Rifleman

The rifleman is the basic fighter class. They tend to be front line combatants, leading the charge toward enemy positions and being the backbone of the armed forces. Riflemen generally use assault rifles and machine guns, with smoke grenades as an accessory.

Coalition Rifleman

The coalition rifleman is ready for anything, equipped with an M16A4 assault rifle featuring an underslung M203 grenade launcher. Later on, the coalition rifleman can unlock the M249 light machine gun, for those occasions when suppressive fire is necessary.

Whether attacking or defending, consider choosing the rifleman as your general-purpose combat workhorse.

Standard-Issue Equipment

Coalition Rifleman Unlocks

OPFOR Rifleman

Equipped with an AK-47 assault rifle and GP-25 grenade launcher, the OPFOR rifleman is a formidable combat unit even before unlocking any special gear.

Keep playing as the rifleman to gain access to the PKM light machine gun and a host of other special weapons and attachments. Mix and match weapons and gear to counter the ever-changing conditions on the battlefield.

Standard-Issue Equipment

OPFOR Rifleman Unlocks

Rifleman Weapons

M164A

Team: Coalition

Unlock Rank: Recruit (1)

Fire Mode: Automatic

Magazine Capacity: 30

Accuracy
Range
Damage
Rate of Fire

Attachments

Field Notes

The M16A4 is the most recent variant in the legendary M16 family of assault rifles. The rifle is extremely versatile but is most effective when engaging targets at intermediate to long range.

Attach a red dot sight or combat scope at the earliest opportunity to improve the rifle's accuracy while increasing the zoom magnification.

With its impressive accuracy and stopping power, the M16A4 is a surprisingly effective long-range weapon.

AK-47

Team: OPFORs

Unlock Rank: Recruit (1)

Fire Mode: Automatic

Magazine Capacity: 30

Accuracy
Range
Damage
Rate of Fire

Attachments

Field Notes

Despite its age, the AK-47 remains one of the most popular and reliable assault rifles in the world. Statistically, the rifle performs similar to the coalition M16A4 and benefits from the same attachments.

However, the AK-47 exhibits slightly heavier recoil, so go easy on the trigger. For best results, fire the rifle in short bursts to prevent the weapon from pulling off target. This is essential when engaging enemies at long range.

M249

Team: Coalition

Unlock Rank: Veteran (4)

Fire Mode: Automatic

Magazine Capacity: 100

Accuracy
Range
Damage
Rate of Fire

Attachments

Field Notes

The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon is the standard-issue light machine gun deployed by the U.S. Army. When it comes to suppressing targets with high volumes of fire, this is the right tool for the job.

Install a muzzle brake on the weapon's barrel to dampen recoil and increase accuracy—the reduction in damage is a fair trade-off. But even with a muzzle brake, the weapon emits a large muzzle flash, potentially giving away your position.

PKM

Team: OPFORs

Unlock Rank: Veteran (4)

Fire Mode: Automatic

Magazine Capacity: 100

Accuracy
Range
Damage
Rate of Fire

Attachments

Field Notes

The Russian designed and manufactured PKM light machine gun has been adopted worldwide by armies and rebel groups alike thanks to its rugged operation and reliability.

However, the weapon exhibits heavy recoil and can greatly benefit from a muzzle brake attached to the barrel. Attaching optics can also increase the PKM's accuracy and magnification, making it rather effective for suppressing targets at intermediate and long range

M60

Team: Both

Unlock Rank: Pre-Order Exclusive

Fire Mode: Automatic

Magazine Capacity: 100

Accuracy
Range
Damage
Rate of Fire

Attachments

Field Notes

The M60 light machine gun is an exclusive pre-order unlock, available only from specific vendors. Once unlocked, it's immediately available to rifleman players on both coalition and OPFOR teams.

This gives you access to a very formidable light machine gun before reaching the Veteran (4) rank. The M60 packs a bit more range and power than the standard M249 and PKM light machine guns too.But it also exhibits heavy recoil, despite its significantly lower rate of fire.

M240

Team: Coalition

Unlock Rank: Pre-Order Exclusive

Fire Mode: Automatic

Magazine Capacity: 100

Accuracy
Range
Damage
Rate of Fire

Attachments

Field Notes

The M240 light machine gun is an exclusive unlock for players who pre-ordered Medal of Honor from the EA Store. This massive weapon packs some serious power but suffers from a lack of range and some fierce recoil.

