Skip to main content

The 10 best Call of Duty: Vanguard weapons to level before Warzone Pacific

The Call of Duty: Warzone experience is about to change drastically with the integration of Vanguard and the new Caldera map. Ahead of the integration, you’ll want to level up as many weapons as you can in Vanguard so you’re prepared as soon as Caldera becomes available. Reaching max level with a weapon is often ideal in Warzone, as it ensures you’ll have the best attachments possible, increasing your odds of winning a gunfight.

Since a weapon’s viability isn’t always one-to-one across Call of Duty games, it’s impossible to predict which Vanguard guns will for sure become meta in Warzone. The gameplay in Warzone is drastically different than in Vanguard, but we can still accurately predict which weapons will likely come out on top.

Recommended Videos

In Warzone, you want a weapon with lots of ammo, low recoil, and high damage per mag, and thankfully, there are plenty of Vanguard firearms that fit that description. It’s possible that weapons will be reworked for the integration, but assuming most of the stats remain the same, there are several guns that come out on top.

These are the 10 best weapons you should prioritize leveling up ahead of the Vanguard integration.

Recommended reading

AS44

AS44 in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Kicking off our list is the AS44, an assault rifle that is known for its ease of use. It has low recoil and is easy to control, making it a top choice for many players, especially newcomers. One thing to note is that you should use the 45 round mags with this weapon to preserve its accuracy. If you use the 60 round magazine, you’ll have more ammo, but also higher recoil, so it’s a tossup. Generally, we advise sticking with attachments that assist with recoil stabilization so you can ensure you’ll always hit your shots. It also has a tremendously fast rate of fire at over 900 RPM. This will work wonders at mid- to long range.

Automaton

Automaton in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Automaton is a top choice due to its high magazine count of 75. This, combined with its relative ease of use makes it ideal for long-range engagements — bolstered by its high fire rate of 833. A high rate of fire is ideal, as it means you’ll be able to connect with your shots faster while causing more flinch to your opponent. Often, a high rate of fire also means more recoil, but in this case, the Automaton is an exception, as it’s still easy to control.

Volkssturmgewehr

Volkssturmgewehr in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The great thing about the Volkssturmgewehr (Volk) is that it feels much like an SMG with assault rifle properties. This makes it the perfect choice for a sniper support weapon, which will cover your bases at close- to mid-range. Its low recoil means you can whip this out to take on enemies at around 20 meters or so, while your sniper is best used for firefights beyond that. In Warzone, versatility is often king, so the Volk will definitely be at the top of the list.

M1928

M1928 in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

When using an SMG, one of the most important factors is a high rate of fire. Recoil control and accuracy don’t matter as much since SMGs are primarily used up close, which is where the M1928 excels. Its fire rate of 800 is competitive and with its 100 round mag, you’ll probably feel like a superhero when using it. Because of the M1928’s high fire rate, it does have some kick to it, so if you’re new to Warzone, it might be best to reserve your engagements to within 10 meters or so.

PPSh-41

PPSH-41 in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

We’ve seen how well the Cold War version of the PPSh-41 performs and it’s no different in Vanguard. This PPSh has a high fire rate of around 950, making it a forgiving SMG when used up close. The other shining aspect is its large 71-round drum, which gives you plenty of room to spray and take down multiple enemies before having to reload. The main thing to be aware of is that it can be tougher to control at mid-range, so if you’re planning on building it that way, don’t forget to use recoil stabilizing attachments along with an optic.

Type 100

Type 100 in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Although the Type 100 might not seem great on paper, a handful of attachments bring it to the top of the list. In Vanguard, it has the capability to take down enemies in just a couple of shots, so long as you use the .30 Russian Short 30-Round Mags. Sure, this will put you at a disadvantage due to the low ammo count, but assuming the weapon performs similarly in Vanguard, its fast time to kill (TTK) might be worth it. Ultimately, this will be a weapon that might be overpowered at first and will receive a nerf soon after its implementation.

