Weapon Masters rely on two things: healing and killing. Most of their abilities reflect that, and so I am here to create a guide to creating a near perfect WM.
1. Basics
Weapon Masters have one two big weaknesses: defense and health. In this INV server, you'll have enemies who deal about 100 damage per hit (WarLords and Queens do heavy damage), as well as instagibbing enemies (Raptors).
-Since WM's don't have much health or resistance, shielding is very useful. If there are no shield pickups, use the Enhanced Booster combo (^ ^ v v).
-Dodging is extremely helpful to keep your WM from taking damage obiviously. If you can't dodge, then don't choose a WM.
-Behindview 1 (F4) allows you to see your character in a third person view. This is very helpful when you are running around in the open with thousands of shots flying everywhere, and you need to survive.
2. Needed skills and stats
Loaded Weapons: Gives you access to basic weapons, and later onslaught weapons (Mine Layer!) and super weapons (Redeemer!). Also, it will make your weapons magical when you spawn (except for the MP5 and Shield Gun, but they can become magic by chance.)
Resupply: Increases the amount of ammo of all weapons by 1% every three seconds. The higher level, the more percentage of ammo restored.
This skill requires 50 Max Ammo Bonus to learn.
Vampirism: At even the first level this skill is useful, as it will be the primary way for healing while you are in the open. It heals 5% of damage you deal per level. Has a max level of 10, so that gives you 50% of your damage that heals you.
This skill requires 50 Damage Bonus to learn.
Advanced Damage Bonus: Beginning at 75, this skill is a must for a WM. Increases your total damage by 1% per level, with a max of 10 levels. Very cheap cost too, being 5 each level.
Weapon Speed Bonus: Need I say more? This increases weapon speed by 1% per point, which means more hits and ergo, more damage.
Weapon Damage Bonus: Increases your damage by 0.5% of the amount of points you have here. A necessity for a WM.
Ammo Bonus:
Really only necessary for Resupply, but you could put points into here.
3. An example build from 25 to 75 and on, focusing only on damage untill level 75.
Beginning with 240 points at Lv 25
50 Ammo Bonus
95 for Resupply Lv 4 (max)
10 for Loaded Weapons Lv1
45 Weapon Speed
45 Damage Bonus
From 26-40 (150 points)
60 Weapon Speed
75 Damage Bonus
15 for Loaded Weapons Lv2 (at level 40, get this)
Tactics: Stay back and take cover in bunkers, and also stay really close to medics here. I prefer using the link gun for lucifier (wave 16, gives tons of exp), and the MP5 for anything else (as it's damage is quite high).
41-55 (150 points)
45 for Vampirism Lv3
35 Damage Bonus
75 for Loaded Weapons Lv5 (max) (at level 55, get this)
Tactics: The minelayer you gain for Loaded Weapons Lv2 is very useful here, as you can just stay in the shelter of a bunker and let the mines do all your work. Also, you can venture out into the open (with good dodging skills of course) as the Vampirism will really help you in certain situations.
56-75 (100 points)
55 for Vampirism Lv5
40 Damage Bonus
5 for Advanced Damage Bonus Lv1
Tactics: The superweapons should always be used each round, and usually in large concentrations of monsters. You refill this ammo each round. Weapons that have Energy+ or Reflecting+ are very useful out in the open. The Enhanced Booster is also useful when you can't leech health off of other monsters (too far away for example), and the Reflecting weapons are great for heavy groups that are primarily energy based, as it reflects those types of attack (won't deflect Lucifer's attack btw).
Onwards:
Max out Advanced Damage Bonus and Damage Bonus, then go for Vampirism. Afterwards, build on your health and defense, and get countershove and possibly Ultima, Regeneration, and anything else that will help you kill and survive.
Tactics:
You should be able to survive out there for quite a long time, espically with how much damage you can do (the 2.90 * 1.10 overall damage bonus is a great thing to have, changing 5 damage to about 16 damage per shot). The flak cannon is a really great weapon from hereon, but always make sure that you have an adequate amount of healing or you'll die, even with a lot of health and resistance.
4. Finish
Yeah, this isn't the best of guides but it's IMO much better than the stickied one we have that talks a bit about the Weapon Master. I didn't take account of Regeneration early on because you'll receive much better healing simply through damage and vampirism. Also, I prefer to think of WMs as a powerhouse rather than a defender (Medics excel at taking lots of damage), but health early on might help a bit.