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:
“MG” will be defined, for the purposes of this Guide, as any weapon classified by the game as a Machine Gun and generally used by the Machine Gunner class. BattlePass, Legacy Gold Order, Event Exclusive, and Premium Exclusive Rifles are not included in this Guide.
Vickers-Berthier (Research Tier 2) [BR II]
- The Berthier’s lack of the typical MG movement penalty (MGs in Enlisted usually have a hard increase in dispersion when you start moving, making them very inaccurate on the move) make it a force to be reckoned with, despite its horrendous sights and the amount of your vision the magazine takes up. If you can deal with those two issues, it functions like an automatic rifle at BR II, easily powerful enough to break the SMG meta that exists there. This weapon can be either worth ALL of your Silver, or worth none of it, depending on how well you can deal with its issues.
Bren Mk I (Research Tier 2) [BR II]
- All the same issues with sights and vision as the Berthier, only also with worse recoil and the movement penalty to dispersion. This has an argument for the worst MG in the game. Don’t waste your Silver on it.
Bren Mk II (Research Tier 3) [BR II]
- The only reason the Bren Mk I is not DEFINITELY the worst MG in the game. The Mk II is the exact same weapon with slightly WORSE figures in all accuracy stats and unlocks later on the tech-tree at Tier 3. One of the most glaring wastes of Silver in the entire game, unless you’re making a historically accurate British Army lineup.
Browning M1918 (Research Tier 3) [BR III]
- The limited 20-round magazine and lightning-fast reload speed make the BAR feel like it fits more into the role of an automatic rifle than an MG. However, the high horizontal recoil and movement penalties it suffers from make it function more as an in between weapon that fills both roles and neither of them. If you practice good burst discipline, and use it at closer ranges, the BAR will shine against just about any weapon it faces. That being said, the base model isn’t the one you should throw all your Silver at. Save that for the A2 model BAR coming up.
Browning M1918A1 (Research Tier 3) [BR III]
- Exact same weapon as the base model BAR. The slight decrease in vertical recoil is unnoticeable. I’m not sure this weapon has a place in the game at all; let alone should you spend your Silver on it.
Browning M1918A2 (Research Tier 3) [BR III]
- The best of the BARs. The A2 variant has a bit better vertical recoil (noticeably this time), and slightly lower dispersion than the base model. It also features the Auto-Slow firing mode which, in my opinion, is quite underrated. While the regular automatic firing mode (600 rounds per minute) is excellent at close ranges, the Auto-Slow brings a sharp decrease in sustained fire recoil at range, making the A2 BAR a beast at any range. MG squads with the A2 BAR are a quality meta breaker at BR III, where SMGs typically dominate. Throw some Silver around and do your best John Basilone impression by mowing down Japanese soldiers with the BAR.
M1941 Johnson LMG (Research Tier 4) [BR IV]
- The MG that truly has no place in the game. An MG with a 20-round magazine is just bad at BR IV, where it has to compete with the likes of the MG42, MG34 Patronentrommel, and Te-4 that all hole more than twice its ammunition. Add in the fact that the Johnson LMG also has atrocious sights and that movement penalty that ruins its chance to function in an automatic rifle role, and you’re left with an MG with virtually no up-side. You can’t sell this thing fast enough. If you’re going to play a US BR IV lineup (VERY sad lineup overall), either use the BAR or drop your MG squads for Assaulters.
Browning M1919A6 (Research Tier 5) [BR V]
- Only option, and not a terrible one. While the A6 appear that it can’t go head-to-head with some of its BR V adversaries (MG42 100, MG81, Type 100 MG), statistically, the reality in Enlisted is that the TTK (Time To Kill) of all of these MGs are faster than human reaction speeds. Which means, if you fire first, you will still win. So, what ACTUALLY matters here? Magazine capacity. Controllability. Ease of use. All of which the A6 has high marks in. You set this bad boy up on a flank, or bring it to bear in clearing a trench, and you’ll not find it lacking compared to any weapon in the game. Spend some Silver on giving the A6 to all your Machine Gunners for a BR V lineup and feel the satisfaction of mowing down SEVERAL squads without ever reloading.
Hope this helps. If you’re an Enlisted vet, and have some differing opinions or helpful insights, reply with them!