MG42

MG42 in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

LMGs are often tough to recommend due to their slow reload times and sluggish mobility, but the MG42 might make the cut due to its fire rate. In fact, this weapon has one of the highest fire rates in the game at around 1034 RPM, making it absolutely bonkers in practice. It does kick back a noticeable amount, but if you simply aim downwards, you’ll be able to control it with relative ease. You can equip it with a large 125-round mag, which is always nice, so it has a lot going for it. At the end of the day, it’s unclear what its TTKs will look like, but if they’re anything like the MG82 from Warzone, it’ll likely be worth using.

Type 99

Type 99 in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Snipers are in an odd spot because it’s hard to get much better than the Kar98k and the Swiss K31 from Warzone. Out of the three Vanguard snipers, our pick is the Type 99, as it has the fastest aim down sights (ADS) speed, which is a key factor. It’s unclear how this weapon will stack up against the others, but at this point, we feel comfortable at least recommending the Type 99. Hopefully, it has some new feature that makes it viable, because otherwise, there wouldn’t be much of a reason to venture past the Kar98k and the Swiss.

SVT-40

SVT-40 in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The thing about the SVT-40 is that it can take out an enemy in one hit in Vanguard. Of course, that likely won’t be the case in Warzone, but we imagine it’ll take around two or three shots to eliminate a player, which could make it a meta weapon. It maxes out at 15 rounds, and while this might put you at a disadvantage, you’ll deal enough damage to make it worth using. Time will tell how things will shake out, but we anticipate the SVT being a top-tier choice when the integration happens.

Machine Pistol

Machine Pistol in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While it’s easy to ignore the secondary weapons in Vanguard, doing so would be a mistake. Specifically, the akimbo version of the Machine Pistols could do exceptionally well thanks to their large magazine size and ease of use. Of course, you’ll need to be within eight meters or so for them to be viable, but they could still come in handy depending on the situation. This will work well, especially if you plan on running a Ghost loadout, at least to hold you over until you can grab a second primary weapon or an additional loadout.

Keep in mind, these are simply educated predictions that are based on what we know about Warzone and how these weapons perform in Vanguard. It’s possible many of their stats and properties will change when they’re added to Warzone, so it’s important to try a variety of weapons to see what works.

Topics
Joseph Yaden
Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides for…
You might want to wait a bit to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on Steam
A player runs in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer.

It's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launch day, which means potentially millions of players are hopping into the new single-player campaign, the updated multiplayer mode, and Zombies. While posts online about the performance of the game seem to be minimal, there have been reported issues on PC, specifically via Steam.

It's been a common story lately about players being mad at third-party launchers on Steam, and that remains the case for Black Ops 6. Call of Duty's is called Call of Duty HQ (COD HQ), and it's a hub for players to manage their game installs, whether they want to only download certain game modes or launch a specific game. It seems as if players can only switch between modes through the launcher and have to go through multiple menus to boot the game up. In the worst cases, they can't launch the game at all.

Read more
Activision weighs in on Call of Duty toxicity ahead of Black Ops 6
A squad stands together in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Activision is looking to curb the toxic cesspool that is Call of Duty multiplayer with a few features coming in its upcoming game Black Ops 6.

While the development team released its voice and moderation system into Modern Warfare 3 at launch, Black Ops 6 will have a more robust version onday one. Voice moderation will be available in five languages -- it already supports English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and will have French and German when Black Ops 6 launches. Text tools can monitor even more, with the ability to work with 20 languages, including Japanese, Turkish, and Romanian.

Read more
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6: everything we know so far
Soldiers fight in a shopping plaza in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Now that the new Modern Warfare trilogy is complete, it's time to brush up on all Call of Duty games in order before the Black Ops series resurfaces. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will pick up where Cold War left off and will be the most ambitious entry in the series yet, as it aims to take the spot as the best Call of Duty game yet. The initial teases were as cryptic as the game's themes of truth, lies, and subterfuge. That hasn't stopped us from digging through all the footage and documents to shed some light on one of our most anticipated upcoming games. There are a lot of exciting changes on the way, so we'll make sure you have all the necessary intel on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 before release.
Release date

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will launch on Friday, October 25, 2024.
Platforms

Read more