For anyone who has come to the Forums in search of a bit of help in deciding which weapons are worth spending your hard-earned Silver on, and which ones are better off being converted into said Silver, I will be making a Guide Topic for each weapon class, per Faction.
So, without further ado, BEHOLD! The gospel, according to Simp:
“SMG” will be defined, for the purposes of this Guide, as any weapon classified by the game as either a Submachine Gun or Assault Rifle and generally used by the Assaulter, Medic, and Rider classes. BattlePass, Legacy Gold Order, Event Exclusive, and Premium Exclusive Rifles are not included in this Guide.
PPD-34 (Research Tier 1) [BR I]
- Underrated weapon. SMGs reign supreme in the lower BR ranges (BR I - III), and the PPD is no exception. The very high 800 rounds per minute are a bit much for a weapon with a 25-round magazine, but it’s BR I. What do you expect for your first SMG? If you’re determined to play BR I, this is your only SMG option, and it’s cheap anyway so why not spend the Silver?
PPS-42 (Research Tier 2) [BR II]
- And so, it begins. The 42 not only comes with your first Assaulter Squad, but is your first real taste of how powerful SMGs can be in low BR. This guy has absolutely no recoil, fires at a respectable pace of 600 rounds per minute, and hits hard enough to get you through several enemies before its 35-round magazine is spent. Oh, and that magazine reloads in less than 3 seconds. And yet, you should NOT spend all your Silver on this. It is, somehow, the WEAKEST of the Soviet BR II SMGs. LMAO
PPS-43 (Research Tier 2) [BR II]
- Basically, a slight upgrade to the 42 in every way. Faster rate of fire, less dispersion, and even a faster reload all in what is essentially the same weapon. This would be the best BR II SMG in the game, if not for what is coming next…
‘Uragan’ SMG (Research Tier 2) [BR II]
- Apparently, the PPSs weren’t dominant ENOUGH for BR II Soviets, so the devs added this monstrosity to the tech-tree as well. This Soviet attempt to clone the MP40 fires 750 rounds per minute with absolutely 0 drawbacks. Still has no recoil. Still reloads lightning fast. This is the min-max Soviet weapon for BR II overall, not just for SMGs, and the best BR II SMG in the entire game.
PPSh-41 ‘Obrez’ (Research Tier 2) [BR II]
- A close-range monster. The ‘Obrez’ has the nerfs we’ve been telling the devs the PPSh box needs, and then a little extra, at BR II. Extreme rate of fire makes it a monster at close ranges, while very high dispersion and low damage make it more difficult to use at medium range. Forget about long range use. The PPS-43 and Uragan make this weapon not worth the downsides, unless you’re fighting in a phone booth. Unless you’re intentionally taking all engagements at close range, sell it and use the more versatile BR II options.
PPSh-41 (box) (Research Tier 3) [BR III]
- There is no Soviet bias in Ba Sing Se. Extreme rate of fire, good damage, lightning fast reload, virtually no recoil, and several times (as in multiplicative) less dispersion than every other SMG in the game make this the best WEAPON (with BR take into account) in the entire game. By far. Bringing 2-3 Assaulter squads full of these into BR III is like bringing a lightsaber to a fist fight. It’s a lot of fun to laugh maniacally as the helpless Germans evaporate beneath a hail of precision accurate bullets, but you’ll feel like you need a shower after you do it. And I’ll be judging you, and t-bag your bodies if I catch you.
PPD-34/38 (Research Tier 4) [BR IV]
- Underrated weapon. BR IV in general can feel a bit lack-luster, but the Soviet SMGs here slap. Hard. Very high rate of fire, not much recoil, and a massive drum magazine. The only better option isn’t available until Research Tier 5, so putting your Silver into this for a BR IV lineup isn’t a bad idea at all.
PPD-40 (Research Tier 5) [BR IV]
- An improvement on the 34/38 in almost every way, with the unfortunate downside of being under Research Tier 5. It might be a while before you get to it but, if it’s available to you, it’s the min-max option for BR IV SMGs.
PPSh-41 (Research Tier 5) [BR V]
- The best SMG in the game, and it’s not worth the Silver. Extreme rate of fire, massive drum magazine, easily manageable recoil (skill issue), and great sights, but it has been cast into the SMG shadow realm that is BR V. There is just no space for an SMG to compete on a battlefield full of Assault and Automatic Rifles. Which is a particular shame with this weapon, as it’s one of the most iconic of the war. Soviet leadership loved it so much that, despite its feed/jamming issues, there was a time when it was meant to take the Mosin’s place as the primary issue weapon of the Red Army, and entire Rifle Divisions were fielded with it as the primary weapon. Fun fact: Famous Soviet sniper, Vasily Zaitsev, was actually a Submachine Gunner who used the PPSh-41 for the majority of his time in Stalingrad and absolutely loved the weapon.
Fedorov Avtomat (Research Tier 5) [BR V]
- There is no Soviet bias in Ba Sing Se. A failed WW1 era Automatic Rifle that, for some reason, is probably the best weapon in this entire game. LMAO An automatic rifle with 1 hit kill potential damage, 25-round magazines, easily controllable recoil, and literally HALF the dispersion of its direct competitor (German MP43/1). Throw your Silver at these and sustain yourself on the tears of your German enemies, as their MP43s and StGs can do nothing but weep before you.
AS-44 Model 5 (Research Tier 5) [BR V]
- An AK47 in Enlisted. Another failed prototype that made its way into the game as over-powered nonsense. Better than its direct competitor (German StG44) in every way. Devs even gave it an extra 10 rounds per minute to get the point across. The only reason you SHOULDN’T spend all your Silver on this is because the Fedorov is so absolutely broken. But at least the Fed feels time-period appropriate. The AS44 feels like a Cold-War weapon got sent back in a time machine.
Hope this helps. If you’re an Enlisted vet, and have some differing opinions or helpful insights, reply with them!