This guide will walk you through the strengths and weaknesses of every single Warzone 2 AR, and rank them from 10th to 1st place so you can easily find out which is the very best Assault Rifle in Warzone 2.0 right now.
Best Assault Rifle in Warzone 2
The best Assault Rifle in Warzone 2 is the STB 556. It has a best in class TTK - able to kill an unarmoured enemy in just 235ms with chest shots - and pinpoint precision. Whether you’re scrambling to down a nearby enemy, or trying to laser someone as they run away into the distance in Al Mazrah, the STB 556 is sure to help you rack up kills and perform well in every game. If you find the STB 556 on the floor, take it. If you’re building a loadout, equip it. The STB 556 absolutely deserves a slot in your arsenal. Here is our ranked list of the best ARs in Warzone 2:
10. M16
The M16 might be iconic, but it really doesn’t feel great to use in Warzone 2. It has the slowest time to kill and the slowest ADS speed, making it feel incredibly disappointing while hunting for enemies in Al Mazrah. The signature burst-fire mode that makes it so well known is the M16’s downfall here. With a 200ms wait between each burst making it substantially slower than other Assault Rifles, the damage and accuracy have to be pretty special to make up for it. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case. You’ll have a hard time dropping enemies in Warzone using the M16 unless you get a serious drop on them.
9. Kastov 545
The Kastov 545 has rather low accuracy and recoil control, making it most effective as a close-range Assault Rifle. However, it doesn’t quite beat out its competitors that excel from the same distance, with the Kastov-74U dealing slightly more damage with a slightly faster fire rate. When you compare their TTKs, with the Kastov-74U beating the Kastov 545 by just under 100ms, it’s hard to make a case as to why this deserves a spot in your loadout. The Kastov 545 isn’t a bad weapon. It’s just outshone by another Warzone 2 AR that fills a similar role and does it better.
8. Chimera
Continuing the trend of certain rifles being outshone by others, the Chimera basically feels like a worse M4. It has the same high fire rate and similar handling, but lower damage. That’s not ideal when trying to beat other squads in Warzone 2, especially when they’ll most likely be using the superior M4 that’s helping to dominate the meta right now. The Chimera might be a shiny new Season 1 Assault Rifle, but it certainly doesn’t crack the top 5 in its class right now.
7. TAQ-56
This is where we get into the pool of weapons that actually feel viable, and the TAQ-56 isn’t bad by any means. It’s strong, fairly accurate, and easy enough to control with the right setup. However, when compared to certain other ARs in Warzone 2, it simply doesn’t hold up quite as well. When compared to the fan-favourite M4, for example, the TAQ-56 doesn’t stand out in a single category. It features higher bodyshot damage, which isn’t nothing; but the M4 beats it in almost every other stat, including fire rate, recoil control, and accuracy. Those are crucial if you want to rinse enemies quickly in Warzone 2, and it makes it a bit too hard to effectively and reliably make use of the TAQ-56’s greater damage-per-shot.
6. M13B
The M13B has a best-in-class fire rate, a decent recoil pattern, and surprisingly long damage dropoff ranges. Unfortunately, it’s held back considerably by its worst-in-class damage profile. It’s also perhaps surprising that the M13B’s fire rate isn’t even higher. The gap between its fire rate and the M4’s fire rate is not nothing, but at the same time, it isn’t much. The crucial point though is that the M13B really doesn’t feel powerful, even with its immense fire rate. In its current state, we’d simply opt for the M4 instead, which still fires nearly as fast and rips enemies apart with ease.
5. Lachmann-556
The Lachmann-556 is a surprisingly powerful weapon, offering one of the fastest unarmoured TTKs in the Assault Rifle class. However, it only takes a middle spot on this list, largely due to the same reasons as some of the previous weapons - it’s outclassed overall by another AR. In this case, that’s the STB 556, which outperforms it at medium-long range with better recoil control, accuracy, handling, and a higher damage range. As you might expect, though, that doesn’t make the Lachmann-556 inherently bad. If you’re forced to use this weapon as ground loot or to grind for camos, you’ll find that it does the job well. With decent accuracy and best in class range, it can hit targets from a distance if you can find a vantage point overlooking a decent chunk of Al Mazrah.
4. Kastov 762
The Kastov 762 is Warzone 2’s AK, and it’s just as powerful as you might expect. This Assault Rifle packs one heck of a punch, offering incredibly high damage that can down an unarmoured enemy at range in just a few hits. Its biggest weakness is actually hitting enemies from such distances, with high recoil making it particularly hard to control. Fortunately, you can go a long way towards correcting that with the right attachments, turning the Kastov 762 into a laser that’ll have you clutching victories on Al Mazrah time and time again. If you want to put this weapon to use, take a look at our guide on the best Kastov 762 loadout in Warzone 2.
3. M4
The M4 is a trusty weapon that’s sure to carry you through many of your early games, as it is the first Warzone 2 AR that you’ll unlock. That doesn’t mean you should ditch it as soon as you get something else, though. It’s actually one of the best weapons in Warzone 2 right now, with its high fire rate making it an exceptional pick at close-medium range. Combine that blistering speed with high damage, accuracy, and recoil that’s easy to manage, and you have a winner. Make sure to check out our guide on the best M4 loadout in Warzone 2 if it seems perfect for your playstyle.
2. Kastov-74U
If you like fighting at close-range, the Kastov-74U is undoubtedly one of the best picks in the current meta. It fires fast, hits hard, and is able to rip enemies apart before they can even react. That might sound too good to be true, but it really is that strong. As long as you stick to close range, that is. It has pretty high recoil, making it hard to control at lower levels. While you’re working to unlock attachments and craft the perfect setup, stick to close-quarters to rack up those kills. If this seems like the gun for you, check out our guide on the best Kastov-74U loadout in Warzone 2.
1. STB 556 - best Assault Rifle in Warzone 2
The STB 556 is a true laser beam in Warzone 2, able to pick off enemies with startling precision at medium-long range. Its best in class recoil control and accuracy combine with high damage to give the STB 556 the best TTK among Warzone 2 ARs, making it an obvious choice for any loadout. However, be aware that such accuracy comes with a cost. The STB 556 has a lower fire rate than many other Assault Rifles, meaning you’ll want something fast in your secondary slot to help you survive in close-quarters encounters. For the perfect close-range weapon, check out our list of the best SMGs in Warzone 2. To make the best setup for the top Assault Rifle, take a look at our guide on the best STB 556 loadout in Warzone 2. That wraps up our guide on the best Assault Rifle in Warzone 2. If you’re after a long-range weapon to pair with your preferred Assault Rifle, take a look at our list of the best Sniper Rifles in Warzone 2. You’ll find some meta guns that will provide easy kills from a distance, which you can learn more about using our guides on the best SP-X 80 loadout and best Signal 50 loadout in Warzone 2. Activision Blizzard are currently the subject of a number of legal actions, labour disputes and allegations of workplace harassment. Rock Paper Shotgun will continue to write about these issues, as well as covering Activision Blizzard games as part of our commitment to cover subjects of interest to our readers. The latest news can always be found under our Activision Blizzard tag.
