Medic: SMGs are technically the best they've ever been in Battlefield. SMGs have never been this strong; BFV's SMGs have probably the best hipfire of any in the series, and have plenty good hitrate for ranged use. The problem with SMGs? BFV's maps are very poorly suited for SMGs, and their damage models do not allow them to compete at range with other weapon types.
S tier: The most viable choices.
- Medic has no S tier weapons. Sad!
A tier: Good choices.
- Suomi KP/-31: Rapid fire 1v1 nuke in ADS or hipfire with RLLR or 1vX nuke with RRRR. The best SMG in the game for doing traditional SMG things.
- ZK 383: Use the 514RPM RRRR path for the best midrange SMG in terms of hitrate. The MP34 only outclasses the ZK if you need Quick Aim, but both guns are poor for reactionary SMG use anyways.
- MP 34: RRRR for good 70m performance for an SMG.
- M1928A1: Bigmag pubstomper gun which received an unnecessary hrec increase in a previous patch. Suomi does the same job, but better. The Thompson simply is slightly easier to use with less vertical recoil and a faster reload. Not much to say, go RRRR.
B tier: Decent choices.
- MAB 38: A hipfire MP 34, essentially. The lack of Quick Aim really fucking sucks for an SMG with as good ADS performance as this. RXXL is optimal - LL for the BF1 MP18 Trench analogue, RR for good ADS.
- MP 28: Probably the best all-rounder SMG, though you're probably better off picking one of the more minmaxed SMGs in the tier above. RLLL for bigmag hipfire, as it has a unique bigmag/hipfire tree (the Thompson and Suomi get bigmag/hrec)
- EMP: Like the MP 28, this is a usable pick but you're probably better off with something more min-maxed. RLLR for a versatile ADS/hipfire gun.
C tier: Less than optimal.
- Lanchester: Bad MP 28.
- Patchett: Also sucks.
- Maschinenpistole M1912.P16: Good damage output, but the reload is just too limiting in a CQB role.
D tier: Usually unviable.
- M28 con Tromboncino: Unironically the best non-Boys AT bolt action in the game, but that's not a particularly high bar.
- Commando Carbine: Now equally viable to the M28, but still kind of garbage.
Q tier: Delete these guns from the game.
- MP 40: Can't magdump anymore. RRRR but use the ZK or MP 34 instead.
- STEN: Genuinely just an even worse MP 40 with marginally better velocity. RRRR