We’ve heard you like guns. Big guns. Deep Rock Galactic’s Gunner has a varied arsenal of over the top weapons, from a minigun to a rocket launcher. With his selection, the Gunner is very capable to satisfy your need for shooting the biggest, baddest guns available in Deep Rock Galactic. In this article, we’ll be focusing on the “Thunderhead” Heavy Autocannon, a portable artillery cannon (because of course the Gunner has one) that can dish massive amounts of area of effect damage, and if built for it, even focused damage.

The Autocannon is a versatile weapon. It has a spool up mechanic that increases its rate of fire the longer you keep shooting, upping its damage through its rate of fire. It isn’t the most accurate of weapons, but each shot deals direct and area of effect damage, making this weapon able to deal with swarms easily and reliably. This weapon usually doesn’t have the best single target applications due to its lack of accuracy and spool mechanic, but it can be modified enough to become a boss killing beast.

Without further ado, these are our favorite builds to use with the “Thunderhead” Heavy Autocannon.

3. Carpet Bomber

As the name says, this build will be tailored to deal humongous amounts of area damage to anything that wants to kill you. Carpet Bomber will further increase the area of effect capabilities of the Autocannon, making it a prime weapon to deal with smaller enemies. This build doubles down on the area coverage the Autocannon has, so it won’t be that effective at dealing with beefier targets. Other than that, with this build you’ll be able to clean house effectively and carpet bomb all those pesky bugs that threaten you and your team!

What Carpet Bomber Excels In?

• This build is an excellent swarm killer, so bring it if you expect lots of smaller enemies.
• Since you’ll be able to hit multiple targets consistently, you’ll find that this build is very ammo efficient.
• This build brings some crowd control that you’ll apply consistently due to the increased area of effect.

Use This Build If…

• You want more area of effect on your area of effect
• You don’t like the downsides of unstable overclocks
• Your team needs someone that can clear waves consistently

Build Details

High Capacity Magazine: You’ll be able to shoot for longer before reloading, which means more carpet bombing.

Improved Gas System: Rate of fire is great for this build, letting you bomb the hordes as they come more effectively.

Loaded Rounds: If we’re going for full area damage, then this perk is the best we can get, since it increases the area damage further.

Shrapnel Rounds: This perk increases the area of effect of your bullets, further increasing the area damage you can deal.

Suppressive Fire: With Suppressive Fire your shots will be able to fear the enemies, giving you some crowd control which will help you and your team kite the threats.

Overclock - Carpet Bomber: This overclock increases the area damage and radius of effectiveness of your shots while decreasing direct damage.

• +3 Area Damage
• +0.6m Effect Radius
• -7 Damage

2. Neurotoxin Payload

For the second build we’ll be taking Neurotoxin Payload as our build around. This overclock adds Neurotoxin to the Autocannon shots, which will deal damage over time and slow down enemies affected by it, making the Autocannon a fantastic swarm killer. With this build you’ll be able to deal with anything thrown your way, but you should bring a secondary weapon focused on single target damage, because this build doesn’t deal that well with bigger targets, like Praetorians or Oppressors. This build is viable in higher difficulties and it will help you and your team perform at the highest level!

What Neurotoxin Payload Excels In?

• This build is tailored to deal with swarms, since the neurotoxins help with the area of effect the Autocannon brings to the table.
• Neurotoxins have some crowd control, which will help you and your fellow dwarves survive.
• This build is versatile and can be used at any difficulty, but it shines at the highest levels of play due to the amount of enemies that appear in the caves.

Use This Build If…

• You prefer to enhance the AoE capabilities of the Autocannon
• You are a team player and want crowd control on your Gunner loadout
• You play at high difficulties and in a squad

Build details

Increased Caliber Rounds: This perk increases your overall damage, shoring Neurotoxin Payload’s weaknesses.

Tighter Barrel Alignment: Smaller base spread will increase the accuracy of your shots.

High Velocity Rounds: This gives the Autocannon more direct damage, further nullifying the overclock’s downsides.

Shrapnel Rounds: Shrapnel Rounds increase your shots AoE, helping you spread the Neurotoxins more efficiently.

Suppressive Fire: Your bullets now fear enemies around the impact area, increasing the crowd control capabilities of the Autocannon.

Overclock - Neurotoxin Payload: This overclock will make your shots poison the targets, dealing area of effect damage and slowing them down.

+Neurotoxin Payload (50% Chance): It grants all shots a 50% chance to inflict Neurotoxin onto an enemy. When an enemy is affected by Neurotoxin, they will take 12 Poison damage every 0.75 - 1.25 seconds for 10 seconds, as well as having their movement speed reduced by x0.7. Hitting an enemy who is already affected by Neurotoxin with another round which inflicts the debuff will reset its timer.

• +0.6m Effect Radius
• -2 Damage
• -5 Area Damage

1. Big Bertha

The biggest of all Berthas! Big Bertha makes the Autocannon a single target menace while still being a serviceable crowd killing weapon. This overclock makes the Autocannon more accurate, and on top of that, it massively increases the direct damage your bullets can deal, which changes how you use this weapon! If you have Big Bertha, you can use the Autocannon to mow down through bigger targets, and it becomes a prime contender to bring against Dreadnaughts. Even though this overclock doesn’t increase any of the weapon's area of effect capabilities, it also doesn’t impact them negatively, letting Big Bertha be serviceable when it comes to dealing with swarms. It’s also very satisfying to use. Rock and Stone!

What Big Bertha Excels In?

• This build is fantastic at dealing with meatier targets, since it’s all about direct damage.
• If you need a versatile weapon that can do area damage while dumping massive amounts of damage per shot, then Big Bertha is for you.
• Even though the overclock lowers your ammo capacity, you’ll find that you won’t have many ammo problems, since everything dies quickly.
• This build also has the Autocannon’s default area coverage capabilities, so you won’t miss on those.

Use This Build If…

• You want a versatile build that can deal with everything that gets thrown at you
• You like to pump massive amounts of damage quickly
• Your team expects to deal with big targets, like Dreadnaughts
• You don’t care about dealing area of effect damage and prefer to become the ultimate portable artillery cannon

Build details

High Capacity Magazine: Big Bertha decreases the magazine size, so taking this perk will help you not feel the negative impact as much.

Improved Gas System: Once again, we’re taking this perk so we can nullify Big Bertha’s downsides. More rate of fire also means more damage being pumped.

Supercharged Feed Mechanism: Top rate of fire helps this build excel, since Big Bertha also decreases it. With this perk you won’t notice a change to how fast you can shoot.

Hardened Rounds. We don’t care about the area of effect perk, so we take this perk here. It will also let us deal with armored targets more effectively, especially when you can’t kite around them to hit their weak spots.

Feedback Loop: More damage at top rate of fire? Sign us in.

Overclock - Big Bertha: This overclock will increase your accuracy and direct damage while lowering magazine size, maximum ammo and rate of fire.

• +12 Damage
• x0.7 Base Spread
• x0.5 Magazine Size
• -110 Max Ammo
• -1.5 Top Rate of Fire

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