So for the new players here, welcome! this game may appear hellish at first, because of all of the experienced players running high-tier guns, or pay2win wallet warriors pushing new players around. However, with some practice, you will be dominating like the best of them, so play on!

A quick note about factions. Germany and Americans are the older factions. Germany is also probably most professional faction, and thus has a heck of a lot of good players. You'll find a lot of good teamwork there, such as cooperative pushes rather than free-for-alls. They also get some pretty mean starting guns, making them a very good choice for new players, because you won't be up against a large population of the best players.

America is the other "old" faction. They get some decent guns, but probably not the best. They are middle ground in most situations, having SOME professional players, and SOME good gear, but not the best at everything. A bit more situational

USSR is the newest faction, and thus has the fewest players and therefore the least number of professional players. Why would veteran players leave behind decked out german characters to be on a new USSR guy. The reason?.., pretty much just the PTRD, and with the price increase for it, if they didn't already have it or aren't a DEDICATED USSR player, they won't be coming back. You will notice that going into every game as USSR will land you on an under-staffed team (usually behind in playercount by at least two people), as well as everyone still using their starter gun with NO AT equipment vs tanks, MG cars, APC's, and other nasty stuff. because everyone is still relatively new, the USSR is rather underfunded, but if you stick with them, you get to be a lean, mean, human-roasting machine with their sick SMG's and AT rifle of doom.

Assuming you didn't pay gold to skip ranks straight into pilots or tankers (although this still will be useful for those classes in some circumstances), you will start off as infantry, the muscles of any army. This means that you will be using handheld weaponry to take down as many targets as you must in order to cap objectives.

First off, master the two different types of aiming. Some guns, such as pistols and your starting battle rifles, cannot be zeroed. These guns should be individually practiced, as their lead times (bullet velocity) is slightly different. However, most rifles, SMG's, MG's, and other weapons can be zeroed, allowing for the shooter to not engage in vertical lead and thus have one less component to worry about. Zeroing can be manually operated by using a scroll wheel while scoped in, or by pressing the Jump key (space bar, for most of us), in which the gun will be automatically zeroed to the point of aim.

Secondly, practice timing. Guns such as your battle rifle, pistol, and the American paratrooper's M1 carbine are semi-automatic only. Timing your shots will not only help maximize a gun's DPS (which may save your life in battle), but will also help you stay economical in modifying your weapon. For example, if you can manage to click about 370 rpm hipfire (not holding right mouse button) and 345 rpm with right mouse button held (it does make a difference based on muscle tension I believe. Numbers specified were my own personal tests), what good does it do to spend extra credits to be able to fire your M1 carbine at 514 RPM (first trigger upgrade)? Therefore, you can save credits and accuracy by not buying this upgrade. A good rule of thumb is that, for whatever RPM you can manage (again, I use 370) upgrade your gun to that amount and back off about 20 RPM. For example, if I am modifying my Tula/Tokarev TT-33 handgun, I can upgrade its ROF to 480 with a hair trigger. However, since I can never actually achieve this ROF, I can afford implementing a Heavy Bolt, increasing total damage while only bringing the ROF down to 378 RPM. I then take a metronome and set it to 362 beats per minute, and practice clicking that fast. As you become more steady in clicking, you can raise your speed closer to the physical limit, but because human hands aren't perfect and could go faster or slower when in an adrenaline rush, I prefer to leave the buffer in place. This prevents over-sampling (read: jamming due to clicking faster than gun's ROF, causing breaks in firing), and, when combined with good ammunition, creates a fast, strong, comfortable gun that won't cramp your hand when firing.

Here are some websites I use to practice the above mentioned techniques:

Riimu's Cookie Clicker Simulation: http://cookie.riimu.net/speed/ --- This website is what I used to measure my highest clicking ROF. I measured this by clicking in the circle as fast as I could both with the right mouse button held down, and not, in bursts of 10 seconds (about the duration of a close quarters encounter, at maximum). You should see just under the circle a click per second average, as well as a timer. When you hit 10 seconds, stop, take your average clicks/second, and multiply by 60 for clicks/minute (RPM). You now have your maximum hipfire and ADS RPM for a semi-auto.

WierdMetronome: http://www.weirdmetronome.com/ --- This program is the metronome I use to practice my semi-auto clicking (I also use it for practicing violin, too), because it can go as fast as you like (most online metronomes cap out at 208 BPM, maybe 300 if you are lucky). To use, just click "straight metronome" at the top left, set your RPM in the bottom right box, and click play in the top left. Then, try tapping a surface at the same speed. If you practice and internalize this rhythm for use ingame, you can bend yourself to your gun, rather than try to use the clunky modification system to refine the gun to you.


Thirdly, always pull your sights down immediately after firing. It is always MUCH easier to re-aquire your target when your gun is low than high, because the gun itself will be covering up your view of the target after firing. If you practice twitching downward just after firing, your target will always stay in sight, giving you a clear indication as to where he ran after taking shots. Early in the game, with bulkier guns (especially the german MG42, if you pick that up) I was frequently having to stop, take cover, and reset my aim just to find him after a rapid burst, because in all of that muzzle flash and obnoxious sights, I lost him behind a rock or tree. Obviously, this only applies to guns using iron sights, as a scope will always give a clear view.

Finally, quick-"scoping" and hipfiring. For any of you scrubs who play games like CS:GO, Combat Arms, and most, if not all of the games from the Battlefield or COD series, scoping or sighting in with your gun's various sighting apertures always appeared dead-center as soon as you sighted in, thus the the technique of placing tape and a sharpie dot on your center screen. However, in H&G, this works much differently, especially with large guns. When you are sprinting or walking, your gun has a "direction" When you are walking or jogging, your gun will be drawn up directly under your eye. When aiming after coming out of a sprint or a hard right turn, your gun will be swung up from your bottom left corner. If turning hard left, the gun will be swung out of the bottom right. At any time you are holding right mouse button and the gun is in the process of being drawn, you can fire. Always keep mind of which direction your gun is swinging from and you wont have to wait for nasty-long sighting times, especially for heavy guns such as LMG's or the PTRD, for you soviet players.

This same technique also applies to hip-firing. Unlike COD, where a bullet can land anywhere within your hipfire cone, H&G guns have a "Direction", in which they will aim when hipfiring. Often times this direction is visibly noticeable when walking, as you can see your gun swaying left and right. Often times your gun will be resting in the left, bottom left, right, or bottom right sections of your hipfire cone. If it's not there, it's probably in transition in the middle or lower middle. Practice walking in a straight line and rapidly firing, while watching your gun. You can memorize the gun's relative position, so you can avoid having to ADS in emergencies. Turning or swinging up and down drastically affects your hipfire cone, so avoid turning fast if you can. Your gun will almost NEVER be in the top half of your hipfire cone without rapidly shaking your aim up and down, so don't be afraid to aim high when spraying. (On a side note, if you can avoid picking heavy weaponry, such as MG's, light weapons such as carbines and pistols will offer a MUCH better hipfire cone. If you MUST have that MG, consider taking the Pointer Fire badge).

