Tips for Phantom Forces Classes

Hello there. This will be a guide to your classes, and your standard-issue starting weapons, along with weapons you unlock throughout your career.

There are four classes in Phantom Forces. Assault, Scout, Support, and Recon.

Assaults have access to Assault Rifles, Carbines, Shotguns, and Battle Rifles.

Scouts have access to PDW's, Carbines, Shotguns, and DMR's.

Support is the same as Assault, except with LMG's instead of Assault Rifles.

Lastly, we have Recon. Recons have access to Sniper Rifles, DMR's, Battle Rifles, and Carbines.

Class-Exclusive Weaponry
This will go over the strategies to use class-exclusive weaponry, which means weaponry that can only be used by one class (e.g. LMG's for Support).

Assault
The starting weapon is the M4 for this class. It is the only starting multi-class weapon, and is the starting weapon for the Assault Class. For the M4 is a burst fire carbine, you have two options. Take full advantage of the burst and wipe out people in close quarters in a swift burst, or spam click your load into the enemy. While the former is more efficient, the latter is more reliable in terms of kills.

When you get your hands on actual Assault Rifles, the first being the AK-12 at rank 5, you will want to engage at medium-range distances, like about 120-170 stud ranges. You will have the advantage over most PDW's at those medium ranges, but be weary of DMR's. However, should you use an Assault Rifle in a close quarters role, you will suffice just fine. Medium-range optics and recoil-reducing attachments will suffice for some medium-range Assault Rifles, like the aforementioned AK-12 or the AN-94, unlocked at rank 10, or other low fire rate low recoil AR's. Aim for the head if it makes you comfortable in ensuring you a kill.

Scout
The standard-issue for this class is the MP5k. This weapon, unlike the M4, fires full auto at 900 RPM, as opposed to 3-round bursts at 950 RPM. Keep in close quarters, as your weapon can demolish in CQB, but at range, it doesn't deal much damage. Keep in mind the MP5k can also take bullets from your M9 pistol, as both are chambered in 9x19mm. If you want to get some more ammo for your MP5k, walk over to a weapon, preferably without enemies in sight, as the process can take upwards of 6-7 seconds, and swap your M9 for the gun, switch to the MP5k and back, then pick up your pistol again.

When you have access to other PDW's, there are a slew of different ways to use them. The UMP45 barely has any recoil, so use over 150 studs is a go. The MP7 on the contrary is one of the fastest killing guns you will have access to for a while and is very useful for close quarters combat. The P90 at rank 24, should be handled more like a Light Machine Gun. Big magazine, good damage, and can penetrate walls, but be weary of the low damage. Again, keep in CQB with the majority of PDW's. There are exceptions, like with the UMP, MP5 (and its SD variant) and AUG A3 Para, but that's exactly what they are. Exceptions, not the rule.

Support
The standard issue for this class is the M60. This is a Light Machine Gun that deals heavy hitting 3-4 hit kills at 600 RPM through a 100-round belt. Though slow-firing, it is no slouch when it comes to Time-To Kill. It can break through walls more efficiently than most weapons you will unlock, with exceptions coming in the form of Sniper Rifles. When using this, be sure that you are locking down an objective, preferably with a Ballistics Tracker, which tracks your enemies. When not using it to defend objectives, you can use it to defend your teammates from sniper fire. That is, if you aren't the first killed. The M60 deals heavy suppression from afar, which may ruin the accuracy of the sniper. However, snipers will still have a chance of hitting you, perhaps even landing a critical headshot. A big risk, but one worth taking for your team. Also, be sure to fire in about 10-round bursts when suppressing, so you don't have to unexpectedly run out of ammo in the middle of your run.

When access to other LMG's become available, their play styles won't be much like the M60's. The closest gun so far is the MG36, which may be better at locking down objectives, but isn't as good when suppressing, nor is it as heavy hitting through walls or through clean hits. Other LMG's either rely on accuracy like the AUG HBAR or L86 LSW, or rely on use as if they are glorified Assault Rifles.

Recon
The standard issue weapon for this class is the Intervention. This is a highly lethal sniper rifle of Call of Duty fame dealing 80 damage up close, and 75 at a distance. That is, if you don't hit the head or torso. Torso shots can prove to be just as lethal as headshots, and are easier to go for. Headshots, which deal triple the normal damage, will definitely kill, even if the target is hiding behind a wall. Combined with the heavy penetration, the Intervention can one-hit to the head through the average wall of a building. It is also the most accurate gun in the game, tied with all the other sniper rifles, with low bullet drop and a high 10x zoom scope.

