Tar is best. The tar is very similar to the trv but It has better hip fire and slightly less rate of fire. The t1s is good enough if you,re saving up for medic gun upgrades but it lacks the brutal damage per second of the tar and trv. Because the tar,s price has recently be reduced to 250 Cerys the trv is now obsolete. The tar works best with a forward grip, flash suppressor, and 1x red dot scope. Don't use soft point ammo. It makes your bulllets fly slower and reduces the weapons effective range.
TAR and the TRV are both close quarters weapons, but are capable in midrange with recoil control and microbursting. Between the two, the TAR is the pretty clear winner. In exchange for a slightly lower damage output, you get 0.75x ADS movement speed and a much tighter hipfire. I disagree regarding the soft point ammo though. Tests have shown that it only reduces the muzzle velocity by around 10%, a pretty negligible drawback in any range you'd be using the TAR in, whereas raising the damage dropoff start from 10m to 15m is nothing to sneer at. The T1S falls in another category. It's a mid-long range gun, pretty much a slightly gimped stock T1 with a few more attachment options. Unless you're planning to use one of the underbarrel launchers, you're probably better off sticking with the starter T1 Cycler.
Ok, so from research it seems that TAR is the way to go for CQB engagements, clear winner here. What about from that range onwards? The T1S seems more controllable and so on than any of the guns at range (placebo?)? What do other TR CM use? What about the stats in comparison to the T1 Cycler? Ingame comparisons show that the T1S is as you said, a slightly gimped version of the default but what about recoil and other stats not shown in the ingame comparison tool?
SABR at range. Cannot emphasise enough how awesome that weapon it is. Standard range loadout; 3.4x holo, adv. foregrip (on a TR weapon? HERESY!) and compensator. High velocity ammo is up to you. I don't know if its better or worse, because it tends to ruin your 2-round burst. That being said, if someone can definitively answer that question, I'll be a happy man.
It is much more controllable because of the much lower first bullet kick. Also note that despite the slightly lower stats T1S can take attachments T1 can't(like compensator) which could make it preferable, depending on what you put on it. And perhaps most importantly, T1S does not make a cat fart sound when firing.
TAR for close\mid range. Grip and ir\nv scope are all you need, flash suppressor to taste. It's natural hipfire is plenty good enough to buzz saw anyone under 10m and the grip helps you out a lot past that out to 75m or so. SABR-13 for long range (beast mode in close\mid also if you're good enough). Adv grip, compensator, HVA ammo, 2x reflex. Laser accurate with lowest first shot multiplier in the game. You point...it hits. Anyone that tells you otherwise knows absolutely nothing about the TR assault rifles.
SABR-13 is the god of long range, was using the T1S before but now i use it for mid range, mostly for ubgl which is amazing when staying with teammates and unlimited ammo being dropped. Like metrotw said the SABR can be amazing for close/mid once you get used to spamming burst hipfire, For cqc I'm using either my blackjack or hailstorm. pump shotgun is really nice when have to drop an enemy quickly from switch from heal tool. Hailstorm spits bullets out and has a huge magazine to allow you to drop multiple enemies and lay down cover fire
Indeed, the T1S is quite underrated, however it is not designed for the same fights as the TAR. That said, it has a 698 ROF which is nothing to sneeze at, much lower FSRM as you said (2.5x on the T1, 1.75x on the T1S), much lower horizontal recoil than the TAR (that thing shakes like crazy), and far better attachment options. While the TAR will tear things up in close quarters, never overlook the Smoke Launcher + IRNV combo on the T1S. The ability to completely blind people is a godsend at times, and it utterly hoses MAXes (who can't cert anything to see through smoke). Or you can swap in the Grenade Launcher and have that extra explosive option, which is also helpful when used in concert with pre-placed C4 (which, as a Medic, you have no reason not to have). As good as the TAR is, I honestly don't like it for the way it recoils. The T1S is a nice controlled-spray weapon with a ton of versatility, and while it suffers a ROF hit like other -S weapons the already-ludicrous base ROF on the Cycler means the T1S is merely better at it than most ARs (it's still faster than the NS-11A for example).
Of the 3, my heart belongs to the TRV. It was a long time before I tried anything else. The feel of the weapon is nice, the knockdown power when spec'd with soft point is good, and the sound when fired through a flash suppressor is uniquely enjoyable. I've used shotguns, SMGs and the stock T1, none of them mean as much to me as the TRV does. As soon as I've got my Auraxium medal for the Hailstorm, I'm going back to the TRV.
Of those three, I am rather familiar with the TAR and the T1S. That said, the TAR does seem to be better at most of the things that TRV could do, and the TAR is a beast in close quarters combat. The T1S is better at longer distances and far more versatile on the TAR though. I got the Auraxium medal on the T1S and the underbarrel Launcher and Shotgun can usually turn the tide of most situations. It certainly functions better as support/longer ranges, but anything from Mid to Close quarters though and it is lacking compared to the TAR. I would get both and switch accordingly, but you will usually find yourself in situations where TAR is the most useful. Edit: I have never tried the SABR, but it really seems like a better long distance weapon in terms of bullets compared to the T1S. I just can not get enough of the Underbarrel attachments. They have saved me more times than I care to admit, so I do not think I would ever skip the T1S entirely. I am attached to that gun, even if it is not the best in terms of number. It is just overall the most versatile and adaptable gun in the Medic arsenal, IMO. Though my NV TAR is my current favourite for actual grunt medical work.
