Edit 4.22.2022
For those of you just arriving in this thread, I created an interactive spreadsheet calculator that compares the Oppressor to all of the other weapons in Odyssey for a better visual representation for why it needs a buff (Shoutouts to De_Toqueville and the folks behind the Odyssey Material Helper for collecting and providing some much-needed data!). A link to the Calculator v2 can be found below:
docs.google.com
You can download the Excel file from the above link to play around with the various parameters to see what effects various changes to damage, projectile velocity, damage resistances and more have on weapon Times-To-Kill (TTKs), as well as what happens when some Engineering mods are applied to Odyssey's weapons and how they affect TTKs.
Below is a link to the Calculator v2 announcement post:
forums.frontier.co.uk
I'm continuously updating the Calculator to make it more accurate and fix any bugs. Check back periodically to see what's changed!
Additionally, to make things simpler, here's what I currently recommend for buffing / fixing the Oppressor:
The original post from nearly a year ago is below:
----
I’ve done extensive testing with a G5 Oppressor and am frankly left asking the above question – what is the point of the Oppressor? What role does it fulfill?
In my quest to answer that question, I dove into several different level Ground Conflict Zones and compared the Oppressor’s performance with my AR-50 as well as my Tormentor. The stats and builds of the weapons are as follows:
G5 Oppressor:
G5 AR-50
G5 Tormentor
I recorded my CZ sessions for each weapon: a Low, Medium and High CZ for the Oppressor and AR-50 and a Medium and a High CZ for the Tormentor. The videos are posted in the Spoilers below:
Discussion
As you can tell from the videos, the Oppressor is vastly outperformed by both the AR-50 and even the Tormentor in all scenarios. Even with a penalty against shields in High CZs no less, the AR-50 is able to hold its own and tear through everything; the Tormentor is able to 2-tap NPCs in Low and Medium CZs and 2b1h (2 Body shot, 1 Headshot) NPCs in High CZs.
So I’m left asking the opening question: what is the point of this weapon? Why does it exist if it is outperformed by everything else – even weapons that have penalties against certain damage types?
Quite simply, there isn’t one.
The Oppressor does not bring anything to the table that every other weapon cannot do. Close range engagements are dominated by the Tormentor / Intimidator / SMGs, and even the slug shotgun Executioner performs well here; mid-long range you're better off using the AR-50 / Aphelion due to higher hit probability, and the Executioner if your target is AFK.
So what can be done to make the Oppressor a competitive option to use?
Suggestions
After extensive playtime with the Oppressor (I’m even modding up a second one with Headshot damage, a Scope, Extended Magazine and a fourth mod I haven’t decided on yet), these are my suggestions to help make the Oppressor a competitive option:
Edit: Added new opener with links to Calculator v2 and v2 announcement post.
Edit 2: Added current recommended Oppressor buffs because I forgot them in the last edit
For those of you just arriving in this thread, I created an interactive spreadsheet calculator that compares the Oppressor to all of the other weapons in Odyssey for a better visual representation for why it needs a buff (Shoutouts to De_Toqueville and the folks behind the Odyssey Material Helper for collecting and providing some much-needed data!). A link to the Calculator v2 can be found below:
Oppressor TTK Calculator v2.xlsx
You can download the Excel file from the above link to play around with the various parameters to see what effects various changes to damage, projectile velocity, damage resistances and more have on weapon Times-To-Kill (TTKs), as well as what happens when some Engineering mods are applied to Odyssey's weapons and how they affect TTKs.
Below is a link to the Calculator v2 announcement post:
What is the Point of Manticore’s Oppressor?
@SergMx - interesting results, although i don't like how you didn't separate lasers/kinetics into taking down shields/armour. Only an idiot tries to use laser for body, unless you're in a pinch and out of ammo on your kinetic or vice versa. It makes the Oppressor (and all plasmas) look better...
I'm continuously updating the Calculator to make it more accurate and fix any bugs. Check back periodically to see what's changed!
Additionally, to make things simpler, here's what I currently recommend for buffing / fixing the Oppressor:
- Increase projectile velocity by 200% to 150 m/s (up from 75 m/s)
- Slight damage increase by 10-20% (2.64 - 2.88 MJ, up from 2.4 MJ)
The original post from nearly a year ago is below:
----
I’ve done extensive testing with a G5 Oppressor and am frankly left asking the above question – what is the point of the Oppressor? What role does it fulfill?
In my quest to answer that question, I dove into several different level Ground Conflict Zones and compared the Oppressor’s performance with my AR-50 as well as my Tormentor. The stats and builds of the weapons are as follows:
G5 Oppressor:
- Greater Range
- Stability
- Extended Magazine
G5 AR-50
- Scope
- Extended Magazine
G5 Tormentor
- Noise Suppressor
I recorded my CZ sessions for each weapon: a Low, Medium and High CZ for the Oppressor and AR-50 and a Medium and a High CZ for the Tormentor. The videos are posted in the Spoilers below:
Discussion
As you can tell from the videos, the Oppressor is vastly outperformed by both the AR-50 and even the Tormentor in all scenarios. Even with a penalty against shields in High CZs no less, the AR-50 is able to hold its own and tear through everything; the Tormentor is able to 2-tap NPCs in Low and Medium CZs and 2b1h (2 Body shot, 1 Headshot) NPCs in High CZs.
So I’m left asking the opening question: what is the point of this weapon? Why does it exist if it is outperformed by everything else – even weapons that have penalties against certain damage types?
Quite simply, there isn’t one.
The Oppressor does not bring anything to the table that every other weapon cannot do. Close range engagements are dominated by the Tormentor / Intimidator / SMGs, and even the slug shotgun Executioner performs well here; mid-long range you're better off using the AR-50 / Aphelion due to higher hit probability, and the Executioner if your target is AFK.
So what can be done to make the Oppressor a competitive option to use?
Suggestions
After extensive playtime with the Oppressor (I’m even modding up a second one with Headshot damage, a Scope, Extended Magazine and a fourth mod I haven’t decided on yet), these are my suggestions to help make the Oppressor a competitive option:
- Double the projectile velocity.
- Drastic? Yes. The Oppressor’s base velocity is ~75 m/s, which is absolutely glacial; projectiles can be dodged at ranges shorter than 10 m by merely tapping the “A” or “D” keys.
- A twofold increase to the velocity would result in a more consistent weapon as your shots will hit more often. Even at 150 m/s, the projectiles will still move slower than the AR-50’s at 180 m/s (which could also do with an increase…), and will still require a good deal of skill landing shots at longer ranges.
- Slightly increase the damage.
- A G5 Oppressor’s DPS is ~16.1 MJ/s; a G5 AR-50’s is 27 MJ/s; a G5 Tormentor’s is 38.1 MJ/s?!
- Increasing the damage to at most 20 MJ/s (~2.99 MJ per shot, up from 2.4 MJ per shot) can help the Oppressor pack a little more punch.
- Oppressor is vastly underperforming
- Increase its projectile velocity
- Slightly increase its damage
Edit: Added new opener with links to Calculator v2 and v2 announcement post.
Edit 2: Added current recommended Oppressor buffs because I forgot them in the last edit

Attachments
Last edited: