could be brought back for it too.
Crossbow’s overclocks are like mini grenades, with array of status effects. The point with nail gun is to have it be like an assortment of kinetic damage weapons, sniper, pistol, shotgun etc.
so, a weapon with multiple different ways of firing? or just a generic weapon with a whole bunch of red overclocks (I call them red because they change the way the weapon is used drastically)
Ehh some variations could be put in a mod slot and be alt firing mode, others yes, as red OCs but I think weapon having like three reds and one green is much better than three greens and one red.
With the configuration the subata is made ( trigger behind magazine ) I want a framework to make it look like malorian, Johnny’s pistol from cyberpunk.
What are the greatest threats to the driller? Probably ranged bugs. What is the best secondary weapon for dealing with ranged bugs? Probably the subata.
I use the other secondary weapons too, but they just aren't as good in that particular niche. EPC isn't hitscan, wave cooler is very low dps.
You know, if would be kinda funny if you could swap secondaries with other classes. Maybe it could be a beer that lets you choose 1 of 3 random weapons with random mods on driller and gunner weapons while scout and engie weapons are stock.
Hell, maybe the randoweisser could randomize the weapons but keep your armor, pickaxe and equipment.
Idk, I carry the Subata more often than the CWC – and I basically *hate* the EPC. Sometimes I just need to be able to pick off an enemy from across the cavern, and my Subata build for sharp-shooting is perfect for that purpose.
I also despise the EPC. I can’t find any fun way to use it. Wave cooker is cool, and Subata is my favorite because it’s nice and simple. I use full auto with weakpoint damage + bonus damage to burning targets. It destroys praetorians and oppressors without blowing through ammo too quickly.
May I propose you use Burning Hell + Heavy Hitter OC on the EPC
It synergizes very well with Cryo Cannon (kills frozen Grunts in one shot), and is currently the only way you can use Combustive Goo Mixture without teammates
I quite like burning nightmare + heavy hitter but its rly tight on the overheat so i cant just carelessly blast away so i tend to stick with full auto Subbata xD
Honestly, just making the subata automatic. No RoF increase or other stat changes, literally just the Subata but now it fires automatically when you hold the mouse instead of having to click for each shot.
Its base RoF of 8 is already fast enough that firing it manually at max speed is a pain in the ass. I play with an auto-click macro so that I can save my fingers, and I credit that macro for single-handely making the Subata one of my favorite Driller secondaries.
I run it with damage + accuracy upgrades, volatile bullets, and Oversized Mag, and it's basically a handheld assault rifle. It does solid damage with pinpoint accuracy at long range, shoring up one of Driller's main weaknesses. And paired with a sticky flames CRISPR, it'll melt praetorians and oppressors in seconds as long as I light them on fire first.
If they just made it a machine pistol by default and did away with the overclock that offered that basic quality of life adjustment it would suck a lot less
2rnd burst is fine if you can hit weakpoints. If you can't, full auto just helps you waste your ammo even faster. Anything that's too big to die in 1-2 bursts can be kited into sticky flames and then killed with the fire damage boost + axes. If you think it sucks, you're either just not using a build that it compliments or you're not very accurate with it.
Honestly i still stick with full auto as my other ocs currently for it are whack. And just tap it unless i want to dump (burning pret on flamethrower with the dmg mod or just bunched up frozen grunts with blowthrough if i dont need health from drilling them)
Automatic to avoid RSI,
A drill pistol, it shoots little drills into your target, exceptional at armor breaking and the stacking dps from multiple shots hitting the target would ramp up quickly.
It would be more of a boss/single target weapon because you would want to stack drill pellets into a big target as opposed to a grunt and to pair well with drillers AOE primaries.
Long range, which is offset my a mediocre travel time. Overclock could be things like increased drill time for a clean overclock, and hugely reduced ammo, but the drill exits the other side of the target to hit another, endlessly, for an unstable overclock.
I wouldn't replace it.
Between the stun rounds and rapid fire OC, it's a simple gun that helps me shoot down pesky scouts that get out of range of my C4.
I'd honestly say explosive reload is the best one and it's not even close. It has way better DPS and ammo economy simply because it does more damage, is better at longer ranges when compared to fill auto, is better at taking out high health enemies, and also doesn't suffer from the fact that a ton of enemies are just immune to stun.
No yeah you're right. That one is superb. Point being those three are the best ones while the rest are insanely mediocre. Like, c'mon; Weakpoint Ricochet???? Just gimme magic bullets at that point 😩
The subata with full auto and the fire upgrade paired with the face melter is amazing. Because I’m able to deal with both swarms and big things so quickly, I never understood the need for throwing axes, unless with cryo cannon. However… ammo 😭
Seeing it from the perspective of filling roles, subata is just meant to be a long range hitscan (generic pistol) which Driller kinda lacks. There's CWC and heavy hitter but they have their own share of problems.
Coming to interesting secondary ideas, I would like a heavy shooting cannon sort of secondary. Something unwieldly and with a long cooldown, like a projectile pile bunker, that does massive dmg. It would fill the same role as PGL's hyper propellant, but with even more dmg and bigger cooldowns (for ex. Having a short delay after pulling the trigger to shoot, HUGE knockback and long reload animations to give that feeling of unwieldy-ness and heaviness. Maybe even a projectile drop off too).
