Standoff 2 Gun Guide, Buy the Most Broken Weapons in the Game
It has been quite some time since Axlebolt has done some major balancing to the core weapons in the game. Even though there have been some necessary changes at the start of season 3. It seems like some weapons continue to feel unbalanced and bad for the game. In this Standoff 2 game guide, you will be learning about the five most low-key overpowered guns in the game. You will be learning about what makes them strong and how they can feel unbalanced at times as well.
Just a quick note before getting started, this list that we have put together today is in no way saying that these guns in particular are downright broken. The list comprises guns that have some unbalanced factors in the first place and riot has done little to nothing to curtail their power levels in-game. Some of these factors include how they break past their niches and how they dominate in certain situations completely. Among other factors are, how they’re just too cheap and too good for general use.
1. G22
The G22 is a very powerful gun for being the only free gun in Standoff 2. The G22 is a consistent shooter. It’s reliable and it packs a lethal punch. The first thing that makes this pistol so insane lies in its damage numbers. Headshot damage numbers for the G22 are quite high for a free gun. This means that the G22 is always a viable pistol when aiming for the head. What makes this gun a menace in Standoff 2 and what you really should be worried about is its burst feature. The burst fire option on the G22 has been hit with a nerf hammer many times since the game’s launch yet players are still talking about how problematic it is.
Not to mention, the burst is surprisingly accurate while running and jumping which makes it feel random and tilt-inducing at times. You probably have seen instances in your own games where the burst has one-shot players with vest at close to mid-range. Just one burst that may not even be well-aimed at the head and someone who bought 4,000 $ worth of gear is taken out by a free gun. By the way, from an in-game economy standpoint, the G22 can feel kind of broken on pistol rounds because it’s a free gun. The fact that it is a free gun helps support players out a lot. Specifically, support players can keep the G22 and buy armor and potentially several items while still having a very strong weapon at close to mid ranges.
Having the ability to be flexible with your buy because the G22 is free, is great for strategizing and executing said strategies on pistol round. You also have to take into account the fact that if said support player gets a frag without taking damage, they now have the possibility of picking up a better weapon in the next round. The G22 is a super dependable gun and it’s almost too dependable despite it being free and easy to use.
2. SM1014
The second most lowkey overpowered gun is a close-range powerhouse that some players trust more than their rifles and that’s the SM1014. The SM1014 historically has been known for being broken mostly because of how quickly it can get multi-kills in-game. The SM1014 has been a cornerstone of the close quarters fighting engagements in Standoff 2. Even after several nerfs this year it still is. It is one of the most frightening guns in Standoff 2 and every player has had their own experiences with it. Some after dying by an enemy sitting in a dark corner with the SM1014. The reason why the SM1014 creates this kind of interaction between players is due to the fact that it can kill in one shot to the body easily.
Which is kind of ridiculous considering how many close-range positions there are when you consider all the maps in the game. The SM1014 has been nerfed in the past to curtail some of its dominating qualities but there are two things that make this an easy gun to fall back on and abuse. Those two things are the ease of securing kills with the SM1014 at close to mid-range and the speed at which the gun fires. After its range nerfs the gun did see less use but the only thing that changed was that the T players stopped buying the SM1014 because it was harder to get in the ideal engagement range for the gun to work. Because of that, the SM1014 disappeared from the T side and mainly saw the bulk of its work reserved for the CT players who could abuse this close-range power.
As an automatic shotgun, it’s expected that this type of gun will have the ability to tear through targets like paper. It’s only a problem when there’s very little counterplay to combat a person playing to the SM1014’s strengths. The SM1014 is a gun that is still more viable in the current meta but you can’t run around and expect to delete people at all ranges with it.
3. M4
One gun that everyone loves to complain about but equally loves to abuse is the M4. Why is it being abused in Standoff 2? Well, there are three words that describe what is wrong with the M4 and they are RUN and GUN. The M4 is problematic in Standoff 2 because it has more issues outside of its blatant running and gunning problem. Its 30 bullets high fire rate and easily controllable recoil all for the price of 3000 $. Sometimes on safe rounds, you can even buy a vest with this gun. There are several reasons why this gun is so popular and these are only scratching the surface. So let’s address its running and gunning problem first before anything else about this gun.
