Orion is the best LMG hands-down. It's a headshotting machine. Then the CARV for the TR. (A great weapon for CQC, long range, and everything in between.) Of the NC weapons, for range either go with the EM6 (Which recently got a minor nerf, which is sadly not small enough to escape notice) or the Gauss Saw S. For CQC, go with either the GD-22S or the Anchor (Both of which are kinda "meh" though). Actually, for NC CQC heavy Assault primary weapons, go with a shotgun. Our CQC LMG's are the worst performing of the lot. For a good all-around weapon. We don't have one. Best you'll find with NC for all around use is the NS-15M. The most difficult to use LMG is the Gauss Saw (Our starter LMG no less), but it's really not all that bad once you have a good +6 hours of experience with it and have dumped about 300-500 certs into it's attachments. (Actually, to be honest, you don't want to use it til you have at least got the Adv. Forward Grip. The Compensator is best to get before using it though. Oh, and if you plan to use it for CQC/close range, the Silencer is nice, and if you go with a silencer the HV Ammo is a must. The velocity on those rounds is already on the upper end of carbine velocities, so slapping a silencer on it ensures that they drop like rocks tossed by infants.) Okay, if you're really into the Saw, go ahead and put a good 600-700 certs into it and it will be a passably decent weapon for whatever range you have the attachments set up for. DO NOT be caught in an environment that your Saw is not certed out for. You'll die faster than if you'd conc'd your friendlies in a biolab safe room just as the SCU goes down while outnumbered 10-1. (In fact, I don't think there's a single attachment on the Saw that isn't a necessity for some environment or another. Not really surprising from the least reliable LMG in the whole game. The only thing you can be assured is that when -not if, but when- you shoot a team mate, you'll mess him up FAR worse than any enemy you set your sights on.) Don't forget to swap off that compensator and Adv grip for a silencer, laser sight, and HVA when you go from ranged use to CQC. (Funny that the HVA is best used for CQC.)
I always seem to get killed by Orion wielding spandex warriors, TR I use the Carv for most things and t-32 bull for its bullet velocity and low recoil for the longer range work. Not got the t-16 or Carv-S yet though. Not sure about NC I seem to see a plethora of different LMGs on my kill screen.
I'm gonna assume that you're vanu, so I won't bother writing about the other factions weapons (though imo, the GOD-Saw is the best LMG in the game hands down) Orion: This gun is best for CQC, it's free, and is pretty good with a laser sight and HS/NV or 1x reflex. Don't bother with any attachments other than the laser, their all a waste of certs and pretty useless imo. Flare: This is the 2nd best vanu LMG imo. It's pretty much like a dumbed down SAW for the VS. Hard hitting, with plenty of recoil. This is a gun that a) will not be good unless you dump some certs into it (like the SAW) and b) is either love or hate with most people. The good: It's only 250 certs, it hits pretty hard, and it drops people really fast at medium range. The bad: You're gonna have to invest in a forward grip and componsator before it becomes the monster that it is. Also, you have to be good at recoil management before you can effectively use this weapon. So in conclusion, use the Orion for CQC, and if you think you can handle the flare, then go ahead and drop some certs into it because if you get good with it, it's a beast. *Note: The Ursa is a copy of the Flare with a little faster reload and some other minor stat variations, but it's 1000 certs and not worth the additional investment imo. Also, the Pulsar LSW is the worst LMG in the game hands down. At launch, it was one of the best (and only 100 certs) but has since been nerfed to death so that now it's just a copy of the Orion with a longer reload and a 75 round mag.
Not really, after they killed the hipfire in the Orion, Laser Sight is just not worth it, Forward Grip is far more useful for the mid range kills. The Orion is not a CQC oriented weapon anymore because of that reason, it's more of a close-mid range weapon now (you can use it a CQC but it has a much harder time against CQC weapons than it had before).
Carv has 0.225-0.225 ( from to, meaning, it has same Hrec you burst or not, same is for MSW-R), Orion has 0.2-0.230 (bursting is very accurate considering, that 0.2-0.2 is lowest 143 damage tier goes and guns that have it, have way higher TTK and lower DPS compared to Orion, while also not having 0.75x MM.
Yes, having 0.2-0.230 over 0.225/0.225 is miles away, VS have it so much easier. That 0.025 recoil is really noticable and the fact that VS have 0.005 more is funny enough completely dimissed by you. Fact is, both guns are impossible to control recoil wise since they have high horizontal recoil. Actually you could argue Carv is easier since its the same pull to each side. EDIT: Talking foregrip, no one knows the exact numbers or how much it actually reduces recoil for x and y gun. So in theory it could reduce the recoil for carv more than orion and no one would know, and there is no way you can test it. So please stop thinkin Orion is godly at everything it touches.
How about, instead of trying to downplay it with sarcasm, you'd use your brain a bit more? That's a degree. People been crying, that NC with .175 recoil don't have horizontal recoil, while they do. Those numbers don't look, like they are meant to create directional recoil, more intensity of recoil. Now I'm not saying, we need to nerf Orion or buff Carv. Orion is fine, it is great gun an probably (especially in my opinion and experience) best LMG at the moment, even after all the nerfs. It doesn't need to be touched. MSW-R needs it though. SPA and ALS don't come close to quality Orion gives. Orion does have second best hipfire CoF, only bested by 2 guns, which aren't really meant for CQC (NS-15M and Bull). There are too many things hidden by SOE from us, but what we know, we can argue about, not speculate and do astrology. It's not godly, it's just best at it's niche compared to other two weapons of that niche. And since that niche is most prevalent for IvI combat, it can be considered best LMG. Anchor and MSW-R, which are built for that niche of base fighting aren't that far behind. Just a step or two, that's all, not enough for it to even touch what skill does with weapons.
The Orion is not meant for CQC, not anymore (since the hipfire nerf there's no such thing as a CQC LMG)
I have realized this after trying and failing miserably to kill LA and Infils with SMGs/ARs at point blank range
Orion inside 50m. Outside 50m: Pulsar LSW if CQC is a possibility, Flare if CQC not likely Flare's low ROF gets me killed 1 vs 1.... But nowadays, if its a 1-12 fight: Orion, anything above that: Lasher.
Could you please share your insight as to why the Anchor lacks the punch of the Orion and MSW-R? What makes the other two 'better' (to use the phrase loosely).
The simple fact that it has lower damage output. The only time the Anchor gets a TTK advantage on the other two is when the fact that the first shot comes instantly (no refire time) outweighs the superior DPS on the Orion and MSW-R. For this to hold true, you basically need to drop the target with the first five bullets that come out of your gun, because by the time you're loosing your sixth the other two have already fired seven. There are a few isolated situations where your 167 damage profile happens to math out properly (with nanoweave, heavy shields, etc.) but in general the other two just kill faster. The only true exception is from soft point in the 10-16 meter range, where the MSW-R and Anchor both get a chance to outdamage the Orion. The MSW-R is still harder hitting in this range, however.
With all headshots, the Anchor kills faster, with all bodyshots, the Orion kills faster. I don't know what happens in the middle.