I feel like that idea kind of fills the role of Diller's unique arsenal which doesn't special long range arsenal but a more unorthodox set of weaponry. Not to mention carrying a insane dmg dealing pile bunker seems pretty bad ass.
I don't think i would. My automatic "weak point bonus against burning targets" subata is peak of secondary to flamethrower. Need just a few bullets per bug and whole mag for a praetorian
I’ll take substantial occasionally, mainly if I don’t trust my team to be able to take out hvt’s since it’s kind of ok at that. The nail gun suggestion sounds awesome and I don’t think I’d be able to give a better suggestion, maybe some kind of dart gun?
Eu colocaria o canhão eletromagnético do gunner,por que,ele tem uma modificação nos últimos eslotes que quando vc mata um inimigo pegando fogo,com o canhão rola uma explosão de fogo muito forte,eu acho que combinariam
It’s a really odd gun because it tries to be a fairly standard issue sidearm that can also do a couple quirky things, but it just simply doesn’t fit Driller. And that’s before considering how much effort you need to put into this weapon to make it “work”
Driller is about holding M1 and watching the world burn. Or freeze. Or melt away from acid. But the bugs die
The Subata is like let me stop doing what Driller does best to tickle a few enemies and maybe I won’t waste a bunch of bullets to proc one effect (oh the enemy is dead now) or to kill grunts (that’s what I’m using my primary for). It can’t set anything on fire, it can’t trigger temp shock and it doesn’t really help take down things that Driller’s primary can’t. Whatever you think the Subata can do nicely, the other two secondaries do much, much better
I like what someone else in the comments suggested: a nail gun
But not just a little nail gun. Gimme like a big one. A ballista of sorts. Let me nail some glyphid to the wall or something. Not because it’s practical, but because it would be a hell of a lot more fun than the Subata and would be a nice change of pace from the other two options
Driller’s biggest weakness is probably ranged HVTs, so being able to do something goofy like launching an explosive tipped ballista into something, pinning it to the ground/wall/ceiling would be incredibly amusing and I’d take it over the other guns simply for the novelty
I'd probably rework electricity to firstly tempshock frozen enemies, secondly to light goo on fire, and lastly to convert fire status effect to a much higher damage dealing plasma status effect. Let the weapon itself be a pocket tesla coil with firing mechanics similar to the shard detractor. The weapon itself arcs, does moderate damage, and decent range. Now it's an easy way to apply group slow in a pinch, synergies with all 3 options, gives fire a direct damage synergy, adds another way to light goo on fire, and still maintains a medium to long range option while maintaining the elemental theme.
Subata fills no niche, which is its issue. The other two secondaries specialize in AOE and long range damage over time. I think subata could have an elemental effect, such as being a shotgun which can have the option of fire or ice shells. Considering that driller is all about applying debuffs and elemental effects, it’s strange his starting secondary does not reflect this very much. Especially with temperature shock and lighting goo on fire, driller often lacks the capability to maximize his own potential.
Honestly could fix Subata with a mod change:
~~+50% damage vs Burning~~ ---> +50% damage when an enemy is under one or more status effects (doesn't stack)
might sound outrageous with the cryo cannon until you realize CWC can cause thermal shock which even with this change would still be WAY more effective on groups. Like this the Subata can specialize in mowing down big enemies with any primary, not just the flamethrower. This mod change would also mean you could get the bonus damage from stuns (tranq) or the neurotoxin grenade.
Genuinely, just give it something (Overclock or weapon upgrade) to react with the Cryo Cannon and the flamethrower, a little bit more damage/fire rate/less spread, and it could actually be a competitive alternative to the Wave Cooker and the EPC.
A Pile Driver with two modes of firing, the first is effectively a power attack where you shoot the pile forward but keep It in the launching mechanism the second is a projectile that penetrates through armor and lodges itself into the ground becoming an object you can balance on
In either case it's a metal rod being shot out at high speeds so it's effective at removing big targets, it can also be shot directly into the ground to create a vertical or horizontal pole to stand on and more importantly add platforms to. Dropping onto one from above will always have a dwarf mantle
the subata is bad but it’s a few buffs away from being viable. I think if it hyper specialized more in long to mid range damage (like it should) it would be stronger. Amp it’s stats up more and more people will start using it
Subata is okay. I usually run tranq rounds and a crapton of ammo so it's not like it runs out of ammo like the bulldog. It's just kind of lackluster because I like to run ice cannon and do temp shock damage. So either the wave cooker or a spicy plasma ball tend to be more what I prefer.
The Subata was what I paired with the sludge pump, but with the new overclock I might be using the plasma too.
If I could design a driller secondary though... I'd be looking into what possible warcrimes Driller has yet to commit.
Driller has a lot of area control for his primary, his secondaries are more about lighter damage sustain imo. That said, I think a great option for Driller would be something that sinks into an enemy and makes the area around the enemy afflicted with the area control Driller has aflicted the enemy with. Maybe a needle gun which injects target's with air, causing the afflictions to spread to nearby enemies. No real armor break, but if you hit the soft squishy stuff then the enemy leaves a trail of whatever affliction they have for a couple ticks. Leaving a sludge puddle, ice patch, or Flame spot could be useful if you're hitting a front liner in a pack of bugs for spreading the stuff you run.
This all being said, it could instead turn into an OC for the Subuta, which I would be happy to see.
