Written by Alex Maidment (nSanity Beach)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has been out for three weeks now, which has given us some time to try out a varied range of the weapons available in the game. We haven’t tried them all, but a good combination of them.
Personally, I like to run assault rifles, mainly because of their versatility and blend of short and mid-range shot capabilities. This has remained true in the newest game, however, for the first time in many years, I can see and feel the benefits of using different weapon classes for different types of gameplay.
Sure, there is still some weapon balancing needed but from the use of different gun classes I’ve had, the weapons feel like they have different capabilities.
Assault rifles
Assault rifles are often good for noob players like myself. They’re easy to use and if aiming isn’t your thing, they can still be pretty effective as point and shoot.
The main two assault rifles I’ve been using are some of the first unlocked in the game, The Kilo and the M4A1. They’re pretty standard as assault rifles go and once you’ve got some attachments, they’re stable and can get some quick kills.
Having used these weapons with two of my main classes I’m running, I think they’re pretty well balanced. They’re not going to beat a shotgun or even SMG at short range (providing both players are accurate with shooting) but they are good for general gameplay and are still versatile enough to play most of the online multiplayer maps comfortably.
SMGs
Where you might consider swapping out that AR for an SMG is for primarily indoor maps or when you’re playing run and gun style.
You might also be tempted by an SMG in domination and possibly headquarters to give you the fast and furious fire rate you need to clear the point of enemies.
I’ve really enjoyed using SMGs in MW and they’re often my fall back when the AR fails to match my play style. They are great for the short range assaults but are still capable of just about doing some mid-range shots providing you can keep them steady.
The MP5 has been my choice of SMG, solid and often reliable although a slower fire rate than some of the other options available. It’s worth noting that at times I’ve lost out to the P90 in face to face SMG combat.
Shotguns
Another short range weapon, the shotguns in this game have been a little unbalanced but still great fun to use. Some of my best kill streaks have been using a shotgun as I sprint round corners and take a shot. In maps with short range gameplay, the shotguns in this game provide a fairly decent first hit kill rate.
Having said this, there have been times where I’ve used the shotguns and enemies are only an arm’s reach away and the shot hasn’t killed.
There have also been instances where people have been sniped by shotgun slugs… There’s still some balancing to do here.
Marksman rifles
I don’t know many people that choose marksman rifles as their main weapon of choice but in some of the medium sized maps, they’re an underrated weapon. I’ve been trying them out this game and when playing Piccadilly, they seem to have a great blend between mid-long distance shots. While a sniper might still beat you to it, they give a bit more flexibility than a sniper rifle.
They’re also pretty powerful with a good percentage of kills when playing with these guns being one hit kills.
Marksman rifles are obviously slower than assault rifles (being single shot) but the fire rate when pulling the trigger multiple times isn’t bad. They offer some interesting gameplay and allow players to slow down a bit and take their time.
LMGs
LMGs are probably the class I’ve used the least. My pick has been the standard issue rifle, the SA80. It’s actually been an incredibly versatile gun and isn’t massive like some of the LMGs available.
The reason I like the SA80 is because it feels more like a hybrid between an AR and LMG. The fire rate is pretty decent and it really packs a punch.
The LMG class is definitely welcomed in this game, especially with the new ability to mount guns on certain points in the map. This means you can really tear through enemies without worrying too much about the recoil usually associated with LMGs.
Sniper Rifles
Saving one of the best weapon classes until last, it’s the sniper rifles.
Infuriating when you get sniped by someone sat on the ridge but extremely satisfying when you snipe someone in a helicopter or on top of a rooftop – of course, this is referring to the new big team game, Ground War. It’s a game mode built for snipers.
The snipers in this game are on the whole, easy enough to use. They’re powerful enough to kill in one hit but not unrealistic in how you might use them.
Sniping in Modern Warfare is more like sniping in Battlefield 4 than it is in any other CoD game from recent years.
The weapons in Modern Warfare are the best from any CoD game in the last 5 years, possibly even 10 years. Each class feels like it has a use and a tactical element and they all good fun to use. I recommend switching it up between the classes to keep things interesting but there is something for everyone in this game.
Casual Heroes Gaming 