User blog:Golurk 88/Trident: Obsolete

Introduction
The Trident used to be one of the most effective mid-range weapons in the game. With a range of 600m and capable of dealing 21,570 damage at level 12 MK1, it became extremely common when Rhinos were the meta. TT Furies were mcuh feared in particular. However, as more new weapons and robots were released in the game, the Trident fell out of favour, being unable to keep up with its rivals. In this blog, we will be looking at its firepower and strategy as well as how it compares to other weapons.

Firepower and Other Statistics
At level 12 MK1, a single Trident is able to deal 21,750 (splash) damage every 10 seconds. Considering its range of 600m, this makes it seem as an ideal weapon to counter robots with physical shields, such as the Lancelot and Rhino. However, this soon became the Trident's weakness. The meta eventually switched to Lancelots, many of which mounted Anciles. With 95k health at level 12 MK1, Trident fire was harmlessly absorbed and didn't do enough damage to be much of a concern.

Strategy
Using the Trident isn't too dissimilar compared to other mid-range tactics. It can be broken down into the steps below:
 * 1) Find a target. Try to aim for robots with low health (e.g Light bots), threats to you and your teammates (powerful brawlers) or robots with physical shields.
 * 2) Take cover. Once you've fired your rockets, you are vulnerable. As you won't be able to fire for another 10 seconds, make use of this time to find cover (such as a wall, rock or building) from enemy fire. Keep an eye out for approaching enemies too, avoiding enemy brawlers is a priority. If you have been spotted and are under threat, think about moving to a different area unless you are guarding a beacon.
 * 3) Fire again. By this stage the battle should have begun in earnest. If there is a fierce battle for centre beacon (as there usually is), fire your rockets towards enemy robots in the area to support your teammates.
 * 4) Repeat the steps above.
 * 5) Think about ditching your robot. Are you helping your teammates? If your team is losing in terms of beacons, it might be a good idea to eject into a fast knife-fighter/brawler to help out. The only Game Mode where mid-range and sniper robots are extremely useful is Team Deathmatch.

Comparison with Zeus and Dragoon
As Ancilots became commonplace, the Trident was used less frequently than before. To add insult to injury, the Zeus made an entrance into the meta, with Zeuses replacing Tridents on the battlefield. Being an energy weapon, the Zeus bypassed Anciles and could counter the now numerous Carnage. It dealt 16,422 damage at level 12 MK1 and had a 5 second reload and 1 second firing time. This meant that, while the Trident could fire every 13.7 seconds (starting empty) due to its 10 second reload and 3.7 second unload, the Zeus could fire twice in only 12 seconds, dealing more damage (32,844 damage compared to 21,570) in less time.

To make things worse, in Update 3.6 the Dragoon was released. Superior even when compared to the Zeus, a Dragoon at level 12 MK1 could deal 42,500 damage in a single burst, nearly double Trident's damage in a comparable time. With the meta changing once again, this time to the Dash and Descend Bots (Kumiho, Haechi, Bulgasari, Spectre and Inquisitor), which all rely on speed, stealth and sometimes shields.

The Dragoon's high damage and relatively fast unload meant hurt more when considering that it was usually mounted in pairs or in a cluster of 3. This was more than enough to break the Bulgasari's shield, the most durable physical shield in the game. Being an energy weapon, it could easily cripple the Haechi. And due to its manual aiming and fast unload, a skilled pilot could use it to hit a dashing Kumiho or an Inquisitor/Spectre when in stealth.

Overview
Overall, the Trident has become and will remain an obsolete weapon, despite the upcoming rebalance (has a FWR reload system and a 500m range), being unable to compete with the Zeus or Dragoon. Despite its modest cost of 7,500 WP (soon to be components), it has been relegated to low-mid league use alongside the Kang Dae, which can perform the same role but at a cheaper cost of 580k silver with a 200m longer range.