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Heatsink: Good or Bad?

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Bronzium:
Hi guys,

As an Engineer myself, I find I tend to use Heatsink ammo on quite a regular basis. My reasoning behind this is that it does reduce firestacks, but it also helps to give more ammo to guns. I've seen very few engineers or gunners use this ammo type, and would like to know why it's so underused?

RedRoach:
The main issue is that, while reloading the ammunition reverts to normal instead of staying heatsink throughout. Many people know that a flamer, with it's non-stop rate of fire and large clip, can easily throw around 8+ stacks before your hwacha or gatling gets reloaded. I don't personally use it, because... well.. I chem spray me own guns between reloads for a full 25 second buff.

Mezhu:
Heatsink is a great ammo type- however, like all ammo types, it's situational. Its' main uses are two; protecting a gun against fire and increasing some guns total damage per clip at the cost of damage per second and range. When should one use Heatsink?

* As gunner, heatsink is a viable 3rd ammo type on many conventional guns. Use as an alternative to chem spray when engineers are preoccupied or  unreliable, or proc many reloads at opportune moments to slowly extinguish guns and relieve pressure off engineers.
* As a gunner, heatsink is an exceptional ammo type for guns that benefit greatly from the bonus shot(s) and the arming range reduction- these include heavy and light carronades, flaregun, light flak, lumberjack. Beware of the side effects though- quite often there's another ammo type that's more effectively paired with those guns, depending on many variables such as range, gun's health, enemy ship condition etc!
* As an engineer who's supposed to spend a lot of his/her time shooting (on ships with many guns such as the mobula, or as gungineer on a pyramidion etc), you should generally avoid Heatsink. You already have a superior fire supression and immunity tool, which negates the need for Heatsink. There always are exceptions, but you should probably be using the ammo type that's considered optimal for your gun, instead.

* As an engineer who's expected to not spend any considerable time shooting but still has access to nearby guns, which otherwise noone would use (e.g. as main engineer on a pyramidion). Heatsink becomes a valid option. In the heat of combat you won't and shouldn't include the sideguns of a pyramidion in your spray and repair circles. This can often lead to these guns dying out of a fire stacks, which went ignored for the duration of an engagement. This becomes increasingly relevant when the enemy uses a flamethrower, even more so if it's a primary source of damage. Preloading Heatsink into these can potentially save the guns and allow you to use them when the moment comes, or at the very least save you the trouble of having to rebuild them (while simultaneously acting as damage shields for your hull during the fight). Especially effective if these guns also benefit from Heatsink

RearAdmiralZill:
To fight fires, heatsink is pretty worthless because it doesn't work during reloads. It might have other "merits," but for its intended purpose, it just doesn't compare to engie fire tools even remotely.

The only way it'll be good is if it manages to be a better option then just letting the gun burn out and rebuild it. How that can be achieved is beyond me right now.

Alistair MacBain:
Just like Zill said.
Heatsink as a Fire fighting tool is only worth it in a few specific situations for gunners. As engineer id always say avoid it.
If you're not supposed to shoot as engi there was already a different mistake when the only way to survive is to get you on a gun. If you're a gungineer then you should always carry a chem spray. And if you cant chem your own gun then you did a serious mistake.

For gunners id rarely suggest it. The only build i sometimes use it is for a gunner on a galleon who has to use a lj and hcarro. (example: lj, hcarro front low, 2xhwacha back low)
Then I rather have heatsink to decrease the arming of my lj to get a third shot for the hcarro. But you could also just carry les (or a midrange ammo), greased and heavy to get great effect out of both guns.


As already stated the issue why heatsink is no valid fire fighting tool is the missing immunity during reloads. This makes it useless against flamers. And any other fire based gun doesnt apply enough stacks to even consider it. Rather have your engis on point and let them ext for you.

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