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Call of Duty Vanguard weapon tier list – November 2021

We rank the best weapons in CoD Vanguard in a weapon tier list.

Updated: Nov 30, 2021 3:08 pm
Call of Duty Vanguard weapon tier list – November 2021

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With Call of Duty Vanguard now live across all platforms across the world, it’s that time again where players race to find the best weapons. Luckily, most of us managed to get a sneak peek into the action through the various Call of Duty Vanguard betas in September. While the developers no doubt added balancing, it seems the kings of the beta remain the same. Here is our Call of Duty Vanguard weapon tier list, ranking most of the weapons in the game. 

Before we go any further, we are aware some weapons are only getting playtested as of the game’s launch. These weapons were never in the beta, so we never got a feel for how the weapons are. Therefore, keep in mind that this Call of Duty Vanguard weapon tier list is based on two factors.

  1.  The beta period.
  2.  The weapons the CoD community got their hands-on.

As we get our hands on the CoD multiplayer over the weekend, we will make small adjustments to the list, adding weapons we no doubt get rekt by them, along with adjusting the beta weapons to more accurate positions.

Read more: Call of Duty Vanguard weapons list.

Please be aware when you read through our CoD tier list, the rankings are pretty much in order from best to worst in each tier. Below is a breakdown of all the Call of Duty Vanguard Weapon Tiers. Read on to get a detailed breakdown of each weapons ability.

TierWeapons
S TierMP40, STG44, Avtomat/Automaton, DP27, Machine Pistol, Combat Shotgun, Type 99.
A TierType 100, M1928, NZ-41, 3-Line Rifle, BAR, MG42, M1911, Kar98k, PPSH.
B TierVolk, M1 Garand, Sten
C TierItra Burst, Revolving Shotgun (Einhorn Revolving), Panzerschreck, M1 Bazooka, Ratt
D TierFighting Knife
UnrankedKlauser, Top Break, Panzerfaust, MKT1 Launcher, Gewerh-43, SVT-40, Gracey Auto, Double Barrel, Owen Gun, AS44,

Best weapons in Call of Duty Vanguard – S tier

Call of Duty Vanguard MP40 Tier List
The MP40 is the best weapon at the moment. Image via Activision.

MP40 – The MP40 arrived in the beta a little later, as it was locked behind levels. While it is the case in the live game, it will become the SMG many players switch to once they get it. The reason why is because it is one of those OP SMGs that exist in every cod game, it is fast, high damage and easy to use. As you can see in your game, everyone is using it, and it is for a very good reason. Read More: MP40 loadout.

STG44 – The STG 44 was by far the most common gun used in the Vanguard beta. It is easy to see why, with it being the jack of all trades AR. It has a decent rate of fire, damage and range, making it an incredibly versatile weapon. What makes it worse is the gunsmith magazine mods. Some players got round to unlocking an explosive bullet magazine, which made the opposing player’s aim flinch when hit, making it brutally annoying to play against.  Alternatively, there is a build you can run where the weapon is practically a laser beam, with no recoil with extended range. What a beauty of a weapon.

Avtomat – The Avtomat is a gun that the pros believe is going to be a go-to in the Call of Duty League. The weapon is incredibly strong, but it’s not quite the STG. It is one of the stronger rifles, but, its catch is the fire rate isn’t as good. Luckily, there are fixes to this that need a little grinding, which make it a fantastic gun later on.

DP27 – As a fan of the LMGs myself, the DP27 stood out to me as a pseudo-SMG/AR hybrid. It’s really mobile and can mow down opponents with its 100 round UFO-shaped magazines. It’s not going to beat MP40 or the STG44 in their domains, no. But, if you like that tactical run and gun suppressive fire playstyle, then the DP27 is yours.

Machine Pistol – The Machine pistol is the first pistol we got access to in the beta. Many people loved it, and It will likely stick around in your loudouts too, because that weapon is the best thing to happen when a nutter with an MP40 charges you down. Swap to it and unleash hell in point-blank range; chances are you survive the encounter.

Combat Shotgun – The Combat Shotgun is the only good shotgun in the game at the minute. The weapon has a particular build, that seems to make it a one-hit kill as long as you are somewhat close to medium range. The weapon is unfair, and the new house maps make it even more obnoxious to play against.

Type 99 – The Type 99 is a great sniper rifle, and has dethroned the Kar98k from the beta. It has great killing potential to the head and chest, along with a decent fire rate and reloads speeds. Its’s everything the M1 Garand wishes it was, only with solid precision.

A Tier – Almost the best weapons in the CoD Vanguard tier list

Call of Duty Vanguard Tier List Thompson
The Thompson, aka the M1928, is a fairly decent SMG. Image via Activision.

Type 100 – The Type 100 is a great weapon, it has a very strong range for an SMG, and it hits quite hard. Not to mention it benefits from the SMG movement speed perks, so it makes it a great support / hybrid weapon.

M1928 – The M1928 is pretty much the Thompson from World at War back in 2008. It’s the default SMG you start with, and it’s a great weapon in all honesty. It’s pretty much a slight spec behind the MP40, so you may well consider this an A+ weapon for now.

NZ-41 – The weapon is a mixture of the AR/SMG hybrid, which we are more than familiar with in CoD games by now. This weapon won’t dethrone S Tier weapons unless used in certain ways. The NZ is that weapon. It’s basically a fast-moving assault rifle with a few downsides. Great for pushing objectives with the kick of an AR, but it’s not going to dominate the ruleset defined by the MP40 or the STG.

