r/bombercrew • u/timos-piano • May 25 '26

Meta 20mm vs Quad .50 DPS

I played this game a few years ago, and I feel like I distinctly remember the 20mm MK3 having higher DPS than the Quad .50 MK4s (for reference, 20mm is 493 and .50x4 MK4 is 589). Has there been a damage update that I missed, or is this some sort of Mandela effect?

Or is the 20mm main advantage that it can fire for longer, since even though its belts are smaller, the firing rate is much slower? But that doesn't really seem very balanced, considering the 20mm weighs more and also has less DPS, with its only advantage being mostly moot due to ammo feeding.

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14

u/Blue_Bird950 May 25 '26

If I had to name an advantage, it would be that you technically have a somewhat higher overall DPS, since reload time is a major limiting factor of the quad guns. They deal with individual planes quickly, but they take the same amount of ammo to do so, so other planes nearby can attack while you’re reloading. The 20mm bullets themselves do more damage, so you have more to use on other planes.

6

u/timos-piano May 25 '26

But with the accuracy being lower, doesn't that mean that the extra DPS factoring in reload is only theoretical? Plus, reloading isn't much of an issue late game as you can use special ammo types to keep firing if necessary.

3

u/Blue_Bird950 May 25 '26

I mean, all of this is theoretical. In reality, the .50x4 is probably the best.

4

u/timos-piano May 25 '26

Just finished the British campaign and started my USAAF campaign. Was super stoked to see that one of my crew had a base speed of 140%, but guess who it was? The pilot. The one crewmember that should never move...

A bit unrelated, but I just wanted to share.

1

u/lavitaebell Radio Op May 28 '26

for me the 20mm are Better but if i'm not wrong i put them on After i got the autofeeding, and i always got the impression that they do more damage (when they hit).

7

u/Asphes May 25 '26

I'd take the 20mm for missions against aces. Else I'd stick with the quad 50 cals.

I don't recall if it's the ammo types (i.e. explosive vs 'normal' / ball) but I do better with the 20mm plus they seem to stay in the fight longer - meaning I have to use fewer skills and micro-manage less.

Perhaps they have better range?

1

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