Skip to main content

The best Stoner 63 loadouts in Call of Duty: Warzone

While light machine guns (LMGs) certainly have their downsides in Call of Duty: Warzone, they’re often solid choices for players who like to challenge opponents at long range. If used properly, LMGs are effective at taking down multiple enemies in one clip thanks to having large magazines. One of the best LMGs in the game is the Stoner 63, a Black Ops Cold War weapon that has always been at the top of the long-range meta.

It takes some skill to use, but if you can figure it out, the Stoner 63 can wipe the floor with the competition thanks to its accuracy, range, and damage. But how should you build the Stoner 63? There is a slew of different options for doing so, but in this guide, we’ll highlight some of its best builds. These are the best Stoner 63 loadouts in Call of Duty: Warzone.

Recommended reading: 

Recommended Videos

Stoner 63 overview

Before diving into the best Stoner 63 loadouts, let’s first take a look at the weapon’s stats and how it works. It’s an LMG, so you can expect it to be heavy and slow, with long reload times. But, to make up for that, it has a competitive time to kill (TTK), with relatively easy-to-control recoil. The Stoner 63 shines because its only damage drop-off is at 59 meters, which means engagements within that range will have around a 65ms TTK, according to TrueGameData. Beyond the 59-meter point, the TTK increases to around 78ms, which is still competitive at that distance.

What this means in a practical sense is that the Stoner 63 will work tremendously well from afar, especially since it’s so easy to control. And thanks to its large magazine size, you can get away with spraying through walls or even at vehicles.

Long-range

Stoner 63 in Call of Duty: Warzone.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Muzzle Agency Suppressor
Barrel 21.8″ Task Force
Optic Axial Arms 3x
Underbarrel Field Agent Grip
Rear Grip Airborne Elastic Wrap

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best long-range builds for the Stoner 63. This setup will prioritize accuracy and bullet velocity, while ensuring the weapon is still easy to control. For this build, start by using the Agency Suppressor Muzzle to keep you from appearing on the minimap when firing, while improving your vertical recoil control, bullet velocity, and effective damage range. Bullet velocity is important because it dictates how much you have to lead your shots. The lower the bullet velocity, the longer it’ll take them to reach their target, which means you’ll need to lead your shots more. In short, the higher the bullet velocity, the better — especially at long range.

Next up, equip the 21.8″ Task Force Barrel, which improves bullet velocity, horizontal and vertical recoil, and effective damage range. This will make your weapon easier to use from afar, at the expense of slower aim down sights (ADS) speed. This is not a build that is meant for lightweight mobility, so keep that in mind.

Since you’ll be using this weapon at range, you’ll want to use an optic, preferably something with plenty of zoom like the Axial Arms 3x. Go with what you’re comfortable with, of course, but keep in mind, having more zoom will come in handy at longer distances. Follow that up with the Field Agent Grip to improve your vertical and horizontal recoil control, which will allow you to stick to your target easier. The last attachment comes down to personal preference, but we like using the Airborne Elastic Wrap Rear Grip to improve your ADS speeds. This weapon will be slow enough as it is, so having improved ADS speeds will make a major difference.

With this being a long-range build, you’ll want to come equipped with a secondary weapon that works up close, such as an SMG or shotgun. We’ve been loving the OTs 9 SMG lately, but the MP5 (MW) and the PPSh-41 are great options, as well. Or if you’re looking for a more explosive approach, RPGs are a good choice, too.

Depending on your play style, you should consider using the Double Time perk to increase the duration of your Tactical Sprint, as well as your crouch movement speed. That will help offset the weapon’s slow mobility. Otherwise, E.O.D. or Quick Fix are always great options. Aside from Overkill, Ghost should be your go-to in the second perk slot, while Amped is almost always the best choice for the third perk slot.

Since this is a less mobile class, bringing claymores or proximity mines as your lethal equipment is a good idea, while heartbeat sensors or stuns work best as tactical equipment.

