November 10, 2021

Call of Duty: Vanguard is here to shake the boots of competitive players around the world. However before you can dominate the battlefield, you’ll need to be prepared to stand toe to toe with the best around. For that purpose, you’ll want the best Call of Duty: Vanguard loadouts possible.

Call of Duty: Vanguard Best Loadouts

Call of Duty: Vanguard takes the franchise back to its World War 2 roots, and there is a wealth of devastating weapons to experiment with. However, not all of them offer a sure-fire way to beat the competition. We’ve put together some of the best weapon loadouts in Vanguard below, so have a read and pick the weapon that suits your style.

Best M1928 Loadout

The M1928 or Tommy Gun is a powerful choice for those who like to keep mobile.

Seen throughout the Call of Duty franchise, the M1928 is a dependable submachine gun for blasting away foes while remaining agile. Also known as the Tommy Gun, this SMG can be tuned for long-range engagements, but up close is where it truly does damage. Putting movement speed, ADS, and sprint-to-fire speed as a priority is the key to wielding the pure power of the M1928.

The gunsmith area in Vanguard introduces the idea of 10 attachments for your weapon of choice. To kick things off you’ll want to equip the Chariot 2.5” Barrel. Adding an excellent buff to your fire rate, this speedy attachment will drill your foes into the ground. With speed comes recoil, and to combat this, we recommend equipping the Gutts Compensator Muzzle. This will not only reduce your recoil pattern, but increase your accuracy too.

Optics are down to personal preference, but with the rest of these attachments equipped, you’ll be leading your squad to victory in no time:

• • Magazine: .45 ACP 30 Round Fast Mags
  • Ammo Type: Lengthened
  • Rear Grip: Fabric Grip
  • Proficiency: Frenzy
  • Kit: Quick
  • Muzzle: Gutts Compensator
  • Barrel: Chariot 2.5” Rapid
  • Optic: Spitfire MK.3 Reflector
  • Stock: CGC S Adjustable
  • Underbarrel: M1941 Handstop

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Best BAR Loadout

The BAR isn’t the top dog in the AR category, but it’s a great alternative if you tool it up properly.

Known for blistering through enemies in 2008’s World at War, the BAR is a fierce choice when it comes to assault rifles. Packing some serious damage and decent accuracy, this rifle is a versatile addition to your loadout. If you fancy a change from the extremely popular STG44, this is the weapon for you.

The F8 Stabilizer Muzzle will aid your BAR loadout, especially when paired with the Cooper SP and the M1941 Hand Stop; you’ll gain a great buff for recoil reduction with these attachments. The BAR is a long-range demon, and with the rest of this loadout completed, you’ll be unstoppable:

• Magazine: .50 BMG 30 Round Mag 
• Ammo Type: Lengthened
• Rear Grip: Fabric Grip 
• Proficiency: Sleight of Hand
• Kit: Fully Loaded 
• Muzzle: F8 Stabilizer 
• Optic: G16 2.5x
• Stock: Cooper SP
• Underbarrel: M1941 Hand Stop 

Best STG44 Loadout

The STG44 has already proven itself the premium choice in multiplayer matches.

Probably the most popular weapon in the game at the time of writing, the STG44 was a brutal rifle back in the World at War Zombies era. Now, it’s tearing up the opposition within Vanguard’s multiplayer. This STG configuration is undoubtedly the one that has been sending you back to the lobby in a fit of rage. The good news? Now, you can abuse that same power. 

Returning again is the F8 Stabilizer Muzzle, but this time it’s combining with the Krausnick 317MM 04B Barrel. The duo will take the annoyance out of your weapon sway, and you’ll also see improvements to damage range and accuracy. If you want to keep moving with momentum, it’s crucial you equip the Removed Stock. Not only will ADS speed be improved, but movement and sprint-to-fire speed will receive some glorious increases too. 

• Magazine: .30 Russian Short 20 Round Mags
• Ammo Type: Lengthened
• Rear Grip: Stippled Grip
• Proficiency: Vital
• Kit: On-Hand
• Muzzle: F8 Stabilizer
• Barrel: Krausnick 317MM 04B
• Optic: Spitfire MK.3 Reflector
• Stock: Removed Stock
• Underbarrel: M1930 Strife Angled

Best Automaton Loadout

With an increased magazine size, the Automaton can mow down multiple enemies in a single spray.

The Automaton has already risen up Vanguard’s ranks as a worthy addition to any loadout. Built for full-auto aggression, this assault rifle has a stellar time-to-kill and manageable recoil to boot. Wielded properly, it is capable of destroying multiple enemies with one magazine. 

To improve the vertical recoil of the Automaton, equip the G28 Compensator. It’s critical to equip the Zac Skeletal stock, as this will drastically improve your movement speed as you run into hot zones. Your hip-fire accuracy may take a dive as a result, but the Carver Foregrip will combat this decrease nicely. The most important aspect for this loadout, however, is the 6.5 Sakura 45 RND magazine. This will allow you to blitz multiple players in one magazine thanks to the extra rounds it offers.

• Magazine: 6.5mm Sakura 45 RND
• Ammo Type: Subsonic
• Rear Grip: Rubber Grip
• Proficiency: Frenzy
• Kit: Surplus
• Muzzle: G28 Compensator
• Barrel: Zac 600mm BFA
• Optic: Slate Reflector
• Stock: Zac Skeletal
• Underbarrel: Carver Foregrip

Essential Perks and Tactical Equipment

Ghost has been essential for as long as it’s been a choice in Call of Duty games.

While there are many options when it comes to optimizing your perks and tacticals, you can use this immensely reliable setup with any of the previous guns to put a dent in your rivals’ K/D ratios. Here’s what you need to get going:

• Perk Slot 1: Ghost
• Perk Slot 2: Radar
• Perk Slot 3: Double Time
• Secondary: Machine Pistol
• Lethal: Gammon Bomb
• Tactical: Stim
• Field Upgrade: Armor

Popping a quick Stim is great when you’re evading bullets, while throwing the walloping bombast of the Gammon Bomb is a neat way to keep foes at bay. With its laser beam fire rate, the Machine Pistol will ensure any rapid switches to your secondary can finish the job. Ghost is a Call of Duty all-timer at this point, so be sure to keep off the grid with this equipped.

Like keeping tabs on the opposition? The Radar perk will sort you out.

Fans of the classic mini-map will want to equip Radar, as this will help to track your opponents as they traverse the map as well. Lastly, Armor will sponge bullets while you prepare to fire back and charge into their direction with the extended sprint duration of Double Time.

With the above as a good starting point, you should be out there and cleaning up the battlefield in no time.

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Sam Comrie is a journalist and filmmaker based in Sheffield, UK. When he isn’t causing chaos in Just Cause 2, you can find him listening to Foo Fighters on repeat 24/7. Seen at NME, Red Bull Gaming, From Gamers Magazine, and JumpCut PLAY.