Hello, this is XboxAhoy and this is the eighteenth episode of my Black Ops 2 Weapon Guide.
This time, we're covering the LSAT.
A truly modern LMG design, Black Ops 2 marks the weapon's first appearance in the series,
where it is unlocked at level 13 in multiplayer.
The LSAT, or 'Lightweight Small Arms Technologies' program, is a US-funded effort in small arms
development, led by the AAI Corporation.
One of the key goals of the program is to reduce the weight of both the weapon itself,
and its ammunition: a reduced payload giving the soldier increased flexibility, and enhanced
lethality.
The LSAT light machine gun is one such weapon developed under this program: designed to
be lightweight without compromising in performance, the most notable trait of the in-game representation
is its use of caseless ammunition.
The blue-coloured rounds do away with the traditional brass casing, instead being comprised
of a bullet encased within a solid propellant.
Another feature includes a digital bullet counter device affixed to the magazine, indicating
the number of rounds remaining.
Weapons such as the LSAT could very well supplant weapons like the M249 SAW in their squad support
roles, with their drastically reduced weight and equal or better effectiveness giving the
LSAT design a distinct advantage.
In-game, the LSAT's damage is relatively high - you'll kill in just three shots out to a
comfortable range, and will seldom need more than four shots to kill.
While the LSAT's reach doesn't quite match the Mk 48, it is nonetheless impressive, and
it's only over the longest sightlines where you'll start to see a loss in potency.
Like its peers in the LMG category, the LSAT also boasts very good penetration characteristics
- few weapons will tear through cover as effectively.
Rate of fire is a healthy 750 rounds per minute, bested only by the QBB within its class.
This output allows for a balanced blend of a quick time-to-kill up close, and more stable
handling at a distance - making the LSAT quite a versatile weapon overall.
Rapid Fire will take your output to 1000 rounds per minute, but this will hamper handling
traits and reduce your effective range greatly.
Hipfire performance is standard for the LMG class: certainly not stellar, with wide spread
limiting your effectiveness.
Recoil is present, but relatively mild - when burst fired, the LSAT has the reach to match
any other automatic weapon.
Up close or at a mid range, automatic fire will be effective - and with the decent rate
of fire and large pool of ammunition, the LSAT can be quite deadly against groups of
enemies.
Aim time is slow, at 450 milliseconds: the same as all the other LMGs.
Most handling traits are sluggish, in fact - and the LMGs have the slowest movement speed
of any primary weapon class, at just 90% of the maximum base.
Magazine capacity is excellent, however - 100 rounds between reloads gives you an awesome
potential pool of lead to spew in the direction of the enemy team.
Extended clip takes this to a loftier 135 rounds.
Reloads are very slow however, as you might expect of a belt-fed weapon: a seven-second
reload is the price you pay for such capacity.
Still, as long as you find somewhere safe to reload the benefits might outweigh this
delay: carefully dispensed, 100 rounds can provide an unrelenting defence against overwhelming
odds.
As mentioned, the LSAT is a very versatile weapon and can support a variety of loadouts
- stick a Target Finder and FMJ on and you have a very solid LMG build.
The flexible nature of this weapon does open up some alternative tactics, however - and
our build with the LSAT is a subversive one, for an unconventional defensive approach designed
to foil your opponent's awareness and expectation.
In many aspects, it is a stealth build for an LMG - although the lower mobility of the
LMGs means it is a far cry from a traditional aggressive stealth loadout.
First up, we'll be using the Primary Gunfighter Wildcard to fully customise our LSAT - as
this versatile weapon is the key element of our build.
The first of our three attachments is the Dual Band Scope - an optical attachment that
will highlight enemies without Cold Blooded in bright yellow.
This scope is particularly synergistic with smoke grenades, and will otherwise permit
a clear view of your opponent's heat signature in cases of poor visibility.
Next up is the suppressor: this hides you from the minimap when firing, and will allow
you to hold a covert defensive position for longer.
You will lose a portion of your effective range, but the LSAT's reach is still generous
even with the suppressor, so you should still expect to kill with three shots in most cases.
Our last attachment is the laser sight - this confers perhaps the greatest improvement to
the LMG category, where the high close-range damage and large magazine can be put to good
use.
While you might not be competitive with SMGs up close, the laser sight will at least give
you a viable means of repelling close-range attackers, in lieu of a secondary pistol.
Our perk selection is a mixed bag: elements of defensive resistance, stealth and close-range
forgiveness combine to round out this class and enhance your ability to operate in unconventional
positions.
First up, Flak Jacket is always a useful choice for self-preservation - especially while playing
objective games.
The ability to soak up explosions and emerge relatively unscathed is a critical part of
a good LMG defence class - and so is a worthy selection here.
Ghost would be the more traditional stealth option, but given the requirement to stay
on the move, it's less than ideal for our LMG class - and besides, there's more than
one way to deny the enemy a radar advantage.
Cold Blooded is our second perk choice, and will give you the ninja-like ability to blend
into the shadows with the removal of the floaty red name above your head.
In addition, you'll be invisible to a variety of electronic targeting means, including the
Target Finder, MMS and enemies also using the Dual Band Scope.
Our final perk selection is Dexterity - this gives you a degree of positional flexibility,
as you'll be able to sprint with a reduced penalty should you encounter an enemy by surprise.
Combined with the Laser Sight, you will have a passable means of tackling such unexpected
foes, and can afford to mix up your position more often to defy the opposing team's expectations.
Our inevitable tactical choice is the Smoke Grenade - while we lack a means of resupplying,
smoke is a relatively long-lasting obscurant that can prove critical when tackling a hotly-contested
objective.
Smoke a bombsite or point and provide cover from some distance back - you'll be able to
easily pick off enemy attackers without cold blooded, while they'll remain completely oblivious
to your position.
If you can cajole a few teammates into running smoke as well, then the Dual Band will multiply
in usefulness - and your team can provide near-total obscurity upon critical objective
or busy choke point.
Finally, we equip the FHJ in our secondary slot to tackle enemy air support and UAVs.
While Ghost might be a passive ability, it's not a good fit for a defensive class - the
FHJ will totally deny the enemy's radar advantage for your entire team, allowing you to take
on an altogether more useful first perk.
That's our build - a less-than-usual Dual Band and smoke combination, conspiring to
confound the enemy's sense of where your rock-solid defence might spring from.
If you can anticipate where your enemy might appear, a smoke grenade might not stop their
advance - but will certainly kill their visibility.
All that remains is for you to silently strike and drive them back from unseen position.
The LSAT is a versatile light machine gun that performs well across a large spectrum
of ranges.
Its blend of a good fire rate and large magazine means its potential output is more than ample;
yet the relatively low recoil means the weapon is still simple to handle.
It is outclassed in damage and range by the Mk 48, however - and still suffers from the
usual slow-paced handling of an LMG.
It's slow to aim, requires a lengthy reload periodically - and will often leave you vulnerable
up close when compared to weapons better suited for close quarter combat.
Still, of all the LMGs the LSAT is favoured by many for its versatile traits - and as
long as you remain well aware of the LMG's intended role, putting them to good use is
simple.
When it comes to a solid lockdown of an objective, or repelling multiple enemies without reloading
- where some weapons will flunk out and fail...
...the LSAT will pass the test.
Thanks for watching, this has been XboxAhoy.
Join me next week, when I'll be covering the Vector K10.
Until then, farewell.