Fletcher: The Forgotten Merc

(Jojack) #1

I love Fletcher. I think he’s the most fun merc to play. Getting that out of the way, I rarely see him. From my experience, he is the least played merc of them all. Why is this? Does he need a buff or what?

I’ve played him quite a bit and it seems to me the worst thing he has going for him is his primary. He is the only merc in the game that doesn’t have a single good primary. He gets his choice of the worst two shotguns or the worst SMG in the game. Personally, I have been using the loadout with the Blishlock and the Empire 9 as secondary. The augments are all pretty lame, but he doesn’t have any really good augments anyways. I would much prefer if his Aunuld got a buff. I think the buff should come in rate of fire rather than damage to keep it unique. I love that gun, but it just kind of struggles right now.

Maybe Augments are another problem. His best augments are drilled, unshakable and double time. He has nothing to buff his bombs. No explodydendron, which would be nice. Lock on is broken with his bombs now and does nothing. So some better augments would help.

The biggest problem for me right now, is that his bombs are duds a LOT of the time. It feels like close to 50% of the bombs I stick on people are duds. This makes him very hard to play currently.

So what can the devs do to make Fletcher more playable for you? Arty is well covered and his deficiencies are talked about often and at length. But nobody ever mentions Fletcher. He’s the forgotten Merc right now. Not played and no discussions on making him more playable.

(Fuze) #2

[quote=“Jojack;13124”]I love Fletcher. I think he’s the most fun merc to play. Getting that out of the way, I rarely see him. From my experience, he is the least played merc of them all. Why is this? Does he need a buff or what?

I’ve played him quite a bit and it seems to me the worst thing he has going for him is his primary. He is the only merc in the game that doesn’t have a single good primary. He gets his choice of the worst two shotguns or the worst SMG in the game. Personally, I have been using the loadout with the Blishlock and the Empire 9 as secondary. The augments are all pretty lame, but he doesn’t have any really good augments anyways. I would much prefer if his Aunuld got a buff. I think the buff should come in rate of fire rather than damage to keep it unique. I love that gun, but it just kind of struggles right now.

Maybe Augments are another problem. His best augments are drilled, unshakable and double time. He has nothing to buff his bombs. No explodydendron, which would be nice. Lock on is broken with his bombs now and does nothing. So some better augments would help.

The biggest problem for me right now, is that his bombs are duds a LOT of the time. It feels like close to 50% of the bombs I stick on people are duds. This makes him very hard to play currently.

So what can the devs do to make Fletcher more playable for you? Arty is well covered and his deficiencies are talked about often and at length. But nobody ever mentions Fletcher. He’s the forgotten Merc right now. Not played and no discussions on making him more playable.[/quote]

I’m going to respond in points to make this easier.

  1. Why is Fletcher one of the least played mercs? Because he has the most bugged ability. The bugs associated with sticky bombs are some of the worst bugs in the game atm. READ ABOUT THEM HERE
  2. Are his primaries the worst part about him? Yes and no. No one can deny that the Blishlok was nerfed into oblivious, making it one of the most useless weapons in the game. However, I see nothing wrong with his shotguns. Flechette works nicely at longer ranges, making it great for finishing off wounded targets that you’ve engaged with your secondary. With that said, his secondary selection is great.
  3. Does he have any good augments? Is this a joke question? Double Time is the best augment in the game. It will literally change how you play (for the better).
  4. Should his main shotgun get a buff? I don’t see a reason why it should.
  5. Should he get an augment that buffs his sticky bombs? Well, Lock On did exactly that. Now that sticky bombs function differently, they will obviously switch out Lock On for something else. Either way, he has Double Time… Why would you want anything else?
  6. Those ‘duds’ as I said earlier are in fact bugs, so when you ask what the devs can do to make Fletcher more playable, all they really need to do is fix sticky bombs.
  7. Why is Arty talked about so much more? That’s an easy one… Arty sucks in every way possible. Even tho Fletcher has a completely broken ability, he is still pretty awesome, even without sticky bombs. Even then, Proxy is very similar and also has an ability that works. Not to mention that it’s insanely easy to get a kill or multiple kills with her proximity mines.