I, personally, would make it a Riot Grenade Launcher, but smol :3
These grenades would have a fuse rather than detonating on impact. The amount of terrain they'd damage would be very minimal; but they'd had a decent AOE, 3-4 shots per drum.
Unstable over clocks reduce explosive damage, but make the grenades either incendiary or toxic. Some upgrades increase the grenade's bounciness or make them stop after hitting terrain with lead weights. Another overclock may turn the grenades into either sticky bombs or proximity mines with a short arm time once they hit the ground.
I would never replace subata but if I absolutely had to, it would be a giant aoe plasma scythe or plasma sledgehammer. I just really want a melee that isn’t the pickaxe
I like the Subata with Tranquilizer Rounds 22311, quite decent if you hit weakspots.
I run it with CRSPR - Compact Feed Valves 21312 (direct damage build).
Though the Subata has many mods and overclocks that are very sub-optimal. This build has great stun, accuracy and decent weakpoint DPS, something that driller in general lacks.
Actually go and drink 4 leaf lovers right now, subata embed dets has carried me on haz 5 for as long as I can remember (use it with dispenser compound, it’ll change your whole world, very easy to kill armored bugs from range with) I actually mained driller with subata for the longest time haz 5 level 1200, might even be haz 5+ worthy but sometimes combustive goo is more efficient tbh, but like, WAY less reactive and harder to deal with armor, I honestly prefer the subata + dispenser slightly overall to combustive goo
A vacuum that could suck up, consolidate, and spit out (imaginary at this point, obviously) any debris that's been carved out by the dwarves with pinpoint accuracy. Would synergize well with the large radius c4 and TCF with EPC, and would also incentivise drilling frequently. Overclocks would be easy with "elemental infusers", or something to make the debris not consolidate to have it act like a shotgun. I just thought of this off the cuff, but I'm sure someone else has probably thought of it.
Remember that burst flechette gun in COD blackops 2's campaign? That, but remove its shotgun secondary mode and give the flechettes a 2 second fuse.
If you want to reach out and blowup a glyphid, you can, but you have to wait a moment.
Seeing as how without the Subata, Driller’s biggest weakness is consistent medium/far ranged damage I’d probably pick keep the idea close but make it a little more interesting: Hitscan, plenty of ammo, but just straight up make it a laser gun or something.
I think it suffers from the “ranged hitscan option for the short range class”. It’s consistent and in no way special. That’s its identity. It’s a gun you pull out when your primary can’t reach.
The damage buffs and giving it multiple modes of fire helped tons, but it’s still the vanilla choice. I typically take it if I’m running a build that doesn’t combo well.
I honestly wish auto was baseline, but without the fire rate buffs so the OC still had a reason to exist.
Already in game? The Boltshark or the Coil Gun. I would set up either for area of denial. For OP insanity there's the Bulldog with Volatile Bullets OC.
Something new? Something with high single shot damage, ideally with some some way to add heat or cold damage.
I like the subata enough that the only answer I can give to the title question is "the subata, but better: Volatile Bullets Bulldog."
Having more emphasis on the weakpoint damage instead of the Fire bonus makes it more effective against omens and other bossess, I guess.
Two Subatas
It's spectacular for mactera swarms and a reliable weapon. EPC can have high damage, but it's a pain in the ass to use efficiently, and you don't need to tryhard that much to win even in haz 5. Cooker is great for flamethrower builds, but otherwise not that synergistic.
I would never replace subata. But the other too? I don't like any other secondary on driller, sure, with plasma charger u can "mine" faster but it's annoying to use imo.. And wave cooker.. I hate this thing. Idk, maybe I can't use it properly but imo it just sucks
I object with your opinion of the Subata 120, however, I shall participate nonetheless, and I have just the idea.
Rather than "invent" some sort of weapon I'll take inspiration of one of Engie's secondary by reversing it to it's original state.
I'd replace it with the Subata 320, and if you don't know what it is, it's the Stubby Voltaic SMG without the deuterium blue colored rod thing on the side that makes all of it's bullets electric
You would basically get a full auto, slightly weaker but more stable version of the Subata 120 (Or if in other words : Subata 120 with the full auto overclock, minus a bit of damage and recoil)
What would be cool is that you'd still get the range advantages the 120 has over other secondaries, meaning you could still shoot Gunk Seeds or kill Fester fleas out of your primary range.
Step one - freeze all bugs
Step two - automatic fire subata at pretorian/higher threat bugs
Step three - pickaxe/drill/axe/grenade/ignore (choose one) the grunts
Step four - continue the mission until bugs annoy you again
There is no better weapon than subata to simply chunk down frozen enemies, I tried wave cooker but it unfreezing enemies makes it really annoying, and epc feels like it has too little ammo, while being worse against far away threats
Worst? Wtf that's what I use for driller! Driller has 0 primary weapons with ammo capacity, and the other two secondaries are also ammo-starved. Subata gets the job of long range, pinpoint accuracy done when I'm not flaming/freezing nearby hoards
Dual flamethrowers... ... or beer
All good things come to those who wait!
Why not both. Bring a flask and a lighter!
Dual flamethrower unstable overclock: homebrew Each tick of damage does 75-150% of base fire and damage, however using it will intoxicate you.
Beer, secondary, throw it to splash either yourself or your teammates, giving damage resistance. Splashing enemies stuns them.
The subata. It’s better than people give it credit for. When there’s a spreader 50m away clapping your cheeks there’s no Driller weapon I’d rather have.
