Hey Exofighters,
Welcome to Hammerheads HQ #6!
Following on from last week’s blog post, that revealed 34 new Modules and detailed 4 Alpha Variant exosuits, as well as how you’ll unlock them in Title Update 1, we’re back a little earlier than usual with previews on the remaining 5 Alpha suits!
That’s a lot of suits to talk about, so let’s charge into today’s post like a Pachycephalosaurus that’s just seen you conveniently stood by a ledge.
Over to you, Director Hiraoka!
Director Combat Data – Alpha Variant Intel: Part 2
Murasame Alpha: Frost Glaive
Hello again, everyone!
Murasame may be a tank, but it's also a more proactive fighter than its fellow tanks Roadblock and Krieger, largely thanks to the Kiri-Ichimoji attack which slashes all the enemies around it.
For its Alpha variant, Murasame's weapon has changed to Itadorimaru, which trades off lower damage output for the ability to freeze enemies in place, making it easier for the rest of your team to focus their attacks. This means that it's more optimal than ever to stay close to your team, since there is no point freezing enemies somewhere your teammates can't get to them.
Since the slippery ice effect of the counter-attack travels forward away from Murasame, you also have the added strategic consideration of which direction to aim for.
Barrage Alpha: Rocket Hop
By default, Barrage uses a grenade launcher called the Skipbomber which fires projectiles in a parabola, so it's a little tricky to aim, but you don't need to hit enemies exactly since the explosions spread out on impact. The grenades set enemies on fire, so using Skipbomber and Triple Threat to keep dinosaurs ablaze as much as possible is the basic strategy for Barrage.
The Alpha variant of Barrage uses Bounce Blaster, a rocket launcher. This differs from the grenade launcher in that rockets travel in a straight line towards their target, so you can aim more easily and directly, but the trade-off is that rockets detonate directly on impact, so you will actually have to try to hit the enemy rather than aiming in its general direction as you would with the Skipbomber.
You can also charge up rockets, which not only increases their damage output but adds a knockback effect during PvP against enemy Exofighters. Taking the right chances to let loose a charged shot is vital.
Also, the fire effect of the grenades is not present by default on the rockets, so if you want to set those dinos ablaze, you'll need to restore this effect using modules or simply through good old-fashioned teamwork.
Nimbus Alpha: Double Barrel
Playing as Nimbus involves switching between Attack and Support modes, and its default skill Mars & Apollo uses twin long-range pistols which necessitate positioning oneself to offer effective team support from a safe distance. Even while at a distance, Holo Warp allows the player to rush to the aid of a downed teammate to revive them.
In its Alpha variant, Nimbus is equipped with dual shotguns called Bellona and Hygieia. As you might imagine, shotguns require much closer-range combat to maximise their effectiveness, which changes up the play style of Nimbus quite a lot and requires the player to stay physically closer to their team. This has its risks and rewards as increased proximity may get you into danger, but you have higher-powered firearms to get you out of those close encounters. Definitely give it a try!
Deadeye Alpha: Burst Fire
Deadeye's default variant is a versatile suit that uses a basic assault rifle, the Ravager, to offer an easily picked-up and played combat experience for any player. It's mainly focused on mid- to long-range attacks which require skilful positioning, but even at close range, the Ravager and Thrust Attack are effective tools in any situation. To put it bluntly, this suit is a "Jack of all trades", in the best possible way.
By contrast, the Alpha variant of Deadeye uses a different weapon called the Aggressor, which switches between a short-range spread attack and a down-the-sights five-shot burst useful at mid- to long-range. You'll have to make snap decisions about which mode to use depending on your distance from the enemy, but if you pick the right mode for the right range, you'll be rewarded with firepower that exceeds the default Deadeye suit. Specialization has its rewards!
One thing to note about the Aggressor is that its burst-fire mode feels quite different from the default Ravager, and requires more precise aiming. Hitting your target feels really great with this weapon!
Vigilant Alpha: Marksman
Vigilant is by default a pure sniper, using charged Railgun shots to deliver hits with pinpoint precision. Since all of its active skills are on the slower side, positioning and accuracy are key to its effective use.
This charging ability is gone when using the Alpha variant of Vigilant, replaced with a rapid-fire capability on its Preyfinder weapon. You'll still want to aim precisely at enemy weak points, but with faster shots you can afford to be a little more trigger-happy and adjust your aim as you attack.
Preyfinder is a semi-automatic rifle, and one in every five shots is extra-powerful, so you'll want to make sure that one is going to hit its mark when you pull the trigger. It's easier to fire off the hip than the default, so you'll find Vigilant Alpha handier in close-quarters combat as well.
Intel Summary
Exofighters, this concludes Director Hiraoka’s previews of all 10 new Alpha Variant exosuits coming to Exoprimal in Title Update 1 on August 16th, bringing the total selection of available suits to 20!
If you missed out on our previous posts, you can learn more about the other Alpha Variant suits by clicking the links below:
As a reminder, in order to access the Alpha Variants, you’ll just need to get the base version of the exosuits you want to unlock to level 20!
We look forward to seeing your thrilling combat data from both Dino Survival and Savage Gauntlet with these new additions.
Stand by for combat mission
That wraps up the latest Hammerheads HQ post!
August 16th and Title Update 1 is rapidly approaching, so it won’t be long until your collecting high-quality combat data in your shiny new exosuits.
We’ll be back again in the near future with our next community blog post!
In the meantime, follow Exoprimal on Twitter and like us on Facebook for the latest Exoprimal news.
Thanks, Exofighters, see you in the wargames!
- Exoprimal Community Team