Field Machine Gun

The Field Machine Gun (also known as the FMG[1]) is a man-propelled, high caliber, anti-infantry gun with capabilities to act as an anti-vehicle gun against lightly-armored targets. It performs well as a support weapon during pushes, as it can easily chop thru light defenses. It requires two crew members (1 driver and 1 gunner) to function fully. However, the gun itself can always be used regardless if there is a driver. The vehicle has only 1 slot in its inventory which is reserved for the 14.5mm ammunition the gun fires.

Description
The FMG is a wheeled anti-infantry gun. The shield that protects the crew members is incredibly strong and able to withstand small-arms fire to the front with no risk for the crew members. They are best utilized as a support for troop pushes by being an effective anti-infantry weapon and acting as mobile cover for troops. It is also an effective weapon at destroying weaker Defenses (such as Foxholes and Tier 1 Bunker Garrisons). It can perform an anti-vehicle role against lightly-armored targets as well, such as the Half-track and the Armored Car.

The two crew members enter the field gun from behind. The driver enters on the left side of the gun, and the gunner enters on the right side. It requires both crew members to be able to move and turn the vehicle, with the driver controlling the vehicle. However, the machine gun can always aim, fire and reload regardless if there is a driver. It's good to note that whilst the gun is reloading it is static and unable to move during the animation. Never reload if movement is required.

Since the shield of the FMG only protects the crew from the front, it is very prone to flanking. As with all vehicles, but extra important with the Field Machine Gun, a troop escort is recommended to protect the gun and man if needed. As a guard you should never stand directly behind or in front of the field gun as it limits movement for the driver.

The FMG is one of the slowest vehicles in the game with slow road and an even slower off-road speed. It can be packaged and transported by a Flatbed Truck or an undeployed Crane.

The FMG has a fire rate of 4 rounds per second. An effective range of 37m (from the gunner) and a max range of 42m. Each 14.5mm bullet deals between 65 and 97 damage.

Lore
During the Great Wars, these heavy guns were only used on static emplacements for defensive purposes, but they have been re-purposed for the field. Equipped with 14.5mm rounds, the Field Machine Gun is feared on the battlefield for its ability to steamroll through well defended positions. A front facing armored shielding provides cover, allowing operators to push forward during attacks with relative safety.

Tactics
A field machine gun is a forward facing gun with an extremely limited firing arc and as such the driver and gunner must be in constant and good communication, typically the driver is the more experienced player and also acts as a commander, directing the gunner on what to shoot. As a driver it should be your first priority in keeping yourself and your gunner safe from harm, the easiest way to do this is to always keep the danger to the front of the gun. The shield will keep the crew safe from most small-arms fire. A good tactic is to also stay on the roads to benefit from the faster speed allowing you to pull away and turn quicker if needed. FMGs are extremely vulnerable at nighttime with the limited visibility and are not recommended to be used at this time as it is extremely easy for enemies to flank behind unseen and wipe out the crew.

The field machine gun's front shield acts a solid form of cover for the crew and infantry however if this shield or the rest of gun takes enough damage it will become disabled if the health drops below 30% to which it needs to be repaired with Basic Materials before it is able to moved.

Destruction
As with all vehicles most effective method of destroying or otherwise disabling this vehicle is to use Explosives and Launchers, however this vehicle's crew is also vulnerable so capturing the vehicle may be preferred. The most effective way of killing the crew quickly and easily is to use a Frag Grenade, it is important to cook the grenade and if done right the grenade will land at the crews feet and they will not be able to act in time before detonation. Green Ash is also an effective way of neutralizing the crew if they are not equipped with Gas Masks and so (as always) wear a gas mask when operating a vehicle.

Tips

 * FMGs are able to walk through barbed wire with no effect. Be careful though that you do not lose your troop escort while going through a sea of wire.
 * If working in a squad, try to destroy light defensive structures such as foxholes and suppress stronger structures so your teammates can get close enough to throw HE Grenades on them. Let your squad deal with enemy troops as much as possible.
 * Using the Callouts system you are able to designate in-game what you would like the gunner to shoot at instead of trying to describe, it is a lot more efficient and can also allow infantry to know what your target is going to be before shooting begins.
 * Multiple FMGs can be used close to each other to form a spartan-like shield- protecting each other's back; this is effective if going against multiple vehicles (such as a Half-track) which are trying to flank the sides of you.
 * Since the FMG crew is often targeted with frag grenades that are hard to dodge completely, it's advised to have a medic close by to heal wounds.

FMG List
category = Field Machine Guns uses = Template:Vehicle Infobox tablesortcol = 1 include = {Vehicle Infobox}.Vehicle page format =, \n,,

Trivia

 * The Swallowtail's firing animation is bugged, causing part of the ammo belt to move backwards and forwards along with the left gun.