Alibi is one of the most feared defenders in the game, and that’s because she can cause a lot of confusion to the attackers with the use of her special gadget, the Prisma, which she can use to create holographic clones of her. Not only do they look exactly like her default skin, attackers who shoot them will also get tracked in real time for several seconds.
Because of how versatile and dangerous she was, the devs had to nerf her in some ways, but despite those nerfs, she remains a popular pick for players when defending. In this article, we’re going to discuss what those nerfs are and how they should affect the player’s choices when choosing their loadouts when playing Alibi, as well as the huge changes that came with the Year 9 update.
5. Mx4 Storm with Holo A, Extended Barrel, and Horizontal Grip + Bailiff 410 with Laser + Observation Blocker
The extended barrel became one of the most popular barrel attachments again after the relatively recent update that made it so that it now not only decreases the range damage drop-off of weapons, but it will also now increase their base damage by 12%. And since the increase in damage is through percentage, that means the higher the damage of the weapon, the more it’ll benefit. Now, Alibi’s Mx4 storm’s damage is not that high, but it’s quite decent, and that’s why it’s very viable to equip it with an extended barrel.
With an extended barrel, its damage jumps from 26 to 29. Now, an increase of 3 may not sound like much, but when you factor in the fact that the Mx4 Storm is fully automatic and that it has a rapid rate of fire, that damage increase becomes more valuable. For example, when an Mx4 Storm in this setup hits an opponent four times with a rapid burst, there will be an extra 12 damage. And that increase in damage can mean the difference between being able to take out an opponent fast or not.
Excels in:
- Increasing the damage that Alibi inflicts with her Mx4 Storm submachine gun by equipping it with an extended barrel which will increase its base damage by 12%, allowing Alibi to take out opponents faster
- The extended barrel will also decrease the range damage drop-off from the Mx4 Storm, and that means that the weapon will be able to inflict higher damage from longer distances compared to normal
- The horizontal grip will be great for Alibi because it will give her a 5% movement speed boost, and for a 3-speed rating operator like Alibi, that’s a lot, and it will really make her harder to hit
- The bailiff 410 revolver shotgun will be a great utility for Alibi when it comes to creating lines of sight or rotation holes on unreinforced walls or wooden floors due to its high destruction rate per shot
- The observation blocker will be a great utility for Alibi when it comes to preventing attacker drones from detecting her during the prep phase, and when they don’t know she’s around, the more effective she’ll be in surprising them
Build Details:
- Primary weapon - Mx4 Storm with Holo A, Extended Barrel, and Horizontal Grip
- Secondary weapon - Bailiff 410 with Laser
- Generic gadget - Observation Blocker
Recoil pattern test on the Mx4 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
4. Mx4 Storm with Holo A, Flash Hider, and Horizontal Grip + Bailiff 410 with Laser + Proximity Alarm
The main advantage in using the Mx4 Storm over the alternative, which is the ACS12 shotgun, is that the former is fully automatic and has a very fast rate of fire at 950 RPM. Understandably, for most players, using a fully automatic weapon is more convenient than a single-shot weapon. And while the ACS12 is technically also fully automatic, its slow rate of fire makes it so that it may as well be a single-shot weapon. Now, the drawback with the Mx4 Storm is that its very fast rate of fire makes it recoil hard to control.
But with a flash hider on its barrel, its weapon kick will be a lot more manageable. The flash hider specializes in lowering the vertical recoil of weapons, and with the Mx4 Storm’s vertical weapon kick being much weaker, the user will mostly only have to worry about controlling its horizontal and random recoil from all directions. The horizontal grip on the other hand will provide Alibi with a +5% movement speed boost which will make it so that she’s harder to hit, and will allow her to move from one place to another quicker than normal.
Excels in:
- The flash hider barrel attachment will greatly lower the Mx4 Storm’s vertical recoil which will allow Alibi to handle the weapon much better. It will also remove the weapon’s muzzle flash.
- The horizontal grip on Alibi’s Mx4 Storm submachine gun will add a 5% movement speed boost for Alibi when she’s holding the weapon, which will make her harder to hit, and will help her get from one place to another quicker
- The holo A 1.0x sight will be a great sight on the Mx4 Storm especially since its recoil can be challenging. That’s because its reticle can easily be seen, ensuring the user that they won’t lose track of the reticle while firing rapidly
- Alibi having a great utility in the bailiff 410 revolver shotgun which she can use for creating lines of sight on unreinforced walls or wooden floors due to its high destruction rate per shot. She can also use it for creating rotation holes.
- The proximity alarms as Alibi’s generic gadget will be great for her and her teammates when it comes to detecting enemies approaching from the flanks
Build Details:
- Primary weapon – Mx4 Storm with Holo A, Flash Hider, and Horizontal Grip
- Secondary weapon - Bailiff 410 with Laser
- Generic gadget - Proximity Alarm
Recoil pattern test on the Mx4 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
3. ACS12 with Magnified A and Angled Grip + Keratos .357 with Suppressor and Laser + Proximity Alarm
The ACS12 shotgun is the choice for many Alibi players despite its low rate of fire. That’s because each shot deals a lot more damage than the Mx4 Storm, and it also has a very high destruction rate since it’s technically a shotgun. Each shot from the ACS12 can also destroy wooden beams on unreinforced walls, so it can be used for creating rotation holes. Unlike your typical slug shotgun, the ACS12 is fully automatic and due to its low rate of fire, its recoil is virtually zero, making it a weapon that is very easy to handle.
Another big advantage of the ACS12 over the Mx4 Storm is that it can be equipped with a high powered scope like the Magnified A and its other variants. The magnified A is a 2.0x scope, and that will allow Alibi to see her enemies very well regardless of the distance. The angled grip on the other hand will provide Alibi with a +20% reload speed bonus, making it so that the ACS12 is an easier to reload weapon than it already is. Unlike most shotguns, the ACS12 has a fast reload time due to its detachable magazine.
