L86 LSW

Unlocked at: Level 1 in the default Overwatch class, Level 4 for Create-A-Class
Damage (silenced): 40 (30)
Rate of Fire: 750 Rounds Per Minute
Reload Time: 5.0 seconds
Magazine Size: 100 rounds

L86 Recoil at 20 Feet:


L86 Recoil at 75 feet:

Many thanks to doppelganger for these recoil screenshots btw!

ATTACHMENTS:

Grip (10 kills): As seen in the recoil pictures, the Grip doesn't really do much for the L86. Still, the Grip is always helpful on any LMG.

Red Dot Sight (25 kills): Recommended, as the iron sights can block a bit of peripheral vision.

Silencer (75 kills): Actually quite useful, since the L86 has a high fire rate, it does about the same damage per second as any of the other LMGs unsilenced.

ACOG Scope (150 kills): The ACOG scope is actually quite interesting on the L86, as it is actually a SUSAT scope. Since the L86's recoil is quite high, this attachment is not recommended.
SUSAT Scope:


FMJ (300 kills): This attachment is actually quite useful, as the L86 is quite powerful as is. Since it has a 100-round clip, you can follow an enemy if they go behind thin cover, and FMJ will help you get the kill through the wall more easily.

Holographic Sight (60 kills while aiming down Red Dot sight): Just like the Red Dot sight. It's really personal preference on which one you like better.

Heartbeat Sensor (15 kills with the silencer): It can be useful at times on this weapon, as it is quite strong in close range combat, so knowing where nearby enemies are can make the difference.

Thermal Scope (20 kills while aiming down ACOG scope): Like the ACOG scope, it is not recommended due to the high recoil of the weapon.

Extended Magazines (40 bullet penetration kills with FMJ equipped): Although it may seem like overkill, Extended Magazines gives the L86 200 rounds in one clip. Also, unless scavenger is equipped, there is no reserve ammunition, only the 200 you start with. Therefore, reloading is unnecessary with Extended Mags, making it quite useful in some situations.

Description: The L86 LSW, combining its high rate of fire and high damage gives it one of the highest Damages per Second of the game, which is crucial in MW2. However, as seen in the recoil pictures, it has extremely high recoil, compared to every other weapon in the game. As a result, this weapon is extremely effective mostly in medium to short range, but can be very effective long range if burst firing is used. It has a relatively short reload time compared to the other LMGs, so overall it is generally regarded as one of the more average LMGs.

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RPD

Unlocked at: Level 4
Damage (silenced): 40 (30)
Rate of Fire: 666 Rounds per Minute (its the devils weapon)
Reload Time: 9.7 seconds
Magazine Size: 100 rounds

RPD recoil at 20 feet:


RPD recoil at 75 feet:

ATTACHMENTS:

Grip (10 kills): Very effective on this weapon. Reduces recoil quite a bit, as shown in the screenshots.

Red Dot Sight (25 kills): Rather unnecessary, as the RPD's iron sights are quite open. However, some people prefer sights, and it is still very effective with the Red dot.

Silencer (75 kills): Effective for being stealthy, but nothing spectacular. Still quite loud, can be heard by an enemy using a headset or a good sound setup.

ACOG Scope (150 kills): Not recommended, however, can still be used decently. The recoil isn't quite so bad, so the ACOG can turn it into a powerful long range weapon.

FMJ (300 kills): Like all of the LMGs, it is effective for following an enemy behind a wall and finishing them behind cover.

Holographic Sight (60 kills while aiming down the Red Dot sight): Like the Red Dot sight, not necessary but it's personal preference.

Heartbeat Sensor (15 kills with silencer): Good for knowing where nearby enemies are, although less effective on the RPD compared to the L86, as the L86 is more powerful in close range. Still, can be used to know when to take out a powerful close-range secondary.

Thermal Scope (20 kills while aiming down the ACOG scope): Surprisingly more effective than it seems. Although, still not extremely useful. Good for picking out enemies in grassy maps, as you only need to hit the target two or three times to kill them.

Extended Magazines (40 bullet penetration kills with FMJ equipped): Like the L86, it is useful, because you get all 200 rounds available in one clip, without having to reload, which may be more useful on the RPD than the L86 because the RPD has almost double the reload time.