Other gun-specific techniques will be mentioned as they come up in the modification sections, although I feel that I have covered most special techniques here. If you find something that works better for you, please message me and share it, or comment below!

So you decided to play Germans? Great! Then let's get started.


THE GEWEHR 43
Your first gun you will be handed is the Gewehr 43 (said Geh-vear. the "vear" is said like hair, but with an initial V instead of H. NOT GEWER), built in 1943. It fires the 8mm Mauser cartridge, the same as the Karbiner 98 Kurz. The damage model is a high 3-hit kill at start, a low 3-hit kill at range. This can be modified to a medium 2-hit kill at close to a high 3-hit kill at range, with the correct ammunition.

The gun is a very poor indoor weapon, requiring both ROF upgrades alongside additional specialty ammo to top a STANDARD M3 Grease Gun's DPS, excluding body shots.

On the other end of the spectrum, when combined with it's scope (ZF-4, 4x magnification), the G43 makes a decent DMR. It's not the best DMR possible, but definitely not the worst. The gun has mediocre recoil (the lowest of all battle rifles), which can be made easily controllable with the correct modifications (on my Asus G75VW's 17.3in screen, the vertical jump is about 1/3rd of an inch, with about 1/5 of an inch in left or right jump, more often than not to the left. I believe the direction of horizontal recoil has to do with the direction of your weapon sway at the time of the shot, which can result in horizontal movement in either direction, or straight vertical recoil.) The weapon is best used for picking heads within 100 meters, as the iron sights can be rather blocky and hard to use at range.

Since the weapon has low recoil to begin with, you should first aim to overcome the weapon's low ROF of 225 RPM. The Field Trigger upgrade will bring this up to 266 RPM, while the later Light Spring will top it off at 342 RPM, a quite reasonable figure. My suggested build is listed below:

Ammo: Anschusspatrone s.S
Sights: ZF-4 T-post scope (because I am used to PU-style sights, yours is optional)
Trigger: Field Trigger
Bolt: Heavy Spring
Barrel: None
Camo: Pepperwood (or carbon black, to give it a modern feel)

You may ask yourself, "WHY would you waste cash on the field trigger AND the heavy spring? isn't that redundant, with no ROF change?" yes, but if you equip both and take a look at the accuracy chart, you will notice that the center of aim is a noticeable bit lower. This makes aiming much easier, as the shots will initially be lower, and thus closer to the red center of the target (point of aim). If you don't know how to read the accuracy chart for your gun, go back and read the accuracy tips I talked about previously.


KARABINER 98 KURZ
The Karabiner 98 Kurz, also abbreviated Kar 98K, is a shortened variant of the Mauser Standardmodell 1924, in turn based on the Mauser M98 rifle, developed in 1898. The rifle fires the 8mm Mauser cartridge, as does the G43. However, the damage models (oddly enough), are vastly different depending on the ammunition used. The stock ammunition provides a 2-hit kill, but still doesn't beat the G43 at any range due to the bolt-action operation. Where this gun really shines is the use of specialty, which provides a close-quarters one hit kill on targets, sometimes depending on the target's use of Heavy Set badges. Combined with a mid-range scope, this rifle might as well be the left-handed b**chslap of God, because it DOMINATES in it's zone. The most frustrating thing you will ever experience in H&G is a recon with Ghillie (no killcam for you!) and a 1-hit kill bolt action. However, you can perform this miracle feat as a lowly infantry, provided you grind out the ribbons for it.

Recoil isn't a big deal with this gun, so go all out for recoil-increasing things. I would suggest Fast Reload badges, as chambering a new round is considered a "reload" by this game's terms. Therefore, triggers do nothing to increase ROF, no matter what they say, so don't invest in them as they decrease accuracy.

I do not own this weapon personally, as I rarely play the German forces. However, taking into account the general attributes of each modification, I would use:

Ammo: Anschusspatrone s.S OR S.m.K Hart (Anschuss provides much more OHK range, but can never beat Heavyset badge users. Hart can defeat Heavyset by doing over 100 damage, but has much less OHK range)
Sights: ZF-4 T-post scope
Trigger: None (ROF is dependent on Fast Reload badges, being bolt action)
Bolt: Heavy Bolt
Barrel: Chrome-lined
Camo: Preference



MP-34
Your starter SMG. Pretty standard, with a mediocre 500rpm ROF and a low-ish magazine of 20 rounds. Recoil is almost negligible, and the ironsights are pretty nice. Zeroing is set to 25m, so don't expect to be sniping with this gun (althoug it does have good accuracy, for an SMG). Bullet velocity is a bit on the low side, compared to a battle rifle, so expect to have to lead targets quite a bit more for targets 50+ meters. Always stay reloaded, as the 20rnd stick magazine is unforgiving, with a 3.3 second reload time. Be cautious in engaging in an extended midrange firefight with either an American or Russian starter SMG oppenent, as they each have more endurance (US with a lower ROF and 30rnd magazine, Soviet with a near-equal ROF and 71rnd magazine). Try to close the gap on them to utilize your higher DPS, especially when upgraded. Personal loadout would include the modifications below, alongside a Fast Reload badge to decrease downtime between magazines. Upgrade to the MP40 ASAP.

Ammo: Your preference, I prefer none because I burn too much ammo in midrange fights
Sights: Field Modified
Trigger: Field Trigger
Bolt: Heavy Bolt, for increased damage
Barrel: None
Camo: Preference



MG-34
This bad-ass machine gun came into existence in 1934 just screaming for blood. It has a reasonable firerate of 533 rounds per minute, a very generous 50rnd magazine, good iron sights, and not great recoil. It’s hipfire cone is horrendous, as expected of any LMG. With proper training, you COULD run around with this beast simply mowing down infantry like John Rambo himself, but it is most efficient in holding points. The MG-34’s best performance comes from high firerate, so that should be a definite priority for modifying. Accuracy? Who needs accuracy when you have more bullets? Just ask the Soviets, they sure as hell had the right idea with the PPD and PPSh. Fast reload is an ideal badge, because of the nasty 6.6 second reload, which gets even worse later with the MG-42. Best accompanied with a handgun should you be caught reloading. Never run custom ammo with this LMG, as you will be wasting MANY shots trying to mow down midrange targets. The MG34 has it’s pitfalls, however. The BAR, despite a crappy 20rnd magazine, only has a 4.1 second reload, and a 42 close damage. This means that the BAR could easily be modified to a 2-hit kill, creaming a MG34 user in close range, even with ROF upgrades. The DP-28 can also hold it’s own pretty well, having a 6-second reload and higher initial damage (although still a 3-hit, when stock), but doesn’t quite stand up to an ROF-modified MG34. Here is an ideal loadout for the MG34:
Ammo: None, you’ll be burning too much from recoil.
Sights: None, waste of cash
Trigger: Field Trigger
Bolt: Light Spring, because you have stability to spare
Barrel: None
Camo: None

Tier 2 guns, as well as handguns, will be in the next section. If you are looking for those, sorry for the inconvenience, I ran out of word count to fit everything into one section. Onwards!