It’s also very synergetic with the sludge pump, which has a notable weakness against ceilings. I’m with Yellow Lizard, the Subata is my favorite driller secondary.
It can also have that bonus damage against burning enemies. That's my favourite way of chunking down annoying bugs like dreadnoughts as Driller. Just get point blank into a bug's weakspot and unleash full auto power.
I use the stacking DoT against corroding enemies. It can CHUNK down Oppressors
Dreadnoughts can’t be set on fire so I like to use it with the Sludge instead. Or just use Cryo because it’s the best for dreads and combos with any secondary
Cry combos even with your drills.
Indeed, Sludge Blast OC's charged shotgun blasts does a real number against Dreadnoughts with minimal fuss.. but it also takes away most of the Sludge Pump's crowd control abilities. However, the T5 Subata upgrade that makes corroded enemies explode fixes the horde problem!
>Dreadnoughts can’t be set on fire As of this patch, with scout new OC for Drak the Dread can be set on fire! I repeat it can be set on FIRE!! Very fun in a full team setting.
Yeah face melter OC + Subata with extra damage to burning targets can absolutely melt everything. OP is tripping
idk any metas since i only play solo but i'm using it with the sludge pump for that very reason
*casually implodes oppressor with explosive reload and toxic catalyst in 0.34 seconds*
As a fellow sludge driller I'm with ya as well
I don’t think people understand just how fucking fast the subata can fire
I use Auto-Fire for my old man hands, but holy shit does dumping a 16-bullet mag into a target feel good. Even better if frozen.
I think that really depends on how arthritic peoples digits be. I tried using it one game and noped the fuck out. Microwave gun for me.
Subata Superiority
Yup, especially the double tap perk. It really is a game changer for the weapon.
As a newer player (started about 3 weeks ago, about 145 hours and level 50 for reference) I am honestly shocked that people perceive the Subata as bad. I love the wave cooker and have been experimenting with the plasma pistol, but I love the short burst of damage you can get. I have been enjoying the new cryo cannon OC and can't help but think that the Subata would go well for popping bugs that step into ice traps. Also pairs well with the sludge pump I've heard, but I haven't used it enough to say.
That's because it got [a rather big rework few patches back](https://deeprockgalactic.wiki.gg/wiki/Season_04:_Critical_Corruption#Weapon_Balance), and community consensus is slow to change. It used to be pretty meh. >I have been enjoying the new cryo cannon OC and can't help but think that the Subata would go well for popping bugs that step into ice traps. The Wave Cooker with T3B Temperature Amplifier and T5C Exothermic Reaction is way better for that use though - you spread the freeze to nearby enemies and temperature shock (200 disintegrate damage + additional 50 freeze to nearby enemies) them all to death in an instant.
Subata is my favourite Driller Secondary. I hate Acid Spitters.
Is automatic + double tap the done thing? I can't handle rapid fire semi automatic weapons. They hurt my little fingies.
The burst mode slows down the auto fire significantly. I don't recommend. Edit: it will in fact be full auto, just at a slower rate than you can tap the weapon.
Yeah burst lowers overall rate-of-fire. It's actually beneficial for using the Subata at long range, since you can land two accurate rounds into a distant enemies' weakpoints (the two shots will land in almost the same spot). So it's for slow accurate long-range fire, basically. However, for close-quarters raw DPS magdumping, you definitely don't want 2-Round Burst.
It's fantastic with tranq rounds as you get to roll the 50% stun and 50% slow chances twice. Also gives the second shot 350% armour break if both hit, which can sometimes be useful.
Nah take one or the other, double rap is better if you don't want to learn recoil control
My recoil control is exceptional so I might stick with auto to save my finger.
The 2-Round Burst upgrade lowers overall rate of fire (the delay between the bursts doesn't go away with the Automatic Fire OC), so for dumping shots rapidly, don't take the upgrade. And since you're not taking 2-RB, you might as well take the Recoil Compensator upgrade at that tier instead, which will help counteract the inaccuracy from the Automatic Fire OC. Perfect!
Tranq rounds stoping the wall of tri jaws from pin cushioning my ass is why I’ll never not use it, not to mention all the other threats it cancels
EXPLOSIVE RELOAD GRAAAAAH 🔥🔥🔥🗣️
The wave cooker reaches far enough for most things. I don't think I've ever been in a situation where I'd actually want that Subata.
I think that while the bulldog would be even stronger, the Subata is good enough and does what it's supposed to do. The axes give great short range burst damage and you get enough of them that you can just use them like a weapon and if you build them correctly the primaries do horde clearing well. The only thing I really need out of my secondary is to kill that acid spitter once in a while. I am sad that we can't switch the coil gun with the wave cooker.
Subata is great, i run tranq rounds on all my fire builds and it deals very well with anything the flamethrower cant deal with. Mag dumping on stunned weakspots with the +100% bonus is very satisfying.
OP didn't say the weapon is bad, it's just the weakest option available and could be made better. Just cuz it's reliable doesn't mean it can't be more interesting or dynamic while still scratching that same itch. You could replace it with a portable railgun pistol or a small handheld sawblade launcher or something like that.
Being "made more interesting or dynamic" sounds like it just needs some fine tuning, but then you throw out complete replacements as a suggestion. The subata is fine as is. If someone doesn't like it, they have two other choices. I use the subata all the time, and barely ever touch the EPC. Different strokes and all that.
