Editing Vlad the Impaler (section)

== Tactics ==
*Use the Nailgun's rapid fire rate to your advantage, whittling down bigger specimens or clearing crowds of smaller ones. However, make sure you have a backup weapon when you inevitably need to reload small magazine or only approach it as a finisher. It can perform speedkill combos on big specimen but larger spread might not be utilized well when doing anything else other than sweeping trash specimen in chokes.
*Thanks to ricochet and pierce capability, Vlad actually capable of dishing out more damage to tall specimen when shot at their ankles and feet from up close. In enclosed spaces low ceilings also contribute to this effect on low angle ground ricochet shots. Also the Nailgun's wide spread and ricocheting projectiles make it an excellent weapon for killing small enemies trying to sneak under the fire line such as [[Crawler]]s and [[Stalker]]s.
*Use the flashlight as a makeshift reticle, seeing in the dark and shine light for the targets behind explosion smoke. The light gives a good indication of where the center of your screen is and doesn't reduce your movement speed to quickly get rid of rushing enemies. The flashlight will run out of battery power though, so you should turn it off when it is not needed at the bright light.
*Because of the Nailgun's spread and constant need of reloading, it is less effective in wide open maps or when kiting. The Nailgun is best suited for enclosed, dark maps such as [[Abusement Park]], [[Bedlam]], [[Biotics Lab]], and [[Filths Cross]]. Besides that, depending on the hold spot on open maps, it can work well in small split crosspaths creating chokes. While it's great for wide sweeps, when precision is required a small sidearm, such as [[Handcannon]] or [[MK23]] needed for dealing with small trash gaining up on teammates or picking long range targe targets.
*Small magazine size and wide spread cause you to miss more pellets unless you let specimen get closer between shots, resulting in reloading much often than you intended and drying out ammo pool early in the wave. Despite random spread looking way wider to hit anything, if aimed properly Vlad can sweep clear a group of low-medium grade specimens with ease at close to mid distance by half magazine. Utilizing ground ricochet shots to chew through first line of specimen and carrying a reliable sidearm such as [[MK23]], [[Handcannon]] or [[Lever-action rifle]] helps you to pick off targets from range and stop your reliance on emptying shells.