Continuing Germany's line of weapons, the Tier 2 weaponry. These are, more often than not, straight upgrades of their predecessors. There is often almost no reason to NOT be using the second-tier equivalents, unless there is no second tier. Also, explosives will be covered in this section, as they differ from faction to faction, and may help you decide if you really do want to pay more and grind longer to get other faction's gear (rarely the case). Also, both tiers of handguns will be covered as well.

MP-40
The infamous MP-40, the German answer to the Thompson. This thing is a slaying machine right out of the box, but can become downright insane when modified. Think 3-hit kill with a comfortable 600+ ROF, at the cost of some stability (when it already has extremely low recoil). It comes with a 32 round magazine, which can be a lifesaver in CQC by providing insurance for missed shots. This gun relies on it’s low recoil and range to stay in a fight versus a Thompson or PPSh-41, where either gun’s higher ROF and similar Close damage provide the DPS advantage, especially with the PPSh-41’s 71 round drum. However, the MP-40 can be a boon versus bolt or semi-automatic rifles, as you can simply hip-fire them to death in an emergency. The gun can also be modified for a close-range 3-hit kill, making it very effective for clearing buildings, granted you don’t encounter either previously-mentioned guns in the hands of a competent and aware defender. Ideal loadouts would involve

Ammo: Your preference, I prefer none because I burn too much ammo in midrange fights where you gain no initial damage benefit
Sights: Field Modified
Trigger: Field Trigger
Bolt: Light Spring, because you have stability to spare
Barrel: None
Camo: Preference

MG-42
This thing is insane, ‘nuff said. An out-of-the-box 900 RPM, a close 3-hit kill, and ability to penetrate early light tank armor make this thing a weapon of the gods, especially for defensive purposes. It also has better natural accuracy over the MG34, and can be upgraded to a wicked 1200 RPM. My personal favorite way to use this gun is a man-portable AA gun (which it was used as, historically. The first truly “multi-purpose” MG). The gun can fire off enough rounds to severely damage light aircraft, even down them in two or three passes if enough rounds connect. Although the US equivalent M1919 can again be modified to a 2-hit kill, I would be willing to bet a stock MG42 could beat it in CQC, with an insane 510 Damage per Second at close, without ROF or damage modifiers. The soviets only have one LMG, so I left them out of the runnings for this comparison (it simply wasn’t fair). Fast reload badge would be an ideal complement to this gun, although if you also decide to use the MG42 versus air, use the Infantry First badge for additional damage vs. non-armored targets (Basically everything except tanks and AA guns I believe). The MG42 in it’s AA configuration is the only scenario where I would consider using custom ammo on an MG, namely the S.m.K Hart ammo for additional penetration qualities versus jeeps or thick spots on P-38 Lightnings.

NORMAL USE BUILD
Ammo: None, you’ll be burning too much from recoil.
Sights: None, already plenty accurate
Trigger: Field Trigger
Bolt: Heavy Spring
Barrel: None
Camo: None


AA GUN BUILD
Ammo: S.m.K Hart (optional, stock ammo can already penetrate planes pretty often)
Sights: Field Modified (for additional accuracy at range for planes)
Trigger: Field Trigger
Bolt: Light Spring
Barrel: None
Camo: None

C96
The first tier handgun of the German army, the gun is fairly efficient at dispatching opponents with a 10-round magazine. The C96 is fed by a 10-round stripper clip, making the reload time a little bit longer than it's Luger P-08 competitor, but faster than the starter pistol for other factions (2.75 seconds vs the 1911's 2.85 and the TT-33's 2.95 seconds). It also has a higher magazine count than it's competitors in all regards, as all other handguns aside from the US' 1917 revolver carry 8 per magazine versus the C96's 10. This gives the gun more endurance in a close quarters fight, although it's ROF is nothing to write home about, being equal to the 1911's at 250 RPM and lower than the TT-33's 270. This works against the C96, as it's DPS cannot match the 1911's without trigger or ammunition upgrades due to the lower caliber of cartridge. The gun can still be modified to kill in 3 rounds, giving it the highest killing potential at 3 kills per magazine, assuming center mass shots. Like all handguns, its accuracy is not great due to bullet drop and low velocity, requiring more shot leading. I don't personally own this gun yet, and therefore can't even begin to comment on the loadout. However, I would suggest as many ROF and damage upgrades as possible, in order to max out DPS and killing potential.

So you decided to play Americans? Rock on!

M1 GARAND
Your boom-stick. The brutal kick-@$$ starter weapon of choice for the Americans represents their methods of “more boom, more dead, happy generals”. The M1 Garand, designed in 1928 by John Garand in 1928 uses the .30-06 cartridge, giving it ample power. So much, in fact, that it kills IN TWO HITS out of the box, no modifications, out to ~60 meters. Easy to use iron sights make this thing a breeze to use despite the heftier recoil, although perhaps not quite as nice as the G43’s very small front post for long range shooting. Throw a 2.2x M84 optic on this, and all of your midrange fantasies come true. Custom ammunition is reasonable and advised for those who wish to extend the THK range of this gun as far as possible. This gun has more killing potential (torso shots, point blank max damage) than either battle rifles of the other factions, with the potential to drop 4 people in a single magazine, as opposed to the G43’s or SVT’s 3, plus one leftover round in the magazine. However, once the other guns are modified for a two-hit kill, the M1 loses out in this capacity, so make sure to reload often to stay on top of gunfights. The ROF can be maxed out at somewhere around 350-ish with both ROF upgrades, 300 with one upgrade, and down to 200 from the native 240 with the heavy spring (only for long range shooting would I do that, where ROF isn’t needed).