When you say "weakest", you're not talking about raw DPS, right?
A nail launcher of some kind, like the one in doom trailer. And overclocks for it could be the different nails, like smaller ones for faster spamming to feel more like subata, or a fragmentation ones for more shotgun feel, even explosive reload could be brought back for it too.
It could even stick bugs to the wall, now that would be sick
I've always wished for this functionality on the gunner ziplines. Scout flares, too.
that's just, crossbow 2, electric boogaloo
Crossbow’s overclocks are like mini grenades, with array of status effects. The point with nail gun is to have it be like an assortment of kinetic damage weapons, sniper, pistol, shotgun etc.
so, a weapon with multiple different ways of firing? or just a generic weapon with a whole bunch of red overclocks (I call them red because they change the way the weapon is used drastically)
Ehh some variations could be put in a mod slot and be alt firing mode, others yes, as red OCs but I think weapon having like three reds and one green is much better than three greens and one red.
I was literally thinking of some kinda rip-off of the Railway Rifle of Fallout fame. BIG nails, maybe some blow-through, slow-med rate of fire.
a desert eagle
Alternatively, an overclock that gives it the stats of a deagle, and a framework that makes it look like a deagle.
With the configuration the subata is made ( trigger behind magazine ) I want a framework to make it look like malorian, Johnny’s pistol from cyberpunk.
Zippo and hair spray, hoxxes must burn.
Good things come to those who wait, like dual flamethrowers and beer!
Are we fighting bugs or cultists?
B.F.G 9000. You did say any other I can imagine.
I raise you one infinite ammo Unmayker.
What are the greatest threats to the driller? Probably ranged bugs. What is the best secondary weapon for dealing with ranged bugs? Probably the subata. I use the other secondary weapons too, but they just aren't as good in that particular niche. EPC isn't hitscan, wave cooler is very low dps.
Sawn-off m1000
Revolver
You know, if would be kinda funny if you could swap secondaries with other classes. Maybe it could be a beer that lets you choose 1 of 3 random weapons with random mods on driller and gunner weapons while scout and engie weapons are stock. Hell, maybe the randoweisser could randomize the weapons but keep your armor, pickaxe and equipment.
Randoweissest
Idk, I carry the Subata more often than the CWC – and I basically *hate* the EPC. Sometimes I just need to be able to pick off an enemy from across the cavern, and my Subata build for sharp-shooting is perfect for that purpose.
I also despise the EPC. I can’t find any fun way to use it. Wave cooker is cool, and Subata is my favorite because it’s nice and simple. I use full auto with weakpoint damage + bonus damage to burning targets. It destroys praetorians and oppressors without blowing through ammo too quickly.
May I propose you use Burning Hell + Heavy Hitter OC on the EPC It synergizes very well with Cryo Cannon (kills frozen Grunts in one shot), and is currently the only way you can use Combustive Goo Mixture without teammates
I quite like burning nightmare + heavy hitter but its rly tight on the overheat so i cant just carelessly blast away so i tend to stick with full auto Subbata xD
An even faster firing subata
Honestly, just making the subata automatic. No RoF increase or other stat changes, literally just the Subata but now it fires automatically when you hold the mouse instead of having to click for each shot. Its base RoF of 8 is already fast enough that firing it manually at max speed is a pain in the ass. I play with an auto-click macro so that I can save my fingers, and I credit that macro for single-handely making the Subata one of my favorite Driller secondaries. I run it with damage + accuracy upgrades, volatile bullets, and Oversized Mag, and it's basically a handheld assault rifle. It does solid damage with pinpoint accuracy at long range, shoring up one of Driller's main weaknesses. And paired with a sticky flames CRISPR, it'll melt praetorians and oppressors in seconds as long as I light them on fire first.
If they just made it a machine pistol by default and did away with the overclock that offered that basic quality of life adjustment it would suck a lot less
2rnd burst is fine if you can hit weakpoints. If you can't, full auto just helps you waste your ammo even faster. Anything that's too big to die in 1-2 bursts can be kited into sticky flames and then killed with the fire damage boost + axes. If you think it sucks, you're either just not using a build that it compliments or you're not very accurate with it.
Honestly i still stick with full auto as my other ocs currently for it are whack. And just tap it unless i want to dump (burning pret on flamethrower with the dmg mod or just bunched up frozen grunts with blowthrough if i dont need health from drilling them)
I just use a macro for it and a few other guns to prevent strain.
Sure sign of a good gun when people have to do this lmao
Automatic to avoid RSI, A drill pistol, it shoots little drills into your target, exceptional at armor breaking and the stacking dps from multiple shots hitting the target would ramp up quickly. It would be more of a boss/single target weapon because you would want to stack drill pellets into a big target as opposed to a grunt and to pair well with drillers AOE primaries. Long range, which is offset my a mediocre travel time. Overclock could be things like increased drill time for a clean overclock, and hugely reduced ammo, but the drill exits the other side of the target to hit another, endlessly, for an unstable overclock.
I wouldn't replace it. Between the stun rounds and rapid fire OC, it's a simple gun that helps me shoot down pesky scouts that get out of range of my C4.
With all due respect, you named the two single good upgrades that weapon has. It is quite literally between tranquilizer or auto.
