Best weapons in COD Vanguard - The strongest and most broken guns

It is finally here, Call of Duty: Vanguard has been released, taking the series back to a familiar point in time but with a few alternative history twists.

To be honest, whatever period of time the game is set in is neither here nor there as this is Call of Duty, which means that as long as the guns, movement, and maps feel good, we are going to be devoting a huge chunk of time to it -- and that is even before the game's integration into the phenomenon that is Warzone.

And on those three factors mentioned, Vanguard holds up well; the guns do feel good if ever so slightly familiar and the movement is 1:1 that seen in 2019's Modern Warfare (it should do - it's basically the same engine), and the maps -- save a few issues with spawn points -- are decent.

But enough with the preamble. The game is now out and if you want to stand a fighting chance in those infamous COD multiplayer lobbies you better know what you're doing.

The first thing to think about in that regard is what gun you will be using. Making sure you have the best weapon for your chosen playstyle or what is commonly referred to as "meta weapons", is key to success, if you hit for 90 and your opponent hits you for 110, who do u think will come out on top?

Exactly, so to help you in these early days of COD Vanguard, we compiled a list of the best guns in each category, so whether you like to run with a sniper or an assault rifle or go balls to the wall with a heavy machine gun, we have you covered.

Best weapons in COD Vanguard

There are eight weapon categories in Vanguard with a lot of guns across each of those categories, and that's just the pre-season content.

We have been playing the game intensively since the very first beta, and after extensive testing of every single gun, we have selected the absolute best in each category, so you know -- at a pinch -- what should be in your mitts.

It should be noted that, for now, we've decided to skip the launcher, melee, and handgun categories, as we need to do more testing for these less crucial classes before we give our final judgment.

So, without further ado, we present you the list of best guns in Call of Duty: Vanguard for (almost) every class.

Best assault rifle: STG 44

You will not make a mistake if you opt to stick with the STG 44 during the COD Vanguard pre-season.

• Read more: COD Vanguard AR tier list - Every assault rifle ranked from best to worst

The good old STG 44 has proven to be one of the strongest guns during the beta and that fact remains true at launch. This fierce assault rifle is capable of unleashing insane damage output, while being surprisingly manageable due to low recoil, resulting in one of the fastest time-to-kill in the game.

Best sub-machine gun:  MP-40

The SMG is traditionally a class of weapons that you want to use in tight scenarios where space is limited and reaction times crucial.

• Read more: COD Vanguard SMG tier list - Every submachine gun ranked from best to worst

The MP-40 offers speed and accuracy unparallel to any other weapon in this category, making it a perfect choice for smaller maps full of corridors and cramped areas, which fits nicely for most of the maps we've received at launch.

Best sniper rifle: Kar98k

A new Call of Duty game, but the sniper/marksman rifle class remains dominated by the kar98k.

The insane ADS, great rate of fire, and added mobility of the Kar98k make it an extremely potent long-range weapon. One of the main drawbacks of good sniper/marksman rifles is that they hamper your mobility, but with the Kar98k you are as light as a feather, and that's why is this gun so popular across multiple Call of Duty games.

• Read more: COD Vanguard Sniper tier list - Every sniper rifle ranked from best to worst

With the kar98k you can swiftly reposition while blowing the heads of your oblivious foes. Asides from being powerful, the Kar98k is rather easy to use, and that's why it still remains one of the most popular choices among players.

Best light machine gun: DP-27

Fancy fulfilling a fantasy of a true World World 2 soldier? Then LMGs are the best weapons for you! And a perfect gun for that is the Degtyaryov machine gun, also known as the DP-27.

• Read more: COD Vanguard LMG tier list - Every light machine gun ranked from best to worst

This Soviet bad boy excels in its category due to being the most mobile LMG in the game, allowing you to rush Rambo-style, showering enemies with bullets while being able to maintain your charge thanks to its large magazine and terrifying firepower.

Best shotgun: Combat Shotgun

When it comes to shotguns, there's not much to choose from in the first place, so if you are an admirer of blasting enemies into smithereens up close and personal, you will have only 4 shotguns to choose from at the start of the season.

• Read more: All COD Vanguard weapons - Unlock levels and types

That's why we are going with a safe pick, the Combat Shotgun, which is the closest to what you would expect when playing with this class. If you would like to be more eccentric, you could go with something more quirky. Yes, we are talking about the experimental Einhorn Revolving shotgun.

And with that, our list of best Vanguard weapons to use during the pre-season is complete. It's important to note that the game has just been released, there's going to be weeks before we get any real meta, so don't be afraid of experimenting and testing all weapons on your own, as the launch of a game is the most fun period in almost any competitive title, when no one is exactly sure what are they doing and what are without a doubt the best weapons.

Have fun and enjoy the game before it inevitably becomes dominated by the meta guns!

• Read more: COD Vanguard weapon camos: How to unlock Gold, Diamond and Atomic Mastery

Don't forget to check out our dedicated Call of Duty section for Vanguard news, loadouts, tier lists, leaks and much more.

Featured image courtesy of Activision.

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