This is how I felt trying to run a double flak galleon the day after the update

[Squash]

[Lord Dick Tim]

HA!
I felt the same way =(

[N-Sunderland]

It's certainly annoying to see the only heavy gun I'm good with get murdered, but the meta seriously needed it. And as an engineer, my job just got easier (the merc nerf helps too).

[Squash]

Please express yourself in gif form.

[HamsterIV]

I only played a few games since the update but was absolutely murdered by the goldfish Manticore build. With the increase in weapons that do fire damage, and the longer rebuild times my life as an engineer has gotten harder. The heavy flack probably had that Nerf coming, but at least it was a hard to use weapon. The  Manticore has both ease of use and the best medium to close range damage output going for it.

[N-Sunderland]

The heavy flack probably had that Nerf coming, but at least it was a hard to use weapon.

I'd hardly call it "hard to use".

[RearAdmiralZill]

The sooner people stop trying to use Heavy Flak like its still 1.1.3, and closing the distance on ships for no reason besides giving close-mid ships a better shot, the better for long range strategies.

[Lord Dick Tim]

Agreed Zill, I'm even toying with a long to medium range squid idea.  Having some difficulty overlaping weapons but I think the rocket launcher might be key.

[MasX]

Flak has no place   there no reason to use it
every update has one weapon that  always gets screwed over
sad to see the flak be that weapon

[RearAdmiralZill]

Its has a long range use, and to ignore it when used properly will get you killed.

[HamsterIV]

The Heavy Flack has both shot drop, slow projectile movement, and a decently long reload time. It is considerably harder to score hits at range with it than the Manticore, and due to its small clip it is harder to bracket your target  than with the lumberjack. An experienced gunner will be able to hit consistently with this weapon, but in the hands of a new player the only way to be remotely effective is to go point blank, which is now no longer an option. Also a galleon has the least control over engagement range, since it can not back peddle and keep its guns pointed on target. The flack may still be useful on sniper configured spires and goldfish but the days of double flak galleon terrorizing the skies are over (at least until the next patch).

[RearAdmiralZill]

Ill admit a Goldfish with Heavy Flak will struggle to get kills on its own unless you manage to break the hull armor of the enemy. On a Spire its better since you have the light gun to break that armor. Ive used it to good effect. Ive also used the dual Flak and Merc (Gatling works better for mid-short range engagements) with success. Of course I have a shorter range broadside on my right. Im not saying its invincible and will ensure multiple kills by any means, which was the point of the update. Complaining that now all of a sudden a gun is broken because it is balanced is petty in my opinion.

[HamsterIV]

What is petty is that I have to reconfigure all my ships to deal with the new meta game and I don't want to change my ship names to match. The "Mo' Dakka Dakka Dakka" has significantly less Dakka in its current configuration. The Golden Phoenix no longer has flame thrower wings. "Every Shot a Kill Shot" requires far less accuracy than before. At least the "Slim Jim" is still skinny, the "Bonny Liz" is still bonny, and the "Vulgaris Magistralis" is still Vulgar.

[Captain Lockheart]

I miss my flakky...., it was my murder weapon aboard my goldfish at a time, i never lost a match....