User blog comment:El Alamein/White Guard vs. Blackshirts/@comment-5795750-20160226065758

BG1's "What if the Italians joined the Northern War?" Edges:

Long: While the Mosin Nagant possesses the larger bullet and has a good track record of being a deadly gun in the hands of the Russians, I fear that it is outclassed here by the Carcano's larger magazine and farther range - being able to fire that one extra round at a distance your enemies can't reach is crucial

EDGE: Blackshirts

Mid: So I guess the Suomi is either the inspiration for or inspired from the Russian PPSh... well if that's the case then it destroys in comparison to the MAB because of its bigger magazine size coupled with the higher rate of fire - sure the MAB is lighter and can fire further, but others here have noted how the MAB has a less deadly bullet with not as much stopping power as the Suomi

EDGE: White Guard

Short: Lahti definitely takes the cake here - larger magazine, better stopping power behind each round and (as others have noted below) greater reliability since its able to withstand the cold temperatures of Scandinavia

EDGE: White Guard

Melee: Definitely the Blackshirt dagger here since it has the longer blade - dunno what good having a steel blade between two laminated layers will do

EDGE: Blackshirts

Special: I have to call even since - the Breda may be lighter and can fire from further away than the Lahti but the Finnish LMG is more reliable and has the higher suppressive rate of fire

EDGE: Even

X-Factors: Average of 74.75 for the White Guard; Average of 76.75 for the Blackshirts

EDGE: Blackshirts

Overall Winner: There is a reason why the Italians, despite their pomposity and willingness to bring about a Neo-Roman Empire, lost so early in WWII compared to the Nazis and the Japanese - because their weapons sucked and their tactics weren't exactly well thought out; the Finnish White Guard are the real winners here - not only are their weapons in better conditions but the experience of fighting both the Russians and Germans and coming up on top of them should very well prepare them extensively for a fight against another Axis power.