With so many players on the battlefield, it’s increasingly important to have the upper hand against opponents in the 150-player battle royale, and in this case, it comes without the controversial SBMM feature that many have complained about.
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One of the impressive and unique new features in the game is the ability to buy custom load-outs from the Buy Stations, something that popular streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins recently took exception to. At this point, it costs $6,000 to purchase a custom loadout to drop for the whole team, although sometimes they will drop randomly from the sky for anyone to fight over. Taking advantage of the custom loadouts and creating the best possible option for each playstyle may be the difference between victory and defeat.
Some of the Best Perks for Battle Royale
A few things to note in regards to the perks for Call of Duty: Warzone. A few of them, including the likes of the perk Kill Chain, have different abilities in Multiplayer than they do in Warzone. Those differences will be noted in the “Edit Loadout” section of the game.
It’s also important to understand that right now the only way to receive a perk is with a loadout drop, meaning perks cannot be found in caches or on the ground while searching for loot. While each perk may have a use with different playstyles in Warzone, there seems to be a few that are more effective than others.
Double Time: Double time is effective in two ways. One, it allows for the Tactical sprint to be used for double the duration, which is extremely useful considering the circle in the game is brutal. Even with the Gas Mask, the gas will often be the end of what could have been a winning match. Outrunning the storm with this perk can be a life-saver. Additionally, Double Time increases crouch movement speed by 30%.
This is effective in indoor battles, which are frequent in both drop battles and end game. Players can often be caught looting caches or peaking out windows. With Double Time, it is possible to quietly crouch with quick speed to take down someone with a well placed and incredibly satisfying execution that can only be done in Warzone.
Scavenger: Ammo can be scarce at times in Warzone. While loadouts drop someone’s favorite gun(s) and attachments, they do not give additional ammo for said guns. Scavenger will allow players to grab more ammo from dead enemies (even enemies who others may have already looted).
Cold-Blooded: Thermal optics have already become a huge part of the META (more on that later), so cold-blooded is huge. This perk allows players to not be seen by thermal optics.
Kill Chain: Kill Chain is a great perk because it increases the chance of finding killstreaks in supply boxes. Killstreaks can be purchased at Buy Stations for a relatively cheap price. One of the items that can be bought is a UAV, which can be upgraded to an advanced UAV with a cheeky trick. Being able to save the money for self-revives, bringing teammates back, or armor plates is super helpful.
Overkill: This perk is excellent because it allows players to carry two primaries. Having a sniper and an assault rifle, for example, is invaluable. An argument against overkill is that it is possible to find an additional gun elsewhere, or from a killed enemy that was sent back to the revolutionary Gulag and save this perk slot for something else as well.
Ghost: Another META item is the Heartbeat Sensors. As players love to run UAVs and Heartbeat sensors, beating invisible to these items with Ghost is extremely useful. Stealth can be king in Warzone.
Amped: For anyone who is using two weapons, whether with Overkill or once they find another weapon, the Amped perk, allowing the weapons to swap quicker, can be great.
Tune Up: Tune up reduces the time it takes to revive by 25%. Every second counts on the battlefield, so this perk is priceless for team players. Currently, this perk is also being abused to win matches in Warzone, but this will be addressed soon.
Tracker: Tracker leaves behind footprints of enemies that can be valuable in urban areas and building battles. Especially as the footprint sound is being worked in an update, but currently is in a place that can be disorienting, seeing those prints can help.
Assault Rifle Loadouts
Now that some of the perks are out of the way, here are some of the top assault rifle loadouts to choose in Call of Duty: Warzone.
M4A1: Arguably the best overall weapon in the game, this beauty can take down enemies in almost every scenario in Warzone. Although the M4 was nerfed recently, it still is one of the fastest killing assault rifles in the game and is extremely accurate, especially once the proper attachments have been added.
At mid-range, this gun will win most of the battles. At close range, it may get outclassed by some of the SMGs in the game. So if possible keeping the battles at a mid to close range from behind cover will do wonders. In this particular set-up, Overkill is also avoided, and Ghost is used instead for stealth purposes, along with a suppressor.
The M4 is more than capable of outclassing and outgunning opponents. So the M19 pistol will be used as the secondary, whipped out quickly for close range if needed. Once enemies are killed, or if some nice looting has been done, then players can find a good secondary to either use an SMG for those close-range battles or a Sniper Rifle for distance.
M4A1- Monolithic Suppressor, G.I. Mini Reflex, Merc Foregrip, 60 Round Mags, Srippled Grip Tape
M19- Lightweight Suppressor, A9-16 Lightweight, Tac Laser, Lightweight Trigger, Srippled Grip Tape
Perks- Cold-Blooded, Ghost, Tracker
Equipment- Frag Grenade, Heartbeat Sensor
Oden: The Oden, which has seen changes in patches itself, is a beast at mid to long-range. Some even like to put a sniper scope on it, although this isn’t the purpose of this specific set-up. Instead, this set-up used a hybrid optic that allows for quick swapping between a standard red dot and a 3x scope, allowing for laser accuracy at fairly close range and some nice distant headshots. Additionally, the Oden can be a bit heavy and need recoil adjustments. So the attachments will try to offset both of these things. The Oden is a great gun, but it does need a backup plan, which is why it needs the Overkill perk and a nice close-range weapon. A silenced P90 was chosen for its low time to kill at close range, accuracy, and effectiveness.
