[Guide] The Pistol Commando

[coax]

Tired of sniping ? You often fail at knifing ? Wanna try something different ? Well then you should read this Guide.

Weapons

This thread opened my eyes: instead of relying on my sniper rifle and the knife you just use 2 pistols although they are unpopular and underrated. For example: The close range pistol is a beast! By reading the game code Alfonskraut found out the damage and lots of facts about the pistols. I copied this from his thread.


Close Range Pistol: Florenz' Flurry/Garreth Custom

short Distance (<10m) Damage 11-13
medium Distance (10-15m) Damage 2-10
long Distance (>15m) Damage 1-2
mag Size 12
rounds Per Minute 900
velocity 300
critical Hit Chance 0.04
critical Hit Damage 10
reload Time 3 sec.

As you can see a full clip fired at close range can do UP TO 156 DAMAGE (every shot hits, max damage of every shot). So it IS possible to kill every class with one clip that can be fired in about 1 second (thanks to 900 rounds per minute). This pistol is necessary and will be your main weapon.

Now you´ve got to choose your second pistol: Here are some facts:


Very long Range Pistol: Gerhart's Greatest/Harry's Hand Cannon

short Distance (<8m) Damage 2-8
medium Distance (8-18m) Damage 5-11
long Distance (>18m) Damage 10-20
mag Size 8
rounds Per Minute 225
velocity 550
critical Hit Chance 0.03
critical Hit Damage 10
reload Time 3 sec.

Long Range Pistol: Ludwig's Loaded/Carl's Cold Comfort

short Distance (<12m) Damage 3-9
medium Distance (12-20m) Damage 13-15
long Distance (>20m) Damage 3-9
mag Size 6
rounds Per Minute 450
velocity 300
critical Hit Chance 0.03
critical Hit Damage 10
reload Time 2 sec.

Each pistol fits into different styles of playing:
With the very long range pistol you are able to deal damage at any range and you can support your team by taking out snipers or injured people who look for cover.
The long range pistol turns you into a killing machine: First empty your short range pistol then finish off with the long range one which usually hits for 10-15 and can be fired extremely fast. This way you can easily take out soldiers and even gunners.

In my opinion the very long range pistol is outclassed by sniper rifles. Also the second variant fits way better into my style of playing. Try both and decide which works best for you.

[coax]

Abilities

5/5 Stealth

This is a must have. By using stealth you can get behind the enemy lines and kill their snipers or injured soldiers without being seen.

5/5 Troop Trap

Troop Traps are awesome. They have thousands of uses and do lots of damage. Place them everywhere to annoy your enemy and get easy kills. By placing 2 or 3 TT at the same place you can 1hit soldiers and sometimes even gunners (do this only if you pass the same place twice; do not stay in the same place for 12 seconds and wait for TT to recharge).

5/5 Mark Target

VERY useful. Mark Target is great because it marks a random enemy in your field of view (so you will often mark stealthed commandos). With 5/5 you can keep the same person marked forever. Use Mark Target everywhere where you think a stealthed commando could be. By doing so your team (and you) will get lots of easy kills. Also very useful to pick a target, follow him and wait for the best moment to quickly get behind him to kill him.

1/5 Elixir

This is your Oh-not so good-Ability. Use it if you´re about to be killed (e.g. if a group of enemies walks by and spots you).

Here is a list of which abilities you should get at which level:

0- 1/5 Stealth
2- 1/5 Elixir
4- 2/5 Stealth
6- 3/5 Stealth
8- 4/5 Stealth
10- 5/5 Stealth
12- 1/5 Troop Trap
14- 1/5 Mark Target
16 to 22- max Troop Trap
24 to 30- max Mark Target

[coax]

How to kill stuff

You will focus on 2 types of enemies:
-Commandos
-Lone Soldiers and Gunners

General Combat:

Use stealth and sneak somewhere you may find an enemy (preferably snipers). Then pick your target. You can mark soldiers and gunners to get information about their health. If you decide to kill that enemy go behind him and shoot him with your short range pistol. If he is still alive finish him off with your second pistol.