Description: The RPD is probably the best overall LMG, along with the AUG Hbar, when all stats are taken into consideration. It has the 100 round magazine as well as moderate recoil with high damage. Its reload time is quite a pain but can be mitigated with either Sleight of Hand or One Man Army, as described later in the guide. Few of the other LMGs have the "little bit of everything" that the RPD has to offer, even though it doesn't exactly excel in one specific area.

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MG4

Unlocked at: Level 16
Damage (silenced): 30 (20)
Rate of Fire: 800 Rounds per Minute
Reload Time: 9.7 seconds
Magazine Size: 100 rounds

MG4 recoil at 20 feet:


MG4 recoil at 75 feet:

ignore the bullet holes at the bottom of the "no grip" picture

ATTACHMENTS:

Grip (10 kills): The only LMG where Grip isn't considered a necessary attachment. The MG4 is quite accurate without the Grip, but still benefits from the Grip, making it like the ACR of the LMGs, with very little recoil.

Red Dot Sight (25 kills): Highly Recommended. The problem with the MG4 is that the iron sight is off, the bullets hit at the top of the thicker part of the post, not at the top of the prongs. A sight will remove this problem.

Silencer (75 kills): Not recommended. The MG4 already has lower damage compared to most LMGs, and a silencer will decrease it even further. Also, the MG4 is bugged, where a player firing a silenced MG4 will still appear on the enemy's radar.

ACOG Scope (150 kills): Quite useful on a weapon this accurate. It makes the MG4 deadly at range with its amazing accuracy.

FMJ (300 kills): Can be useful for killing enemies behind light cover, however, is far more useful on a more powerful LMG.

Holographic Sight (60 kills while aiming down the Red Dot sight): Like the Red Dot sight, useful on this weapon to remove the iron sight problem.

Heartbeat sensor (15 kills with silencer): Not very effective on this weapon, unless the user is looking for nearby enemies so they will know to switch out to a powerful close-range secondary. The MG4 is not effective in close range combat.

Thermal Scope (20 kills while looking down the ACOG scope): Like the ACOG, quite effective on a weapon of this accuracy.

Extended Magazines (40 bullet penetration kills with FMJ equipped): Like the RPD, it is great to have so reloading isn't necessary; it is tied with the RPD for the longest reload time of 9.7 seconds.

Description: The MG4 is quite a solid LMG. However, due to its glitches/problems, it is quite reduced in its effectiveness. The iron sights can be annoying, but after some experience with them are easy to figure out. Still, using Bling and equipping a sight is a better idea. The silencer is just about utterly useless on this weapon, as it doesn't keep the user off of the enemy radar while shooting. Also, it doesn't really get a large benefit in being literally silent, as the MG4 is quite quiet when firing unsilenced. If the MG4 didn't have such problems, it could be one of the better LMGs. But since it is quite annoying to use, it is seldom seen in multiplayer. Its accuracy make it a deadly long range weapon, so some players enjoy using it with an ACOG or Thermal scope to pick off enemies from afar.

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AUG HBAR

Unlocked at: Level 32
Damage (silenced): 40 (30)
Rate of Fire: 666 Rounds per Minute (aw fml there are 2 devils)
Reload Time: 3.4 seconds
Magazine Size: 42 rounds

AUG HBAR recoil at 20 feet:


AUG HBAR recoil at 75 feet:

ATTACHMENTS:

Grip (10 kills): Recommended. The AUG already has very good accuracy, and the Grip only makes it even better.

Red Dot Sight (25 kills): Not necessary. The AUG already has clear and open iron sights.

Silencer (75 kills): Useful on this weapon, basically the same as the RPD, but just has a smaller clip.

ACOG Scope (150 kills): Not very useful on this weapon. It has quite good accuracy but an ACOG scope is rather tough to use on the weapon.

FMJ (300 kills): Just like the RPD, useful for taking down enemies behind light cover easily.

Holographic Sight (60 kills while aiming down the Red Dot sight): Like the Red Dot sight, it is unnecessary on this weapon.

Heartbeat sensor (15 kills with silencer): Can be used effectively to switch to a secondary when enemies are near, but overall not too useful.

Thermal Scope (20 kills while looking down the ACOG scope): Like the ACOG, not bad but not very effective.

Extended Magazines (40 bullet penetration kills with FMJ equipped): Quite useful on this weapon. The AUG has the smallest clip out of all the LMGs, 42 rounds, and giving it extended mags gives it 63 rounds. Even though this is still smaller than the clip of a standard LMG, the AUG reloads only slightly slower than an Assault Rifle. However, a standard 100-round clip LMG would gain more from extended mags, 100 more rounds as opposed to 21 in the AUG.

