Senior Gameplay Designer at DICE, Alan Kertz, explains in detail the pros and cons of all Battlefield 3 weapon attachments post-patch.

If you’re serious about your gun skills, then you’ll definitely want to check this one out. Many Battlefield vets will have noticed a rather significant change in weapon attachment balance since the latest patch. According to Kertz, this was completely intentional and for good reason. Pre-patch, many players would gravitate towards the combination of a Forgrip and Suppressor for this set-up seemed to produce the best overall results. So, why would others want to try out different attachments? This was the question Kertz was faced with as he expresses in the latest issue of Inside DICE. He explains, “when we see many players gravitating towards a single setup, as game designers we can conclude that the other choices are not interesting enough to give players reason to try them out. We want players to experience the width of the game, and for this reason we concluded it was time to make a change.”

Below, Kertz has listed various combinations of weapon attachments while explaining the strengths and weaknesses of each after the patch. Each one is categorized into a different play style for easy reference. Which one do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!

Missed all the weapons that will be included in DICE’s upcoming Battlefield 3 DLC, Close Quarters? Check out the full list here!

Jack of All Trades
Primary accessory: Foregrip
Secondary accessory: Flash Suppressor
 
Kertz’ Comments: To be blunt, previously the Flash Suppressor was worthless. Post update it has received a huge buff: It now substantially reduces the muzzle climb of a weapon, making it much more controllable. Pairing the Foregrip and the Flash Suppressor together will give your weapon a huge boost in controllability, and this will especially help with high rate of fire weapons like the F2000, AEK-971, A-91 and FAMAS.

Short Range Stealth
Primary accessory: Foregrip
Secondary accessory: Suppressor
 
Kertz’ Comments: The Foregrip’s muzzle drift reduction works well at short range and pairs well with the Suppressor’s minor muzzle climb reduction. You’ll be invisible on the minimap, you’ll have a significantly reduced muzzle signature, and your weapon will be more controllable. Finally by pairing the Suppressor and the Foregrip together the Suppressor’s minor accuracy bonus fully offsets the accuracy penalty of the Foregrip — your gun will be just as accurate as if you had no accessories at all.

Hip Fire Run and Gun
Primary accessory: Foregrip
Secondary accessory: Laser Sight
 
Kertz’ Comments: The Laser Sight gives a massive bonus to accuracy from the hip and will allow you to be much more accurate while mobile. Since most of your fire will be from the hip, adding a Foregrip will reduce muzzle drift and make your fire more controllable without feeling any of the downsides of the Foregrip. You can also toggle your laser sight on and off to afford a bit more stealth if the situation requires. Remember, the laser sight only helps from the hip, so turn it off when you’re aiming down the sights to increase your stealth!

Medium Range Marksman
Primary accessory: Foregrip
Secondary accessory: Heavy Barrel
 
Kertz’ Comments: This has been a clear source of confusion in the community. Should I pair a Foregrip with my Heavy Barrel after the update? My answer is a definite yes. Although the Foregrip decreases Aimed Accuracy, the Heavy Barrel’s Aimed Accuracy bonus has been increased to offset the Foregrip’s penalty. Pairing the two will still give you much greater Aimed Accuracy than a stock weapon, as well as reducing your muzzle drift. You will see some increased muzzle climb, however you’ll also be getting increased range out of the Heavy Barrel so your hits will have more impact at Medium Range.

Long Range Marksman
Primary accessory: Bipod
Secondary accessory: Heavy Barrel
 
Kertz’ Comments: If you want to get the absolute best accuracy out of your weapon, this is the setup for you. The bipod has absolutely no downsides when undeployed, and when deployed it gives a huge boost to accuracy both aimed and from the hip as well as substantially reducing muzzle climb and drift. You’ll also get the increased range of the heavy barrel making you a threat to even snipers when using your deployed bipod and a high zoom optic.

These are my recommendations. There are several combinations that haven’t been covered here, so experiment to find your best post update accessory combo. There’s at least one combo that’s perfect for your unique play style, so try a few and you’ll likely find not just a new accessory combo, but a whole new play style. You can find a handy guide below so you always know what to expect when experimenting with the different accessories discussed above.

Alan Kertz
Core Gameplay Designer