It sucks that scouts have remained not viable for so long, in both pvp and pve. I love the smell from halo and both I run scouts on both of my characters. I know that it’s range being a major advantage for content is a thing, but let’s be real. In pvp, nearly all long range maps are gone. The people who use shotguns hated the fact that Vostok in particular was NOT meant for close range play. They complained and it was removed. Now shotguns pretty much run unopposed in the crucible since their are no maps that compliment long range play. And in pve, scouts are worthless outside of explosive payload/overload rounds. Scouts have no place in either content, as it’s damage is never goi g to be worthwhile in any pve content and pvp has no maps complimenting their strengths. Scouts will probably never have any place in this game for the rest of the games lifespan. Bungie’s too afraid to make maps for them in pvp or buff damage to make them viable in pve.

Bungie are definitely in a strange position with primaries imo. Scouts (along with bows and, to a lesser extent, pulse rifles) are generally the safest options to go for as playing at range poses virtually no risk to the player unless there is a timer of sorts. If they make scouts just as or nearly as effective as weapons like Sidearms, SMGs, and other closer range options, there becomes little reason to use them—especially considering how flexible rapid-fire and lightweight scouts can be. A scout that can 1-2 shot most trash like a HC but maintain that over virtually all distances would be nearly unmatched. Of course, this argument gets complicated by things such as Warmind Cells, but just in general, scouts would be incredibly strong. This is why in D1, except by Hand Cannons, scouts pretty much reigned supreme in PvE unrivaled—especially in more difficult or more ranged content, and I really doubt Hand Cannons would’ve seen as much footing without Fatebringer and just the general popularity of HCs in this community. Overall, Bungie are in quite a precarious position. To maintain the current risk/reward balance among primaries, scouts must remain somewhat weaker to other primary options. Even if Bungie were to buff scouts, they likely wouldn’t do it enough to where the community would feel satisfied. That’s not to say I don’t personally believe scouts are a little weak, but where I personally believe scouts need to be for a diverse meta is clearly much worse than where other players would place them. This is all coming from the weirdo who solo flawless’d Shattered Throne with a bow, Pit of Heresy with a machine gun, Prophecy with a pulse rifle, and Harbinger with a scout, so I think I have a pretty good grasp of where these generally “weaker” weapons fit into this game’s sandbox.

They should buff the precision damage from 50 to 100 percent. That is all it needs in PVE.

Exact this.

All for buffs, but honestly they all seem ok to me on PS4. Mid to long range and their easier to use than a sniper rifle. Plus they were given a Biff weren’t they in Season of the Hunt?

They could use a damage bump in pve and more forgiveness in pvp. Most scouts require near perfect accuracy, share the same range as 120 handcannons which now seem to have very few drawbacks. Scouts also feel very clunky to use and have trouble securing kills unless you're using the exotic 150s

I agree, but 20% could easily be too much since scout rifles are intrinsically the safest primary option because of their stellar range and little downtime. Even just a 10% damage buff and a reduction in incoming flinch (that part is mainly for pvp) might be enough for them to be balanced when considering their risk/reward ratio.

There are scout rifles in D2?... 😅

Auto rifles can't outclass scouts if you hit your shots. The 260 rpm scouts are beasts with some very good perks. Trustee is my go to in the legendary lost sectors and soon to be a staple for farming palindrome next season. I'm not disagreeing. Scouts could use some love... But auto rifles do peepee poopoo damage. As they should.

The fact that 180s don’t even OHKO a dreg TO THE HEAD tho...

They need a 10% increase in range and a very slight increase in precision damage. They’re designed that way for a reason. The main issue that you run into is: Why use this over a bow or a scout rifle? Auto rifles and pulse rifles have had their ranges pushed out so far that it eliminates their space. Bows have the ability to 1-shot most adds. Not a reason to use as bows don’t really have much of a downside. Their ability to easily pick off easy adds without much of a penalty due to their handling and reload. Best way to fix in my opinion. - +5 range for all archetypes. (+8 for Precision and High impact.) - +.1x precision damage - Reduce the range of ARs and PRs except High Impact Pulses and Autos. - Reduce the handling on Precision bows [u]slightly[/u]. - Increase the severity of damage drop off and reduce the minimum damage for bows. (Incentivize fully drawing bow, reducing effectiveness of spamming the trigger on rushing adds.)

Yup. And for PvP, maps that are bigger than a shoe box would help scouts a lot. But Bungie will just keep ignoring us.

My energy weapon was Graviton Lance for a long time, because it felt like a scout rifle but wasn't terrible like one. Then reckless oracle came out and I played with that and Night Watch in Arrivals. Then I got a Royal Chase with dragonfly, and I've been using it all season. It's the closest I'll get to a graviton lance, but it fires faster and has better range, so I like it. I like void weapons they're satisfying to use.

I've been running scouts a lot this season. BUT I agree they still seem whimpy especially compared to D1 days. I soooo miss my Chaos Dogma :(