Cycler vs Punisher....

[AcidCat]

I prefer the Cycler since I've used it so much and come to appreciate it ... Punisher is nice for its flexibility but of course it is a compromise .. since I'm almost always in reinforced armor I'd rather have a Cycler and a dedicated anti-armor weapon in that second rifle slot.

[Tricky]

Pound for pound, I'll choose the Cycler anyday. I first used the Punisher but the reload times for the rockets/gernades is WAY too long. That and the fact that the damage a rocket does to most things is too weak.

[drsomewhere]

Ahh guys, the answer is simply the cycler because of mag size and the fact that you dont need a rocket to get the kill, but, the winner in the higher cert categories is the Rocklet or thumper which can take out everything, including MAXes. If you want to be a rebel you can use both, like me!

[Zetre]

i'd have to say, the amp
but seriously, it all just depents on what you're doing
if you're indoors, you will probably want the cycler or empire specific gun, becuase there are no vehicles.
But if you're outdoors, and you have no AA or AV guns, then believe me, you're going to cherish that punisher. My opinion is that the punisher is a great solo gun, or a great gun to have when you are a newb, or when you are a support char like a medic or hacker, becuase then you can carry more, and have more versatility. But once you get anti vehicular guns, you'll want that empire specific rifle bad.
I'd have to say right now, my favorite weapon is the rocklet. If you load up on ammo, then you can take out many people with 6 of those bad boys firing in burst mode

[Kyonye]

i choose the cycler. it is one hell of a weapon. i've killed many with it.

[Irnbru]

cycler + striker = win

[AcidCat]

Originally posted by Irnbru
cycler + striker = win

Yeah, that is my favorite loadout right there.

[The President]

In comparison to the Phoenix, do you find the Striker to be more or less effective. I've heard conflicting opinions.

-The President

[alphabet]

Cycler all day long and twice on Sunday!

j00 guys are forgetting about the 4x zoom. Nothing like killin your enemy from a distance with short, controlled bursts while they are firing all around and cant hit shiznit!

Cycler roxxers for my style of fighting. Punisher takes too long to reload the granade launcher, has smaller magazine capacity and only a 2x scope.

Stick with the Cycler, j00 wont be disappointed.

alph

[BeerJedi]

As a player in TR that was BR5 - I had reinforced armor with a cycler and a Punisher.

I didn't have cert points for AV or heavy weaps too.

I liked them both, i actually stuck with the punisher rockets and shot down two Reavers Sat nite with a punisher. The rockets it fires are very accurate. One reaver lined up on me for a kill, and i just switched over and planted a rocket into his copit. His vehicle damage musta been pretty low, but he went Kaboom.

Its a versatile weapon, and paired with a cycler, my toon is pretty tough. Now I carry it to pair with the mini gun as I wait to achieve enough points for AV.

[LesserShade]

Originally posted by The President
In comparison to the Phoenix, do you find the Striker to be more or less effective. I've heard conflicting opinions.

-The President

The fact is they are different weapons entirely. Yes they are both AV, but the striker is your upclose and personal quickshot MAX waxer, where as the phoenix is artillery. I wouldn't trade a striker for a phoenix ever. You can have a max or reaver surprise you outside and even though they still have the drop on you, you'll still be able to take them down easily with a striker. They are also pretty good indoors against MAX, not as good as the decimator, because you'll want to normally keep a MAX target at medium range if at all possible which is hard to do indoors.

The pheonix is a different animal all together. It is horrible when compared to the striker for indoor and medium range use. Yeah you do more damage per hit, but you have to reload constantly. What makes the pheonix awesome is the ability to hit stuff from out of your Line of Sight. You see an AMS/MAX/tank? He can't run, you can just keep nailing him no matter where he goes until he gets completely out of your range (which is pretty damn far). The downside is you are pretty vulerable when you are shooting the damn thing, so if you are smart you'll be behind a wall, or on a roof or wall. To me, these weapons shouldn't even be in the same class.

[Vis Armata]

After using the Cycler for a bit, I dropped the Punisher. I've done the most damage in firefights with that 4x scope and large magazine. Good, solid weapon.