When access to the little amount of snipers becomes available, you will have plenty of options. The Remington 700, basically the same gun with shorter breath, faster recovery, one less bullet, and a faster fire rate. The BFG 50, the most powerful sniper rifle in the game that can one-hit no matter what, and can kill through walls more reliably thanks to its use of the .50 BMG Anti-Materiel round, and then the Mosin Nagant. An old friend that is faster at everything, but only comes with iron sights and only kills in headshots, but professionals can make-do.

Carbines
Carbines are the only true all-class weapons in this game. Carbines are much like Assault Rifles, but more maneuverable in close quarters, and less efficient at range, although sometimes the case is otherwise. You would want to stick to close quarters with many of these weapons. This is the only non-unique class that has a starter weapon.

Shotguns
Shotguns are available to the Assault, Scout, and Support classes, and are monsters at close quarters, wiping out entire squads one boom after another. However, they are also the most versatile class in the game, being able to receive different types of ammunition. Here is a quick rundown of each ammunition type. However, the above ammunition types are very expensive and hard to earn, with Flechette rounds demanding 500 kills, Birdshot 1,000, and Slugs the most demanding, with 2,000 kills. However, if you are completely fine with maining a shotgun, or buying some ammo types with your spare credits, you will be a force to be reckoned with in terms of versatility.
 * Buckshot is your standard load. It is effective out to about 100 studs, often one-hit killing within 50.  However, there is too little spread to be of use in extreme close quarters situations, but too much to be of use at medium-long range.
 * Flechette is the first ammo type to be unlocked. They are similar to buckshot, they can penetrate walls and have a 20% increased max damage range.  But as a tradeoff, they deal less max damage, likely so you can't kill an enemy with 4 darts through a wall.  This is great when you scout out a camping spot, spot the enemies, hide behind the wall, and shoot the wall.  One-hit wallbangs can be possible using this technique.
 * Birdshot is the second ammo type to be unlocked. They absolutely wipe out enemies at extreme close quarters, but can prove more unreliable than buckshot at longer ranges.  Again, keep in close quarters to maximize the potential of birdshot.
 * Slugs are the final ammo type to be unlocked, and are the toughest to unlock. They need 2,000 kills to be unlocked.  They multiply the max damage by 3, min damage by 2.5, introduce more potent multipliers to the head and torso (1.8x head, and 1.4x torso), and minimalize spread drastically.  However, max/min range stays the same.  This is the type of ammo you want if you are dealing with longer range targets, and if you want a scope on your shotgun.  However, prepare yourself, because there still is spread at long range, and the heavy bullet drop will catch you off guard if you are not careful.

DMR's
DMR's are the long range rifles that are available to the Scout and Recon classes. These rifles support a long range role, and sometimes are even capable of one-hit kills. However, those OHK ranges are often limited out to a short 160 studs, which means you can't use these as sniper replacements if you rely on one-shot kills. However, you can still aim for the head, and still reap the benefits of a quicker kill. While they often don't kill as fast as their Battle Rifle cousins, they still offer a longer effective range.

Battle Rifles
Battle Rifles are much like DMR's, but also include a full-auto (or any multi-shot) function. They are offered to the Assault, Support, and Recon classes. They are often much better at short-medium ranges than DMR's, and also have enough damage to take care of long-range targets. However, to balance this, Battle Rifles often have more hefty recoil, meaning you can't spam them as fast at range as you would like to, and are often weaker than their DMR cousins.

Secondaries
''"Pistols (Secondaries) do not win wars, but they save the lives of the men who do. A handgun (secondary) cannot match the accuracy or range of a rifle, but can prove a valuable substitute in the absence of one." -Ahoy''

The only other true all-class weapons, besides Carbines, secondaries are the smaller, less effective weapons you have by your side, when you run out of ammo for your primary. Often times however, the secondaries can fill in roles your primary cannot. Choosing a secondary should be considered as important as choosing a primary, because it means the difference between carrying on without worry, and wasting time trying to find a replacement for your main gun. A primary can cause a huge killstreak, but a good enough secondary can carry on said killstreak, until you find sufficient time to grab an enemy's rifle.

Semi-Automatic Pistols
The stereotypical sidearm. They are the middle ground of close-quarters effectiveness between the Magnums and Machine Pistols. They often have a high capacity, and a high firecap, which makes for good spamming power. However, stopping power is limited to short ranges, and long range can be such a burden to any secondary user, because of the prohibitively short max-min range.

The M9 is a standard-issue secondary for all players, and serves as the middle ground in this class. It is more powerful than the G17, but is weaker than the M1911, both not unlocked much later. The M9 suits a suppressed role well, if you can keep to close quarters.

These weapons are best used as all-rounder secondaries. As backups to any primary weapon. They don't fill a particular niche, not powerful like Magnums, not as fast-firing as the Machine Pistols, but still reach a compromise in both.