Ammo: Match, M72
Sights: M84 2.2x optic
Trigger: Field Trigger job
Bolt: Optional, I usually prefer to run nothing here.
Barrel: Stainless Steel Barrel
Camo: Combat Green or Carbon Black for a more modern feel w/ that sexy optic

M1903 SPRINGFIELD
The bolt-action rifle of the American army. A solid middleground between the Kar98K’s absurdly loud muzzle reports versus the Mosin Nagant M91/30’s muted pop, and the KAR98K’s miniscule precision front sight versus the Mosin’s beefy front sight limiting long-range engagement. It’s a two-hit kill out of the box, higher than the Karabiner and the Mosin, but not by much (54 vs 53 and 52, respectively). It also happens to have a higher end damage, but still a nasty 3-hit kill, a pain to deal with on all stock bolt-actions (Excluding the PTRD). The real shortcomings in this rifle stem from its lower-powered scope compared to the German ZF-4 and PU 3.5x counterparts, limiting engagement ranges due to the beefy turd of a reticle that is the T-Post. German #1 reticles can alleviate this to a point, but can still be less than desirable in long-range engagements. I highly suggest getting the M84 all the same, because it is much more usable in comparison to the higher-magnification optics in close quarters for that one-hit kill. Reload speeds will drop due to your optic blocking stripper-clip loading, so only run the optic if you plan to stay back away from fast-and-frantic fighting. One-hit kill modifications are an absolute must, in order to keep that target from scampering away to cover. I am currently unsure as to whether triggers truly affect refire speed due to the bolt-action operation, but it is possible that they do. If so, go for the highest-ROF trigger that doesn’t affect accuracy. Overall, I’d have to argue that the Americans get the short straw on this category, from the Infantryman’s standpoint (Recons get high end optics anyways, so there’s no difference there.)

Ammo: Match, M72
Sights: M84 2.2x optic, German #1
Trigger: Optional, I wouldn’t mess with it if you can afford OHK operation.
Bolt: Heavy Bolt
Barrel: Scout II/damage modifying barrel equivalent
Camo: Combat Green or Carbon Black for a more modern feel w/ that sexy optic

M3 GREASE GUN
I’ll be honest, this thing’s a turd. It has neither the magazine size to get even close to the PPD-40’s killing potential per magazine or firefight endurance, nor the rate of fire to match the MP34’s DPS. It’s decent versus battle-rifle-users and usually a guaranteed win versus a bolt action unless they can OHK you, which will be 90% of the time if they are half decent shots. It’s 400 RPM versus the MP34’s 514 will probably get you killed, especially since the stock MP34 does more damage per bullet at close (despite being a smaller cartridge. RETO PLIS). The PPD also has 30 more rounds per minute, giving it a slight edge since it is also a 4-hit-kill at close. Both other Tier 1 submachineguns have better sights, because of the tiny sight radius of the M3 causing even the slightest amount of recoil to force the front post through the ring of the rear post, filling the rear ring sight’s entire hole and blocking your view between EACH SHOT. So unless you are point-blank or taking one shot a time, you aren’t going to be hitting jack in full auto. The only saving graces for this weapon is rate of fire upgrades, so take every opportunity to deck this thing out if you intend to grind for the Thompson, as you’ll need every advantage you can get. If you for some reason have Pointer Fire badges from the handgun line before you start on the SMG line, do yourself a favor and use it, save yourself the trouble of ever AingDS. Also, never buy ammunition for this gun, A) the UDR ammo forces damage below a 4-hit kill at all times, so who gives a $hit about damage dropoff, and B) It’s already a 4-hit-kill with the stock ammunition. Increased damage ammo decreases the range at which it is a 4-hit kill, giving negligible damage buffs. Stick with stock and drop this little turd back in the bucket ASAP. Feel free to farm your SMG assault ribbon by stealing other SMGs.

Ammo: None
Sights: Optional, possible preferable if you go with the ROF vs Accuracy trigger option
Trigger: Both work fine, depending if you want to lose stability or accuracy
Bolt: Light Spring. Skip Light Bolt
Barrel: None, excessive cost

BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLE, MODEL 1918
Ok, here’s where the Americans really come into their own. The BAR may appear ugly in stats, but don’t let that fool you. Why are people hyped up over the AVS-36? Because it’s automatic, it’s pretty strong, it’s accurate, and it sounds cool. The BAR takes all of this and adds sprinkles and bacon on top. It sounds like a jackhammer, hurts like a jackhammer, and reloads faster than you can sneeze when compared to other light machine guns. Its 42 damage close can be buffed to a two-hit kill at close, and with wicked-nice sights, can easily engage at range. The recent select-fire notes make it even better, being able to tap-fire to engage at range with said gorgeous sights. It reloads in 4.1 seconds and has a nicer hip-fire cone than other light machine guns (which actually has a historical reason, also referenced in the gun’s model. See that metal thing sticking up out of the buttplate of the stock? That’s a little metal arm that folds out to make a right-angle with the stock, forming a little “elbow”, included on the original M1918 and later 1918A2 models. WW1 BAR soldiers had what was basically a little cup mounted on their waist belts that interfaced with the buttstock and this metal arm, allowing them to secure the gun to your hip and perform “walking fire”. Probably the worst idea of WW1 due to its inefficiency, but hey, it plays into the game nicely. End of rant.). The rifle has the power to engage planes, take down ten, yes TEN infantry in a single magazine when modded for damage, and perform reasonably well at range despite its “meh” accuracy compared to bolt actions. Definitely a good investment.

DO-ALL/RANGED LOADOUT
Ammo: Match, M72
Sights: Field Adjusted
Trigger: Optional Field Trigger
Bolt: Heavy Bolt
Barrel: Chrome lined

2HK OH GOD KILL IT WITH FIRE
Ammo: Berties
Sights: None
Trigger: Field Adjusted
Bolt: Heavy Bolt
Barrel: None

M1 CARBINE
The less-loved variant of the Carbine, this is essentially what it was before it became what everyone loves/hates today, depending on your faction. The M1 Carbine is a rifle that fires an oversized handgun projectile, by all standards today (except today you can buy handguns in even bigger projectiles, because why not break your wrists while trying to kill someone else), and was never really issued to frontline soldiers. The gun was often kept by medics, artillerymen, and other NCO’s who might need to defend themselves in tight quarters for extended periods of time, thus the large magazine. Damage and accuracy are not your friends with this gun, so don’t be afraid to get close. You remember that Cookie Clicker simulator I mentioned many blocks of text ago? Yeah, practice with that thing a LOT, and you’ll be a god with this weapon. Before RETO turned my M1 into the M1nigun/M2, I was actually winning firefights versus fully-decked-out MP40’s in close quarters, either because I stuffed them with lead faster or beat them in endurance if they had engaged a target before me without reloading. Semi-auto has a tendancy of giving you a HUGE boost in endurance in firefights, since you simply can’t empty a magazine as fast as a full-auto gun can. If any of you play Battlefield, the same concept applies to the M16A4. Don’t waste money on the custom ammunition, as it chases after the accuracy you threw out the window and punts it an extra 70 yards for a negligible damage bonus. Your strength as a Paratrooper is to stay sneaky, which means staying away from people, which means you need accuracy on your side as much as possible. Invest in the barrel, the Heavy Spring, and the custom sights or the T-Post optic for maximum midrange roof-sniping efficiency. For most people who can’t reach above 400 RPM, having the Heavy Spring still leaves you a decent RPM buffer, so it’s worth the extra stability to be able to hit things.
Ammo: None
Sights: Field Adjusted, T-Post Optic is optional
Trigger: None
Bolt: Heavy Spring
Barrel: Stainless Steel

