Vital Agents in Ubisoft's The Division 2 know how to use their guns, but the Gunner has a more intimate connection with their firearms. Interestingly, players interested in dishing out major damage while maximizing what firearms can offer will enjoy playing the Gunner Specialization. Moreover, in The Division's post-apocalyptic setting, it's the Gunner's familiarity with specialized weaponry that sets the Division apart from other factions in the game.
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Unfortunately, others who try the Gunner for the first time might feel overwhelmed with its various options. However, the right familiarity with the Gunner's skill tree can help players set their Operators apart from the rest of their squad. However, how exactly would this work?
Across all specializations, the Gunner has a penchant for damage resilience and sustained damage output. Thanks to its Minigun, the Gunner has a natural tendency to keep on firing at things until they turn to dust. Unfortunately, some players might think this leaves Gunners quite vulnerable to suppressing fire or to enemy reinforcements. Thankfully, the Gunner's skill tree has a more straightforward approach when ensuring they have enough firepower to pulverize enemy forces as soon as they arrive. Here are some areas of focus:
M134 Minigun: The Gunner has the M134 Minigun as its treasured Signature Weapon. It's a rotary gun capable of allowing the Gunner to provide suppressing fire or tanking the frontlines with the right build. Players need to be careful when using this, as drawing this to enter the fight won't allow players to sprint or enter cover.
Building Armor, Stability: Unlike other Specializations, the Gunner prioritizes building armor and stability as part of its offensive approach. As a "tanking" Specialization, the Gunner has Talents that allow it to gain more ammo, defense, and even stability as it launches attacks on opponents.
Multi-Gun Specialty: As per its namesake, the Gunner has extensive training over the use of different weapons. When not using the Minigun, Gunners works best as an all-around DPS across multiple ranges. In turn, aside from a handy sidearm, they also work with the mid-range assault rifle, short-range shotgun, and fast-paced LMG.
Banshee: Agents may obtain the Banshee as a special Drone should they choose the Gunner Specialization. This small gadget can launch a pulse that confuses enemies in its blast radius, and it even penetrates through cover.
Unlike other Specializations, the Gunner likes to take the front lines and just rain hell on enemies. They do this courtesy of the M134 Minigun, a six-barreled rotary gun. Thanks to its sheer size, the Minigun can easily fit a helicopter. However, the Gunner's specialized training makes them just as capable of manning this behemoth against enemies.
With an automatic fire mode and around 6,000 rounds-per-minute, the M134 Minigun remains to this day as one of the most reliable - if not the best - single-barreled firearm to date.
Designed to support the Gunner's frontline-oriented role, the M134 Minigun remains capable of providing suppressing fire to pressure the enemies into less-favorable situations. In turn, the M134 Minigun enables the Gunner to tank most combat situations while leaving the rest for more specialized damage-dealers. Unfortunately, whipping out the Minigun does remove the Gunner's capability to sprint and take cover. In turn, Gunners need to have a reliable supporting fire if they want to take the lead to a fight - which can be difficult to become get used to for a beginner.
Essentially, the Minigun takes time to fire from the hip, as the rotary barrels still need to spool up in preparation. Players can decrease spooling time when aiming, which can slow down the weapon significantly in return for higher accuracy. Moreover, the Minigun does have a more limited effective range, reaching only 30 meters. Here are other base statistics for consideration:
Damage: 198.9K
Rate of Fire: 1000
Magazine: 150+150
Range: 30 Meters
Fire Mode: Automatic
As the adage goes, sometimes the best offense makes a good defense. Some might think that the frontline nature of the Minigun adds a huge risk to the Gunner, due to exposure. However, the A Good Offence Talent of the M134 Minigun makes this risk worth the while. Essentially, the Gunner gains 50-percent bonus armor for each Signature Weapon ammo upon drawing the Minigun. This adds a huge defensive leap for Gunners about to tank difficult bosses and multiple enemy squads.
Moreover, while this Talent does deal less damage to Named enemies, the Talent compensates by ensuring that the Gunner restores 1-percent armor per bullet hit. With a pro's skillset, this can make the Minigun a devastating enemy to face.
Players can further improve the M134 Minigun's damage courtesy of the Signature Weapon Damage Talent. Thanks to this Talent, the minigun can enjoy as much as (Tier 4) 40-percent increased damage.
The Gunner's M134 Minigun works best the more targets it can hit. Meaning, the Gunner essentially becomes a hulking tin can if they can't hit any enemies. Thankfully, their support Drone can remove this liability with a handy distraction. The Banshee is a Drone specifically designed to confuse and distract enemies, leaving them wide open for the Gunner's barrage.
Moreover, the distraction caused by the Banshee essentially gives the party a few seconds to take cover or even make an impressive comeback from sticky situations. This works best with skill combos that rely on distracting the enemy for a quick flank-and-kill.
As mentioned, the Banshee serves as the ever-reliable Drone that assists the Gunner in their incursions. Unlike other Specialization Drones, the Banshee doesn't damage opponents. Rather, the Banshee can unleash a forward pulse arc that confuses enemies in its range. In turn, enemies become stunned and wide open for attacks. Impressively, the pulse passes through cover as well.
With the Microwave Amplifier, the Banshee can enjoy an increased duration for its confusion pulse wave.
Gunners can further improve from the Banshee's pulse wave via the Directional Transmitter, which enhances the Banshee's area of effect.
Gunners have a more dangerous approach to battle compared to their other Specialization counterparts. After all, their Minigun might have supreme firepower. However, they do trade offensive advantage for lack of cover and sprinting power. In turn, Gunners might be left behind in terms of the defensive front. Thankfully, some Talents focus on ensuring Gunner safety whenever they bring themselves to the front lines.
As the primary defensive component of a squad, the Gunner needs to have the best protection to tank damage from enemies. Thanks to the Vital Protection Mod, the Gunner can enjoy as much as a 20-percent decrease of getting hit by critical hits during Conflict. Essentially, Gunners can use this to have an extra layer of survivability when in the high-intensity situations. This is particularly useful against Elites and Named opponents who often have higher critical hit chances.
Gunners work best whenever they just aim their weapons at enemies and fire as much as possible - which makes the few seconds of reloading quite a risk for this Specialization. After all, that short room can give enemies time to flank them and eliminate them. Thankfully, the Coupler Talent allows Gunners to reload much faster in the heat of the battle. Essentially, this Talent allows Gunners to (Tier 3) make every third reload 50-percent faster.
Due to the quick-fire nature of the Minigun, Gunners know that the best way to end a firefight is to eliminate enemies as soon as possible - especially when taking control points. Gunners impart this philosophy to combat with the Barrage Talent, which essentially boosts the Gunner's firing rate by 5-percent in a quick 5-second burst for every kill. Theoretically, landing more kills in a single blow will make Gunners fire much faster.
Gunners can easily dominate the battlefield courtesy of their sheer weapon control. After all, the volatile nature of hte Minigun means it can launch a barrage of bullets almost anywhere. Thankfully, the Emplacement Talent improves the Gunner's battle performance. This Mod gives Gunners a 15-percent weapon handling boost when staying motionless for at least one second. Emplacement, when combined with the added armor of Incessant, gives Gunners a healthy balance of practical offense and sustainable defense in battle.
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Gunners dominate the battlefield with sheer firepower, and the rapid-fire nature of their Miniguns make them forces to be reckoned with. After all, seeing shots pepper through an enemy will make their comrades generally afraid of the Gunner. And the Incessant Talent boosts the Gunner's "seemingly-indomitable" appearance by giving Gunners 10-percent armor whenever they kill enemies.
In speaking of armor, Gunners can further their armor regeneration effects with the Hardened Armor Kits Talent. With this Mod, Gunners can enjoy 100-percent armor repairs from armor kits on top of 50-percent bonus armor for 10 seconds. This sheer armor boost incentivizes the rare times Gunners may have to sheathe the Minigun to get cover and repair their armor. In turn, this adds a tactical flair to the Gunner, ensuring they only deploy their Minigun from a fortified position.
Like other Specializations, a Gunner's main build relies mostly on their signature weapon. And in the case of the fast-acting Minigun, Gunners need enemies to stay still to zoom in for the kill. Thankfully, Gunners can rely on other weapons such as LMGs, assault rifles, and shotguns to balance out the fast-paced nature of the Minigun.
Essentially, the aforementioned weapons give a healthy balance to the Minigun's rather 30-meter effective range. The LMG can provide a speedy alternative with middling range, while the shotgun and assault rifle provides short-range and long-range support. Other weapons might not be as useful to the Gunner, given the rather slow-fire nature of marksman rifles and rifles.
Similar to other Specializations, Gunners get their own unique grenade. However, unlike other Specializations, their Riot Foam Grenade doesn't necessarily kill enemies. Rather, the Riot Foam Grenade ensnares and trap enemies in their position, giving the Gunner enough leeway to position their Minigun, wait for it to spool, and just tear through their ranks. For Gunners, this Talent easily becomes a must-have for beginners to secure their kills much faster.
