Heavy Machine Gun (QL)

In Quake Live, the Heavy Machine Gun appears as a new weapon, added in the August 27 update. It functions similarly to the Machine Gun, having more damage and higher fire rate, but suffers more spread than the Machine Gun. When someone kills an enemy with the Heavy Machine Gun, the game summary will announce something like for example, "Razor was ripped by Orbb's HMG."

HMG added to the Quake Live to replicate the removed Chain Gun by August 2014 update with more preferable damage and fire rate stats.

Strategies

 * Compared to MG, HMG has approximately 33% faster firerate and a very noticable spread. That makes its damage output and effective shot amount lose by wide misses at long ranges. When put roughly, both at firerate and spread, it stands inbetween Machine Gun and Chain Gun. Apparently it shares the same per hit damage value with Chain Gun.
 * Although Heavy Machine Gun's damage per hit seems low, coupled with high fire rate making it lethal at short and medium range, effectively ripping the target to shreds in a short time. By positioning near a cover or stairs, it's great for overwhelming stocked opponents away from an important pickup or raining bullets on a heated up fight from above.
 * Since Machine Gun is nerfed in Quake Live, guarding the health orbs technique is not entirely viable with it anymore. HMG takes the scene where MG left off here, thanks to its higher damage per hit. After stacking some armor, always seek health orbs to fend an important area for visitors that may rush in from gates to reach high grade items.
 * In close combat, mirror chase opponent's movement direction and circle strafe around their movement trail to out play them as they try to keep distance. Circling in a narrow motion and chasing them to maintain distance will allow you to array most of your bullets slightly ahead of your movement direction for a shortwhile. Crouch momentarily for recovery when you see opponent rushing forward at you to track the foe better on the horizon as you retreat.
 * At medium-long distances against hectic targets or foes that aren't aware of your presence yet, it's adviced to shoot in short bursts to not waste ammo and keep it slow before engaging. Track target, zoom-in at long distances when capable and keep continuous fire as you're in desired combat range. Zooming in and firing the HMG in bursts at the open from a stable position may help one to chip away at opponents safely. At enclosed spaces, you may prefer go out guns blaring outta cover.
 * HMG is widely ineffective against cover and long distances are not where it excels at. It's advised to pair it with large splash damage weapons like Rocket Launcher or Grenade Launcher. Slower projectiles will keep the target on their toes and will allow HMG to utilize its wider spread. Also you will have a damage spike at hand for finishing moves or denying positions.
 * Against Railgun fire, you can spray the sightline by prefiring around corners once you located the sniper. Combinate the prefire at long range with a complimentary rocket shot to flush away the threats. A small expose less than a second to the Heavy Bullets would give you enough time to swap weapons and send a shot. That's considering kickback scale is set to default by server.
 * Heavy Machine Gun is less accurate than Machine Gun because of larger spread, making it difficult to deal respectable damage to the targets at long distances. Use Machine Gun or Railgun instead for tighter spread or better burst. At long distance against armored targets, HMG won't have any upper hand compare to Machine Gun, however.
 * For prefiring you ought to look for high ground to utilize the spread of HMG and be on the move to array most of the shots tightening the spread. Otherwise you may try crouch peeking while shooting at above ledges. When high above, a crouch peek at covered areas down a ledge would come handy as you retreat back and send a short twitching burst to anyone coming out.
 * Taking large turns if possible at corners and gates, positioning at ramps and high spots may help you to evade splash damage better while maintaining your range for shooting spree. Positioning first is important in a team fight or trying to repel opponents away from an important pickup.
 * HMG is a great weapon for finishing off retreating targets. It can't maintain a good dps at long range, but stray fire should be enough for stacking some easy frags upon the weakened foes. Low health targets will scream in high pitched voices announcing their presence and bad state they're in already. In Clan Arena, when an enemy is at low health, you can use Heavy Machine Gun to finish the target off.
 * When paired with Quad Damage or Doubler, HMG becomes such a power that can be hard to fiddled with. Such damage amplifications removes its mere weakness against long distances and grants it the damage spike it seeks. Try to change targets so often at the open areas and keep taking cover at crowded matches. Such combination can be used to flush the restocking players away from their path.
 * Because of HMG's indefinite reach and large spread, that weapon can be treated and used like the old Shotgun. Since Shotgun's effective range is now shorter with the recent patches of Quake Live, HMG seem to be the closest participant to fill that gap for harassment fire. Being a mixed counterpart, HMG can be used to suppression fire against Railgunners or holding gates and healing items. Being a rapid beat weapon and a long reach, HMG will not get throughly punished in combat when pre-fired around corners to long distances.

Bugs

 * When the bot is fragged by the Heavy Machine Gun in Practice Match, the bot will sometimes respond the Heavy Machine Gun as [unknown weapon].
 * In addition, bots will equip, but will not fire Heavy Machine Gun at all once it is picked up.