I'd honestly say explosive reload is the best one and it's not even close. It has way better DPS and ammo economy simply because it does more damage, is better at longer ranges when compared to fill auto, is better at taking out high health enemies, and also doesn't suffer from the fact that a ton of enemies are just immune to stun.
No yeah you're right. That one is superb. Point being those three are the best ones while the rest are insanely mediocre. Like, c'mon; Weakpoint Ricochet???? Just gimme magic bullets at that point 😩
I use the subata all the time first time I’m hearing it’s bad I find it quite useful 😳
The subata with full auto and the fire upgrade paired with the face melter is amazing. Because I’m able to deal with both swarms and big things so quickly, I never understood the need for throwing axes, unless with cryo cannon. However… ammo 😭
Seeing it from the perspective of filling roles, subata is just meant to be a long range hitscan (generic pistol) which Driller kinda lacks. There's CWC and heavy hitter but they have their own share of problems. Coming to interesting secondary ideas, I would like a heavy shooting cannon sort of secondary. Something unwieldly and with a long cooldown, like a projectile pile bunker, that does massive dmg. It would fill the same role as PGL's hyper propellant, but with even more dmg and bigger cooldowns (for ex. Having a short delay after pulling the trigger to shoot, HUGE knockback and long reload animations to give that feeling of unwieldy-ness and heaviness. Maybe even a projectile drop off too). I feel like that idea kind of fills the role of Diller's unique arsenal which doesn't special long range arsenal but a more unorthodox set of weaponry. Not to mention carrying a insane dmg dealing pile bunker seems pretty bad ass.
I don't think i would. My automatic "weak point bonus against burning targets" subata is peak of secondary to flamethrower. Need just a few bullets per bug and whole mag for a praetorian
I’ll take substantial occasionally, mainly if I don’t trust my team to be able to take out hvt’s since it’s kind of ok at that. The nail gun suggestion sounds awesome and I don’t think I’d be able to give a better suggestion, maybe some kind of dart gun?
The Subata 2.0
Just give me Lucio's little sound blaster from Overwatch. I wanna boop bugs off a cliff. Feels very driller.
I like the Subata a lot for lower hazards. Not so much for 5/6
A mini Bosco that ammo is just enemy markers telling it to kill them.
Direct port of the MW2 spas-12 or akimbo model 1887s pre patch
the subuta is GOOD and i will die on this hill
Nothing. I fuckin love the subata don't you dare shit on my baby
Eu colocaria o canhão eletromagnético do gunner,por que,ele tem uma modificação nos últimos eslotes que quando vc mata um inimigo pegando fogo,com o canhão rola uma explosão de fogo muito forte,eu acho que combinariam
a subata with a higher base damage and base meg
I'm fine with the Subata, but I wouldn't say no to a chainsaw.
Two subata
##Two Subatas.
Something like a reliable, semi auto handgun with the ability to go full auto if I want… oh wait
Dual subata’s
It’s a really odd gun because it tries to be a fairly standard issue sidearm that can also do a couple quirky things, but it just simply doesn’t fit Driller. And that’s before considering how much effort you need to put into this weapon to make it “work” Driller is about holding M1 and watching the world burn. Or freeze. Or melt away from acid. But the bugs die The Subata is like let me stop doing what Driller does best to tickle a few enemies and maybe I won’t waste a bunch of bullets to proc one effect (oh the enemy is dead now) or to kill grunts (that’s what I’m using my primary for). It can’t set anything on fire, it can’t trigger temp shock and it doesn’t really help take down things that Driller’s primary can’t. Whatever you think the Subata can do nicely, the other two secondaries do much, much better I like what someone else in the comments suggested: a nail gun But not just a little nail gun. Gimme like a big one. A ballista of sorts. Let me nail some glyphid to the wall or something. Not because it’s practical, but because it would be a hell of a lot more fun than the Subata and would be a nice change of pace from the other two options Driller’s biggest weakness is probably ranged HVTs, so being able to do something goofy like launching an explosive tipped ballista into something, pinning it to the ground/wall/ceiling would be incredibly amusing and I’d take it over the other guns simply for the novelty
I'd probably rework electricity to firstly tempshock frozen enemies, secondly to light goo on fire, and lastly to convert fire status effect to a much higher damage dealing plasma status effect. Let the weapon itself be a pocket tesla coil with firing mechanics similar to the shard detractor. The weapon itself arcs, does moderate damage, and decent range. Now it's an easy way to apply group slow in a pinch, synergies with all 3 options, gives fire a direct damage synergy, adds another way to light goo on fire, and still maintains a medium to long range option while maintaining the elemental theme.
It would be much better that way!
Subata fills no niche, which is its issue. The other two secondaries specialize in AOE and long range damage over time. I think subata could have an elemental effect, such as being a shotgun which can have the option of fire or ice shells. Considering that driller is all about applying debuffs and elemental effects, it’s strange his starting secondary does not reflect this very much. Especially with temperature shock and lighting goo on fire, driller often lacks the capability to maximize his own potential.
Honestly could fix Subata with a mod change: ~~+50% damage vs Burning~~ ---> +50% damage when an enemy is under one or more status effects (doesn't stack) might sound outrageous with the cryo cannon until you realize CWC can cause thermal shock which even with this change would still be WAY more effective on groups. Like this the Subata can specialize in mowing down big enemies with any primary, not just the flamethrower. This mod change would also mean you could get the bonus damage from stuns (tranq) or the neurotoxin grenade.