KAR98K – The German sniper, the Kar98k. The powerful bolt action rifle can gib players one hit anywhere. Moreso, that weapon has players running around quick scoping in close quarters, enabling the screams of teenagers losing their **** as you force them into a proximity chat death sequence.

3-Line Rifle – The Triple line rifle is the entry-level sniper rifle in CoD Vanguard. It makes its impact on the CoD Vanguard weapon tier list due to its immediate effectiveness. Like the Kar98k, it is a one-shot rifle, but it lacks in the ADS department. You can opt o build into and make it as good, but it’s not a mobile MM rifle that you build the Kar98k into. All in all Kar 98k offers more for less work.

BAR – The BAR is the American AR, with its slow fire rate but meaty rounds that mow down opponents. It sits somewhere between a sniper rifle and an AR, offering rewards for marksman aim while having the ability to manoeuvre around the map and pressure more. This weapon is for the player that likes to remain at mid and long-range and is great on maps with tight yet long angles.

MG42 – Not many players got using the MG42 in the beta, but it was the only weapon I managed to get dogs with, if I’m being real. Find a long-range angle that you can mount your weapon to and hold it with your life. Remember to take the ammo pack deployable to ensure you don’t ever have to leave for ammo – (unless running away throw throwables). You should also avoid running around the map, as its hip fire is laughable and the ADS will see you down and out to AR and SMG players.

M1911 – There is a reason why this gun keeps coming back to FPS titles. The M1911 is the staple pistol in every FPS. It’s reliable, has a decent magazine size, and packs a punch. This might even outrank the Machine pistol for some players, so feel free to swap these weapons around the CoD Vanguard tier list if you so wish. 

PPSH – The PPSH in the early game is awful. However, when you get its recoil sorted, it becomes a laser beam. It does mean the weaponsmithing on this classic Russian SMG is heavily restricted, but, the build that works on it really works.

B Tier

Call of Duty Tier List M1 Garand
If I was ranking this on aesthetics, the M1 Garand is an S tier for its reload noise.

Volk – The developers describe the volk as “quick and mobile, the lightest automatic rifle, allowing great movement but with low control.” And they are not kidding. You run fast, but the moment you hold the primary fire hotkey down, you’re praying to RNGesus that it does its job. This requires a control build, and won’t get good till you get control and recoil attachments, which takes a while – Why grind out this weapon level unless you want this gun? We think you should only use this during weapon double XP events.

M1 Garand – Marksmen rifles in CoD has always been a bit of a meme. The weapon’s role doesn’t really work in a twitch shooter that is the Call of Duty franchise. However, if you like using these weapons, rest assured they work. The M1 Garand is a semi-automatic rifle with a highly satisfying reload sound. It can two-shot most enemies, and one-shot headshot too. You’re best using this in long and tight angles you expect high traffic – effectively becoming an alternative to an LMG.

Sten – Sorry Sten stans, but the Sten lacks the overall firepower to be worth it. If you like running headfirst into objectives, getting early leads for your team, it is a great weapon to use. But, its weapon damage will have you losing to any close to medium SMG and AR ranked above it.

C Tier

Revolving Shotgun Vanguard
The revolving shotgun is big meme energy.

Itra Burst – This weapon feels incredibly weird to use. By default, it has a burst fire mode, but it takes at least two full bursts to down someone or one full burst in the head. Due to the burst recoil is rather hard to achieve the one-shot headshot burst in non-hardcore modes. Unless you love burst fire weapons, this weapon should be avoided, and the M1 Garand feels much better. Sadly, we don’t feel the weapon has much room to improve in the CoD Vanguard weapon tier list,  based on the early judgement anyway. It gets better in hardcore mode though, which you can slide up to the B Tier if you wish.

Bren – Bren is by far the worst LMG in the game. It is slow, but packs a punch and has a base 100 round magazine to make it fun to use. But, the MG42 outclasses it in the distant suppression department, and the DP27 is the go-to choice for mobile LMG fire. You should avoid this weapon unless you’re going for a fun build or completionist.

Revolving Shotgun (Einhorn Revolving) – The Revolving Shotgun takes two shots to kill and has a long reload time. Prepare for unlocking several attachments to make this gun effective. Other than that, I’m sorry to tell you that Shotguns in the Call of Duty Vanguard weapon tier list are not fantastic. It does have a decent range, slightly redeeming its other negative qualities.

Panzerschreck – The Panzerschreck carries the largest millimeter shell amongst the two launchers. However, the launchers in Vanguard don’t lock onto aircraft, making them rather awful at their traditional job. So, they are a nice joke you can launch onto objectives to flush out baddies, especially on hardcore.

M1 Bazooka – Bazookas are in the same boat as the Panzershcreck, albeit their shells are thinner, equalling less AOE splash damage. 

Ratt– The Ratt is a high rate of fire pistol, but its damage seems poor. There are some situations where it outshines the Automatic pistol, but it is generally not worth it for those few situations,

D Tier

Fighting Knife – The Fighting Knife is a meme weapon, designed for hilarious moments. You walk up to someone, and you stab, entering a special animation. But that’s not going to happen all that much.

Unranked 

The unraked section contains weapons that we have not managed to get much evidence on. We will continue to rank them throughout the Vanguard release when players get actual builds or unlock them. Feel free to bookmark this page and come back when we have more evidence and justification for their rankings.

  • Klauser.
  • Top Break.
  • Panzerfaust.
  • MKT1 Launcher.
  • Gewerh-43.
  • SVT-40.
  • Gracey Auto.
  • Double Barrel.
  • Owen Gun.
  • AS44.

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