Although the slug round is widely underused, underappreciated, and mis-understood, the MCS-870 with slugs is probably the third most powerful weapon in the game after the infamous Carl Gustav and the M60.
Meet the Slugger!
So why is it so powerful? Well, in my honest opinion, it is pixel-accurate at all ranges and as lethal as a sniper rifle; plus, if you equip magnum ammunition the player can deal one-shot-kills at 10-20 meters where sniper rifles fail to do the same. Aside from reloading often, the only major drawback I can think of is the slight delay between pressing the button and the gun actually firing; you have to track your target a little better with the shotty, and that takes a while to get used to. However, shy away from equipping the Saiga with slugs as they bring nothing special to the table. There is also something just really badass about running around with a shotgun...
The "Deadzone"
The "deadzone" (for lack of a better word), is the range where the slugger fails. Targets at long ranges prove prime candidates for shoving a slug through their ear canal, and targets in close quarters positively squirm when they see a shotgun, but in the exact between you find the deadzone. If you find yourself engaged at this distance and you missed the first shot you have two options:FFFFUUUUUUU or RUUUUUUN!
The deadzone is technically a range, and an uncomfortable one at that, but in layman's terms it can also be viewed as a situation; many players don't necessarily take the time to gauge the numerical distance between themselves.
The deadzone is realized when:
You locate a target that is 4-6 pixels wide: optimal distance for an assault rifle.
If the target has not spotted you would try to close the distance to the target before engaging.
If the target has spotted and already engaged you, you are in the "deadzone".
What works against the slugger here is rate of fire. Even if you land the first shot, you might die before you can fire again. You might think that every range beyond medium-close will put you in an awkward puddle of mud called "death", but this is not true; as the ranges increase, it becomes easier to hit with the slugger, and harder for all other classes, except snipers and the Carl Gustav.
Finish Them!
If you land your first slug shot, quickly switch to your secondary and try to finish 'em off. Usually 1-2 shots with the M9 or M433-Grach will suffice.
Location, Location, Location
If you miss, move to cover or start moving elsewhere.
I find the key is to negotiate the geometry to place yourself in advantageous situations as often as possible.
Damage Values
The R7 Changes
For the record, the damage and damage multipliers are exactly the same for the SPAS-12, the NS2000, and the MCS-870; it may come down to reload times and your visual preferences. However, the MCS-870 is the best choice for the "Slugger", and I explain why in the video.
It seems that the distance at which the slugger will achieve one-hit-kills has been nerfed in the new R7 client patch, although the slugger remains a strong fighter is still a very viable choice. The slug round's max damage (of 100) fall-off starts at 10m and ends at 35m with a minimum damage at 50; the weapon loses 50 points of damage between 10m and 35m. Thats 2 points in damage per meter.
Magnum ammo adds 25% extra punch, equaling 125 base damage with slugs. What this equates to is an extended range where the slugger will still deal 100+ damage. This increases the One-Hit-Kill distance to roughly 22 meters, from 10, so it is still a worthwhile investment.
The slugs are roughly 100% accurate all of the time, but because hitboxes are smaller than the actual ingame models and the that the gun does not fire exactly when you press the button, it can give you the impression that slugs are kind of random. In order to compensate, try to always go for the center mass, and keep tracking unless you have time to set up a snipe.
When the assault class is equipped with the slug round, you'll find the replacement of your venerable 40mm Launcher with an equally deadly pocket of C4 explosives. C4 is awesome. I bet everyone already knows, but if you press "fire", initating the C4 throw, then press forward + sprint and jump at the same time (and get the correct arc), you can really throw that C4 far.
Negative Mouse Acceleration: Fix It!
Any weapon in the game, especially the slugger, doesn't respond well to negative mouse acceleration, so if you have not edited the .dbx files to get rid of it, I suggest you do that. Negative mouse acceleration is in the game because thats how a gamepad operates, and results in sluggish "stick-like" movements of the mouse. DICE couldn't be bothered to remove it from the PC port, but you can:
