Soma is boring. Need a punchy, "feels good" Assault Rifle primary.

[Kemenril]

Anyone who has ever played Mass Effect 3 knows that the Mattock is an amazing weapon, not because it's the most powerful (it's not) or the hardest to get (it's easy). But it *feels* great to use, is accurate, and reasonably powerful. Part of that are just the subtle things: the animations, the sound, the handling. 

When I started playing a month ago, I got the Soma Prime with the Prime deal. It's an awesome weapon. Really. It just grinds enemies up and basically there's no reason to use any other rifle. 

And I'm finding it soooooooo boring.

I'm not a meta-fanatic -- I don't do the DPS math. I like my weapons to be effective, but will not cry if I'm using something that's only in the Top 10, as opposed to Top 3. 

What I'm looking for:

• I'm looking for a Primary Assault Rifle that provides a satisfying "feel" (I know, I know, that's vague) -- one that gives the sensation of firing a big gun, but not one that is gonna spray bullets all over a room.
• I'd like the weapon to be good against groups of enemies, as opposed to single-targets. 
• Good sound (Braton has this, for example).
• Long range is not a huge issue, but does have to be able to hold its own in short range. 
• Medium-to-high rate of fire. 
• Medium-to-high ammo size. 

What I'm NOT looking for:

• Slow travel time in bullets.
• Very slow rate of fire.
• Weak sound design (Soma, for example, sounds like you're sticking a piece of paper in a fan).
• Anything that uses sniper ammunition. 
• Heavy muzzle climb. 

What I've tried that I like:

• I really like the Braton. It handles great, sounds awesome, bucks like a mule but still has good point control. I leveled the MK-1 and regular Braton some time ago, and am missing one part for the Prime. In the meantime, looking for other options. 
• I just got the Gorgon from a drop a few days ago and have used it a few times. It's OK. Actually feels kind of underwhelming for how big and scary looking it is. Maybe it scales better at upper levels and with a Catalyst and Forma? Willing to give it a shot but it's only so-so. 

What I've tried that I DIDN'T like:

• The Grakata is crazy. It's super fun. Awesome design and feels fun, but it's too coked-up for my tastes. I can see myself using it off and on as I go on in the game but it's just too nuts for me right now! (Dat muzzle climb.) 
• I do not like the Boltor. I hate travel time in my projectiles. 
• Soma. It's such a good rifle and it feels...terrible. Like I'm "technically" using an Assault Rifle. 

What I'm curious about:

• AOE weapons like the Ignis. I've enjoyed flamethrower-like weapons in other games. If it feels good/plays well, I'm likely to have fun with it. (If I can through out of a cloud of charred enemies feeling like a God of War, I will use that weaopn.) 
• Baza: just looks good, but no idea how it feels. 
• Supra: I dunno -- looks like it has good dakka-dakka? 

(Side Note: I'm not actually talking about Shotguns here. I love Shotguns and I think Warframe handles them very well. Talking about ARs exclusively here.) 

[Tokens210]

If i recall correctly the Soma or Soma Prime used to be fairly amazing when built for pure crit chance, but im pretty sure it was nerfed

probably the fact it was a lower MR weapon and the mods to make it like that could be traded making it a weapon a newer player could grab and never need anything else

[(PSN)drpunk-yo]

Not sure there's much other than Braton Prime that'd suit your needs. I doubt you'd like the firing of the Tenora. There's the Karak but it lacks power. The Wraith version's a bit better.

I'll just add that regarding your group comments, you want a mod with Punch Through. Generally Shred gets used for that.

[ghoffman1928]

Braton Prime is my sugestion, however you already seem to have half come to that conclusion already. you mentioned Supra, I thought i was going to like that weapon but its accuracy is so bad you have to be in their face to make it effective.

I feel ya on the “Feel” of the Soma/Soma Prime, it sounds like you are making popcorn and doesnt “feel” or even look powerfull on paper but with the proper crit build and always aiming for the head (you should be doing this with all weapons really) it really is the most effective assault rifle. does take forever to reload and in endgame you will need to bring ammo restors because ammo economy on them are terrrrrrrrrible

[kuciol]

Your options are : Prisma Grakata, Argonak, Braton prime, Baza and Tenora. Just try them out, you want them for mastery anyway.

[DarkRuler2500]

Does it really have to be Assault Rifle?
Kohm is a full-auto Assault Rifle-like shotgun which has some serious punch behind it.
I'd suggest that one to you.

[Kemenril]

Thanks to Danealus for helping me out getting my Braton Prime together! You guys are great.

[Lost_Cartographer]

Argonak for big boom and some of the best feeling recoil in the game so far.

Braton Prime for a good staple, though in my opinion, the Argonak beats it out for the most part.

Astilla if you want a cannon for an assault rifle.  I know, projectiles - fastest in the game by default though.  Also has splash damage.  If you're frequently out on the plains, I highly recommend this weapon for AR enthusiasts.  I personally threw Ammo stock and Shotgun Spazz into mine for the dakka dakka.  Requires some form of ammo recovery supplement either way though, like shotgun mutation/ammo case or shotgun scavenger.