Lightweight

Stoner 63 in Call of Duty: Warzone.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Muzzle Suppressor
Barrel 16″ SOR Cut Down
Laser Tiger Team Spotlight
Stock Raider Pad
Rear Grip SASR Jungle Grip

Next up is a bit of an unorthodox setup, but one that works well for more skilled players. Of course, the Stoner 63’s biggest downside is how slow it is — with long ADS times and heavy mobility. You can try to offset this with a more lightweight build that prioritizes ADS speeds and movement. To do so, start off with the Suppressor Muzzle. This will still keep you from appearing on the minimap when firing, but will improve your ADS speeds when compared with the Agency Suppressor. It also features better sprint-to-fire speed and still increases your bullet velocity.

After that, swap over to the 16″ SOR Cut Down Barrel to improve your firing movement speed and ADS firing move speed. This is key to the lightweight build and will still allow you to secure eliminations at medium range. From here, you’ve got a couple options. The recommended choice is the Tiger Team Spotlight Laser, which boosts your aiming movement speed, but you can also opt to equip an Optic if you so choose. The Stoner 63’s iron sights aren’t terrible, so if you want the lightest option possible, we advise skipping an Optic.

Then, we recommend going with the Raider Pad Stock for a boost to your ADS firing move speed, aim walking movement speed, and sprint to fire. This will allow you to start shooting quickly after you stop sprinting, which will give you the upper hand. And since this is a mobile loadout, you’ll likely move around the map more than with the long-range build. Finish off the weapon with the SASR Jungle Grip to improve mobility and ADS times.

You’ll find that this Stoner 63 class is less accurate and not as viable at longer ranges, but it will feel a lot more like an assault rifle — perfect for those looking to run and gun. This setup is best used on Rebirth Island since it’s a smaller, fast-paced map.

When it comes to a secondary, you’ve got a few options. Since this build is best used at mid-range, having something to cover yourself up close is always ideal, such as a shotgun or SMG. But on the flip side, having a sniper might not be a bad choice either since this version of the Stoner won’t work as well from afar. Whatever you do, we don’t recommend bringing another LMG or assault rifle with you since that would be redundant.

As for perks, they’ll largely be the same as recommended above. However, this is a mid-range build that works best on Rebirth Island, so it’s a good idea to have Quick Fix equipped for your first perk slot. This will immediately start health regeneration after eliminating a player — which is a major upside on Rebirth Island. Aside from that, the usual choices still apply: Ghost/Overkill, and Amped.

With this build, we highly suggest bringing throwing knives as your lethal equipment. This is meant for more aggressive play styles, which suit the lightweight version of the Stoner 63. That way, you can quickly finish a downed player without needing to melee or waste additional ammo. And if you’re playing Rebirth Island, we highly suggest coming equipped with a heartbeat sensor as your tactical equipment since a lot of players won’t have Ghost, meaning they’ll be easy to spot using the device.

All-around

Stoner 63 in Call of Duty: Warzone.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Muzzle Agency Suppressor
Barrel 20.7″ Match Grade
Optic Visiontech 2x
Underbarrel Field Agent Grip
Ammunition Fast Mag

For the final build, we’ll focus on one that is the most practical, balancing range, recoil control, and speed. Swap back over to the Agency Suppressor Muzzle to preserve your weapon’s range while remaining undetected when firing. This attachment will slow you down, but we’ll make up for that later. After that, we advise equipping the 20.7″ Match Grade Barrel, which still gives you many long-range benefits like improved bullet velocity, effective damage range, and better recoil control — but without the many downsides of the 21.8″ Task Force Barrel. The Match Grade isn’t as effective at long range as the Task Force, but it will increase mobility, which can be more practical for aggressive players.

Next up, we recommend using an Optic, but one that preserves ADS speed, such as the Visiontech 2x or even the Millstop Reflex. Having an Optic will help you line up your shots easier, and if you stay at or below 2x magnification, your ADS speeds won’t be too terrible. After that, it’s a good idea to swap back over to the Field Agent Grip Underbarrel to help with your recoil control, which is never a bad thing.