Excels in:
- Alibi having a primary weapon with devastating firepower per shot in the ACS12 which is a slug shotgun. That means that while it is a shotgun, it’s capable of headshots and hitting opponents from long range.
- The magnified A on Alibi’s ACS12 shotgun will provide her with a 2.0x zoom level which will allow her to clearly see her enemies regardless of the distance and that will be a big up on her accuracy
- The angled grip on Alibi’s ACS12 shotgun will give her a +20% reload speed bonus and that will be extremely helpful when the weapon needs to be reloaded in the middle of combat, especially against multiple enemies.
- The Keratos .357 handgun is the best choice for as an alternative weapon in this setup over the Bailiff 410 because Alibi will already have the same benefits from the latter with the ACS12 shotgun
- The two proximity alarms as Alibi’s generic gadget will make it harder for the attackers to catch the defenders off guard as they will emit a large alarm sound when an enemy enters their radius
Build Details:
- Primary weapon - ACS12 with Magnified A and Angled Grip
- Secondary weapon - Keratos .357 with Suppressor and Laser
- Generic gadget - Proximity Alarm
Recoil pattern test on the ACS12 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
2. Mx4 with Holo A, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip + Bailiff 410 with Laser + Observation Blocker
The suppressor is the best barrel attachment for Alibi’s Mx4 Storm because its benefits goes so well with her Prisma holographic clones. The suppressor will remove the directional threat indicator and muzzle flash from the Mx4 Storm’s gunshots, as well as greatly muffle their sounds. That can really add to the confusion that enemies can have when they see Alibi’s holographic clones from her Prismas, as there’ll be more chances that enemies won’t immediately know where Alibi’s shots are coming from.
This will be doubly effective when the Alibi player employs the ‘substitution trick’ wherein they’ll be taking the place of a Prisma that’s been shot by an enemy. With the substitution trick, the next time that said enemy peaks, they will likely think that Alibi is the Prisma that they shot, and that will allow Alibi to easily kill them. The vertical grip on the other hand will allow Alibi to easily manage the recoil of the Mx4 Storm which can be challenging to handle without it due to its very fast rate of fire.
Excels in:
- The suppressor on the barrel of Alibi’s Mx4 Storm submachine gun removing its shots’ directional threat indicator and muzzle flash, making it so that they enemies won’t immediately know where Alibi is shooting from
- The suppressor will also greatly silence the gunshots from Alibi’s Mx4 Storm which will make it easier to confuse enemies with the Prismas, as they won’t be able to easily tell where the shots are coming from
- The vertical grip on Alibi’s Mx4 Storm will be an immense help for her when it comes to managing the weapon’s recoil since it specializes in lowering the overall vertical recoil of weapons
- The bailiff 410 revolver shotgun has a high destruction rate per shot and can destroy wooden beams, and with it, Alibi has a great utility for creating rotation holes and lines of sight on unreinforced walls
- The observation blockers is an excellent generic gadget for Alibi because it can prevent her from being scanned by enemy drones during the prep phase, and she’s going to be more effective in the match when enemies don’t know she’s around
Build Details:
- Primary weapon - Mx4 with Holo A, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip
- Secondary weapon - Bailiff 410 with Laser
- Generic gadget - Observation Blocker
Recoil pattern test on the Mx4 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
1. ACS12 with Magnified A and Horizontal Grip + Keratos .357 with Suppressor and Laser + Observation Blocker
This is the best loadout setup for Alibi because it’s what will provide her with the most versatility. As mentioned before, the ACS12 has devastating firepower per shot, and each of its shots can also destroy the wooden beams within unreinforced walls and hatches. That means Alibi can use it for creating rotation holes which will be great for outmaneuvering enemies or escaping from them. Sure, Alibi can do the same with the bailiff 410, but it can take a way with that weapon due to its low magazine capacity.
With the ACS12 shotgun, Alibi can rework the map to her and her team’s advantage quickly. And since the ACS12 shoots a single slug per shot, it’s not limited in range unlike most of your typical shotguns. It’s very much capable of dealing damage from long range, and can be equipped with a 2.0x scope that will bolster its medium to long range capabilities. And since Alibi will already have the capability to rework the map with the ACS12, it only makes sense to run with the Keratos .357 handgun for her secondary weapon instead of the bailiff 410 revolver shotgun.
Excels in:
- The ACS12’s devastating firepower makes it so that Alibi can down an opponent quickly and with just a few shots, especially at close to medium range which is the optimal range of the weapon
- The magnified A is a 2.0x scope which will provide Alibi with a clear view of her opponents, and that will be a big up on her accuracy, especially when trying to frag enemies from medium to long range
- The horizontal grip will provide Alibi with a +5% movement speed bonus which will allow her to be a more effective roamer as with that added speed, she’ll be able to go from one spot to another quicker than normal
- The keratos .357 handgun will provide Alibi with a secondary weapon which, like the ACS12, also has a high stopping power per shot. Making it a great weapon to switch to for finishing off opponents when the ACS12 needs to reload
- Having the observation blocker as Alibi’s secondary gadget increases the chances of her not being detected by the attackers during the prep phase and that will allow her to use the element of surprise against them
Build Details:
- Primary weapon - ACS12 with Magnified A and Horizontal Grip
- Secondary weapon - Keratos .357 with Suppressor and Laser
- Generic gadget - Observation Blocker
Recoil pattern test on the ACS12 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
Attention operator, please be advised. There is a new directive from Six. Read up on these related articles, and prepare for deployment:
