RS-422 Railgun



"An experimental weapon which prioritizes armor penetration. Must be charged between shots - so choose targets carefully."

- Armory Description

The RS-422 Railgun is one of the stratagems available to the player at Level 20.

Stratagem Code
Players must enter the following sequence, using the default Ctrl+WASD keys or the controller D-Pad in order to call down this Stratagem during a mission:

Stats

 *  Call-in Time : 3 Seconds
 *  Uses : Unlimited
 *  Cooldown Time : 480 Seconds (8 Minutes)
 * Can change between Safe and Unsafe via fire mode selector.

Gameplay Tips

 * Changing from the default "Safe" mode to the "Unsafe" mode gives multiple advantages to the user - with it being able to behead Bile Titans in 5-6 shots with accurate fire. Beware though, as charging for too long in Unsafe mode will result in the weapon exploding in the user's face.
 * The weapon can also be used to effectively engage Chargers by targeting their forelegs. Two fully overcharged shots from a railgun can break the Charger's leg armor, exposing the vulnerable flesh underneath and allows it to be finished off easily with small arms fire.
 * Against Bile Spewers and lesser Nursing Spewers however, it's best to aim for the head as the spewers can take on an impressive amount of ballistic damage.
 * There are 4 symmetrical orange/red visual indicators of railgun charge on the railgun, 2 on the back and 2 on the sides. They much easier to see in ADS (aim down sights) mode.
 * In safe mode, it takes about 1 second to "fully" charge.
 * In unsafe mode, it takes about 3 seconds until the railgun overloads and explodes.
 * When called in, the railgun will always be set to safe mode by default everytime you call it, as the save preferences settings seem to either not include the railgun, or are currently bugged with the railgun specifically.

Strategy

 * Charging the railgun behind cover and slipping out for a second to shoot after it hits 90% charge (the black line in ads) can reduce the risk of getting flinched and shot by automatons, easier if you start the charge in third person, then swap to first person ADS
 * When in first person ADS, it's easiest to aim your shot, look at your meter until the notch before the black line that signifies a "max" charge is passed by the gauge, then make sure you're correctly on the target (preferably a crit point) and shoot, or use your peripherals if you can manage focusing on the gauge light and the enemy at the same time while ignoring the chaos of combat.
 * The railgun is capable of killing chargers in 3 headshots (around 10 seconds to achieve) and hulks in 1 if you sharpshoot the eye (assuming a 90%+ charge), making good use of the railgun very efficient at downing stronger enemies, as long as you can safely charge and reload the weapon.
 * Due to how the railgun can be reloaded quickly on the move, and being able to dive while charging, experienced and precise helldivers can use the railgun as an effective, although time consuming heavy killing weapon in a hit and run/kiting playstyle, as long as they can balance kiting groups of enemies and getting enough space to deal with high threat targets before getting overrun. (Bots are innately riskier and much, much harder to Kite since they have ranged weaponry, and charging could end with a rocket in your face)

Updates
Patch 01.000.100: ► Decreased armor penetration in Safe Mode, decreased damage against durable enemy parts

Patch 01.000.300:

► Increased armor penetration in both safe mode and unsafe mode ► Stagger force slightly reduced