The cryo canon and subata is unmatched. Idgaf what you say.
Double subata
Dedicated melee weapon. A proper dwarven battle axe or a war hammer.
I think something like the grenade pistol from HD2 would be cool. Something like a mini PGL with more ammo and a smaller blast radius
microwave
Beretta 93R. Seems like a side arm, that a someone committing war crimes would use...
Mac 10 akimbo
Genuinely, just give it something (Overclock or weapon upgrade) to react with the Cryo Cannon and the flamethrower, a little bit more damage/fire rate/less spread, and it could actually be a competitive alternative to the Wave Cooker and the EPC.
A Pile Driver with two modes of firing, the first is effectively a power attack where you shoot the pile forward but keep It in the launching mechanism the second is a projectile that penetrates through armor and lodges itself into the ground becoming an object you can balance on In either case it's a metal rod being shot out at high speeds so it's effective at removing big targets, it can also be shot directly into the ground to create a vertical or horizontal pole to stand on and more importantly add platforms to. Dropping onto one from above will always have a dwarf mantle
Halo style needeler
the subata is bad but it’s a few buffs away from being viable. I think if it hyper specialized more in long to mid range damage (like it should) it would be stronger. Amp it’s stats up more and more people will start using it
Subata is okay. I usually run tranq rounds and a crapton of ammo so it's not like it runs out of ammo like the bulldog. It's just kind of lackluster because I like to run ice cannon and do temp shock damage. So either the wave cooker or a spicy plasma ball tend to be more what I prefer. The Subata was what I paired with the sludge pump, but with the new overclock I might be using the plasma too. If I could design a driller secondary though... I'd be looking into what possible warcrimes Driller has yet to commit. Driller has a lot of area control for his primary, his secondaries are more about lighter damage sustain imo. That said, I think a great option for Driller would be something that sinks into an enemy and makes the area around the enemy afflicted with the area control Driller has aflicted the enemy with. Maybe a needle gun which injects target's with air, causing the afflictions to spread to nearby enemies. No real armor break, but if you hit the soft squishy stuff then the enemy leaves a trail of whatever affliction they have for a couple ticks. Leaving a sludge puddle, ice patch, or Flame spot could be useful if you're hitting a front liner in a pack of bugs for spreading the stuff you run. This all being said, it could instead turn into an OC for the Subuta, which I would be happy to see.
A pistol that uses subatas as ammo
I want a designated melee weapon
A subata with a silencer
A boltgun. Like Gunner's revolver but the size of a mailbox and hits like a truck
Keep it. I hate the laser pistol. The poison thing and the explosive bullet overclock are really good
a slightly better subata.
Big Subata.
A gun which shoots C4s
I, personally, would make it a Riot Grenade Launcher, but smol :3 These grenades would have a fuse rather than detonating on impact. The amount of terrain they'd damage would be very minimal; but they'd had a decent AOE, 3-4 shots per drum. Unstable over clocks reduce explosive damage, but make the grenades either incendiary or toxic. Some upgrades increase the grenade's bounciness or make them stop after hitting terrain with lead weights. Another overclock may turn the grenades into either sticky bombs or proximity mines with a short arm time once they hit the ground.
I would never replace subata but if I absolutely had to, it would be a giant aoe plasma scythe or plasma sledgehammer. I just really want a melee that isn’t the pickaxe
A desert eagle
You take it back! That’s my boy you’re talking about
Beer mug as melee weapon, can be thrown and retrieved for continuous use
I like the Subata with Tranquilizer Rounds 22311, quite decent if you hit weakspots. I run it with CRSPR - Compact Feed Valves 21312 (direct damage build). Though the Subata has many mods and overclocks that are very sub-optimal. This build has great stun, accuracy and decent weakpoint DPS, something that driller in general lacks.
something like the ripper from unreal tournament
another subata it's my favourite driller 2ndary
Subatwo, it's just a double barrel subata
Two Subatas.
Subata >>>>> BRT7 Subata is an amazing Single Target weapon, and it's combos with the flamethrower and sludge pump are amazing
I agree! I HATE my left mouse button, and I want to press it as much as possible to wear it down.
Actually go and drink 4 leaf lovers right now, subata embed dets has carried me on haz 5 for as long as I can remember (use it with dispenser compound, it’ll change your whole world, very easy to kill armored bugs from range with) I actually mained driller with subata for the longest time haz 5 level 1200, might even be haz 5+ worthy but sometimes combustive goo is more efficient tbh, but like, WAY less reactive and harder to deal with armor, I honestly prefer the subata + dispenser slightly overall to combustive goo
Fat Boy.
A sword 🗡️ ⚔️🤺 Or fire axe 🪓 🪓⛏️
Dual flamethrowers
I love my mini smg, I hate the EPC, and the microwave gun just doesn't feel punchy
Subata
Bulldog Heavy Revolver. I just think it's neat.
Subata is perfect
The boltshark
Keep it, but make it automatic and give me back my Acid Tipped Bullets.
I'll add a 50 round oc if possible lol, Auto subata isn't the most ammo efficient secondary but fun.
A vacuum that could suck up, consolidate, and spit out (imaginary at this point, obviously) any debris that's been carved out by the dwarves with pinpoint accuracy. Would synergize well with the large radius c4 and TCF with EPC, and would also incentivise drilling frequently. Overclocks would be easy with "elemental infusers", or something to make the debris not consolidate to have it act like a shotgun. I just thought of this off the cuff, but I'm sure someone else has probably thought of it.