Edited November 25, 2017 by Littleman88

[(XBOX)CannyJack]

Braton Prime is my "feels good" assault rifle; Stradavar is cool (maybe not one of those meta weapons, but fun to use). Grakata as well. All good dakka dakka. 

[(XBOX)New Gnu]

You might try the supra.  It's more LMG (gatling, really, with a short spool time) than AR, and it certainly won't kill like the soma, but it's a fun gun to shoot.

PS.  A lot more revenant than mattock.

Edited November 25, 2017 by (XB1)New Gnu

[DarthKadra]

Karak Wraith is my favourite, it's decent damage wise too. 

[0verkill]

3 hours ago, Littleman88 said:

Argonak for big boom and some of the best feeling recoil in the game so far.

Braton Prime for a good staple, though in my opinion, the Argonak beats it out for the most part.

Astilla if you want a cannon for an assault rifle.  I know, projectiles - fastest in the game by default though.  Also has splash damage.  If you're frequently out on the plains, I highly recommend this weapon for AR enthusiasts.  I personally threw Ammo stock and Shotgun Spazz into mine for the dakka dakka.  Requires some form of ammo recovery supplement either way though, like shotgun mutation/ammo case or shotgun scavenger.

Agree on the Astilla - it has a very satisfying 'dakka' feel - nice reload sound too (I soon forgot that it's a shotgun that fires glass shells). The AOE effect is pretty cool too - and works really nicely on bunched enemies. However for some reason it still feels a little underpowered to me v heavy enemies and aircraft on the plains when doing top-tier bounties (so always running out of ammo) - maybe it's just the way I modded it, but I always seem to get best results on the plains with the opticor (which is definitely nothing like an assault rifle)

Also like the Argonak - the target highlight feature can be handy and it's nice to be able to switch between semi and full auto (though rof in full auto feels a bit slow).

Edited November 25, 2017 by 0verkill

[AetherMcLoud]

Argonak might not be top tier, but it feels amazing to play and sounds great too. Very solid rifle overall and the two fire mods are nice too.

[Lost_Cartographer]

6 minutes ago, 0verkill said:

Agree on the Astilla - it has a very satisfying 'dakka' feel - nice reload sound too (I soon forgot that it's a shotgun that fires glass shells). The AOE effect is pretty cool too - and works really nicely on bunched enemies. However for some reason it still feels a little underpowered to me v heavy enemies and aircraft on the plains when doing top-tier bounties (so always running out of ammo) - maybe it's just the way I modded it, but I always seem to get best results on the plains with the opticor (which is definitely nothing like an assault rifle)

Also like the Argonak - the target highlight feature can be handy and it's nice to be able to switch between semi and full auto (though rof in full auto feels a bit slow).

I throw speed trigger onto my Argonak, so it solves the slow issue for me.  I use it mostly for tileset and sub-40 work.  Like the Braton-P, I don't use it much for post-40 content against Grineer, there are far better weapons for that purpose.

And regarding the Astilla, far as I can figure, it rolls status twice per attack - one for the slug, one for the AoE.  I don't know if it's divided.  It can chew through armor fairly fast, but like I said, I got shotgun spazz and ammo stock installed.  Drop in a vigilante arms, and I'm practically shoving out 3 rounds at a time very rapidly.  Leaves little room for elemental damage (only got two of the 60/60 mods installed) but it applies status procs like mad.  Headshots seem iffy though.  I went for volume over power as even a primed crit modded Pandero can feel like it does jack all against Tusk bombards...  Both wreck even level 100 sortie bombards though (but then, I spam anti-matter drop in sorties, so double damage.)  And for a spectre, hands down one of the best weapons you could hand to it.

[Kemenril]

On 11/25/2017 at 4:04 PM, (Xbox One)New Gnu said:

PS.  A lot more revenant than mattock.

LOL, now you're talking my language! I used the Revenant *way* more than I should have. I'd always throw a clip extender on, use an N7 Destroyer, and just walk slowly towards things without ever taking my finer off the trigger. Glorious.

[xXDeadsinxX]

I personally like the sound of Soma. It’s really down to personal taste. 

[FreeWilliam]

On 11/24/2017 at 10:58 AM, (PS4)drpunk-yo said:

I doubt you'd like the firing of the Tenora. There's the Karak but it lacks power

I actually dig the Tenora's Dakka-Dakka (I'm loving the Warhammer references in this thread!).  It took me a bit to really get a feel for how the accuracy got BETTER as it spooled up, but once it did it grew on me quick.  

The Supra's actually pretty good, especially with the syndicate mod.  Lots of bonus energies!  It's underrated as a laser-hose IMHO.

[kgabor]

Supra and Argonak are the most fun to me.