Magnums
''I know the general official class name is 'revolvers' but any magnum cartridge firearm can be mentioned here, as the DEagle 44 functions more as a high stopping power magnum than a normal semi-auto pistol. In other words, it's more functionally similar to a revolver with the magazine and +1 capability of a semi pistol.''

These sidearms are very precise and deadly. They have higher ranges than their semi-auto pistol counterparts, and can often deal very deadly damage at long range; 2-hitting to the head at long range for many cases. However, they can't be spammed as efficiently as a Semi-Automatic Pistol, with either a lot of recoil, or a very prohibitive firecap.

The first magnum you unlock is the MP412 REX, unlocked at rank 4. It deals a much better 2-hit range than the DEagle 44, but falters when it enters its 4-hit range, which is after 100 studs. It has a firecap of 600 RPM, which is fairly generous for CQB spamming. However, don't spam beyond ~20 studs, as after that range, you will miss 5 of your 6 shots, with the one hit being your first. It is one of few secondaries capable of a one-hit kill, too, so aim for the head if it suits your fancy.

These weapons are best used if they are paired with a primary that doesn't do as well at medium-long range as these magnums can do. It is best to equip a sight (like the Delta or Mini for clear sights on target) to increase long range effectiveness.

Machine Pistols
These sidearms excel at very close ranges. However, that is about it, as they have limited effective ranges, practically due to their recoil. Limited capacities for such fire rates are another limiting factor, as you can't spray for longer than a second without running dry, with few exceptions.

The first machine pistol you unlock is the G18 at rank 17. This machine pistol is almost statistically identical to the M4A1, but with a lower max-damage range and a far lower 20 max - 50 min range. However, the selling point of this pistol is its controllability and slow fire rate. Unlike the other machine pistols, the G18 has mostly pure vertical recoil, and the slow 780 RPM (for a machine pistol) helps keep the recoil low. However, headshots are almost a must with this weapon, because the damage is a low 25-19, and coupled with its low range, it is a disaster in the making should you face off anyone with a primary. While the element of surprise with a suppressor is nice, it shaves down the range even further, and makes you into dead meat soon enough.

These weapons are best with long-range weapons like Sniper Rifles and DMR's that don't have an edge in close quarters (SKS, VSS Vintorez, and SCAR SSR are out). The fast average time-to-kill of the Machine Pistols makes them a force to be reckoned with in close range, but close quarters combat is all they are effective with.

Sawed-Off Primary
I know, Serbu isn't 'sawed-off,' but it's still pretty much a cut-down version of its Remington 870 cousin.

These sidearms are high-ranking secondaries that function much like their primary brethren, but at a smaller scale. These weapons have no solitary role as a class, but function solely to be a 'spawn in' replacement for any picked-up primary. As a trade-off however, they often take more skill than their primary counterparts, because of some inferior traits compared to said counterparts.

The first weapon of this class is unlocked at rank 36, which is the Serbu Shotgun. While it has a faster per-shell reload of all shotguns, and fastest reload in general for shotguns so far, it is still inferior in many stats. For one, the Serbu has a higher spread than the likes of the KSG and Remington 870, but is however advantageous when using birdshot for close quarters, due to lack of aiming needed to secure kills in CQB. However, the rather hindering fire rate of 90 RPM is even slower than the Remington 870, which made up for it with power, which this shotgun doesn't really have. It is also the only shotgun so far to kill in 6 pellets at long range, as opposed to 5 with the two other shotguns. Stick to close quarters, pop in birdshot if you have to, and you'll be fine.

Due to the diverse nature of this class, let us discuss the Obrez. It is unlocked at rank 117, and can be a tough weapon to use, even for seasoned players. However, it is also very versatile, being able to fit into any class unlike other snipers, as a secondary. It is also the fastest firing and fastest reloading sniper-type weapon, with 65 RPM and 2.25 second reload respectively. However, it has spread, which limits the potential for an amazing effective range, which other snipers need not worry about. It is also the only sniper by default that kills in 3 hits in a non-multiplier influenced area. However, since the headshot multiplier is a hefty 3.0x, you will kill in one hit to the headshot at all ranges. However, even if you're sure about aiming for the head, be prepared to take a follow-up shot, because of the spread, which will either hit a limb, or miss completely. Generally, the target is dead after two shots, one possibly for the head or torso, after another shot was for the limb, but be prepared to take more.

There is no specific recommendation for any type of weapon for this class to side with, but for a CQB-oriented SOP like the Serbu Shotgun, take any long-range sniper rifle or DMR. For a medium-range oriented SOP like the Obrez, either use a CQB primary, or another medium-range weapon like an Assault Rifle, or some PDW's.