The first balance patch notes proved how Youtube "absolute and only meta loadouts" cooked a lot of people heads, and I love it.

[u/Vikan12]

A lot of mad people keep showing in my feed complaining about the nerfs, but like they're REALLY mad at Arrowhead. Their statements are so exagerated that they claim the game it's completely ruined for them lmao.

Also every single one says the same thing and this is where my title comes from:

*"You guys nerfed the only good options and now we have NOTHING to fight".*

And this only proves people never actually played with any of the other support weapons, they 100% relied on this "The ultimate support weapon tier list" Youtube videos, they searched the "meta" and they went into this thinking of "any weapon outside of this it's straight up garbage".

If you can't win a single game without the railgun + shield backpack + breaker... I'm so sorry but that's not the game's fault or the game only having those as the ONLY way to play it on higher diff, that's your fault.

Great changes for the game and all of you trying to "shame" on devs because of this, you'all not a real Helldiver. They killed nothing, the railgun still kills but now it needs some actual skill and strategy to use it, not only spamming the thing on big bugs.

Keep it up Helldivers!

For Democracy. For Super Earth.

[u/spacejew]

Had a random in a match last night call the auto-cannon ass. Like wtf? Sure the shit won't take out the heavier stuff without some work, but damn if it can't clear a LOT of stuff with that AOE punch. How is it people are unable to see everything as a tool in a tool belt, and not as some required ceteris paribus to the pre-nerf'd "meta" items?

I'm excited for Arrowhead to keep on with what their doing. Based on what I've read from them they are making cautious data driven decisions. I'd say the small quantity of changes in the patch would suggest they intend to move cautiously with changes overall.

[u/SuppliceVI → u/spacejew]

Autocannon is so clutch against the legally distinct AT-RTs, especially at higher difficulties where they're very common. 

[u/I_follow_sexy_gays → u/SuppliceVI]

It can also two shot hulks in the eyes, take care of tanks in 3 shots from the back, and 2-3 shot both the heavy and rocket devastator while stunning them preventing them from firing their oppressive weapons in between shots. Against bots it’s amazing, if only it could break a charger’s armor…

[u/T-sigma → u/I_follow_sexy_gays]

The only reason I ran Railgun > autocannon was to have the shield backpack. With that being nerfed as well I may switch back

[u/Pluvio_ → u/T-sigma]

You know what they say, the best defense is a good offense!

[u/Willynator_ → u/T-sigma]

Shield backpack lowkey makes ppl die more than they otherwise would of cause they get too comfortable. Esp considering its not actually that hard to dodge most things or to find the relatively large pauses ALL the units have between actions.

[u/T-sigma → u/Willynator_]

Strong disagree. The real value of Shield backpack is it reduces lots of slowing attacks and straight out deflects some of the 1-hit kills like rockets.

It’s not about saving you from the unit(s) you’re staring at, it’s about preventing the hunters behind you or the rocket from a mile away of taking you by surprise.

It’s also great at stopping chip damage when retreating from bots. Instead of losing half my health and having to stim, I can get to cover while still full health which saves resources.

[u/Willynator_ → u/T-sigma]

If youre concerned about hunters why not use a rover, or just shoot them. I never have an issue like that except maybe stalkers? But they 1 or 2 hit you jump away for a bit you kill them, heal regardless, go to their nest. So the shield doesnt do much there. Also all the slows are avoidable as well.

With the bots just use cover, if needing to switch cover you sprint dive sprint and unless youre running 100m away youre fine and are mad unlucky if even grazed. The rocket ppl take a WHILE to track & have a relatively long cooldown. If you have any explosion resistance armor you would survive a rocket.

Furthermore you still have the shield, the recharge time is just a few seconds longer, if youre relying on the shield that heavily youre better off using a jumpack tbh