Another season means another fresh batch of ground loot weapons in Warzone. Technically, there are only three new guns featured in ground loot this season, with a number of returning guns. The only issue with ground loot this time around is that far too many of the guns are B tier and above.
Ground loot variants of the Krig, AK, Stoner, and FARA are basically loadout weapons. It appears that Raven is trying a new approach to ground loot. Season 5's ground loot variants are absolutely stacked, giving players without a loadout a fighting chance.
Magnum (CW): F Tier
The Magnums are inaccurate pistols with a small magazine. Plus, they take three shots to the chest to down an enemy. Players are much better off with the M19 or Renetti off of spawn.
M60: D Tier
Every season, Raven decides to keep these absolutely terrible guns in loot boxes. For the fourth season in a row, players are recommended to use literally any other automatic weapon over the M60. It fires too slowly and has enough horizontal bounce to make hitting shots at range impossible.
Hauer 77: D Tier
Instead of removing the useless shotgun, it will be in the game for yet another season. Do not get fooled by the Tree Branch Legendary version of this gun. It is not an assault rifle, and it will get the player killed.
DMR-14: C Tier
Only godlike players can use the common/uncommon versions of the DMR. Nerfs have increased the vertical kick, and the iron sight is impossible to see through. A slight edge is given to the Epic and Cryptic Tablet DMRs, but they are still firmly in the C tier.
AUG: C Tier
For many of the same reasons as the DMR, the Epic and Pop Star blueprint are not very good in Warzone. A subpar spread coupled with increased kick makes the AUG a bad pickup early in a match.
AMP63: C Tier
The AMP is certainly fun to use, but the limited magazine makes stringing together kills a nightmare. After downing an enemy, people will have to reload, finish off the enemy, and reload again.
Getting caught in the reload animation is way too common when using any of the AMP ground loot guns in Season 5.
M82: B Tier
It is painful to admit that the M82 can be effective if players hit their shots. It has a decent semi-auto fire rate and will down enemies with one shot to the head. That is pretty much the extent of the gun’s usefulness. It has an irritating amount of bullet drop and sounds the worst out of all the snipers. For those reasons, the Airsoft M82 is at the bottom of the B tier. The Noble Knight blueprint is not much better.
Nail Gun: B Tier
Even after a slight nerf, the Nail Gun still has great DPS up close. Still, the extremely slow bullet velocity and small magazine make the weapon okay at best. Players will be able to down one opponent before they have to reload.
EM-2: B Tier
The EM-2 is an incredible weapon with a lot of upside as a sniper support in Warzone. However, all five of these weapons have the slowest long range attachments imaginable. Players will still have success with the gun because it has a low TTK, but these variants leave something to be desired. If they just had a Microflex, the Epic and Legendary variants would be in the A tier.
Type 63: B Tier
It may be surprising, but the Type 63 sneaks into the B tier. The gun only has an epic and legendary variant, both of which have better attachments than the DMR. The Type 63 has better damage and better sights too.
TEC-9: B Tier
The new fast-firing SMG is decent, but not good enough to make it into the A tier. All of the TEC-9s have a fast fire rate and competitive TTK for a ground loot weapon. However, none of the variants have enough ammunition. Because of how fast the gun fires, getting caught reloading is common.
ZRG: A Tier
The main issues with the ZRG are the 3 round magazine and slow handling. This huge sniper takes forever to aim down sight and rechamber. The rare ZRG probably ranks somewhere in the B Tier.
The legendary ZRG and Beat Drop blueprint are somewhere in the A-S Tier. Both weapons have the larger 5 round magazines.
PPSH: A Tier
Unlike the TEC-9, the PPSH has plenty of ammunition. The rare version may not have the largest clip, but all other variants have upgraded magazines. The Gilded Cackle blueprint has a drum mag and a number of useful attachments. After the weapon balancing last season, the PPSH has become a viable SMG in Verdansk.
XM4: A Tier
The XM4 may not have the dominant TTK and headshot multiplier from a couple of seasons ago, but it is still a great option off of the ground. XM4s have a good fire rate and controllable recoil. Plus, the Epic blueprint has a Microflex LED sight.
Stoner A Tier
For months, the Stoner has been a staple of the early game in Warzone. It is one of the few Cold War weapons that has seemingly been untouched since the integration. These variants in particular have good sights and attachments that help with range and accuracy. Even the uncommon Stoner deserves a spot in the A tier.
MG 82: A Tier
PC players will probably have these Season 5 ground loot weapons somewhere in the S tier. The MG 82 has an insanely fast fire rate and kills enemies quickly if users have good aim.
On controller, keeping the vertical recoil on target is difficult as ranges extend. Recoil control is even more challenging when using the MG without a sight.
FARA 83: A Tier
The once legendary FARA is now a middle of the pack assault rifle in Warzone. However, with controllable recoil and decent damage values at range, the FARA still holds its own as ground loot. Gamers will want to pick up the epic version with a sight.
OTs 9: A Tier
It is no surprise that the most dominant SMG in the game has a spot way up in the A tier. These SMGs melt at close range and only have a moderate amount of kick. The small magazines can pose some issues, but every single one of these ground loot SMGs destroy the competition.
AK-47 CW: S Tier
Nerfs to the AMAX cemented the AK-47 as the top DPS assault rifle in the game. It kills fast and the recoil pattern is controllable enough up close. It is an unquestionably S tier gun.
LW3 - Tundra: S Tier
It is a matter of preference, but the Tundra presents a number of advantages over the ZRG. It has a faster ADS speed and better movement speed. Additionally, the reload animation is way faster. The Tundra may take more skill to use due to bullet drop, but it has the most potential of any sniper in this list.
Krig 6 S Tier
With the endless number of balancing updates Raven has put out, almost all of the long range meta guns have dropped down a peg. The Krig on the other hand has received multiple buffs without any negative changes. As a result, the no recoil AR has risen to the top of the ranks and deserves the top spot on this list.