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Call of Duty: Vanguard best guns - which are the best weapons to use in multiplayer?

Call of Duty: Vanguard has launched! To help you get started, here's our top weapons that you should be using.

Call of Duty: Vanguard has been out for a little under a week now, and already we’re seeing the strongest guns shifting around significantly. As such, you might be wondering if the weapons you’re using are still the best?

To help you out, we’ve created this guide that’ll take you through the five best guns to take with you as you dominate online games. We’ll keep updating this list as the meta changes, so pop back here later if you want to say on top of what’s good.

Cover image for YouTube videoThe MP40 Can 2 shot kill in Call of Duty Vanguard! | Best SMG Build For Multiplayer

Best overall gun: MP40

Anyone who’s played in the Vanguard beta will tell you just how popular the MP40 was, and for good reason. The MP40 stands out as the king of the SMGs with heaps of damage and recoil that is easy to handle.

This is your classic run-and-gun SMG, thanks to its ability to take enemies out at both close and mid range. It does have a small magazine that you can chew through quite quickly, especially if you’re rushing the enemy team down, but as the gun’s major flaw this can be remedied with attachments as you level it up. Pair it with Overkill as your Perk 3 slot and your AR of choice and you’re ready to go.

Best versitile Assault Rifle: Automaton

A new member of our strongest guns club, the Automaton assault rifle finds itself the natural rival of the BAR (which previously held a spot on the list). It does less damage, but with a far higher fire rate.

Due to how fights in Call of Duty: Vanguard can quickly shift between mid range rifle fights to close-up battles where hip firing becomes preferable, this rifle is never a bad gun to have. Slap on some attachments, and it’ll blow through enemies like the best of them.

Best Assault Rifle for beginners: STG 44

Our next assault rifle is the trust STG 44. This gun stands out as a generally good gun across the board. It has a decent fire rate, magazine size, and deals great damage too. It’s a lovely assault rifle, as long as you can overcome the kick from the recoil.

It also has a crazy amount of attachment slots on it, so if you’re looking for a primary that can be adapted to your own preferences, this is the one for you. In a single word - versatile. Damn good at mid range fights, and not too bad up close if you hipfire it too!

Best CoD:Vanguard Multiplayer Sniper: KAR98K

I love the KAR98K. I’ve always loved the KAR98K, in every Call of Duty game it has shown up in. Sniper players are eating well in Vanguard and the KAR is a feast for your eyes, ears, and KDA.

The gun will 1-shot kill people when hit almost anywhere on the body, and with a quick aim-down-sights time you know all the thirteen year old no-scoopers will be ecstatic messing around with it. With attachments, you’ll be able to adjust all manner of important features of this rifle like the sight.

Personally, we didn’t like the default option, but this is up to personal preference of course. A joy to use.

Best LMG: MG42 LMG

It’s taken some time for consensus to form around LMGs, but right now it looks as though the MG42 is king. Available immediately at level one, this gigantic machine gun has a crazy rate of fire and damage, allowing you to tear through the opposing team.

It does take some time to get used to the LMG playstyle in Vanguard, as you can’t just rush around like you would with the STG or MP40, but once you get to grips this gun is unbelievably fun.

Once you've picked up one of these guns as your primary of choice, you've got to make it look good right? To help you do that, we've written up a guide on how to unlock all the mastery camos you can read right now.

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Call of Duty: Vanguard

PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

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About the Author
Connor Makar avatar

Connor Makar

Staff Writer

Connor is VG247's roaming reporter, with 3 years' experience in the field. A passionate fighting game fan, he is glued onto the genre and its community. He is tragically a grappler player. And likes gacha.

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