The Machine Gun tank and its subclasses are often forgotten by inexperienced players because they’re less flashy than some of the tanks you get when going another class. But what the Machine Gun classes lack in flash they make up for in power.
There are only two subclasses that the Machine Gun can build into: the Destroyer and the Gunner. We’re going to go into which stats are best suited to each tank as well as general gameplay tips to help you get better with these simple but powerful classes.
Do note these are only my personal opinions after having played Diep.io for a couple months now. You may find you like to use different stat builds or play these classes differently, but these are what I’ve found to be most effective in the heat of tank battle.
Destroyer
The Destroyer is one of the few classes that has been in Diep.io since the game first started, and it has stayed much the same.
This class has the slowest firing in the game, but the trade off for those slow shots is their high default power and penetration.
Even if you don’t max out Bullet Damage and Bullet Penetration, your shots as a Destroyer will still penetrate most other tanks’ shots and deal a good amount of damage.
As this class you can shoot through just about any bullet barrage with ease and have a fair amount of HP with just one or two points in Maximum Health so you are durable enough to survive big fights.
The Destroyer’s most important stats are:
- Bullet Speed
- Reload
These are the standard shooting stats most classes prioritize, but faster-shooting tanks have more leeway. The Destroyer is not one of those.
While you do not necessarily have to max out all of these stats, it is a must that you put maximum points into Bullet Speed and Reload.
The Destroyer is a very slow tank in both movement and shooting, and while their shots are large it’s easy for other players to dodge them. Maxing out Bullet Speed and Reload makes it easier for you to actually hit other players.
You can generally feel safe putting 4 or 5 points in Bullet Penetration or Bullet Damage if you want some Health Regen, or Maximum Health instead.
The Destroyer often needs some survivability because its base movespeed is so low, so it may not be a good idea to go full offensive stats. It’s a good idea to get some Maximum Health and Health Regen.
One or two points in Movement Speed is often enough, if any at all. This tank’s speed will be very low no matter what.
Gameplay tips
- Practice aiming your shots. Each of the Destroyer’s bullets count because its base Reload is so low. If you can’t hit your targets, you may as well be playing another class.
- Practice is easiest done on food while moving; try to aim and hit multiple pieces of food at a time as you make your way to level 45
- Max Reload first! This is a big deal for almost every class, but the Destroyer needs it to be at maximum before you even get to level 15. Reload not only makes you shoot faster, but propels you in the opposite direction you’re shooting.
- Reload has just as much impact on how fast you’re moving as Movement Speed. Getting used to moving with this class takes time.
- Try to stay out of big clusters of bullets. As a Destroyer, you are not able to move quickly no matter your stat build, so you want to stay out of trouble until you’ve hit 45 and are confident you can aim and hit other players regularly
- Definitely do not try to fight over blue hexagon clusters while you’re leveling
- This is currently the only class best suited to playing a melee build. If you want more information on building a melee Destroyer, check out my guide on building a melee tank.
Gunner
The Gunner is a far cry from the Destroyer. While the Destroyer shoots slowly, the Gunner is very similar to the Triplet class in the Twin tank tree in that it shoots fast and furiously. But that’s about where the similarities end.
This class is one I’d consider “sleeper OP”–everyone ignores it because the Twin’s classes are so much more flashy, but the Gunner is extremely powerful against almost any other tank.
What makes this class special are its very small bullets. You might think that smaller means worse, but their base damage is quite high, and they have a higher base penetration than any of the Twin tanks. This means the Gunner can focus-fire almost any other class to death in a 1-on-1 fight.
Not only are its tiny death bullets amazing, but it seems to be able to take a beating better than any of the Twin tanks as well. The only downside is, much like the Destroyer, the Gunner moves very slowly.
The Gunner’s most important stats are:
- Bullet Damage
- Bullet Penetration
- Reload
- Bullet Speed
This baby was made to kill.
The Gunner is most effective with the above stats maxed out, and even more so with Bullet Speed. But if you want to be more durable and move faster by putting stats in health and movement, you don’t need to invest many points into Bullet Speed.
It is entirely possible to go full class cannon with the Gunner (ideally with one or two points in Health Regen and Maximum Health and maybe one in Movement Speed) and dominate the scoreboard with ease.
Gameplay tips
The Gunner is seriously one of the easiest classes to play in Diep.io. Farming and killing other players are both easy tasks.
- It takes time to get used to this tank’s small bullets. Don’t worry about their size: they really are powerful.
- You can easily blow away other tanks’ bullets by firing at them.
- Does an amazing job of focus-firing Twin subclasses. Triplet, Penta Shot, and Octo Tank don’t have anything on you!
- Dealing with Sniper tanks like the Assassin and Stalker can be more difficult because they also have high base penetration.
- The Gunner’s biggest enemy is high mobility classes like the Tri-Angle because its base movespeed is so low, and it’s easy for Tri-Angles to run circles around a Gunner and blow them to bits.
- I don’t recommend trying to fight Tri-Angles 1-on-1.
- It’s pretty easy to dominate blue hexagon clusters as the Gunner, and you should do so when you can.
- Once you’re level 45, hunt down the current scoreboard leader. If it’s not also a Gunner and you have allocated your stats properly, killing them should be a snap.
The Machine Gun and its subclass tanks are stronger than most players give them credit for, especially the Gunner.
For the time being, the Machine Gun is the only class that does not have level 45 options. Hopefully these will be added in time as the most recently added classes, the Stalker and Necromancer, are both very powerful in the hands of good players.
Does the Gunner need an advanced level 45 class to rip and tear your opponents? No, but it would definitely be nice! The Destroyer sorely needs a level 45 class to compete as it is currently one of the weakest tanks in the game, right after Hunter (in my opinion).
Published: May 31, 2016 10:37 am