Despite the M134 Minigun's efficiency, Gunners can't deny that its lack of cover and sprinting opportunities make them a sitting duck in the middle of combat. Thankfully, Gunners who do have to retreat can rely on a practical mid-range weapon like the LMG. Its high rate of fire and middling range allows Gunners to take cover while providing suppressing fire. In turn, this lets them reposition themselves before deploying their Minigun again.
Thankfully, the Onslaught Talent for LMGs allows Gunners to enjoy as much as (Tier 3) 15-percent increased LMG damage. In turn, their LMGs can become miniaturized versions of their Miniguns, albeit with less rate of fire.
Gunners maximize their position on the battlefield by emptying as many bullets into enemies as possible. They do this courtesy of more specialized equipment, like the Large Pouch Attachment for the LMG. Essentially, this pouch adds as much as 50 extra bullets to weapons it's attached to. In turn, LMGs deal much more damage at a longer time, giving Gunners less room for reloads that can reduce their DPS.
Gunners who want a better-ranged alternative to a stowed Minigun might want to rely on the assault rifle. Thanks to its extended range and reliable rate of fire, it can act as a great support weapon while Gunners try to find a more favorable position. Moreover, the AR can add a much-needed long-range component to the Minigun, as the latter only has an effective range of 30 meters. Moreover, the E.M.I. Talent for the AR allows players to have a (Tier 3) 15-percent damage boost to assault rifles.
Gunners who find themselves cornered in an unfavorable position don't need to surrender. In fact, they don't need to wait for their Minigun to start firing just to make a comeback. Thanks to the shotgun, a Gunner can swing into close-quarters combat should the need arise. This adds a great emergency component to the 30-meter range of the Minigun. Moreover, the Running the Gun Talent for the shotgun gives a much-needed (Tier 3) 15-percent boost to shotgun damage, which can help Gunners jump back into the fight when needed.
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Gunners stuck in a rut need a reliable sidearm, especially when their Minigun can't do the trick against an opponent. Thankfully, the Gunner can obtain a specialized sidearm in the form of the P320 XCompact. Unlike other sidearms, the P320 enjoys a decent rate of fire and a semi-auto firing mode for a 15-round magazine.
However, perhaps its major advantage relies on its sheer stopping power unlike other sidearms. It packs a heavy punch that makes it quite apt for the Gunner Specialization. Of course, players may find better use of weapons in the form of more potent shotguns. However, a sidearm-centric build may benefit from the P320.
As with other weapon-focused Talents, the Gunslinger Talent allows Gunners to maximize their use of sidearms in battle. Given the arrival of the specialized P320 XCompact, the Gunslinger Talent enables Gunners to enjoy up to (Tier 3) 15-percent increased sidearm damage. In turn, the Gunslinger Talent works best in sidearm-focused builds, or if players want to focus on a more challenging build.
Interestingly, even most of the miscellaneous Talents of the Gunner rely on their fast-paced killing nature. Essentially, Gunners need to train how to kill as fast as possible from their vantage point. In turn, a Gunner's tactics rely on how they position themselves on the battlefield that they can pressure enemies while being protected at the same time.
Interestingly, the Group Signature Ammo Acquisition Talent of the Gunner builds upon their "stand-and-shoot" mechanic. In essence, the Gunner gives one (1) ammo bar to squad members provided they can kill multiple enemies without releasing the Minigun trigger. This essentially extends "the gift of giving" to allies. Remember, even a single ammo bar of Signature Weapon Ammo can greatly assist the squad, especially for burst damage Specializations like the Demolitionist and the Survivalist.
When a Gunner unloads their Minigun to the battle, squad members know the Gunner "be packing" a lot of ammo. Thankfully, the Gunner has enough ammo to share around with everyone. With the Supply Line Talent, the Gunner generates 10-percent of its total ammo capacity every minute, while squad members regain 5-percent of their total ammo capacity during the same duration. This boost might seem small, but it adds a lot of survivability on top of the other ammo-regeneration Talent of other Specializations.
Players who experience the Gunner for the first time will enjoy the rather rail shooter nature of the Minigun. After all, it's just holding the trigger and it's raining hell for opponents, right? Interestingly, the game incentivizes this for Gunner players. With the 7.62 Minigun Ammo Acquisition Talent, Gunners can gain three (3) ammo bars provided they kill many enemies without releasing the Minigun trigger.
This Talent, combined with Emplacement, adds quite an incentive for Gunners to simply stand still on a fortified position and tank squads of opponents.