Learning goals
- Understand shotguns.
- Understand bows.
- Understand crossbows.
- Understand why pellet spread, charge time, projectile travel, and accuracy matter.
- Learn when these weapons feel strong or awkward.
Explanation
Shotguns, bows, and crossbows do not feel like standard rifles. Shotguns usually fire multiple pellets or projectiles per shot and are often strongest at close to medium range. Bows often use charged projectiles and reward timing, aim, and sometimes headshots or grouping. Crossbows can sit between bows and rifles depending on the weapon, with unique projectile, stealth, or precision behavior.
What should I do?
Use these types when you like deliberate aiming, can manage range, want strong per-shot impact, and are not relying only on fast spray damage. Avoid forcing them in extremely fast missions, when allies kill everything before you can charge, or when you need wide easy crowd clear.
How to avoid wasting time
If a bow or shotgun feels bad, ask whether the problem is the weapon type, the mod setup, or the mission. A slow charged weapon may feel terrible in a speedrun but useful in stealth or controlled missions.
Common mistakes
Watch for these Primary weapon habits while testing and investing.
- Using shotguns from too far away without understanding spread.
- Treating bows like automatic rifles.
- Ignoring projectile travel time.
- Forgetting to use weakpoints.
- Judging charged weapons in missions where allies kill everything instantly.
Practical example
A shotgun can delete a close enemy but lose effectiveness at long range. A bow can hit very hard but requires time to charge and aim. A crossbow may offer a unique middle ground but still needs practice.
Key Takeaways
- Shotguns, bows, and crossbows reward understanding distance, timing, and shot commitment.
Practical task
Shotguns, bows, and crossbows depend heavily on distance and timing.
- Equip a shotgun, bow, or crossbow if available.
- Run a low-risk mission.
- Test the weapon at close range.
- Test it at medium range.
- Test it while moving.
- Notice whether travel time, spread, or charge time affects your aim.
- Decide whether the weapon feels like a keeper, a leveling weapon, or a later build project.
You can explain how range or timing affects the weapon.