Rifleman Archive

I recently got Surprise Shot but can't use it. The way I understand it you have to /takecover first and then use it. However, I get the message "You cannot Surprise Shot while tumbling." Ok, so i tried using it without taking cover. I forget what the message was, but I couldn't use it there either. I'm using a laser rifle and my skills with Rifleman are 3/1/0/1. Is anyone else getting this? Am I doing something wrong?

(Don't bash me if I'm beating a dead horse here. I tried searching the forums, but we all know how wonderful that search tool is.)

Torp

Are you starting TakeCover from a standing position? If you do, you will, for a short time, be considered tumbling.You will see a small icon (some type of swirl, but I forget what it looks like) next to the Takecover icon indicatingyou are still "tumbling." While tumblling, you get some added defensive bonuses, but it also prevents you from doing other things, such as firing a weapon, which is why almost no one uses "Tumble to ..." from the Ranged Support line. I am not sure if the same applies to starting from Kneeling, but it definitely will if you start from standing.

Try going prone first, then take cover. If you are already on the ground, you go directly to Cover (if it takes) withoutfirst put you in a tumbling state. Or wait for the tumble state icon to go away, then try firing it.

I do not have supriseshot yet, but it was supposed to have been fixed in a recent patch, and people have been reporting using it. However, unlike concealshot, supriseshot cannot be used unless you are under cover, so whatever other messages you were getting while not under cover are as they are supposed to be I suspect.

Try going prone first before taking coveror letting the tumble state clear before using surpriseshot and see if that clears it up.

The last time I checked surprise shot was rather pointless / broken.

I didn't have to be in cover to use it, it had a x3 multiplier (strafe2 has a x5) and mobs detected you as soon as you shot them.

A useless skill in the Rifleman tree? Noooooooo!

Unless you count Surprise Shot, Conceal Shot, Take Cover, the entire Concealment Tactics tree, the "removes covered state from enemies" function of the Strafe Shots, and arguably Head Shot 3...missing anything?

Conceal shot has it's uses.

However I would add startle shot 1 and 2 to that list.