The 22A3-1 Assault Rifle is the basic weapon in Alien Swarm. While it is one of the weakest weapons on a shot-per-shot basis, it makes up for it with a generous magazine capacity and good overall efficiency, giving it a reliable amount of staying power.
Description[]
The 22A3-1 is the standard issue combat weapon given to an Interstellar Armed Forces marine. Offering both high rate of fire, high velocity explosive tipped rounds and an underslung grenade launcher, this weapon offers significant versatility in the field, capable of taking down both small and large targets. Standard clip size is 98 rounds.
Advantages[]
- Good magazine size
- Versatile enough to be used at all ranges
- Fragmentation grenades provide additional killing power
Disadvantages[]
- Low damage per shot
- Fragmentation grenades will cause more serious friendly fire incidents if not careful
Strategy[]
- While seemingly weak, the biggest advantage of the Assault Rifle is its extensive ammunition capacity. The low damage allows for the rifle to produce a low amount of overkill, making it perfect for cutting down weak Swarm while conserving ammunition. User accuracy is also a bit forgiving as a result of the magazine sizes, but as per usual, controlled bursts of fire is preferable to random spraying of bullets. Ammunition is always at a premium in Alien Swarm.
- The Assault Rifle is one of the mainstays of the Officers class, due to their bonus with explosives and the rifle's overall versatility.
- Often forgotten, the frag grenades provide excellent area-of-effect damage and pack a killer punch against the stronger Swarm members. A common tactic is to deploy the grenades against a cluster of Swarm who have just broken through a reinforced door resulting in a quick clear. The limited number of grenades is a hefty restriction, so careful selection of opportunities in their use is vital to maximize their effectiveness. It should also be kept in mind that using it while being swarmed can do more harm than the swarm itself to the user.
- Finally, the reasonable accuracy of the rifle allows for it to be used as a long ranged weapon should the need arise. Swarm who are hiding behind a chasm are not safe from the reach of the Assault Rifle.
Notes[]
- Picking up rifle ammo gives the player one additional grenade. This does not work with regular ammo satchels.
- The Blast Radius achievement can be unlocked using the grenade alt-fire on the Assault Rifle.