If Axis can’t have a handheld MMG with +100 round belts, give MG squads ability to build MMG tripods where you can mount your primary weapond and have increased ammo belts.
Other solution would be to increase 50 round belt reload speed and giving them more reserve ammo.
Id rather we got 34/42 with 100rd belts instead of a WW1 gun, it would simply be silly to include when the much more iconic and potent variety has been requested many times
And it’s balance is not an issue, for Stinger now exists, and while marvelous and fun to use, and terrifying to face is far from totally oppressive when facing large quantities of users(baring possibly the poor Japanese of course)
Overall I think there is an impass; I’m not convinced that even a 100 round belt would please the german mains, and we’d be back at square one with the complaints. the rates of fire are high enough that it must feel quite disadvantageous over the ammo-sipping DP and M1919…
It’s also worth noting the Allies lack the Lewis gun;
the Japanese Lack the IJN Type 92 Light Machine Gun; (Japanese copy of the Lewis gun).
(both of which should be BR III if implemented, btw…)
Maybe an MG-34 (100 round) with Tier V… but I don’t think anyone would be satisfied; even with a MG42 (100 round belt)…
I’d go for this, or the MG-15nA (funnier because it should unlock after the MG-15… meaning you get to see 2 guns with the same designation which share absolutely nothing in common)…
In combination with the Zk.423 (basically a Czech RD-44 in 8mm Kurz that the SS trialed sometime in 1943)
The MG-08/15 or MG-08/17 are also good here though.
Proposal One : Some Futher Experimentation at Mid Tree;
MG-34(Early)
– 50 round belt,
– BR III
–is either foldered or unlocked after the MG34 (50 round)
–has a special feature though; it has a RATE REDUCER!
– additional firing mode ‘Slow Auto’, reduces gun to firing at 450~600 rpm,
Allies and Japanese get their Lewis guns. also BR III;
We Kick the Can Down the Road even Further;
Proposal Two:
either/or/and (BR V, 100-150 round belt of 7.92x57, rate of fire 500-660 rpm):
– MG-08/15
– MG-08/17
– MG-15n.A.
PLUS!
Zk. 423 BR V, 100 round belt of 7.92x33; 550~660 rpm(?)…
PLUS!
MG34(early) above.
Allies get the Lewis gun (BR III , 47 round drum, rof: 500~600 rpm)
Japan gets the IJN type 92 (BR III, 47 round drum, rof: 500~600 rpm)
Japan gets TE-4 MG (69 round, probably BR IV, ~600 rpm)