Oden- Oden Factory 810mm, Integral Hybrid, FTAC XL Elite Comb, Ranger Foregrip, Stippled Grip Tape
P90- Lightweight Suppressor, Fly Strap, Srippled Grip Tape (Underbarrel), Stippled Grip Tape (Rear Grip), Sleight of Hand
Perks- Double Time, Overkill, Amped
Equipment- Claymore, Flash Grenade
SMG Loadouts
The SMGs in Call of Duty: Warzone can be excellent weapons. For the most part, it may be unwise to use them as a primary option, whether it be as a gun that was found as loot, picked up from a downed enemy, or as a second option with Overkill. This is mainly because, although SMGs do work in buildings and in close range, a lot of battles end up in the open and SMGs get badly outclassed. However, a few SMGs, both of the guns that end up as S-tier weapons on the tier list for the multiplayer of Modern Warfare, can still hold their own as primary weapons of choice.
MP7: The MP7 takes down enemies with a combination of extreme speed and accuracy, as it may be the best SMG in the game. The MP7 can outclass almost any weapon at close range, and the accuracy of the gun allows it to do much better at midrange than its SMG status would make it seem. This loadout puts an emphasis on speed and stealth, although Overkill is used so that a Sniper Rifle can be added for long-range takedowns. With Tune Up, players can pick up teammates much quicker, and with the heartbeat sensor, constant callouts for enemy locations should be a part of this set-up.
MP7- Monolithic Suppressor, FSS RECON, Commando Foregrip, 60 Round Mags, Stippled Grip Tape
AX-50- Tactical Suppressor, Singuard Arms Pro, Thermal Sniper Scope, SInguard Arms Marksman, Stippled Grip Tape
Perks- Cold-Blooded, Overkill, Tune Up
Equipment C4, Heartbeat Sensor
MP5: The MP5, like many of the SMGs, is a great secondary option. But it’s also a great gun to jump into the fray of a hectic situation and ruin another team’s hopes and dreams. This class is sort of the Just Cause loadout for anyone who just wants to watch the world burn.
MP5- Subsonic Integral Suppressor, Ranger Foregrip, 45 Round Mags, Stippled Grip Tape, Sleight of Hand
RPG-7- N/A
Perks- Scavenger, Ghost, Tracker
Equipment- C4, Flash Grenade
Sniper Rifles
Although Sniping in Warzone is incredibly effective, it’s probably not wise to go in with a loadout as a sniper and no other weapon. Pistols can do work in early game, including shooting enemies while falling from the sky in their parachutes, but in mid and end game scenarios, they won’t get the job done nine times out of ten. So unless someone instantly finds another weapon, a sniper should probably come with another gun. One great thing to note is that all headshots will take down an enemy regardless of how much armor they have on.
HDR: The HDR may be the most used sniper in the game right now thanks to its bullet velocity and power. The loadout here focuses on a silenced sniper rifle, a variable scope that helps for mid and very long-range shots, and attachments that assist in stability and aiming down the sights a bit quicker. Additionally, The Ram-7, which was one of the weapons introduced in season 1, is used here as a second weapon, with the help of Overkill. The Ram-7 is one of the fastest killing assault rifles in the game. It does work in close quarters and can compete with SMGs with its high fire rate. Additionally, it is adequate at intermediate ranges, so the combination of that and the HDR take care of any range.
HDR- Tactical Suppressor, Tac Laser, Variable Zoom Scope, FTac Hunter-Scout, Sleight of Hand
Ram-7- Tactical Suppressor, XRK Close Quarters Stock, Ranger FOregrip, 50 Round Mags, Stipped Grip Tape
Perks- Cold-Blooded, Overkill, Amped
Equipment- Claymore, Heartbeat Sensor
LMGs
There are some secrets hiding in the world of Warzone, but it’s no secret that LMGs have always been great at two things, suppression and ammunition. In Warzone this remains true. However, some of the LMGs are also effective with low time to kills and accuracy, making them more effective than some may realize. They may be best used as a complementary weapon, with the help of Overkill.
PKM: The PKM, with the help of some attachments, can be very accurate at mid-range. This loadout uses a shotgun for indoor action and the PKM for any sort of midrange battles. It uses Kill Chain, to grab as many kill streaks as possible, and focuses on some of the equipment to help teammates get in and out of sticky situations. With the help of a team, a team that hopefully has gotten over this annoying kill credit issue that grants the wrong person with a kill right now, this class can be a very useful loadout.
PKM- Compensator, 29.9" Extended Barrel, Snatch Grip, Stippled Grip Tape, Sleight of Hand
R9-0- Choke, FORGE TAC Sentry, 5mW Laser, Stippled Grip Tape, Sleight of Hand
Perks- Kill Chain, Overkill, Tune Up
Equipment- Semtex, Smoke Grenade
The shotguns and marksmen rifles can be effective guns in Warzone, and there will certainly be players who will ride those guns, including the R9-0, which has become perhaps the best shotgun in the game, to victory on the battlefield. However, they are more complementary weapons than anything. Using them as secondaries will most likely be the best option.
These are just a few of the best load outs the game has to offer. Fans can feel free to tweak the guns, perks, and equipment, and find whatever best suits the playstyle they are comfortable with. Almost any gun, in the right hands, can be used for that epic victory as a team, which could soon be changing to four-man or even five-man squads.
The Warzone is a hectic and ever-changing combat zone. Not only will it be important to find the best loadout, but players will also most likely need to evolve and improve over time. As teams are already putting up impressive victorious numbers, it will be exciting to see how the game itself progresses, but also how the community develops with it.
Call of Duty: Warzone is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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