Attaching a combat scope and a muzzle brake can somewhat mitigate these deficiencies, but the weapon remains most effective at short-intermediate ranges.

RPK

Team: OPFORs

Unlock Rank: Pre-Order Exclusive

Fire Mode: Automatic

Magazine Capacity: 100

Accuracy
Range
Damage
Rate of Fire

Attachments

Field Notes

Like the M240, the RPK is an exclusive unlock for EA Store customers, and is made available at the very start of your multiplayer career.

Statistically, the RPK is identical to the M240. Both weapons are very powerful light machine guns that are most accurate when fired from a stable, fixed position.

In other words, don't fire this weapon from the hip while on the run—you probably won't hit anything.

F2000

Team: Both

Unlock Rank: Tier 1 Regular (9)

Fire Mode: Automatic

Magazine Capacity: 30

Accuracy
Range
Damage
Rate of Fire

Attachments

Field Notes

This Belgian-designed fully automatic assault rifle utilizes a bullpup configuration offering great performance and mobility. The rifle has a slightly higher rate of fire than the M16A4 and AK-47, but also inflicts less damage.

As a result, the weapon is best suited for engagements at close-to-intermediate ranges where its high rate of fire can chew through opponents.

Equipping a suppressor reduces the rifle's effective range and damage but also dampens recoil, making the F2000 an absolute beast in close quarters.

Special Equipment

Grenade Launcher

The M16A4, AK-47, and F2000 are each equipped with an underslung grenade launcher. Grenades fired from this launcher explode on impact and can destroy light cover including wood fences, trees, and some stone walls.

By raising the barrel you can launch these munitions impressive distances, especially if you're standing on a hill. Use the horizontal lines on the HUD to adjust your aim, raising the barrel to engage distant targets or lowering the barrel for a more direct firing arc.

Grenades have a high splash damage and can kill or injure opponents within a modest blast radius. They're particularly effective at taking out fixed machine gun positions.

However, they lack the penetrative power of the special ops rocket launcher and as such are less effective against armored vehicles like the M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle.

Smoke Grenade

Never underestimate the significance of a well-placed smoke screen. Instead of frag grenades, the rifleman is equipped with one smoke grenade useful for concealing yourself (and teammates) from incoming fire.

On offense, smoke grenades are vital for concealing advances, particularly when there's little environmental cover.

Use smoke grenades when crossing streets, streams, alleys, or other open areas known to be watched by enemy troops.

But smoke screens are at their most opaque in the first five to seven seconds, so move out before the smoke dissipates.

Rifleman Tactics

• Of all three classes, the rifleman is the most versatile, offering exceptional performance at any range. If you're not sure what the situation is on the ground, spawn in as a rifleman (equipped with an assault rifle) and lend your teammates a hand.

• The rifleman is the core unit of any attacking force, particularly when rushing an objective. Dash from one piece of cover to the next, using smoke as necessary to conceal your advance. Smoke can also be used to conceal the objective itself, especially if you need a few seconds to set a charge or capture a flag.

• Any of the assault rifles can double as a decent sniper rifle by attaching a combat scope. With 4x magnification, the combat scope's optics make it easy to score head shots at just about any range. Plus, the rifle's automatic capability makes it simple to fire a follow-up burst if you miss the first time. But don't hold the trigger down too long as recoil will cause the weapon to jump off target.

• The light machine guns greatly benefit from the addition of a muzzle brake. While the attachment reduces the weapon's range and damage, it greatly reduces recoil, making it much easier to keep the weapon on target, even during prolonged automatic bursts. However, muzzle brakes do very little to reduce the weapon's large muzzle flash and distinct sound, so be mindful of giving away your position—snipers have any easy time zeroing in on large muzzle flashes.

• Suppressors can only be fitted on the assault rifles in this class. The reduction in range and damage may seem like a hard sell, but suppressors have some great advantages. Obviously, a suppressor reduces the weapon's report, making it tough to hear. As a result, your position is not temporarily shown on the minimap when firing a suppressed weapon. The suppressor also eliminates muzzle flash, ideal when trying to hide from snipers and other long-range threats.