Now you know! B)

EDIT: I should probably mention that Fletcher use to throw his sticky bombs like a professional baseball player, launching them like rockets. This made him far more viable to use over Proxy, who can only plop her mines a few feet away. Now that throwing distance has been nerfed, even when they fix all of the bugs associated with sticky bombs, it’s not like people will play Fletcher as much as they use to (when he had an amazing throwing arm).

(Jojack) #3

The point of the thread was to ask why very few people play or talk about Fletcher. I provided a few reasons off the top of my head. I would assume that if there are certain mercs that nobody plays, those mercs need a bit of dev love. Plain and simple. Everyone talks about Arty, nobody talks about Fletcher. So I’m asking you, the community, to brainstorm ways to make him more playable. Not to tell me he is fine as is. If he was, he would be played more.

I guess your suggestion is to fix the bugs with his ability and he would be played more. Maybe that’s right. I kind of think it goes deeper though. Only those of us that play him a lot are even aware of the bugs.

I mentioned double time as one of his good perks. Why shouldn’t he have explodydendron? Maybe they will just replace Lock on with explodydendron. I think I would be fine with that.

Regarding his primaries…they aren’t fine. I mean, they are good enough to make due with but why should he only have “good enough to make due with”? There isn’t a single person in the world that thinks that Fletcher’s primaries aren’t weak. Proxy gets a great SMG or the best shotgun to go with her mines. Bushwhacker gets the best SMG in the game to go along with a freaking turret?

I just don’t understand the justification when it comes to Fletcher’s primaries. Sparks has as good of weapons as Fletcher and she doesn’t even HAVE a primary. I just don’t see the reason behind this. Are his stickies really seen as more of a weapon than mines or a turret to justify weaker primaries? I don’t know. Therefore, I ask. Why do you think having a weak primary is “fine”?

Again, I can make due with his primaries. But I just don’t understand why they are objectively weaker than other engineers…or other mercs period.

(Fuze) #4

Within the few years I’ve been a tester for Dirty Bomb, Fletcher was never a popular merc, regardless if he threw sticky bombs like rockets and they actually worked. Proxy is just so much similar and yet far easier to use. Proximity mines are regarded as an easy kill in pretty much every game, ever. It also goes without saying that Proxy is a petite cutey with a ponytail and Fletcher hails from a heavily disliked country. Even if they had the same exact weapons, augments and abilities, Proxy would continue to be the more popular choice.

You also suggested that he could get “better” augments when he already has the most popular augments in the game. But yes, Lock On will eventually be replaced and there’s a good chance it’s going to be Explodydendron.

As I said, the Blishlok is the most useless weapon in the game. However, I’ve yet to see how his shotguns are somehow weak. They have more accuracy and range, making them a great mid-range finisher and they still can one shot at point blank like any other shotgun.

Yes, actually, his sticky bombs are meant to be an actively used weapon like Rhinos minigun. Sticky bombs have a very low cooldown time, making it very easy to use nothing but sticky bombs in a match. Thing is, the Blishlok use to be one of the best SMGs in the game. It was only recently heavily nerfed and there’s no way in heck it’s going to stay as it is. As for the shotguns, I’ve already explained why they aren’t weak.

None of his primaries are exclusive to him and it’s not like these same weapons are somehow better on the other mercs that use them. Either way, the Empire-9 is considered on par with a primary and the mercs that have a “better” shotgun as you put it, don’t have as good secondary choices. What you need to understand is that secondaries aren’t ‘last resort’ weapons like they tend to be in other games. Fletcher just so happens to have the best choice of secondary weapons out of any merc. If you run the Empire-9, there’s no reason to use your primary, even if they get buffed. The Tolen is a decent alternative if you want something that fires slower. As for the revolver, it utterly destroys people.

(Szakalot) #5

Why people don’t use fletcher?

Cause they have no idea how to play with him. Definitely one of those mercs that requires a different approach to the game, just like Kira, or RedEye.

If SD gives us in-game replies I’ll make a fletcher guide, and you will come to regret it : P

(Ghosthree3) #6

[quote=“Szakalot;35437”]Why people don’t use fletcher?

Cause they have no idea how to play with him. Definitely one of those mercs that requires a different approach to the game, just like Kira, or RedEye.

If SD gives us in-game replies I’ll make a fletcher guide, and you will come to regret it : P[/quote]
He’s definitely the hardest class in the game to play. Picked him up recently and it requires an entirely different playstyle to everything else. Very difficult indeed.

