AR-14D Paragon

The AR-14D Paragon is in reality an old assault rifle rarely seen in use amongst the armed forces. It uses the same cartridge as the AR-20L Justice but in a heavier, semi-automatic rifle. The rifle has been modernized and now fires a poison-laced round causing targets hit to spasm and slow. Part of the Hazard Ops equipment kit.

Compared to other assault rifles, chiefly the AR-19 Liberator, the Paragon deals an extraordinary amount of (armour-piercing) damage per round. While the poison damage is negligible and only kicks in when the bullet deals damage to a target (so it doesn't work on shielded targets), the poison's slowing effect is very powerful. All of this is offset, however, by two factors: It is well worth learning the "half-trigger" tap, as many weaker enemies can easily be killed with a single, accurate Paragon round to their center mass (saving you a lot of valuable ammunition). It is performed by slightly depressing the trigger button instead of fully pressing down on it. If you find yourself unable to fire in burst mode, make sure you turn on 'Veteran Controller Mode' in the game's settings.
 * The relatively low amount of magazines that players can carry for the weapon coupled with the small magazine size.
 * The difficulty of single-shot trigger taps with the Burst Fire upgrade, meaning that ammo-wasting three-shot bursts are much more common.

It is recommended to split your shots between targets if there are multiple high-threat enemies closing in simultaneously. This will slow whatever you damage to a crawl and provides ample time for Tactical Repositioning (AKA "bravely running away") and for teammates to assist.

In an emergency situation, unloading the Paragon's entire magazine in a few successive bursts will make short work of all but the most heavily-armoured enemies. This eats through the Helldiver's ammunition supply even more quickly, though. When initially getting familiar with the Paragon, therefore, you might want to bring an extra Resupply strategem or take the Stratagem Priority Perk to prevent running out. With proper ammo management, it is undoubtedly a superior weapon.

Helldivers start with 5 magazines of Paragon ammunition, and can carry up to 10. Each magazine contains 20 rounds (25 with the Extended Magazine upgrade). If 2 or less rounds remain in the magazine when the weapon is fired, the 'low ammunition' warning sound will play.

Reload time for a fully emptied magazine is 2.5 seconds; if reloaded while there are still rounds in the magazine, this drops to 1.25 seconds. In addition, this keeps a round in the chamber. This means a Paragon with the Extended Magazine upgrade and a chambered round gives a total of 26 shots before needing to be reloaded.

Unlock Requirement
The Paragon is a DLC weapon, available at any rank to those who purchase the Hazard Ops equipment kit.

Upgrades
Adding a bayonet to the Paragon will greatly increase its lethality in close quarters combat. Most medium-level enemies can be killed with one or two stabs of the bBayonet. Unshielded Helldivers also die instantly to a bayonet attack, unless they are wearing Heavy Armour. In addition, the bayonet upgrade enables much more effective use of the 'Melee Dodge' move. To conserve Paragon ammunition, finish off slowed enemies by catching up to them and utilizing the bayonet.