Intro
This guide is designed to help new Brink players choose weapon pairings, attachments, and uses. To that end, it will include a lot of my own observations and opinions. It's not perfect, and many will disagree, but according to the powers that be, this is better than me adding my musings to the official weapon pages. And I agree wholehartedly - I suck at summarizing.
That all said, before you can understand my rationale, there's two things you must know. First, I don't play shooters in multiplayer. Except Section 8: Prejudice, but that's recent. Odds are good I'll never play a single game of Brink with another human player. As such, my tactics have been honed against the AI, which frankly is usually more skilled than most players anyway. Second, since I'm playing offline, I don't have teammates yapping in my ear. This leads me to often run off and do my own thing. Depending on the map and other settings, this could mean defending a choke point or sniping or any number of things. I once got so pissed off at an AI I killed him with the Hjammerdeim, then switched to the Gerund and emptied both mags into the corpse. Felt a lot better after that, I did. That said, I seldom play as an Operative, and have played Medic a total of twice. Didn't care much for either one. I play primarily as an Engineer, or when the weapon demands it, a Soldier. None of this is in any way meant to prevent anyone else from being a team player, nor to tell anyone not to play medic or Operative. It's just not my style.
Now...on to the actual guide. I'm going to structure this in a simple format, and simply go gun-to-gun through each weapon in the game. Then, I'll have a roles section, and finally, a tactics section. You'll notice immediately that some weapons are missing - those are the weapons I never use, ever, at all. Two exceptions to this are the Belgo and the Richie - I didn't pay good money for all the DLC to use the Belgo and Richie. Instead, I use the Hockler and Caesar.
Weapons
ALL WEAPONS
The following should apply to every weapon unless stated otherwise:
Default Attachments: Greeneye Scope, Muzzle Brake, Speed Sling/Holster, Drum Magazine
Replace any of these with the specific suggestions from each weapon.
Sea Eagle Pistol
Recommended Attachments: Rapid Fire
Role: Finish Drognav Targets (Sniper/Raider)
The Sea Eagle does good damage at medium to long range. The rapid fire attachment will cost you a lot of stability, so add a muzzle brake to negate it. Pair it with a Drognav and use them in tandem to snipe. 1 shot from the Drognav will do roughly 80% damage on a medium body type, 90% if engi buffed. Then, swap to the Sea Eagle and finish them off. If you're playing a dedicated sniper, this is more effective than a single shot from the Barnett (132 damage instead of 125) and uses less ammo. How? Well, the Barnett has 8 shots. The Drognav has 16 and the Sea Eagle has 20 - so at minimum you can take out 16 targets. That's 2 full waves of enemies. Due to the extra ammo, you can use this tactic with an Engineer as well - you aren't tied to a Soldier due to constant low ammo.
Casear Revolver
Recommended Attachments: Silencer
Role: Poor Man's Sniper Rifle (Raider/Support)
Wanna play a light body type yet maintain a good rapid fire weapon? Grab a Galactic or Bulpdaun SMG and use this as your backup weapon. I advise against Rapid Fire. I use it myself but I've sunk 100+ hours into Brink, so I know exactly when I can pull the trigger again and still hit the target - and I've died a LOT learning that. Anyhow, the Caesar is capable of doing the same damage at the same range as the Drognav, albeit with fewer bullets and slightly less accuracy. This is recommendeed only for a Soldier player. Other classes will burn through the limited ammo too fast.
Hockler Automatic Pistol
Recommended Attachments: High Capacity Mag
Role: Panic Button (Sniper)
As noted elsewhere, the Prima guide lists this as a Panic Weapon, and this is pretty much spot-on. As a result of this, it pairs well when you otherwise intend to use one and only one weapon for all your offensive shooting. Yep, the Barnett. Both the Barnett and Hockler have constant ammo shortages, so obviously I recommend using either only when playing a Soldier.
Recommended Attachments: [OPTIONAL] Rapid Fire
Role: Engineer's Sniper Rifle (Sniper/Support)
The Drognav does enough damage to kill a Light Body Type, even buffed once, outright. That is, if you've had the Drognav buffed by an engineer. Otherwise it won't kill anything. Needless to say, this makes the weapon somewhat useless in singleplayer unless you ARE the engineer, since the AI engi's never seem to give you a weapon buff until half way through the mission. I get Kevlar every time one passes by, but weapon boost? In my dreams! Anyhow, as noted in its section, I recommend pairing the Drognav with the Sea Eagle for 2-shot kills. As to Rapid Fire...it's useful if your enemy manages to close range really fast and you don't have time to whip out a pistol, but just remember you have it the rest of the time - and shouldn't use it the rest of the time.
