| Taser | |
|---|---|
 A Taser officer taking aim
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| Description | |
| Enemy Type | Combatant Suppressors |
| Statistics | |
| Health | 300 (Normal) 300 (Hard) 600 (Very Hard) 900 (Overkill) 1,800 (Mayhem/Death Wish/Death Sentence) |
| Headshot Multiplier | 2 (Normal) 2 (Hard) 4 (Very Hard) 6 (Overkill) 4 (Mayhem) 3 (Death Wish/Death Sentence) |
| Spawn Limit | 0 (Normal) 2 (Hard) 2 (Very Hard) 2 (Overkill) 3 (Mayhem/Death Wish) 3 (Death Sentence) |
| Other | |
| Internal name | taser
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| Achievement(s) | 
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| v·d·e | |
Just call me "Elec Man!" - Taser reminiscing on his favorite childhood game, PAYDAY 2
| Description |
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These are the guys that played as Buck Rogers as kids, rather than cops and robbers. These are specialist combatants, whose goal is to take you out of the fight without killing you. Best defense: don't let 'em get close.
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The Taser is a special enemy in PAYDAY 2. When given the chance, they tase a victim for either a short amount of time or to the point of incapacitation. Tasers share some mechanics with the original game, such as deploying in pairs. Caution is advised, as focusing on one leaves the player defenseless against the other.
Tasers tend to spawn along with a small team of SWAT officers, in-pairs, and occasionally spawn with 2 Blue SWAT officers even on Death Wish. When they get in range of an enemy, they will charge their taser weapon, which has a very audible and high-pitched sound for about a second or so, before their chosen target is shocked.
Like all specials, they have their own set of tells or warning signs; the Taser has a low, gruff voice that usually involves electrical terms, like "charging up" or "increasing voltage". The sound of garbled radio chatter usually means a Taser or two is lurking about, as most enemies speak clearly. They have the most distinct voice out of all the police units, so it is very easy to tell them apart. As of Update #183, Tasers' CAR-4 rifles are painted yellow, making them stand out among other units, especially on lower difficulties.
These units tend to behave like regular cops, until they get within close range, at which point they will try to tase the player. They signal their taser with a high pitch buzzing noise before firing. When a player is tased, they lose their ability to move or interact with objects and the crew member will convulse, throwing off their aim and occasionally firing their weapon. One should also note that your gun will automatically reload when being tased, and you are still able to fire manually by clicking. The player can use this to their advantage and try to shoot the Taser, freeing themselves. Alternatively, another player can shoot or kill the Taser to end the tasing as well. If the Taser is not interrupted within 10 seconds, the tased player will be incapacitated. A good way to tell apart which Taser is tasing you (or a teammate) among a crowd of them is to keep an eye out for the blue flashes that will constantly emit from an active unit.
Should a player come upon a group of Tasers with an ally being tased, the Taser will leave the initial player and attack the new target.
Tasers should be taken on from a distance, and quickly, so that they do not have time to charge their taser. Their body armor is strong, but a few shots to the head should kill them quickly. While spraying a Taser with bullets can be a good idea, Tasers often move to the side after taking some damage, so move your aim quickly to keep filling them with lead.
Another way to kill Tasers without risking being incapacitated is to charge them. If they do tase you, it is much easier to kill them at close range when being tased due to the firearm and bullet spray being easier to control. Any skills that provide bonuses to hip fire accuracy for the weapon you are wielding become very useful here, extending the range at which you can potentially kill the Taser while you are being shocked. Remember though, a wider spread will increase your chances of hitting a close-range target. Be careful if there are other enemies nearby who might interfere. As of Update #24, being tased now causes your aim to flail about wildly, making it very difficult to shoot a Taser unless you are within only a few meters of him. If you get tased and run out of ammo, mark the Taser so your teammates can help free you.
Heisters with auto-fire weaponry should take note that their weapon will discharge in rapid-fire bursts, resulting in an even harder to control aim, as well as a greater loss of ammo than if they were holding a single fire weapon. If possible, one should consider switching to single-shot mode if they hear the telltale charging if caught out in the open.
Be very wary of nearby Tasers when handling hostages or converting a law enforcer. Upon being electrocuted, the victim will continuously spray bullets with almost no control, which can lead to severe consequences, especially if wielding weapons with ammo pickups disabled such as the HRL-7. Even worse if near hostages, as the uncontrollable firing of one’s weapons may strike and kill civilians incurring cleaner costs and increased negotiating time when in custody.
The cops accompanying the Taser should also be a priority due to their high firepower. It will make your rescue easier if you get tased. Cloakers may occasionally cooperate with Tasers to take down a stunned player, so be cautious of your surroundings if both enemies have been spotted on the field.
The Basic version of the Shockproof skill from the Technician tree skill will have a 30% chance to knock the Taser back after a random amount of time of being tased (about 1-3 seconds). With Aced Shockproof, one can shock the Taser back by facing the Taser and pressing the Use key (default "F") while being tased; conveniently, this input is similar to marking the Taser, which should be second nature for a player already.
When a taser is in the process of shocking a target, they cast blue or cyan flashes of light onto their surroundings. These can serve as a very useful visual cue to the Taser's location, particularly when fighting in dark areas or on night maps (such as Day 2 of Watchdogs).
As being shocked by a Taser instantly reloads your equipped weapon, players using high capacity weapons with lengthy reloads (such as Light Machine Guns, the Vulcan Minigun, or individually-loaded shotguns) can allow themselves to be tased intentionally for an instant combat reload. This obviously risky maneuver should only be attempted if absolutely necessary, but the ability to circumvent a 5-10 second reload in an emergency should not be underestimated. Requesting cover from a teammate, ensuring the Taser is alone, and engaging at extreme close range to guarantee stunning or killing the Taser with your spasmodic gunfire will all increase your chances of success. Players with Shockproof can abuse this mechanic with relative impunity, as they can reliably break free of the stun almost immediately.
After being electrified for an extended period of time by a lone taser, the player will eventually silently go down without the opportunity to enter bleedout (similar to being kicked by a Cloaker). However, if a taser catches you vulnerable around a large group of enemies, they will often down you quicker than a taser will, especially on higher difficulties, affording you the opportunity to use Messiah or be instantly revived by the Feign Death skill.
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It's Alive! IT'S ALIVE! While wearing the "Frank" mask from the Halloween event, get tased by a Taser 25 times. |
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A Tazed of Your Own Medicine Kill a Taser with either the Buzzer or Electrical Brass Knuckles melee weapons. |
A Dominated Taser.
