Summary
If any player is into blasting bullets without a moment’s respite and holding up against large groups of enemies, they’re probably a fan of the Support class inBattlefield 1and all the good Light machine gun options that come with it. The role of providing suppressive fire requires a great deal of grit and reliability in firearms. As such, the firearms of this class boast a high fire rate and generous ammo count to last out against hordes of opposition.
The best support guns ofBattlefield 1that have thesestrengths fall in the LMG weapon class. The comparison below takes a look at how each of them fares in different combat situations depending on the distance and nature of the conflict.
4Madsen MG Trench
The Madsen MG Trench can be unlocked fairly early in the game. The prerequisites are 200 Warbands and rank 2 of the support class. This makes it a good base-game weapon among the other strong LMGs on this list. The weapon has a modest fire rate (540 rpm) and low hip-fire spread, making it a beginner LMG at close range.
The Trench variant goes on further to improve hip-fire accuracy, which is a necessity for the Madsen MG, given that there is no optic/scope support for this weapon. The real nuisance to this weapon is the detachable magazine, which occupies a large portion of the screen and can become a visual distraction. However, players who can get used to it will have a modest close-range LMG that is decent in most metrics of performance.
3Chauchat Telescopic
High Damage at Long Distances
The Chauchat Telescopic is available withthe They Shall Not Pass DLC. Once players get access to the DLC, they will need to complete two assignments to unlock the weapon: perform 15 kills with the M1909 Benet-Mercie Telescopic in a single match, and achieve ten kills with the Mortar.
The high bullet velocity of this LMG (720 m/s) and slow rate of fire (360 rpm) make it fairly suitable for long-distance encounters. The stability and low recoil are further enhanced by the default bipod attachment and the special telescopic sight, which comes with the Telescopic variant of Chauchat. The 3-shot kill potential of the Chauchat is retained up to 35 meters, as it has the highest per-bullet damage out of any LMG. With all its long-distance prowess, it should still be noted that the slow-firing Chauchat is a liability in close-quarter encounters. It should not be treated or used as a traditional support class LMG.
2M1917 MG Low Weight
Incredible Suppressive Fire Capability
To unlock the M1917 MG, players need to download the Turning Tides DLC. They must then fulfill the requirements of achieving 25 kills with Bar M1918 Trench, and dealing a total of 250 damage points on vehicles using explosives. Due to its best-in-class magazine size of 250 bullets, the M1917 MG is the ultimate suppressive weapon in the game and can whittle out hordes of enemies. The high bullet velocity of 820 m/s also makes it very suitable as an anti-aircraft weapon, so its versatility is an added bonus.
Although both Low Weight and Telescopic variants of the M1917 MG are incredible in their own rights,the former just edges out in terms of sheer hip-fire accuracyand sustained fire. These aspects come in handy in close-range encounters.
1Parabellum MG 14/17 Low Weight
High ROF and Damage Output
This weapon is part of the In the Name of the Tsar DLC. To get it, players must complete the assignment of destroying two airplanes with any LMG as well as achieving 20 kills with the Motor Airbust variant. For lack of a better word, the Parabellum absolutely shreds enemies at close range. This is due to the incredibly high ROF (700 rpm), the low damage drop-off (870 m/s bullet velocity), and a generous magazine capacity of 100 rounds.
By opting for the Low Weight variant, players can cause further mayhem in close-quarter situations with an increasingly high hip-fire accuracy the longer they fire Parabellum MG 14/17. These strong capabilities of the weapon come with a few caveats, however.
Firstly,the vertical and horizontal recoil, usually the staple of most automatic weapons, including LMGs, is considerable. Players will need some practice before rolling into battle. Secondly, the weapon’s reload is cumbersome and can take anywhere from 6 to 7 seconds with slight variations in its reload animations depending on the rounds left in the chamber. Aside from these drawbacks, the weapon is the single best support weapon for up-close encounters and outperforms other weapons in the class.