Barnett Light Rifle
Recommended Attachments: Snoop-r Scope, Silencer
Role: Soldier's Sniper Rifle (Sniper)
Nothing quite says badass like "Betrayal Repaid, Sidonis." If you haven't played Mass Effect 2, buy it just to hear that line alone. Back in this universe, the Barnett fills the obligatory "One Shot, One Kill" niche required in every FPS game ever made. Due to the total of 8 bullets, pretty much no class besides the Soldier can use one. That said, each shot does enough damage that you can install a Silencer without worrying about denting your kill percentage much. This, combinded with the extreme zoom of the Snoop-r Scope allows you to pick off targets literally halfway across the map - provided the map is open enough, of course. Also, the Snoop-r Scope is useful on either rifle if you're playing as an Operative for the sole purpose of minesweeping. You could do it with the Greeneye, but the Snoop-r seems to pick them up farther away. As for your backup weapon, I recommend the Hockler. Your primary, secondary, tertiary, and even extra-gun-in-the-truck when using the Barnett should be the Barnett. The Hockler is a good choice because it's a "Panic Button" weapon. Use it only when an enemy manages to close in on your position. Which, if you're using the Barnett right, should be never.
Bulpdaun SMG
Recommended Attachments: High Capacity Mag
Role: Marksman SMG (Sniper/Raider)
The Bulpdaun should be used as a Marksman weapon. I know, I know, yes, it's an SMG, but the Bulpdaun is more accurate at medium range than the freaking Gerund after the latest patch. Not even kidding. Depending on your body type, you should choose either the Caesar (if Light) or the Rokstedi (if Medium) as your alternate weapon. Though, if you're a Medium body type, I recommend the Galactic as your secondary anyway. The Bulpdaun also seems to work equally well for either Soldier or Engineer - the ammo is enough to survive as an Engineer, and the damage is enough to live with as a Soldier.
Galactic SMG
Recommended Attachments: Front Grip
Role: Hip-fire SMG (Raider)
With a Muzzle Brake and Front Grip, the stability of the Galactic is damn close to 100%. It almost doesn't move. At all. As a result, it makes an excellent short to medium range hip-fire weapon. However, it should only be used as a backup weapon for a Medium body type - Light should look elsewhere. It pairs well with the Rokstedi.
Gerund Assault Rifle
Recommended Attachments: Default [OPTIONAL] Underslung Grenade Launcher
Role: Long Range AR (Support/Tank)
Besides the 2 Light Rifles, none of the weapons in brink are truely suited for "Long Range" but the Gerund and Maximus are probably the closest weapons to them. As with the Maximus, you should ALWAYS fire the Gerund in VERY short bursts (If you've spent more than 5 bullets in a single trigger pull, at least 1 missed...) and ALWAYS sighted in. Do. Not. Hip. Fire. This. Gun. As long as you follow these two simple pointers, no weapon makes a better primary for a Medium Body Type. Due to the fact that you will be burst-firing the gun, an Engineer can play more to the gun's strong points than a Soldier, but it works wonders for either. I don't typically advise the UGL on this gun, but if you're playing as a Soldier, contact-detonated grenades are an ability you'll come to appreciate. A lot. Note that the UGL won't apply to your special soldier kit grenades, though. As for pairings, you have a myraid of options, but considering the Gerund's Long Range role, short range weapons are the obvious choices. For a Heavy Body Type, the Gerund makes an excellent backup to the Hjammerdeim. For a Medium, the Galactic's hip-fire capabilities compliment the Gerund well. Nevertheless, the Gerund is an AR, so it can cover short ranges as well. As such, you might consider pairing it with a Drognav. Pairing with the Maximus is ill-advised, as both guns cover pretty much the exact same range, do roughly the same damage, and have about the same amount of muzzle climb. No sense bringing 2 of the same gun.
Euston Assault Rifle
Recommended Attachments: Default, [OPTIONAL] YeoTek Red Dot Sight
Role: Heavy Body Type SMG (Tank/Raider)
The Euston used to be one of my favorite guns. Then I used the Gerund once and I've only fired a Euston twice since. It's not a bad weapon by any stretch, but suffice to say it's outmatched by any other AR at medium to long range, which is kinda AR turf. That said, when wielding the Maximus on a Heavy Body Type, the Euston makes an excellent backup weapon, giving you both a short range weapon, and a Downed Fire gun with a LOT of punch. You could also pair it with a Drognav on a Medium Body Type for a lot of punch at any range. I install Greeneye sights on pretty much everything out of habbit, but I have to admit that, given its short effective range, a Red Dot sight works here too. I prefer the YeoTek because it's the only Red Dot Sight which can be equipped on every gun.