M1/M2 MASS PROJECTOR SUPERWEAPON
The title says it all here. A full-auto conversion kit for existing M1 Carbines (thus the reason existing M1 Carbines were converted at Walker Update), handed out later in the war due to concerns of the effectiveness of .30 Carbine for self-defense, as well as giving paratroopers increased firepower while retaining low weight and recoil properties. It starts off pretty good, with a comfortable 514 RPM and pretty much no recoil, unnoticeable unless the T-Post optic is installed. What really makes this gun sing is the ROF upgrades, allowing you to sling lead at an unholy 1028 RPM when summed up (both parts). This, combined with its comfortable 30rnd magazine, fast three second reload, good iron sights, and great hipfire accuracy, makes it a weapon of the gods, superior to every SMG in both close and long range. While it may have difficulty beating a defending MG42 due to higher DPS, pretty much every gun in the game shares this difficulty, so it’s not an uncommon thing. This gun easily makes Lunchables mystery-meat bologna out of anyone on the receiving end with it’s wicked ROF and low recoil, but it suffers at range, so I would advise carry it alongside longer-ranged equipment (Ex: carry it w/o ammo pouches alongside the M1903, using Hoarder to earn back a few magazines). Make sure to keep your magazines full with this gun when using ROF mods, as you will be draining the fast. There’s a reason you get to carry 300 rounds with a single ammo pouch, so don’t be afraid to let loose when you see someone.
Ammo: None
Sights: Field Adjusted
Trigger: Field Trigger
Bolt: Light Spring
Barrel: None

M1919 Browning Machine Gun
The Browning is a late-developed modification of John Browning’s M1917 machine gun, chambered for .30-06 as with all other full-caliber infantry rifles and machine guns for the Americans. This thing has nasty recoil due to no stock, bad hipfire, bad ironsights that eat up screen real-estate like the government, trigger-happy with eminent domain cases. Except it doesn’t give anything back, in this situation. My original thoughts for this gun was “hey, if the MG42 could do so well versus aircraft (which I had used to down several 109’s in the previous games), I bet the 1919 could do just as well”. Well, it’s not exactly AS good, but it’s not a boatload of nope either. Where the MG42 lacks in damage, it’s superior firerate allows you to dump more rounds into a passing plane pulling out of a dive, dishing out more pain overall per dive. The 1919 deals more damage per bullet, but doesn’t quite compete in the ROF department, thus taking more passes to reliably down a plane. Not to mention the sights suck at leading objects moving that fast due to the grenade-launcher-esque leaf sight apparatus, meant for engaging at range without having to adjust the rear sight any. This also applies to passing cars or motorcycles, making it overall a very painful gun to use. Perhaps if mounting by bipod becomes a thing, this gun could be useful due to the built-in monopod on the bottom, but for now, I would argue skipping this gun. If you absolutely want to give this gun a go, try this loadout.
Ammo: Match, M72
Sights: None
Trigger: Optional, ROF is nice but recoil is already pretty bad
Bolt: Also optional, same as trigger
Barrel: None

M1A2 THOMPSON
The Thompson, affectionately known by many as the Tommy gun, Chicago Typewriter, and other oddball nicknames by various mafias of the Prohibition era, was officially adopted into the US Army as the M1A2, utilizing 25-round stick magazines, as opposed to the infamous 50 and 100 round drums you’d see someone carrying around in Scarface or other dirty-30’s movies that were rather uncommon and prone to failures related to the spring. The Thompson here packs a nice punch at 26 damage, making it a 4-hit kill with some wiggle room, especially if custom ammunition is added. I am currently unsure as to whether or not using high-close-damage Akicita AMF cartridges can boost damage to a 3HK, but it’s possible, on non-Heavyset users. A comfortable 600RPM is offset by meh ironsights that, although they look fine while stationary, have a tendency to kick around when firing, making full-auto aim control more difficult. Generally, your point of aim remains where your front sight is, regardless of how the rear sight moves. Consider using RPM upgrades until you are comfortable controlling the recoil, but be aware that increased ROF will eat through your small magazines even faster than before. Staying topped-off with this weapon is a must, as with all SMG’s and machine guns.
Ammo: Akicita AMF high-damage ammo
Sights: Optional, AMF ammo damage model doesn’t support ranged damage anyhow, but could be used to counter Marksman trigger.
Trigger: Marksman Trigger
Bolt: Light Spring
Barrel: None

BROWNING 1911A1
The famous 1911, probably one of the most built handguns of today. As a rule of thumb, almost every firearm manufacturer in the USA has at some point produced some variation of an AR15, and some variation of a 1911, with a few exceptions such as Calico and a few defunct companies (Raven Arms, Lorcin Engineering, Davis Industries, and the other “Ring of Fire” gun companies to name a few. Look them up, it’s super interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_night_special). Anyways, idea is, the gun’s been around for ages. It holds up just as well in this game, sitting just under a close three-hit-kill, and a far five-hit-kill. A 266 RPM RoF may cause you to choke up a bit if you are used to “panic attack” clicking. Therefore, definitely go for any ROF ugrades such as trigger and light spring modifications. Ammunition upgrades are optional, as it’s not possible to push this gun beyond a three-hit kill, but adding ammunition upgrades could make it a more reliable three-hit kill at close if you aren’t running barrel addons. Accuracy shouldn’t be necessary to upgrade, since you shouldn’t be far enough away to be missing. Chrome barrels will make a huge difference in extending your three-hit kill range, so definitely invest in it if you have the money.

