i feel similar about the pistols . the perk slot is so valuable and it takes a lot for something to be better than strat priority or cardio . that said , i do have three situations where i use themplasma pistol against Cyborgs the plasma pistol kills Cyborg scouts really well , so it pairs well with a primary that doesn ' t , like the railgun . most primaries aren ' t worth taking up your perk slot too but the railgun is . gunslinger with a primary that doesn ' t hit hard sometimes you want to use an SMG or other lighthitting primary while still needing the ability to put down a Brood in a pinch , and the Gunslinger is great for that . You can put out a lot of damage in a short span with that pistol . variety this is the reason i ultimately bought the pistol pack . it ' s the most recent pack i purchased , and i figured for how little it cost it would give me something new to try . sometimes i say i ' m going to use the flame pistol and make it work .