Helldivers 1:AC-5 Arc Shotgun

Helldivers 2

Helldivers 1

Helldivers 1

Weapons

AC-5 Arc Shotgun

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The AC-5 uses the same charge building setup as the AC-3 but instead of discharging at a specific target, it tries to saturate an area in front of the user with electricity. This application has limited range, but the damage output is enough to completely fry light and medium targets. The AC-5 is part of the Pilot equipment kit.

— Armory Description

Unlock Requirement

The AC-5 Arc Shotgun is part of the Pilot Pack and is automatically unlocked by purchasing the respective DLC.

Upgrades

Upgrade		Requirements	Cost	Effect
	Faster Charge		2	It takes less time to reach full charge.
	Increased Range	Faster Charge	1	Upgrades the range of the weapon.

Faster Charge

• Improving the power generation and capacitors decreases the charge time significantly.

Increased Range

• Improvements and tweaks allows the shots fired to travel a greater distance before losing their power.

Weapon Stats

As it is an Arc weapon, the AC-5 does not require any ammunition to fire.

AC-5 Arc Shotgun Detailed Analysis
Weapon Info			Additional notes
Unlock Rank	Rank 1		Unlocked via DLC
Weapon Type	Primary
Weapon Category	Arc Tech
Fire Mode	Charged fire
Damage
	Base	Upgraded	Additional Notes
Min Charge Power	20	20
Max Charge Power	≈395 (400*)	≈395 (400*)	* Intended maximum charge power
AP Armor Reduction	0	0
Melee
	Base	Upgraded	Additional Notes
Damage	50	50
Radius	1 m	1 m
Center Distance	1 m	1 m
Delay	0 s	0 s
Duration	0.33 s	0.33 s
Statistics
	Base	Upgraded	Additional Notes
Cyclic Rate of Fire (RPM)	60	60	Fires as fast as you can charge to minimum
Min Charge Time	0.1 s	0.1 s
Max Charge Time	1.42 s	1.11 s†	†Requires Faster Charge upgrade
Arc Size Min	20°	20°
Arc Size Max	60°	60°
Min Range	2 m	2 m
Max Range	8 m	11 m‡	‡ Requires Increased Range upgrade

* Due to an oversight in the code, the Arc weapons are unable to reach their defined maximum charge power. The heat of the charge decreases during the timestep between releasing the trigger and the arc blast being projected. Therefore the damage output is always less than it should be, but never less than the defined minimum.

Gameplay Tips

• The Arc shotgun, like its longer ranged counterpart, is an unorthodox weapon requiring proper timing and positioning to use effectively. While it charges much faster than the Arc Thrower, it lacks the Arc Thrower's chain lightning property and has a severely reduced range. It should be reserved purely for fighting from behind cover and in close quarters as its minuscule range severely limits its ability to tackle scout patrols before they raise the alarm.
• An Arc weapon blast, if it connects with a target unit, will always ignore angle and assume the hit to be to the front of the unit. This can be demonstrated by shooting an upgraded HAV or a Cyborg Hulk with its shield raised.

• Arc Shotgun blasts have the unique property of ignoring terrain and other obstructions (such as objectives or friendly Helldivers). Any enemy caught within its cone of fire that is not heavily armored will be crippled or instantly killed. As a result of this, Helldivers can safely hide behind and fire through cover to attack enemies with impunity.

• If you need to reposition quickly but have your Arc weapon charged up, a good practice is to discharge it in the opposite direction of any friendly Helldivers or objectives.

• Charging an Arc weapon slows the user's movement to a crawl, which can hold back the rest of the squad. Divers should prioritize movement over fighting and only attack nearby scouts if absolutely necessary.

• Due to an oversight in the code, the Arc Shotgun is unable to reach its defined maximum charge power, leaving any non-shielded Hunters at very low health instead of killing them.

Gallery

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  AC-5 Arc Shotgun
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  AC-5 Arc Shotgun with laser perk