Supra Vandal was available from the Ambulas event so maybe at some point it might return in an event, Argonak will sadly probably take years to get its special variant that could possibly make it top tier though because it's new but normal Argonak is still fun.

[Coaa]

Ignis was my favorite weapon until ignis wraith came out. Clans that unlocked the BP can sell this to you if your clan doesn't have it. Most people give it for free or charge 1-2p for a BP. Wraith is better in every way. I have 8 forma in mine I like it so much. It's not as far firing or extream heavy single target damage but with innate punchthrough you can really stack up status and aoe damage. It's a great weapon. Even if this isn't an 100% always on weapon for you, I highly suggest going for it anyway. It has many uses and is very good when doing alerts that you just want to blast through quickly. It's a very, point in general direction and hold the trigger, type of weapon. 

Baza is similar to soma prime but it's shortfall is too much. It has a falloff range that of shotguns. And at that point, you are better off using a shotgun. I would skip it unless they do a damage scaling pass and bump the range up on it. The gun feels great it's just not practical at all.

Supra is a bullet hose. It's original version was ok to good but the vandal version, if you scored one, is much better. The problem with it is that it's not meant to be a precision weapon like soma prime. It's meant to be a "chaingun" horde clearer. You see a ton of enemies coming and you aim for the middle of the pack and hold the trigger. You'll score some headshots but that's not your objective really. It's to hold the trigger while laughing like a lunatic.

Argonak might fit your needs. It is a semi-auto crit gun or you can change it to full auto that bumps the stats around. It's not as fast as soma prime but fills the middle road of both gaps honestly. I've been personally having some fun with it recently (helps I scored a sick riven for it).

 

Edited November 27, 2017 by Coaa

[Kemenril]

On 11/27/2017 at 10:59 AM, FreeWilliam said:

(I'm loving the Warhammer references in this thread!)

I'm not even kidding when I say that my consideration on using a weapon is strongly influenced by whether I think a 40K Ork would enjoy shooting it. "Make it louda, make it shootier, paint it red, give it more dakka." If the answer is "yes", there's a good chance I will get that weapon. 

Thanks to everyone who responded. I think a lot of people "got" my long-winded request. Lots of great weapons to work through and dakkadakkadakka here!

[FreeWilliam]

32 minutes ago, Kemenril said:

I'm not even kidding when I say that my consideration on using a weapon is strongly influenced by whether I think a 40K Ork would enjoy shooting it. "Make it louda, make it shootier, paint it red, give it more dakka." If the answer is "yes", there's a good chance I will get that weapon. 

I'm just as bad, and luckily in Warframe we can get away with it.  There are SO many ways to make alternate builds that do just fine with 150+ level mobs (and going over that starts to get boring), choosing for fun or lolz is completely legitimate!   

Plus you've got three weapon slots!  Have you tried the Redeemer yet? It actually has better gun dakka than most guns!

 

[(XBOX)SgtFunBun]

Hm. If you're looking for a fun assault rifle with kick-&#! firing sounds and a decent magazine, I recommend the Argonak. It's actually a pretty good weapon once you level it up and start modding it, AND you can switch between semi and auto firing modes with secondary fire!

 

On the other hand, its fire rate is somewhat slow at first, but not awful, it's enough to deal with so that you can level it up and mod it for fire rate if you wish.

In my opinion, increasing its fire rate with it's awesome sounds makes it cooler

Yet, it is somewhat hard to get unless you straight up buy it. You need the blueprint from a clan dojo, and it needs 5 Detonite Injectors, but if you can deal with that, it's a great weapon imo

Hope this helped you find a new AR you like! <3

 

EDIT: Even the reload sound is awesome, it has a little PING that's reminiscent of an old M1 Garand

Edited November 28, 2017 by (XB1)SgtFunBun

[(PSN)Chel-El]

You found them in Braton and Gorgon imo; just mod & potato to preference.

Braton P has a great sound too but nothing beats Gorgon in its sheer abandon.

Recoil and fire rate mods could fix your uneasiness with them 

[Ldezzer]

Try out the Stradavar - its a rifle that has full and semi-auto modes and pretty good at crits with right mods. Also, karak is based off real assault rifle

Edited November 28, 2017 by Ldezzer

[Ada_Wong_SG]

Stradavar, it is like a cross between Latron Prime, Sybaris and Soma Prime

In full auto the crit chance with a Maxed out point strike is that of a Latron Prime at 37.5%
Which is a semi auto weapon

In Semi Auto the crit chance is reasonable high at about 50% which make is closer to 
Sybaris and Latron Wraith 62.5%, which the damage output is doubled in semi auto mode.

I used to make a Rapid fire Latron Wraith as a replacement for Soma Prime because it pack a bigger punch, 
never really worked due to the high recoil, but Stradavar kind of fulfilled the wish.

[(PSN)Chel-El]

Tenora has that Gorgon mechanic but with much tighter recoil and softer sound 

Dera feels punchy but lighter than a Braton, very Corpus and sci-fi feel to it