User:Kremlinjoe/Whatever It Takes...

Play Style
'Whatever It Takes' does exactly that; whatever it takes to make the kills, achieve the victory and harvest the loot. As is evinced by its broad distribution of points, this is a versatile build, one which allows the player to move quickly between high damage by rocket fire, fast damage at a high rate of fire with automatic weapons, and mêlée assaults. This versatility does require the player to think quickly and think constantly; this build is most effective when the player anticipates and adapts to new challenges. Whilst not excelling in a single field, 'Whatever It Takes' is prepared to handle the unexpected.

Weapon Advice
The primary weapon for this build is of course, the rocket launcher. Prime choice would be the Maliwan Incendiary Rhino, its x4 fire damage providing excellent anti-personnel damage against late game Crimson Lance enemies. If the Rhino cannot be obtained, The Roaster dropped by Taylor Kobb achieves a similar effect. Thirdly, an Incendiary Single Destructor or Incendiary Helix Destructor can do good damage. Burst fire rocket launchers should be avoided, as they not only drain the ammo supply very quickly (sometimes faster than Master Blaster can handle), but they lack the power and accuracy of helix and single fire rocket launchers. They are designed for users without a bonus to clip size, unlike the 5 point 'wide load' power that 'Whatever It Takes' uses.

A pair of combat rifles jointly hold the secondary weapon position. A static machine gun bears special mention as a mass shield reducer. Ideally, a Maliwan Static Havoc should be obtained, the high bullet damage but manageable accuracy and recoil make this assault rifle capable against a group of guardians or Crimson Lance, and also against single targets. Alongside this I recommend an element-free combat rifle, which emphasises standard damage. In this role the Hyperion Destroyer performs well. Fully automatic while scoped, it can empty its usually small clip with Hyperion's famed accuracy. Whilst recoil can be an issue in uncontrolled hands, this gun performs well when fired in 2-3 bursts. If the Destroyer cannot be found, an Atlas, Torgue, Hyperion or Dahl Cobra will perform admirably. As this combat rifle is antipodean to the aforementioned Static Havoc, emphasis when choosing should fall on accuracy and power, and any gun with negative recoil should be discounted. This gun will be used against single targets, and must reflect that.

A sniper rifle should be carried at all times, if only for a great zoom allowing ranged recon for solo players. The pinnacle would be the Jakobs Skullmasher, whose almost shotgun-like firing style will not only cause great damage when aimed well and carefully, but will still cause good damage when fired by an inexperienced sniper. While not so effective against Crimson Lance whose armour will lower the effect of each projectile, resulting in a considerable overall loss of power, it does increase the chance of getting those critical hits, especially against small targets like heads, or the open mouth of a skag. If the skullmasher can't be obtained, a standard Jakobs sniper rifle will do; although it will change the play style in terms of sniping. When choosing a Jakobs sniper, accuracy comes first, as hitting the critical is essential. A clip of at least four, if not five, helps greatly, as having to reload breaks focus and can cost the player big time.

The final weapon in Brick's arsenal should be a shotgun, which fills the final slot in his versatility spread, that of rakk killing and room clearing. The ideal is the Maliwan Crux, whose corrosive multiplier cause extreme damage to Crimson Lance shields, especially up close in rooms, or just before a mêlée rush. Any caustic assault shotgun is good in this capacity, but it must be an assault shotgun, the semi-automatic firing of a standard shotgun is just too slow to cause real damage in a chaotic close quarters situation.

Grenade Mod
A grenade, thrown into a cluster of enemies whose shields (if they have any) have been removed by a spray from a Static Havoc, can completely clean an area. Used like this, or thrown into a room, the aim is the same: to cause a large amount of appropriate damage with a single grenade. Therefore, I recommend an Incendiary MIRV, which both splits into many grenades, and causes great anti flesh damage, perfect after shields have been removed.

Shield Mod
As Brick will have to be in the firing line often, either in a team or solo, either a Fortified Pangolin, which provides a huge shield, or a Macho Torgue, which augments health by 60%, will be effective.

Class Mod
The Blast Master mod is probably the best for 'Whatever It Takes.' A maximum of 60% explosive damage boost is great for the rocket launcher, and the twin elemental effect chances work brilliantly with the great amount of elemental damage used here. After the blast master, the Titan's 50% health boost, health regeneration, and almost 40% shield capacity bonus are very useful for a player who will be the centre of attention often.