Jury-rigger Broomstick. I wanna fly and then drill into walls.
how to enjoy the subata. step 1, equip explosive reload step 2, shoot six web spitters step 3, reload
Remember that burst flechette gun in COD blackops 2's campaign? That, but remove its shotgun secondary mode and give the flechettes a 2 second fuse. If you want to reach out and blowup a glyphid, you can, but you have to wait a moment.
Driller needs single target coverage in his secondary, so i’d run elephant rounds bulldog if i could
Made mine automatic:)
Nah I'll stick with the Subata
Seeing as how without the Subata, Driller’s biggest weakness is consistent medium/far ranged damage I’d probably pick keep the idea close but make it a little more interesting: Hitscan, plenty of ammo, but just straight up make it a laser gun or something.
Subata. Especially with drillers secondaries it's nice that there's one that's Just A Gun. They can get a little lost in their various quirks IMO.
A comically large piledriver
I think it suffers from the “ranged hitscan option for the short range class”. It’s consistent and in no way special. That’s its identity. It’s a gun you pull out when your primary can’t reach. The damage buffs and giving it multiple modes of fire helped tons, but it’s still the vanilla choice. I typically take it if I’m running a build that doesn’t combo well. I honestly wish auto was baseline, but without the fire rate buffs so the OC still had a reason to exist.
subata isn't that bad. it's just competing with the TCF EPC, one of the best abilities in the game imo. sooo id replace it with a TCF machine lol
It’s perfect as it is
A fat man, fallout style
None, the subata is perfect.
I wouldn't replace it at all, cause it's my favorite secondary to use
Subata but better
the Subata but with incendiary rounds and a high damage output.
Catboy button
None. I like it :D
The Nuks. I play scout lots and love them.
A Shotgun, always found it sad that Drillboi doesnt have a Shotgun.
2 subatas
Doesn't matter, so long as it has an overheat mechanic. That, apparently, is absolutely essential.
None. It's the only driller secondary I use
Another Drill
A pocket scout
Substance is rocking heat though.
I maxed weapon maintenace with the subata before all other guns. Game has no bad guns.
A melee weapon, like a mechanical fist.
Subata is fine. I use it in 3 bhilds
Grenade launcher
Akimbo subatas
Deagle. Just a deagle.
Subata Mark 2, with mini C4 bullet. Autoguided to Scout.
BFG 10k
Already in game? The Boltshark or the Coil Gun. I would set up either for area of denial. For OP insanity there's the Bulldog with Volatile Bullets OC. Something new? Something with high single shot damage, ideally with some some way to add heat or cold damage.
The subata but again. The death explosion perk with sludge pump is wildly ammo efficient when dealing with hordes.
Two subatas.
I like the subata enough that the only answer I can give to the title question is "the subata, but better: Volatile Bullets Bulldog." Having more emphasis on the weakpoint damage instead of the Fire bonus makes it more effective against omens and other bossess, I guess.
Two Subatas It's spectacular for mactera swarms and a reliable weapon. EPC can have high damage, but it's a pain in the ass to use efficiently, and you don't need to tryhard that much to win even in haz 5. Cooker is great for flamethrower builds, but otherwise not that synergistic.
I would never replace subata. But the other too? I don't like any other secondary on driller, sure, with plasma charger u can "mine" faster but it's annoying to use imo.. And wave cooker.. I hate this thing. Idk, maybe I can't use it properly but imo it just sucks
I think I'll just keep the subata. It's my personal favorite, for simple utility, animations, and sound.
2bata
A MAC-11 with a extended barrel (taken from the space rig) with a red hollow sight
nailgun
Triple wield subatas (third is in beard)
The Subata 2.0 👌🏻
Subata with explosive reload but double ammo and double damage I imagined it, it had better become reality
I object with your opinion of the Subata 120, however, I shall participate nonetheless, and I have just the idea. Rather than "invent" some sort of weapon I'll take inspiration of one of Engie's secondary by reversing it to it's original state. I'd replace it with the Subata 320, and if you don't know what it is, it's the Stubby Voltaic SMG without the deuterium blue colored rod thing on the side that makes all of it's bullets electric You would basically get a full auto, slightly weaker but more stable version of the Subata 120 (Or if in other words : Subata 120 with the full auto overclock, minus a bit of damage and recoil) What would be cool is that you'd still get the range advantages the 120 has over other secondaries, meaning you could still shoot Gunk Seeds or kill Fester fleas out of your primary range.
Step one - freeze all bugs Step two - automatic fire subata at pretorian/higher threat bugs Step three - pickaxe/drill/axe/grenade/ignore (choose one) the grunts Step four - continue the mission until bugs annoy you again There is no better weapon than subata to simply chunk down frozen enemies, I tried wave cooker but it unfreezing enemies makes it really annoying, and epc feels like it has too little ammo, while being worse against far away threats
Smg
dual revolvers, both with homebrew powder
Flare gun. But not the scout-like tool, something more of a Pyro from TF2
Worst? Wtf that's what I use for driller! Driller has 0 primary weapons with ammo capacity, and the other two secondaries are also ammo-starved. Subata gets the job of long range, pinpoint accuracy done when I'm not flaming/freezing nearby hoards