Call of Duty Vanguard: Best Multiplayer Guns and Loadouts

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Call of Duty: Vanguard is here, and since we’re a few weeks away from Warzone‘s Pacific update, now is the best time to lose yourself in this game’s multiplayer modes and start experimenting with its best guns.

We’ll talk about this more throughout this breakdown, but most of the best guns in Vanguard at the moment tend to be closer-range weapons that are fairly easy to control and boast fast time-to-kill potential. There is a little room for a few outliers here and there, but until there is a drastic swing in the meta, that’s roughly what you’re looking for.

With that in mind, here are the best guns in Call of Duty: Vanguard at the moment and the loadouts you’ll need to get the most out of them.

Call of Duty Vanguard: Best Guns

MP-40

Vanguard’s developers have said that they expect SMGs to be very popular, and the MP-40 has to be considered the best SMG in the game at the moment.

While the MP-40 is certainly powerful from a raw damage output perspective, it’s this gun’s stability and mobility that make it a nearly irreplaceable weapon. It might eventually get nerfed due to its all-around effectiveness, but there’s really no good reason not to use it now.

Volk

The Volk is a very strange gun. Truth be told, it’s not a very good assault rifle on its own. It’s useful enough in a pinch, but it just doesn’t stand out in any particular way, and it has some notable recoil problems.

However, when you start adding the right attachments to this gun in order to control its wild recoil, you’ll find that it’s a rapid-fire cannon that can simply tear through anything in your way. It’s absolutely worth experimenting with this gun’s attachments in order to see how to get the most out of it.

BAR

Like the Volk, the BAR is absolutely dependant on the right attachments. Unlike the Volk, the BAR’s biggest problem isn’t its recoil but rather its fire rate. Sadly, there are few attachments that properly compensate for that drawback.

However, once you build the “perfect” BAR, you may find that this gun’s absurd damage output more than makes up for its slower rate of fire. The BAR is kind of an awkward weapon to learn, but it’s too unique and potentially powerful to ignore outright.

STG-44

Don’t look now, but some players are already calling the STG-44 the best overall assault rifle in the game and perhaps the most broken gun in Vanguard at the moment.

While this gun’s somewhat limited range does make it less effective overall than certain alternatives, the fact that so many Vanguard battles happen in close-to-mid range scenarios means that this gun’s inherent weaknesses really aren’t that much of a problem most of the time. Definitely check this one out.

M1928

Granted, it’s hard to recommend any SMG over the MP-40 at the moment, but the M1928 offers a fascinating alternative that is certainly viable in its own right.

Despite having only slightly more range than a shotgun, this SMG absolutely shreds in the right scenarios and can at least make enemies think twice before approaching from a distance. Definitely give this one a look if you need a close-range gun that offers just a little more than some of the rest.

NZ-41

If you’re looking for an AR that emphasizes rate of fire over pretty much everything else, then the NZ-41 could very well be the gun for you.

While even the best attachments won’t completely tame this gun’s wild recoil, this assault rifle’s incredible damage output makes it an absolute nightmare in close-to-mid-range scenarios. Look elsewhere if you need a little more range, but this gun does exactly what it needs to do.

MG42

LMGs are kind of a tough sell in Vanguard at the moment due to their somewhat limited range and lack of mobility, but the MG42 shows why it just might be worth learning to love this weapon class.

This thing simply shreds through whatever has the misfortune of standing relatively close to it. It might be a mounted gun that you’re forced to carry around, but there is no denying this gun’s comical damage output and potential.

Kar98k

I can’t sell you on a lot of Vanguard‘s snipers right now with a straight face, but I can tell you that the Kar98k is genuinely one of the absolute best guns in the game at the moment.

The Kar98k’s mobility and quick scope abilities mean that it’s easy enough to fire off a few well-placed rounds with this gun without needing to devote yourself to that camper lifestyle. It’s not a “pure” sniper, but it is the sniper that you’ll get the most out of at the moment.

Einhorn Revolving Shotgun

Truth be told, I think most players will prefer most SMGs and ARs over Vanguard’s collection of shotguns. However, there are times when you just need a good shotgun, and the Einhorn Revolving Shotgun offers about what you would expect from this class and so much more.

This gun boasts a shockingly long range but still packs much of the punch that you’d associate with the average video game shotgun. Its reload speed is pretty bad, and it’s too weird to be a go-to option in all scenarios, but it’s so much better than you might think it would be.

