NICKMERCS explains why Fortnite’s Tac Shotgun is “underrated”

Eli Becht

Twitch star Nick ‘NICKMERCS’ Kolcheff thinks players might be underestimating the power of the Tactical Shotgun in Fortnite.

In Fortnite Chapter 2, players are now back to having two types of shotguns after previously having several different options. The strongest one is still the Pump Shotgun, and one that many players gravitate towards, but that doesn’t mean the Tactical is a gun players should ignore.

For starters, the Tac is far more forgiving than the Pump since players can miss a few shots while still keeping the edge over their enemy. The latter requires you to be accurate with your shots as it shoots a lot slower, and if you aren’t able to take out your opponent with the first hit, the fight could quickly go south.

FaZe Clan
NICKMERCS has long been a proponent of the Tactical Shotgun.

Nick actually says the Tac is underrated and thinks players should start using it more often, citing one specific reason. In a YouTube video uploaded on January 24, the Fortnite content creator says something people might not know about this gun is its superior range.

“The purple and gold Tac are really underrated,” he says. “The damage is cool but the one thing a lot of people don’t talk about is the f**king range, bro. The range of the shotguns is pretty crazy.”

(Timestamp 2:47)

While you won’t be hitting for extremely high numbers from range, the Tac will perform better than the Pump does from the same distance. If you’re somebody who doesn’t like getting up close and personal with your enemy, this might be the shotgun you’ll prioritize going forward.

Another thing he mentions he likes about the gun is the ability to perform “jump shots” on people with high ground. The quick-firing ability allows you to take away a large chunk of health from an enemy before they even realize what’s happening.

Fortnite Pump Shotgun
The Gold Pump shotgun still reigns supreme.

In his ranking of the Chapter 2 shotguns, NICKMERCS ranked the Tacs high, with only the Gold and Purple Pumps sitting above them. Amusingly enough, he ranked the Grey one lower than a pickaxe, showing how much he really hates that gun.

He’s been preaching to his audience about the importance of using the Tac, so hopefully, this will be what it takes to finally get his viewers to convert from the Pump.