Despite having a restricted fire rate, the EVA-8 is easily capable of obtaining one hit kills on both Grunts and Pilots. Although the EVA-8 has a decent range for a shotgun, its low rate of fire can make follow-up shots slow, meaning it is advised to aim for one-hit kills when possible. It has an average reload speed.
The EVA-8 fires 8 pellets, however the visual effect shows 11 pellets.
The EVA-8 penetrates a Titan's shields, so you can shoot off Pilots rodeo'ing another titan without taking down their shields (as of patch update 6, the EVA-8 no longer bypasses Titan shields).
Strengths
Up close, fire away and the enemy is dead
Great for controlling the building interiors
Can instantly kill a Pilot or Minion at point blank range.
Weaknesses
Limited magazine capacity renders the EVA-8 useless in prolonged firefights.
Ineffective at mid-long range
Low fire rate
Field Notes
Up close, nothing can compare to this weapon. Getting caught mid- to long-range with this weapon is asking to die. Best way to play with this weapon is to stay inside the buildings with the highest amounts of traffic and force the close-range battle.
The EVA-8 Shotgun is all about being close to the opponent. When engaged by enemy Pilots at medium or long range, don't bother trying to fight back. Instead, retreat and look for a way to take the fight to close range. A great way to draw enemy Pilots to come to you is to shoot at minions, or even shoot randomly with your pistol, to give away your position on the mini-map and bait them in. They will come around the corner and be surprised when you are waiting for them with the ultimate close-range weapon.
This weapon makes quick work of minions. However, be careful not to waste your entire magazine in case there are nearby enemy Pilots.
Leadwall or Suppressor are handy mods for this weapon. The Suppressor lowers the damage to the point where it takes two shots to kill a pilot but lowers the distinctive sound and keeps the player off the mini-map. With the Leadwall mod, the shotgun's pellet spread is increased but the number of pellets remains the same. This means that the player is more likely to hit their target, but is not likely to kill in the first shot. If you find yourself running low on ammo, consider using the High-Capacity Drum, which adds three more rounds.
All Tactical Abilities work well with the EVA-8. Stim will allow you to close the distance between you and enemy Pilots, maximizing your 1 hit kill potential. Cloak can be paired with the suppressor for a stealth build, allowing you to sneak up on the enemy. Active Radar Pulse is extremely useful inside building interiors, where the power of the EVA-8, combined with the ability to see any uncloaked enemies will allow you to massacre anyone foolish enough to engage you.
Kit-wise, the Quick Reload Kit can help reduce the risk of being caught dry in the middle of a firefight, while the Enhanced Parkour Kit or the Stealth Kit can greatly improve mobility when ambushing. The Power Cell can be worthwhile if you want to use your Tactical Ability more often. Sadly, the Run N Gun Kit has no effect on this weapon.
This is an ideal weapon for Hardpoint Domination matches for those who like to defend hardpoints. This along with Cloak and the Arc Mine make a very deadly combination in any Hardpoint match.
This mod increases the spread of the weapon, causing it to disperse its pellets over a larger area. It is ideal for attacking targets that are bunched up near each other.
Top Gun (II) Challenge: Kill 15 Pilot(s)
Challenges
If It Moves...
Image
Tier
Criteria
Reward
1
Kill 10 Enemies
500 XP
2
Kill 25 Enemies
1,000 XP, Suppressor Mod, Amped EVA-8 Burn Card
3
Kill 50 Enemies
2,500 XP, Amped EVA-8 Burn Card
4
Kill 100 Enemies
5,000 XP, Amped EVA-8 Burn Card
5
Kill 200 Enemies
10,000 XP, Amped EVA-8 Burn Card
Top Gun
Image
Tier
Criteria
Reward
1
Kill 5 Pilots
500 XP
2
Kill 15 Pilots
1,000 XP, Leadwall Mod, Amped EVA-8 Burn Card
3
Kill 30 Pilots
2,500 XP, Amped EVA-8 Burn Card
4
Kill 50 Pilots
5,000 XP, Amped EVA-8 Burn Card
5
Kill 75 Pilots
10,000 XP, Amped EVA-8 Burn Card
Machine War
Image
Tier
Criteria
Reward
1
Kill 10 Spectres
500 XP
2
Kill 25 Spectres
1,000 XP, High Capcity Drum Mod, Amped EVA-8 Burn Card
Despite the fact that it has a drum magazine, it has an oddly small magazine size compared to the size of its barrel.
The weapon has a charging handle similar to the G2A4 Rifle, however the Pilot pumps the shotgun after an empty reload. The inclusion of both a pump and charging handle is similar to the real-world Franchi SPAS-15.
The EVA-8 fires standard 12 Gauge 00-Buckshot. As for why it has such a low capacity while being outfitted with a drum magazine, this is likely for balance reasons.
Like many weapons, the EVA-8 has been nerfed in the fourth update of the game. It does less damage at mid-range distances as it used to be.