The players that can play him well though…fucking scary.

(Jojack) #7

Of course, as soon as I post this in the forum I see at least one other fletcher in every game I’ve played.

(Eox) #8

Fletcher is seriously not that bad, though I wouldn’t mind one more stickybomb. While the blishlok passed from decent to trash due to a nerf, the Anhuld can be considered in my opinion as the best shotgun available (because unlike the two others you will still deal consistent damage if there’s five meters between you and the other guy). Also, Fletcher can use the Empire 9, and a lot of his loadout cards are pretty viable (if you consider that all augments are working of course).

The main problem as @Fuze said is the big mass of glitches and poop that surrounds him, making the sticky bombs sometimes extremely frustrating to use. Let’s just hope to see a fix done for the stickies, as well as a rollback of the Blishlok nerf.

(giftedStatue) #9

People don’t like him because his stickies seem weak at first, but the mindset I have when using them is very similar to the mindset I would have when M1+M2’ing as Demoman in TF2. If you’ve ever done that before, then you’ll understand that throwing stickies at your enemy and detonating them doesn’t have to kill them outright, it’s still good to spread splash damage for your teammates and soften them for your teammates (or yourself) to finish them off.

Also, am I the only one that just says screw the Blishlok and Ahnuhld, I’ll use the Empire-9 as my primary? That way I have a situational Hollunds secondary to pull out when enemies get too close :stuck_out_tongue:

(Szakalot) #10

[quote=“giftedStatue;35577”]People don’t like him because his stickies seem weak at first, but the mindset I have when using them is very similar to the mindset I would have when M1+M2’ing as Demoman in TF2. If you’ve ever done that before, then you’ll understand that throwing stickies at your enemy and detonating them doesn’t have to kill them outright, it’s still good to spread splash damage for your teammates and soften them for your teammates (or yourself) to finish them off.

Also, am I the only one that just says screw the Blishlok and Ahnuhld, I’ll use the Empire-9 as my primary? That way I have a situational Hollunds secondary to pull out when enemies get too close :stuck_out_tongue: [/quote]

sticky bomb is MY primary : )

if I can juke corners in close combat I’ll support it with the shotty

if I engage people in the open, ill pick empire.

(Jojack) #11

I use the Empire to start fights (assuming there’s not time to open with stickies). The Aunuld to finish the fight. If it’s just a 1v1 it’s not much of an issue but the Empire has a small clip size. I love pulling out the shotty and smashing their face when they think I’m about to reload. Of course if they duck behind a corner, a sticky comes out to either finish them or make them hesitate while I jump around with a one shot from the Aunuld.

As I’ve said in other threads, there is nothing more satisfying in this game then playing well with Fletcher. I can seriously hold a choke point for so long against 4,5 even 6 enemies by myself. Fragger is better for clearing choke points when on the offensive, but nobody can match Fletcher in holding them defensively due to his fast cool down.

(animatedFrog) #12

Fletcher’s best primary is the Empire-9. It’s a strong enough SMG to be a primary, just has a small clip for its RoF. The Ahnuld is great at finishing people and it still 1shots lights.

I think Fletcher would be fine if stickies didn’t disappear or bounce off teammates. Would also be nice if you couldn’t shoot them and kill him as soon as he threw them.

He is so, so fun to play, but it’s really frustrating when you stick someone 3 times and they all disappear and then he kills you.

Also please fix Lock-On!

(capriciousParsely) #13

the stickies dissapearing has to be the worst glitch in the game atm. it’s game breaking and it’s gotten me killed so many times.

(CCP115) #14

I am buying him next, he is a hell of a lot of fun. Also cool accent.

(Mescman) #15

Fletcher’s the best sometimes and I really want to play as one. But too often I get the feeling that I could just be playing a nader and be more effective, partially because I have an smg fetish and blishlok doesn’t fill that need very well… Also it feels that fletcher needs more optimal environment to shine than nader.

(Eox) #16

Nader can’t play the objective efficiently though.

(Jojack) #17

He’s not supposed to play like Fragger or Nader, who also aren’t supposed to play like each other. They all have explosives, yes. But the way they operate is completely different and a different play style is required to maximize the potential of all three in my experience.

Fragger is brute force. He is made for leading a charge and clearing rooms. Nobody can compare to him in this role. He is beast.