Description: The AUG is also probably one of the most well-rounded LMGs. It is nearly identical to the RPD besides having a smaller clip. However, the AUG also has the fastest reload time out of all of the LMGs, as it reloads like an Assault Rifle. This weapon is therefore best used like a heavier assault rifle, to pack a bigger punch with more ammo. Due to its small magazine, it is also the best weapon to use to acquire the "Dictator" title (Fire an entire LMG magazine into your opponents without missing.)

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M240

Unlocked at: Level 52
Damage (silenced): 30 (20)
Rate of Fire: 850 Rounds per Minute
Reload Time: 7.8 seconds
Magazine Size: 100 rounds

M240 recoil at 20 feet:


M240 recoil at 75 feet:

ATTACHMENTS:

Grip (10 kills): Recommended. The M240 has quite high recoil at range, and the Grip helps mitigate this a substantial amount.

Red Dot Sight (25 kills): Can be useful due to a somewhat obstructive iron sight.

Silencer (75 kills): Like the MG4, the silencer does not work on the M240, so the user will still show up on the enemy's radar while shooting.

ACOG Scope (150 kills): Not recommended. The M240 has quite a bit of recoil, and an ACOG scope would not be too effective.

FMJ (300 kills): Very effective. The M240 has some serious penetrating power due to it having the fastest fire rate out of all the LMGs.

Holographic Sight (60 kills while aiming down the Red Dot sight): Can be useful in reducing muzzle flash due to it being elevated on the gun.

Heartbeat Sensor (15 kills with silencer): Decent, as the M240 isn't a great close range weapon but does have a fast fire rate, and again, can be used to switch to a powerful secondary.

Thermal Scope (20 kills while looking down the ACOG scope): Like the ACOG, not too effective on a weapon with moderately high recoil.

Extended Magazines (40 bullet penetration kills with FMJ equipped): Like any LMG, useful in the fact that reloading is not necessary.

Description: Just ask Clock! The M240 is a decent LMG, it has a ridiculously fast fire rate, which can prove very useful, as many enemies will panic when they have a lot of rounds being fired at them quickly. Its recoil is rather high, but can be reduced with the Grip. It is quite effective in medium range due to the fire rate. It is also very good for penetration kills, as it can fire many bullets into an area quickly. However, a fast fire rate also means that it will burn through its 100 rounds rather quickly, even though it has an average reload time, better than the RPD and MG4 but worse compared to the AUG or L86.

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Tier 1

Scavenger: Really not necessary on an LMG, they already have large magazines and lots of ammo.

Sleight of Hand: Probably one of the best perks to use on an LMG. It makes the reload bearable, and the Pro version of the perk makes them Aim down the Sights faster, which is nice since the LMGs are handicapped in ADS time.

Marathon: Since LMG users run slower and have a decreased sprint time, Marathon may be useful for covering more distance with the LMG. However, if covering distance is the goal, a better choice would be a submachine gun with Marathon.

Bling: Another great perk for LMGs. Since Grip is often desired or necessary on most of the LMGs, Bling allows you to put on any other attachment you desire.

One Man Army: Often overlooked. One Man Army can be used to "change class" to the same LMG class, and it will give the gun full ammo again. Usually it will change class faster than an LMG will reload, and the Pro version will do it faster even than the AUG will reload. Also, you get all of your equipment back as well.

Tier 2

Lightweight: LMG users move more slowly than any other weapon class in the game, so lightweight will help mitigate this problem. However, lightweight increases speed by a 7% of the mobility, so a weapon with full mobility (like a submachine gun) would have more to gain from the perk.

Stopping Power: Stopping power only makes the LMGs even more deadly, making the RPD, AUG, and L86 2-shot kills anywhere on the body unsilenced.

Hardline: LMGs don't benefit from this, it's really up to the user whether or not to use this perk. Other tier 2 perks would be better, though.

Cold-Blooded: Good for a stealth class, as LMGs already have high damage, they could be very good in conjunction with this perk.

Danger Close: Not useful at all with the LMGs.

Tier 3

Commando: Not too useful with LMGs, they're really slow and knifing isn't what you want to be doing with one of them.

Steady Aim: A great perk, very useful for hipfiring in close range battles, which LMGs excel at.

Scrambler: This perk pretty much just sucks, lets the enemy know where you are. Don't use it.

