Is the AF-19 Mercenary the best default carbine?

Massive FSRM is the trait that pretty much all Vanu weapons have.

People forget that a high first shot multiplier magnifying lower recoil values can be a lower kick than a low first shot multiplier magnifying higher recoil values. Solstice has the lowest vertical recoil of the three. It's not too bad off.

Solstice: 2.8 x .25 = .7
TRAC-5: 2.35 x .3 = .705
Merc: 1.75 * .4 = .7

So the Solstice's first shot kick isn't actually higher, it's just higher relative to its normal amount of vertical kick which is lower than the other two.

The real issue is that the Solstice is less accurate than the Mercenary with worse TTK and lower damage per mag. This, however, sans the damage per mag part, is the case with every sub 750 RoF gun in TR's carbine arsenal I should note.

Is the Merc overpowered? Maybe, maybe not. But the 167 / 600 RoF type guns are just better than most of the 143 / 698 or lower RoF guns in most cases at all ranges. This is why it's so irritating that TR have no 167 bullet damage carbines.

When people talk about how high the first shot recoil is, they are speaking relatively.

I don't care about the total value, I can turn up my mouse sensitivity and compensate for a million recoil, what is important is that multiplier, cause I cant pull hard for the first shot and then just drop my compensation down by 2/3 in the tenth of a second before I fire again.

Hence why so many high level players I know avoid it like the plague and go with the EM6 or GD22s / Anchor.
Orion = God mode in all fairness.

Also thoughs Stats are the only thing backing up how bad it really is.
It only becomes desent after puting Comp / Adv Grip, (any other attachments and it's disgustingly bad).
Much like NC Max's in that regard.

The 167 577-600 RoF LMGs are more versatile and easy to handle. That does not mean SAW gets avoided like the plague though. This game more heavily favors CQC, which is why all CQC weapons get used more and score higher on most of their metrics, there's just more CQC going on and you get more kills faster in close ranges than long typically. SAW is a medium-long range weapon primarily, though it can pull off CQC it's not its strength.

It's a great support/suppression weapon and can do a ton of damage before reloading, it's great if you've got a spot to safely crouch ADS in and nail people with it especially. You will be able to comfortably outgun any VS/TR HA that tries to pick a burst fire/sniping fight with you at the longer medium ranges and beyond.

In short it is the most LMG of all LMGs. It doesn't have a wimpy 50 round mag, it's in the triple digits. Straight Benjamin. It's loud, it kicks like a mother, it does a ton of damage, it feels like a machine gun not a high capacity AR.

Usage wise it also just isn't doing as bad as you say amongst high BRs:




It's only barely behind the EM6 and Anchor.

I prefer the TRAC-5, faster TTK than the Merc, suffers less at close range while still having very manageable recoil which I have no problem reaching into medium range fighting with, and more damage per mag to boot.

Like I said though. More players prefer the Anchor and the EM6, while more TR and VS prefer their starter LMG's,
This table does show that. Why would you not use the Orion or Carv if they are both great LMG's.
Also if the Saw is "God Mode" then why the hell is it not on top with a insane score? Maybe because it's a Average weapon.

Also the Saw's SPM is Very low compaired to both other factions starter LMG's, which Hell sod me both the TR and VS have the highest out of their factions LMG list!!!!

I don't see 0.14% fewer players as "avoid it like the plague". It's barely behind the anchor and em6.

Also, it's not on top for reasons I already stated: it's not a CQC weapon so it will never be on top. The SAW is the highest usage non-CQC oriented weapon on that list, however.

For every one of these charts, CQC weapons are on top(except TR infiltrators since their SMGs suck) because PS2 just has more CQC areas for infantry. That doesn't mean the longer ranged weapons are worse, it just means they see less use overall.

But it's not above them when you take the VS LMG's into account it's very obvious that they have somthing very funky going on.
But again that SPM has its own story.

Oh jeez take a chill pill... I didn't 'tell you your own opinion'. I ASKED why you have that opinion; to quantify it. If your only reason is 'because i like it' ... that's fine. It's just contrary to every stat and my own extensive experience with those two carbines. I was wondering if you had some other reason.

So many ppl on this forums are just so damn defensive and stand-off-ish about every little comment or question. There was no alterier motive here or an insult inbetween the lines. You have a very brief response that baffled me and I was wondering if there was more to it; apparently not.... that's fine and all I wanted to know.

I have to ask, what is with this weapon's sound? It doesn't sound like a bullet weapon at all, it's just weird. Does anyone else think it sounds odd?

Except at same time it performs only better than GD-22S. Afaik, these are quite old stats though.

First thing to do as TR eng/LA = get Jaguar w/ laser and ammo.

Naw mayne, s'all about dat TRAC-5B yo. It is one fine honey.

The SAW is fantastic, and it sounds really heretical to hear myself say it, but since PU02 the GD-22S is probably the best overall LMG in the game. Lightning fast reload, hits like a truck, laser like accuracy out to long distances, great on the move, tight hipfire even without laser, and can take a laser with no penalty really because the recoil is pretty much nonexistent - especially the horizontal recoil. The EM6 is less efficient when it comes to reload, and much shakier and reliant on attachments. Plus, the velocity is freaking terrible. Good gun, but you give up a lot in using it.

And 100 certs, good lord, it's such a great gun for newbies when you factor in that it doesn't even really NEED any attachments to be good - like the Mercenary and the Gauss Rifle, really.

I call it a tie for the #1 spot w/ the Anchor.

With the Anchor, you lose 1s on short reloads and get a little higher FSM (2x vs 1.5x), but you get 600RPM, +20m/s velocity (I know, meh, but 20m/s is 20m/s), and access to ALS and Soft Ammo.

They're both fantastic weapons though, and are the only ones besides the Gauss AR that as a VS I'm really jealous of.

the intensity of the random recoil is greatly exaggerated around here

It's a fair argument, the Anchor is a 1000/700 tier gun though and I tend to exclude those if I can because I like to think of things from the point of view of a newer player, to whom certs are a precious commodity best spent on classes and not guns. For that player, the Anchor is not going to be 10x better than the 22S. It's probably never going to be, in fact.

The way I usually guide people between the two is to ask them to use the minimap pointer to see what ranges they ACTUALLY engage at. Get in a firefight, and when you're reloading or when it's over, pop your personal waypoint down where your enemies are/were. I think you'll be surprised at how much farther away people actually are than you'd initially assume.

Anyway, the point where things like the ALS and SPA stop giving any advantage over stock is generally going to be around ~42m, but the disadvantages remain. If you engage below that very regularly, Anchor is a good choice. Any further, GD-22S. There is considerable overlap though. A grip/no ammo Anchor is quite deadly out to range once you get the hang of it, and a laser GD-22S is quite deadly up close. Really it comes down to practicality (cost) and preference.

I'm a GD-22S guy because I'm a versatility ***** - slap a laser on that and you've got what is essentially a double exmag Gauss Rifle, good from 0-300m. I also love that I can tell new players, "get the 22S to go with your SAW and you're set for life on your HA" and it's also a much more noob friendly weapon that the SAW.

Very good advice. When you factor in cost the GD is definitely the better choice.