Over the last two months I have noticed a huge increase in the use of the Custom over the vanilla E-Liter. I prefer the scope, so I am posting here. This weapon has become a main of mine over the past month or so. It is just really cohesive to my play style, which focuses on support, and defensive vantage, and moving when we have advantage. The kraken has helped me to win so many games, since it is such a versatile tool, pushing towers, and helping the Rainmaker, or just helping yourself in bad situations. I personally think that it can be better than the vanilla, but I know many are cemented to those burst bombs.
It is also interesting to note that in this thread,
http://squidboards.com/threads/dev-of-a-squidboards-weapon-tier-list-march-testing-period.22929/, based upon Tournament results, has the Custom E-Liter Scope, above the normal E-Liter Scope. So why do you guys think this shift is occurring? After many initially claimed that the Custom was just plain out inferior. I personally think it is the Kraken+Beakon teamwork capability, which are beneficial in both TC and RM, but SZ is not really affected too much from the kits of the Custom or vanilla.
Since I've started using it I've started seeing it more and more and more as well. Just don't tell HappyBear - she's vanilla scopeless through and through! ;) Personally after a lot of evaluation I've settled on my "main mains" being the Custom Scope, and the Vanilla Scopeless depending on mode and map.
I think everyone really got used to burst bombs as a defensive weapon for good reason, and people got really used to burst bombs as an offensive weapon for abusive/meta reasons. The idea of trading CQC potential for...beacons, something traditionally seen as supportive seemed daft to most at first. A defenseless weapon made more defenseless in exchange for beacons which were seen as redundant as a sniper should already BE a beacon. I don't think too many people thought a lot about beacons used for yourself.
I think, kind of like with rollers, one reason you're seeing the Custom used more and more is that you're mostly seeing them in the hands of Japanese players. It's been noted that regular splat rollers/hero rollers are mostly seen with Japanese players, and even high-level Krak-Ons tend to appear mostly wtih Japanese players (excluding western kids that just roll with them.) I think it's a similar meta here. Most of the Custom users seem to be Japanese, probably due to the high skill floor and less well rounded use. Japanese players seem drawn to that type of challenge, as am I. With a vanilla eliter you have that CQC/defensive ability. With Custom you NEED to learn CQC via the 2-shot with the main gun. That takes massive practice and is still less reliable than the burst bombs. It also causes reduced reliance on dmg up (I run one main one sub and focus on swim speed and quick SJ to utilize beacons.) Not everyone agrees with that though, per my above conversation ;)
Between Japanese players and recognition that a kraken is powerful on TC in particular I think has somewhat renewed it. But it's still is going to remain "popular among serious snipers only" due to the need to use it like a bamboozler for self defense. :) I've been playing Eliter since November, and Custom since December, and only recently have I become very solid at using it at near to mid-range, under-ledge jump-shots, etc. And still I find it catches opponents off-guard when it actually works. It's very difficult to learn to do effectively, BUT once you do learn it it can be possibly more effective than burst bombs.
Still I use burst bomb scopeless on certain map rotations. I go scoped custom for anything TC or TW. I might go scopeless vanilla for Hammerhead Zones where map maneuverability isn't that useful, and especially Mackerel in TC or RM where the "dmg++++ burst bomb main" thing really does pay and beacons have reduced value.
It's no surprise that it's a weapon that fares better in tournaments. A lot of the solo ranked meta weapons are what they are because anyone needs to be able to fill any role or team weakness at any time since you can't rely on your teammates. Tournments and organized squads bring a lot more exotic specialty weapons into the mix because with planned coordination those specialties become a lot more powerful. I find when playing solo the beacons are generally just for me (and I tend to like it.) When I play squad, my teammates tend to make a point of utilizing myself if I'm there, or my beacons if I'm not as jump points and I'm likely to spend more time redeploying beacons since I know they're serving as actual team anchors.
Vanilla is definitely the easier eliter to learn (not to say it's easy though...). But I agree Custom can be the more powerful one (in most maps/modes) if you can really learn to deal with its weaknesses (a tall order). I imagine nearly all Custom users are already vanilla veterans before they start. I really can't imagine anyone STARTING with the Custom. But nothing is more satisfying than going kraken, watching an enemy so confident they escaped the kraken, only to take them out with a double shot at point blank. Seeing "Splatted by Custom E-Liter 3K Scope" on the screen has really got to suck after that ;)
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