Finally, you should equip the Fast Mag Ammunition type to get better reload speeds. LMGs are notoriously terrible about having slow reload times, but this can help with that. Likewise, you can choose to bring a bigger magazine size instead, but remember, the bigger the drum, the slower your ADS times will be — so it’s best to stick with the standard 75 round Fast Mag in this case.

For this build, bringing RPGs along is recommended if you aren’t planning on using Overkill right off the bat. As always, an SMG is a great choice too, but some players prefer to use Ghost as their second perk, so it ultimately comes down to preference. If you are using Overkill, bringing a close- to mid-range SMG like the LC10, Mac-10, or PPSh-41 is a good plan.

As stated above, this build is slow, so utilizing Double Time as your first perk might work well for you. The rest of the perks should be the same, such as Ghost/Overkill and Amped.

Finally, your tactical and lethal equipment will vary depending on play style. For instance, more aggressive players should use throwing knives to finish off their opponents, while passive players might be better suited to use claymores. And as always, heartbeat sensors or stuns are solid choices.

Topics
Joseph Yaden
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides for…
The best Wildcards in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Kill Order gameplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

The concept of a Wildcard might sound like a risky endeavor in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, but this part of your loadout isn't random at all. We haven't seen this system since Cold War, and even those who remember it from that game will need to learn all the new cards there are in Black Ops 6. You can only equip a single Wildcard on your loadout, but they are powerful enough to completely redefine your playstyle. So far, there are only six to unlock while grinding through the levels with your friends, but picking just one is still a tough choice, especially if you want to use a permanent unlock on one after hitting Prestige. We've ranked all the Wildcards in Black Ops 6 so you can always have the winning hand.
All Black Ops 6 Wildcards, ranked

There is a level of personal preference in which Wildcard you will find better than others, but in most cases, the ones we've ranked as the best will help every player gain an edge in online matches. Here's our ranking of each Wildcard from best to worst, along with what level you unlock them at.
Perk Greed - Level 54
The last Wildcard you unlock is easily the most powerful. Perk Greed lets you unlock a fourth Perk to your loadout instead of being limited to three, which can borderline break the game if you choose the right set of Perks. It is also the most versatile of the Wildcards since it gives you the most options to play with instead of a specific bonus you may not find useful. It can also more easily unlock the special bonus buff you get for equipping three Perks from the same category.
Gunfighter - Level 33
Right in the middle of the unlock list, Gunfighter is one Wildcard you could easily make a case for over Perk Greed in some situations. This one increases your attachment points for your primary weapon by three. If you're rocking a top-tier weapon already, this Wildcard can let you tweak its stats even higher. We rank it second because it only applies to one weapon and thus is a bit more limiting.
Overkill - Level 24
For such an early Wildcard, Overkill is quite a powerful choice. This card lets you equip any weapon (except melee weapons) in your Primary and Secondary slots instead of the ones typically reserved for each. That means you can build a loadout with two Primary weapons and be far more versatile on the battlefield. Instead of having to trade off range, damage, rate of fire, mobility, or any other aspect of your game, you can cover almost all your bases by picking two Primary weapons that cover each other's weaknesses.
Prepper - Level 45
Field upgrades are powerful, don't get us wrong, but having two instead of one isn't always that much of a game-changer. It's a bit less useful than Gunfighter only because field upgrades are more situational and require more attention to use to their full potential. If that's you, then this is a great choice.
Danger Close - Level 38
Who doesn't want another grenade, Molotov, or combat axe? Is getting a second Lethal worth the Wildcard slot, though? Not in our opinion. Most of the time, Lethals are used in desperation or as a way to deny enemy movement for a time, and even then, they are risky because of how vulnerable you are while using them.
Tactical Expert - Level 15
The first Wildcard you get is better than nothing, but only just. It's exactly like Danger Close, only you can hold two Tacticals instead of Lethals. This is, by nature, a little worse since Tacticals don't have the ability to kill an enemy (unless you get super lucky and you directly hit an enemy with one who is on low HP). You can get some use out of them, but you're better off upgrading as soon as you have another option.

