Highlights
- The Chauchat LMG in Battlefield 5 has the highest damage potential but is hindered by a low rate of fire, small magazine, and heavy recoil.
- The Madsen MG is an atypical LMG with high stability and accuracy for long-distance gunfire, making it suitable for ranged encounters.
- The Lewis Gun is a reliable option for sustained suppressive fire with its low recoil and generous magazine size, making it effective for holding off against hordes of enemies.
The Support class in Battlefield 5 is all about suppressive fire and being the backbone of a strong offensive maneuver. With this approach, comes the necessity to handle hordes of enemies and provide strong resistance against enemy troops for securing Control Points. Which weapon class is better to hold off against waves of opposition than light machine guns with their generous magazine capacity and damage output?
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Here are some of the best LMGs currently in Battlefield 5 after all the various balance changes throughout the game’s cycle, ranked in light of their various performance metrics and utility for different situations.
5 Chauchat
Highest Damage Potential With A Few Drawbacks
The Chauchat LMG is purchasable for 1700 Company Coins. With a 3-hit kill potential at a distance of less than 50 meters, the Chauchat boasts the strongest damage output of any weapon in this class. It is a strong option when firing in short bursts and making every shot count. For this alone, the Chauchat deserves a mention when examining the best LMGs in Battlefield 5.
Apart from damage, the Chauchat has many drawbacks preventing it from being any higher up on the list. It has a poor ROF (327 rpm) and a low magazine of 20 bullets per clip. The recoil is also very prevalent and severely hampers performance while performing sustained fire. Even though specializations including Ported Barrel and Recoil Buffer improve horizontal and vertical recoil, the Chauchat is best utilized in its semi-automatic fire mode at medium to long distance combat.
4 Madsen MG
High Stability And Accuracy For Long-Distance Gunfire
Similar to the Chauchat, Madsen MG is unlocked by spending 1700 Company Coins. The Madsen MG doesn't function like a typical LMG, catering towards more accuracy and little recoil due to its low ROF (514 rpm) and high bullet velocity (880 m/s with High Bullet Velocity specialization). As a result, Madsen MG excels in ranged encounters with a 5-hit kill profile up to 50 meters.
The Madsen MG can be further improved for its long-distance shooting with specializations like Barrel Bedding and Custom Stock. These increase the stability of the weapon, making it more reliable from a distance. However, it should be noted that the Madsen MG is still light on magazine size, which can be increased through Extended Magazine. Ultimately, the Madsen MG is atypical of an LMG and probably not what most Support players will be using, given their role in close-quarter combat.
3 FG-42
High ROF And Fast Reloads
Support class players will get their hands on the FG-42 upon reaching level 16. The FG-42 is devastating in close-range firefights, possessing the fastest time-to-kill in the LMG weapons class thanks to its high ROF (670 rpm) and very quick reloads. The weapon is suited for an aggressive playstyle up-close, which is only helped by the Bayonet attachment, which is a unique specialization to the FG-42 in this weapon class.
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One of the few drawbacks that lie in terms of the high recoil of the weapon can be mitigated to an extent by investing in specializations like Recoil Buffer and Enhanced Grips, giving the player more control over hip-fire and getting more reliable results when facing enemies up close. The FG-42 is a powerhouse at close range and a weapon of choice for many Support-class players.
2 Lewis Gun
Low Recoil And Generous Magazine Size For Sustained Firing
The Lewis Gun is unlocked upon reaching level 10 of the Support class. This is such a good option for sustained suppressive fire due to its huge magazine size that it rivals some of the MMGs of Battlefield 5. With an acceptable ROF (540 rpm), and very humble recoil characteristics, the Lewis Gun is one of the most useful as it closely aligns with the role and objective of Support class players: hold off against hordes of enemies.
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Although the massive 47 rounds in its magazine are generous for fending off large groups, the Extended Magazine can bring this to 97 rounds, meaning Support players will have all the grit and resilience to last out a long battle over a Control Point without much trouble. Such an upgrade to its ammo count will mean players can continue to fire away without worrying much about overheating. This makes the Lewis Gun one of the best LMGs in close to mid-distance combat for suppressive fire.
1 BAR M1918A2
High Versatility With Two Modes For Fire Rate
The most versatile weapon in the LMG class, the BAR M1918A2 is obtained by spending 1700 Company Coins. This utility comes down to the BAR M1918A2’s option of two different fire-rate modes: low ROF (550 rpm) and high ROF (720 rpm). The low ROF mode still puts the BAR M1918A2 in the upper class of faster LMGs while giving it more accuracy, stability, and less recoil over longer distances. The high ROF, on the other hand, makes this particular gun the fastest LMG in Battlefield 5, giving it the lowest time-to-kill, albeit at the cost of considerable recoil.
Another shortcoming of the BAR M1918A2 is its meager magazine size of 20 bullets, which makes sustained fire not so feasible and there is no specialization to bring up those numbers. The hip-fire accuracy, though, can be enhanced by applying specializations including Enhanced Grips and Polished Action, which means that every bullet can count for a lot in terms of accuracy, making the small magazine size of the LMG more bearable. All in all, at close range and long distance alike, the BAR M1918A2 is a juggernaut of an LMG that is reliable, fast, and extremely versatile.
