Not quite so straightforward when there's 57 of 'em though, including 4 Hunters intent on blasting you to bits. That first play was very much a 'challenge' type of play.

: (I love the Pistol-Plasma Rifle combo, but as good as it is, it doesn't
: beat the Pistol-Plasma Pistol combo - that one is powerful, versatile, and
: will work on every single level)

The plasma pistol wouldn't necessarily be better than the rifle in the trough however, as enemies are often moving across your field of view, making it harder to score hits. That's why I've favoured the rifle there so far. But perhaps sometime I'll do a test to see how the two combos compare. If I have fun with the plasma pistol, maybe I'll show a trough defence using it.