Ammo: None
Sights: None
Trigger: Field Trigger Job
Bolt: Light Spring
Barrel: Chrome Barrel

M1917 REVOVLER
Oh boy, my favorite. Probably the single-handed best tanker gun you could ask for, due to its high damage at close. Not to mention you can now give it a black coat, making yourself look that much more badass. The first thing that comes to mind when I see this gun is “Ok, should I be Vash with the silver gun, or Knives with the black one?”. The 1917 also has the MASSIVE benefit of being able to run P+ rounds, a custom ammunition specific to the 1917 that gives it the capability to 2HK non-Heavyset players at close. Combined with ROF upgrades to allow you to dump your full cylinder at high speed (342 RPM), laser hipfire accuracy (you should have at least Pointer Fire silver unlocked by the time you get this gun) and good ironsights, this gun kicks so much @$$ it makes me actually feel SORRY for someone on the receiving end. The only other gun that makes me feel that way is the PTRD, for obvious reasons. I find it’s best used on a tanker character, so that you can combine a reliable CQC gun to defend against miners with frags for building clearing and a wrench for keeping your tank alive. It also works extremely well alongside guns with long reload times or high-magnification scopes (MG’s and the 1903, obviously). Definitely don’t hesitate to pamper this gun, as it WILL return the goods when someone swiggity-swooties on over to your booty while you are sniping or tanking.
Ammo: United Defense Super +P
Sights: Match Sights
Trigger: Match Trigger
Bolt: Light Spring
Barrel: Chrome Barrel
Camo: Are you Vash or Knives? (or just cheap)

Mk II Frag grenade
Pretty straightforward. It can’t be thrown as far as either a Stielhandgranate or the RGD-33, but has a larger blast radius. On the other hand, the Stielhandgranate 24 Fragsleeve can be thrown farther with a near-equal blast radius, so if you don’t mind investing a bit more, the fragsleeves will do you a bit better. On the other hand, MkII’s are pretty small, so they are more efficient for setting traps as you retreat into a building, tossing them into stairwells as you flee into a building. Many times, targets I’ve lobbed these at simply don’t notice them as compared to a giant stick as long as the average adults’ forearm, earning me many kills I feel like I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten with ST24F’s
M1A1 Anti-Tank Mines
The Americans got the short straw on this one, as well as a few other things. The M1A1 is at a disadvantage because of it’s shape (being round) as well as being tall and lightly colored. This mine is harder to hide on flat ground than the dark, low Tellermine, and doesn’t blend in on open dirt or bridges as well as the flat, square TM-35 that blends in better with the square bricks and light dirt of most maps. You can still use it like other mines, but don’t expect to get as many surprise kills as they are easier to notice. Try buying other mines and see if you do as well, as it’s mostly to do with camouflage.
M2A3 Anti-Infantry Mine
Unfortuantely, the Americans also get partially shafted here as well, alongside the Germans. The American mine is very tall and lightly colored, making it an easy standalone target if it’s not properly placed. However, its slender dimensions allow it to be easily hidden around corners compared to the fat Bouncing Betty of the German Faction. The PMK-40 is much smaller and darker colored than either AI mine, making it more efficient in getting kills by placing it in buildings on dark floorboards, or at the top of stairs where its tiny profile hides it nicely from line-of-sight from the bottom of the stairs. Try to hide the M2A3 around corners at the tops of stairs, where its slender profile will hide it from view. Also, another use: use its larger size as a target, shooting the mine when someone enters a room but takes cover at the bottom of stairs. More often than not, players will leave a mine be if they feel it’s in no danger of being stepped on, especially when there is no safe place to detonate it from, such as the second floor of the large three-story houses with broken roofs. Use this to your advantage by placing it in the center of the room, detonating it with a bullet from upstairs while your enemies take cover at the bottom of the stairwell
M1A1 Bazooka
The Bazooka, thankfully for the Americans, is arguably the easier rocket launcher to use between the two, excluding the Panzerfaust. The lack of the Panzershrek’s blast shield makes tracking fast-moving targets easier, while still having reasonably accurate sights for long-range shooting. Downsides include slower rockets, which holds a whole host of problems such as more time for enemies to pinpoint your location from the rocket trail, increased leading required to hit, and more rocket drop, requiring more work with zeroing and guesswork. Pretty straightforward. A viable tactic includes purposely moving long distances off inside a building, using the long distance to allow the rocket drop to attack tanks from the top, where their armor is weaker. I refer to this as Bazooka Sniping, which can be effective against Tiger I’s and II’s, where their frontal and side armor can block even a bazooka head on in some cases.
No. 74 Anti-tank Grenade
The Stickygrenade is, in my opinion, the best antitank grenade available. It doesn’t require the direct placement of the German H3, and allows you to set a trap on a tank before they are able to react unlike the RPG-43s. With an RPG-43, once you throw the first grenade, it detonates immediately, alerting the tank that they need to run. Sometimes, they are able to escape the player’s throwing range before the player is able to finish the tank off, killing them. However, with the Stickies, you are able to set three grenades on a tank (ensuring a kill on most, if not all tanks) without the tank reacting (the driver may hear small *thunk*s on the side of their tank, but you can usually get all three grenades out before they can react, unlike an audible explosion. As a side note, I’ve been informed that whacking the turret of a tank with a shovel creates an audible noise for the driver similar to that of being stickied, which may caus them to bail. I’ve had only two confirmed instances of this working for me, which may be a fluke.). The Stickies can also be precisely placed on a tank’s weak points to ensure maximum damage, such as on the top of a heavy tank, whereas the RPGs must be thrown with guesswork on top of a tank, hopefully detonating where you want it

So you decided to play Soviets? Welcome to the Party, Comrade!

SVT-40

Your starter battle rifle, chambered in 7.62x54R, the longest-serving rimmed cartridge ever used in the military (It’s still used today in many Russian light machine guns, such as the PKP Pecheneg and it’s vehicle-mounted variants, as well as a few midrange rifles such as the SV98, SVD, and modernized Mosins used by police). This gun is more or less the opposite of the M1 Garand, in which the M1 Garand focuses on damage, whereas the SVT focuses on RoF. You’ll have a noticeable advantage over the M1G’s RoF, and the iron sights are arguably better, obscuring less of your screen with a smaller rear sight. However, due to the decreased sight radius, you’ll be experiencing more weapon sway than the M1G (about the same for the G43). This thing’s muted pop can be harder to hear than the loud cracks of an M1G or G43, and it doesn’t have a very loud reload like the M1G, so this gun is easier to use in stealth. The recoil isn’t as bad, so try to be sneaky and pop heads. A PU scope works wonders with this weapon, and you have RoF to spare, so try investing in a scope if possible.

