Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is the latest iteration of the popular First Person Shooter franchise from Activision. Fans both new and old are hopping in, especially over the holiday season to pit themselves against each other in harrowing online battles.

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With so many guns to choose from, it can be hard to pinpoint which class is the best fit for players. Assault rifles are a great place to start for both franchise veterans and beginners in this entry. Those looking to get a leg up on their competition may need some tips on how to adequately use assault rifles in Cold War.

Try Out Each Auto Rifle

Call of Duty Auto Rifle Krieg

The first step in understanding the assault rifle class is to get a feel for each weapon. These are well-rounded weapons that work well in a variety of situations. As with any gun class, each of these guns feels completely different from the other. Some prioritize damage while others focus on stability.

Players will periodically unlock rifles as they progress in level, so it's important to take the opportunity to use get a feel for these weapons early on. Take some time to use one of the five assault rifles and see which is the best overall fit.

Level Up Guns For Access To Attachments

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Multiplayer

Assault rifles, while well rounded, are some of the most tedious to level up. These guns have 55 levels for players to climb through. To make quick work of this arduous task, players will want to keep track of double experience events. Double experience levels up guns and players rank faster at once.

Once guns are ranked up, dozens of attachments are available to equip each weapon with. Activision often holds 2XP events during holidays and in-game events, and Battle Pass Owners get a 10% XP boost for the duration of a season.

Gear Attachments To Playstyle

Call of Duty Cold War Multiplayer Nuketown

No matter what assault rifle players use, they'll want to outfit their weapon with attachments that boost effectiveness in a firefight. Preference will vary from person to person. For those that find themselves a few bullets short in a magazine, an extended mag is an excellent choice. For those who like to sit back and pick off enemies from a distance, an ACOG scope may be useful.

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It may take some time to find out what attachments are necessary for success. Play around with a gun and find what areas it feels like it's lacking, and see if there is an attachment geared towards improving that aspect.

Try Out New Attachment Combinations

Call of Duty Black Ops Krieg

When they find a setup that works, many players stagnate and stop searching out new attachments. Some situations may call for a different approach, so it's important to get a feel for as many attachments as possible.

This is especially important to try new attachments for different guns, as every assault rifle sees various performance differences. If a new piece is unlocked, don't be afraid to equip it for a couple of rounds and see how it feels. Make sure to keep an eye on the stats bar as well when trying new parts.

Need More Attachments? Use Gunfighter

Call of Duty Black Ops Gunfighter

All guns in Call of Duty have a max of five attachments that can be equipped at once. The only way to get around this attachment cap is to equip the Gunfighter Wildcard. This will allow players to put an attachment in each slot of their weapon for a total of eight.

This way, players won't have to worry about sacrificing any of their attachment types for assault rifles. For those interested in fully kitting out their weapon, this is a Wildcard worth investing in.

Choose Firefights Wisely

Call of Duty Cold War Nuketown AK

Once an assault rifle is kitted out with preferable attachments, it's important to learn where each gun excels. For example, the AK-47 has devastating firepower but substantial recoil. This makes hitting targets from far range a challenge.

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Learning key facts for each assault rifle can save players from picking a pointless firefight. If there's an unfavorable matchup, don't be afraid to back off and regroup. This information can also give players the knowledge they need to dispose of an enemy soldier's unaware of their weapon weaknesses.

Understand Assault Rifle Strengths & Weaknesses

Call of Duty Cold War AK74-u

While learning individual weapon strengths and weaknesses will help players, knowing how each class performs is key. Assault rifles are excellent mid-range weapons with an ideal range of 20-45 meters. This means that up close weapons like submachine guns will constantly come out on top. At long range, snipers and tactical rifles are more accurate.

If faced with an opponent using a different class, it is important to identify their weapon type and make sure to get to a position where assault rifles will perform favorably.

Choose The Right Gun For Each Map

Call of Duty Cold War Auto Rifle FFAR

With any Call of Duty, there are maps with varying sizes and sightlines. The upcoming map will be integral in which gun players will want to choose. On a smaller map like Nuketown, assault rifles like the FFAR are much better suited to take on close-range targets.

On larger maps like Moscow, the XM4 may be a better choice as there are more wide-open areas with long sightlines. Make sure to have several classes prepared for the different maps that Cold War has to offer.

Have a Good Secondary Ready

Call of Duty Cold War XM4 Gallo

When a firefight gets intense, a primary weapon may not be enough to take an opponent on. Sometimes a good secondary will be what saves players from being killed. Switching to a secondary is always faster than reloading, so if someone runs out of ammo, swapping is the better option.

Secondaries often consist of pistols, shotguns, and launchers. Choose the one that feels like it will be most useful for the preferred playstyle. For run and gunners, a shotgun may be the safest bet. Running into players at close range means that this weapon will eviscerate opponents at close range.

Want To Use Two Auto Rifles? Equip Lawbreaker

If no secondary seems reasonable for players, there is an alternative option. If the Wildcard Law Breaker is equipped, players can use any weapon in either slot. This includes primaries. If some want to grab a second assault rifle for when their ammo runs low, that is possible.

It adds several options to better compliment assault rifles in multiplayer skirmishes. Players can also equip multiples perks from a single perk category. These perks can be used to further boost effectiveness in battle with assault rifles going forward.

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