Scout Rifles are currently the second-least used weapon type, ahead of only Sidearms that have been in that game for ~7 weeks, as opposed to just over 10 months. What I want to know is: why? They answer several problems and complaints that people seem to have at the moment
Snipers OP - Scout Rifles are the only weapons that can actually compete with Snipers at long range reliably, so why are they not used?
Thorn needs a range nerf - see above
Auto Rifle buff - Some of the high RoF Scout Rifles can be rolled with Full Auto to provide a weapon that fires faster than a Focus Fire Auto Rifle of the SUROS Impact/RoF denomination, while also dealing more damage and having more range, so why not use them? Good examples are the Deadshot Luna and the NL Shadow. Makeshift AR right there.
Thorn/TLW are broken with 2-shots - High impact Scout Rifles can score 3-hit kills that no one can complain about, hell, The Scholar can 2-shot. If you're looking for a counter, try MIDA Multi-Tool, the hidden talent of High-Calibre rounds and the speedy movements it allows for turn you into a someone that screams "You can't beat what you can't hit"
If you were to ask me (here we go, yet another opinion), I think the reason behind their disuse is the abuse of Shotguns. I shan't lie, there is no worse weapon to be caught using than a Scout Rifle if a Shotgun comes round the corner, ready to blow your head off. I'd be very interested to know anyone else's reasons and thoughts on the matter.
Perhaps, if nothing is going to be nerfed, a slight Scout Rifle buff is in order? The last one was in October and has shown no signs of increased usage
Edit 1: It's great to have found a plethora of Scout Rifle users like myself, and I've thoroughly enjoyed reading and debating the points raised here. For now, I'm going to sleep, so will be unable to reply to any of you for the next few hours (rest assured, I shall do my best to get back to you ASAP). Thank you all very much for keeping this post as active as it has been!
Edit 2: The answer I have been given many times now is "Why use them when Hand Cannons are available?". This is exactly the problem the Crucible faces at the moment. A Scout Rifle requires precision and nerve, but Exotic Hand Cannons can be put to stellar use by just about anyone, so there is no incentive to not use them - the bad players use them in hopes of raising their K/D by using something overpowered, and the good players use them so they don't fall behind to everyone else using the same weapons. Someone I used to be friends with, and now despise, has a K/D of 3.97 and 41942 kills with The Last Word, almost double the kills I have in Crucible full stop. From what I understand, he's ranked the 11th best player in the world (according to DestinyTracker). Combine those kind of stats with the sheer numbers of people using TLW/Thorn, it amazes me that this has gone on for so long.
Edit 3: Seriously, massive thanks to everyone who has kept this in the "Trending" section for the last 15-16 hours, stoking the fire of debate with each new point raised. I owe you all one :D
Edit 4: Out of curiosity, I'm wondering who has seen Datto's video that complains about the current state of Crucible ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHenCd2BWNQ for those of you who are interested and yet to see it). It sums up pretty much every non-Scout Rifle related thing I could say, and unlike myself, he's a big enough personality in the community to cause a change
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Because exotic hand cannons
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If anyone still has their Saterienne Rapier with Firefly and Outlaw: bust that sucker out! It's straight up a counter-sniper.
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Sorry converted to NLB and I'm never looking back.
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MIDA and Vision of Confluence are my go-to weapons in Crucible.
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Cause hand cannons
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Cause you haven't faced me
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i understand you but with alot of CQC maps and a low(i know full auto exists) RoF its outclassed by everything other then sidearms even the -blam!-ing first gun can kill faster then that
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Thorn and tlw out shoot all scouts in mid-long range. Though the scholar with its damage boost is a mighty contender
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Mida works
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That's helps but it's mostly due to maps... Destiny is mostly small maps (what I play anyways) and only it's reliable in game modes like Combined Arms
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Scout rifles are my favorite PvE gun to use, especially the Fang and Vision
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I'm beginning to fall in love with the MIDA and the VoC can hold its own.
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I switched back to MIDA a week before the last IB and only used it in IB. Had so much fun and will never go back, and was able to counter the Thorns and shottys no problem.
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I played trials with the Luna from dead orbit. I got like 13 assists :(
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A vast majority of Destiny's PvP maps are very suitable to CQCB which is why scout rifles are not used that often. Only in maps like First Light Bastion and Skyshock are scout rifles really a valuable primary to have equipped. Scout Rifles also require skill to use which the vast majority of Destiny players don't have seeing as all they can do is use Thorn. With a Scout Rifle, you must consecutively land 3-4 maybe 5 hits in the head in a row while under pressure and possibly having to deal with flinching from enemy fire. Truth is, I doubt many players out there are capable of this. Now to those who are going to say "I bet I can do that" then do it. Equip a VOC or Scholar or what have you and see if you can maintain your current average K/D while still playing the way you currently do. The maps do not provide any advantages to Scout Rifles with there TTK times being much higher than many other popular weapons and the poor performance at close ranges.
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I don't see why more people use them,I love outsniping a sniper with my primary (I got a roll on one that gave me max range) and if you don't rush in like a maniac,the shotguns aren't too much of a problem
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Edited by MarcusSoul: 7/13/2015 3:50:46 AMI think Scout Rifles are very good in trials and Skirmish depending on the map, but honestly the Messenger puts most Scouts to shame.
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Was it necessary to put a mida multi-tool pic
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I love to use my VoC in crucibal but I have a lot of fun using thorn
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Because scout rifles demand a shotgun in the secondary slot. And people only use shotguns
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I finally rolled a ghelons demise to a beast- I haven't played a ton with it maxed yet, but it has done really well, easy 3 shot kills, I like it better than mida for sure (it's on my Titan)
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Because they are beat at their own game. Thorn and TLW can shoot just as far, with just as much accuracy, and hit twice as hard.
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I liked running VoC and now my NA3D1 Salvation State... the perks on it are pretty decent for a casual PvP'er like myself.
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They are boring. As the people who use them ...
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No scouts are fine but the reason they are not more mainstream is that they are precision weapons, Also there is one exotic scout rifle [spoiler]personally not my favorite.[/spoiler] you need to land head shots to win or use mechanics better.
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I use my 365 fang in crucible