Images Source: Rock In A Hard Place: The Browning Automatic Rifle by James L. Ballou
A lot of people are requesting a BR 2 BAR, and there currently is not an option for an American LMG at BR 2 in the Allies tech tree. While the M1918A1 and M1918A2 make a lot of sense to be downtiered from a specification standpoint, they are currently the strongest variants statistically, and people don’t want to have to repurchase other BR 3 BAR variants. The M1918 is the “weakest” version in the game, but is the most lightweight and sensical version to stay at BR 3.
To me, the Browning M1918A2 Early is a good compromise. Weighing 20 lbs 2 oz, the M1918A2 Early is an M1918 modified with the M1918A2 bipod, as well as the rate reducing device in the stock. The later variant of the M1918A2 we are familiar were manufactured to this standard, but also had the foregrip, sights and buttstock updated as well.
For in-game stats, the Browning M1918A2 Early needs to be balanced for BR 2. With this in mind, let’s directly compare it to the M1918A2 and MG 13. I would recommend stats similar to this, but it’s more for demonstration than anything:
Would you like to see the Browning M1918A2 Early added to the Allies BR 2 Tech Tree?
3 Likes
I would still prefer to see the M1918 moved to BR2 since there is no point in having 3 BARs on the same BR.
14 Likes
Would you elaborate on why you think the M1918 is the most sensical option to stay at BR3? I don’t quite see how you come to that conclusion.
Theres a hidden stat: movement dispersion increase. The 1918 has the lowest among the BAR’s. As an lmg, it can battle at BR 3 fine.
Question is, how do we make a BAR br 2 worthy? It needs to be weaker than the 1918.
Also, you can see the aim dispersion in action by trying out victorch-slakerrr’s training range mod. The dispersion penalty matters a lot for players focused on hipfire and machine gun users, since shooting a machine gun while dancing will carry tremendous accuracy penalty.
There would need to be stat changes to any BAR were it to be moved to BR2. However I don’t see how the 1918 makes the most sense to stay at BR3 when all would need to be adjusted should they be moved.
It’s Ok then if you want specifically the 1918 to be moved. Personally, I kinda like seeing adding another BAR to the techtree, and new stats can just be given to it. I guess it’s more of a quality of life or historical-progression aesthetic.
In all honesty, the devs can give however stats they want, treat the weapon however they want. Take the techtree fg 42 1 and the grenade launcher fg 42 early for example. It’s completely rubbish stats treatment.
Technically speaking, the 1918 shouldn’t be too far off in handling from the later versions. It might sit in a gray spot between tier 2 and 3, but I don’t think it’s necessary that it be forced into the former considering plenty of lmg’ss exist for the allies at br 2.
Actually, now that I think about it, we can do just that, but add this new BAR to BR 3. It’s all good.
I guess everyone wants a bottom mag lmg at br 2.
2 Likes
I’d rather see these:
Not sure how many there were but they would even be cool event weapons or a BR 2 premium squad.
6 Likes
Agreed, the base BAR1918 would be the best BR2 candidate.
1 Like
The problem isn’t the placement of the magazine, it’s that the USA doesn’t have a BR2 LMG nor does the UK/Commonwealth have a BR3 LMG in the TT.
Kinda annoying that the Lewis is only an event weapon and not the British TT LMG
2 Likes
The M1918A1 and M1918A2 historically are downgrades, in the sense that the Browning BAR was designed as an “Automatic Rifle”, and was later shoehorned into the LMG role. The M1918 doesn’t have the bipod or other attachments that adds unnecessary (in the context of the game) weight, and would on-paper be better.
Of course, the balance stats make the weapon weaker than the later variants in-game.
Last one is photoshopped
Also recreation of this but all messed up on several factors
The barrel is about slightly longer than the Thompson but barely was chopped down so significantly it sounded like 37mm cannons going off and it was making such massive muzzle flashes in the jungle it was hard to retaliate against
2 Likes
Yeah I wasn’t sure how true or to the extent that these existed. Was just throwing out ideas.
The jungle BAR would make an excellent BR2 Premium squad. I would rather have a complete Premium squad then an event weapon that the Dev’s will spoon feed us one or two, then to get the other two you have to spend millions of silver in the mystery box praying you get some Jungle BAR’s and not a bunch of meaningless name change tickets. 
1 Like
No faction should have a “light machine gun” in 2 BR TT.
Otherwise, it will spark a new arms race.
Why not? Maybe then they will move more things into BR 1.
Too powerful.
This will never happen, I know it 100%.
All factions have LMGs in BR2 in the TT. The Bren is a light machine gun, the MG13 is a light machine gun, the Madsen is a light machine gun and the Type 11 is one too.
By “light,” I mean a machine gun that you can run with quickly, has low spread, fast aiming speed, and so on.
RPK, Lahti, Lewis “assault rifle.” What do you call these machine guns?