DP27

There is nothing particularly exciting about the DP27 compared to some of the other guns in the game, but this LMG is surprisingly reliable given how unpredictable that weapon class can be in Vanguard.

The DP27’s enhanced mobility and versatility put it a notch above most other Vanguard LMGs despite its slightly lower raw damage output. I’d say this one is actually slightly closer to an AR than the average LMG, so it may appeal to AR fans looking for something a bit different.

Call of Duty Vanguard: Best Loadouts and Attachments

Quite a few of Vanguard‘s best guns are shockingly dependant on the right attachments and loadouts, so don’t judge our recommendations for the best guns in the game before you’ve properly built them.

MP-40

Muzzle: M1929 Silencer
Barrel: Krausnick 221MM 01B
Underbarrel: Carver Foreip
Optic: Slate Reflector
Stock: Krausnick 33M Folding
Proficiency: Brace
Kit: Quick
Rear Grip: Fabric Grip
Ammo Type: Lengthened
Magazine: 7.62 Gorenko 32 Round Mags

Volk

Muzzle: F8 Stabilizer
Barrel: Krausnick 428MM 05V
Optic: Nydar Model 47
Stock: Reisdorf 22V Adjustable
Underbarrel: M1930 Madson
Magazine: .30 Russian Short 45 Round Drums
Ammo Type: Subsonic
Rear Grip: Stippled Grip
Proficiency: Sleight of Hand
Kit: Defender

BAR

Muzzle: G28 Compensator
Underbarrel: M3 Ready Grip
Magazine: 8mm Jaeger 20 Round Mag
Ammo Type: FMJ Rounds
Kit: On-Hand
Rear Grip: Fabric Grip
Optic: Slate Reflector
Proficiency: Hardscope

STG-44

Muzzle: F8 Stabilizer
Barrel: VDD 760MM 05B
Optic: Zeiss G16 2.5X
Stock: VDD 27 Precision
Underbarrel: M1941 Handstop
Magazine: .30 Russian Short 20 Rnd
Ammo Type: Lengthened
Rear Grip: Stippled Grip
Proficiency: Sleight of Hand
Kit: Fully Loaded

M1928

Muzzle: Gutts Compensator
Barrel: Chariot 2.5” Rapid
Optic: Spitfire MK.3 Reflector
Stock: CGC S Adjustable
Underbarrel: M1941 Handstop
Magazine: .45 ACP 30 Round Fast Mags
Ammo Type: Lengthened
Rear Grip: Fabric Grip
Proficiency: Frenzy
Kit: Quick

NZ-41

Muzzle: Compensator G28
Optic: Slate Reflector
Proficiency: Steady
Ammo Type: Subsonic
Kit: Fast Melee
Rear Grip: Leather Grip
Underbarrel: M1941 Handstop
Stock: LOR Reinforced
Magazine: 6.5MM Arisaka 45 Round Mags

MG42

Muzzle: Scythe Compensator
Barrel: Krausnick 450MM B42MG
Optic: Zeiss G16 2.5x
Stock: Krausnick S91MG
Underbarrel: MK6 Para
Magazine: 8MM Jaeger 50 Round Fast Mags
Ammo Type: Subsonic
Rear Grip: Leather Grip
Proficiency: Tight Grip
Kit: Defender

Kar98k

Muzzle: MK. 2 Stabilizer
Barrel: VDD 650MM 05HE
Optic: K98 Scout 9x Telescopic
Stock: Krausnick Padded
Underbarrel: M1930 Madson
Magazine: 8MM Jaeger 3 Round Fast Mags
Ammo Type: FMJ Rounds
Rear Grip: Pine Tar Grip
Proficiency: Quickscoper
Kit: Fully Loaded

Revolving Shotgun

Muzzle: G28 Compressor
Barrel: CGC 22″ Rapid
Optic: MK 3 Sun filter
Stock: Removed Stock
Underbarrel: MK6 Para
Magazine: 12 Gauge 10 Round Drums
Ammo Type: Slug
Rear Grip: Hatched Grip
Proficiency: Headhunter
Kit: Quick

DP27

Muzzle: Recoil Booster
Barrel: Kovalevskaya 680mm BO2D
Optic: Slate Reflector
Stock: ZAC S2M
Underbarrel: M1941 Handstop
Magazine: 7.62x54MMR 105 Round Pans
Ammo Type: Hollow Point
Rear Grip: Fabric Grip
Proficiency: Fleet
Kit: Fully Loaded