Call of Duty: Vanguard was released last week to an overall positive reception. The game sees the Call of Duty series return to its roots with a traditional World War 2 setting, and fans couldn’t be more excited. Players now have the choice of Call of Duty: Vanguard, Cold War, and Modern Warfare to choose from, offering solid options all around.
The return of a World War 2 setting has also meant that long time Call of Duty players have been eager to try out returning favourite weapons and maps. The return of Sub Pens, Castle, and Dome in Vanguard has been well-received by fans, while plenty of classic Call of Duty weapons have also returned to the game. Perhaps none have made quite such a splash as the likes of the STG44, which has been popular in discussions since the game’s release.
The Best Assault Rifle in Call of Duty: Vanguard?
Call of Duty: Vanguard players have been very pleased overall with this year’s Call of Duty offering, although some have noticed issues with weapon balance. Despite being unlocked at level one, the STG44 is one such weapon that has provoked discussion within the CoD community about weapon balance, and it’s easy to see why. The STG44, despite being an Assault Rifle, has a very high rate of fire yet still ranks among the best in its class for its accuracy and speed. Call of Duty: Vanguard’s STG44 compares well with some of the games SMGs, both in terms of stats and gameplay. This has led some to call for a nerf, although as of yet it remains unpatched.
At launch, the only assault rifle that compares to the STG44 on paper is the Volkssturmgewehr, which is the last assault rifle to be unlocked. The Volkssturmgewehr, or Volk for short, packs a greater rate of fire and slightly improved firepower, which all culminates into giving it one of the highest TTKs in Call of Duty: Vanguard. While on paper this may sound great, it perhaps loses out to the STG44 in terms of recoil, which is a lot more unpredictable in the case of the Volk. The STG44 tiptoes the line between assault rifle and SMG perfectly, without overlapping too much on either side, making it a great all-rounder and a perfect gun to get started with in Vanguard.
Essential Attachments For the STG44 in Vanguard
While on a basic level, the STG44 is already one of the best weapons in Call of Duty: Vanguard, it can be further improved with the addition of attachments. In Vanguard, the gunsmith returns and this time, players can attach 10 attachments at once, or one of each attachment type. It can be daunting going into the gunsmith in Call of Duty: Vanguard as it offers a lot of information to take in, but for players willing to brave the onslaught of pros and cons, the rewards are well worth it.
Most attachments in Call of Duty: Vanguard offer a balance of negatives and positives that add and subtract from guns overall usefulness. The attachments players should pick will vary depending on what they want out of the gun, they can keep a balance, or play further into either the assault rifle or SMG attributes of the STG44.
One attachment that may prove fit for either variation is the Krausnick ISO2M, which improves upon the already useful iron sight, also improving the aim down sight speed. Keeping in the spirit of improving the mobility of the gun, the Krausnick S11S Folding stock offers improvements of two to sprint to fire speed and one to movement speed with minimal effects on accuracy and recoil. The final attachment that works for either loadout is the Fully Loaded Kit, which should make sure players remain stocked up with ammo in the wake of gunfights. The STG44 currently offers one of the best loadout options in Call of Duty, with many ways to improve upon an already solid option.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.