Rokstedi Assault Rifle
Recommended Attachments: Default, [OPTIONAL] Underslung Grenade Launcher
Role: 2-shot Marksman Rifle (Support)
Dammit, why do game studios do that? Give us a perfect marksman weapon, then disable using a Front Grip on it? Stupid Bethesda... Anyhow, the Rokstedi is best used as a 2-shot Marksman Rifle. Ever seen Zombieland? Then you know what to do: Double Tap. Combinded this is 108 damage, enough to lay out pretty much anyone except buffed Heavies. Then I guess you should Tripple Tap. The UGL is something of a double-edged sword here, and depends highly on your choice of alternate weapon. The primary use with respect to the Rokstedi is to stop an enemy attempting to charge at you in mid-stride. Nothing like a grenade to the face to make you reconsider the direction you're headed in! If you're playing as a soldier, or aren't using a good close-range weapon as your alternate gun, you should probably equip the UGL. Just remember to keep your standard grenade off cooldown - only throw your Molotovs or Napalm Grenades and save the Frag and 1 supply pip to stop rushers. If you're playing an Engineer, need your grenades all the time, or just generally intend to use the Rokstedi at the longest range it can possibly hit a target at, leave the UGL in the supply post.
Maximus Light Machine Gun
Recommended Attachments: Default, [OPTIONAL] YeoTek Red Dot Sight
Role: Burst-fire, Long Range, Automatic Owning Tool (Tank/Support)
The Maximus can put 4 shots on a target at a time before trailing off the target. Those 4 shots deal a combinded total of 128 damage. That much damage can kill any enemy except a tripple-buffed Heavy. With this knowledge in mind, how many shots should you EVER fire from a Maximus in one burst? Hint: It's less than 5 and more than 3. Seriously, I know it's a fully automatic machine gun, but either burst fire it, or go on the South Beach Diet until you're a Medium Body Type, then go pick another gun. As to pairings and attachments...the options are endless. The Euston is a good choice. You could also go with the Mossington. I don't use the Mossington myself, because I find it only works well as a backup weapon for a Heavy, and in that case, my Heavy is going to be wieldding either the Maximus or the Hjammerdeim. Onbiously dual wielding shotguns is pretty redundant (and stupid) so the only potential pairing for me is with the Maximus, and I find that the Euston works better for that. On rare occaision I have been known to pair the Bulpdaun, Drognav, or even the Caesar with the Maximus, but as a general rule, if you're playing as a heavy, there aren't many good reasons NOT to use an AR as your secondary. The YeoTek is a viable option if you're not doing well controlling the Muzzle Climb and want to try using the Maximus closer to medium range. Just keep in mind that, at longer ranges, Red Dot sights provide so little zoom as to be more of a hindrance than a help, literally covering up the target so much that you can't tell if you're gonna shoot your enemy in the head or the heart.
Hjammerdeim Simi-Automatic Shotgun
Recommended Attachments: YeoTek Red Dot Sight
Role: 10-foot Sudden Death Aura, 15-Foot False Ego Booster (Tank)
First thing's first: the Hjammerdeim is not as good as you think it is when you're using it, and it's not as bad as your enemies thing when they're trying to close distance with you. For all intents and purposes, a player wielding the Hjammerdeim is fully immune to melee strikes. You are able to 2-shot any enemy that tries to close range, and then inject them with a third helping of hot lead to be damn sure nobody will be reviving their corpse during this wave. On the other hand, the Hjammerdeim is so weak against targets 15 feet away that you are literally better off shooting them with a Tokmak. Which is to say the TokMak is more or less the worst gun in Brink. You should always equip the Hjammerdeim with a Red Dot sight. At the range you're engaging targets at, a Greeneye is just going to give you a really good look at the individual hairs on their head, and Iron Sights are...well...they're Iron Sights, never use them unless you have to. Speaking of which, sighting in the Hjammerdeim isn't actually always advised. Against single targets you should always sight, as it focus the spray to ensure the maximum number of pellets contact your target. However, against a group of multiple enemies, 3 successive Hjammerdeim blasts will kill 3 or even 4 enemies if they are tightly grouped together. An excellent use for this is when you can sneak up behind 2 or more enemies capturing your command post - and blow the both to kingdom come together. I feel like this should give an extra "denied" bonus or something, but I guess Bathesda wanted a slightly more serious game than that. For your backup weapon, you have 2 main choices. The Gerund, or the Rokstedi. Sure, you have other options. The Galactic, Bulpdaun, or even the Drognav are good alternatives. However, you want weapons that have some long range punch, and more importantly, something that's pretty accurate at long range. Depending on how good you are at forcing yourself to burst fire when you should, the obvious choices are the Gerund and the Rokstedi. In fact, if you can close distance quick enough, a single shot from the Rokstedi paired with one blast from the Hjammerdeim can kill anyone.
Roles
Section to be completed soon!
Tactics
Section to be completed soon!