When should I ever use launchers over Additional Bullet?

[GALEFORCE]

I know there's some die-hard launcher fans on here, but I don't really see how they're useful. JAing them is very slow, which is my main complaint about them. Their PAs are also surprisingly short range for such a slow weapon. I figured you'd be able to bunker down and rain death on enemies, but none of its PAs reach that much farther than AB (except Divine Launcher).

[NeverDT]

To get a faster JA you can use Crazy Smash (without JAing it first of course). this might be more annoying to deal with if you don't have a lot of PP or Ketos PB, though.

The burst damage that cluster bullet can do makes it superior to addb in some situations (particularly bursts). rodeo drive is good in some situations but I've never been able to use that correctly and I'm not in a position to try atm, so that's not my territory.

GS is your bread and butter though. you might find other situations where you prefer cluster but that's up to your playstyle

[Coatl]

On desert mechs mostly. You can hit mech weakspots using cluster bullet.

[otaku998]

When you want to see Persona bouncing around like a golf ball

[Bellion]

Cluster Bullet - Malmoths, Micda types, Spardan types, spawn killing, and anything with their weakpoint that can be hit from above. It can also cover a wider range.

[God of Awesome]

I exclusively use launchers when I'm on my Ranger. Rifle is only to apply WB. I don't mind the lower range on most of the PAs because I know I can kill things easily and fast with launcher. I do roughly 12x damage with my launcher vs my rifle(my rifle is horrible), but even before I got a decent Launcher my rifle was still weaker, in fact my rifles grenade shot was weaker than my launchers regular attack. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't mind the slower fire rate for the greatly increased power, great AOE and consistency at killing things. My Ranger is only level 47 so I am by no means a master at it yet ;D

[GALEFORCE]

Cluster Bullet - Malmoths, Micda types, Spardan types, spawn killing, and anything with their weakpoint that can be hit from above. It can also cover a wider range.

I usually use Thrillersplode on Malmos and micda. I could see value in potentially killing multiple when they're wider spaced out, but it still seems sketchy. Like if you were to misjudge the aim and have to fire two or three. Spardans take 2-3 ABs, which is still about as fast as JAing a launcher cluster

Perhaps I'm not practiced enough with them, but the pace of the game just doesn't seem favorable to them. The only thing I've liked out of my launcher so far is Flame Bullet's DPS on a downed boss.

[Bellion]

Do you use Ra/Hu? This is only going to apply if you're not under-leveled nor under-geared as a Ra/Hu.
For standard VH Malmoths and maybe Micdas, you'll need to JA. As for the Spardan types, you don't need to JA at all.

Using 2-3 ABs takes up more PP than 1 CB, so there's that.

[BlankM]

I usually use Thrillersplode on Malmos and micda. I could see value in potentially killing multiple when they're wider spaced out, but it still seems sketchy. Like if you were to misjudge the aim and have to fire two or three. Spardans take 2-3 ABs, which is still about as fast as JAing a launcher cluster

Perhaps I'm not practiced enough with them, but the pace of the game just doesn't seem favorable to them. The only thing I've liked out of my launcher so far is Flame Bullet's DPS on a downed boss.

Use Crazy Smash to get your JA out faster.

[o0Kais0o]

Cluster Bullet, Crazy Smash (for an easy JA) and Divine Launcher. These 3 pa's make launchers epic imo, clearing out mobs is extremely quick.

[Alisha]

i think it partly depends how often you use tps mode. launcher has the power to outright overpower stuff even when not hitting a weakpoint.

[GALEFORCE]

I'm hesitant to CS JA because I want Flame Bullet, Cluster, and Cracker on the same palette. I don't have room for two launcher palettes.

I am a Ra/Hu. My affixes (+60/+60/+75 vardha set) and mag (144 ratk, rest dex) are pretty decent and I'm 59/60, but I only have a +9 SSPN launcher (+mizer/shoot III affix) that I bought to test these PAs out with.

I can consistently two-shot any spardan mech below AQ level with AB, and I think my TS one-shots them (I have a Jikomi). As far as AQ goes, this SSPN seems to be just short of one-shotting them without JA. Maybe the +10 would make a difference. It's really annoying trying to aim cluster when they charge in on you. I noticed it could be a godsend against groups of micda, but you have to angle the cluster just right for it to hit the weak point. Was pleasantly surprised to see Cluster doing 27k to a wonda weak point, but I have Jikomi TS for that.

While I really wanted to like divine launcher, but it's very finnicky with weak points, and it does need them to kill.

I don't know if Flame Bullet is enough for me to keep one around. If, down the line, they released a launcher with Flame Bullet potential, I'd totally gun for it. Launchers can do some things very well I think, but my gunslash seems to cover those bases just as well as-is.