Ammo: 7N1 Custom
Trigger: Optional
Internals: Optional (Light Spring not recommended w/ scope)
Sights: PU T-Post
Barrel: Optional, Stainless may be advisable for long-range shooting.
Camo: Russian Oak

Mosin Nagant M91/30

The standard bolt-action rifle of the Red Army, developed in a combined effort of Sergei Mosin and Leon Nagant, by competition. Nagant’s rifle was too complex and took ages to break down for cleaning, while Mosin’s rifle was too jam-prone with double feeds. The solution? Steal a part of Nagant’s gun, throw some cash at him in reimbursement, then chang the design in 1930 when the rifle was modernized, so that almost none of the parts left in the gun were designed by Nagant. In fact, keeping his name in the full rifle’s name is sort of outdated, since very few of the remaining parts are his. Anyways, this gun works pretty much the same as all bolt-actions, being a very ♥♥♥♥♥♥ three-hit-kill at range until you are able to afford 7N1 ammunition to make it a two-hit-kill. I generally prefer this gun over the Capitalist’s 1903 due to the shroud-ring front sight and slimmer front post, making ranged shots easy. The wide rear sight makes leading moving targets at range a bit of an art, but it’s not impossible. Oddly enough, this gun can be zeroed up to 2000m, which at distances within ~150m (excluding point blank) will put the round at about head-level when aiming at the lower chest. This could be used to get around the gun’s less-suitable ironsights for long range leads, although I have yet to try this personally.

Ammo: 7N1 Custom for long-range OHK, Type-D for close-range Heavyset slayer.
Trigger: Optional, unsure as to whether trigger RoF increase boosts rechamber speed.
Internals: Heavy Bolt
Sights: PU German#1
Barrel: Scout II
Camo: Russian Oak


PPD-40

This tub of hundshiesse will be the hardest thing to use as a stock gun, due to it’s incredibly low RoF and damage. It’s only saving grace is that it is very cheap to operate at its full potential, because it doesn’t have a lot of potential. It doesn’t benefit at all from custom ammunition, custom barrels, and very little from custom sights. The PPD-40 is incredibly dependent on RoF modifications to stand up to other guns, starting at a measly 480 RPM. However, this gun, when modified, makes a great pocket surprise gun for running a bolt-action, as it benefits the most from running without ammunition pouches thanks to its large magazine size. This gun is able to take down many opponents without reloading, if you get the drop on them, so running it with a single magazine as a backup to a bolt-action may be lifesaving if you find your ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ teammates unable to cap a point and need to turn around from behind-the-lines sniping and give the offensive team a dose of backstabbing.

Ammo: None, stock ammo gives the longest 4HK range
Trigger: Either spring, depending on whether you want more dakka or even more dakka
Internals: Light Spring
Sights: Optional, might help in countering accuracy-changing trigger.
Barrel: Steel, increases 4HK range with negligible recoil increase
Camo: Optional

DP-28

The only LMG of the Red Army, the DP-28 sits nicely in between the BAR’s “Bigger Bang” and the MG34’s “more Dakka” approach to starter LMG’s. The DP-28, designed by Degtyaryov and put into service in 1928, uses an interesting pan-feed mechanism for a circular magazine that sits on top of the gun that allows for some “interesting” “features” of the gun in-game. This gun has relatively nice iron sights compared to some LMG’s (ehm1919ehm), making it usable for most tasks. The gun works best when prone, as all LMG’s do. You might notice a few odd things such as the magazine tilting 5-10 degrees to the right after firing for a bit, which was a real-life issue the gun had: accidentally bending the magazine by hitting it or shaking it a lot damaged the feed mechanism, causing the magazine spring to jam or causing the feed lips of the magazine to become bent, jamming a round inside the magazine. Also, there’s a small lanyard ring that sits on top of the magazine that flops back and forth while the magazine spins, which is both fun to watch and distracting as hell when it crosses your line-of-sight with your opponent. Otherwise, it’s relatively similar to the 1919 in terms of functionality, with a slightly lower RoF and faster reload time by about .2 seconds.
Ammo: 7N1 Custom or Type-D, your choice..
Trigger: Optional.
Internals: None
Sights: Field-Adjusted
Barrel: Stainless Steel
Camo: None

PPsH-41

The Red Army’s solution to the age-old question “How do we more dakka?”
71 rounds in a magazine, modifiable firerate up to 1000 RPM, and decent ironsights that allow effective engagements to mid range, the Pepesha (combo nickname of it’s acronym combined with papasha, Russian for “daddy”) is truly the big bad dad on the block in terms of SMG’s. The only thing that comes close is a modified M1M2 carbine, which isn’t of the SMG class, so we can’t truly compare the two. The PPsH, designed in 1941 by Georgi Shpagin as a simplified alternative to the PPD-40, became one of the most iconic Soviet weapons thanks to it’s ridiculous endurance, almost AK-47 worthy. You can probably still find some of these if you go hunting around with a metal detector in Poland, Eastern Germany, and other USSR-controlled territories during WW2, as many videos have been made on Youtube. Your best focus for this gun is still in close range, but don’t be afraid to take it out for a stroll at medium distances if you see someone in an open field. The gun is the pinnacle of Soviet guns, so it is easy to start working on as many veteran players will be running this, and drop it when they die, so picking it up and using theirs will allow you to start gaining EXP with it early. Consider running it with the SVT or Mosin, as ranged capability is the weakness of this gun, and therefore the natural complement (Run without ammo pouches and use Hoarder to gain some back).

Ammo: None, decreases 4HK range
Trigger: Marksman Trigger
Internals: Light Spring
Sights: Field Adjusted Sights
Barrel: Optional (increases 4HK range, but also increases recoil more than preferable)
Camo:None

AVS-36

The Endgame gun of the Soviet union, due to it’s unlock being placed WAAAAY back at Infantry Assault 12. However, it doesn’t behave like it should be an endgame gun, since it is dwarfed in almost every regard by another weapon in various categories. The PPSH-41 beats it in both endurance and DPS, the DP-28 beats it in endurance, the Mosin and SVT beat it in damage, and the PTRD roflstomps everything. However, the AVS fills a niche role that earns it my respect as a usable weapon, namely being a high-caliber automatic with a fast reload, decent hipfire (still pretty bad), scopability, decent portability. The AVS is a 3-hit kill rifle no matter what ammunition used, and can utilize select fire and scopes.

I think most people hate on the AVS because it doesn’t hold up to the M1/M2 in CQC under butt-clenching amount of gunfire, nor the StG44’s midrange capability. However, I feel that they are looking at this gun wrongly, as the 3.5x scope, combined with the AVS’s superior accuracy, makes this gun much more like the SVT in performance. Treat the AVS as a semi-automatic 3HK scoped SVT with a larger magazine and a panic button (BRRT for you Planetside 2 TR M2-MCG players), and you’ll be rewarded much more for your efforts. However, I still advocate that RETO should buff the damage of the SVT to a potential 2-hit kill, with some modifications to decrease ROF in favor of stability and accuracy in order to emphasize the “emergency” part of “emergency button” that is the select-fire toggle.