Against snipers:

How to kill snipers depends on range: If you find a stealthed sniper (e.g. on the bridge at CC) just kill em with your fast pistol. At Point blank range he should be dead before he even notices you.
At long range the first thing you should do is marking him. This will draw your teammates attention towards him so he might be killed by one of your snipers. If you chose the very long range pistol you can kill him, but be aware of other snipers or soldiers who may see and kill you. Be aware of Troop Traps.

Against Knifers

As soon as you hear the “Commando in range sound” and you can´t see any commando in front of you, use Elixir and RUN. The knifer needs to hit you and he cant hit you if you stay away from him. If you survived his first attack, it becomes an easy fight. Just use your pistols to kill him. If he stops and tries to snipe you, just run towards him and kill him with the close range pistol while circle strafing. Be aware of Troop Traps.

Against soldiers:

If a lone soldier walks on a street (eg. In VV from Orchard to Roadblock) sneak behind him and empty your pistol. This will sometimes kill him; if he´s still alive just get out your other pistol and finish him.
Injured soldiers who sit in a corner or something like that and waiting for their CM to recharge are usually dead before they notice you. If they do, they will use Blasting Strike and smash you into the nearest wall followed by a bunch of burning bullets. Use Elixir to run up to them again or to run away (prefer this if you want to have a good Kill Death Ratio).

Against Gunners:

These are your worst enemies.
They have
-an unbelievable amount of health with Hero Shield,
-a shotgun
-Leg It
3 things that help him sending you to hell. Only try to kill them if they have low health (use Mark Target; if the +10 exp. is red you can kill him).

In general you should avoid:
-Groups
-Gunners
-Troop Traps

[coax]

Tips

-Use Mark Target in common sniper spots
-Use Mark Target and the “Incoming” emote to warn your team
-Flags give free points; you will hardly ever be spotted by an enemy
-A good tactic is to cap a flag until it´s white. Most of the time an lone enemy will come to capture it. Just wait for him
-Stay away from open areas. If you get marked while walking trough a field in SS you´re dead
-Use Troop Traps while capping a flag to warn you of approaching enemys
-Use Troop Trap Jumping to get on houses, then wait for an enemy to walk by and kill him
-The element of surprise is your main advantage. Stay stealthed.
-Buy bandages. You will need them.
-Taunt enemies. Nothing pisses them off more than being killed by pistol wielding commando that waves at you


Using 2 pistol is great fun and very effective. If you get used to it you will finish many rounds with an awesome Kill-Death-Ratio (many times I don´t even had a single death). If you´ve got any suggestions just post them. It would be great if someone could upload a little gameplay video. At the moment I can´t record anything, because my computer is crap and BFH becomes unplayable if I start Fraps.. Thanks for reading this guide.

[TurnipHQ]

You make a convincing guide, and as long as I don't have to pick up a rifle (I'm a knifer), anything sounds good. This'll be fun, once I get the game running again, I'll do it.

[EpicBullet]

Yea.. I read that dual pistol thread. I tried it, not my thing though or I have the wrong strategy.. I will just try this next month. Since I bought a sniper rifle for a month.

[Kostolomac]

Dual pistols is awesome against commandos and soldiers, but gunners are very hard to take down even after softened with a nice TT.

[7Cade7]

Excellent guide. I never got the hang of using the short-range pistol, but today I did and I fell instantly in love. Knifing not being my thing, and sniping preferred over long-range-pistol, I'm:
Level 15
5/5 Stealth
1/5 TT 1/5 MT 1/5 Elixir (TT/MT subject to change)
and it's amazing. I used to have a max PS build but this is much more enjoyable. I find the VLR rifle is better than the long-range pistol, and I'd think that maxing Elixir would be better than maxing MT, but that's just me.

[coax]

Well the main purpose of your second pistol is finishing enemies after your short range pistol is empty. A sniper rifle forces you to change your style of playing: Instead of getting close to your enemy you will stay away from him and kill him with your rifle. For me, that is a bit boring; i need action. And nothing is more satisfying than killing a big fat gunner with a tiny pistol.

Maxing Elixir can be useful too, but i use it as a lifesaver. For this purpose 10 shield and the 5 seconds of increased movement speed are enough. You can also use Elixir as a kind of Leg It: Use Elixir then run around your enemy like crazy while shooting at him with your short range pistol (like a gunner with a shotgun does). But Elixir last only 5 seconds so this is quite dangerous.

