RS-422 Railgun

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RS-422 Railgun
Strategem
Strategem Traits	Support Weapon Hellpod
Input Code
Call-In Time	3 Seconds
Uses	Unlimited
Permit Type	Supply
Firepower
Damage	600 (safe) / 1500 (max unsafe damage)
Structure Damage	225 (Safe Mode) 300 (Unsafe Mode)
Weapon Handling
Weapon Traits	Anti-tank Charge-up
Fire Mode(s)	Safe Unsafe
Ammunition
Ammo Capacity	1
Spare Rounds	20
Acquisition
Source	Patriotic Administration Center
Unlock Requirement	Level 20
Cost	10000

“	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 in Helldivers 2, unlocked at Level 20.

It is a single-shot marksman's weapon that uses high-powered magnets to fire a single ferro-magnetic projectile that can penetrate tank-level armor. The weapon must be charged up before firing, which can be done in safe or unsafe mode. Charges in safe mode can be held indefinitely, while charges in unsafe mode will cause the weapon to explode if held too long.

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

• As of Patch 01.001.100, the Railgun can destroy an Automaton Fabricator in 11 safe-mode shots and 5 unsafe-mode shots
• When called in, the railgun will be set to the most recently used mode (safe mode by default if never used previously).
• Safe Mode and Unsafe Mode both have benefits and drawbacks.
• You can take the Railgun out of safe mode. On PC its by holding R, on xbox its by holding X and on playstation its by holding the square button. Then it will open the railgun menu, which will allow you to take it out of safe mode.
  • Safe Mode allows shots to be held indefinitely. This comes with no risk to the user, but sacrifices potential damage. Safe shots also will not over-penetrate through smaller targets.
  • Unsafe Mode allows shots to be "overcharged". Overcharged shots deal increased damage and over-penetration, which may hit additional targets through the initial target(for instance, besides an overcharged headshot, an Elevated Overseer may be killed in one shot by penetrating with an overcharged shot through their body to their jetpack). However, if a shot is charged for too long, the railgun will explode, destroying the railgun, the unfortunate user, and anybody too close to the explosion.
  • Using heavy armor with the "Fortified" armor trait, reduces the explosion damage enough that the user is capable of surviving an overcharged railgun explosion at full health. Nearby allies without these benefits will still not be as fortunate, however.
• A single charged shot will kill most small and medium-sized enemies.
• A single charged shot will kill a Scout Strider.
• A single charged headshot will behead a Brood Commander.
• A single overcharged headshot will behead an Alpha Commander.
  • When an overcharged headshot is at around 80%, the Alpha Commander will explode and disintegrate instead.
• A single charged headshot will kill a Hulk.
• A single charged headshot will kill Nursing Spewers and Bile Spewers.
• A single charged shot will kill a Devastator or Berserker.
• A single overcharged headshot will kill an Overseer or Elevated Overseer.
• Two overcharged shots will break a Charger's leg armor, allowing it to be killed with small arms fire. Behemoth limbs take 3 shots instead. 5-6 overcharged hits to the body or head will kill a charger.
• It will take 2-3 overcharged shots to kill an Impaler when attacking its exposed weak point. It will also take only 3 overcharged shots to break their leg armor.
• It will take 2-6 overcharged headshots to put down a Bile Titan. Body shots are inefficient, but around 2-3 overcharged hits will crack their thorax armor that exposes it's unarmored flesh.
• 1-2 overcharged shots are required to destroy most bot vents - such as the ones found behind Tank turrets, laser turrets, and Mortar Emplacements.
• While not the most ammo-efficient weapon to destroy them with, the dorsal turret of a Factory Strider can be destroyed with 3 overcharged shots and each minigun chin turret can be destroyed with a single charged shot. This effectively disarms the strider, making it an easy kill for the squad.
• 6-8 overcharged shots are required to destroy a Spore Spewer.
• 6-8 overcharged shots are required to destroy a single Shrieker Nest, requiring an approximate total of 18-24 overcharged shots for all three combined.
• There are 2 visual indicators of railgun charge on the railgun - one on the back, and one on the scope. They are much easier to see while aiming down sights.
• In safe mode, it takes about 1 second to "fully" charge.
• In unsafe mode, it takes about 3 seconds for the railgun to overload and explode.
  • The Railgun produces a faint "whistling" chime when it is overcharging. Three chimes is the optimal time to shoot and four chimes is the last chance to fire off a shot before the gun explodes.
• Getting staggered or ragdolled while the gun is holding a full charge will automatically cause the gun to fire.

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.
• 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).
• It is wise to keep the Railgun at 'safe mode' whenever dealing with medium-sized targets such as the Hive Guard as the Railgun is capable of killing most medium-sized enemies in a single charged shot. Switching to 'unsafe mode' is best reserved for powerful enemies such as the Bile Titan or Harvester.

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

Patch 01.001.100:

► Durable damage increased from 60 to 225 ► Fully overcharging damage increased from 150% to 250%