L86 LSW - Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Weapon Guide

Facebook: http://facebook.com/AhoyYT
Twitter: http://twitter.com/xboxahoy

This time, we'll be taking a look at the first available Light Machine Gun, the L86 LSW.

It is essentially a modified version of the L85, an assault rifle. The L86 has a longer and heavier barrel, a different handguard, and bipod attachement.

The L86 is a light support weapon rather than an LMG, but in-game it shares some of the same traits as the rest in its category.

As with all the LMGs, it is fully automatic.

The L86 is a British weapon - the only such weapon in the game, in fact - and was introduced as part of the SA-80 programme in 1985.

Like the assault rifle variant, the L86 fires the intermediate 5 point 5-6 by 45 mil NATO round.

The iron sights are an open rear notch - front blade type. They normally would be used only as a backup, and in-game while they are OK, the other available optics are an improvement.

The L86 boasts a high rate of fire, like most of the LMGs - and also has high damage per shot. In fact, it is capable of inflicting the most damage per second of all available primary weapons.

However, this is only really useful if you can make those shots count - and the massive recoil makes the L86 tricky to use effectively.

At close range, coupled with steady aim - it's nearly insurmountable as a 'spray n' pray' weapon. It might lack the mobility of an SMG, but close up it will destroy your opponents.

Unsilenced with stopping power, even in core - 2 bullets is enough to kill - at all ranges.

While it's easy to hit your target twice at close range, taking a shot at longer ranges is difficult.

The first shot is always accurate - but the recoil means that the second one won't be unless you fire in short bursts.

The key to using this weapon at range is to master the double tap - fire once, wait for your aim to fall back on target, and fire again. Score two hits and you've got a kill.

You cannot employ usual run and gun tactics with any of the LMGs - bar the AUG, perhaps - you will be out manouvered and outflanked by more mobile opponents.

The trick to using LMGs effectively - and this applies especially to objective-based game modes - is to identify choke points where the enemy will come from, and lay down fire from either a prone or crouching stance behind cover.

Using an LMG in this fashion to defend a point or to otherwise lock down an area is really their key strength. Some might regard it as camping, but as long as you're guarding an objective you will be of value to your team.

Ammunition capacity is, as you might expect with an LMG, good. 100 rounds in the magazine with another 100 spare.

Extended mags will grant you 200 in a single magazine, but that's probably overkill - 100 should be sufficient for most, and the reload isn't as painful as the belt-fed LMGs.

Of course, in order to get the extended magazines you'll need to go through the FMJ challenge - although in the case of the LMGs this isn't such a bad thing, as FMJ is a very useful attachment.

Adding a silencer to the weapon reduces the damage dealt by 25% at all ranges - which means you'll need 3 hits for a kill in core at all ranges. I definitely preferred using the L86 unsilenced.

As far as optics are concerned, the L86 is one of only three weapons to boast its own unique optical attachement.

The ACOG attachment for the L86 is replaced by the SUSAT scope - similar in use but with a different 'obelisk' post type reticule.

It offers no real benefits - in fact, the ACOG might be slightly better - but, if nothing else, it is a rarity. It does confer some advantage at range, too.

The red dot sight and holographic are more familiar - and operate as you'd expect. They are both a huge improvement over the iron sights, which - while usable enough, lack a certain degree of precision.

If you insist on using the L86 as a run-and-gun weapon, the red dot or holographic sight would be a good attachement choice for rapid aiming at close-mid range.

If you're using the L86 for point defence or to watch a chokepoint, FMJ and/or the foregrip would be a better choice.

The thermal scope is also available to use for the LMGs - and is better suited to the L86 than most automatic weapons, although unless you're used to the thermal scope you might be better off with the SUSAT.

I enoyed using the SUSAT scope coupled with either sleight of hand - or bling with the foregrip. While not particularly useful, its rarity and zoom mean that it's not entirely without merit.

The foregrip seems like a logical attachment choice, but bear in mind it only really makes a difference at middle ranges - at distance your second shot will miss anyway, regardless of whether you have the grip equipped.

The L86 is a hard-hitting weapon, and is capable of killing quickly at all ranges. However, the recoil makes this gun tricky to bring to bear at range, and the mobility penalty of LMGs will hurt you at close range.

Prochain épisode

S01E04 - SPAS-12 - Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Weapon Guide