The Best Vanilla Weapon [Experiment]

Overview

This was an experiment done to determine the most versatile vanilla primary weapon. I set up a bracket with similar weapons facing off against each other, then created configs so that the only thing that the bots on each team had was the appropriate weapon. I ran the matches multiple times on multiple maps and used the Time Changer mutation by EaglePancake to speed them up. The control was the lack of any other weapon, the dependent variable were the wins in the point match game mode, and the independent variables were the weapon that each team used and the map. More info on the methodology is in the guide. Hope you enjoy!

Background

To preface this guide I will say that this is just for fun and I understand that my methodology might not be perfect. I’ve always wanted to try this sort of one team one weapon experiment ever since I started playing back in Beta 3 or so, but it seemed tedious. Thanks to EaglePancake’s Time Changer mutation though, I figured I could do it without too much trouble. This experiment pits similar vanilla weapons against each other in a elimination style bracket under vanilla conditions to determine which one of them is best if the entire team is equipped with it. I understand how different weapons have different roles, and that this doesn’t necessarily show the best weapon period (Like in TF2, you don’t want a team of all soldiers, even though soldier is good), but it will probably give you an idea of the weapons that are on the better side. More info on the methodology below. I hope you learn something or at least find this guide entertaining.

The Bracket

Here is the bracket with similar weapons facing off against each other. I will explain the thinking behind each pairing. (Also sorry for the ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ms paint drawing)

Most Versatile
I think of these weapons as the most likely candidates to come on top. I feel most players will agree that these are the jack of all trade weapons, and the most used by vanilla players.

RK-44 VS Greaser
This is the close range side of the bracket, with the RK-44 having a high rate of fire, decent damage, but poor accuracy, and the Greaser having medium rate of fire, pretty high damage, and trash accuracy. These are the best rapid fire cqc weapons.

Recon LRR VS Garret
This is the long range side of the bracket, both of these weapons have similarly slower rates of fire, high accuracy, and high damage, with the Garret being the more close range option.

Underdogs
These are the more specialized, less favored weapons that may excel in one situation, but be utterly inferior in another. Versatility is a strength in a game like Ravenfield, so these guys are underdogs.

Patriot TAC VS Quicksilver
These are the two vanilla suppressed primaries, both firing the tiny dot projectiles also seen in the 76 Eagle. These are generally inferior in every way, but they’re cool to use on stealth missions because they are super quiet. The Quicksilver is the original stealth weapon and the Patriot TAC is the new, tactical stealth weapon, this is a battle of old vs new.

SL Defender VS 76 Eagle
This is a strange, regrettable pairing, but it is the result of pairing all the other weapons in ways that make the most sense. So we have to have this ugly ducking matchup, with similarly high damage low rate of fire weapons that are meant for opposite ranges. Probably will be really weird. We’ll see.

Quarterfinals
Signal DMR VS Patriot
These guys get a ride to the quarterfinals because they seem like the most powerful and versatile weapons that are still similar. They go in the underdog bracket because the best underdog doesn’t deserve an easy path to the top; it will have to face one of these two before it reaches the final.

Exclusions
HMG
It’s OP

Patriot GL
It’s a direct upgrade to the original patriot, also I don’t want to bring explosives into this.

Automatico Akimbo
Bots can’t even use this weapon.

Methodology

For each match, each team represents one weapon. That team has no other equipment, vehicles, or secondaries. There are no mutators that enhance or disable either team. They are vanilla. Each pair faces off 9 times, 3 times on 3 maps. Those maps are Dustbowl (a large/long range map), Island (a medium/medium range map), and Temple (a small/medium range map). In the vanilla map selection I couldn’t decide on anything with closer fights than Temple, so that’s as close range as the combat gets. The number of bots is the default that the game gives for each of these maps (60 Dustbowl, 50 Island, and 40 Temple). The gamemode is point match. The respawn time is the default 5 seconds, game length is normal, balance is 50/50, everything pretty much default except the weapons. I start each game, then speed it up until one side achieves victory. That counts as a win for that weapon. Whichever weapon gets the best of 3 games on a map has won that map, and whichever gets the best of the 3 maps wins. The loser is eliminated and the winner advances to the next round. Just to clarify, I will be in spectator mode, this is a bots only experiment.

Round 1: RK-44 VS Greaser

Eagle is representing the RK-44, and Raven is representing the Greaser.

Dustbowl
Round 1: Greaser wins
Round 2: Greaser wins
Round 3: RK-44 wins

Map goes to Greaser

Island
Round 1: RK-44 wins
Round 2: RK-44 wins
Round 3: RK-44 wins

Map goes to RK-44

Temple
Round 1: Greaser wins
Round 2: Greaser wins
Round 3: RK-44 wins

Map goes to Greaser

Winner: Greaser
RK-44 excels at medium range, but is not very effective at long range or short range.

Round 2: Recon LRR VS M1 Garret

Eagle is representing the Recon LRR, Raven is representing the M1 Garret

Dustbowl
Round 1: Recon LRR wins
Round 2: Recon LRR wins
Round 3: Recon LRR wins

Map goes to Recon LRR

Island
Round 1: Recon LRR wins
Round 2: Recon LRR wins
Round 3: Recon LRR wins

Map goes to Recon LRR

Temple
Round 1: M1 Garret wins
Round 2: Recon LRR wins
Round 3: Recon LRR wins

Map goes to Recon LRR

Winner: Recon LRR
The Recon LRR proves itself not only highly effective at long and medium ranges, but also viable at close ranges, in the hands of a bot at least.