Ammo: 7N1 Custom for long-range more consistent 3HK and better accuracy.
Trigger: None
Internals: None
Sights: PU T-Post
Barrel: Optional, Stainless might be nice but recoil is an issue.
Camo: Russian Oak

TT-33

The only handgun of the Red Army so far. Stock, this handgun isn’t any baby you would show love and devotion, but with some work, this little grey brick may save your life on multiple occasions. Damage is sub-par, doing only 29 close and 11 far, but it makes up for it with the highest default RoF at 270 RPM. With enough love, however, this gun can kick some serious butt, but it’ll take a LOT of time. Here’s why:

Ammo: Leonov Misha.
Trigger: Hair Trigger.
Internals: Heavy Bolt
Sights: Field-Adjusted
Barrel: Chrome-Lined
Camo: None

the Heavy Pistol bolt is truly the crowning jewel of this metal masterpiece, as it increases both maximum damage and max. damage range at a negligible cost of RoF, something that the TT-33 has in an abundance with the Hair Trigger (up to 480, which for a semi-auto is overkill unless you are running an autoclick macro. If you are, you are a scrub, learn to click). This entire combination allows the TT-33 to become a deadly wombo-combo of great accuracy, 3-hit kill, great range (for a handgun), reasonably high RoF (342 RPM), and decent ironsights. This gun can easily become the perfect backup to your Mosin, if you want to run that extra ammo pouch, AT grenades, binocs, HE grenades, or, god forbid, a melee weapon. I highly suggest sticking with this weapon until the end, using whatever is necessary to get that extra EXP, be it playing WAR mode, using weapons-specific EXP boosters (expensive AF), or hunting snipers to ensure you get headshots on their prone, dead bodies.

TM-35

Pretty straightforward with these mines. I argue that they are better than the American mines due to its low profile allowing it to blend in better to its’ surroundings, similar to the German Tellermine. Try placing it in places where there are a lot of light objects so it blends in better, such as bridges or the edge of bomb impact craters.

PMK-40

Although I rarely see people using landmines any more, due to their prohibitive costs, the PMK-40 is the landmine of choice thanks to its invisibility/cloaking field. With all due honesty, these things are so small they look like a rock or some graphical error more than a landmine. These can be easily hidden in stairwells or in high-traffic areas where no one would EVER see it, and get easy kills for days. Placing these in the Church second floor stairwell is straight-up rude, but you can expect to get quite a few kills this way. Just be sure to warn your teammates where they are, as sometimes they are 100% oblivious to the giant red marker over them.

RGD-33

Again, pretty straightforward. Lower blast radius than the MkII, not thrown as far as the Stielhandgranate, not as powerful or thrown as far as the Fragsleeve M24. A basic cheap explosive. If you read my writing on the Mk II, you would understand my reasoning as to why I picked that grenade, but you are welcome to use whatever you like. I rarely use grenades as it is, so I don’t have TOO much experience with this one.

I went on a rant about this one for so long that I had to make an extra section for it!

PTRD-41

Let’s be honest, you came to the USSR Partybus either A) to be on the winning side of these super-fast 0-day wars (scrub), B) to try to unlock and try the new AVS-36 and soon-to-be PPS-43 (reasonable), or C) to unlock the PTRD and unleash your inner rage against OHK weapons by using ANOTHER OHK weapon to slay anything that moves, including tanks, jeeps, planes, infantry, and your character’s arm muscles (the best reason).

You work your butt off for this gun, slaying tanks with bazookas and tank mines/grenades at any opportunity to get to rank 9 of tank-slaying goodness, for this. This MOMENT. And at first, you will be sorely disappointed by the gun’s inability to penetrate light tanks as often as you would like, so focus on farming infantry and jeeps where possible until you at least get Leonov Monstr.

The real magic happens when you unlock Bronya MAX ammunition, which gives better damage and better penetration values, allowing you to engage almost any tank you come across (All TD’s, some mediums, all lights, and heavies on some occasions), ending their pitiful metal-caged existences in about 4 hits. Also, buy a jeep and drive EVERYWHERE. Infantry First and Fast Reload are going to be your friend with this gun, as the single-bullet reload is RIDICULOUSLY long and, if they had made the gun more historically accurate, would be much shorter (the gun was designed to auto-eject the casing after firing, leaving the bolt open for a faster reload. The character shouldn’t have to waste time opening the bolt manually). Infantry First Gold will allow you to consistently OHK jeeps at ANY range (getting long shots from O3 church tower to O2 airfield or O1 bridge jeep spawns are downright disrespectful, but soooo much fun). Custom sights are recommended for using Bronya MAX due to the decreased accuracy, especially if you plan to fight planes, as accuracy is crucial to hitting such small targets at range (Necessary if you plan to snipe the pilot if he bails, which is hard but doable).

Remember that remark I made about weapon sway eons ago in this post? Yeah, this gun is THE MOST AFFECTED weapon by sway, so really take the time to practice anticipating where the gun will be swinging from to decrease the time it takes to engage. If you could take a third badge, I would recommend Dead-Eye, but alas, we are limited to two (veterans) or one (plebians). If you don’t care about reload speed (or have been too lazy to try and power through the Preposterous Piece of Dung-40 like me), and want a second badge, take either Iron fist (if you are lucky enough to have unlocked it to a decent degree) to be more effective in engaging armor, or Dead-Eye to be more effective overall.

Plane-Sniping

Ammo: Leonov Monstr
Trigger: Optional, unsure as to whether trigger RoF increase boosts rechamber speed.
Internals: None
Sights: Field-Adjusted Sights
Barrel: Stainless (maintain more damage at range to hurt planes more)
Camo: None (it’d be cool as hell if they added camo for this thing)

Tank-Sniping

Ammo: Bronya MAX
Trigger: Optional, unsure as to whether trigger RoF increase boosts rechamber speed.
Internals: None
Sights: Field-Adjusted Sights
Barrel: Stainless Steel (Maintain more damage at range to hurt tanks more)
Camo: None

Infantry-sniping

Ammo: None (stock BS-41 has equal acc. to Monstr, and is still an OHK – less costs)
Trigger: Optional, unsure as to whether trigger RoF increase boosts rechamber speed.
Internals: None
Sights: Optional (Long-range work may require F.A.S. to be effective.)
Barrel: None
Camo: None


Eventually when I am not a lazy bum, I'll get around to rewriting the tank penetrations guide I lost somewhere on the internet. Short story short, light tanks and jeeps are your best bet, always aim for the back if possible, and stay away from heavies or mediums unless you know what you are doing and have the upper hand.