What else makes this gun lowkey broken? The M4 breaks one of Standoff 2’s core gameplay rules. That is you need to counter strafe and stop moving while you’re shooting. This creates unhealthy gameplay because running and gunning are easier with this weapon. Players can abuse pickers advantage much easier with this gun which makes dealing with the run and gun situation very annoying and hard. The M4 technically counters the G22 because it’s much harder to hit a G22 burst on a running target that’s tagging you up. It’s just in general harder to hit a running target that’s tagging you constantly. Plus, since players are used to enemies not swinging a corner without stopping, it can mess with your crosshair placement and adjustments as well.
Which is a hidden advantage of abusing the M4. The core issues that put the M4 on this list are that its power lies in its accuracy and effectiveness while moving. It is also available at a very affordable price. The M4 is just insanely reliable as a gun. It feels like a breeze to fight against weaker opponents. And it feels very competitive even against fully bought and loaded-out enemies. These reasons are built up to why the M4 is the go-to on the second round buy but also why the gun feels a little unbalanced at times as well.
4. M40
One weapon that players would debate is that it’s only overpowered in the right hands is the M40. You have all seen just how insane the M40 can be. You have probably also seen just how useless it is when your teammates force buying on the second round. Then they miss three shots only to get run down by lower-ranked enemies. Players who don’t have consistent aim will not be able to make the M40 an absolute terror like a high-ranking sniper can. The M40 is one of those weapons where it seems useless in a beginner’s hands and seems insane in a pro’s hands. Kind of like the Desert Eagle. That’s why it seems like this gun isn’t broken in hindsight but when you face a player who is experienced with it in-game you’ll feel defenseless and struggle to fight against it.
Having a gun that costs 1800 $ to be able to headshot with range advantage and movement speed advantage sounds a little bit crazy. If you are a player with good crosshair placement and can hit headshots consistently then you should pick this gun. Using the M40 gives you the power of a cheap AWM with even better mobility and handling stats. This makes it one of the best economy buys for snipers. Another issue with the M40 outside of its cheap price is that it also shoots pretty accurately from the hip fire which makes the M40 a lethal weapon in close-quarter situations. Close range is supposed to be a weakness of bolt action sniper rifles. Another big upside to the M40 is that the M40 will always be a one-shot kill to the body.
So it’s even viable on regular rounds as well. There’s no question that the M40 has been quite strong since the game launched. The only reason why it wasn’t dominating the meta was that most players can’t use it to its full potential. However, slowly the player base is starting to reach the point where their skill level is capable of using the M40. The M40 will eventually need revisiting from the Axelbolt devs to either tone down its tag damage. Make some changes to hone in on its specialties and tone down the versatility.
5. M60
To wrap this guide up let’s bring up a gun that everyone hates dealing with and a certain set of players love using which is the M60. The M60 isn’t quite overpowered but it definitely has places where it feels like it’s stupid broken and other situations where even though it’s in a bad spot it feels comparable to a solid rifle. With that being said, this gun is way stronger in lower-ranked games because players have a hard time capitalizing on the small window to punish it. The gun itself is very good at punishing mistakes. A lesser-known fact is that players who don’t often use the gun wouldn’t know is that when you ADS with the M60, the gun hits its max fire rate instantaneously.
The M60 normally has a scaling fire rate that gets faster over time. Which is one of the few nuances that heavy weapons have in this game. This means that the gun is it’s at its strongest when holding down an angle. This makes multi-kill spray downs with the M60 a breeze. In experienced hands, the M60 like any LMG will always be aggravating to play against because of its high rate of fire, large ammo capacity, and high bullet penetration. Another reason why the M60 feels broken is that it is especially useful on certain maps with a lot of wall bangable spots. For instance, Sandstone and Rust are two maps that have many sprayable walls around the map. This means that when a player can spot enemies behind walls, the M60 is a lot more potent.
M60 is a very powerful gun that can be abused but it’s not as cut and dry as you think. You’re essentially a walking turret when you use this thing. So that will attract a lot of attention to you. If you don’t know how to deal with that attention and make the gun shine for you, then you won’t be getting the full use out of using this machine gun. With that being said, the M60 is one of those guns that is definitely balanced in some ways but seems to be a little too easy to use and too strong when playing against inexperienced opponents. Of course, balance is not determined strictly by its performance in low ranks. If it has some insane uses even in higher ranks, then it might be time to think about how the gun can be made to represent skill a bit better.