[Troll-Emperor]

Nice guide.

I too would swap Mark target for Elixir btw. Extra shield helps in both, attacking and escaping. You just gotta pick one I've never tried 5/5 in Mark target so I'm a bit biased that way.

[7Cade7]

That's also true, but if you see a camping sniper, if he's good, odds are you won't be able to kill him with your LR pistol as he'd duck and move. If you snipe him in the head, less chance. Also, jumping back, scoping and shooting at close range works well.

[Libbe]

Holy shi-. (This is TurnipHQ's main account by the way) I tried 2 rounds with this, and I went 9-2 and then 11-1. I am definately keeping this system, and am going to change from the Extra Long Range Pistol to the Long Range Pistol. I works wonderfully.

[Akster]

Been using this a bit now, sometimes get 9-1 K/D but also sometimes get comletly owned because the enemy team sticks together too much so i cant get any of them alone and my K/D falls to about 3/5 xD

[Sebbers]

I don't really like pistols.

What he says here is total rubbish: 'As you can see a full clip fired at close range can do UP TO 156 DAMAGE (without critical hits!). So its possible to kill every class with one clip that can be fired in about 1 second (thanks to 900 rounds per minute).' - You would have to have the best hand-eye coordination to kill anything other than a commando with full health.

I would recommend you use the knife, mixed with the elixir (so they don't run away!)

[giraffanese]

(26-06-2009 07:35 PM)coax schrieb:  As you can see a full clip fired at close range can do UP TO 156 DAMAGE (without critical hits!). So its possible to kill every class with one clip that can be fired in about 1 second (thanks to 900 rounds per minute). This pistol is necessary and will be your main weapon.

I don't think this is correct. I was doing crap damage with the pistol, and I couldn't figure out why. I finally happened upon an AFK Soldier, and I emptied a full clip from my close range into him. It did around 70-80 damage. That's one whole clip, point blank, into someone who wasn't moving.

Regardless, I was still getting kills, but I find a close quarters Rifle + Knife combo does so much better.

[XaralaBoss]

That's not a good pistol commando. Pistol commandos don't use stealth, you always shot. You're like a soldier, but you avoid starting the battle at face to face. You weaken the target when he doesn't see you with the long range pistol, and when he starts shooting you you elixir around him shooting with the short or the medium ranged pistol. That's why 5/5 elixir is needed too.
PS: I know no one will read this post since i don't have a cool signature

[Javafox]

Speaking from experience here, commandos are nothing without stealth. If the enemy can see you, you're dead. Period. No if's and's or but's. Max stealth is a must for any commando of any type. Pistol commando's are no different. I could go into more depth, but I think I got my point across.

Also, how does being stealthed lead to you being shot?? That's something that doesn't make sense...

[KaJeX]

Hrm, it's an interesting way to play Commando to say the least. I'll probably give it a shot the next time I play, I've been trying all sorts of different combo's with my current Commando.

(29-06-2009 07:16 PM)Javafox schrieb:  <snip?>
Also, how does being stealthed lead to you being shot?? That's something that doesn't make sense...

I believe he meant, "Pistol commandos don't use stealth, you always shoot."

[SGNIw]

(29-06-2009 07:16 PM)Javafox schrieb:  Speaking from experience here, commandos are nothing without stealth. If the enemy can see you, you're dead. Period. No if's and's or but's. Max stealth is a must for any commando of any type. Pistol commando's are no different. I could go into more depth, but I think I got my point across.

I disagree.
Level 1 Stealth makes you just as invisble - just not at close range. If you're sniping, you shouldn't get so close to the enemies anyway, so no real need for maxed Stealth. If you're knifing, you're not going to (or at least shouldn't) run up straight to your victim, you'll attack from behind - again no real need for maxed Stealth. And if you're pistoling, you either attack from very close range (from behind, again) or from mid to long range, where they can't see you anyway (until you decide to shoot), no matter if you're having Level 1 Stealth or Level 5 Stealth.

Of course it's not wrong to put some points into Stealth (less risky range and quicker cooldown), but in my eyes it's not the ability you should put your first points into.

[Adom]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm finding I can't do NEAR 156 damage with the short range pistol at close range. Was it changed?

EDIT: Nevermind hah, I just had to click faster. Much better.