Nader is more finesse. She is more area denial/discouragement. Forcing spawn waves to either wait out her barrage, die, or choose another path. She interrupts the flow of the enemy more than outright clears them (well she kills newbs that run straight at her down a narrow corridor).

Fletcher is creative. There are a multitude of ways to use his bombs. You can clear rooms like Fragger, though not as efficiently. You can provide area denial and frustrate an enemy push by lobbing bombs around corners and taking out turrets and health stations, though probably not as efficiently as Nader (though you can do it for longer).

You can set traps at key choke points or sub objectives. You can cover a c4 plant and hide in safety or conservatively fight until you see the blue defuse bar and BAM! No CHARGE! Oh wait, EXPLOSIVE CHARGE!! (and stickies don’t glow like mines and enemy engineers rarely look for/clear them like they do mines plus you can stick them to walls where they never seem to look). Then you can pop out and re-apply stickies to the plant from a distance (2 is enough to kill any merc). You can use them to start or end fire fights or simply to distract. You can absolutely ruin the day of a Rhino/Aura combo. You can use them to instantly neutralize enemy proxy mines from a c4 plant before running in to defuse without looking for/having to shoot them. You can stick a downed enemy with a couple and wait for the medic to come revive and gib the downed enemy at the same time as insta gibbing the medic if you’re timings is right. You can stick a couple or three on an enemy aura station, wait for them all to come heal and kill them all while neutralizing the station.

Sticky Bombs require a bit of creativity and practice and thus, are a lot more satisfying to those of us that love Fletcher. I suppose they aren’t for everyone though. Not taking anything away from Fragger or Nader, they fill their roles nicely.

Also, as Eox said. Fletcher is an Objective Specialist. So he has that usefulness going for him over Fragger or Nader. There are very few parts of the maps where Engineers aren’t very welcome additions to any team. And for me, Proxy and Bushwhacker pale in comparison to Fletcher in all around utility and fragging ability.

Also, I’m starting to come around on the Aunuld as being a good shot gun. It’s starting to shine for me. Or rather, I’m starting to gain a better understanding of how and when you use it to get the most out of it. It’s a lot better at tagging distant enemies with head shots and removing a large chunk of health than I thought it was.

(Szakalot) #18

@Jojack tbh, for me Fletcher plays like a mix of Proxy and Nader/Fragger. Mostly Nader though; the best way to use the sticky is to throw it in an enemy’s face. Fletcher can fill all three rolls you described:

  • clearing out rooms with sticky bombs is very effective, not as effective as instagib fragger, but you can easily soften up a room before going in
  • Nader’s AoE denial is also definitely a thing for Fletcher, you can spam corners with sticky bombs to deny map control to your opponents
  • Proxy’s objective defense is also possible for Fletcher, you can set up sticky bomb traps, unlike Proxy you have to babysit them and select the right moment to blow them up.

So overall, he does all three roles, and while each of the individual mercs is probably better at the particular thing, Fletcher has all 3 available to him.

(Gi.Am) #19

Fully agree except this.

While I haven’t played fletcher much.
My impression was that he is alot better in protecting the C4. A Proxy kills one defuse attempt and then has to basically stand on the spot to plant a new mine. Fletcher on the other hand lays a trap and hides. Remote trigger as soon as the defuse starts. after that you come out throw new stickies (since you have more range easier and stealthier to do than proxy) and repeat.
Granted that tactic gimps your offensive potential, but when it comes to protecting a charge he is harder to counter.

(Szakalot) #20

[quote=“Gi.Am;36277”]Fully agree except this.

While I haven’t played fletcher much.
My impression was that he is alot better in protecting the C4. A Proxy kills one defuse attempt and then has to basically stand on the spot to plant a new mine. Fletcher on the other hand lays a trap and hides. Remote trigger as soon as the defuse starts. after that you come out throw new stickies (since you have more range easier and stealthier to do than proxy) and repeat.
Granted that tactic gimps your offensive potential, but when it comes to protecting a charge he is harder to counter.[/quote]

good point, though both mercs play differently when it comes to defending C4. Proxy is more effective at charging in dropping the mine and shooting the mine to instagib the engineer.

Regardless, I was referring to the general defensive capacity, as Proxy can just drop the mine and go somewhere else, Fletcher needs to babysit his trap.