This might be a hot topic, but I think bows need to be looked at, as they are proving to be a little too strong at this level of PVP. There are no repercussions for missing as they have infinite ammo and can two-shot body shot at an immense range. Something has to be done with them to make them more challenging and worthwhile; while being used in PVP. Checkmate and all the current game modes have made them very strong and could spill over into a meta that will not be fun to play against. They were frustrating before and now are becoming problematic as we move to a more primary-based PVP.
And if people think this is crazy, look at it like this. If you can put perks on a bow, that can reduce its pullback time to shoot. You can two-shot a player before they can officially react. A hand cannon cannot even outgun a bow. You must first shoot them with a bow, to win a gunfight, so people have started to run bows more often to combat bows. I have been playing PVP since the start of the game, and I have noticed this trend ever since they have started to nerf weapons and not balance others to combat potential meta's. I understand they are trying to make it fair for others to play the game, but please look at the weapons that haven't turned up on your radar, like bows. Because now they have gotten really strong in this meta, almost unplayable in game modes dependent on primaries.
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Bows are fine. We've had to put up with Titans, Immortals, trip grenades and shotgun apes. Leave them alone.
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I dunno they’re good but I don’t feel they’re broken or anything. In close quarters Unless you get the jump on someone and get the first shot in then SMG’s, Auto’s, sidearms, Pulses and handcanon’s, so basically everything but scouts can and WILL melt them in close. Same again at medium range, high range SMG’s, Auto’s, HC’s and pulses again can hold up just fine. However I feel the biggest strength for bows in close and medium range is IF you do get the jump on someone and land that first shot then it’s almost impossible for your opponent to comeback from that unless they can get to cover immediately. Where as basically all other primary weapons do leave you more of a chance to fight back if someone attacks you first. Bows only REALLY outright excel at long range and it’s more noticeable in checkmate as I believe they nerfed scouts for whatever reason when they were adjusting TTK’s for Checkmate. Meaning the 1 real long range primary competitor they had was gutted in checkmate. Though even if you were to try and adjust them I don’t know how you would. If you nerf their damage and make them a 3 hit kill they become trash. If you make them a special then they’re just a worse sniper, so you’d have to let them 1 hit kill or give them a crap load of ammo in PvP to give people a reason to use them over snipers. You might be able to nerf their draw time, But even Wishender and it’s 3 year long draw time is useable in PvP, and extending draw time wouldn’t stop people firing 1 shot and just quick swapping to a secondary weapon for clean up (people already do). I haven’t played much PvP since the start of the new season, but from my limited experience in Checkmate, the slowing of abilities forcing more gunplay has lead to more players just bunching up and team shotting which has just helped bows. As either your teammates weaken an opponent enough for you to 1 tap them with a bow. Or you take a large enough chunk out of an opponent making it an easy cleanup for your teammates. So yeah I don’t think they’re OP in general, but in checkmate they’re pretty good in my opinion and less abilities causing more team shooting has definitely helped them. But things like SMGS and Auto’s are still plenty strong and can easily beat a bow user in close range. And you shouldn’t be duelling a bow user at range without a sniper or your own bow, that’s just asking for trouble. But that’s just my 2¢.