Read more
The best Perk-A-Colas in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
A screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's zombies mode.

There's nothing more refreshing than taking a nice big swig of a Perk-A-Cola during an intense Zombies match with your pals in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Besides tasting great (we assume), these colas empower you with buffs that will keep you alive until the later rounds. These bonuses are just as important as the Pack-A-Punch, but come in a wider range of flavors. It is possible to stack them all, but that gets expensive very fast so you need to be thrifty about choosing which ones are most valuable early on. These colas come in eight different types that may or may not be worth your Essence to chug. If you want to know which ones are the best in Black Ops 6, check out our ranking.
Best Perk-A-Colas in Black Ops 6

We're ranking these Perk-A-Colas based on their base bonuses, not any additional effects you can get if you Augment them, from best to worst.
Jugger-Nog
You can never go wrong with the classic Jugger-Nog. Increasing your health by 100 is useful for the entire duration of a Zombies mode, but especially in the early rounds. Going down is at best a major setback and at worst a cascade into defeat. This extra health allows you to get out of a bad situation that would otherwise end your run.
Quick Revive
This Perk has two components, with the less useful one being the ability to revive teammates 50% faster. Ideally, that shouldn't be needed but is nice. However, what makes it rank so high is the 50% shorter delay on health regen. Your health will come back over time in Zombies but at a dreadful pace. Starting to heal faster means less time running and kiting zombies around and more time in the action helping the team.
Speed Cola
The best early guns for Zombies mode have a large magazine, fast reload, or both. Running out of ammo at the wrong time and not being able to get more rounds in the chamber fast enough has ended many a run, but Speed Cola is the solution. It will speed up your reloads and armor plating by 30%. That's not a massive number, but fast enough to make the difference.
Stamin-Up
These zombies aren't the shambling types. They will chase you down like sprinters, and some of the monstrous ones can outpace you even at full tilt. Stamin-Up sounds like it would let you run for longer, but actually just lets you run faster since you have no limit on sprint in Black Ops 6. Positioning is everything in Zombies so being able to get where you need to be faster is never a bad thing, especially if it's a downed teammate bleeding out.
Deadshot Daiquiri
Every zombie has a weak spot, which is most often the head. Deadshot Daiquiri makes a critical hit hurt even more than normal, plus increases your auto-aim on those weak points when you aim down sights (ADS). That second part shouldn't factor much if you've got good aim, which is why this is only a decent Perk-A-Cola.
PhD Flopper
Not being able to hurt yourself is situationally useful, and the ability to cause an explosion by diving is a risky move. Yes, it's cool, but you don't want to be lying prone surrounded by zombies. This is a cool gimmick, but save yourself the Essence and skip it.
Elemental Pop
When Elemental Pop works, it's great. The problem with it is that you can't rely on it. It gives a small chance on every shot you take to add a random ammo mod effect, which is cool but impractical. If you have spare Essence on you, sure, it won't hurt you to have, but it isn't something that will turn the tide for you or your team.
Melee Macchiato
Finally, Melee Macchiato bottoms out the list. It is fine in the early game when the hordes are small and you're better off meleeing enemies since it will smack enemies away with each hit, but quickly drops off in usefulness. When the zombies get too strong and too numerous, you will need a lot more than a strong punch to deal with them and end up forgetting you even have it.

Read more
The best Call of Duty games, ranked
Soldier holding weapon in Modern Warfare II.

Few video game series are as influential and popular as Call of Duty. The annualized franchise throws players into fast-paced battles across various historical time periods -- along with fictional eras as well. Call of Duty has taken us to World War II, the Cold War, a modern setting, and even to the future.

Although it's one of the most successful video game franchises out there, Call of Duty's quality varies significantly from game to game, with some fantastic entries in the series, but many mediocre ones as well. But which Call of Duty games are worth your time and which ones should you skip? To answer that question, we've ranked all the mainline entries in the series, with details about why you should or shouldn't play a particular game.

Read more