Modern Warfare Season 2 is now in full swing, with plenty of players getting a hang on the new weapons introduced as rewards in the free tiers of Modern Warfare's battle pass. However, a lot of players are divided on the quality of the new weapons compared to the ones from last season.
Modern Warfare has a constantly changing meta, so guns that work well on the maps that shipped with the original version of the game may not necessarily work on newer, smaller maps. The weapons with the most potential are those that are versatile, and can be deployed on any map, big or small.
Unlocking Modern Warfare's New Weapons
The best thing about the new weapons in Modern Warfare is that they are available very early in the tiers of the battle pass. The GRAU 5.56 is unlocked at tier 15, while the Striker 45 is at tier 31. While it isn't really a new weapon, players can also unlock akimbo pistols in Modern Warfare Season 2, which is a very fun way to use the sidearms players already have.
With addition of small maps like fan-favorite Rust and Shipment, grinding for kills to unlock levels in the battle pass is extremely quick and easy. Unlocking the new weapons is far less of an issue than last time, although it is unfortunate that the blueprint that turns the Striker 45 into the much more popular and effective UMP45 is the very last reward on the battle pass at level 100.
While the new guns this season are instantly in the upper tiers of weapons in Modern Warfare, they do not leave quite the same impact as the ones from last season. These two are in a solid B-tier to A-tier, while last season saw the introduction of what is now the best AR in the game and an incredibly versatile LMG. Although it was outshone by the RAM-7, the Holger is a solid A-tier weapon because of its versatility.
While it may not be entirely fair to judge the new weapons against some of the strongest options in the game, that is what most players checking out the battle pass will be doing. The ultimate question is whether or not it is worth it to unlock all the attachments for the new guns and rock them as a main part of one's loadout. That is mostly a matter of preference for feel, but the numbers largely speak for themselves. Even in terms of subjective feel, Modern Warfare's new guns will be hard pressed to beat the offerings from last season.
RAM-7 Vs. GRAU 5.56
There are two primary issues with the RAM-7: it was relatively late on last season's battle pass, making it hard to unlock, and it lacked a wide variety of interesting attachments and modifications. At least one of those issues has been solved. Now the RAM-7 can be unlocked by reaching two AR headshots per match in 40 matches. That is not a particularly difficult feat to achieve, however, its lack of modifications is still a major issue.
Even so, the damage output, fire rate, controllable recoil, and handling of the RAM-7 are phenomenal, outcompeting the now passe M4A1. The RAM-7 is a very close-range gun by comparison to most of the other ARs, excelling at the mid range, but still able to compete admirably at longer distances. When compared to the GRAU 5.56, the two guns are nearly polar opposites despite the fact that they share a class. The GRAU is much longer range, offering a slower rate of fire in return for long-range damage and excellent controllability. Its handling is slower, but it makes up for it in its designated mid-long range role.
The GRAU has far more attachment options than the RAM-7, able to totally change its characteristics into a short-range, quick-firing SMG. However, these options are largely pointless, as its fire rate will stay the same, while its damage range and controllability, its most defining advantages, will suffer. Even if it has more versatility, its versatility is worth very little in real terms. Especially now that Modern Warfare Battle Royale is right around the corner, an SMG with long-range capabilities would be far more practical.
For that reason, it just can't compete with the RAM-7, especially now that the latter is much easier to unlock for anyone who wants it. The RAM-7 is a machine worthy of leveling up, while there are plenty of better options than the GRAU. It is worthwhile for fans of the gun who want to use it in specific situations, but other than that, it might not be worth unlocking gold on.
Holger-26 VS. Striker 45
It might not seem fair to compare the Holger LMG to the Striker 45 SMG since belong to classes with such different roles, but they have more in common than might first meet the eye. Both weapons are options that fill a mid-point between their own class and the AR class. The Holger is an LMG with AR characteristics, while the Striker 45 is an SMG with the range and damage of a heavier-hitting weapon.
The Holger benefits immensely from having AR characteristics. The ammo count and damage of an LMG are the class's biggest draws, but the Holger finds a compromise with relatively quick reload times and speedy handling. It's a great choice for those who want some of the benefits of an LMG without having to commit to all of its drawbacks. For that reason, the gun can still be effective on small, close quarters maps, even if it isn't quite as quick as an AR or SMG.
The Striker 45 also shares AR characteristics, but it seems to lose out on the strengths of its class in the process. The point of an SMG is being quick, light, and effective at close range. However, the Striker gets big damage numbers at the cost of hipfire spread, fire rate, recoil, and handling. If the recoil and handling were a little better, it would be an extremely competitive gun. Unfortunately, as of now the handling makes the gun very niche. There is more to look forward to in Modern Warfare Season 2 than just the guns, however, and even then the guns are nothing to sneeze at.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.