Ninja: Another great perk for a stealth class or for those who don't like hearing their own footsteps when the walk.

Sitrep: Doesn't benefit LMGs, but since they have good penetrating power, one could technically help out their team by shooting a claymore through a wall across the map.

Last Stand: Just not useful in general with an LMG, other 3rd tier perks are far more useful.

Deathstreaks

Copycat: Not recommended, doesn't help at all.

Painkiller: Doesn't help with LMGs much since unless you're spawning right by the enemy, it'll take you longer than 10 seconds to see some action, and the effect will wear off by then.

Martyrdom: Probably the most effective for an LMG, just die and hope to get them with the gaynade.

Final Stand: Can prove useful at times, however, most enemies will finish you before you can raise the gun.

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Due to their slow movement speed, LMGs are often best in a defensive role, for example, overlooking an objective. Although the user could "camp" with the gun, it is often best in any situation to move around after you kill a few enemies. An LMG user can still move up on offense, but it would be best not to be on the front lines. Instead the user should provide protection from further away and take advantage of the lack of damage drop off at range. They can provide covering fire for their teammates.

Secondaries
This is just to discuss possible choices of secondaries and their strengths.

Handguns- Good for those situations where you're out of ammo and you need to whip out something fast instead of reloading.

Shotguns- Good for the close quarters battles, but the LMGs can be hipfired in close quarters and usually are able to do the trick.

Machine Pistols- Handguns would probably be better since they draw faster, but if you need the extra firepower they might not be a bad choice.

Launchers- An AT4/RPG is great as a secondary for some of these, making the LMG/Launcher class sort of a heavyweight combo. Javelins and thumpers work as well. Stinger is also a great option if you're considering an LMG for a anti-air class.

Team Deathmatch
Since there really is no objective to protect or attack here, it is often beneficial for the LMG user to patrol an area of the map. This can be achieved by moving back and forth along the area, taking different routes if possible. It is also often best to try to stay away from close-quarters areas so that the great range of the LMGs can be fully taken advantage of.

Domination
The LMG user has two options in a domination game. They can either guard a flag for their team from a hidden location rather far from but within sight of the flag. This way their team can go about putting pressure on other flags. Or, the LMG user can eliminate opposing defenders, especially at a flag that is in a room by using the large ammo count and firepower.

Demolition
Like Domination, but the LMG user's role is determined by round. If they are attacking, the LMG user will push forward with the team and provide suppressing/covering fire while another teammate plants, and then will assume a defensive role once the bomb is planted. They will then assume this defensive role for when they are on defense.

Capture the Flag
The LMG user should really only be guarding the flag. An LMG user should not attempt to grab the enemy's flag at any point, unless his teammate drops it nearby. The LMG user should repel enemies from capturing the flag, and at some points can provide suppressing fire for his teammate while he runs with the flag.

Headquarters Pro
If the LMG user's team is defending the Headquarters (HQ), the LMG user should not be in the general area of the HQ, but somewhere further away, for two reasons:
1. To be able to protect the HQ from a less obvious location, and
2. To be able to overpower enemies that may even see the LMG user, as most enemies run into an HQ with shotguns or close-quarters weapons drawn.

If the LMG user's team is attacking a HQ, the LMG user can take advantage of the large ammo count and firepower and clear out a room of enemies. LMGs excel at clearing small rooms, especially if a flash or stun grenade is thrown in first.

Sabotage
Should be played like a mix between Capture the Flag and Demolition. The LMG user will defend the bomb site if his team plants or is trying to plant the bomb, or he will provide suppressing fire if his teammate grabs the bomb and is running toward one of the sites.

Search and Destroy
Search and Destroy (SnD) should be played cautiously, just like demolition, but staying hidden and behind cover if possible. If on offense, the LMG user should provide cover and firepower for the bomb carrier so that he can survive and plant the bomb. If on defense, he should choose on of the bomb sites to defend, or if possible, choose a site that will overlook both bombs.

Hardcore Information
Although LMGs are quite powerful, in Hardcore it may be more beneficial to choose a powerful Assault Rifle, since they are faster, and the first shot usually matters in Hardcore. Nevertheless, below is a chart indicating the lethality of the LMGs in Hardcore.

*Note: "OHK" means "One Hit Kill" and indicates that the weapon will kill an enemy in one shot. This is assuming the enemy does not have painkiller equipped or is not already hurt.

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