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How does the L-Star work?
The L-Star seems very inconsistent - sometimes it lets you go on long LMG-like firing periods, and other times it just completely shuts down after firing less a pistol would.
And note I'm talking about from a cold start - IE: Just respawned/hasn't be fired in a long time.
And note I'm talking about from a cold start - IE: Just respawned/hasn't be fired in a long time.
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Never had problems from a cold start.
-InAnarchi0IA
First, this is a weapon you want to use in burst shots initially... not full-auto unless you're in a pinch. It takes 3 bullets to kill another player most of the time so a single burst can do the trick if you aim well.
The cooling system only activate if you exceed 4 shots fired in succession initially. This means that if you shoot in burst, you shoot 2 times in succession and as soon as you release the button (5 shots or after), there will be at least the short cooling animation.
This means you got to think quickly when you have a target as you have to calculate how far he/she is, which direction is he/she facing and how good are you at aiming a moving target? All that has to be thought of in a split of a second.
For example, if an enemy is unaware of your presence behind him/her, moving slightly closer and personal can make an huge difference. The optimal distance for the L-Star Burst is at 50m or less IF you want a deadly 1-burst kill. At around 100m-125m, count 2 burst as there's a high chance 1 of the 3 bullets fired in the first burst won't hit AND the energy types of damage loose some power over distance meaning it deal around 30-35 damages instead of the its default 45.
The cooling system is always active, but isn't as fast as the time you got between shooting burst shots. The cooldown isn't a linear process, but more like a curve. This means that having low heat in the L-Star doesn't cool as fast as having high heat yet having too high of a heat will still take more time than low heat.
This is where the 2 burst shots comes in handy as it's approximately where the curve is at its best in terms of cooling/time factor.
So whenever you shoot the L-Star, you got to do it in 3 steps (every times an encounter occurs):
Step 1) Determine the distance, facing and mobility of the target.
If the target is far and not seeing you, don't waste your cover and come in close.
If the target is aware of your position and >100m, take a defensive position and get into cover. The L-Star has slower ammunition which allows anyone to kill you before the bullet reaches them.
If the target is far and in a defensive position (cover), don't waste your time and move on.
Step 2) Shoot a first burst if things are looking good in step 1)
The first burst is gold and will determines what to do next. DON'T SPRAY like crazy. If you aim well and are close enough, you will mostly kill your target (and maybe more) with this first burst. It takes, at least, 2 bullets (1 head + 1 torso) to kill anything except grunt which takes 1-2 bullets max.) This means you can clean a grunt pack in 2 burst at most and move on.
Step 3) If the first burst shot in Step 2) didn't kill, determine the next step.
This is where the L-Star doesn't play like other guns. If the first burst shot doesn't work, you got to think quickly about which thing to do next based on what didn't worked well in Step 2. (Other guns usually have either "Stand your ground" and "Flee" as options. Not with the L-Star.)
If your shot missed because of the distance, take cover and try to counter-shoot the opponent by shooting while switching cover.
If the target moved too fast, keeping the finger on the trigger (full-auto) could be a solution as you adjust your aim. This will render you powerless if it doesn't work or if another enemy comes in while you cool your weapon, but at least you have an higher chance of killing than being killed.
If the target still isn't fully aware of your exact position, shoot another burst, then hide if possible. If you can hide or avoid being shot at after 2-3 secs (depending on how long it was between the 2 bursts shots), your L-Star will be cooled enough for another dual-burst shots (the 2nd one will requires an active short cooling animation though).
I don't have much hours in Titanfall 2, but since I discover how the L-Star works, basically, I'm having an huge blast because all things considered, it's as strong as any assault, doesn't require active reloading if used well, unlimited ammo which allow infinite warfare with the right tactics and, finally, it's relatively precise.
Using the gun perk that allow you to shoot while running make it even more deadly. I usually run to the enemy, shoot them while running (they barely see me coming as I cross in front of them while shooting at them) and keep going on. Almost like a knife to the throat passing by. It takes more time to melee someone than that!
That's how the L-Star is good with the right mindset and situations. I went from lower end of the match charts to the upper end just from that. I keep coming in, shoot burst, kill and move onto the next target. Especially with any recon device (to know the enemy position), it makes it a lot easier too to plan running attacks.
It shoots orbs with no recoil so you only need to consider travel distance. So being able to shoot while running, heal, and move faster allows you to rush a foe and get more shots on target quicker (so you can then disengage and not overheat). The G-star + ordinance expert gives you extra lee way by being able to trap foes and pull orbs into the center of the trap (so it basically serves as a effective range extension).
Like other have said, the gun is unique in that as you continue to fire you generate heat. At a certain point the gun will overheat and require a long reload. If you stop firing before overheating the gun will do a short reload ('heat dump') before you can fire again and during this time and the time you don't fire the gun will loss heat (the LED on the gun shows the heat status). So you need to be very controlled in how long you shoot for, and also known opportunities when you can take a break from shooting so the gun can lose heat.
The L-Star has no instability with continuous fire, and being projectile the orbs will always deal maximum damage at range (unlike hit scan weapons) but it is harder to get direct hits at range due to the travel time of the orbs. The L-Star is divine with gun runner, because ADS and hip fire is always bang on center. It's better to compare the L-Star to a SMG than a LMG I think.