World War II’s awesome, nostalgic weapons are on full display in Call of Duty: Vanguard, the latest title in the long-lasting FPS franchise.
All of the classic, old guns from previous WWII shooters and history films of the past are here. The MP40, the M1 Garand, the Bren LMG, and many, many more are available for players to unlock, rank up, and dominate multiplayer matches with.
While a gun might not seem too strong right out of the gates when ranking it up, the Gunsmith can turn an average weapon into a powerhouse. All that a decent gun needs sometimes is a few attachments to turn it into a beast and Vanguard’s Gunsmith allows you to equip a whopping 10 attachments on primary weapons.
Keep in mind that game updates come along every month or so. In these updates pushed out by the developers, weapons are often tweaked by buffing them (making them stronger) or nerfing them (making them worse), so it’s important to keep in mind what’s currently hot and what’s no longer good.
Here are the current best weapons in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
MP-40
Unsurprising to most, the MP-40 is by far one of the best guns in Vanguard in its early stages. The classic WWII-era submachine gun is dominant from close to medium range and it’s exceptional when used by objective players or those who just like to run and gun.
The MP-40 can hold its own against any other submachine gun and assault rifle in the game right now. That might change in the future, but you can expect this gun to be a part of the meta for quite some time. Its speed and accuracy are unmatched as well.
STG44
Assault rifle fans will find a home with the STG44, which is sort of a jack of all trades. It’s well-balanced in statistics when it comes to firepower, speed, accuracy, and ammunition, and it will become an immediate favorite solely for the fact that it’s a default weapon.
Other assault rifles excel in other areas, but the STG44 is “viable in almost any situation,” as its in-game description reads. It’s an early favorite for pro players and public match stars alike.
Automaton
The Automaton’s high fire rate and accuracy have made it one of the go-to guns in Vanguard’s early stages. With the right loadout, this thing can laser-beam enemies from across the map with consistency in ways that other assault rifles currently can’t.
Type 100
Another option for SMG run-and-gunners is the Japanese Type 100. Once you get past this thing’s ugly side-fed magazine, it’s one of the better submachine guns in the game, built for wreaking havoc with its movement speed and low recoil.
BAR
If a slower-firing, hard-hitting assault rifle is more your style, then the BAR is probably the best option in Vanguard right now. The BAR hits incredibly hard, comparably to an LMG more than an AR at times. But its slow fire rate makes it a mess up close.
The BAR is best when equipped with attachments to steady its recoil and a long-range scope to keep enemies at bay at a distance. If you get pushed by an SMG player, you’ll likely be handled quickly, so bring along a machine pistol or an SMG with Overkill in your third perk slot to help stay in the game.
Kar98k
Undoubtedly the upcoming favorite of quick-scopers and montage-makers everywhere, the Kar98k has long been a go-to pick of sniper players in WWII games—and this iteration is no different. Of the handful of snipers and marksman rifles in the game, the Kar hits the hardest.
Once you get used to the cadence of the bolt-action sniper’s fire rate, the Kar98k can hold down objectives and melt faces in YouTube videos with a lot of lens flare with ease. More snipers will be added with time, but for now, the Kar98k is still king.
This article will be updated throughout the year once patches are deployed, weapon metas change, and new guns are added via seasonal content.