Round 3: Patriot TAC VS Quicksilver

Eagle is representing the Patriot TAC, Raven is representing the Quicksilver

Dustbowl
Round 1: Quicksilver wins
Round 2: Patriot TAC wins
Round 3: Quicksilver wins

Map goes to Quicksilver

Island
Round 1: Patriot TAC wins
Round 2: Patriot TAC wins
Round 3: Patriot TAC wins

Map goes to Patriot TAC

Temple
Round 1: Patriot TAC wins
Round 2: Patriot TAC wins
Round 3: Quicksilver wins

Map goes to Patriot TAC

Winner: Patriot TAC
The Patriot TAC is quite versitile, with wins in all three categories, losing one, dominating one, and winning the other with a majority.

Round 4: SL Defender VS 76 Eagle

Eagle will be representing the SL Defender, Raven will be representing the 76 Eagle.

Dustbowl
Round 1: SL Defender wins
Round 2: 76 Eagle wins
Round 3: 76 Eagle wins

Map goes to 76 Eagle

Island
Round 1: 76 Eagle wins
Round 2: 76 Eagle wins
Round 3: 76 Eagle wins

Map goes to 76 Eagle

Temple
Round 1: SL Defender wins
Round 2: 76 Eagle wins
Round 3: SL Defender wins

Map goes to SL Defender

Winner: 76 Eagle
The SL defender surprisingly loses in a long range environment and wins in a short range environment. It should be noted these wins were due to capping all flags, not getting more points in the end. 76 Eagle is better overall.

The Bracket After Qualifying Rounds

The RK-44, M1 Garret, Quicksilver, and SL Defender have all been eliminated. Onto the next round.

Round 5: Greaser VS Recon LRR

Eagle will be representing the Greaser and Raven will be representing the Recon LRR

Dustbowl
Round 1: Recon LRR wins
Round 2: Greaser wins
Round 3: Greaser wins

Map goes to Greaser

Island
Round 1: Greaser wins
Round 2: Greaser wins
Round 3: Greaser wins

Map goes to Greaser

Temple
Round 1: Greaser wins
Round 2: Recon LRR wins
Round 3: Recon LRR wins

Map goes to Recon LRR

Winner: Greaser
Suprisingly, the Recon LRR seems to win a close range, and unsurprisingly, the Greaser dominates at medium range.

Round 6: Signal DMR VS Patriot

Eagle is representing the Signal DMR, and Raven is representing the Patriot.

Dustbowl
Round 1: Signal DMR win
Round 2: Patriot win
Round 3: Patriot win

Map goes to Patriot

Island
Round 1: Patriot win
Round 2: Patriot win
Round 3: Patriot win

Map goes to Patriot

Temple
Round 1: Signal DMR win
Round 2: Patriot win
Round 3: Signal DMR win

Map goes to Signal DMR

Winner: Patriot
I thought the DMR would come out on top, it was always my favorite weapon in the pre Steam betas, but I guess the Patriot is more versatile.

Round 7: Patriot TAC VS 76 Eagle

Eagle will be representing the Patriot TAC and Raven will be representing the 76 Eagle

Dustbowl
Round 1: Patriot TAC wins
Round 2: Patriot TAC wins
Round 3: Patriot TAC wins

Map goes to Patriot TAC

Island
Round 1: Patriot TAC wins
Round 2: Patriot TAC wins
Round 3: 76 Eagle wins

Map goes to Patriot TAC

Temple
Round 1: Patriot TAC wins
Round 2: 76 Eagle wins
Round 3: Patriot TAC wins

Map goes to Patriot TAC

Winner: Patriot TAC
The Patriot TAC’s versatility compared to the 76 Eagle allows it to claim the victory with ease.

Round 8: Patriot VS Patriot TAC

Eagle will represent the Patriot, Raven will represent the Patriot TAC. A funny matchup…

Dustbowl
Round 1: Patriot wins
Round 2: Patriot wins
Round 3: Patriot wins

Map goes to Patriot

Island
Round 1: Patriot wins
Round 2: Patriot wins
Round 3: Patriot TAC wins

Map goes to Patriot

Temple
Round 1: Patriot TAC wins
Round 2: Patriot TAC wins
Round 3: Patriot wins

Map goes to Patriot TAC

Winner: Patriot
I pretty much expected this, but its interesting that the TAC had some wins in close range environments.

The Bracket Going Into the Finals

All that’s left is the Greaser and the Patriot. These were some of my top picks, I think it makes sense to see them in the finals. Well let’s see who wins…

Final Round: Greaser VS Patriot

Eagle will be representing the Greaser, Raven will be representing the Patriot

Dustbowl
Round 1: Greaser wins
Round 2: Greaser wins
Round 3: Greaser wins

Map goes to Greaser

Island
Round 1: Greaser wins
Round 2: Greaser wins
Round 3: Greaser wins

Map goes to Greaser

Temple
Round 1: Patriot wins
Round 2: Patriot wins
Round 3: Greaser wins

Map goes to Patriot

Winner: Greaser
Patriot can only compete at short range I guess.

Conclusion

So it looks like the Greaser came out on top. Is it the best weapon in the game? I don’t know for sure, but it’s pretty good, in the hands of bots at least. I hope you guys liked this guide. I put a lot of time into it so be sure to rate and comment what you think the best weapon is or if you thought I should have done this experiment differently. Thanks to EaglePancake for the Time Changer Mutation, I couldn’t have done this without it, and his mods are great in general.

Also don’t crank the time scale above 10, or spooky stuff will start to happen.