The T1 and T1S are indeed very flexible and fine rifles. I often even countersnipe with the T1S and it works. The TAR and TRV are both clsoe range weapons and both get the job done.
TRV is my personal favorit. Wouldn't trade it for anything else. Once you learn to compensate for the initial recoil (takes like 5 minutes to master) you are pretty lethal.
T1S really is my favorite mid-long range. Even close depending. It's just simply more versatile with what you can equip. Underbarrel nade and smoke launchers really make me keep it prob more than I should CQC, but it is no slouch in close combat if u know how to use it/right investments. TRV yes if you control recoil, close it is crazy. I have no yet tried the TAR despite VR training and with all the praise I prob would prefer TAR > TRV given choice. But I still use and prefer the T1S overall, it wont provide the punch or hip accuracy at close but the underbarrel makes up for that a bit. I only switch to TRV or soon TAR when it's a 100% CQC slugfest.
No amount of recoil control is going to make the base cone of fire of a hipfiring TRV smaller than that of the TAR. If you want strictly hipfire ease of use AND a 0.75x ADS movement speed modifier to strafe faster when using irons/NV, the TAR does that and is STILL better than the VS and NC versions - same damage output, larger magazine. If you don't mind having only .5x ADS speed and the hipfire of a CQC LMG like MSW-R and Anchor, but appreciate the best-in class damage output and the option to slap on a 2x sight and spam people at mid range (recoil control!), the TRV is your winner. Both are excellent deals for 250 certs a pop I believe. The T1S Cycler is worth its 500 certs because the UBGL is fun and the gun itself is pretty solid too, although not nearly as damaging in rpm.
If you run the numbers on DPS as it relates to CoF and Recoil (hipfire and ADS run separately), the TRV is pretty jank in all situations. Hard to control, bad bloom in both ADS and Hipfire. Good dps but if you can't put it on a dude. Conversely, the TAR, which is similar but has a few key tweaks, is a hipfire monster. SABR is the go-to for long range engagements. However, if you're low on certs and want to pick up a long range rifle, grab the T1B. Dev slipped in some buffs for the burstfire weapon recoil/cof that makes them some of the most accurate multi-shot weapons in game. SABR is better for long range, granted, but it's also substantially more expensive. All that being said.. if you're going for a hipfire weapon, get a SMG or Shotgun. They're far better than anything else available. Then, for your long range/outdoor kit, buy whatever is best for you. Burst variants are a cheap and effective starter weapon for range play or pick up the specialist versions (SABR for AR, AMC for Carbine and either TMG or T16 for LMG) for something more fleshed out. Alternatively, you could pick up the NS-11. The NS weapons apparently are designed to be just a bit better than average in a lot of ways. Not the best DPS or single-hit but extremely high control and, barring the LMG, above average (factoring NC and VS) magazine capacity. Basically, they're weapons you buy and can take to any empire and start off with something that'll net you kills. Great beginners weapons, especially for the empire agnostic. NS Carbine and LMG, both solid as well and I'm expecting the SMG to follow suit.
I'm honestly not really sold on SMGs for anyone but Infiltrators or LAs. The thing is, SMGs just aren't that damaging. Easy to use, yes, but TAR is still easy to use and does more damage than the Hailstorm. 800rpm/143dmg vs 800 rpm/125dmg. All the Hailstorm has is a bit better hipfire and more damage per magazine. The Armistice does very slightly more damage than the TAR (but less than the TRV) but its damage per mag is pretty terrible. 30 bullets at 125 per vs 40 at 143 per. On top of that, SMG damage degrades sooner and faster, so you give up mid range versatility for hipfire ease of use. Personal choice, but I prefer not to unless I'm playing a class that can close the gap by being invisible or being able to fly. The Armistice has the most raw damage of any SMG and it only barely beats a 800 rpm/143 dmg weapon, with less damage per mag. The other first generation and all second gen SMGs are about on the level of 750 rpm/143 dmg weapons, some a bit more, some a bit less. About the level of the stock Cycler or Carv. Now, for sure, SMGs have the best hipfire in the game, and the second-gen ones have great damage per mag, but I really tend to prefer class-native solutions. CQC carbines and ARs do more damage and are more flexible out to mid range, which, TO ME personally, is worth trading out the improved hipfire and large mags for me. Even though the 800rpm assault rifles share the carbine's increased damage degradation at range, it's still a lot better than the SMGs. It's personal preference in the end, and SMGs are still very good guns in their role.
It depends on how you want to play medic. I prefer the TAR for sure, as I like to be on the frontlines and next to the battle where guys need revs. TAR allows me to get a substantial amount of kills in close combat when repelling an enemy push as others have mentioned it performs wonders in cqc, allowing me to get those around me revived and ready for the next push. If you're a medic that likes to be apart of pushes into heavily contested areas I'd definitely suggest the TAR. P.S. on another note as both a Medic and MAX player, I'd like to thank all you medics that save my downed MAX every so often
For long range SABR is the go-to gun. Somewhat closer any of the T1 series and the NS-11 are good too.
