The Hemlok, not Hemlock, as people often mistakenly call it, is the type of gun that you may initially hate, but over time its qualities begin to grow on you more and more until you start loving it.
Fun facts about hemlok: Hemlock is a poison derived from the hemlock plant. Socrates, the philosopher, famously was executed by drinking hemlock. Its genus name is Conium, which comes from the Greek word koneios, which means “to spin” or “to whirl”, denoting a common symptom people who drink hemlock experience. Enough about poisons though, let’s talk a bit about the Hemlok.
The Hemlok: A Unique Burst Assault Rifle
The Hemlok is the only assault rifle that fires in bursts, rather than fully automatic as the other assault rifles do. This initially feels like a drawback, and to those who are inexperienced with its use, it kind of is. That is why I mentioned previously that it’s a gun that has to grow on you.
What’s unique about it is its damage. It has the highest damage per bullet of all the assault rifles, and if you manage to fan the trigger fast enough, that fact becomes quickly apparent.
But therein lies the problem. You can’t just “spray and pray” with it, you have to carefully aim each burst if you want to accomplish anything. Something that isn’t always feasible, especially in close-quarters combat.
The Stats of the Hemlok
Let’s see what all the fuss is about.
| Target | Mods | Dmg | 100 | 150 | 175 | 200 | 225 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head (1.75x) | – | 105 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Head | Lvl. 1 | 96 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Head | Lvl. 2 | 84 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Head | Lv. 3/4 | 75 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Body | – | 60 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Body | Fort | 51 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Legs (0.75x) | – | 45 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Legs | Fort | 39 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
As you can see, the damage per burst is incredible, with 2 to 3 well-placed bursts being enough to eliminate most targets. This is more damage output than even some DMRs are able to achieve. And with the right optics, it can also double as a burst-fire-DMR, if you so wish. You really need to aim down sights with the Hemlok, cause if you don’t, the spread is atrocious, which is one of the major drawbacks of the weapon. Thankfully, it is one that can easily be amended.
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Attachments for the Hemlok
When it comes to the Hemlok, you have 4 attachment slots available to you. Seeing as it doesn’t have a Hop-Up upgrade, the 4th slot is for its barrel stabilizer. Now let’s look at the list:
- Barrel Stabilizer
- Extended Heavy Mag
- Standard Stock
- 1x HCOG “Classic”
- 1x Holo
- 1x-2x Variable Holo
- 2x HCOG “Bruiser”
- 2x-4x Variable AOG
- 3x HCOG “Ranger”
Now let’s look at how you should ideally kit out the Hemlok.
Ideal Hemlok Set-Up
At the start, you’re gonna want to find an Epic Barrel Stabilizer first. The Hemlok desperately needs this attachment, that’s why it should be a priority. After that, find an Epic Standard Stock. Following that, locate a Legendary Extended Heavy Mag. And in the meanwhile, if you manage to find a 2x-4x Variable AOG, then grab it. The reason why the scope comes last is because the iron sights of the Hemlok are probably the best in the game. You can comfortably run it without any optics and it won’t feel strange. This is a big plus for the gun.
The Hemlok vs. the Prowler
So, which one is better? The answer to that is quite simple actually. Which playstyle do you prefer? Do you prefer to run and gun around your enemy, or do you prefer to carefully aim down sights and gun them down from range?
The reason people usually compare these two is that both use heavy rounds and both are burst-fire weapons. But that’s about the only overlap they have. The Prowler excels at close range, while the Hemlok prefers mid to long-range engagements.
Potential Balance Changes for the Hemlok in the Future
As it currently sits, the Hemlok is smack dab in the middle of the line. It isn’t as good as the VK-47 Flatline, but it also doesn’t have as many drawbacks as the Havoc does. Seeing as it has a higher skill requirement than the Flatline, most players opt to run with the Flatline instead. In the future, if the Hemlok receives a rebalance, say it gets the dispersion of its rounds reduced, then I’m sure it would easily bump up a few notches in player’s tier lists. But as it currently stands, that’s highly unlikely.
